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There hasn't been much happening this week as classes continue and Jesse starts working, so here is a collection of small things.
Tuesday - caught in the rain
While we have been here, it hasn't rained. It's incredibly hot and humid, but that hasn't translated into much rain at all. However, that changed quite dramatically on Tuesday! I heard it raining a little bit overnight with some thunder, but when we got up the ground was barely wet. It was a grey day, but I figured it would be fine and got ready for class leaving my rain jacket at home.
Near the end of class, we started to hear some rumbles of thunder and Jesse checked the weather radar. He figured the rain would pass us by to the north, and we wouldn't get wet. Well, 10 minutes before the end of class the skies opened up.
I usually head back to the sharehouse with Mike (on the left). We walk from school to the subway which is about 10 minutes, take the subway a few stops, and then have another 10 minute walk to the share house. Jesse has been biking to class and then to various shared work-spaces for the workday.
There wasn't space to wait out the rain at school, it was thundering quite spectacularly so Jesse declined biking, and Mike was convinced it would be warm enough so the 3 of us headed home in the rain. (We were the silly foreigners without umbrellas while all the Japanese folk were either inside or had umbrellas.) These pictures are taken at the subway station and you can see that while Jesse's front is soaked, the back of his shorts are dry. My hair is dry thanks to my Tilly hat.
However, I do not have photos from when we arrived home because it rained so hard during the second part of our trip that water soaked completely through my tilly hat and was running into my eyes. My poor textbook in my backpack got wet enough it is warped (thankfully my other books were in a plastic case). We could wring out every article of clothing and our shoes were drenched.
An umbrella has since be acquired (from the convenience store nearby) and I check the weather more regularly, although it has returned to "hot, humid, and sunny" 24/7 again. I expect to once again be lulled into a false sense of security and get drenched sometime in the future.
My bicycle!
Let me give you a quick tour of my bicycle! (Jesse's post about getting them is here)
As you can see it is orange which is very helpful when trying to find it in a sea of over 100 bikes at a subway station bike parking lot. It also has a basket which my back has been appreciating, and it has a slightly larger frame than a typical women's bike, as the step-though frames were too small and I felt like I got no power while pedaling. I still sit much lower on this bike than my bike at home, but that was the trade off for the basket.
The front wheel has this integrated light that is powered by the turning of the wheel so I don't need to remember to bring a light with me or charge it, although it does flicker at slow speeds which I dislike, and it is off when you are stopped. The brakes and gear directions are also switched which is funky!
The back wheel has a different braking system than I have seen at home. The front wheel has rim brakes, but the back has what the internet informs me is a drum brake. It's the enclosed silver disk on the left hand side of the axle. According to the salesman it is supposed to be silent but I just hope it doesn't break.
I also have 6 gears on the back and the most solid kickstand I have seen in my life, despite it being the basic version here. Many people have kickstands that keep the bike perfectly upright.
The best part though, which Jesse has kindly made me a gif of, is the lock on the back wheel, beneath the seat. These are everywhere, and wouldn't keep your bike safe for 5 minutes in Canada, but here they are considered sufficient to lock up your bike just about anywhere. At the mall or subway parking lot? On the sidewalk outside a restaurant? In front of your house overnight? Sure, just slide the bar into place and take the key with you. It is amazingly convenient! The only downside is you can't have the lock open and the key out at the same time. It keeps you from accidentally leaving your key at home, but I can't just add the key to my existing keychain.
Visiting smaller restaurants
In general from what we have seen, the Japanese people are welcoming of foreigners. We had someone offer to help when it appeared we were struggling with a ticket machine in the subway (we had just figured out how to get Jesse's monthly pass, but it was a very kind offer as the subway system is intimidating if you are buying individual tickets to places). We have also generally had people be patient and understanding when at restaurants or stores as we fiddled with coins or clarified orders. There is a tiny (by Canadian standards) matcha cafe nearby that both Jesse and I like and the clerk clearly recognizes us and seems happy to see us when we come in.
When going out to eat you have two categories of choices (assuming you are not cooking yourself). Choice A is a chain or food court which are generally easier. They typically have iPads for electronic ordering with English menus, or lots of pictures. Choice B is the local, individually owned bars and restaurants that typically have bar seating and a couple tables. They are unlikely to have much English, and sometimes their menus are handwritten so Google translate gets you nowhere. But if you want the most authentic experience and have the courage to go forth without knowing what you will be eating, the small places that aren't expecting tourists can have the largest emotional payoff.
When we ended up at the fancy sushi restaurant is a good example. The couple next to us was so pleased to be explaining and sharing the experience with us. And last night I went to get ramen at a local shop and had a similar experience. Jesse and I had been previously and I quite liked the miso ramen so I decided to go again. I needed something salty. Anyhow, I walked in to a full restaurant (so about 15 people in a very small space) but there was an open table. I ordered my ramen and almost immediately the woman sitting at the next table over turns around and asks me where I am from.
I don't know how much was her exuberant personality vs the beer but she talked to me on and off for probably an hour and a half until it was time for her to go. I learned her son was in middle school, and he and I talked a little bit about video games. She is a nurse and her husband works in construction. They also knew the owners of the restaurant well and were there to celebrate someone's 60th birthday. The rest of the restaurant seemed to be there for the party and it was so loud that I could barely hear her even when our heads were essentially right beside each other. I was christened Maru-chan (-chan being an honorific sometimes used for those one finds endearing, children, and sometimes young women) and she was named Shinobu.
I mentioned I had come to the restaurant before with my boyfriend and she very badly wanted him to be Japanese. They asked where in Canada I was from, and they mentioned Vancouver, but I tried to explain with Google maps that no, I was from Ottawa which is quite far away. As the birthday party moved to Karaoke I was invited along, but I declined. Shinobu-san remarked "that was not very japanese" as I was much too blunt in my refusal. Oops! All in all a very good experience, but very intense in the moment.
It has been nice finding a sort of routine and getting to know the local places, so I would love to stay in this neighbourhood. If only there were more foreigner-short-term-rental friendly options here.
UPDATE!
It is now nearly 5 days later and as I was leaving the library on my bike yesterday about to join the flow of people on the sidewalk, someone stops and lo and behold it was Shinobu-san!
Shinobu-san is on the left. The woman on the right is the waitress and she is married to the chef.
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