The Deafening Roars

Wednesday 28th October 2009

AM

Least: At 10:12am, I arrived at Gakken-Nara-Tomigaoka station earlier than expected. My long trusted Hyperdia had let me down. Although it predicted my arrival at 10:26am, I was left killing time for an extra fifteen minutes in a convenience store. I suspect that Hyperdia's new look has got something to do with the problem. It no longer looks as if it was designed in 1996, but it seems a little busier in terms of what is on the screen. Maybe I didn't check a box, or maybe the site just wanted to annoy me. Next time, I'll try its competitor who's name escapes me.

Most: Just after 11:10am, I was in a classroom discussing the vagueries of world food prices with three Japanese women. The discussion soon turned to rice and about Japan's crazy agricultural policies that stifle domestic production. One woman claimed that Hokkaido rice tasted the best was was hard to come by and very expensive. She also described a rice shortage when Japan had to import rice from the Phillipines. She said that the Filipino rice tasted disgusting - I really wonder if the taste horror was true or if it was simply psychological. An interesting discussion about a bland grain.

PM

Least: At close to 5:00pm, I was hurtling through a tunnel towards Osaka. The noise inside the carriage was deafening and the air pressure swung about wildly. I wonder what went wrong in the design process, for it must really irk passengers who have to suffer the noise daily. To make matters worse, the announcements on the train were louder than the tunnel noise. The shrill voice robotically announced each station in Japanese and then in a strangly accented English. At least I'll only have to suffer this on Wednesdays.

Most: Approaching 3:00pm, I was astonished to see a mother begin breasfeeding during the class. I was even more amazed to see a second mother giving her baby a feed. It is the first time that I have seen breastfeeding in Japan, and I didn't expect to see it in class. Despite having two four year olds, two mothers and two infants in the class, the lesson went smoothly. The babies appeared to be drunk on milk and barely stirred despite the racket being made by the other kids. The Japanese reserve starts young.

The Persistence of Summer

AM

Least: At 8:55am, I woke an hour later than usual. The hour disappeared simply because I had forgotten to set my alarm back to the usual 8:00am. Sleep creep is a real danger while working strange hours in Japan. Some people sleep later and later until and 11:00am alarm seems harsh. If I'm not careful, my AM period may just evaporate altogether - then there really will be nothing to write about.

Most: At 11:20am, I careered up the street on the Impression on a lunch mission. When I wasn't thinking about how flat the tyres were becoming, I was considering the surprising strength of the sun as it pounded the back of my neck with UV rays. Despite a cool day yesterday, the whiff of a too-hot summer manages to persist. I'm hoping that this week is the last gasp of heat and that the chilly northerlies begin sooner rather than later. Again I am reminded today that the distance between the least interesting and most interesting is becoming very thin indeed.

PM

Least: Just after 9:00pm, my train pulled into Mikunigaoka station. On the platform was an old man in a Nankai uniform chipping solidified chewing gum from the ground. I have actually seen him on numerous other occasions with his scraper and atomiser of citrus solvent. Since I first noticed him, I think he had managed to clear about ten metres. I am sure that by the time he gets to the end of the platform, he will have to begin again from the other end. People often comment about how clean Japan is, however it is probably only so because poor old men like the one at Mikunigaoka have to clean it.

Most: Between 8:00pm and 8:40pm I spoke with a teacher from an agricultural high school in Sakai. Given the relentless urban sprawl, I was amazed to discover that the school has a full set of farm animals including cows, sheep and pigs and fields of grain and vegetable crops. I am still wondering where on earth they could have built such a facility in such a dense city. Maybe good earth might uncover the location.