I woke up this morning and remembered something that sent me straight out of the covers and busy: today I was to collect my 1000 yen bicycle. During the Meidai foreign student’s bazaar a month ago, I was placed on the waiting list in the second-hand bicycle lottery, getting sixth place in a drawing for four lots. Of course, I assumed my chances of getting a bike were slim to none (who is going to turn down a $9 bicycle, even a one gear, rust covered mama-chari?), but to my great surprise I found a mail in my inbox a few weeks ago titled “bick” and detailing the procedure, time and place I should remember in order to collect the goods. Yatta ne, Emi. You got yourself a bicycle.
I remember the last time I lived in Japan, my bike and I were inseparable during summer vacation. Bright red, one gear, shopping basket between the handlebars…I named it “the wind,” I got a hilarious farmers tan riding it up and down the hills and and winding roads of the Machida Suburbs. During school, riding to the train station everyday was one of my favorite parts of the morning, because it was all downhill for the most part and on the way to the bike parking garage near Tamagawa Gakuen Mae I would pick up so much speed that everything would go blurry and curves would be a wide and dangerous arc of movement. There was a hill right in front of the station, the last hill on the way there named korokoro zaka, presumably onomatopoeia for the sound you would make rolling down it – the thing was practically a 45 degree incline. Miho and I would blast down it, with our seifuku skirts flying out behind us. It was great.
So I have a bike. It’s a bit rusty, not a pretty shiny red thing like Kaze, but the chain and the breaks seem pretty solid, and you can shift going up the hills. The name on the fender is 西村竜次. I think I’ll call it “Ryuu.”
Later: I rode to many kilometers. I found a book off. I ate lunch at Bamiyan Ramen, which had free Icee refills. My life is complete.
In closing, A Random Thing:
At the North Co-op Cafeteria, I have had all these flavors of soft serve ice cream:
- Green Tea
- Annin (or Chinese Gelatin Dessert)
- Black Sesame
- Yuzu Peel (Japanese Citrus)
- Sakura (Cherry Blossom)
- Rose
- Miso Flavor
-Genmai (brown rice)
-Ume (Japanese Sour Plum)
and
- Wasabi
I have not tried Japanese purple Yam flavor or Tofu because it is sold out.
