Cherry blossom & a dish

I used an hour comp time this afternoon & headed to the onsen (public hot bath).

When I walked into the locker room, there was a young mother & her 4-year old daughter getting dressed. The girl stared at me and said, "Konichiwa" (hello). I reciprocated & smiled and put my things into my assigned locker near theirs. The girl kept watching me and then whispered something in her mother's ear which I assumed was about me, since she was looking and pointing at me ;) The mom replied quietly in Japanese, "I don't know." The girl took a couple steps toward me and again said, "Konichiwa." Her mom, slightly embarrassed, apologised, but I waved and repeated "konichiwa," and added, "I understand a little Japanese." She giggled and asked where I'm from. I asked her name and she gave me her full name all mushed together, so her mom said, "Sakura." Cool, sakura means "cherry blossom" in Japanese. I told her my name is "Sa-ra" and she repeated it a few times with a funny grin. I laughed with her and said, "Yes, like osara" My name sounds like the Japanese word meaning "plate or dish," which makes a fun, easy way for people to remember it. Sakura thought this was hilarious and couldn't stop laughing as she repeated, "sara sara sara!!"