Catch Up! part 2!

J105 Sunday August 6th
I woke up at a leisurely 9AM. I set out an hour later to do things. Important things. I was determined; I wasn't going to just sit in my apartment all day and surf the internet. No, today was going to be different.

First thing I had to do was get my bike fixed. Luckily, about a kilometer (give or take a few hundred meters) away is a bike shop, run by a nice old Japanese guy. I walked my crippled vehicle to his shop, delighted to see it was both open and staffed by its lone employee.

"Pwah?" the old man asked, looking at my bike and making an explosive gesture with his hands. Did your bike's rear tire burst? he asked with gesture and onomatopoeia. I nodded an emphatic yes, and he quickly set about fixing my bike. He wedged the outer rubber skin of the tire off with a short chisel and a turn of his wrist. Then he unscrewed the actual inflatable tube, made of surprisingly thin rubber (or polymer, I wasn't quite sure which) and pulled it free of my bike.

He dragged a small bin of water, where he kept it I knew not, and tested the tire's cohesion. He inflated it and then pushed segments of the tube under the small water bin, looking for bubbles. He found the offending spot, one and only one puncture. He patched it with a healthy dollop of rubber cement and an ovoid patch. The glue set almost instantly, and he set about reinstalling the tube and the protective rubber shell. The entire process took maybe 12 minutes from start to finish. He charged me 1000 yen for the job, which I gladly paid.

My bike felt like it was brand-new. I rode with the serene grace only a pair of well-inflated tires can give. The bumps and cracks of the road were almost unfelt as I streaked down side streets and main roads. I took my time, luxuriating in the ride. I made my way to the barber shop that had been pointed out to me the night before. It was across the street from G-Bros, easily found thanks to its tell-tale barber's pole.

I went in and was told there would be a 20 minute wait. No worries, I said, and hopped back on the old bike-a-roo. I pedaled my way to the nearest conbini to have breakfast. I enjoyed my rice balls and tea on the steps of the big shrine just off of Route 6. Every once in a while a person would walk by. Those that did, the little old ladies at least, gave the shrine a polite bow, stopping to administer the respectful gesture before resuming their walk.

I returned to the barber shop, fortified by my morning meal, and decided to wait in its air conditioned interior, rather than the growing heat outside. The two staff went about their business, happily cutting the hair of two gentlemen who had been before me. One thing you must know about Japanese barbers is that they take their time. Most hair cuts cost at least 3000 yen, with the majority being around the 5000 yen mark. You get what you pay for, though.

When it was my turn, I was delighted to discover my barber, a young man, knew some English. We had a conversation mixed between English and Japanese while he snipped and trimmed. Japanese barbery is like...sculpting...hair. Lots of little cuts, very few big ones. For example; my sideburns had been growing out of control the last few weeks. He spent, no kidding, about 15 minutes on each one, trimming it down to a uniform, smart-looking length. Same with every other bit of my hair.

My barber had been learning his trade for nearly 7 years in another part of Japan, only recently returning to Hitachi. I got a hair cut, a scalp massage (which was heavenly) and shampoo/rinse. At this place, all that would have normally cost 3000 yen. Scandalous, I know, but realize that that is the *cheapest* hair cut I've ever seen in Japan. But, there's a kicker. I mentioned that I had been referred to this place by a friend, Mike, worker at my company's sister company. When the barbers realized this, they immediately knocked off 1000 yen from my bill. I paid only 2000 yen for the entire thing. Amazing.

After that, I was off to Joyful Yamashin, the local Home Center. A Home Center is a big store, kind of like a Home Depot of Lowes. The only difference is that you can find *anything* that you use in your home. This includes lumber and wall paint and light fixtures. It also includes things like car accessories, clothes, bath products, and toys. You can find just about whatever you want there. Myself, I was looking for a good hat. I have only one, a ball cap, which is precious to me. It's a gift from my Dad, and I'd rather not let it get eaten, or lost, or burned in my many adventures. Plus, it's a ball cap, and I've had a hankering for a wide-brimmed hat. Preferably straw.

And, Lo! I found one! It's a good fit, flexible and snug but not brain-killing. A nice dark blue cloth band about the head-perching bit. And only 700 yen. Yoink! I also picked up a bath towel, I'm in need of a new one, and another belt. This one has a bit more slack than my other new one, and it was nearly 1/3 of the price.

I paid for my new purchases and decided to head home. The day's heat was nearing its peak, and I had finished my to-do list. I came back home and rested, saving my energies for the next day. Golf was the order of the day, and I had to be fresh for it. I did some writing, but not on this blog, and went to sleep around midnight.

Catch Up!

J104 Saturday August 5th

I brought my AC remote to work with me, in the hopes that my Japanese co-workers could help me decode the mysterious runes etched onto its face. The heat is making sleep...difficult. Not impossible; I can get to sleep. But upon waking I am covered in a thin film of sweat, which is an unpleasant sensation, to say the least.

The day's work was enjoyable, as always. My Saturdays are usually front-heavy, with a large cluster of 4 classes in the beginning of the day, and then a group of two, and then a single class to end the day. Between these three groups are one-hour breaks. This time, it was reversed, with my day beginning easily, and ending with a massive 4-hour work-a-thon. Not the end of the world, especially given that one of my classes canceled.

My one-hour break became two hours, and one of my Japanese co-workers and I walked together to get lunch. A summer festival was going on in Hitachi Square, and there were lots of people. The heat is interesting here in Japan. It's oppressive, like a big hand pressing down on you. It's not the body-wrapped-in-hot-wet-towels sensation of Atlanta's heat. Hitachi has humidity, almost as much as Atlanta, but the difference is noticeable.

The heat just stays, until it's reduced by something cool. In Atlanta, winds rarely cooled you off. They'd move air over you, which was nice, but they brought no balm to the heat. It was just more warm, wet air moving over you. Here in Hitachi, the breeze is actually cool. It's almost like heat is a physical medium, rather than retained energy in the atmosphere.

Anyway. It was hot. My coworker and I grabbed lunch (well, I did. She just had a drink) at Dotour, a sandwich shop of good reputation. We found Greg, the ex-employee I replaced enjoying a drink there while reading his notes. He left the company after two years of work to pursue a Graduate degree in computer science here in Japan. He's a nice guy, really. When I first came here I was a bit of a ditz, though, and I worried that I'd upset him with my inexperience and habit of falling asleep at inopportune times. But, that was ages ago, and such things seem quite distant now.

I stopped by the 100 yen shop to buy more art supplies. I picked up a tiny white board, for the purpose of rough drafts. I like white board markers as a medium, but they can't stay forever. So, this will be useful to just break out a sketch when the mood strikes without going through tons of paper. I also picked up some pencils, erasers, and a sharpener.

The rest of the day was uneventful. It was hot. I taught a lot. After work I rode home on an obviously flat tire. My rear tire had a puncture, and it was all I could do to make it back. I parked the bike with a promise to get it fixed first thing the next day.

After a wonderfully cold shower and the successful activation of my air conditioner, I enjoyed a few hours' internet time before going to G-Bros. I journeyed there around 10:30 or so and had a nice evening. Lots of people where there, in part due to the fact that K's fiance, Sylvia, was visiting. She and K met while she was a teacher at another school here in Hitachi. She's since moved back to the States and works in the U.N. as a translator...or an aide...I'm not quite sure which. I'd seen her a few times the previous day, but hadn't had a chance to really meet her. She's a nice person; I can see why K likes her. She's from Mexico, and has a really cool accent. She's also got very good Japanese skills.

I wound up heading home around 2AM that night. There were plans for fireworks, but I felt the fatigue of the last week's poor sleep, not to mention the day's efforts, weighing on me. I bid everyone farewell and hiked back to my place, eager to start the next day and repair my bike.

Not quite so bad this time

J103 Friday August 4th

The heat this morning was...interesting. It was one of those days where you sweat constantly if you go outside. Ugh.

BUT, that's not important. What is important is that today was Friday, and this week has positively flown by. Next week is just two days long, two work days, before I enjoy a WEEK of free time. I almost don't know what to do with myself. The current plan is to bum around Tokyo for a few days, maybe catch up with Brain, and then head to Kyoto. Claire is going there too, and we may be able to join forces. Like Voltron, but there's only two of us, and she's Scottish. So...that'll be different.

Work was okay, once I stopped sweating. My rear tire is acting up again; this evening I realized it had flattened to nothingness. I'm not sure if the valve is just loose or if I've punctured it. I'll be able to tell tomorrow morning before work when I try to inflate it.

I'll be bringing my AC remote with me tomorrow, in hopes that the Japanese staff can help me figure out how to turn my AC on. The past few nights have been hot enough to render falling asleep a non-trivial matter, which raises some concerns with me.

Took a nice, cold shower when I got home, though, which felt very nice. A good way to cool down after an energetic bike ride home.

I had something else, but I can't remember what. I'm a little sleepy, though, so that's to be expected.