Oh......Insert Favorite Swear Word

 Another night of no sleep.  The painkiller from the emergency doctor only worked one time.  Yesterday (Monday, April 29th) was a national holiday, and the hospital that I go to for bone/muscle problems was closed.  Also, Mikey had the car.

I really tried to persevere.  Mikey would have time to take me to the hospital in the afternoon.   But this morning I was feeling terrible, so David called the hospital, to make sure it was open and a taxi. This time Christopher came with me.  The hospital is an orthopedic and internal medicine hospital.  It also has a large rehabilitation room.  Because this is the week with many national holidays the hospital was very busy.

We got there at 9:30, had an x-ray then waited until 11 o'clock to see the doctor.  At one point an ambulance was called to pick up an elderly lady.  Looks like she was bought in from an old people's home, she wasn't doing very well at all!!!

Finally got to see the doctor.  He took one look at the side where the pain is and said something in Japanese that I had never heard before.  Turns out that my pulled muscle is shingles.  I had noticed a rash in the morning but thought it was an allergic reaction to a rub I had used for the pain!!

I had to wait a bit longer to see the other doctor.  He confirmed the diagnosis and prescribed antiviral medicine, a cream, and strong painkiller!!  

Yet another holiday ruined!!  Never mind, if the painkiller works at least I can read and watch TV.

One thing I'm very grateful for is the Japanese medical system.  In some ways it's difficult to navigate, there are no GPs so you have to figure out where to go.  Because I've lived here for 15 years I have an idea of where to go. Also one of my early students here was a public nurse, she introduced different hospitals to me.  The fact that even during one of the busiest times I can walk into a hospital and know that I will be seen is good.  The wait is a few hours but better than a few months in the UK.  Also, I pay into the national health system.  Last year I was paying about 40 pounds a month for Christopher, Hannah, and myself.  David's is paid through his work and Mikey pays his own.  Then at the doctors, dentist, and pharmacy, you pay just 30% of the cost.  It's not a perfect system but one of the best I've seen.

I'm trying not to panic about the other house I was planning on going for a few days during this holiday but looks like I can't do that.  I'll try to sort things out here more!!

Hannah had work at the nursery this morning.  She's also a bit under the weather, allergies, and a low-grade fever.  She was racing about to get ready but didn't notice that she had put on odd socks until she got to work.  She told the staff that it was a new fashion!

Odd socks!

Show No Hi, Showa Day

 Today is the first day of the Golden Week Holiday.  There are 4 public holidays, which gives people a chance to travel or just relax at home.  In Japan the school year starts in April, I know a lot of my students, especially in junior high or high school, look forward to this holiday, it gives them a breather and a chance to understand the changes in their schedules, especially those starting a new school.

The name Showa Day is a recent name for this holiday. When the emperor was alive it was his birthday, then it was changed to Greenery Day, to reflect the emperor's love of nature.  Greenery Day was moved to May 4th.  

Showa Day is named after the period of Emperor Hirohito, he was emperor from 1926 to his death in 1989.  This period brought about a lot of changes in Japan.  Of course, Japanese expansionism continued, and then World War Two.  The defeat of Japan after the atomic bombs and the first time for people to hear the emperor when he made the speech announcing Japan's surrender.

For a lot of people, however, the term Showa period brings up a feeling of nostalgia for the recovery period after WW2.

There are many Showa museums that seem to focus on the period from the 1960s to the end of the 1980s.  These museums showcase how the average family would have lived, the father going off to work, the mother staying at home and the kids studying hard in school.  Some kind of ideal life.  What they don't show is the father working all hours, and the mother left to do all the housework and childrearing.  

The 1964 Olympics showcased the new Japan, a country that was running headlong into the future.  A country that was desperately trying to put behind the past and focus solely on making the best country ever.  I remember watching a video in secondary school about Japan and how Japan was modernizing at a rapid rate.  I was awe-struck by the scenes of Tokyo, this massive modern city but also saddened that Japan was losing its traditions.  I'm happy that there seems to be a more balanced approach to life now, bringing in the modern, and the future but at the same time honoring the past and the traditions.  Also, since the pandemic, there has been a wave of young people moving back to the countryside.

For me, the idea of Showa Day is a chance to reflect on how Japan managed to become one of the richest countries in the world after its defeat in WW2 and where the country is going.  There are a lot of problems in Japan, the biggest ones at the moment are the economy and the falling birth rate.  I have no idea how to fix either!!!

A few years ago David, Hannah and I went to a Showa Museum.  I have a few photos from that trip.

typical classroom

the metal trays are from the school lunch

no idea what this is but it is freaky!

Movie posters

TV

love the old phone

I think Hannah took these photos, she was interested in the classroom, more than the other displays!

WHY???

 Last week I was joking with my students that my holidays have two patterns.  I'm either very busy cleaning or sick.  I then told them that this ten-day holiday I was going to clean for a few days and then spend time preparing lessons and reading or watching movies, I wasn't going to get sick!

Guess where I ended up this morning.....at the emergency room!  Because of the holidays, the hospital I usually go to is closed until Tuesday and the pain in my side and back was getting worse!  Saturday night was another night of no sleep, even with stronger pain killer I still couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep, I dozed for about an hour!  The weird thing is that standing isn't painful but sitting and especially lying down are very painful.  I did wonder if I could sleep standing up!!  

So this morning I went to the hospital where I had my surgery, it's the nearest emergency room, Mikey had the car so I had to use a taxi.  There weren't many patients but just as I finished talking to the nurse an ambulance came in so I had to wait a while longer!   Hannah came with me, she is very organized and had taken notes on her phone before we saw the doctor so she could explain things.  I can understand but sometimes the doctors use a word or phrase that I'm not sure of and I feel that it's better to have someone help out!  I got a CT scan, the doctor couldn't see any cracks on my ribs and thought it was just muscle pain.  I thought the same thing, also if it's a cracked rib there is nothing that can be done except take strong painkiller and wait for it to heal.  The doctor showed me the scan and a 3D image of my ribs, that was very cool!!  Came home with some strong medicine for the next couple of days, if it's still painful I can go to the other hospital for more medicine.

So yet again my holiday got off to a bad start!!  I still have eight days, so let's hope things turn around and I can get some jobs done!!  Actually May is the last chance before it gets really hot and humid, which I find difficult to deal with!!   

Yesterday Hannah went out to dinner with the staff from the cram school she works at.  The manager was quitting so they held a goodbye party.  She had a good time except for the fried shrimp with the eyes still in.  She sent me a photo and said trauma.  This comes from when Hisao made miso soup and put in whole shrimp.  Hannah spooned one out and screamed her head off, she was only 7 at the time so understandable!  Since then she doesn't like shrimp with the heads on!!

the trauma shrimp!

She also saw this sign, which says "Don't feed the cats"  She wasn't impressed by that!

Don't feed the cats!

I hope that I can get some jobs done tomorrow!! We will see!!

The Pain.....

 Of getting old! I tell myself that age is just a number but my body thinks otherwise!

I think I pulled a muscle on my left side.  I picked up one of the cats and felt something pull as I stood up. That was on Wednesday, Thursday the pain started, Thursday night I couldn't sleep. But I still went to the other house on Friday.   Then another night of no sleep.

And of course, today starts 10 days holiday for me!  I can't win sometimes!  Christopher has gone to see if he can get some stronger painkillers!

I managed to get some of the boxes out of the last small room, most were empty.  I put together a few more bags to take to the trash place and had another look at the bees.  Still wondering what to do.  When we moved there, about 16 years ago, we had the same problem!  Hisao bought some spray and just sprayed it into the vent, I'm not that brave!

I don't know if you can see the bees but this is the vent they are using!  I think I'll get some net to put over and then spray them.  I honestly don't know what else to do.  I want this fixed as soon as possible as it's under the tatami room.  I want to see if I can take up the tatami mats and the floor underneath to check the foundation.  Termites are a big problem in Japan and I want to make sure that we don't have that problem!

Also, there are more cracks.

Crack in the foundation

This has been there for a long time but it was just the top part.  Where it turns and goes down is new.  We had a small earthquake the other week and I think it shook the house just enough to make this crack grow!

another crack

This is near the front door and completely new.

I wish I had the money to take this house down and rebuild but that is a pipe dream!

I took some photos of the outside.  When the weather is nice it is a good place. I guess everywhere looks miserable in the rain.

The side of the house

driveway

the mountains

I want to take out most of the trees in front of the house and put up a deck.  There is already too much shade from the roof and having so many trees just cuts what little bit of sunlight we might get!  Also, I can dream of BBQs and building a pizza oven!

And I saw a ladybird!  I haven't seen these in years!

little ladybird

After the house, I went shopping on the way home. There's a supermarket nearby that has cheap meat, a lot cheaper than near where we live now.  I had a laugh at the sign on the bananas.  The label on the bananas said 'Go For It' the staff tried to copy that but messed up.

What is 'Fo'?

Feeling Better

 After my last post, I decided that I really don't have time to deal with depression.

So I gave myself a good talking to and walked to the store with Hannah to buy something for dinner.  Just that little walk helped me a lot.

Yesterday I got up at 5am to get Hannah's breakfast, 3 mornings a week she is working at a nursery, she starts at 7:30.  While Hannah got ready I did some exercises.  I found a gentle chair yoga video to do.  The last exercise is stretching your hands over your head as you breathe in, putting your hands together in a prayer pose, breathing out, and bringing your hands down.  As you do this the instructor asks you to think of something you are grateful for.  Nice way to end an exercise session.  I managed to clean the floor and made lasagna for lunch.

lasagna for lunch

I also made a nice chicken salad for dinner.  All in all a good day.

This morning's plan was to go to the other house but it was pouring down with rain and trying to get anything done in the rain is difficult.  So I canceled those plans.  I've spent the morning reading and cleaning.  This afternoon I have to sort out one room that has become a dumping ground.  I don't know if this happens in other people's houses but I always seem to have a room that is the place where things that don't have a home end up!!  I know it's a bad habit that I have but it's just so easy to move things out of the living area into a room that isn't used very often!!  Also, I need to think about packing things to take to the other house.  I'm hoping to have gas, electricity, and water on again by May so I can start to clean and fix things.  I plan to bring things we don't use every time we go.  Things like the bakeware that I don't use in the summer can be boxed up, and winter clothes and blankets as well.  

I really don't have time to be depressed or sick!!!

The end of April and the beginning of May is the Golden Week holiday.  There are 4 national holidays and is one of the biggest holiday seasons in Japan.  The warm weather is just right for getting out and going places.  One problem is that everybody has the same idea.  Anywhere that is famous or popular will be packed, even getting to the toilet can take up to an hour.  I don't go out during this holiday, even shopping can be hard.  I was hoping to use the holiday to finish the other house but Mikey is working and using the car.  So my plan is to clean here and just relax, read, and watch TV.  I'll let you know how that goes!!!!

Depression

 So it's started.

I've suffered from depression most of my life.  I understand now that there isn't that much I can do about it, just wait until it passes.

It's not just feeling sad, it's a feeling of having no energy whatsoever, even the easiest of tasks takes so much energy.  For example, this morning I vacuumed one room and felt exhausted!  Most days I can clean, cook, and teach.  I do take more breaks than I used to but I can get things done.  But since Saturday it has taken an effort just to get out of bed.  At first, I thought I was just tired from Friday's cleaning at the other house but then I realized that I had no interest in doing other things, even watching TV felt too difficult.

Part of this is our money situation.  We have no money at all.  I struggle each month just to make the bills. The kids help out but their wages are low, even working extra they still only make about  600 pounds (and that is a good wage).  Actually, most people in Japan need two jobs to make ends meet. One knock effect of this is that people aren't coming for English lessons.  We haven't had any new students at all this past month which is very unusual as April is the start of the school year here and parents want extra help for their kids.  We are still advertising, I've asked David to update our web page to include online lessons!  But we aren't the only ones not getting new students, a lot of similar small companies teaching English are struggling!

I've looked at making money online but everything is US or UK-centered, most companies won't pay to Japan.  Even doing things like surveys aren't available here, there are some in Japanese but I can't read that much.  I know they don't pay much but even getting a few Amazon gift cards would help pay for the cat food.

All the things I have to pay for at the other house weigh heavy on me!  I know that once we move there I will save on the rent money but I have to pay for things before we move there.  The bee hive (I think they are more like wasps) needs to be taken out.  The minimum cost is over 60 pounds, but the nest is in a place that is difficult to access, so maybe a lot more!  The cracks in the foundation need to be checked and sealed up before winter,  I have no idea that cost!

Then there's Hannah.  She is going to graduate school form next year.  I would to help her with buying things for her apartment. I know I don't have to but it would be nice!

The weather isn't helping either.  It's raining and starting to get humid!  

David with the cats!!!

I'll try to post something happier another day!!

David

 David has been working at an internet cafe for a few years now.

The place he works has individual rooms that can be rented, karaoke rooms, and other amusements.  They also serve meals, as long as it can be fried or done in the microwave.  The place is registered as a hotel and is near the highway exit.  When the weather is very bad (especially typhoons when the highway has to close) the cafe can get very busy.

He enjoys working there but has to put up with some rather interesting situations.  He told me that a least twice a month he has to call the police. 

Last summer an older man locked himself out of the room he was renting, that was no problem but he was wandering around in his underwear!

The other week a customer said the Wi-Fi had stopped working.  David said that he put the customer onto another computer while he checked what had happened.  The customer started on about the cafe being hacked and the Russians were behind it.  David laughed but then realized that the customer was serious.

Last week they had a very interesting customer!!

An owl!!  It just walked in and sat in the middle of the floor.

David managed to get it back outside, it was very sleepy.

After work, David went to check on it but it had gone.