The 365th Day

February 3rd 2010

Exactly a quarter of my 365th day in Japan was mostly spent inside a huge shopping mall in Gakken-Nara-Tomigaoka. Eighty minutes of that was completely focused on helping a 50ish year old lady translate an Australian book, 1001 Inventions that Changed the World, into Japanese. The other interesting thing about the 3rd of February is that is it Bean Throwing Ceremony day, when many Japanese literally throw beans at their houses and walls to chase out any devilish spirits that may have made themselves at home during the preceding year. In fact, on my way home, numerous beans were visible on the streets near freshly exorcised houses. Some kind of blanshish nori roll also appears to be part of the ceremony. The only real lowlight of the day was predictibly on the Hankai Tram early in the morning, when some youngish dolt decided that his rideon the rails was the perfect time to thoroughly clean his pipe with a pipe-cleaner. The smell was revolting, but not quite at alarming as the tar that kept coming out of the rosewood bowl for the length of the trip. Simply awful.

My year in Japan has been interesting, amazing in patches, delicious, frustrating, hilarious, lazy, busy and rapid. I have taught the likes of  doctors, nurses, teachers, salarymen, executives, flight attendent trainees, the unemployed, the alcoholic, train conductors, bullet train hostesses, university students, highschool kids, tiny children, the flu ridden, a law professor, a seller of knives, several Shimano employees, the ugly, the beautiful, old ladies, ancient men, man-eaters, mountain climbers, marathon runners, tea ceremony teachers, tour guides, the insane, hotel workers, a belhop, midwives, chemical engineers, steel pipe makers, scientists, programmers, rock and rollers, the tired, the asleep, Koreans, magicians, scuba divers, a crazed Placido Domingo fan, Disney lovers, kindergarten teachers, a paper bag maker, the lonely, shop girls, salesmen, mothers, unhappy wives, grandfathers, gym managers, translators, law clerks, barmen, the interesting and the incredibly boring.

As a sartorial journey, my 365 days in Japan was pretty spectacular, with the occassional and the occasionally chronic lowlight. The clear winner for expanding my palatte was fish and related fishy catches from the sea. Depsite previously enjoying the occasional tray of sushi in Australia, I found the overseasoned rice a little sickening and the range of fish irritatingly small. In Japan though, the rice is addictive and the sheer variety incredible and impossible to list properly. I've mangaged to try most things including the raw and cooked - octopus, tuna of varying fattyness, salmon, sea urchin, yellowtail, bream, scallops, oysters, numerous roes, mackerel, vinegared mackeral, crab, surf clam, turban shell, raw beef, prawns, sardines and their allies, whale bacon (a moral lowpoint) and who knows what else. My sashimi highlight was a night of eating tuna in all its forms, right up to the crazily expensive tuna belly - needless to say it was also a financial lowlight. The other big surprise was my enjoyment of okonomiyaki and modanyaki both at home and in over-priced restaurants. Despite its bland ingredients, it somehow manages to be a delight, especially with a smothering on sauce and mayonnaise. In general, the food in Osaka has been spectacular and incredibly available. Even in the smallest of bars it is possible to get meals that would be impossible to replicate in Melbourne. One memorable night, I ordered the Autumn delight sanma and it was grilled before my eyes as a whole fish at a bar was big as a cupboard - outstanding. The lowlights of Japanese eating have been well-documented and they almost always involve attempts at Western food such as bread and pizza. One exception though was a simply awful udon curry which had been chilled to a teeth shattering temperature - I still shudder every time I stroll past that particular eatery.

After weeks of not writing this entry, I have finally accepted that my year in Japan boils down to food and people. Especially Rosie!

See you soon!

Puffer Fish Lunch

Thursday 5th November 2009

AM

Least: At about 10:20am, I finally got out of bed after hitting the snooze button so many many times that the alarm simply gave up. I'm not sure if it was the early day yesterday, but today I felt exhausted. I might have to invest in a series of alarms, each with an increasing volume that will force me out of bed early.

Most: At nearly 11:45am, I rode through Tezukayama on my way to Life supermarket. A huge (and previously mentioned) white house that I often ride past, has finally been completed and appears to have occupants. The ultra modern building, has been tempered with a small garden on one side. The garden has a moss lawn and a few small trees. The interesting feature though, are some obviously ancient stone water features that help make the house accepably Japanese. I just wished I lived there. (photo right)

PM

Least: At 2:35pm, as I walked into work at Nakamozu, it became obvious that the week had dragged on for too long. The overdose on Halloween festivities probably didn't help, and the day off on Tuesday made it feel like ages since I'd walked through the glass doors of the school. It is strange how time plays tricks, both flying by and dragging at the same time.

Most: At about 1:00pm, I sat down to a plate of Puffer Fish sashimi (Fugu). I'd bought it at the supermarket, attracted by the picture of the deadly fish on the label. Given its notoriety it was a little exciting to taste the flesh for the fisrt time. It had a very delicate flavour, but was delicious. It came with a small sachet of soy sauce, a spicy sauce and chopped spring onions. For a supermarket meal, it was amazing (see photo top). I was left with a numb mouth for a few hours, but otherwise I was unaffected and remained alive to tell the tale. Apparently recently, Japanese scientists have been mass producing non-toxic puffer fish so maybe it's not so deadly after all.

Where does all the rain go?

Monday 26th October 2009

AM

Least: By 10:00am, I began to dread the circus which is an English school at Halloween. Despite having two costumes, I felt confident that when it came to the crunch I would stick to my English teacher in Japan costume. As I was putting the takoyaki costume into my bag, I wondered if today would herald a new low.

Most: At about 5:00am, I woke to the sound of thundering rain. It was as though someone had tipped a huge bucket on Tezukayama. A couple of hours later, when I finally rose, the rain and the water had disappeared.It seems rare to see huge pools of water gathering on the streets or even in gutters - Osaka must have some seriously good drainage. Maybe the lack of trees and hence leaves prevents blockages - a mystery.

PM

Least: At 3:55pm, I was being put under some serous peer pressure to wear a halloween costume at work. Rather than completely humiliate myself by wearing a takoyaki on my head, I chose the more subtle pirate costume. In the face of some, more elaborate costumes, I actually didn't feel that shame that I had expected. Still, it was pretty close to a new low.

Most: Between about 5:00pm and 7:00pm, a string of kids dressed in often eleaborate costumes walked thorough the door at Nakamozu. I was really surprised at the effort that most parents had gone to to dress up their kids. Highlights included the usual witches but also a devil and a fully suited racecar driver. Lots of fun if you're 5 years old!

Coughs and Cabin Attendants

Wednesday 21st Ocotober 2009

AM


Least: At 9:10am, I began coughing up the first of a series of green gobs of phlem. It seems that the end of my flu includes a hacking morning cough. My chest was loosened by a bowl of boiling hot water and Vicks Vaporub but that tickle in the middle of my lungs remains. If it's still bad in a few days, I'll risk a Japanese doctor.

Most: Close to 11:50am, Rosie stacked a pile of yellow parcels onto the lounge-room table. Since beginning her Etsy site, business has been brisk with about five sales a week. Given that the word 'vintage' is now being used to double the price of otherwise cheap goods, I think Rosie could actually beging to make money if only she'd give up her socialist pricing policy. Japan's markets are awash with old clothes and trinkets but I hope sales keep up, because otherwise, our flat will be awash too.

PM

Least: Around 5:10pm, I sat and listened to an incredibly boring monologue by an over-earnest Canadian. He lamanted that fact that people the world over don't take thier work seriously. He added that if he ever didn't put 100% into his work he would go home feeling pretty bad. I fear he has mistaken what he is doing in Japan for a real job. It is hard to imaging anyone taking English teaching in Japan seriously but incredibly, I've found one.

Most: At 6:50pm, I stepped into a room numbered nine in Umeda and sat to begin mock Airline interviews. My role was to pretend to be an Airline executive interviewing flight attendents. During my crazy Western handshakem and stern questioning about their hobbies and travels, the young women were very nervous and too conscious of posture and body language. They had all travelled abroad, mostly on homestays, and surprisingly most were also at college. After the ten interviews, I had to visit their classroom to give some feedback and make them feel great. I hope they all find jobs at ANA, and they hope that they will never have to use their English.

Bordem and Burritos

Thursday 15th October 2009

AM

Least: By 10:00am, I had admitted to myself that I was no longer sick enough to justify taking another day off work. This meant a morning free from pure relaxation and overshadowed by ironing and de-linting. The problem is that we are forced to wear clothes that are those of a 'professional educator'. Most of the professional educators I can think of would never waste energy on ironing, let alone de-linting and almost none of them are in Japan.

Most: At about 11:45am, I ventured up the road to the Family Mart for lunch. On my way to the onigiri section, I must've passed close to ten people thumbing manga samplers and magazines they hadn't bought yet. Approaching lunchime, the Convenience becomes a convenient library for those who can't stand eating with their workmates or simple just need to kill time. The odd thing is though, that the free-readers come from the full sprectrum of the Japanese worker - from massive panted tradesmen, to be-suited office ladies. I wonder what the Family Mart managers think.


PM

Least: At close to 7:30pm, a tear welled in my let eye as I swallowed a yawn. I wasn't sure if it was the painfully stuttering student, the boring textbook or simply the flu, but I was incredibly tired and dry. For some reason, we are not permitted to drink water while in the class-cubicle and this meant that my throat was becoming increasingly irritated. It was boring to imagine that the lack of a simple bottle of water was standing between me and a tolerable day.

Most: At about 9:30pm, I arrived home to find that Rosie had made burrito stuffs. One of the best things about eating Mexican food is that, unlike most Japanese food, it has a strong flavour. Tonight, we had vegetarian burritos with a red bean sauce, avocado, tomato, home-grown lettuce and cheese. They were delicious and I could not stop at one nor four - I think I ate five.

Pizza is the Best Medicine

Wednesday 14th October 2009

AM

Least: At 8:05am, I once again woke in a flu-ridden fog. Although I slept well, I felt as if I'd been hit by a truck and there was no question of going to work sick again. The boring this was however, that without sick days like in most other jobs, I was forced to take a day off as 'leave without pay'. I would much prefer to take a day off when I feel like a human being rather that a stinking pile of virus shells.

Most: At just after 10:00am, I felt the exhilaration of taking a day off work. Suddenly, now that my time was my own, everything I did was more enjoyable. My time was no longer overshadowed by the thought of having to shower and dress up for an evening of teaching and stuffing tissues. I also found that the simple act of doing absolutely nothing instead of worriying about the time became the most interesting and satisfying thing about the morning despite my internal battle against the flu virus.


PM

Least: By 3:00pm, the flu was really taking hold of my sanity. Wave after wave of sickness sapped the remaining daylight hours and the next thing I knew it was dark. It also dawned on me that I hadn't left the house, not even to the extent of exiting the front door to check the mail. Being housebound it about as boring as it gets, even if you're in the crazy land of Japan.


Most: At close to 8:00pm, my lobbying to order pizza had paid off and food was waiting at the door. It as amazing how much better I felt was wolfing down the fatty wheel of dough, tomato, cheese and salami. The pizza had a stronger effect that any of the ineffective treatments that  I had ingested since Saturday. It would be incredible if someone could put the power of a pizza into capsule form - as long as it retained the taste.

Meeting Mr Melor

Thursday 8th October 2009

AM

Least: At 8:00am, I woke to a typhoon-free morning, and to the discovery that I had had a minor nose bleed in my sleep. The little roundel of blood on my pillow suggested that I probably picked my nose in my sleep, or suffered some strange buffeting from the storm. Either way, it will be a crashing bore to wash the stain out when I finally get around to it. One of the few benefits of living alone for a week it that I can put off until Monday, what I should really do today.

Most: At about 2:00am, I was wide awake listening to the howling of typhoon Melor passing by my window. Gusts of wind seemed to be compressing our apartment block and threatening to rip out the windows. A lone pigeon had sought refuge on our kitchen window-sill and cowered a the gale as I snapped his photograph (right). I had to remove the washing and a few loose items from the balcony, but in the end the storm was a bit of a non-event. The only damage for us was a missing ribbon from a decrepit spring ornament and leaves missing from the basil plant. When I woke at 8:00am, it was cool and sunny with no sign of the terrifying winds except for some un-Japanese like rubbish on the road.

PM

Least: Between 3:45pm and 9:45pm, I did no more than 10 minutes of teaching work after most people, like their companies had cancelled their activities in fear of typhoon Melor. The rest of the five hours and fifty minutes was filled with coma inducing tasks, concocted by the busy-bee staff. When I wasn't contructing a poster or stuffing tissues, I was stringing up worn out cliches for Halloween. It seems though, that the staff took the process seriously and darted around scratching their heads and wrinkling up their noses at where to put the next tattered jack-o-lantern. Lamentably, I will probably have to find a costume for the kids' Halloween lessons. Groan.

Most: At about 9:30pm, I began to make okonomiyaki for dinner. This time, I added some dodgy slices of roast pork and tried a few tips on making the dish given to me by students. One of the tricks is not to mix the egg too much, so it retains a little of its character in the finished product. The meal was very successful, and given that I made two, I'll be able to eat the remaining okonomiyaki for my next PM meal.

Small Mercies and a Bad Lunch

AM

Least: By 10:10am, I came to the impossibly boring realisation that instead of finishing work early, I had to do three hours of overtime, then my usual six hours. My six hour day had suddenly turned into a nine hour day with an incredibly inconvenient hour gap in the middle. A few hours later, I was able to spend a cool fifteen minutes at home scoffing a paltry lunch of crap from the Family Mart (see below). I believe I was duped into doing the overtime, with the keyword missing from my phone conversation on Tuesday. The minor hangover didn't help either.

Most: At 8:00am, my alarm tore me out my slumber and set the train in motion to get ready for work. The amazing thing, was that after last night's debauchery, I was almost free of any hangover symptoms. Maybe it was the thirteen plates of sushi that I had inhaled before going to T's Kitchen. In a day of disappointments (see above), the lack of a serious hangover was a small mercy that prevented a bad day becoming worse.

PM

Least: At about 1:20pm, it dawned on me that my decision to return home after morning training was a foolish one. By the time the slower than slow train reached Tezukayama, I had walked to the Family Mart and then home, I had only fifteen minutes to relax in shoeless homely glory. As I ate my cobbled together lunch of a convienince egg sandwich and an onigiri, I couldn't help thinking of what could've been. I pictured the sushi conveyor, full of delights doing laps around the restaurant without me. I then pictured the pile of plates that could've sat in front of me just before 1:45pm. I reckon the pile could've been fifteen high.

Most: At 6:10pm, I was bracing to make good on my agreement to hand out tissues at Nazamozu station after being propositioned by the busy-bee staff. A few minutes later, I heard the barking of a political rally crashing through the third floor window. By some miracle, the local government had decided that my time of need was the also the perfect time to give speeches to the masses. Thankfully, the masses were so numerous that it was impossible to carry out the tissues mission. This was the second, slightly larger mercy for the day. In lieu of the tissue distribution, I merely had to suffer the indignation of stuffing them while talking to an eighteen year old schoolgirl. The schoolgirl has a school concert tomorrow - she is doing a dance routine.

Strolling Under Jupiter

AM

Least: Close to 9:58am I woke with a feeling of exhaustion that was incommensurate with my activities of yesterday. I had planned to get up early and restart my strolls around the pond but to no avail. Perhaps my lacklustre is a result of the relentless heatwave (now waning) that is the Osakan summer, it could be diet, or the drudgery of being back at work. Either way it will make my mornings incredibly uninteresting until further notice.

Most: Sometime around 11:10am, I was once again trawling through the Courier Mail readers' comments section looking for some cracking comedy. As usual, the cranks were again out in force after the reports of the hottest day in August surfaced. But, despite temperature records being smashed all over Australia and the world, the flat-earthers still churn out the same ignorant, right-wing garbage. The paranoia, rage, fear, anti-intellectualism, parochialism, hate, stupidity, arrogance, bigotry and pig-headedness is astonishing. The comments surrounding Shapelle Corby's insanity were almost as entertaining.The Japanese version is a little too earnest - I wonder who's positing?

PM

Least: Just after 4:30pm, I suffered the degradation of undoing some incredibly boring work that I had done about a month ago. I spent and hour carefully unpicking packets of tissues from cheap plastic fans. Both the fans and the tissues were going to be put to some mysterious use in the future despite the snakebite-ish puncture wounds. Even worse, I'm bound to suffer the same dire boredem again, probably at the same place. At least the fact that I'm doing it means that someone else won't have to.

Most: Walking home from the station at 10:10pm, I revelled in the cool breeze and emptyish streets - alone except for a man picking up a fresh turd from his corgi. Above was the sky littered with artifical light from the vast city. The only point of light to break through is (apparently) the monstorous Jupiter and without the moon it is the biggest thing in the sky. With a clear sky, the night will hopefully be far cooler and far better for sleeping through.

This Week's Boring Surprise

AM

Least: At 10:37am, I once again found myself groaning at the thought of calling headquarters to learn of my shift for today. Although most Mondays usually ends in extreme boredem, there is always the chance of a horror shift with too many kids classes or an epic rail journey. Uncertainty is stressful, but it becomes boring very quickly despite the surprises.This week's boring surprise: Komyoike 3:45pm to 9:35pm.


Most:  Just after 5:24am, I unexpectedly got out of bed and took a whiff of the air outside to sample the weather. From our balcony I got a great view of the rising sun, which I thought appropriate given my current location. The sun dominated the urban sprawl and gave the usually boring concrete a pleasing orange glow. Next time I'll take a photo. Looking at todays astronomical forcasts I found that high noon with actually be at midday today and tomorrow's daylight will be two minutes shorter.

PM

Least: By 9:36pm, I was at the good end of a six hour stint underground. My tomb was also surrounded by a second-string shopping mall with muzak of muzak playing. It was like spending the afternoon in a cinema watching a movie about out-of-date wall postings. When I emerged from my burrow, the decaying concourse was dark and filled with dodgy looking loiterers.

Most: Sometime around 5:35pm, I began listening to the lamentations of a women in a loveless marriage. She had four teenage kids, a house deep in the country, a lazy spiteful husband and not many other options. Her marriage had been arranged and although she had serious doubts about her suitor, he and his mother, came to the woman's family home to ensure a yes vote. She enjoyed reading whilst lying on the floor, but lept to sit ladylike in a chair upon hearing her husband's footfalls. She said "I think he loves me". Interesting and very sad, and apparently not too uncommon.

The Man with the Magnets

AM

Least: At 10:15am, I began carefully poaching my eggs according to the tried and true Box method. When the crucial time for toasting arrived, I was devastated to discovered that we were breadless. Given the sensitive nature of the poaching process the only two options were to complete then eat the eggs or send them to the Osaka incinerators. The two eggs alone on the plate looked pathetic and lonely. In my panic, I had undercooked the eggs by approximately one minute.

Most: Just after 10:30am, I made a trip to Family Mart then a trip to Kohyo in search of bread. Upon arrival at Kohyo, I discovered that every overcashed housewife in Tezukayama was there. Normally, this fact and their ruthless shopping methods could only be recorded as uninteresting, however some barking piqued my curiosity. It appears that every one of the aforementioned housewives uses several cash and point-cards, one of which makes a machine bark like a puppy when scanned. An 'electronic money' dog named Happy Waon (above) specialises in point collecting and singing. His hobby is shopping. A small sign at the counter read 'Electric Money Can Be Used At This Counter'.

PM

Least: At 2:35pm, I was transported back to work and back into a very familiar routine. Everything was exactly as I'd left it. The staff, the building, the now out-of-date postings, the students, the awkward smalltalk and the lack of useful breaks. At least the sheer sameness of it all caused absolutely no stress. I'm sure it won't cause any stress for the rest of my time there.

Most: At about 9:05pm, I took my usual seat in the very last carriage of the Nankai Local at Nakamozu station. Some familiar characters were there, including the cougher in his brown suit, and the young pastry chef thumbing his latest edition of the glossy mag 'Super Patissier Book'. One stranger tended a finger wound with a tissue. Most interesting though, was an unfamiliar bloated wreck who, suffering some ailment, began placing numerous (about 30) adhesive magnets to his chest and wrists. I hope his illness wasn't serious. The tanned girl wearing her all-yellow softs didn't blink and fell asleep.

The Perfect Peach?

AM

Least: Pretty close to 8:50am, I cut an equator around a too-large peach that I bought from a street seller a couple of days ago. Despite twisting firmly, the greenish flesh refused to part from the stone. The most disappointing aspect of this particular peach was that its complexion was perfect - not a scar nor a browning hollow - but its insides were watery and tart. The Japanese art of overpackaging is rife amongst supermarket fruits - particularly peaches. The foamish coverings give the impression that they are protecting something excellent, however it it merely make-up - mutton dressed as lamb. For a few thousand yen, you can buy your boss a box of twelve as part of the summer gifting process - I wouldn't bother.

Most: I rose this morning at about 8:20am with a strong urge to open Truman Capote's In Cold Blood and keep reading. There were simply not enough waking hours last night to complete it. The incredible clarity of the writing and the rhythm that switches between the victims and the criminals gives reading it movie like momentum. Over the years, I've picked the book up and never bothered to buy it, but the ten dollar Popular Penguin was too good an offer to refuse. I've no doubt that I will finish it by the end of PM tonight.

PM

Least: Sometime close to 4:00pm, the dread of going back to ECC drone-hood began bothering me. As dreads go, it's a pretty bland version - no preparation and not much mystery. In my attempt to make today drag on, I tried to make the least of my time today to little avail. I extended the cover of my sunburn through.


大きな地図で見る

Most: Just after 12:20pm, Rosie and I wheeled down to Namba for a bite. Instead of taking the increasingly uninteresting routes previously describe in this blog, we opted for some almost randomly chosen streets. Our bikes took us through the surprisingly hilly and windy area just north of Tezukayama and down through Tengachaya's less trafficked roads. What we saw was almost like another city with a completely different atmosphere. There were lots of people sitting around in the heat, old men wearing kimono-like duds, baffling small businesses, and the rubbery smell of bicycle recycling. For some reason it reminded us of Vietnam.

___________
Food note: At the Conveyor Sushi trough that we often haunt, a young girl and her Grandfather shared their sushi. As usual, the Grandfather spent much of his time scraping wasabi paste from otherwise delicious dishes. The most touching moment though, was when they shared a generous piece of whale bacon - the little girl ate the meat, the Grandfather chewed the fat. Nice.

Embracing Breezes and Dodging Bullets

AM

Least: Around 7:40am, I began to feel the growing dread of my workday. This may be a particularly harsh day, given that so many of my colleagues have taken a day off and started the summer holiday early. This means that there is a long overtime list for today, and that works like a sieve, leaving the most awful shifts for the likes of me. I can already hear the earnest voice on the phone reeling off the list of classes for the day. At 11:06am I dodged a bullet with a boringly straightforward shift at Umeda (see AMPM this time last week). At least it has a spectacular view.

Most: At about 7:20am this morning I opened the sliding door of my suffocating bedroom to discover a rare and refreshing breeze. For the first time this summer I was able let the wind carry the heat and the stuffiness to bother someone else. (see the god responsible above) An vaguely interesting change in the weather, after at least a month of incredible sameness. I wonder if the cool weather will eventually arrive in the same way that the heat did - as if someone flicked a giant switch from spring to summer in an instant.

PM

Least: By 12:01pm, I was seriously wondering what to do with my huge amounts of surplus daylight time. The time between morning and work is not quite long enough to do anything much Japanesy but long enough to wish I was doing something Japanesy. Watching bad cooking shows and appallingly wigged Samurai dramas has really lost its cack value. I need a new project.

Most: As it turned out, my luncheon at about 12:40pm was the most interesting event of the PM, despite the geeks speaking brilliantly about computers and Japanese girlfriends at work. Kohyo supermarket supplied me with a delight of a meal. The Katsuo Tataki was excellent - bonito sashimi lightly seared by burning grass and drenched in lemony soy sauce. The Osaka style sushi was of mackerel, but cured and pressed onto perfect rice. Although my fishy hands and breath whiffed of otters, I loafed about for the afternoon satisfied and amazed at the quality of supermarket meals. Incredible.
________________
Food Note:

Highlight: A lunch of Battera sushi and Katsuo Tataki from the supermarket. If no-one was watching I would've drank the ponzu dressing.

The Queue for the Tram

AM

Least: At approximately 8:20am was woken by the terrifying sound of my phone ringing. When my phone rings during the AM period it can only be work calling. I was summoned to work in Gakken-Nara-Tomigaoka for the day. I made it just in time.

Most: At 11:06am the sky darkened slightly during a solar eclipse. I took my adult students outside to see the spectacle but was slightly disappointed by the thickish covering of clouds. My colleague's brother had travelled to some island down south to see the event. He was rained out.

PM

Least: Close to 5:30pm I arrived at the Hankai Tram line to discover a tram waiting but also a long and inexplicable queue. My thoughts about the queue were first taken to a full tram or some kind of fault. Neither turned out to be the case. The twenty or so people lining up simply didn't want the discomfort of standing up on the tram. Enraged, I learnt a lesson and missed my tram.

Most: Between 2:55pm and 3:35pm I spoke to a lowish level English learner about her hobby. She was a fanatical Placido Domingo follower. In fact, she spend much of her time flying to all parts of the globe to be close to the great man. Her next trip will involve a chartered jet that will take her and about twenty others to Beijing. They will stay at the same hotel as Domingo and haunt him in the lobby.