Thursday, February 05, 2004
Arrrggghhh...
I was going to save writing a post about the trains here in Japan for some other time, but after what happened tonight, I have to write about it. Let me just begin by saying that riding crowded trains sucks. It`s like a freakin` bump n` grind. I usually take the Keio Line to travel to and from Shinjuku because it`s cheap and actually faster than the JR Line. However, it gets really crowded in the evenings. It`s no use waiting for the next train because it will be just as crowded. And I have found that the JR Line isn`t that much better. So you learn to suck it up and endure the trip because it`s fast and it`s cheap. And besides, Keio has, until this point, been very reliable. Less likely than JR to run into technical problems and delays. Anywayz, tonight was my last time tutoring AT...it was sad but I think things went well overall with her. So on my way back to Hachioji (via the Keio Line), the train ran into some technical problems. Actually, I have no idea what the problem was, but I know there must`ve been one because we were stuck in the train for what seemed like an eternity. Once, it started up again but then it stopped again and didn`t move again for what seemed like a long time. Once in a while, the conductor announced something or other that I couldn`t understand, so there was nothing I could do but just stand there. It started getting stuffy (well, it`s always stuffy in the train when it`s crowded) and I thought, "Well, at least it isn`t summer". Then, I heard someone say "Sumimasen" twice in a loud voice several feet away from me, but of course, since it was freakin` crowded, I couldn`t see who it was. I thought this pretty unusual because most people are pretty quiet on the train...and why would he say "sumimasen" when we couldn`t move? Then I heard what seemed like someone talking on the phone, and I heard the word "byouin", or "hospital", but of course, I couldn`t see anything and couldn`t understand anything so I figured it was someone talking loudly on the phone. Anywayz, we finally got to the nearest train station on the express route and when we got there, it was obvious that the people on the platform were irritated at the delay, but when the doors opened, two or three men in official station uniforms rushed into the train car with a stretcher, pushing people out of the way, and shouting "Sumimasen!". They ran straight to where I had heard someone talking....apparently, a girl had fainted! They took her limp body out on a stretcher and soon we were on our way to Hachioji. I think she was ok, but it was still scary to see her totally unconscious like that. I mean, as crowded as the train was and as long as we were stuck there, it`s no wonder she fainted...but what got to me is that when she fainted...there was nothing that anyone could do but call an ambulance and wait because the train was stuck.
I was going to save writing a post about the trains here in Japan for some other time, but after what happened tonight, I have to write about it. Let me just begin by saying that riding crowded trains sucks. It`s like a freakin` bump n` grind. I usually take the Keio Line to travel to and from Shinjuku because it`s cheap and actually faster than the JR Line. However, it gets really crowded in the evenings. It`s no use waiting for the next train because it will be just as crowded. And I have found that the JR Line isn`t that much better. So you learn to suck it up and endure the trip because it`s fast and it`s cheap. And besides, Keio has, until this point, been very reliable. Less likely than JR to run into technical problems and delays. Anywayz, tonight was my last time tutoring AT...it was sad but I think things went well overall with her. So on my way back to Hachioji (via the Keio Line), the train ran into some technical problems. Actually, I have no idea what the problem was, but I know there must`ve been one because we were stuck in the train for what seemed like an eternity. Once, it started up again but then it stopped again and didn`t move again for what seemed like a long time. Once in a while, the conductor announced something or other that I couldn`t understand, so there was nothing I could do but just stand there. It started getting stuffy (well, it`s always stuffy in the train when it`s crowded) and I thought, "Well, at least it isn`t summer". Then, I heard someone say "Sumimasen" twice in a loud voice several feet away from me, but of course, since it was freakin` crowded, I couldn`t see who it was. I thought this pretty unusual because most people are pretty quiet on the train...and why would he say "sumimasen" when we couldn`t move? Then I heard what seemed like someone talking on the phone, and I heard the word "byouin", or "hospital", but of course, I couldn`t see anything and couldn`t understand anything so I figured it was someone talking loudly on the phone. Anywayz, we finally got to the nearest train station on the express route and when we got there, it was obvious that the people on the platform were irritated at the delay, but when the doors opened, two or three men in official station uniforms rushed into the train car with a stretcher, pushing people out of the way, and shouting "Sumimasen!". They ran straight to where I had heard someone talking....apparently, a girl had fainted! They took her limp body out on a stretcher and soon we were on our way to Hachioji. I think she was ok, but it was still scary to see her totally unconscious like that. I mean, as crowded as the train was and as long as we were stuck there, it`s no wonder she fainted...but what got to me is that when she fainted...there was nothing that anyone could do but call an ambulance and wait because the train was stuck.
Wednesday, February 04, 2004
Time is running out...
Sorry if you haven`t heard from me...It`s just that I have been very busy trying to tie up loose ends before I leave...and spend time with K. Just to let you know, you may not even hear very much from me until I am home, so please bear with me. But I will try to be online and post on the blog as much as possible before I leave. Unfortunately, there won`t be a December Chronicles, but maybe a synopsis of December.
I also just want to say (because I haven`t really said it on the blog) how much I have enjoyed the past two months with K. We`ve had so many good times together and I`m really gonna miss him when I go back. I really, really hope that he will be able to visit me in March or April. Sunday will be his graduation exhibition, which I will defenitely go to. I won`t be here for his graduation so going to his exhibition is the very least I can do....
Sorry if you haven`t heard from me...It`s just that I have been very busy trying to tie up loose ends before I leave...and spend time with K. Just to let you know, you may not even hear very much from me until I am home, so please bear with me. But I will try to be online and post on the blog as much as possible before I leave. Unfortunately, there won`t be a December Chronicles, but maybe a synopsis of December.
I also just want to say (because I haven`t really said it on the blog) how much I have enjoyed the past two months with K. We`ve had so many good times together and I`m really gonna miss him when I go back. I really, really hope that he will be able to visit me in March or April. Sunday will be his graduation exhibition, which I will defenitely go to. I won`t be here for his graduation so going to his exhibition is the very least I can do....
I`m gonna get to see "The Return of the King" in Japan!
I spent the day with K, doing the laundry and going shopping. I ended up getting the Ping Pong DVD and he got three huge art books. I have learned that you cannot go into a used book store with him without him buying at least one art book. He is quickly amassing a huge art library.
Later, I went with him to Nishi-Hachioji, where we had dinner before he had to leave for his night shift. I realized that at last, I had the time to go to Minami Ozawa. The Return of the King is officially coming out on February 14th, the very day after I leave Japan...talk about bum timing, but a coworker mentioned that there was going to be a preview showing of it on February 7th in Minami Ozawa`s Virgin Cinemas, so I had wanted to go there and try to buy a ticket for it. And sure enough, I was able to buy one, so I`m really excited about it...woo hoo!...I`m just gonna have to coordinate so I can catch the last train to Kabe....
I spent the day with K, doing the laundry and going shopping. I ended up getting the Ping Pong DVD and he got three huge art books. I have learned that you cannot go into a used book store with him without him buying at least one art book. He is quickly amassing a huge art library.
Later, I went with him to Nishi-Hachioji, where we had dinner before he had to leave for his night shift. I realized that at last, I had the time to go to Minami Ozawa. The Return of the King is officially coming out on February 14th, the very day after I leave Japan...talk about bum timing, but a coworker mentioned that there was going to be a preview showing of it on February 7th in Minami Ozawa`s Virgin Cinemas, so I had wanted to go there and try to buy a ticket for it. And sure enough, I was able to buy one, so I`m really excited about it...woo hoo!...I`m just gonna have to coordinate so I can catch the last train to Kabe....
