Posting Problems

AM

Least: At about 8:00am, I discovered that two of Rosie's letters had been returned from the post office. One letter did not have a valuable enough stamp to reach Australia, the other though was more baffling. The smaller than usual envelope appeared to have a chit on it explaining it didn't conform to the minimum size for a letter which seems to be 14cm by 9cm. According to Japan Post it costs more to send a smaller than average envelope - crackers. Braille letters up to three kilograms are free. This echoes an earlier incident when the presentation of novelty-shaped postcards at the post office caused all hell to break loose. It seems that everyone must confrom in Japan, even envelopes. A crashing bore.

Most: At nearly 9:30am, I was strolling around the greenery of Tezukayama when I thought I spotted a bogan. As it turned out, I was right.  Her t-shirt read "Give a dog a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a dog how to fish and he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day". I supposed that she must've been on a holiday to the Gold Coast in the recent past. Her miniature daschund had crimped fur on its ears. This bogan was far more interesting that the usual designer-clad Tezukayama Queen - it seems that boganism is a universal truth.

PM

Least: Close to 9:50pm, I boarded a JR Loop train at Kyobashi. Joining me on the first carriage, were a small group of extremely drunken men. The ringleader was holding court, sprouting what I assume was an unending stream of crap in Japanese. He did not even pause his monologue when bullying the younger members of his team. At one frightening stage he caught my eye and began muttering some rubbish about England. Thankfully, after I tilted my head to the bored commuter position he returned to his followers. They all left the train and my personal space at Tsurahashi.

Most: Beginning at exactly 8:50pm, I spoke to a freelance fashion designer for forty minutes. Her English wasn't great, but I gathered that she specialised in clothes for young women. She said that the current trend was for feminine ribbony outfits designed to drive the boys crazy. Apparently, the rag
trade has really struggled this past year with many shops selling their stock at close to cost levels. An interesting aside in an otherwise boring afternoon.