Entries this day: AM_bicycle Dream Dream_decoded Work study

AM bicycle

6:31am JST Monday 9 June 2003

I've discovered two new places in Japan. One is a grove of trees just up a surprising hill near Tsunashima station. At 4:30am I set out. Up the hill then down another side I found myself near the ARROW 8 pachinko parlor on the main drag crossing my train line at Tsunashima station. Back up the hill and wound my way through the narrow sidewalks between the houses which cap the hill. The homes appear expensive, with more traditional Japanese architecture, sturdy modern fencing and cameras monitoring the gates.

Trekked carefully into the grove of trees. A gate type thing seemed to dissuade bicycles, so I parked near a phone booth at the entrance. Ascended the steep incline into the forest in a thankful peaceful meditative state.

Found a tall roof over some benches. Sad to see litter littering the ground all around it.

Don't these people know that Japan is very meticulous?

Guess not.

Down the hill and found a pool that has been closed since November. It doesn't plan to greet visitors anytime soon, I imagine. The water is mucky brown, weeds emerge through the sidewalk. I can't read the sign to confirm. (But I can read the month and date)

Joyful shouting voices erupted every couple minutes, either playing a game or some barbaric drunken party. I followed the path toward them and discovered a soccer game underway. I didn't approach them; I can come up with at least ten excuses to cover my fear of the unknown.

If they had been playing disc I almost certainly would have joined. Maybe I'll bring a disc to the field sometime.

Headed back. Found the public restroom doesn't concern itself with a doglegged entrance to hide the inside. There were doors on the squat-over-a-hole (*) style stalls, but the urinals were in plain view.

Public restroom location noted. These can be handy in potty emergencies. (animaniacs)

(*) To be clear, this hole is not just a hole in the ground, but a stainless steel sink like thing. On the ground. Squat to pee slash poo slash wipe then step on the handle to flush.

- - - -

Grabbed food at Lawson's, pooed in our apartment's western style facilities (while reading about the "Great Wall of China" which turns out to be a network of walls built over many dynasties, and not like one huge seam across the country), then rode along the river to Yokohama.

Now I'm at the second place I discovered today. A white bridge structurally like the arches over southwest freeway, but shaped like a triangle, spans the small bayou next to me. (I wonder what this size of waterway is called here). Oh hey a cat is snoopin' around along the side. And I do mean feline. White legs and stomach and gray/black spotted back. S/he seems to have found a little meal in the grass there.

I finished chowing (if one can chow tofu) and I'll ride somewhere now.

I've been going downwind, so my trek back will be longer (and colder (today is overcast and maybe 68 degrees)) so I may just go back home and snuggle up in bed.

Dream

10:03am JST Monday 9 June 2003

Earlier (before 2am) dream

The entire world had been clearcut except for the land next to my dad's house. I hugged my dad, thanking him for his stability and for keeping that land. During the hug he began to hug someone else as well, and at first I felt jealous, and then I realized he was bringing other people in to hug _me_. I felt quite thankful and quite loved.

Dream decoded

10:04am JST Monday 9 June 2003

Yay Janette for decoding the dream from a week ago!

I've fixed the typos of what she sent me, as I do for all my dreams.

So I held onto Spot and we were moving along a trail and some other people were having a picnic on the side. They were also eco tourists and I was new to the group, but my group and their group knew one another, though they were in different parts of the group... Our group liked the sun and their group liked something else, or was it the other way around? and someone in our group yelled mock-taunting over to them, hey you don't like the sun! or something equally silly, and a woman yelled back yeah, well you've got no pants on! with the implication that we don't like the sun, or we wouldn't cover up, and we were all oooooh she burned you. and Eric was like, well, actually she didn't burn him because she also has no pants and I was like, dude, but did you see who it was-who burned him? She never does that kinda thing.

Work

12:29am JST Tuesday 10 June 2003

Work was great at first.

lesson 1: man to man (no show)
lesson 2: man to man (no show)
lesson 3: man to man (level 4, she talked the whole time)
lesson 4: voice room (no show)
lesson 5: man to man (level 6.  I've had this guy for the last three
                      days but I still don't remember his name.  He
                      was in the class where we played 2 Truths And A
                      Lie (2 days ago) and yesterday when we played 10
                      Fingers.)

lunch

And then my last three lessons were packed, but they went pretty well; I had planned them during my free lessons.

The quote of the day:

A snake is longer than a monkey.

Awesome.

Oh! And a woman loaned me a picture book on Japanese culture, just naming (in Romaji) tons of stuff to be found in and around Tokyo. Foods, shrines, other things and more stuff. Wow; what a blessing!

study

12:35am JST Tuesday 10 June 2003

Studied with Olivia some Japanese tonight. Met her roommate Amy and I already knew her roommate Jen. They belched plenty in front of me; it was great.