The Magic Disappearing/Reappearing Fire Extinguisher
So a couple days ago I was getting ready for work in the morning, and my doorbell rang. Odd, I thought, as I walked to the door, trying to get into a mental state ready to listen to, understand, and return fire in Japanese.
I open the door to see this old man - in his 70s or 80s, at least - and he starts talking to me in rapid, unintelligible Japanese. I tell him I have no idea what he's talking about, and he comes into my apartment. Uninvited. But he takes his shoes off, and as he is hunch-backed and has more than his fair share of wrinkles, I don't consider him to be any sort of threat. He pokes around my kitchen for a minute, then walks back outside, and asks me to wait a minute.
He walks down to my neighbor's door, and lifts what I presume to be my neighbor's fire extinguisher from their front step. So now I think he's some sort of fire inspection man, and the message gets across that he wants to see my fire extinguisher. However, he has shown no identification, and is not wearing any sort of badge or uniform. He's in a raggedy shirt and jeans.
He asks me to bring my fire extinguisher to him (I understand the words "koko ni" - "to here") and I get my fire extinguisher and hand it to him. I had a fleeting thought that he doesn't look as if he can support the weight of the extinguisher, and as soon as the weight left my hand, his body nearly crumpled. He recovered in time and was able to guide the extinguisher so it safely sat on my front step. He said thank you and went on his merry way.
Thoroughly confused, I went to work.
When I returned, the fire extinguishers (mine and my neighbors') were nowhere to be seen. No note in the mailbox or on the door. The following day, again, no fire extinguisher, no explanatory note. I half expected to come home to my apartment building in flames, as I imagined the old man was a con artist specializing in arson.
The day after that, when I returned home, there still was no note on the door (but, fortunately, no fire either). I opened my door to see a fire extinguisher sitting on my floor inside. Uhhh... how'd that get into my locked apartment? Still don't have that question answered. No new tags on the fire extinguisher with any sort of date or an "OK" sticker. I'm not that unnerved by the whole thing, but it still is a bit odd.
The most logical answer is that my the guy had to check all the fire extinguishers in the place, and my landlady is the one who unlocked my door and either allowed someone to place the extinguisher back in my place, or did it herself. But it is normal here - as it is in most parts of the world - for tenants to be notified before someone is going to come to into their apartment for any repair / inspection work.
I've asked other Americans who have been here for years, and even my Japanese co-workers. Everyone's brow wrinkles as much as the old man's relaxed face, as they give an expression of "ehhh?"
I open the door to see this old man - in his 70s or 80s, at least - and he starts talking to me in rapid, unintelligible Japanese. I tell him I have no idea what he's talking about, and he comes into my apartment. Uninvited. But he takes his shoes off, and as he is hunch-backed and has more than his fair share of wrinkles, I don't consider him to be any sort of threat. He pokes around my kitchen for a minute, then walks back outside, and asks me to wait a minute.
He walks down to my neighbor's door, and lifts what I presume to be my neighbor's fire extinguisher from their front step. So now I think he's some sort of fire inspection man, and the message gets across that he wants to see my fire extinguisher. However, he has shown no identification, and is not wearing any sort of badge or uniform. He's in a raggedy shirt and jeans.
He asks me to bring my fire extinguisher to him (I understand the words "koko ni" - "to here") and I get my fire extinguisher and hand it to him. I had a fleeting thought that he doesn't look as if he can support the weight of the extinguisher, and as soon as the weight left my hand, his body nearly crumpled. He recovered in time and was able to guide the extinguisher so it safely sat on my front step. He said thank you and went on his merry way.
Thoroughly confused, I went to work.
When I returned, the fire extinguishers (mine and my neighbors') were nowhere to be seen. No note in the mailbox or on the door. The following day, again, no fire extinguisher, no explanatory note. I half expected to come home to my apartment building in flames, as I imagined the old man was a con artist specializing in arson.
The day after that, when I returned home, there still was no note on the door (but, fortunately, no fire either). I opened my door to see a fire extinguisher sitting on my floor inside. Uhhh... how'd that get into my locked apartment? Still don't have that question answered. No new tags on the fire extinguisher with any sort of date or an "OK" sticker. I'm not that unnerved by the whole thing, but it still is a bit odd.
The most logical answer is that my the guy had to check all the fire extinguishers in the place, and my landlady is the one who unlocked my door and either allowed someone to place the extinguisher back in my place, or did it herself. But it is normal here - as it is in most parts of the world - for tenants to be notified before someone is going to come to into their apartment for any repair / inspection work.
I've asked other Americans who have been here for years, and even my Japanese co-workers. Everyone's brow wrinkles as much as the old man's relaxed face, as they give an expression of "ehhh?"
posted by David at 4:08 PM
1 Comments:
Yes Matthias lost to 2 girls in shotgun. I will try to get the video up on youtube.
Charlotte
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