Kids and Kyobashi

Wednesday 8th October 2009

AM

Least: At nearly 11:00am, I could not put the ironing off any longer. During the months that I've been an ECC drone, I think I've ironed over 150 shirts give or take a few. My strategy to combat the sheer bordem involved in the ironing process is to listen to my iPod. While it makes the job seem a little easier, I think that the task of making ironing an acceptable use of time is too great. If I had the money and time, I'd use a drycleaner.

Most: At 5:30am, I kissed Rosie goodbye as she left for an the Heavy Metal and Gender conference in Cologne. Rosie is delivering a paper about the grindcore scene in Melbourne and will be mingling with some metalled cultural studies glitterati. Despite missing her within minutes, I'm really proud of her acheivements and her bravery to travel half way around the globe to meet her colleagues. On the final night there's a Euro metal gig.  Go Rosie!!

PM

Least: at precisely 2:58pm, I board the tram at the Himematsu stop on my way to Kyobashi. To my (and other passangers) horror, the tram was crowded with no less than twenty 6-ish year old girls and a few boys of the same age. The noise and silliness were excruciating to the point that some nosey old bags decided to intervene and tell the girls to sit down. It had no effect. While the behaviour of Japanese students might be good at school under the eyes of teachers, as soon as they are alnoe, they seem as bad as any kids that I've seen. For some reason, the only kids who were sitting quietly were the boys. A 10 minute trip felt like 10 hours.

Most: At about 3:30pm, I arrived at the very busy Kyobashi station, to teeming rain from the approacing typhoon. I read somewhere tht Kyobashi was the last place in Osaka to be firebombed (above) by the Americans during the war. The raid came on the day before the war ended and killed about 250 people including primary school children. Although the Americans warned residents of the raid earlier in the week, it didn't stop innocent people being needlessly slaughtered. Ironically, upon exiting the station a miniature Statute of Liberty (right) stands watching over commuters from what is probably a love hotel.