We're watching you!

Do you ever get that feeling you're being watched? I do. All the time. Leaving in village is one thing, I know having liked in Fosdyke, population 200 ('ish), people know each other and gossip and what to know everyone else's business. It's another thing when you're the tall white guy with a ginger beard in a small Japanese town. Everyone notices me and reports my location's and actions to others.

After visiting the farmers market the other week, on the way back home, me and Maki stop in at the local Marui supermarket to pick up some sundries and such. A man who I'm fairly sure I haven't met came up to me and started to talking to me. He was telling me how he had seen me and my wife at the Farmers Market, earlier that day. This was a nice man, nothing odd about him, but I don't know what do say to this! “Oh, that's nice that you saw me Mr. Stranger. Thanks for letting me know.” I don't know how to react to these reports. I met the mothers of some of my students yesterday and they informed me where they had seen me walking in Shoo. The thing is when I go walking I barely see anyone. Many they all have CCTV and watch everyone. Maybe I do just stick out too much like the proverbially bearded saw thumb I am.

I expect it from the children and I get that a lot, which is kinda nice. I see them in the supermarket when they clock me. They seem so surprised to see me shopping like such a strange looking person shouldn't need food. They react differently, some whisper to their mothers “Mr Buckley, John Buckley, Buckley-Sensei”. Some yell it “JOHN-SENSEI” and come bounding over. Some want to practice their English “Hello!” “How are you?” “I'm fine” etc etc. It's a bit like being a child super-star, like 'Barney the Dinosaur'. I actually had some children ask for my signature the other day. I really didn't understand, but if it makes them happy.

My favourite has to be the toddlers. They are so funny. It's like they've had never seen an English man before (And sometimes, haven't). Some stare, frozen to the spot where they saw me. Others stare, but go onto autopilot, continuing walking but staring at me. This is funny as they bump into things because they are so distracted. One walked into his mothers leg and landed on this his bum, with such the cutest expression of shock from the Gaijin/mother's-leg combo. And then there are the shy ones. The ones that hide behind their mother's legs and run the other way.

The high school teenage's really stare. They don't have me as their teacher there, so I'm somewhat of a novelty to them. They hang around the station and when I walk by I can hear them talking about me. Maki doesn't like it, but that's because the girls talk about me the most :D

Ones things for sure, I have to be careful what I do in public.