Work and Such

On August 6th, I went to the HiroshimaPeace Park for the 60th anniversary commemoration. Very somber. Also very hot. And humid. My apartment is small, but after the cavernous nature of the apartment in Tainan, it is actually quite welcome. It takes me only 45 minutes to clean the whole place from top to bottom. My predecessor cared for it exceptionally well and also left me a lot of essential apartment stuff. I sleep on a futon, which is surprisingly comfortable. There is a washer and a dryer, a fridge, stove, shower and ofuro (deep bathtub), a kitchen table, desk, tv w/ vcr, small couch, etc.
A couple funny stories. I purchased a bicycle. Kure is pretty flat and a bicycle seemed like an easy way to get around. It was a little expensive, but so far very worth it. The bike is bright green, almost neon, with a steel basket. I picked the color because there are so many bikes in Kure and I wanted to be able to spot mine. The bike is also girl-style (no bar across the middle), which is apparently standard in Japan. So, try to picture me, in a suit, sweating profusely in the heat of 8am, pedaling around town on a bright green girl-bike with my laptop case slung in the metal basket in front. All that is missing are the little sparkly tassels on the handlebars. Sometimes I pick up my dry cleaning and have to bicycle home holding six pairs of pants in one hand while steering with the other hand, the whole while with the dry cleaning acting as a malicious sail trying to throw my bike this way and that.
Second story. This summer we had a mandatory medical check-up for all Board of Education employees (I work directly for the BOE and not any of my specific schools, which is nice). Eyes, ears, height, weight, bp, ekg, blood, urine, stool, and mental health, in that order. I think it was one of the more comprehensive exams I've ever had. Plus, I was shoulder to shoulder with all my colleagues (foreigner and domestic) the whole time. Picture a mixture of Japanese and Westerners standing in a line with a cup of pee and a sealed bag with a poop-sampling applicator-thingy inside. Fun fun fun