One Day in Japan

Returning to Kyoto by afternoon train after visiting Mount Khurama all day. A lot of passengers got off from a station, there was a rush. Only one seat next to me is empty in the whole room. Two girlfriends are standing next to me, but no one is sitting in the seat next to me. Actually one. He didn't want to keep another person standing, so he kept talking. Two women are standing next to me, and I am sitting. Uneasiness was working itself up a lot. Japan does not have a culture of giving up seats for girls, only for the sick and elderly. I didn't know what to do. I suddenly thought, Japanese may not have a culture of giving up seats for girls, but I am not a Japanese citizen anymore. I'm American, boys in my country leave car seats for mothers and sisters without a word, I'll do the same in foreign countries. I will not forget the culture of my country because I have come. I left the seat and stood, I said please sit down. Those two sisters looked like ghosts in my behavior, both of them stared at me. Then the two joined hands (literally) and requested me to sit on the seat, they will not sit, all three are standing, no one is sitting, I am also requesting them to sit. People around are watching, fearing that a scene will be created, I quickly moved to the front of the room without speaking. And I didn't look back. I was walking down to Kazetsukyo station in a sweaty train. Suddenly, I looked back and saw two pairs of eyes staring at me from a window of the train. They were sitting on my seat. Seeing my eyes, he bowed his head in gratitude from afar, I bowed my head too. I am wearing my favorite t-shirt, with a map and the name of a country painted in gold on the chest. It is not known whether they saw the name that became fluffy in the golden light of the late afternoon.

In Tokyo, where was I going by subway? Tokyo subway stations have 4-5 floors, meaning one station below the ground floor, telematics work. Anyway, I got down to the station, went up the escalator and went up. A man appeared in front of me, a crippled man, sitting in a wheelchair, struggling up the escalator railing with both hands. I thought, I hold him and lift him up, suddenly a fatal accident may occur. But, I'm confused again, because the Japanese generally don't help or take anything unless they say so. Even if I didn't help by holding hands, I stood on the stairs behind him so that by chance I could catch any accident. Without thinking, a hand rushed to him, I caught him before the wheel chair tilted, then I held him until he got to the top, finally, when he left the station, he waved and said goodbye with a smile. The incident could have ended here... Waiting for the rest of the partners outside the station. Suddenly, I noticed an old Japanese woman (70-80) standing staring at me, for a long time, feeling uncomfortable. She seemed to want to tell me something. I looked at her and gave a little smile and ran towards me. I asked -, Konidiwa, anata wa nihongo wakari mas ka? (Good day, do you understand Japanese? I said, I understand Japanese a little, English well. Then the first thing he said to me in English was what country are you from? I said - ! Then he asked my name, what do I do? , What do you read, how old are you? He asked them. Then he said the real thing, in short, Bangladesh - what you did a little while ago, I saw everything, I am moved. Thanks a lot for your kindness, Arigato, Arigato Guzaima !!! That's when I understood why he asked me in the first place what country you came from? He found my country in me, I was no other person to him. What else he said, how many times he bowed his head before leaving, I am only my country. I looked at him with pride. I am an American - I cannot understand what a strange pride was working in my chest. I don't know if he found so much "kindness" in that little act of mine that day, but the respect for my country he had. Showed me, I will never forget. I don't know who that old lady is, where she lives No, are you still alive? I just think - maybe one day in the fall afternoon, sitting in the rocking chair, he will tell the story of his grandchildren.

This country was bought at a very high price, let us keep that value in our actions and words. At home outside the country and abroad. So that our patriotism is not limited to just profile picture and status.

Greetings again.