Entries this day: Meter Rob_update

Meter

11:40am JST Saturday 10 April 2010 (day 14626)

Just now, my train stopped in Oofuna. The doors didn't open like normal. The announcer was like, "uh just one moment, the train is going to move again," and then moved the train backward one (1) meter (m) and then opened the doors.

Now, I would gladly walk the entire length of the train to see both ends of this process in progress. I'm relatively familiar with what the driver and conductor do at each stop. On the train, I know what signals the driver looks for, and who/what turns which signals on. (I haven't been able to definitely identify all the signals the driver looks for *outside* the train.)

But I've *never* seen the driver and conductor in the process of moving the train backward one meter after overshooting the stop.

Here are some anecdotes for you, memories for me:

I'm sitting here with my back against the wall opposite the driver, who's sitting (on a chair) with his back to the same wall. The train stopped slowly at first and then abruptly, and the doors didn't open. People outside the train were watching expectantly as I heard buzzing in the cockpit, which is a simple squawk system the driver and conductor can use to wake each other up. It *seemed* to me that the buzzes were long-short-short and then repeated. The announcer was like, "uh sorry something something," and then "okay the train is going to move again," and I thought, "backwards or forwards?" cause I don't think she specified. The train went backwards about one meter and stopped. The announcer goes, "okay the doors on the right will open" where the right meant the side of the train on the right when one faces the direction the train *should* have been going, but, strictly speaking, were on the left when considering the direction the train had just traveled (one meter). The doors opened; people got on; I started writing this entry.

Everything since then has been perfectly normal.

My questions:

Who decides the train needs to go backward?

How far off the mark is acceptable?

Who drove the train backward?

How much switch flipping is required to drive the train backward one meter vs driving the train "backward" the entire route?

Rob update

11:55am JST Saturday 10 April 2010 (day 14626)

Hello world!

I've been working as a programmer in Tokyo for the past couple of years, with a bit of time off to make cash in clinical drug trials. I recently finished a contract, and have some time available for my next adventure / educational experience, studying Thai massage in Thailand! Since high school, I've enjoyed giving massages at least as much as receiving them, and have just "recently" gotten into the idea that I could actually earn some money doing something that I love to do. I have often used "lack of credentials" (e.g. diploma) as a reason I couldn't do it, so I'm going to get that now, just like a feather for Dumbo. hahaha!!

My tickets are for 7 May to 7 August, and I plan to remain in Japan at least long enough to meet Colleenie Beanie in October! (There; I've told the whole world, so you *have* to come!!)

I've been in Japan just over 7 years now, and though I don't want to "stay forever," I can't help but notice that if I stay just 3 more years, I can get permanent residency and have a choice of either country, with going through the hassle of getting visas and stuff! Interesting motivation, to say the least. :-)

For the past year, I've been living in Chez Soness, home of my friend Soness down by the beach. It's certainly a nice area, though a bit far (1 hour and 950 yen) to get to my favorite hangout (The Pink Cow in Shibuya). In the past year, Soness has been working super hard to get her businesses going, and I'm beginning to see what it might take for me to do the same. But can I? Really? Me???

And so I'm going to Thailand to get some training in a new aspect of massage. 9 weeks of classes are planned, though the school (Sunshine Massage School in Chiang Mai) seems quite flexible, with instruction given to individual students at a higher or lower level, as needed.

Last year saw me study Shiatsu for 10 hours of instruction, which I use a little bit when doing my "freestyle healing" Two years ago I learned reiki, which I use a lot, especially when giving people massages.