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I arrived to Kyoto from Osaka with a cold I picked up on the plane from Bangkok. It was colder than I expected, but the hostel I stayed in was exceptionally cool. The space was designed by the owner who is an architect and has put every bit of attention into the details. Single beds were placed into little cabins looking like tree houses with a tiny window in each one, it was clean and quiet for the traveller to find a place to rest. As I was not feeing so well, I looked for a spot to grab a bite, something warm, home made, like a curry. I found a little restaurant on the map a few streets down and when I arrived, I realised it was more like the downstairs of a local grandma and grandpa's house. Their grandchildren have drawn pictures of them with crayons and they were pinned on the walls, it was a little dark in there but cozy. The grandpa seemed to be a little grumpy in nature, but he brought me the makeshift menu they had translated to english. There were 5 dishes on there and it seemed to have not changed for some years by the worn out state of the paper. The grandma was chatty, she asked me with her gestures if I wanted a drink, I nodded with a smile. I've ordered the curry and I gobbled it up with chopsticks while they watched me suspiciously. When I stood up to pay the grandma laughed at me and imitated me using the chopsticks with her hands and gave me the thumbs up. I never felt so proud, a Japanese grandma, approving my chopsticks skills! I wanted to leave them a little tip, but the grumpy grandpa refused to accept it, with a seemingly shocked expression on his face. I apologised and thanked them for the meal and as I was putting my shoes back on, the grandpa came up to me and pointed out of the window, it was raining and I didn't have an umbrella. He disapprovingly shook his head and picked up an umbrella by the door, he handed it to me and when I pointed at my hat, he shook his head again and pushed the great invention into my hand with the same "not excepting no for an answer" attitude as he refused the tip. After realising I hadn't a choice I gently thanked him and said goodbye again. I never knew my grandparents, but these old souls in the farthest place in the world where I have ever been have made me feel so warm and grateful. The serious man who became the grumpy grandpa later in life was hiding a caring human who I could tell lived by his own rules of never compromising his instinctive kindness towards people.