Chapter #1
Last year, the front tyre of my bicycle got punctured. I arrived in school and casually asked the english teacher if there is a bicycle shop around where I could get the tyre fixed. She didn’t know and I had thought that would be the end of the story. But no. She asked another teacher and the administrative lady overheard. So they told me the name of a bicycle shop nearby. I thought “Oh, thank you so much!” and I was gonna head there myself after school.
No.
She offered to take me there immediately. But wait! She whipped out a thick copy of the business registry to check the opening hours.
Closed on Mondays
It was a Monday. So too bad for me. I’ll just go tomorrow.
No.
The vice-principal told me to hand him my bicycle key after my first lesson but after the lesson, he told me he pumped it up and said to try it for the next day. I said OK.
Next day, the tyre went flat again. I arrived in school and he asked if the tyre was OK. I told him it went flat. After school, I found the tyre to be fixed already. By the vice-principal!
Chapter #2
A couple of months later, the back tyre went flat. I felt bad about the first time, so I decided to ask the other school staff about a bicycle shop. The administrative lady said there’s a shop very near the school and told me she’ll take me there the next day.
Next day, I arrived in school and greeted the principal at the gate. He saw my tyre and I told him about it being flat. He told me to leave my keys on the bicycle and he took it to the bicycle shop for me!
Chapter #3
Today, I went to visit a new school for the first time. The teachers asked how I got to school and I told them I walked from the station but I intend to buy a bicycle. Again, a casual chat had me ask where I could get a bicycle around the area. The next thing I knew, the school head, the english head, the vice-principal and the principal started printing out like a million copies of map and marked over a thousand bicycle shops for me to choose from.
I needed to withdraw some cash too but I no longer dared to ask anymore questions.
OMG I TOTALLY KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN. I have my own experience to share regarding principals and bus maps and elementary school teachers sending hubby and i to bus stops in one-digit temperatures in tracksuits AND I DON’T EVEN WORK THERE DD:
oh my, and people always say Japanese are stoic..but i can feel so much helpfulness and warmth here 🙂