Kotaku
To: Crecente
From: Bashcraft
Back when my wife was in the hospital, my front door would ring at very random times in the afternoon. I'd go out and check, and there was no one there. Like most apartments in Japan, the front door has automatic locks, so regular people can't just walk in — you gotta be buzzed in. There's only four people who live on my floor, so who was ringing my doorbell?! With all that was happening personally, trying to do work and finish a book, it was driving me batty.
Coming back from the supermarket, I spotted a gaggle of neighborhood kids making noise as they took the elevator to the top floor. None of the kids live in my building, but rather, in nearby pre-fab houses. They must've snuck in when the doors were closing or something. Ditching the groceries, I hoofed it up the stairs and saw them ringing a random person's doorbell and dashing back into the elevator where I was waiting.
"I know what you're doing," I said, calmly. "I know your parents, too. I have their phone numbers. All of them."
Of course, I had no idea who their parents were. Still, the kids looked at me google-eyed.
"Do you want me to call them? I will."
A girl with puffy hair, about to cry, pointed to the little boy, saying "It was his idea."
"I don't care whose idea it was. Don't let it happen again. Okay? I will call your parents."
Ten, fifteen minutes pass, and my intercom buzzed. It was the kids. They were downstairs, standing in front of the building. One of them squeaked something about putting a letter in my mailbox downstairs. I went downstairs, saw them waiting outside, faces pressed up against the glass. I pulled the pink Disney I'm Sorry note out of mailbox. Hit the jump for what it read:
What you missed last night
Exercise in GTA IV hyperbolism
Favre mehs Madden
More Okami IGN watermarks!
Ghostbuster hands on
Where Bionic Commando and Nintendo stand
GTA IV FAQ
Well. I'm truly sorry. This is my letter. I'm in second grade and look like this: [KID DREW HIS FACE] I'm truly sorry. From SOME KID.I'm sorry about ringing your doorbell and running away. I think is disturbed the people in this apartment building. I won't do it again. From SOME KID.
I'm sorry about ringing your doorbell and running away. This is what my hair looks like: [KID DREW HER HAIR] From SOME KID, third grade, 9 years old.
Continued on the back —
I'm in second grade and 8 years old. This is the type of hair I have: [KID DREW HER HAIR] I'm didn't ring your doorbell, but I'm sorry about sneaking into the apartment building. I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry. From SOME KID.
Actually, I kinda feel bad for the kids in my neighborhood. It's very urban with few places to play — hence me not getting pissed off at them, but just trying to get them to, you know, stop.
Comments
oh man, that reminds me of when someone did that to our house. Trish slammed open our front door and went charging down the street after them. It scared the crap out of the kids. Shit, it scared the crap out of me. I thought I was going to have to go bail her out.
Japanese kids are awesome. Here in Philly they would have gotten their cousin to do a drive-by.
...only in Japan?
From jail that is... she used to be a regional champion of Shodukon back in Australia.
AWWWWWWWW,
Disney paper ftw.
Thats quite the piece of parchment those brats had on them.
In the states if you told a kid you were calling their parents for something they are doing wrong most of them would call your bluff and probably spew some obscenities in your direction.
Only in japan.
here in america, the kids would have yelled back or pulled out a knife. GTAIV is coming out after all
awwww, a good ending :)
Is there some cultural thing about drawing hair as an identifier? Also: Aww.
I think you may have scarred them for life. Scary gaijin is scary.
That was an awesome story, for sure when you come out with your book I'll be one of the first to buy it.
Aaaaawwwwww.....It brought some light in my darkness filled black void of a heart.
Then the light was swallowed by the gravity of a millions suns.
But, for brief moment, there was light.
@ArmyofJuan: Naw, the kids with knives have better things to do. Like hunt prostitutes and hobos, and eachother.
The current age of political correctness won't even allow me to type what we used to call "prank-knocking."
Eenie-Meenie-Miney-Moe was also rife with racial bigotry.
Good story, though. Seems like they're good kids.
HAHA this is funny.
Love the paper.
Awww, bless their little socks.
If they're that bored, you should hire them to help clean the house.
Good for you. This is the type of early acts that helps to put kids on the straight path. Most kids today would never take the time to write an apology letter. Good job. Perhaps the path of these young padawans can be saved. If more people were like you, we could save tomorrow's youth.
This is one of the many things why I love Japan.
Here in Holland you would have probably been beaten up by the kids parents.
Yeah, those kids would have gone to get their older brother and , at best, you'd have a fist fight here in New Mexico. There's something to be said for having social stigma's in your culture.
wow, their Japanese writing looks very good, at least coming from me whose good at writing english.
now ill go back in my tuna can, wishing i knew japanese.
Im just surprised they wrote a letter.
@Brian Crecente:
I misread that as Sudoku at first glance >_<
Sheesh, it must have been the girls idea to write that letter...or not, it is Japan.
awwww thats so cute id let them ring my doorbell a few times.
That's it. I'm raising my kids Japanese.
Ashukurafuto? That sounds so bad-ass!
@Spaceboy: @Beano: @Mommar: In Boston the kids would have just raped you.
All kids engage in some measure of wacky hyjinx. Its the ones who have the upbringing to apologize properly that will grow up to be decent humans.
(....that, and they wanted to be sure you wouldn't call their parents.)
I would totally ring their bell right after that
Hehe. Glad that had a happy ending!
@uninterested gamer: me too. Here in the West there is just no other way.
I never had the pleasure of playing games like that when I was a kid. Growing up in the country where your nearest neighbour is almost a kilometer away makes it a little difficult.
Wow, when Japanese kids misbehave, they actually apologize and write a letter. Where did our culture go wrong?
@Kenderstew: lol, me too
Omae wa yasashii, ne?
i think the same thing would happen in some parts of the US with kids of similar age.
I can't stop laughing at the hair drawing parts.
Crazy stuff.
At least they had the sense to apologize so they cant be all that bad.
Only in Japan would kids respect the elder like this. Sounds pessimistic and yes, I know im generalizing the issue, but its the perception I have form the younger kids today, no respect for anything.
Just another of many examples of things we should look up how it's done in Japan and do the same.
"Ashukurafuto-san"... sounds great!
I'm curious about the hair references too LOL
You are and old man Mister Ashukurafuto, a truly old grumpy man.
:P :D
That was a totally sweet apology on their part. I like that it's on Disney Princess stationary, too. Good call on threatening to call their parents. They were still young enough to be scared of being busted.
Cute kids,
Buy them some freezes or ice cream on the next hot day.
I've got to say, this took a little bit of the suck out of Monday morning.
@MykalBloom: In a good way, though.
Sometimes ya just gotta instill a little fear of God in them. Don't want them to grow up and being con artists or something.
In certain cities in the US kids will shoot you for that.
Japan felt so much more civilized when I was there...
The 8yo kids round my are usually take recreational drugs if ther is nothing else to do. I love Bolon (UK)
I'm sorry. I look like this o_o
From SOME KID.
i almost shed a tear....Such nice kids!
if they are bored, make them work for you! Beware, here comes THE BASHCRAFT'S INTERN NICE KIDS ARMY
What, they are making a fourth gta? did they make a third?
@GOD:
are = way if anyone didn't know...
eh? I'm tired. Too much GTA
classic neighbourhood kids! I can remember complete strangers saying they knew who my parents were when I was into doing bad things when I was young, and it worked! Now that I think about it they certainly did not.
dammn Bash. you just gave me a mental image of typical Japanese dorama scene! LOLOLOL!
******
Apartment building/afternoon
kids: ring it! Ring it! hehehehe!
*three kids giggling as they dash out across open walkway pressing doorbells*
girl: hey...let's stop... D:
boy: no way! this is da crack!
boy2: quick! lets run! haha!
*kids dash back to the elevator at the end of the floor/punch call button/turn back to peer round the corner down the walkway*
boy: have anyone come out yet?
boy2: nope!
*elevator door opens behind them*
girl: lets go! we ha- O_O ahhhhhh....
*tall bloke with blonde hair with crossed arms looking sternly out of elevator/camera looking from below*
boy: ? whats wron-
Boy2: eh? what yo-
*Kids frozen*
Bash: Gaijin smash?
*Kids huddle together/cliché comedy horror on their faces*
~(T-T )~
***********
yes. I'm bored. long day.
*facepalm desk*
m(_ _)m
Most adorable note EVER!
More reasons to move to Japan, though I'm curious if all young kids have that kind of respect for Gaijin or if it was because they knew you were there for a while.
The fact that you're non-native and threatened them in Japanese is probably what scared the living crap out of them. I love the fact that they convinced each other to sign the apology note.
Minus points, however, if any of the pranksters were boys and signed off on a Disney princess letterhead. Imagine the Magna Carta or Declaration of Independence being written and signed on something with glitter and caricatures on the bottom.
@Shiryu: Not all kids here respect their elders.
Which is why its suprising they even apologized.
wow, when i was in the 6th grade i got my ass kicked for doing that, i'll never forget it and i never did it again...thankfully your lesson was taught in a much more civilized manner!
wow, is this the Japanese equivalent of yelling at kids to get off your lawn? Great Stuff.
Nice story. It's a shame they don't have any places to play. Maybe someone could donate some time, do a little fund raiser thing with the kids and have them sell stuff (door to door so they can ring bells?) to earn some money for a little trip to the mall or something. Or is solicitation not allowed in Japan?
On a side note, it's been a long time since I watched any Disney cartoons... what girl is in the middle (in pink)? We have movie references from Aladdin, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White and 7 Dwarfs, Cinderella, and ... ?? It's going to bug me since I don't recognize that character, at all.
Did you really scold all Disney princesses? No wonder they have such a bad opinion of gaijin ;)
And I'm sorry to say it, but they lied about their ages. And some about their genders.
@battra92: Er, What?
@Elderwulf: i bet they though he was a English teacher, cos teachers are respected even at such a young age they tend to take it for granted all teacher would naturally speak with other teachers...like their own...
then an active child imagination fills in the rest. hence self-defeat.
:)
but yeah, would never happen over here, like the UK.
kids seem to lose their innocent so fast over here. kind of a shame, in a way.
:(
Thats so fucking adorable.
Poor kiddies, they are just bored. Being a kid in an urban the city is kind of rough for the imagination.