Surpise visit at my door...
posted by Shurakai @ 11:17am, Wednesday 5 November 2008.
They found me, even in Japan. A few nights ago I was busy watching Resident Evil 3 on my laptop when I heard a knock at my door. My doorbell is broken, so they must have been out there a little while ringing that.
I wasn't expecting anyone... so I went to see who it was just incase it's some weird people or something that I should try to avoid (like the people trying to collect for NHK - the tv corporation).
I opened the door and two women were outside. They looked a bit surprised to see me (instead of a Japanese guy).. and started by asking if I understood Japanese.
Turns out they were Jahova's Witnesses. I talked for a few minutes, they gave me some pamphlet that I can't really read (they guessed I might have trouble with it anyway). I'm guessing they'll be back.. but, I'll probably not be at home if they come around the same time as last...
I've got myself a part time Job at a hotel doing stuff for weddings. So on weekends I'll be there (instead of at home where they can find me). I'll write more about the job after Sunday, when I've actually had the chance to go there and shadow someone doing that job.
Murphy is...
posted by Shurakai @ 5:04pm, Saturday 6 September 2008.
stupid. Like all dogs who like to chase other animals are.
This morning he woke me up, around 4am, and wanted out. It was raining a bit so he looked a little hesitant to go outside. Afterall, he has this strong dislike of getting wet.
Then, suddenly, he ran outside. Now if you're thinking that he was going to do the deed quickly and get back in, you're sadly mistaken. He saw a small critter to chase. I yelled at him to get back inside, but Murphy isn't known to be a good listener when he's all excited.
Just as quickly as he ran out, he ran back inside. Except this time he was snorting and licking his chops and trying to rub his head against me. I saw the tail of a skunk as it ran away in the darkness and smelt the stench of it on Murphy.
I woke my mom up and we delt with it as best we could. He got some in his eye (dog mace anyoneω) and we had to wash it out a bit. He got a good chunk of it right at his mouth too... so I guess instead of trying to rub it off he decided to lick it off...
When I got up I called the vet and he told me to come over. So I got some shampoo from him and just finished giving Murphy a scrub... he still smells a bit. Or maybe it's just the left over smell that will take a while to get rid of. He's busy licking himself dry.
Oh.. yeah, I'm back in Canada. Been here for a few weeks. I'll go back to Japan again though in October.
Running over old ladies on the way to school.
posted by Shurakai @ 2:36pm, Friday 27 June 2008.
A few days ago I was, as usual, riding my bike to school. Things were going well. No random trucks stopping and launching yellow plastic tubes through the back window of a car. Just the usual nobody paying attention to their surroundings.
Now, in Japan every bike seems to have a bell. This is supposed to be used to warn pedestrians and other, slower moving, bikes that if they don't take heed and move out of the way you will surely crash into them as it's impossible to slow down or otherwise try to go around the object infront of you. At least this is my take on the matter.
I on the other hand have this inabilty to use the bell because I'm a foreigner and I'm afraid it looks weird enough biking to school with a granny basket on the front of my bike and drawing more attention to myself just isn't something I want to do. So I break the mold of Japanese society and try to go around objects in my way.
To make this sound more dramatic I've decided to tell it from the old lady's point of view.
[not-so-old-as-to-need-a-cane-and-walk-with-a-slow-crippled-foot-dragging-behind-but-old-enough-old-lady]:
I was walking along the street when I decided I should cross the road. So I began to make my way to wards the crossing. (by leaning ever so slightly to the right , making a slow, gradual approach unnoticable to the human eye) As I reached the crosswalk I noticed the light was red, so I decided to stop as I always do. (suddenly and without any warning, not quite off to the side causing uwary foreigners to gain 10 points)
Out of the corner of my eye I suddenly noticed this huge, grotesque, light skinned beast of a man with hair growing out of every which way of his body like he was the human rainforest appeared right behind me. At that moment I saw my entire life flash before my eyes. I flew back 30cm (apx. one foot for the metrically uninclined) and fended him off with my hands.
He appeared slightly angry and confused so I quickly backed off a bit and began my appology guesture routine with my hands, as taught to me by the how-to-survive-an-encounter-with-a-scary-bestial-foreigner handbook. Confused and unsure as to why I was appologizing, he continued on his way to replace the clear-cut trees of South America.
[end old-but-not-that-old--old-lady-talk]
So there you have it. Moral of the story... In Japan it's not just the drivers, it's the bicyclists and pedestrians that can't drive... walk.. bike.. run.. due to lack of paying attention.