During my trip to Hokkaido at Sounkyo Onsen, I stumbled across some black watermelons in the gift shop at the hotel which I was staying at.
Couldn’t believe my eyes so I took another closer look! YES, they were indeed BLACK!!
I wanted to take a picture to show the folks back home but as these watermelons were being sold for quite a high price (i.e. treated like prized watermelons), I decided to ask for permission first (as some shop keepers may frown upon picture-taking and I didn’t want to get into trouble).
With my limited knowledge of Japanese, I soon found myself having a conversation, which left me somewhat amused and a little annoyed, with 2 Japanese men who were trying to be cheeky. However, you may find the conversation to be hilarious!
Here’s what happened…
Me: *pointing to the black watermelons* すみません，写真を撮りませんか？ (Excuse me, can I take a picture?)
Japanese Shop Keeper: 私？ (Of me?)
Me: いいえ…. *points again to watermelons* すいか！… (No, of the watermelons!..)
Japanese Shop Keeper: はい，どうぞ。(Please go ahead.)
…whilst I was trying to take a picture…
Japanese Sales Assistant to the Japanese Shop Keeper: (Why does she want to take a picture of the watermelons? Has she never seen watermelons before?)
Me to the Sales Assistant: 黒いすいかが初めてみます！(This is my first time seeing black watermelons!)
…and while I was still trying to get a nice shot of the fruit…
Japanese Sales Assistant to the Japanese Shop Keeper: (Maybe she thinks that the flesh of the watermelons is also black when it’s actually red! Hahaha!!)
Started to feel a little annoyed so I just ignored them and walked off! Guess the 2 guys found me amusing and were having a good laugh at me…
Anyway, here’s the picture of the black watermelons…
Do you think you will buy them?
jaznotabi 