Wednesday, November 16, 2011

The Old Man Who Plays Koi Koi

The other day we caught a little rain. It was good weather for staying in and not doing shit.
 I bought a set of secondhand Japanese Hanafuda cards, having left mine at home.
 The only Hanafuda game I know how to play is Koi Koi, so we got to that.
As I taught Kris to play, an elderly man sat down beside him, and, after a few rounds, urged Kris to move over so that he could play in his place, shooing him like a raccoon.
 He taught me to shuffle and distribute the cards the traditional way, and we played a few quick rounds.
 At the end of the game, I put my hand on his shoulder and called him "Koi Koi ga suki na ojii-san" (Grandpa who enjoys Koi Koi) to which he replied in Japanese, "I'm not your ojii-san (grandpa), I'm your onii-san (brother.)"


 That's how I met Miyamoto-san, the Old Man who Plays Koi Koi, two days ago. He's a sweet old man who loves pointing out at what we are eating ("That there is yakisoba"), and flirting with the 40-some year old Kenyan nurse who some times uses the computer in the lobby.

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