Qu'est-ce que tu veux?

Hey! Not only can I watch bad English programmes on Japanese TV (NHK) but I can also watch bad French, Chinese, Italian, Spanish and German programmes. It's great! The programme on at the moment is teaching 'qu'est-ce que tu vuex?' (what do you want?) and in the last 20 minutes they've repeated this at least once every 15 to 20 seconds.

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Saw a woman a couple of days ago hooked up to an oxygen tank. She was cycling; it was in the front basket.

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Typhoon 14 is currently battering the southern islands of Japan. We had 11 a couple of weeks ago (tyhoons go by numbers starting at 'one' at the beginning of the year) and I thought 13 was due this week. Apparantly though the typhoon numbering system goes throughout Asia so they don't all hit Japan. This still doesn't explain what happened to 13 though. I mean I KNEW 12 was passing by and not coming..... Oh it's just TOO confusing. In plain English it means Tokyo is currently being drowned in heavy rain and it's due to continue for another day or two.

People are being / have been evacuated from some houses in the southern islands as there is a possibility of flooding. One guy got trapped in his house because the water pressure stopped him opening his door. They interviewed him; but not before cracking me up by showing a little anime of him trying to get out of his room. I don't mean a normal graphic - I mean an anime (cartoon character). Very funny!

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Autumn is on the way. I know this because the TV keeps reminding me to look out for brown leaves and - guess what? - they are right! There ARE brown leaves around. I still like the daft little autumn stories the news gives though! The other thing that reminds me that autumn is nearly here is that the fruit presents from my students have started again. To put this into perspective, fruit here is delicious but bloody expensive. Today I got pears and grapes. But the pears - WOW! They are round like apples and are two handers - ie huuuuuuge! And so sweet and juicy and swooooon! So good!

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In the light of recent happenings, I've been thinking again about earthquakes in Tokyo. Now, there are hundreds of earthquakes in Japan, dozens of which can be felt in Tokyo, each year and 'the big one' (which is set to destroy Tokyo) has been overdue now for more than 70 years. Should it strike while I'm here I reckon I've got a 50/50 chance of surviving it. The likelihood of it happening while I'm here? No idea. If I'm at home, that'll be one thing but I spend more time out of my apartment than in it and, obviously I can't predict where I'll be or how bad it'll be wherever I am.

So, considering this, I'm wondering whether or not to bother with an emergency earthquake kit - stocking up on bottles of water, tinned food, medical stuff and the like... To be honest, I'm not sure I can be bothered. I don't really have the space for lots of 'in case' stuff. What'll happen will happen after all...

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I've seen quite a lot of mothers, carrying kids, wearing special bum bags (fanny packs) that have what looks like a built in child seat on them. Good idea. Never seen it anywhere else.

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I now have juice from my pear all down my chin.