Ladies and gentlemen, start your bike engines?

It might be a good time to mention that I'll be working at two different technical high schools during my stay in Japan. Today, I was shown around by my main contact/team-teacher at Norin Koku.

I don't think Sano sensei received a picture of me the way Kagami sensei did, so when I opened the door to my apartment, she wasn't sure if she was in the right place. "Ke-vin?" she asked. In the car, she said, "I don't want to be rude, but can I ask where you are from? Because you look Japanese."

I mentioned my name stamp in a previous post, but I didn't mention (or know) that I'd have to get it officially registered at the city office. That's what we tried to do today. Again, the process is quite detailed, so I am now waiting for a letter in the mail to prove I live where I say I do. Sano sansei apologized for the red tape, and she said that it's become even more difficult in recent years due to "evil people" doing "evil things." People like R. Kelly?

The best part of the whole ordeal was Sano sensei's reference to "Kevin" Costner. This is not the first time this has been said. I fear it is not the last. Part of the confusion stems from the whole reversal of first and last names, not to mention the fact that Japanese people don't have middle names. For the record, I am not related to Costner Kevin.

Next, we visited Norin High School, an agricultural school, and I was served a succulent piece of yellow watermelon grown by the students. Sano sensei asked if I got yellow watermelon in Atlanta, or just red. Yellow is not THAT common here, but she tells me it is a special occasion. Another teacher says the same thing, and he kind of laughs. If this were in the States, I'd suspect sarcasm. I'm told sarcasm doesn't exist here, so I will not be able to tell any jokes. Or talk, period.

A trend that I am noticing is how favors are often explained. For instance, people usually have to pay several months of rent in advance, called "Thank You" money. The whole process of "Thank You" money is explained to me before I am told I will not have to pay it.

When I meet the vice principal, he kind of points at me and then grasps at his cheeks and says something to Sano sensei. She says "Taiwan," so I can only guess that the vice principal liked my Asian face.

Just like at Nirasaki High School, everyone is incredibly nice and sorta taken aback that an Asian person could speak American English.

When we leave Norin, we go to the train station so I can figure out how to get to school before I get my car insurance, title, etc. An interesting thing about Japanese laws is how a lot of them rely on the school system. To get car insurance, the school must first approve. The train system seems very efficient, and Sano sensei tells me that the trains are rarely behind schedule. On Saturday, I will have to hop on one by myself to go to a gathering in Kofu city. The cost is 180 yen, about 1.50 USD.

Last, we go to a hardware store to buy a bike. Sano sensei tells me I'll have to bike home if I buy one, since she has a small car. She probably has one of the larger cars I've seen, and it's still tiny. When I sit in the passenger seat (on the left), I feel as if someone has stolen my steering wheel. I pretend to use mind control to drive the car.

After living in Philly, it's remarkable how the bike system works here. And by "remarkable," I mean there is actually a bike system. I paid 500 yen, less than 5 dollars, to have my bike registered with the police department. Every bike has its own lock on the back wheel, and you have to keep the key in the slot in order to bike! People usually don't lock the bikes to structures, so they are very much like cars. I also get a free year-long warranty.

I just ate dinner at McDonalds. The fries taste the same, and the burger is a little juicier. The Big Mac is called the Mega Mac. McFlurries are still McFlurries.