August Heat

There's no doubt summer is my favorite season of the year. I came from a tropical country so this explains a lot. How can you not love the sun? You can do almost everything except making snowman haha. Do you wanna build a snow man? Possibly, out of sand or maybe mud? haha Ahhh summer, you're so addictive, I always ache for you. There's too many things to do but too little time.

This year's August was the most exciting to me. I felt so alive after a veeeery looooong wait. Although I did things alone, it was the busiest of all summers I had here in Japan. From the first day of August I made lots of arrangement to fill up my rather loose work schedule. Sometimes I so love the company I work for. Working with pleasure or business with pleasure? What must I call it? Actually, never mind.

I spent most of my time in the beach. Yes, the beach, that's where I belong. No one can blame me. There's only July and August beaches here are good for swimming. August-along Tokyo bay and July till September-along the Pacific Ocean coastline. See, I had to make the best and the most of it. Call me greedy but time is gold. But greediness as it apply anywhere have consequences. 

As you see, I spent a lot of time in the water, unfortunately, I got stung by something while showing off my moves in the sea. haha Ouch. But, in twenty-five years of my life living surrounded and swimming in the ocean, I've never experienced being stung by some unfriendly sea creatures until this summer. They must have missed me! Man, it was painful! My leg got swollen for several days. I guess there's always a first time and not all first times are gold! Thankfully, I have that skin of a carabao lol!, it did not hinder me from going everywhere. I still swam tirelessly and had myself plenty if sunburn. I, in fact as of this writing, have them behind my back to which part my short arms couldn't reach for the sunscreen. I'm not flexible too, you know. This is when you need someone with you, to help you slather that lotion all over you and be spared from flaking like a hibernating snake. haha

 
 Mountains are so close to my heart. Being born and brought up in a nature abundant island, there shall no summer to pass by without hiking a few mountains. Being close to nature-trees, rivers, birds chirping is heaven. I could listen to them all forever. You're free to call me: jungle girl. Wished I had friends close enough to me to go with but, there were none, so nga-nga hahaha. 
 

There were festivals and shows almost every weekend. I went to many of them. They're pretty cool. People flock together in their yukatas and kimonos. There are the same food stand of barbeque of seafood and meat, takoyaki and many many more you will only find in Japan. It still amazes me how this country could love deep fried spaghetti noodles! 

I took plenty of pictures beautified by the combination of lively green trees, colorful flowers, blue and green sea, orange and blood-red sun. There are also chirpy people, laughing children, teasing teenagers, loving couples and happy pets. These are the things you'll rarely see during colder days. This is most probably the reason why people in the tropics are the happiest because there's the sun all year round. 

I feel so free walking around in a tropical outfit. You know the looks-sundress, sunglasses, handmade tote, sandals, wide brimmed hat, parasol and of course, the sunscreen smell aannd let's not forget about the sweat! Now here I am, thinking about my sweating beer or cocktail; sitting under the parasol while listening to music with my eye shut; in-front of me is a beach full of people busy with summer activities, fishing boats and ship from afar; on each side of the beach are beautiful rock formations and mountains; there I am breathing contentedly, savoring all the beauty of the August heat. 

My love of Orange

Why do I love orange? Because it's one of summer's hot colors. Let's skip Halloween here for now. haha

This picture on the left was taken summer time few years ago at a beach called Hojoh/ Hojou in Tateyama. I still find this beautiful. I feel like I'm still in that beach.


This summer I bring you a Kitty parasol and grandpa. I'm sure it's the last thing to worry about when you are babysitting four grandchildren swimming hungrily in the sea. Make glasses are on!

This sight of  "cute things" is not new to Japan. You can see seniors rocking those cute little characters around. You can be the weirdest looking person on the planet but no one is going to bother to stare at you. One of the little things I love about this country. Your business is not mine.

This is the train station in Tateyama. It is on the street called the Orange street. From the name itself almost all houses and buildings has hints of orange in them. How cool isn't it?

A little Izakaya beside this beauty parlor. I could just drink sake all night then go next door, relax and restore my beauty back. I'm pretty sure it's owned by the same person, you know, sales tactics. Not to mention this is near the beach ah, they'd be making some cash  or maybe not. It looks like it's about to close and no one inside. Wait, this story could go on forever.

I love the combination of white and orange. These lovely street lights are scattered everywhere in this little camping, swimming and fishing village called Tomiura. This village just recently been merged to a city called Minamiboso located south of Tokyo bay facing the pacific ocean. Hold on...hold on.. this is geography.

See that little orange tent right there? The color stands out among many other tents. It's beautiful to see people relaxing all day. Go about fun things out like boating or swimming with their loved ones then return to their respective tents. Eat barbeque and grilled fish. Drink beer, play guitar and sing and chat around the bonfire. I always love outdoor activities specially in the summer.

Yes we need funky colored dump trucks to collect carefully segregated trash around this little village. Me thinks it's new or rarely been used. see how clean this place is or this country generally. The driver has the easiest job there is!

 I thought this was orange! but oh well, it's already here and besides it's really beautiful! They turn into orange at some point of their life time. They're tiny sunflowers, almost like a daisy. You can only identify them by their leaves. I remember planting these with my elder sister. They're absolutely beautiful flowers.

This hibiscus does not look orange too, just a little. Does it look like peach? It does eh? I used to play with them with I was young. I take all the petals leaving the ovary and the style then stick it onto my ears so that it looks like earrings. ;-D I certainly do have good memories with flowers.

This is a local festival called yassai mossai. People in groups dances through the night. Each group are judged by their costume and their dance moves. Although they have a set dance steps and music they could show off by making their own free style. The more lively your group is, the more chances of winning! This festival is the way of thanksgiving of the local businesses. They'll dance around carrying the name of their business. This is a two day annual festival which thousands of people patronize.


This is how the festival day looks like and it's only in the morning! How about in the afternoon or at night?! Picture it by clicking and reading the show!

How may fish can you see?Some goldfish at a nearby shrine. They're huge! I wonder how old these fish are! Are they edible? They certainly look like my favorite fish back in the island! I miss my father now.

I warn the shrine people around here, you know where they're going when they start to decrease in numbers! It's called easy catch.

The taste of the tropical paradise. This is probably where orange caught my eye because it loves whatever orange!

This is a wild flower back in my island but here in Japan this is a precious garden flowering plant.

 Here's my lovely niece Kathleen in Zoocobia sliding all the way down after she was persuaded by her four year old younger  brother. She then wanted to do it again and again! As they say, you won't get hurt because it's only downward. Just don't hit the ground hard. It was a lot of fun! Not so my pocket!

The sun has down and these surfers in an orange car are done for the day. At home waiting is a nice bottle of sake! Living the summer because it only stay for two months a year!

Not all old and rusty things are ugly. In everything lies beauty. This unpainted house is one of those old houses along the street. I guess this is for sale. Who would buy it is the big question, unless, it's half price.One piece of advice, DO NOT pay full price!

Blues

This little blue shed is a waiting area at a remote train station. Not very busy isn't it? This is one of those lonely stations you can pass by in the suburbs. So peaceful. A total opposite from the chaos of Tokyo station. Trains comes once an hour but there you have a nice blue waiting shed. Make sure you always have something to read or play with. If not, you can play in the rice paddies juuust right behind this little shed. hahaha

Straight ahead it says. Should the post be straight too? I'm in the middle of nowhere I'd love to see some signs and directions preferably in English if not Tagalog if you have it. This is the so called Liko-liko street.
 

 This two pictures should not be separated. You know why? Even in the farthest most isolated  area in Japan, you'll find vending machines like this one and they always come with trash cans! ALWAYS! How cool is that? I wish everywhere could be like this.

Japanese, call them cleanliness freaks. But wait the bin looks dirty. I wonder why. I let you solve the mystery behind dirty bins. Good luck.

 A tied up ribbon hanging on an extension switch so I can grab it easily especially at night when it's dark. It looks like a spider at night so does it feels. Sometimes it's frightening.

All blue colored gardening stuff lined up in front of the classrooms at an Elementary school. I think the schools color is blue. Is the school principal guy too?

 I have hangers for stuff like this. Jeans, coats etc.. but it's been a habit hanging my jean on a door knob. You don't wanna know when was the last time I washed it. LOL. Hey, this is my favorite favorite jegging! You don't wash them often so they last longer. I swear.

 And oh look. How do you suppose to hold your mouse? I hold mine on my left hand. Call it weird. I only care about my nail polish.

A pack of my favorite blueberry cookies. They're delicious but I have to cut back on sugar. I hate the internet for making me constantly conscious about my diet.

Lovely combination of colors of the pet bottles ready to dump. Note: they're in different color of plastic bags designated by the city. They should be in the correct bags otherwise it won't be picked up. More job for the old land lady.

Persistent Weed

I sit at my desk, waiting for the students to arrive. I have forty-five minutes and I'm all prepared. I just got back from a five day off work yet I am feeling exhausted. My eyes wandered at the four corners of my classroom. It's tidy and everything is in their right places. Right places. I felt a sudden pang putting me in this deafening secluded place alone questioning myself : Am I in the right place?

This question keeps on popping up. No matter how I search for answers, they're still out of grasp. What I do know is that I love my current job. But, why would I think about "my right place" if there's nothing I'm looking for deep in my heart? I know, there is always somewhere for me so does everyone else. Despite doing something meaningful each day, there's an empty space waiting to be filled within me.

I am in point of feeling stuck at one place. I feel like flying and soaring the skies but I have no wings. There are ways for us to be able to fly and soar the world. I just have to find out my own. Too many questions. I am shattered into different pieces but I am not in pain. I need to recollect my dreams and ideas to make a bigger picture of  the person I really want to be and where I want to be.

I sit here idle only with thoughts about the true purpose of my life. What do I do to shed some light in the cloudy horizon I sometimes in. I'm too occupied. I am paranoid of sorts. I over think things and I forget to give my self it needs to not fret about the future. But that's jut me- a worrier and it's my weakest point.

What if things were different. Would I be looking for something else? Am I just homesick? I don't know. Ah!!! being a human being. Too many questions we can't find answers. We just forget them but then again they come like a persistent weed.

The Show

Wriggling my way to the best spot I could occupy. Under the heat of the middle of summer time. Roads are closed, blocked by thousands of spectators coming from various nearby places. Policemen are widely scattered almost every two meters apart along this 1 kilometer main road and more in every narrow and dark streets around the area full of highly spirited people.

Along the streets are street food stands, gaming booths etc. lined up perfectly. Beers are everywhere too. There are shows in every corner, even a trained monkey, singers, carnival performers, dancers, comedians so are cameras from major TV networks. Alternating English and Japanese songs are in the background in lieu of the hosts constantly talking about advertisements.

There were too much to see had I not worry about the spot I wanted to be at. Finally I came just in time. Still not too many people. Making my long sundress as a mat, I sat on the best possible spot I could be, stretching out my wary legs from walking around and taking pictures for my personal record of day two of two day annual event. I sit under the sun and burnt some more skin from swimming for a whole straight week. It drew tan lines along my shoulders of my sleeveless dress. Sun kissed skin feels good. Life springs from unflattering cold winter days during summer.

I gazed at people slowly swarming filling in every empty spot as the sun sit. I hear some uncontrollably screaming children not far away. Finally, a parent decided to leave before the show even started out of probable embarrassment making children cry to see what they were there originally for. Quietly, people of their kimonos and yukatas are swamping while the sun is hiding out of sight in the far away horizon of Tokyo bay and Mount Fuji.

Hotels, shops and boats are all lighted up. Huge street aid lights are lighted facing away from the marina. Thousands of anxious spectators are all gathered around the dim lighted marina staring at the little island in the middle bridged by a huge bridge seemingly holding up the gorgeous sun at some point of the afternoon.

I smell mouth watering barbeque nearby as I feel the warmth of the sea breeze gently tapping on my skin. The soft wind annoyingly kept messing up my safely pinned short hair I constantly waved backwards with my pinky fingers. My hands are busy with my camera trying to take good pictures of the pleasing scene.

The dark has arrived, this huge place is packed. Astonished as I raised my hands to take some more pictures when suddenly there was a huge blast startling everyone with cheer and enjoyment. The show has begun. Blast after blasts. Scream after scream. Up in the skies are colorful, came in different sizes, animated various shapes sending relentless joy to anyone present. Flash after flashes. Gusts after gusts. People couldn't get enough. One and half hour seemed like a minute. It was so beautiful time was unnoticed. But, the show must soon come to an end. The climax was the best that made everyone die for more.

I sat there for sometime while I wait for the huge raging people to ease wading out and go about their night. I wonder and always wonder if they could make it for a longer period of time. I settled to get up few minutes later. I take more pictures of people-hurrying, relaxing, taking the night easy. Vendors are shouting of a much discounted prices of their products hoping of more profits before the night goes out. Much orderly, like school of fish heading through one direction whether to or fro while hearing the announcement of lost children or maybe parent? I do not know.

I see remnants of the event - rubbish of plastics, papers, cans, bottles and many more at some specific areas as they swirl like a tiny tornado. Not far away are dump trucks in the middle of the street where cleaners will make sure garbage are out of sigh next morning. 

I wade back home with the smile on my face hearing people chattering, laughing, drinking by the streets to their hearts content. I still hear the sound outside from the fourth floor of the building. I slid my windows aside to see more of the people also happy with the must awaited yearly show.

San Antonio - My soul's home

No matter how far you've gone, no matter how many places you've been in this world there will always be something deep in your soul that will draw you back to a place which once had been a memorable part of your life. It is an urge to retrack you to this peculiar place called home - a place where you've been brought up or perhaps just once a passer by yet it left you a huge impact of who you are.

Everyone have their own definition of the word home. A home to me is where you'll find love at your worst point; where you'll find sympathy and sense of belonging when you're feeling outcasted; a place where you'll see right when everything looks inverted and wrong; a safe oasis away from noise and peril and a place where there's bliss in every little thing. There's no place like home as they say- certainly there's none.

As of this writing, I am far away, million miles away from my lovely home but never have I forgotten how beautiful San Antonio is. From my neighbors to schools and community; to the seas, beaches and corals; to the mountains, hills, valleys and ponds. Its four nature abundant corners had been my friend who shared every bit of  my joys and sorrows and stood witness of my colorful childhood and teenage life.

I am proud of anything it doesn't have - without modern facilities to make our lives easier. This is the village I grew up without television. When I was growing up I only heard news, music and drama series on the radio. No phones and cellphones with unlimited call and text. No tablets and other gadgets to fiddle with. I played countless outdoor games under the rain and sun and in the mud (most especially ha pasakay) with my peers. Trees were my jungle gym and the forests were my ultimate playground. This is where I learned how to use harpoons and slingshot then eat my catch (without my parents knowledge of course). I played blindfold, hide and seek even at night and hop scotch under the moonlight. Aah It was so much fun!

There was no proper running water and electricity when I was young (even until now). People uses dippers to take a bath (no heater mind you) at that water pump or well in our back yard or at our neighbors. Children goes to school on foot and comes home for lunch. Back then everyone needed to be home by 6 for supper before sundown. We used kerosine and petroleum lamps so we can do homework and attend to things at night. I went to bed at 8 or 9 with the susmatanons (stories mostly scary ones) of my parents and my elder siblings. We used mosquito nets or fire up meyabi trunk to shoo away mosquitoes at night. I woke up with the cook-a doodle-dos of roasters and hens as my alarm at 5 or 6 to see my father off to go fish or farm.

Children was fed fresh and healthy each day straight from the sea and farm. Some things can be asked or bartered from neighbors and friends to cook a decent meal. Children eats what's on their plate. I mean really eat them all. No buts or go hungry. No fast food and sodas and minimal preserved foodstuff. Canned food was like a treat for us. Oh! wow! A fish or meat or vegetables in a can. How did they do that? We look forward to fiestas, Christmas, birthdays and other celebrations to get a taste of that tasty but unhealthy food - I think.

When I was young, people treated colds and other sickness with herbal medicine found around the island. We go to a quack doctor nearby to fix our broken bones and no one wore crutches and slings around. The nearest hospital is an hour away by boat though we have health center lead by our midwife and village health workers to treat minor injuries and give vaccines to the newborns. We don't have that advanced medicine to treat illnesses but children grew up healthily and strong.

We have a great Barangay Chairman and councilors to oversee the island. No policemen and military but we have barangay tanods (village peace keepers) to keep peace and order. We have priest to spread the word of God. We have our church people willingly donate sum to keep it nice and sturdy against the storm. We have our elementary and secondary schools taught by ever patient teachers who had been our second parents away from home.

 This is the home of just about three thousand people if not less. Please correct me if I'm wrong. People know each other very well. When I was in elementary I dreamed about wearing those pink and brown checkered uniform in high school. Getting into the middle of being a child and an adult wasn't easy. Childhood and adolescent period is the most crucial phase of our lives but I think everyone in the island did it with flying colors because I believe about the saying "It takes a village to raise a child" is true to this little island.

Here we're safe. We could roam around the island without fearing about cars, guns, kidnaps nor any gruesome violence you'll find somewhere else. We only feared snakes, sigbins and monsters; scorpions and other insect bites. We were cautious about falling from trees and rocks and drowning in the ocean. We learned how to swim by the age of 2 by ourselves. Our pool being pantalan, sangputan, kaluyangan and sabang. To go to munbon on the boat was our dream so as going to magasang and Carangyan. This is where we're honed to survive and be resilient in any places on earth and do fine wherever we are.

We as persons evolve so does places. My home is catching up little by little. It is bound to prosperity. More people are coming to build families, it is to be honest getting overpopulated, a little more complicated some things are becoming too. Though it had been a lot different 20 years ago (OMG I'm getting old) I have the best hope that the spirit of humanity in this beautiful island is still intact. That it is still a place worth living and spending our precious time away from the fatuity of wherever we now reside.

Fiesta is one of the greatest enjoyment the island have aside from Christmas- I think. Nothing compares to this day of thanksgiving to our beloved Patron Senior San Antonio de Padua. This is when people celebrate and come together as one. People from nearby islands, friends and family from anywhere in the world comes to celebrate with their loved ones. It's great that June 12 is a national holiday(Philippine Independence Day) so everyone could come at least for one day. This two day sometimes 3-4 day celebration has always been fun. Those flying bills when dancing kuracha in the middle of the auditorium whoahooo! is sometimes unbelievable. How about going dancing till the sun is up? OH my. My heels and legs. It is but sinfully fun.

During fiesta or Christmas time, how about going to your friends house on the other side of the village and take all of different tagays(shots) of alcohol along the way? You'll be walking zigzag half way to your destination and see double coming back home. Okay. Don't forget to bring that baby powder or you'll be sound asleep missing the fun in the comfort of your grandma's handmade banig in the corner and wake up with bunch of lipstick or charcoal marks on your face yet worse nail polish. Hold on tight because you will probably have to deal with all the embarrassment when you see your very own face in the social media with hundreds of likes and trending. ayyy..mandaw...So watch out.

It has been a while since I've been there. Thank goodness there's social media like Facebook where I can see things that I have totally been missing. I fathom how homesick I would be without these pictures, Skype or anything online to have in contact with my loved ones million miles away. How would you compare things before the Internet to now. I'd die.

This place have always been mine, my family and friends' shelter from every rain and storm. This is where I mastered things enough to be ready for every endeavor in the outside world. Not a second will I forget how free life was lied in this haven. This place will always be in my heart no matter how long I've gone; no matter how far I've gone; matter how many places I've been. Tingiao will always be my soul's home.

Whirlwind week

I finally have myself back together. I thought I have been working insanely this week. So here's the lowdown. I had this hideously long meeting in the middle of the week. After that so called 'drink' with friends after the meeting it  became plural and not only one more. We got carried away with this drinking game that nobody cared about because everyone want to get drunk anyway. I think it is only effective if everyone didn't want to get drunk therefore you can see the competition and excitement. I can't wait to try this with my other group of friends or maybe with my family one day. :-D Yo, yo lady, don't teach your siblings how to love alcohol.

 Anyways, after that few drinks, (FEW I repeat) at our colleague's flat, who would have thought that we all be going to this all you can eat and drink place nearby? Ya ya. Why didn't we even do that the first time?  Certainly it was an unplanned sequence of incidence. After that long nonstop conversation with various topics that made no sense that night, we were all drunk. I couldn't exactly recall how much wine and beers and cocktails have been splattered and spilled all over this Japanese type table setting. Thank heavens we were in a private table barred with doors and some tatami curtains. Do they call them tatami curtains? I don't know. We only had socks on so goodness we had all beverages underneath wiped up by our own character socks. Ew. At this point no one cares about anything but the drinks on the table. Neither we did with food. Now this place had to close soon and our last order was taken. Abandon ship now. Ah!! I don't even remember paying for it but I guess I did.

Ah the dampness of the weather, outside was chilly and nice. Actually no one bothered about the temperature. We all went to this karaoke place.  I thought I was going to catch the last train? But I wasn't able to do so. I don't how didn't I make it. I probably have been talking a lot. That serves me right. Sometimes my talkativeness knows no bounds. And so, we went over to this Karaoke place. We were ushered by this old man to this dark, black room. Extremely dark I barely see anyone's face haha. I busied myself putting up songs from this wireless pad. This magic pad can also be used to order goodies available straight from the private room. By the mean time, people are singing, laughing with all the silly things, some are on the floor and some declared royalties with the seats as their beds. Yo, wake up it's only 1pm. The two hours have gone by so fast. Throats got scratches trying to belt those impossible notes. Now we gotta decide where to crash for the night. Of course it's going to be at our friends.

In the middle of the night we rushed out. I'm so glad no one in our group smokes because being in that box for two hours would not last me that long. Singing as we all dashed through the night towards the awaiting chaos of sleeping arrangement. By this time a futon and a pillow is enough. The weather was perfect so no air-con was needed. We all went to bed saying that new pet word of denki pot in such a really funny if not horrible way every Japanese would imagine.

It's bright outside. Of course it's morning and we are still on earth. Waking up if anyone is up for Disney land which was the first plan. They thought I was being funny. Now it's gone out the window. At that point we are expecting our friend to be on his smoking nose because we cancelled it early in the morning. We're never going the see the end of it.

Now I gotta find my way home with this excruciating headache. I promise not to drink like this again. It's fun tough so probably I'd do it again. haha. After bidding farewells to some half awake drunken pumpkins I embraced this beautiful sunny morning with unwashed and unmade face. Just like that. I haven't done this in so long and this still thrills me.

My feet walked me to the nearest McDonald. How I hate fast food now I'm here waiting for this breakfast muffins and a cup of coffee to get me through this 1 hour long trip home. I have to plan what's going to be done this day off work. First, I have to get home to take a relaxing bath and sleep. then sleep a little bit more it came down to sleeping the day away until 8 o'clock in the evening. How productive.

Of course, nothing last forever. Might ass well live the life to the extent. I just spelt as improperly. haha I'm not going to correct it by the way. It's a 5 hour work day. Sometimes work isn't nice. Hellish 1 hour made my day rain hail instead of that nice little showers that is most probably from China. Seriously, their pollution goes everywhere now just like their products ahhh don't even get me started.

I finished my week with such a horrible weather. I used to love rainy days when I was a kid, but when I became actually an adult who goes to work, I hated it. And boy does it have to go till my day off work? It gets me imprisoned in my art gallery for the whole day and it cannot be taken by me. 

Catching trains

I've been living in Japan for quite a while now. I thought by this time, I would have already  gotten used to commuting on trains and running after them as well. Does it sound like track and field? Hell yes. This catching train scenarios has always been a bummer to me.

I live in a suburb area and trains comes only once every hour towards where most of my work assignments are. I have to take the same train for two weeks (10 days) each month. It isn't so bad I suppose. Since my job starts from mid afternoon, I don't get squished by the crowd of students and office workers during rush hours.

Catching trains are the worst thing living in countryside, I think. In other big cities like Tokyo I wouldn't worry about it because trains comes every two minutes. Here, if I miss my time, I should prepare to wait for another long hour. Yes, it is so annoying and there's nothing I can do but set my alarm not one less minute or better yet, set it advance. Trains comes and leaves on time perfectly timed for anyone to change tracks or catch buses. This country is pretty crazy about punctuality. I'm very punctual myself (bold and capitalized) but boy, this place could really drive me mad. Sometimes, I miss the jeepneys back in the Philippines where I can just get on and off anywhere and anytime I want.

So, here are SOME instances about my colorful and exciting experiences of catching trains.

Just recently on the way home from a long day of meeting, I was on the train for an hour. I waited and waited itching to be finally home, sip some wine and relax and then...opps.... I caught the the door closing with just my sight. Oh man, now I missed my stop. Gladly the next stop is only 7 minutes away. Coming back was also epic because I sat in a wrong train. I guess my brain got back to its real kicking world and realize to check which track was going. I was with two other seniors but they weren't able to catch it. How could they? they're about 80 years old hence they couldn't run that fast. I felt so bad.

After a tiresome job, I ran the hell out of me thinking I'm going to make it if I hurry a little bit more just to see that the train I was suppose to be getting on just close it's goddamn doors missing it for only a minute. I screamed out loud at the station drawing everyone's attention. Typical Japanese, they looked at me impassively for a second then turned their heads away. Who knows the also missed theirs?

Yearly, train's schedule changes.They could sometimes be just a minute or two but time is time. Due to my busy working schedule, I didn't realize that some of the trains schedules I take had been modified. I still wonder why they would have times at 1:59. 59??? Why not 60? Oh well. Talk to the hand. So, hear this, I ran in an attempt to be on the train I usually take but when I got there, oh! It's gone. I was catching the train that was never going to come. How nice. Oh well, I should beat myself on this one. I should check the times more frequently.

I literally would have missed it but I put my hand before the closing door. Imagine being trapped in an elevator crying for help from the outside except for this one, you're on the outside wanting to get trapped inside. Thank goodness it opened for me or else I'd have to wait for another painful hour just to be on it for 15 minutes. My heart was racing. Blood shoot up to my brain. Endorphins calmed down. I almost ran out of oxygen as I wearily slumped myself on an empty seat in an empty car. That was very close but it was no one's fault but mine. I've been laughing so hard with my students that I didn't notice the time. Who's to blame? No one, I repeat😜 so I just laugh and wait for another catching train nightmare episode.