
I think my brain just fell out.
When I was student-teaching at the high school last semester, there was an exchange student from Japan who used to sit in on the classes to act as a native speaker/reference because she had a free hour. I think I asked where she was from at some point, but as I didn't know where it was, I didn't remember the name.
Well, question re-answered, because I just ran into her at the Hagi mall.
We were both so shocked and disoriented by the whole encounter that we both just stood staring at each other, blinking slowly. The only thing we managed to really impart to each other was that I was here as an English teacher at Hagi Higashi. I didn't get a chance to ask her where she's at school (though she's a senior in high school, it's not like I'll be teaching her or anything), etc. We did hug . . . but mostly it was just staring in complete nonbelief. It was so nuts.
Definitely one of the weirdest things that has happened to me in my life. Even weirder than the shrimp festival. WTF.