My first day of classes back after christmas was a short one – Japanese from 9-11, speaking then reading and writing – so I had to be up early.
So, after my alarm briefly woke me up, and then didn’t snooze for no seemingly apparently reason, I woke up with 35 mins too spare. Seeing as it’s a ’30 minute bike ride’ according to okasan/otousan, I was pushing things – but I threw clothes on, grabbed my stuff, got shown the bike I’m borrowing, and charged off into the early morning grey.
Side note: Whoever thought it was a good idea for one of the most technologically advanced nations to all ride single gear bikes is a goddamn moron.
Anyways, so predictably enough, I get completely turned around, end up seeing K’s Denki on the highway (the other side of the uni to my house) and finally snaked down past seminar house into school. I ended up being about 10 mins late, which isn’t so bad on the first lesson. I explained how I got lost to our teacher and everything and he was fine with it, so I suppose it worked out in the end. Got all my papers from that and headed to my next class, which was fun, but kinda sobering in the scope of what we’ll cover. Then into the computer room to speak to Kim ^^
Spoke with Kim (which was great, as ever ^^) went and bought my textbooks and got my papers. Played 4 way/3 way scrabble with India and Jeremy for a little bit, then decided it was time to head back home. This was about 4-ish. So I get out of the room, and decide it’d be a good idea to register the bike. So they need the number on the back of the bike, fair enough, so I leave my textbooks/parcelImayhaveleftintheCIEyesterdaybyaccident in the office, and go to find my bike. Thus begins the saga. By this point, it’s tipping it down with rain, and I go to find the bike. And just then I realise that I have no idea what the bike looks like. I remember it had straight handlebars, a proper bell and a ‘National’ brand lock (do not ask me how I remembered the lock brand of all things), but I couldn’t even remember the colour. I had, however, remembered where I put it, so I found one that looked similar, tried my key…nothing. Crap. Eventually found it (although it was green, so looking for silver bikes because ‘they’re all silver’ probably wasn’t the smartest move), and unlocked it…only to notice that it had registration stickers from Kansai on it – stickers that are meant to be handed in at the end of each semester. Stickers which mean it’s a student’s bike, especially when one of those stickers says it comes from seminar house. So it’s not my bike. But I just unlocked it with my key. At this point I decided to cut my losses (after scouring the bike park for the better part of 30 mins) and headed back to explain the craziness to CIE. They then phoned okasan at work (oops 
Gommenasai okasan!) and she said that the stickers were meant to be on the bike. And just to add to the confusion, it was Brian’s (their last homestay student’s) old bike. But then why did the ownership stickers say michael?
Long story short, what we imagined happening is, the person who owned it at Sem apparently owned it a couple of years back, according to the sticker code. They must have just left it there at the end of a semester, and Sem sold or gave it to Brian, who then left it with okasan. This is what happens when Japanese Beaurocracy goes wrong people. Chaos. It’s wonderful when it works, but when it doesn’t you’ve got a better chance of getting something done if you just wave a chainsaw around.
So then i began the task of cycling back. Bearing in mind how generally unfit I am (much better now with all the walking last semester) and how the bikes are single geared, and me not riding one for the past god-knows how long, it was a pretty daunting task – especially as my thighs had seemed to have disappeared after this morning’s trek (got off the bike: I’m okay! Stepped down a step to the field: Leg almost gave way as my thigh gave my brain a giant ‘fuck you I won’t do what you tell me’). However, nothing’ll help me get fitter like a 30 minute bike ride in the pouring rain and darkness right? Where my glasses keep steaming up from my breath and getting covered in raindrops so i can’t see? Where i get lost again on my way back home and end up spending close to an hour and a half cycling around Kuzuha? It was great exploration, and now I know exactly how the route fixes together, so that’s cool, but still, so long x////x Thank goodness otousan had leant me some gloves!
eventually got back, threw some new clothes on and had dinner which was gorgeous, fish and rice and bentou and miso soup, and it was delicious. Then, while the ofuro was being used, went upstairs to sort timetable/homework, and then took my ofuro.
I’ve discovered something new about the ofuro. They are witchcraft, for sure. I have this boiling hot bath, get out wet, dry myself off etc, and then retreat to a bedroom I can see my breath in (heaters in japan are aways turned off, if you’re not in the room) and I didn’t feel a thing. It’s like the cold is running away from your 43 degree water heat. It’s crazy.
Got dried off and came upstairs to do homework after saying about it to okasan and otousan, and came up, but only realised the time after they get to bed, so didn’t say oyasumior anything, which I hope won’t be too bad in the ettiquette state of things. xD
Right now, I need sleep though, so goodnight!
