Shinjuku-bred, Matsudo-bred

In the suburbs of Dakar, I was taken to the night club where I had heard I could listen to African music. However on the stage, the salsa band have been played Latin music for long time and it seemed be going on forever. "It's totally different from the story. I wondered if I misunderstood what my friends said. When will my Yousoou N'dour be shown up?"

D.J.Baps, the youngest brother whose house I stayed in, and me have been listened the Senegal made salsa for almost 2 hours. The friends who said getting together later hasn't come up at all.
As soon as we got to here, D.J.Baps asked to the waiter for showing the room beside the club. And he asked him the room charge as if he make sure my sponsored in case of getting lucky romance. Whenever he needed another booze, he came up and teased me for money. And now D.J.Baps is making advance to a girl. His mission looks going well. I'm playing into his hands ....

I think like that as drinking at the counter. Suddenly, the man next to me says "You see the man in white suite, uh? He used to be in Japan. So he speaks Japanese." As he said a man in white suite comes into the club with a woman in night dress. He looks so glittering, looks like Paul Maki (old Japanese comedian who was famous for the sketch of the showy super rich person's behavior)
He comes up to me saluting friends on the way. As soon as he finds me, he salutes in Japanese. "Nihon-jin? Naani shiteruno konna tokorode? (Japanese? Wata ya doin in such place?)" Well, It's 10 km from downtown of Dakar. Exactly, here is "such place". But this is the first time being saluted like this at first meeting. Nevertheless I'm surprised because Mr. Paul Maki speaks Japanese very well. I ask him "Where did you live in Japan?" He answers cheerfully "Shinjuku!" Brilliant neon signs of Shinjuku, downtown Tokyo, flush behind him.

In Senegal, especially in Dakar, I sometime met the people who used to be in Japan during bubble economic period. Soumare who worked at cereal shop in the market was one of them. Contrary to Mr.Paul Maki, he was quiet and steady. Maybe the only thing in common between two guys was speaking Japanese fluently. "My house is not so far from here. So why don't you come to my house for dinner?" Although Soumare was very busy all day, he kindly asked me out.
Once I asked him in Japanese."Where did you live in Japan, Soumare-san?" Some how his answer was so impressive to me. "Mastudo desu. (It's Matsudo)"he answered in polite. Matsudo is suburban town of Tokyo. Not so busy, not so characterize, it's a ordinary town contrary to Paul Maki's Shinjuku.

It's interesting that each person's character seemed getting different effect from different surroundings in Japan. However on the other hand, if I asked them impression to Japan, I felt like they give me the same answer. It must be on a cool and accurate analyzing stand point.

Gosh! D.J.Baps is coming up with the girl. I'd better to escape. Bye now.