Day 23 in Japan – I think I have a routine now?

We didn’t recover quite as well as hoped from the sunburn. We are still both a bit red and hot, particularly on our backs. I got a few comments at work today, and felt uncomfortably warm most of the day. I got the school bent at Akashishimizu, which had a truly glorious item in it. A DOUBLE FRIED EGG. Cook and egg (fry it), then crumb it. Now deep fry it again. Now eat it. You just lost 5 years off your life, but boy was it worth it! The rest of the box was the usual bits of rice, pickles, some gyudon, salted plum and some vegetables.

Sam gives the Pocky his approval.

I went for my first walk around the school at Akashishimizu, just to have a bit of a look at what was there. I watched the baseball boys sweep the baseball pitch, and then use these big flat rakes to make perfect spirals al over the grounds. It was quite hypnotic. I found the pool, and watched the kids do some laps for a little while. And lastly, and most embarrassingly, I met a bunch of kids from the brass band. I could hear fragments of the Super Mario Bros theme while walking around the school, and wanted to try to find where it was coming from. So I eventually got to the 5^th floor and found some kids playing the music really well. I walked up with a big smile and completely lost the use of all words. Even English failed me. I just pointed at their instruments and said “Mario”. They said “Hai, sou desu” (Yes, it is). I said “Hello”. Then I said “Goodbye”. And walked all the way back down the hall while they giggled behind me.  I started laughing at myself as soon as I walked around the corner – I am a total fool. The teachers at Akashishimizu are mostly really lovely, and I had a pretty good day there today.

Our complicated garbage corner.

Today, I got a letter from my grandma (Lovey), started a new game on the DS (Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks) and cooked some Gyoza for dinner. I need to replace the brakes on my front tyre because the brake pads have worn down to the metal, but today is still kind of Obon, and the bike shop was shut. Oh, and I sorted the garbage. The picture here shows our major kinds of garbage - burnable, non-burnable, recycling (cans and bottles) and recycling (paper, cardboard and old clothes). They all go out on various days  a complicated calendar of first Mondays and third Saturdays and the like. 

Proof that I have been studying Japanese (with bonus huge
leg bruise from unfortunate bike pedal incident)

After dinner, I went for another jog. I looked up my route on Google maps and it was about 3.5 km, and it took me about 25 mins. It was a nice, flat route today and I didn’t need to stop the whole time! I am very proud of myself, but I was still very red and hot afterwards. But I had a rather odd revelation during the jog. I was running along next to the large Coca-Cola factory near here towards a big main road in the middle of suburbia, and I realised that I could smell livestock. I convinced myself I was crazy, then that the Coca Cola company must use animal products somewhere in their production, and then that I was crazy again. Then I saw the shed full of cows. It’s right off the big road between Himeji and Kobe (Route 2), next to the Coca Cocla factory. But the best part is… it’s also next to a Big Boy. Yes, that’s Big Boy the steak restaurant. HILARIOUS. A shed full of cows in the middle of the city next to a steak restaurant. Thank you, Japan.

Food highlight of the day: Blueberry Kit Kats – they look exactly like a normal Kit Kat, but they smell and taste like blueberries, or at least blueberry flavouring. Weirdly nice.