AM
Least: By 10:30am it was still raining. It had started last night and showed little sigh of letting up. When the weather service predicted 24mm of rain today, I thought it must be some kind of error. It seems there was no error and the day will be sodden and uncomfortable outdoors. At first the rain was a refreshing change, though after only a couple of hours, it just became dreary. At least I do not have to suffer the indignity of swimming to work.
Most: At close to 11:30am, I began reading Mr Cave's
The Death of Bunny Munro. I had the feeling that readers and reviewers were holding their breath for this one, after the forest of wordy words in
The Ass Saw the Angel. After having read the first few chapters, I was pleasantly surprised at the sparse writing and the fact the Cave's voice is still lurking in the characters. So far the book has mainly centred on Bunny's dirty thoughts and his philandering in Brighton. Both Brighton Rock and Kylie Minogue have been cleverly brought in as cultural reference points. I'll report back when the reading is done.
PM
Least: Just after 1:00pm, I boyishly went back to LABI in an attempt to gather G-Force (
Gatchaman) figures from one of the hundred or so capsule machines on the top floor. My hopes for high for collecting 'Mark' as I dropped the coins into the first machine, but I was sorely disappointed as a character from a more obscure and hence less nostalgic cartoon rolled out. The same hopes were dashed after I lost 200 yen in the second machine. I now have two silly toys that I already have. Boring and stupid.
Most: At about 12:40pm, I walked into
QB (Quick Beauty) House for a 1000 yen haircut. The flashing green light above the door indicated that I could be served immediately and I was. I was quickly sat down and interrogated in Japanese about what was to be done with my too-long hair. After some signs and some broken Japanese , the hairdresser, cut and shaved my hair quickly. When she had finished, an assistant came over to complete my cut. He trimmed the sides and used a mechanised cut-throat to remove hair from my ears and neck. It was the final part of the cut that made it a special experience. With a flick of a switch, the assistant began vacuuming my head, neck and shoulders. The result was a spectacular prickle-free head of freshly cut hair. Just a cut, but a thousand times better than Just Cuts at Melbourne Central. Gold,
Many of my final afternoons and nights have been spent saying or thinking goodbye to people, many of whom I know I will never see again. These people are friends, students, teachers, workmates acquaintances, shop keepers, restaurant workers, familiar faces on the train and people whom I've only just met. I'm very sad about this. I feel like I'm also saying goodbye to trains that run on time, amazing customer service incredibly safe streets, expert cooks in every eatery, public restraint, riding bikes without a helmet, same-day delivery from Amazon, edible sushi, huge amounts of free time, excellent beers, outstanding supermarkets and a very cushy job. Australia can learn a lot from Japan. But I'm also saying goodbye to earthquakes, being illiterate, incredibly conservative people, naked racism, typhoons, salary-men vomiting into rubbish bins, nuclear power, backward treatment of women, terrible Italian food, ridiculous unpaid overtime, and outrageously-priced pizzas. No loss. I can only hope that Melbourne puts on an amazing show for me. The most important thing though, is that Rosie is there and I'm here - so I'm ready to go!
