Winnipeg

Today, I went straight home from an outing.

To get home, I took an express train from my starting station and transferred to a local train one stop before my destination. While I was at the transfer station, I noticed a foreign family on the platform, hesitating about whether to board the train I was on.

I couldn’t tell where they were heading, so I wasn’t sure if I should approach them. At the same time, I knew the train I was on would depart in just a few seconds.

The key point was that as long as they were heading in the right direction, getting on this train would be the fastest way to their destination, no matter where they were going. Although I couldn’t immediately say this in English, I gestured and gave them a look that said, “Why not get on this one?”

The mother of the family made eye contact with me, then called her family over, and they all boarded the train.

Once they got on, I asked where they were going and found out that their destination was a station where the earlier express train didn’t stop. So, this train was indeed the right choice for them. Relieved, I continued chatting with them.

The family was from Canada, and it was their first time visiting Japan. They told me they loved Japanese food and had tried things like gyoza, ramen, and hot pot. I was talking mostly with the father, but their daughter, who seemed to be about 10 years old, joined the conversation as well.

Unfortunately, my stop came up just two minutes later. Before I got off, I said, “I’m so glad to hear you’re enjoying your trip to Japan. I hope you have a great time for the rest of your journey!”

As I was leaving, the girl said, “Thank you” to me. I thought she was such a polite and well-raised child, and I could tell her parents had taught her well.

I asked which city in Canada they were from, but it wasn’t a name I was familiar with, so I couldn’t remember it on the spot. However, they mentioned it was “right in the middle of Canada.” After checking a map, I think they were probably from "Winnipeg."

When I think of Canada, cities like Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, or Calgary come to mind. Thanks to this conversation, I learned about a new city I hadn’t known much about before.

By the way, they mentioned that Canada is much colder, so Japan felt warm to them. Well, that makes sense!