Japan: Interesting Place

Typhoon number nine hit a few days ago. To Brits, that means a storm, basically. I've been told there's a difference between a storm and a typhoon, but heavy rain and strong wind = heavy rain and strong wind, by any other name. Still, it meant basically that things have been wet and there's been a few nights of going to bed with the sound of the rain thundering down.

Bikes. I find it slightly ridiculous, but mainly just funny, that wherever you see bikes illegally parked (ie everywhere) you see two sets of workers, depending on the time of day I think. The older employees whose sole job is, it seems, to make sure all bikes are in perfect alignment to each other to maximise space for other people to illegally park their bikes. Remember, most people have self-locking granny bikes here, that don't necessitate anything to be chained to.

The second group of bike employees walk around putting 'do not park your bike illegally' signs on bikes. This group tends to be a bit younger and have a look of boredom crossed with 'serves-you-right' about them. The first group tends to look very satisfied with their meticulousness.

There's a third group that comes and takes them away.

Now, tell me to shut up BUT surely something isn't right here? I mean, I don't think I've ever seen the three groups working on the same day. I guess that if the second group interfered with a bike the first group had lovingly arranged then the first group's job satisfaction would suffer or something.

****************************

We're coming, sadly, into autumn. They typhoon has blown many leaves off the trees, obviously, creating lots more work for bored council workers. I wonder if they use the second group of bike guys to do this for a bit of variety.

In previous years, I've been gutted to see council workers on ladders up trees, hand-plucking leaves from the branches so they don't fall down. This really upsets me. My inner three year old LOVES crunching through piles of crispy leaves. My inner eight year old loves finding neat piles that a bored council worker begrudgingly swept into a heap - and kicking it to the wind. It's SO satisfying. I love autumn. I'll miss summer though.

***************************

Oh, P.S. I found a lump. But apparantly it's NOT a lump. Although it feels lumpy. So, can anyone tell me what a lump is meant to feel like? And, yes, for everyone who knows how much I HATE doctors, I did go and see one. I must be imagining the pain too, I guess. Still, at least cancer doesn't hurt, apparantly, so that's one good thing. And [quote] it 'didn't feel like a cyst'.

Must be old age. Or a stupid doctor.