Today I popped down to Coles at Winmalee to do a shop before meeting Tom after school. This is something that I do regularly and, often as not, it passes without any event out of the ordinary.

But today was different, for as I navigated the crisps aisle, I ran into two people I haven't seen in almost 10 years. Mr and Mrs Onishi, who lived in a house in the street behind us in Sanda, and whose family had a very close connection with Yes English School, were trolleying up the same aisle, collecting souvenirs for their return to Japan. I think that I was well, astonished, but also terribly pleased to see them. We had a short conversation about the family - small talk really - for their English is rudimentary and my Japanese quite forgotten.

Members of the Onishi family, principally Setsuko and Makiko, but also Keiko, had studied with our English school for years. They were also friends and showed us many kindnesses during our time in Japan. So to run into the heads of this special household was an unalloyed joy.