Entries this day: Instead Koko Lost found

Instead

9:22am JST Wednesday 30 April 2003

Often, my students in Nova don't know the word "instead," and I have not yet worked out a quick way to explain it. But here are some examples of its use:

Instead of having my wallet, the police did not have my wallet.

Instead of being open, the bank was closed.

Instead of buying a chain wallet, I did not buy a chain wallet because instead of having any money, I have no money.

My money locked away in the bank instead of in my hand.

Instead of restraining my emotions as I understand the Japanese do to prove their integrity of character, I yelled "fuck fuckin' fuck fuck!" at almost the top of my lungs while outside beside loud traffic and wind that drowned out my voice.

- - - -

Now I'm at the International Lounge waiting for Koko. I really hoped to do some of this myself. I shoulda asked Matty or Frank for some cash, but I turned it down, assuming the bank would be open today.

Koko

11:09am JST Wednesday 30 April 2003

Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh how can I thank Koko enough?

We're at the bank, and she's leading me through the process of getting cash out (can't use the bank book at all??) and cancelling my old card and getting a new card... But they need my gaijin card (alien ID) card so now we're at the ward office where I got my first gaijin card.

But get this: they will not use another print of the same photo I used for the first card. A month ago I got my picture made in a photo booth. Four passport sized photos came out. I gave them these photos. They used two and they gave me back two.

So today I brought the remaining two and the cat remembered me and said they cannot use them. I must get new photos. The rule is inflexible, as translated by Koko.

That's fuckin' freaky. Koko agrees that it's strange and can't explain it.

So we visited the photo booth and my new photos are of me unshaved, with longer hair. Longer enough that the difference is noticable, but not like a shaggy dog.

I wanted to get photos-stickers of Koko and I to commemerate this wild day (her phone has mysteriously quit; she called her mom and it worked fine, but the next time she opened it... nothing) but that particular booth doesn't make sticker pictures, just plain ol' pics.

One reason I want to get photos is for her shirt. On the front it says in big letters: "CUM!" and on the back in two lines across the bottom: "a feeling everybody can be happy with."

I wonder if we can get the bike today; my sense is that I'll need her to vouch/prove I may use it, but if she is with me, we can't both ride it home. And we can't put it on the bus. I haven't seen bike racks on buses here like in Cali.

- - - -

Speaking of racks, the bike rack that I used for my bike that fateful day was not exactly a bike rack.

It was a frame to hold the sign: "BICYCLE PARKING FORBIDDEN"

Next to the rack, er sign, is okay.

2:34pm

Last night, Matty said "bad things happen in threes; you're in for something else, mate."

Today with Koko, after I withdrew 80,000 yen from my bank, leaving a lovely 40,000 yen worth of zeros (too bad it wasn't a 1 with 40,000 zeros!), I bought the photos, some stamps, and then a chain wallet. At the 100 yen store, I discovered I had only 71,000 yen left. Somehow I had lost 8,000 yen ($70 or so).

Release, release, release.

Koko seemed more upset than I. I woulda been more upset if it was the first thing I had lost recently, but now I'm just like, 8000 yen. meh.

We're now at the Do Co Mo phone shop trying to revive her phone.

4:24pm

Phone is revived, but not necessarily stable. They said buy a new one (of course) and I suggested see how long it lasts.

Lunch = done. First-Kitchen is a slightly better than fast food kinda place. But smoking is allowed inside. Ew.

But here's the real awesome thing: Koko and I were stuck on how to get her and me to the bike place and back again with a bike. Koko's mom to the rescue: she'll drive us there.

Oh my gosh what can I do for Koko's mom to thank her enoughly???

- - - -

So is that it? With a bike will I be back on track, stable, good, etcetera? Almost.. I still don't know fo'sheezy where I can legally park the bike, and I don't have my gaijin card replaced (that will be ready after 14 May) and I don't have a replacement bank card (until after the gaijin card comes back)

Oh, and I need to call my US bank to have them cancel that card.

Lost

5:49pm JST Wednesday 30 April 2003

Dammit. I knew that cat was giving me incorrect directions. At the bike place, after getting my bike back, and profuse verbal thanks given to Koko's mom, Koko asked where Tsunashima was and he pointed all over the place except where I knew the shit to be. I went his way anyway and now I'm 5km from Shin-Yokohama and 1km away from Hiyoshi and dammit if I can't find Hiyoshi on the map to get an estimate of where I am.

And double dammit that I don't know where it is; cause I should.

I'm debating going back the way I came to prove that I coulda gotten home without his help,or had I ignored his help but fuck that wouldn't prove it to anyone but me.

I'm worth it. I'm going back.

7:01pm

We were both right. I had missed a turnoff.

found

10:39pm JST Wednesday 30 April 2003

Frank is a genius.

He actually looked at a map other than the not-exactly-to-scale train map and noted that Kawasaki is not too far away. Tonight, the night I got my bike back, I rode my bike to Kawasaki with only a river as my guide and made it to my work in 1 hour. Once there, I stopped by the cop box to see if I could park my bike in the area. I could. They gave me vague directions to get back to Tsunashima and said it would take me an hour to ride there.

I got back in 45 minutes.

That's how long it takes to walk and ride the train to work. If I ride my bike, I can keep the reimbursement I get for my train pass each month. That's 15,000 yen, equivalent to five shifts of overtime.

Plus, if I ride my bike to work, I'll be staying in shape.

I'm tie-erd. Good night. Actually I gotta shower first cause I stink like ew.