Really uneventful past couple of days...not to say I haven't been busy, but nothing worthy of writing about...until yesterday, when I realized I had an obaasan stalker. Okay, in all fairness she's probably just an old lady with lots of free time on her hand. She helps coach a synchro team so how crazy can she be....right? Hmm, let me back up. A couple of days ago I wrote about running around the park and looking at porn (at the same time no less :). After telling my housemate what I found, she let me know that I can go to the nearby pool and swim for 300 yen (around $3). Ah, that's what that green pond across the street is! So I've taken up swimming during the day for fitness.
There is so much I could say about the pool...it's about 25m, 6 lanes, indoors, no flags, and the lifeguards wear their clothes (no swimsuit). I guess this is okay since the pool only comes up to my waist. Yesterday, when I went swimming there was synchro practice going on in much of the pool (very interesting since a 5 year old could stand up in it). This put me in the far lane with 2 other boys who were, well I have no idea what they were doing, sitting on the bench? After finishing my warm-up I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked up to find the synchro coach standing over my head trying to talk to me in very rapid Japanese. After a string of interpretive dance moves (and some pencil and paper) I got the gist that she thought my stroke was kirei (beautiful) and she wanted to come and demonstrate for her "marlin swim club" Friday night. Not knowing how to say, "I'm sorry, I'm busy" I said, "hai (ok)." Two hours later, I was leaving the pool and who is waiting outside for me by the bike rack? Oh yeah, Obaasan. Good Timing. Next thing I know, Obaasan is following me back to where I am staying. She proceeds to write down the address on a piece of paper and asks me for my phone number (which thankfully I don't have yet). I try to explain to her that I don't have a phone and that I will come by Friday. Dear God just leave me alone! She says a long string of sentences, all I understand is 3 - 4 today, I nod my head like an idiot because I don't know what's going on and then she leaves. Something tells me I just agreed to have lunch with her. 3 comes around and I start to worry 'cause I have no idea what I just agreed to...nothing...3:30...nothing...4....nothing. I'm safe!
About 4:30 I head over to my coworkers' house, where I have stashed my Rock Band/Wii (of all the people I've met he has the largest tv). The previous night we made a band called the Raging Mandanas (a sort of bandana). We're pretty amazing, if I do say so myself. We have a couple hundred thousand fans and have bought ourselves some pretty sweet tats with the proceeds from our gigs (but before you get any ideas...we don't do benefits). After a couple of sets, I'm supposed to go meet "Inu-chan" (a girl that I'm hoping to room with in Nisshin who loves her dog "inu") and Coco's (yeah seriously right, who eats at Cocos? No one in America, but apparently everyone in Japan and yes the food is the same nasty stuff they serve in America).
So it's 9pm (they move on a WAY different timeline here) and "Harry Potter" and I are waiting for "Inu-chan" and for the love of all that is holy who is suddenly staring down at me (right in my face)...OBAASAN! WHAT THE HECK!!!! Apparently she came by the house to apologize for not meeting me at 3pm (hmm, I didn't notice) and "Lisa" told her that I was meeting at Cocos. So voila! here she is and she takes the initiative to sit down and invite herself to have something to drink (and I thought Japanese people were supposed to be really shy and avoid foreigners). And almost right behind her comes "Inu-chan," looking justifiably confused as to the presence of our new guest. But Obaasan isn't shy and goes ahead and describes the ENTIRE situation, three times (which is good for me because she speaks at the speed of light). Apparently she was so afraid she would never see me again that she had to find me and make sure that I came on Friday (hmm, not exactly the way I would go about it). She then drops 2000 yen ($20) on the table and offers to buy dinner for everyone. Being too embarassed to look at anyone, I proceed to stare at the wall while "Harry Potter" and "Inu-chan" proceed to shake their heads violently and wave their hands in front of their faces saying "Daijoubu" (it's okay).
So now, I'll be spending my Friday night demonstrating for a bunch of otou-san and okaa-sans (moms and dads). Not exactly how I enjoy to spend my Friday night's...I really need to bone up on my Japanese.
There is so much I could say about the pool...it's about 25m, 6 lanes, indoors, no flags, and the lifeguards wear their clothes (no swimsuit). I guess this is okay since the pool only comes up to my waist. Yesterday, when I went swimming there was synchro practice going on in much of the pool (very interesting since a 5 year old could stand up in it). This put me in the far lane with 2 other boys who were, well I have no idea what they were doing, sitting on the bench? After finishing my warm-up I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked up to find the synchro coach standing over my head trying to talk to me in very rapid Japanese. After a string of interpretive dance moves (and some pencil and paper) I got the gist that she thought my stroke was kirei (beautiful) and she wanted to come and demonstrate for her "marlin swim club" Friday night. Not knowing how to say, "I'm sorry, I'm busy" I said, "hai (ok)." Two hours later, I was leaving the pool and who is waiting outside for me by the bike rack? Oh yeah, Obaasan. Good Timing. Next thing I know, Obaasan is following me back to where I am staying. She proceeds to write down the address on a piece of paper and asks me for my phone number (which thankfully I don't have yet). I try to explain to her that I don't have a phone and that I will come by Friday. Dear God just leave me alone! She says a long string of sentences, all I understand is 3 - 4 today, I nod my head like an idiot because I don't know what's going on and then she leaves. Something tells me I just agreed to have lunch with her. 3 comes around and I start to worry 'cause I have no idea what I just agreed to...nothing...3:30...nothing...4....nothing. I'm safe!
About 4:30 I head over to my coworkers' house, where I have stashed my Rock Band/Wii (of all the people I've met he has the largest tv). The previous night we made a band called the Raging Mandanas (a sort of bandana). We're pretty amazing, if I do say so myself. We have a couple hundred thousand fans and have bought ourselves some pretty sweet tats with the proceeds from our gigs (but before you get any ideas...we don't do benefits). After a couple of sets, I'm supposed to go meet "Inu-chan" (a girl that I'm hoping to room with in Nisshin who loves her dog "inu") and Coco's (yeah seriously right, who eats at Cocos? No one in America, but apparently everyone in Japan and yes the food is the same nasty stuff they serve in America).
So it's 9pm (they move on a WAY different timeline here) and "Harry Potter" and I are waiting for "Inu-chan" and for the love of all that is holy who is suddenly staring down at me (right in my face)...OBAASAN! WHAT THE HECK!!!! Apparently she came by the house to apologize for not meeting me at 3pm (hmm, I didn't notice) and "Lisa" told her that I was meeting at Cocos. So voila! here she is and she takes the initiative to sit down and invite herself to have something to drink (and I thought Japanese people were supposed to be really shy and avoid foreigners). And almost right behind her comes "Inu-chan," looking justifiably confused as to the presence of our new guest. But Obaasan isn't shy and goes ahead and describes the ENTIRE situation, three times (which is good for me because she speaks at the speed of light). Apparently she was so afraid she would never see me again that she had to find me and make sure that I came on Friday (hmm, not exactly the way I would go about it). She then drops 2000 yen ($20) on the table and offers to buy dinner for everyone. Being too embarassed to look at anyone, I proceed to stare at the wall while "Harry Potter" and "Inu-chan" proceed to shake their heads violently and wave their hands in front of their faces saying "Daijoubu" (it's okay).
So now, I'll be spending my Friday night demonstrating for a bunch of otou-san and okaa-sans (moms and dads). Not exactly how I enjoy to spend my Friday night's...I really need to bone up on my Japanese.
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