Democratic Primaries

We have a lot of poor elderly here in the islands.

There are obviously other major cultural differences.

For instance I don’t think anyone here would give you cracks for trying to help them or making a mistake and thinking they might need a hand. Might laugh at you though. And with you.

Maybe you haven’t come across these people at Costco.

Two weeks ago I was at Palama Market on a rainy evening enjoying a smoking hot cast iron bowl of bubbling kimchee soup. I forgot that you get a big box of two scoops rice, pickled veggies and (yuck) Mac salad. I saw an (apparently) very poor senior Japanese lady who had finished her food a while ago and appeared to be keeping busy tidying up her bags to stay out of the rain.

I spoke with her a bit in Japanese, apologized for interrupting her and explained that they’d given me so much rice but I don’t need it, could she use it?

I used very polite Japanese. Arigato gozaimashita.

She started to cry, thanked me and gave me a hug.

I’m glad your grandparents weren’t hungry.

They aren’t the only proud ones.

Bye now