Cherry Blossom Adventures

I am actually enjoying my commute to work. I was driving when working at the hospital but now that I am in town (temping for a government department) I leave home just before 7am and catch the train into the city. I didn`t realize how much I missed catching the train (Since I did it most days in Tokyo once we moved to Nakano) because it gives me time to do things like read, journal and listen to music- things that I don`t do so much of at home but used to do a lot of in Tokyo because I caught the train to work each day (Mind you it was a 10 minute train ride instead of the current 40 minute one.)

The Pros-

- Time to do the things mentioned above (Read, journal, listen to music, reply to phone messages, study Japanese flash cards and I am thinking I might start doing some knitting on the train too!)

- Shun will start English school in town next week and we will be able to catch the train in together ( I will get off one stop before him!) but he will probably sleep if he gets a seat and it is hard to get seats together so I might still be able to read etc except on the off chance we can sit together and chat (and get lots of weird looks cos we don`t speak ENGLISH- which people assume that we mustn`t speak English at all then and often say things like “Oh they arn`t speaking English” or ask each other “Why arn`t they speaking English I wonder?” Yes, seriously people say that)

-Almost always get a seat (I did in Tokyo too cos I was traveling in the opposite direction to the main route!)

- Fairly cheap (Cheaper than gas and car maintanance and parking at least)- although $7.20 a day is not very cheap (It is $30.20 I think for the weekly which I am using now)

- Good for the environment (especially since I walk to the station and back home most days too)

- I don`t have to drive

Cons

- People that use all the leg space in the four-seater areas and keep bumping you with their legs, bags etc etc etc.

-Smelly people- I really do wonder how people don`t know they smell. It is usually not so bad in the morning just in the afternoon.

- People that talk on their phones- this just hardly ever happens in Japan and when it does people keep their conversations brief and quiet- not like hear where you hear about how the girl sitting next to you hooked up with some German guy at some backpackers in the city and how “Kylie” cheated on her bf with his best friend etc etc- Seriously if I wanted to hear about that shit I would watch Neighbours!

- No time to listen to the radio (which I loved doing when I drove to work because I never got to listen to the radio in Japan)

- People that leave their rubbish on the seats

- Commute is a little long but would probaby take me longer if I was driving in so I guess it is ok.

I have decided I want to i-phone though. I think it would make my train travel journey so much better- I wonder though if I was to buy one whether I would be able to use it back in Japan? Will have to look into that (and fast cos my mobile broke today and I have no idea why)

How do you get to work, uni etc? What are your pros and cons? If you catch public transport do you use this time to catch up on your hobbies that ften get left behind because you spend too much time on the internet like me?!

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No, not me! Shumpei`s university friend Sasa and his lovely wife Sachi are expecting their first baby this month! They got married mid 2007 and were so excited when they found out they were pregnant at the beggining of the year- in fact Sasa mailed all the boys from uni to tell them even though Sachi was only 4 weeks pregnant at the time (From what I can tell, literally as soon as he found out!)

I saw them both just before I left in May and Sachi had a tiny little baby bump (I know when I am pregnant there will be nothing tiny about my baby bump but that is Japanese women for you!) and they already knew they were expecting a girl. We are now waiting for the news from Sasa sometime this month to tell us their little girl has arrived!

Sachi has gone back to Tokyo for now to be close to her parents even though her and Sasa now live in Nagoya where Sasa works. This seems to be the norm in Japan- going back home to be with your mum when you are about to give birth, especially with your first. I know Shumpei`s mum went back to Tochigi for when his brother was born but stayed in Chiba when he was born!  So Sasa might not be there for the birth of his daughter if he is working at the time, or if it is quick labor but my understanding is that he will head to Tokyo has soon as he gets the news and take a little time off work.

Anyway, the point of this post, apart from to share the good news of our friends impending arrival, is that I knit her a hat. The baby I mean! It is my first time knitting something other than a scarf and though while it is a little holey on top I am so proud of it!  I am going to try to make booties to go with it too!!! ALthough that may be a little ambitious!!! Thanks to Suzy who sent me the pattern for the umbilical cord hat featured! It is from one of the Stich and Bitch books which I have in Tokyo but unfortunately couldn`t bring with me so she kindly sent it to me cos she is tops!

Shumpei and his friends (and me!) are very excited about the new baby arrival as Sasa was the first in their little uni soccer group to get married and the first to have a baby and so they are all very excited to become “uncles”. It is a shame we won`t be back in Japan til next year to meet the little apple blossom child!

Due to the excitement of the new babies arrival and wanting to send something from Australia to Sasa, Sachi and their new family member we went a little nuts in the shopping! I am still yet to buy some Australian stuff to go in there also (Koala socks? Aussie animals book or stuffed baby toy? Some kind of nice handcream or something or Sachi? Any ideas?) Here is the other stuff we have bought to send the little munchkin when she arrives!

Buying and looking at baby clothes and seeing Shun even getting quite excited about it has made me more than a little clucky! While I am not ready to start a family just yet I look forward to the day when we are ready! It is all so exciting! Best of luck to Sachi- and lucky she doesn`t read this blog so she will still be surprised when she, Sasa and the new baby get the package!

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