Don't Sing Too Loudly in Japan

I've mentioned how close the houses are situated in our Japanese neighborhood. I had no idea just how close until Sydney's first birthday, this past Monday. It's still warm, in the mid 70's in October, so we have our windows open. We were talking on the webcam to Sydney's grandparents and we all sang "Happy Birthday" to her...little did I know we had an audience!

Later in the afternoon, the doorbell rang. It was one of our Japanese neighbors with a fancy gift box of fruit from the department store Saikaya. She said it was for "baby Norwood" for her birthday. "It's not cake, it's fruit," she said and laughed. I was obviously pleasantly surprised that she knew it was Sydney's birthday and that she brought us such a nice gift, so I said, "Thank you! Had I told you it was her birthday and you remembered?" She said, "I heard this morning." Well, Brian wasn't home, so I assumed he had run into her and told her in the morning.

But, later when I asked him, he hadn't seen any neighbors that day! So, we assume that she heard us loudly singing "Happy Birthday" out our window, which faces her house. It certainly makes us think twice now before pumping up the volume on the new TV! Not to mention the fact that she didn't speak much English when we met her, but turns out she knows how. Another lessson learned in Japan!