Did you know that a female flea is always bigger than a male flea? I didn’t until this past weekend.

Compared to most Japanese women and even many of the men, I’m very tall. They’re often amazed by my size and comment on it quite openly. Fortunately, they also tell me that I’m beautiful or I might feel somewhat insulted! This weekend was no exception. Rie’s family was not only surprised by my height but by the fact that I’m taller than Richard. It was her husband, Keiji, who introduced us to the Japanese term used to describe a couple like us. Nomi no fufu literally means ‘flea couple’ and is used because of the scientific fact that female fleas are bigger than males! I suspect that I’ll be hearing it for a long time. Richard clearly loves the saying and will probably remember it long after he forgets the other Japanese words that he’s learned. Oh well, it’s better than saying that I suffer from ‘gigantism’, which is what he’s been saying for the past several months! Maybe I should start calling him Little Flea!