"Amy-san!" yells one of the neighborhood obaachan while standing in my genkan holding out a plate of warm shrimp tempura. "Thank you so much for helping my husband the other day."

I'm perplexed. What have I done for her husband and, by the way, who is he? I have no idea what she is talking about. But I just say, "Oh, no worries, you needn't have troubled yourself to return the favor."

The next day another old lady comes to the door. "Amy-san, thank you so much for helping my husband the other day," she says and hands me a bag with a live octopus in it.