But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' red

Okay, I promised photos last time, but, do to intrigue and cell phone issues, they are not going to be here this time round. Apologies. And away we go.

What can I say about last week? Busy? Oh, heavens yes. Entertaining. Sometimes, other times mind blowingly dull. They say god looks out for drunks and fools. Apparently this doesn't apply to those who are stubbornly idiotic. My story begins Saturday morning as I awoke to the pitter patter of raindrops on the window pain. Saturday, as you well know, is my Sirobara Chorus practice. It is located near center Tokyo and usually takes about an hour and a half to go to. My conundrum was this: I didn't have an umbrella. I didn't want to buy an umbrella. Why? Because I'm a man and it comes with the territory, that and not asking directions (which we'll get to later).

We haven't hit monsoon here in Japan (technically we never do), but the weather was doing its level best to convince us otherwise. The sheets fell in droves and then would suddenly stop. I can only assume these pauses were to scout my position and allow my hopes to rise for a brief instant before drowning them in the next downpour. I decided to capitalize on their bravado and make a mad dash for the local trainstation. If I could only make it their I would be able to plan the next stage of attack while the clouds, for all their bluster, waited impotently outside. I timed my exit, and with an eye on the sky I wove my way through the sparse Saturday traffic to my destination. Safe again, I thought about giving the sky another bird to occupy its time.

There are two stations I could take to get to Tokyo University. The long way around would practically leave me at its doorstep to skip merrily to class. The shorter trip cost 30 yen less (about 35 cents), but would involve me navigating unfarmiliar roads by foot and would take about 15 minutes under the best of circumstances (I have walked to but never from the station).

If Daniel should try the new route and save some pocket change, turn to paragraph 7

If Daniel should play it safe and caugh up the extra dough, turn to...well I already said I was stubbornly idiotic.

So yeah, Ochanomizu station. Stepping outside, I struggle to place the landmarks. From somewhere above mother nature watched as I picked a roads, travelled a few hundred yards down it only to backtrack. She knew she had to bide her time as I could always take the train to the closer stop. I finally hit upon a route the seemed proper and began down it. Slowly at first, so as not to arouse my suspicion, droplets began to rain down from above. It was only enough to hasten my step and not drive my back to the station. By the time I had caught on to her ploy, I was halfway between the station and what I thought to be Tokyo University (it wasn't). With only a meager understanding of my location and precious time before practice ticking away, I was an easy target for the heavy artillary. I dashed hither and thither, under this overhang and the next doing my level best to keep dry and figure out where to go next. Finally, I had to cede victory to the sky and weathered the storm as I while I found a reliable street map. Dripping wet, but on time, I arrived at practice.

Well, at least I wasn't with the American first term student who were sight seeing in Kamakura this weekend. I believe around this time they were on Enoshima (described in a previous blog as Hyrule), which left them completely open to the elements. (Damn, the Song of Storms is an instrumental so no referencing it)