a nicer chap / you've never known

a friend recently wrote me about her time in the Phillipines with the peace corps. she said the people there are the nicest you'll ever meet. with that I can't really argue, but the nicest people I've met in a long time are all Japanese people. Exceptionally nice, they'll nearly kill themselves going out of their way for you. For example, last night a guy with my company walked around with me for nearly an hour trying to find an ATM that would take my card. I mean, the guy had somewhere to be after work, but kept insisting we try another machine. THAT kind of nice.

And it's not that American-style nice; the smile-and-shake-hands "it's great to meet you" superficiality. I was at a little shop that sells whole-leaf tea and was completely mystified by the tea selection available. It's all in these little shrink-wrapped foil bags, so I can't even judge by looking (like that would help). The old man who owns the place starts speaking to me in somewhat broken English and helps me out.

"What tea do you like?"

"Uh...green? O-cha?"

"This everyday tea," (waves hand over three or four), "this special tea. Lexus* tea." (waves hands over two others)

turns out he learned some English during the American occupation after World War II. he offered me a cup of tea, which I gladly accepted. it was green tea, super rich and almost grassy. "Lexus tea," he says proudly. I think he was also proud to use his English, and was going to make use of his audience. He asked me what the difference in meaning was between "perhaps" and "maybe." huh. never thought about it before. I told him they were pretty much the same, thinking once again how we have such a peculiar language.

I bought some of the better everyday tea and left, once again marveling at the geniune good spirit of the people here.

*I was later perplexed by his reference to Lexus, considering they don't sell Lexus cars here! Just luxury Toyotas.