Day 6: A Strange Little Man In The Train

Your freedom ends where the nose of your neighbor begins.

In my usual earphones and loud music, I got in a train with every intentions of minding my own business. I noticed this guy sitting opposite me, also in his earphones, swaying his right arm in the air, probably through the beat of the music he was listening too. I noticed that he was also very concentrated in the notes he was holding, probably lyrics or even notes of the song he was listening too.

I closed my eyes and inhaled trying to let out some inner panicking inside. My furnitures haven't been delivered, and me and my 3 GGs are arriving in Manila on Saturday and my home is not yet homey and warm to greet them.

In the midst of trying to be in a zen state, I heard this little guy's voice rising at the same intense movement his arms were doing. He was singing with his heart, very loudly. I was in my usually loud music and yet I heard him. I glanced for a couple of second, and then tried to ignore him. His voice just keeps rising and rising. He doesn't look like a mongoliod or something, but he just didn't care about his surroundings.

I looked around and to my amazement there was nobody in the crowded train making annoyed faces. Nada! I looked around and to my amazement, people just went about their own businesses and ignored him. This confirms it. The Japanese are too tolerant of strangers. Japanese are just non-confrontational. Or perhaps theirs is a society that accepts the fact that there are nuts here and there, from time to time. Had it been another country, it would probably very tense and people would probably voiced out their annoyance.

As for this man, I'm happy for him that he gets carried away with what he is doing, but I hope he becomes sensitive that he is causing distress to others.