Entries this day: Dream Makin'_money_with_TJ_Bike Ryan_is_going_to_China Work

Dream

7:19am JST Friday 15 October 2004

My brother Fred and I were living on a large cube. On one side of the cube there was a large chasm with freeezing cold water at the bottom. Our friend fell into the water and began to hyperventilate, and Fred flew down to save him and flew him back up and began to warm him with his fire breath. Fortunately, Fred was a dragon.

Dad's new wife/girlfriend slipped on that same edge and was hanging over the edge. I immediately ran over and grabbed her wrists and helped her get a foothold on the staircase over which she was hanging and tossed her backwards onto the soft mattress behind her. She got a bit angry (and Dad did, too) because she said she could have handled it herself. Fine.

I wanted to take a train far away, so I found the exact point where the guy would stand to signal the train to a stop. It was in the grass, and there wasn't a track, exactly, but as I looked out toward the oncoming train, there was a wall to my right, like, I was standing in a big empty lot. I stood near that point so as to be ready to get on, but not in what some people might consider harm's way. I could see the train coming and there were two guys in front of it. One walking and one on bicycle. The train went to the wrong spot, so the bicycle guy rode over there and redirected the train to the correct spot where I had predicted it.

This was an old west scene, and the sophisticated, well groomed, well mannered ladies and gentlemen were standing near where I had parked myself by the wall, and they were being addressed by the train guy who had been walking. With the wall to my back, I was looking toward the right, watching him speak. The audience was next to the wall as well, looking ahead at him.

He was saying stuff like, "there is a man who has come from a far away place. His customs are not like ours: he wears different clothes and he speaks differently. This man isn't as sophisticated as you nor I, but he tries to be polite." Someone responded, "what about you [being polite]?" and I looked; the guy's pants were down by his ankles. Then I noticed his jeans had been ripped into short shorts, so he was wearing shorts and the pants legs were crumpled down at each ankle.

He ignored the question, but asked if the crowd would be willing to let this man on the train. I realized he was talking about me, and I was thankful, but a bit concerned about being so well-known; I feared I wouldn't be able to have any private time on the train.

I realized that I needed to start packing, but that the room in which my stuff was located was dark and had people sleeping in it, plus all my stuff was all over the place.

A woman who spelled her name ERI-J-KA (and I pronounced it "Erika J") had written her name on the end of a US dollar bill and gave it to me. I was looking for my money to pay her back, but I couldn't find it. I even looked in the refrigerator.

Soon thereafter I woke up.

Makin' money with TJ Bike

11:38pm JST Friday 15 October 2004

Got 2000 yen on the way to work today. I asked for 5000 but the guy was like, "shubabublah ba eh umblubalh" and I'm like, [fine, 2000], and he gave me 2000.

Bike seems fine except for needing new grip tape on part of the handlebars that I don't use very often.

I was zooming down a slight hill with a light at the bottom. I was on the sidewalk, and I had a green walk signal. Traffic going my direction was stopped, and I was surprised to see him as the nose of his car poked through the lane of cars. He must have been turning right from the opposite direction. He appeared on the sidewalk where I was trying to ride and I swerved and clipped the front of his car. I fell gently and had no bruises as a result; I'm not really sure how I pulled that off.

TJ Bike's frame and wheels were fine. All the important parts were fine. The handlebar grip tape was ground a bit on the right side in a place where I don't often hang on. The front fender got wrinkled, but I was able to pull it out so the wheel spins without hitting it.

The guy was like, [are you okay?] and stuff and I was like yeah, but my bike is not. He balked when I asked for 5000 yen, but went for 2000. I didn't see the messed up grip tape before I left, but whatever; I probably won't replace the fender or grip tape immediately anyway.

Ryan is going to China

7:50pm JST Friday 15 October 2004

Dammit. Ryan is going to China.

I'm proud of him and not a small amount envious. I am a lot envious.

Why do I feel compelled to keep my commitments in Japan? I have told people I will leave in March. Why not just piss on that and leave now? Fuck a duck.

I didn't go to China because I was scared to go. I was like, "China? damn that sounds scary," and I chose Japan. I also chose Japan cause some of my friends spoke Japanese and I thought that was cool.

I can speak a bit of Japanese, and that is cool, but I can't speak awesome Japanese. (Thank you for your words of patience, Annie.)

I'm studying Chinese a little bit, but my sensei has recently had to chill out to keep from having a miscarriage. Fair enough. I just need to get my ass to studying.

I would study now, but my book is at home and I'm at work. But I do have the internet.

Work

11:20pm JST Friday 15 October 2004

7 students at work today. 2, break, 5. First student had a LUT (Level Up Test) and she did pretty well. 92%. Good accuracy, but slow. I don't remember her name.

Also had Erika Miki, who in my notes I've written that she has a crush on me, but she was born in 1984. I really think she would like to go out; I'm having to constantly monitor myself to keep from trying to meet her outside. It's a dangerous situation for me to be in.

Mai chose my lesson twice for today. She is *so* tall and *so* beautiful. Simon joked, "get the digits, man," and we subsequently talked about who was our favorite students. My favorite most beautiful student at Gaba is Makiko. She is like, perfect. And married.

I don't know how old Mai is, but I interviewed her interests a bit today and found that she is afraid of flying, skydiving, and bunjee jumping. She probably doesn't like roller coasters, either. She's still beautiful, though.