In Japan and South Korea, there were so many elderly men at gardens, palaces, and just walking along the streets. Many of them were volunteers that were eager to speak with tourists, and when they found out we were Canadians, they would happily share their experiences of traveling and living there.
Their English was usually varying degrees of conversational, whereas our Japanese and Korean were pretty much nonexistent. With great enthusiasm, they would suggest areas for us to see, where we could go to see a view of Mt. Fuji from a Tokyo garden on a clear day, where the prettiest spot in Suwon was, and other such tidbits. One was especially excited, and despite the garden closing soon, spoke with us for half an hour, all the while reminding us that we didn't have enough time to enjoy the full garden.
These encounters were some of my favourite memories from our trip, and as someone who rarely initiates conversations, I was thrilled they were so friendly and welcoming.
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