A “Geta, Geta” Laughable Happening When I just arrived in the US as a foreign student, I went out to buy daily necessities. My student life in a dormitory would start the next day, so I walked to Kmart from my host family’s home. I put things that I needed into my basket and went to a cashier. She rang up the items and put my purchases—a pillow, slippers, hangers, etc.—into a huge black plastic bag. I carried the bag over my shoulder and walked for twenty minutes, making a geta (Japanese wooden sandals) sound. When I was waiting for a green light, a car stopped close to me. An elegant elderly lady got out of the car and walked toward me. And, she talked to me, “^%&$%&^@#*%.” Then she put something in my hand and went back to her car. I stared blankly at my palm…. Guess what? It was a twenty-dollar bill. Trying to understand what just happened, I missed two green lights. A Poor Foreigner |