RIVER

The sun sets, but the river still flows strong.

KYOTO

M R AYE AND FANCY CASTS

Seven hospital visits, five different hospitals, three sets of x-rays, ten weeks of hobbling, an MRI scan and now, finally, they can tell me I have a damaged ligament. The snow is gone, the boarding season is over and my faith in the Japanese health care system has long ago melted. But I’m not complaining, I’m just happy to finally have a cast on and a (fairly) clear idea of which ligament is damaged. Arriving yesterday at the very new and expensive looking city hospital I was escorted around three reception desks before finally receiving some papers and a card. Then I was sent to the strange and demonic place known as the MRI Room.
I knew MRI’s were noisy, but felt very unsettled when strapped in and left alone in the pleasantly disguised torture chamber. With the ‘push in case of emergency’ button in hand I was transported into the machine for forty strange minutes. Metallic clunking and banging surrounded me. Highly hung-over from the previous evening’s cherry blossom drinking, I continuously dozed of. And I was continuously awakened by either strange, strange noises filling my eardrums or by my legs twitching as I drifted off in this unusual position. Knowing you must keep perfectly still to get clear results, I panicked after each twitch that I’d have to go through it all again.But after only one session I was the proud owner of a brilliant set of photos. About fifteen large sheets showing my ankle from all angles in all kinds of detail. It really was amazing to see the product of my torture. I then went to another town and another hospital for the results to be deciphered. Deciding that my ankle was, after all injured, it was agreed to make me a removable cast. This was done simply by putting some special gauze around my foot, then wrapping it in a bandage. The doctor then left, telling me only to stay in the same position. So I was more than a little surprised when the whole cast started heating up. I must have looked pretty confused because one of the nurses came over to reassure me that it’s supposed to heat up. Still not understanding, I just sat there and tried to think happy thoughts. When they removed the bandage, the special gauze had molded and hardened into the shape of my ankle. Brilliant. Not electricity or anything. Now I can finally begin the recovery period.

SMOKEY TREE

Sitting at my desk I just caught site of this tree shrouded in smoke.

CHERRY BLOSSOMS

The cherry blossoms in my area are due to be in full bloom next week. However, I'll be down south with the parents on a well needed holiday. Determined to do some cherry blossom viewing (ie. getting plastered under a tree) a few of us went drinking last night. The blossoms were far from ready and it was pretty cold. But the festival lanterns hanging from the trees gave off a warm glow and the hot whiskeys kept the chill at bay. I had forgotten how much fun weekday drinking could be. And I'm about to be reminded of how much fun weekday hangovers are not.

As the spring sun sets

The morning’s inspiring dream

Starts to fade away

SIGN KUDASAI!!

"Sign kudasai. Sign kudasai", they screamed at me as I exited the classroom.
`Kudasai` translates as 'please' from Japanese. However in this context a more realistic translation of my excited third-graders words would have been "Sign our bloody bingo sheets before we wrestle you to the ground, steal your pen, and forge your signature. Please.' I should've known a new silver glitter pen was a bad idea.

ANGKOR MAN

An old man selling his wares at the Angkor Wat.

SNOW FUN

Despite a bad ankle injury costing me most of this seasons boarding I was able to have some recent fun in the snow. My local rotary club had some American visitors so asked me to come hang out with them. We had an afternoon racing around the mountain on snowmobiles. The guide was an old man, but crazier than the rest of us. Add to the equation the healthy American-Irish competitiveness and we were guaranteed an adrenaline fueled day.

REAR VIEW SNAP

Visiting Matsushima at the weekend Nori and I got pulled over by the police. Like idiots, we had forgotten to put our seatbelts on after stopping for some snacks. As the kind police was writing me up, I couldn’t help taking his picture in my rear view mirror.

SERIOUS JAPANESE

At the Board of Education yesterday I had some free time. Telling the boss of an upcoming party I asked him where I could buy a wig. He recommended a store and then left. Five minutes later he returned with a box of wigs. Himself and the other serious looking, dark suit wearing, bespectacled employees were soon all donned in wigs.
Later on the head of the city library service arrived to introduce new employees in the usual formal Japanese manner. My boss pointed at me and said to them 'crazy foreigner'. Then pointed to the box of wigs and told these people I'd been dressing up all afternoon. Not even blinking an eyelid, the library director lifted the silliest wig, put it on his head, and said 'fireman'.