Wedneday July 3, 1991
10:00 Rachel and I escape from school, ostensibly to study Japanese. We watch Tonari no Totoro. I am happy because she likes it.
11:28 Buy groceries at Toyomi. Rachel stays at my house to eat lunch. She's watching the Lost Boys when I return. I suggest that we watch Warlock before I return it to the video store tonight, so we do. Have to leave halfway through.
15:15 Rachel and I sneak back to my house to finish watching Warlock. We have to hurry the end a bit so she can catch her bus at 16:00. We plan to go to Oita together on Saturday.
17:00 Rush home. Put video in the recorder to tape the puppet drama for MJN. Write check for MasterCard. Pack a bath bag.
17:07 Rush to the post office and mail the MasterCard bill and a letter to ERS.
17:22 Catch train to Beppu Eki.
17:43 Buy coffee filters and dish detergent at Uneed. The arcade is crowded with housewives shopping for dinner. This would be a good time of day to shoot some video.
18:07 Rent Salt and Pepa CD at Daichi Soft City. They are busy remodeling the CD section. My pessimistic nature makes me view any big change as possibly taihen. Go to Daichi to buy some 8mm videotape. See Saeki-san. He rushes off to get me some video rental coupons "for my son." I don't have the heart to tell him that JQS is in America. He asks me if I've seen Abe-sensei lately. I say no and we both express our surprise about Abe-sensei's sudden resignation. I do get him to help me pick out the videotape. I wonder if he gets the credit for selling it to me like in the US. That was my plan anyway. I ought to get him a little going away gift.
18:15 I don't think that I have time for a bath, but then I decide I do.
18:20 Arrive at Takegawara onsen. The water is really hot, but it feels so good. As I slip into the water I think I've never felt it so hot. The blood vessels in my fingers and toes open up and I can feel the blood rushing through the capillaries. All the anxiety of this week floats away. I love the onsen.
19:06 I arrive at Beppu Eki in plenty of time to meet Maki-sensei. I feel quite smug that I accomplished everything that I wanted to do today. I wait and wait and Maki-sensei doesn't show. I'm not that surprised because I feel sure that the students have to study for exams. As it gets closer to 19:30, I find myself hoping he won't show. I hate teaching so much that even losing 5000 yen in pay is not enough to make me want to teach class.
19:31 Board the train for Kamegawa.
20:00 Broil some fish and work on the computer.
Posted by M Sinclair Stevens
July 03, 2002
Share Your Thoughts
Video, baths, and more video.