Adventures in Japan: Week 4: I got a BIKE!

Yes, that is the big news of the week! I have a bike! WOO!

isn't she beautiful?

It was free, and already has a basket and...an umbrella? This is apparently a common way to carry around your umbrella. And yes, the spokes hit the umbrella, but because of how it's lying, nothing gets caught. It HAD a bell, but when I tried to ding it the cap fell off, so I got a new one. It has a light too, but I think it's dead because I couldn't get it to turn on.
Anyhow! More about my new baby later! (I gotta think of a name!)

This was my first full week of teaching. Last week started on a Tuesday, and I didn't even teach until Thursday. I still gotta work on my stamina, but it wasn't as bad as last week. I think the dead time is actually harder on me than teaching. The first school is interesting because, Ok, the teacher's room (where the teachers hang out when not teaching) is down on the first floor. I stay there and prepare most of the time, and then the kids come down and pick me up. At which point I go to their classroom, present a lesson and go back to the teacher's room. Well, I'm teaching 5th and 6th, and this is important because they are all on the top floor. For this first school, that means the 4th floor, so I am climbing three stories several times a day! My legs are gonna be SO in shape. As soon as I get used to it. Neither of the other schools are quite as tall, but there's always stairs.

Tuesday was when I got my bike, and I was so excited, I took it in and got it registered right away! I only had to go as far as the nearest bike store, where they, for a small fee, get my paperwork going. What was interesting was how many people were coming in for what I usually thought of as basic care.

for instance, this is a bike getting an inner tube replaced.

But hey, if you've got the option, I guess go for it!
Sadly, I did the math and figured out that riding my bike to school probably won't make my life any easier. At least not until I get used to riding distance a bit more.
So for now I walk! Still, it's a lovely walk, I have mentioned how much I love Google walk, right?

I'm sorry, did the instructions include "walk through time slip"?

Tuesday night I got news that there would be a Typhoon coming through, "but don't worry, they don't usually hit the Osaka area hard" Well, ok then. I got ready and then Wednesday morning looked out the window. It was...raining. I'll give it that much. Mostly it was gloomy. Really a disappointing typhoon, we didn't even get much wind! I wanted something memorable!

Darn weather, not bending itself to my whims.

So, Wednesday and Thursday were gloomy and rainy and I didn't do much. The only REAL plus was the heat dying down. Friday dawned bright and clear and it was beautiful! I went off to school with a spring in my step! And classes were fun! We had a fire drill, and the principal told me about tsunami drills, and in return I told her about tornado drills. In the very last class of the day, there is one kid who's dad is from England, so I get to hear broken English in a VERY British accent, and of course, he's MILES ahead of his classmates, but doesn't seem to mind that I'm adjusted to their level. Now if only I could get him to stop TRANSLATING. :P

Anyhow, Friday after school, I was walking home and on the way I ran into a girl who I had met at the festival the week I first arrived. We chatted as we walked, and she said she was going for a bike ride down at the river.
"great way to unwind on a Friday afternoon!" I said, "Can I come along?"
"sure, but I do it for exercise" she warned me. I want it remembered that she DID warn me.

So we get to the river, and she's riding at a good clip and the next thing she does is she casually says "Oh, before I came to Japan, I was riding 20 miles a day"

AND WHOOSH, SHE'S GONE.

I TRIED to keep up with her! She slowed down for me! I finally called her back and said "we'll just have to accept that I'm out of shape when it comes to biking. Go get your exercise and pick me up on the way back." And then she proved how much she slowed down for me, because I didn't even see her move.

I continued at a somewhat leisurely pace, just enjoying the lovely day, warming my muscles. Finally she was coming tearing down the path and I turned around, since I was all warmed up and tried to keep up with her again. She slowed down for me again.
Anyhow, so we're doing down towards our bridge again and she mentions that if we KEEP going, we'll get to the ocean. Really? I love the ocean!
"yeah! let's go see it! It's only about 5 miles, I think!"

wait...what?

We got a ways into it and I was like "no. nope. this is dumb. I might be able to make it down, but there's no way I'll make it back! I need to stop this, right now! I don't want to be stranded!"

Obviously, I'm so good at saying "no".

She kept waiting for me, and slowing down for me. I biked as fast as I could, but by that point it wasn't very fast. I think my legs kinda went into shock after a while, because looking back, I STILL can't believe I made it! We made it to the bridge back to the share house, and I got off the bike to walk up the ramp and I just kinda collapsed over the handlebars. FWUMP. I could not stand on my own two feet, I had to use the bicycle as a crutch! (I guess you could say I was...two tired)

This was my reward for surviving it.

Saturday, I figured I'd be crippled, but it turns out that all that walking for my commute is good for SOMETHING, because, while I was in pain, I could still get around. In fact, I went on another bike ride! Slower this time. And less distance. On my own.
I found a shopping area!