As a Chinese-American, I'm like a foreigner incognito in Japan. This time 'round, however, it was pretty hard to disguise my identity as a foreigner.
One day I went to the bank to pay off one of those bills not payable at the conbini or post office. Being time-strapped, I decided to use the ATM. However, I had no idea which button to press, and the English pamphlet only provided directions for withdrawals and deposits.
In the past, I had seen customers get quick ATM assistance, so I looked for the relevant button, which I proceeded to push. The moment my finger left the RED button, something started blaring. I had just pushed the emergency "bloody murder, someone is taking my money, help me!" button.
Suddenly, all eyes were on me and an attendant sprinted over. I was as red as a beet, an obvious indication that I was the perpetrator.
I told her that I needed help -- she gave me a look that read, "I'll say," and sternly pointed to the assistance telephone beside the ATM. Oops, a little too late for that.
-- Vivian in Japan
Keep sending your tales of life as a foreigner in Japan to [email protected]. Every fortnight, we'll publish a story sent in by one of our readers, and if yours is printed you'll receive a 2,000 yen gift voucher from Tower Records. Stories should be 250 words max.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.