Can I get a laugh, please?

It was snowing heavily when I stepped off the bus in the neighboring town of Onishika this morning. On my way to the junior high school I passed three elderly Japanese--a man and two women--dourly braving stiff joints and aching backs to shovel the snow. As I passed I hesitated, turned to them, and said, "Working hard, aren't you?" They looked at me funny for a second, then burst out laughing. Strangers don't usually talk to each other in Japan, and foreigners don't usually speak Japanese. So they were shocked and then delighted. They were still laughing and making jokes to each other as I went on my way.

ONE GOOD DEED: Make an elderly trio laugh.