Another typhoon... almost...
Well it was another 3 day long weekend in Japan (the land of the many holidays) as Monday was the national Sports Day. So while I wasn't going to have any classes it meant that I would have an extra day of weddings. Which is actually a good thing, as I still get paid by my school and I also get paid for the weddings. Bless those double salary days.
I should really back pedal a little though, as my weekend really started on Friday. I was a little late leaving home Friday morning so when I got off my last train I decided to take a taxi rather than the usual bus to make sure I got to school in time. It's only 1200 yen ($15) and we've got a money tree in our garden; at least that's what the strangely garbed man from the market told me! As I exited the taxi I was surprised to hear music blaring from the classrooms and to see students wandering all over the place. Yet there were still 10 minutes left in the first period. Now my school is pretty bad but generally not this bad. I had an idea that someting was up so I checked out the big monthly calendar posted in the teachers' room. Yep, there were no classes today. Seems the there was to be a PTA bazaar on Saturday so the students' classes were cancelled so they could 'prepare'. As happy as I was to suddenly have the day off I was pretty angry at myself for not noticing this before. I had wasted 3 hours of my day travelling to and from school for no reason. Well I had lots of work to do for my linguistics class so I headed home.
On the way home I had a bunch of errands to run at Sannomiya. I had to get some money from the bank and then buy bus tickets for Yukiko and I to go to Tokushima.
When I got home I phoned a nice hotel in Tokushima (nicer than the usual cheap business hotel I stay in) and booked a double room for Saturday and Sunday nights. Then I was all set to focus on my studying.
Then, without warning, a shot rang out. It was my wedding office calling to ask/tell me to go to Tokushima a day early (Friday night) because of the typhoon that's coming tomorrow. They are worried that the bridge I have to cross will be closed and I won't be able to make it into Tokushima. Note that they don't have any fears about me not being able to make it back home after the weddings, convenient isn't it? So I stop doing my work and begin preparing for the trip. I have to pack everything, phone the hotel to change my reservation, and leave early for the bus station hoping to switch my departure time. Because many people were trying to avoid the typhoon the busses were very busy and I had to wait at the bus station for about 1 1/2 hrs for the first available seat.
Naturally Yukiko couldn't come with me as she was still at work. So I told her about my change in plans and she said if the weather was ok she would join me on Saturday. Well Saturday morning was very wet and rainy so Yukiko decided, and I couldn't blame her, not to come to Tokushima. Tokushima has been hit pretty hard by the last few typhoons so it didn't make sense for her to go all the way out there just to be trapped in the hotel. Better to be trapped at home. So I talked to the hotel staff again and they agreed to only charge me for a single, even though I was staying in a nice big double room. Thanks Sunshine Annex Hotel.
In the end the typhoon totally bypassed the entire Kansai area and the weather became clear and sunny for the rest of the weekend. In order to occupy my lonesome self I watched a movie, 'The Village', and went to sing karaoke with some locals I know from Tokushima's famous sandwich shop.
I should really back pedal a little though, as my weekend really started on Friday. I was a little late leaving home Friday morning so when I got off my last train I decided to take a taxi rather than the usual bus to make sure I got to school in time. It's only 1200 yen ($15) and we've got a money tree in our garden; at least that's what the strangely garbed man from the market told me! As I exited the taxi I was surprised to hear music blaring from the classrooms and to see students wandering all over the place. Yet there were still 10 minutes left in the first period. Now my school is pretty bad but generally not this bad. I had an idea that someting was up so I checked out the big monthly calendar posted in the teachers' room. Yep, there were no classes today. Seems the there was to be a PTA bazaar on Saturday so the students' classes were cancelled so they could 'prepare'. As happy as I was to suddenly have the day off I was pretty angry at myself for not noticing this before. I had wasted 3 hours of my day travelling to and from school for no reason. Well I had lots of work to do for my linguistics class so I headed home.
On the way home I had a bunch of errands to run at Sannomiya. I had to get some money from the bank and then buy bus tickets for Yukiko and I to go to Tokushima.
When I got home I phoned a nice hotel in Tokushima (nicer than the usual cheap business hotel I stay in) and booked a double room for Saturday and Sunday nights. Then I was all set to focus on my studying.
Then, without warning, a shot rang out. It was my wedding office calling to ask/tell me to go to Tokushima a day early (Friday night) because of the typhoon that's coming tomorrow. They are worried that the bridge I have to cross will be closed and I won't be able to make it into Tokushima. Note that they don't have any fears about me not being able to make it back home after the weddings, convenient isn't it? So I stop doing my work and begin preparing for the trip. I have to pack everything, phone the hotel to change my reservation, and leave early for the bus station hoping to switch my departure time. Because many people were trying to avoid the typhoon the busses were very busy and I had to wait at the bus station for about 1 1/2 hrs for the first available seat.
Naturally Yukiko couldn't come with me as she was still at work. So I told her about my change in plans and she said if the weather was ok she would join me on Saturday. Well Saturday morning was very wet and rainy so Yukiko decided, and I couldn't blame her, not to come to Tokushima. Tokushima has been hit pretty hard by the last few typhoons so it didn't make sense for her to go all the way out there just to be trapped in the hotel. Better to be trapped at home. So I talked to the hotel staff again and they agreed to only charge me for a single, even though I was staying in a nice big double room. Thanks Sunshine Annex Hotel.
In the end the typhoon totally bypassed the entire Kansai area and the weather became clear and sunny for the rest of the weekend. In order to occupy my lonesome self I watched a movie, 'The Village', and went to sing karaoke with some locals I know from Tokushima's famous sandwich shop.
posted by Jason at 2:18 PM
2 Comments:
oops
... I did it again??
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