Won't You Be My Neighbor?

There is an aspect of American culture that I know only through TV and movies -- the practice of bringing a plate of cookies or some other such gift (such as the beer one of my former coworkers gave to her new college-aged neighbors) to welcome a new neighbor into the neighborhood. In my (shhh!) years of living in the U.S., I don't remember experiencing this practice myself. However, I don't have the best memory in the world. So if you're someone who brought something to my home(s), please forgive me for my forgetfulness. And if you're one of the many people to whom I never gave a welcome gift, please forgive me for my rudeness.

Today I've just experienced something that I'd known only through my language textbook. In Japan, the new neighbor doesn't receive gifts but gives omiyage (gifts) to all his/her new neighbors to introduce him/herself and to lay the groundwork for any future interactions they might have. The omiyage doesn't have to be large in terms of size or expense and is usually practical (e.g., hand towel) or delicious (e.g., sweets). I don't know if neighbors in five-story apartment complexes like the one I lived in last year buy omiyage for everyone in the building or just those who live on their floor. And in a neighborhood of houses, I don't know how far the neighbor-radius extends from one's house. But as my new apartment building is only for four tenants, thankfully my new neighbor didn't have to spend a lot of money to give us her omiyage.

As I already have plenty of hand towels, I was happy that my neighbor opted for delicious omiyage (cakes, cookies, and a surprise)!

'Til next time...