Foreigner, but Odor-free

Have any of you made any embarrassing mistakes recently? Anyone? I just want to know if I am writing to my equals. This week's mistake will probably earn some kind of recognition in the Hall of Shame.

This past week, on a rainy day, I drove Kaori to her violin lesson. On the way home I had a little adventure. I found this can of car deodorizer a while ago. It’s been in our van since we bought it 8 years ago. It was taking up space so I decided to just use it. I read the directions. After mixing the chemicals, you needed to leave it for 10 minutes with the fan on high. I figured the 10 minute car ride home was just the right amount of time. So I mixed the chemicals and put it on the van floor.

Two minutes later it started to smoke a little. And then a lot. And then billows of smoke. I sure didn’t expect that part. I’m sure there was a warning in the directions, but, as usual, I didn’t read them carefully. In my defense they were in Japanese.

So, here I am driving in the van, the rain is coming down hard outside. And inside nauseous smoke is filling the van. My eyes start watering. I open the windows, but now the smoke is blowing past my head in great choking white spirals.

It was a long 8 minutes home. I’m sure people seeing this foreigner in a smoking van wondered what in the world was going on. It’s not the first time they’ve wondered about me. I’m (in)famous in the neighborhood, but at least I am defumagated now.