My
office is near a large parking lot where there are attendants to help cars and
buses park properly. This afternoon while I was working I heard a very strange
voice repeating, “Oorai, oorai, oorai!” which I learned long ago was the
Japanese version of the English phrase “All right!” used to tell drivers who
can’t see nearby obstructions clearly that they are indeed headed in the right
direction. I immediately thought of the parking lot until I realized that the
voice was coming from right above my office, which is the roof of the building!
Soon there was a lot of chatter and the more common cawing of several crows.
Ichibancho is now one of their favorite gathering places, it seems.
|
|
So
what was the voice I heard? Why one of the crows, of course! My grandmother used
to tell me stories about clever crows who tricked people and animals alike,
often by mocking human voices. I did some research on the Internet and few
clicks of the mouse confirmed what I remembered from my childhood. That is, that
crows can talk and often do. So the next time you park your car in Matsuyama,
please be sure that the voice you are listening to is really the parking
attendant or you may be led astray. Perhaps things are not really oorai!
|