When it works. And it works beautifully in Japan. I'm not sure exactly how it's subsidized and who pays for what, but it must be. Foxy had a touch of something after coming home from Tokyo Disney. We reckoned it was a cold. Grandpa had it too because they both got caught without their coats when Ali wanted to see the Disney Light Parade or whatever it's called, and the wind was ablowing.
Anyway, we trundled Foxy out of the compound and down the street to the hospital. Total wait time - 20 minutes. It's a take-a-number system and it's a bit dodgy and bureaucratic in that Japanese way but when in Rome... Total consultation time - 10 minutes. Problem: Foxy's name does not register in the system. Dr. Tanaka looks up and gets a wink and nod from Ali's dad. Problem disappears. Wow - that man is powerful. The doctor hands Ali a prescripton and it's off to the payment queue we go. Total consult cost - less than 20 bucks. Ali says the drugs are going to cost more. Always confused me that one. Labour is almost always the biggest direct cost of any process. You'd think the doctor cost more than a few pills. And I'm sure he does - that's where the subsidy comes in.
For some reason, the hospital won't fill our scrip and sends us across the street. I ask Ali why, and all she can say is that it's different. At first I put it down to the insurance thing, but it's probably more like the pharmacy in the hospital is stocked with narcotics and stuff that Foxy doesn't need.
Off we go to the pharmacy. Total time including consult - 20 minutes. Total cost... 20 bucks. What? That's not even going to cover my deductible if I claim it on my medical insurance. I guess it would add up if you had say, three kids and they all got sick more than once a year.
In the end I guess technically we cheated the system, but if this is the way it works, then I wouldn't mind kicking in a little every year when if we ever move back here. As long as Foxy is healthy, I'd gladly pay.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Back in the Saddle
We're back in Tokyo now. Gasoline is about 180 yen per litre (180 x 3.71 = about $7.00 a gallon), and the morning show I chose to watch this morning did a story about how nobody is buying gas and nobody is going to restaurants. There were still an awful lot of cars on the road when they did their story so the gas is being bought somewhere. My neighbour runs his Mercedes Diesel on canola oil. I think he's a bit of a douchebag and I've got Genya keeping a close eye on him in case he tries anything when I'm away, but I have to give him credit for the canola thing. It would be even better if it were recycled canola oil. I don't know if it is. Things have soured. We don't talk. Our lawyers talk to each other.
I figured Foxy would scream blue murder when we tried to land at Narita, but she was fine. We could tell she was in pain, she would wince every few minutes but apparently she has Eustachian tubes made of steel. I'm still trying to sort out my right ear. The pressure goes all the way down my neck to my collar bone. There's something wrong there. Even two years of medical school taught me that. Ali warned me that the climate here would be "humid like hell". I've never really thought of Hell as being humid, but then again I've never given much thought to Hell. It's not too humid at all, but then Ali told me to wait until it rains. The temperature is a balmy high-teens low-twenties at 4:00 in the morning and it promises to warm up as we head closer to noon.
I sliced my finger open on my wedding ring at the airport when I grabbed the luggage off the carousel. It wasn't too bad, but now I think it's getting infected. On the way home, the chauffeur nearly had an accident when a landscaping truck bolted out into traffic across our lane. Thank you chauffeur for installing the baby seat. He quickly recovered and said, "My technique... In forty years of driving, I've never had an accident". I tried to lighten up the situation and said, "In two years, I've never had an accident". Everybody think the bearded white savage so funny! I could tell by the look on my mother-in-law's face at the airport that she wasn't a fan of the beard. She refused to take any pictures of me with the baby.
Foxy was up at 2:30 this morning. We discovered last night that Foxy is not a fan of real Japanese ofuro, or bath. She was crabby from jetlag. So after a power negotiation this morning, we caved and I decided to take her for a walk. We walked down to the playground (which apparently is a tick haven I found out later), and then we walked around the hospital, and watched television on some vending machines. Then we walked to 7-11 and looked at all the yummy things we aren't going to eat this time around. She loved it. Wonderful weather. However, even at 4:30 in the morning, there is no shortage of disgusted looks for the dirty foreigner. We came back to the compound at about 5:15, and had a nice breakfast.
Foxy is still scared shitless by Grandpa, and isn't too thrilled about Grandma but she'll settle in soon enough. I pledged that this time around I was going to be a better son-in-law and I'm trying to remember why I was such an asshole last year. Honestly, it's easy to be good in a place like this. But it helps when your father-in-law has friends like the ones mine has. My wax guy gave me some good advice. When he was in a hetero relationship, things were pretty bad but he had ways to deal with it. Eventually though, he had to leave. It wasn't healthy.
We're going to visit Ali's grandmother today, the one that hates all white people. It should be fun. One of Ali's friends got her daughter on a national magazine cover. Now Foxy is jealous, and she tries to rip apart the magazine any time we put it in front of her.
I figured Foxy would scream blue murder when we tried to land at Narita, but she was fine. We could tell she was in pain, she would wince every few minutes but apparently she has Eustachian tubes made of steel. I'm still trying to sort out my right ear. The pressure goes all the way down my neck to my collar bone. There's something wrong there. Even two years of medical school taught me that. Ali warned me that the climate here would be "humid like hell". I've never really thought of Hell as being humid, but then again I've never given much thought to Hell. It's not too humid at all, but then Ali told me to wait until it rains. The temperature is a balmy high-teens low-twenties at 4:00 in the morning and it promises to warm up as we head closer to noon.
I sliced my finger open on my wedding ring at the airport when I grabbed the luggage off the carousel. It wasn't too bad, but now I think it's getting infected. On the way home, the chauffeur nearly had an accident when a landscaping truck bolted out into traffic across our lane. Thank you chauffeur for installing the baby seat. He quickly recovered and said, "My technique... In forty years of driving, I've never had an accident". I tried to lighten up the situation and said, "In two years, I've never had an accident". Everybody think the bearded white savage so funny! I could tell by the look on my mother-in-law's face at the airport that she wasn't a fan of the beard. She refused to take any pictures of me with the baby.
Foxy was up at 2:30 this morning. We discovered last night that Foxy is not a fan of real Japanese ofuro, or bath. She was crabby from jetlag. So after a power negotiation this morning, we caved and I decided to take her for a walk. We walked down to the playground (which apparently is a tick haven I found out later), and then we walked around the hospital, and watched television on some vending machines. Then we walked to 7-11 and looked at all the yummy things we aren't going to eat this time around. She loved it. Wonderful weather. However, even at 4:30 in the morning, there is no shortage of disgusted looks for the dirty foreigner. We came back to the compound at about 5:15, and had a nice breakfast.
Foxy is still scared shitless by Grandpa, and isn't too thrilled about Grandma but she'll settle in soon enough. I pledged that this time around I was going to be a better son-in-law and I'm trying to remember why I was such an asshole last year. Honestly, it's easy to be good in a place like this. But it helps when your father-in-law has friends like the ones mine has. My wax guy gave me some good advice. When he was in a hetero relationship, things were pretty bad but he had ways to deal with it. Eventually though, he had to leave. It wasn't healthy.
We're going to visit Ali's grandmother today, the one that hates all white people. It should be fun. One of Ali's friends got her daughter on a national magazine cover. Now Foxy is jealous, and she tries to rip apart the magazine any time we put it in front of her.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Hanamizu Tareko
Loosely translated it means Snotrocket Girl. Is this the name that a loving mother gives to her daughter? If that mother's name is Ali, then yes. Foxy has her first cold, and it's quite scary for us. Foxy is the first, so everything is new and we always worry about her. We can't give her anything other than infant Tylenol, and Ali won't even do that. Last night she actually slept without any coughing fits. It's getting better, but now Foxy constantly has a runny nose. Doctor says she's okay to fly. Yippee.
No movies lately. Maybe I'll do shadow reviews of the movies I'm going to miss while I'm away.
No movies lately. Maybe I'll do shadow reviews of the movies I'm going to miss while I'm away.
We Had Fun, Didn't We?
We wrapped up our year-end really quick, and the next day my boss announced that we were moving stock to a new warehouse and closing the office. We are going to all work out of our flagship café that has a small closet office in the back which until now had been used somewhat successfully by 1 person. We are now going to be 3. My boss, who takes no salary because the other shareholders told him to stop wasting the company's money and not because he's the kind of magnanimous person who just works for free, now feels that the rest of the office staff should do the same. He knows that it doesn't work that way, but he just refuses to accept it. On top of that, there's somebody waiting in the wings who is willing to do my job for free, so my value becomes zero. Just to add to that, my boss gives no credence to my skills. He respects me as a person, I guess, but as an employee I get nothing. So when I come back from Japan, there will be no office left and I'll be on part-time hours looking for a new job, trying to support my family and secretly willing the café to fail.
An old co-worker dropped in last week looking for Bob and mentioned that he might have some work for me. I asked for an elaboration, and even though it pays really well doing community work, it also involves living in a stone hovel, eating guinea pig and drinking coca tea for most of the year. How could Ali refuse?
An old co-worker dropped in last week looking for Bob and mentioned that he might have some work for me. I asked for an elaboration, and even though it pays really well doing community work, it also involves living in a stone hovel, eating guinea pig and drinking coca tea for most of the year. How could Ali refuse?
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Good Things About Japan
Everywhere is relatively close. Depending how you go, you could probably get anywhere in Japan within 24 hours. Unless you take the slow train to Hokkaido. That's the only contrary example I can think of. But on that train, half the journey is getting there. Oh, and the ferry from Niigata to Hokkaido. That takes a few days too.
Cheap beer. Or rather, comparably-priced very accessible beer. Higher-priced stores like 7-11 were selling pint cans for 330 yen last year in Kyoto. That's about the same as we were selling here, but they were selling better beer and it's so easy to get. You can even drink it on the pavement, and on the trains if you behave yourself. Let me tell you though, drinking and walking at the same time is very overrated.
Kawachi Yamaya. a "grocery store" that uses about 50% of it's store space to sell cheap spirits. The stuff is only slightly cheaper, but much easier to find and much more available. I like this store.
Greenery. Some people say that there is not enough greenspace in Tokyo. I guess it all depends on where you come from. I would say that there is more than I expected, but what I like is that the flowers and shrubs tend to be different types than what we find here. Makes sense actually.
MOS Burger. I read somewhere that the closest MOS Burger is in Hawaii. But I've also heard that it closed down. I would like to eat MOS Burger again when we go next. Generally, food. A lot of people make jokes about Japanese food and how silly some of the products can be. In Tokyo, I could eat Indian food five times a day seven days straight if I wanted, each time at a different place but all equally near to my Tokyo base. Or I could eat a different kind of meal just as often. There are restaurants everywhere, but I'm not limited to pizza, chinese, and subs. I can get whatever I want, and the quality is way better. And that's why I came back from Japan fatter than I've ever been.
No cellphone zones. I'm one of those people that fantasize about punching cellphone drivers in the throat. I have a cell phone, but I use it only at long reds, or I'll pull onto the verge. Using a cell phone while driving in Japan is actually illegal. Ha ha aha. Not so simple, right? It's a matter of enforcement. Since I don't drive in Japan yet, it doesn't really concern me. What I like though, is that they have sections of train designated for cell phone users. If you are on the train, and your friend calls you to talk about this really awesome pair of blue jeans they just bought at Uniqlo real cheap then you are expected to remove yourself from the vicinity of other passengers' ears and go to the end of the car where there is a designated area for cellphone yakkers. Even if you're just messaging. It's awesome. It's like taking a time out in the corner, like that hyperactive kid in grade school who was always setting the reading mat on fire.
And almost everyone abides. I say almost because even Japan has those people - you know the ones - the ones who think that the courtesy reminders are meant for everyone else and not them because they're special and already soooo courteous. Like my father-in-law. I'm fine with that because at the time it was late (not really excusable), his daughter was in labour, and he doesn't normally ride the train with plebs so it's quite imaginable that he's not aware of the courtesy, and he just might have not seen the fifty placards requesting cell phone gags.
Cheap beer. Or rather, comparably-priced very accessible beer. Higher-priced stores like 7-11 were selling pint cans for 330 yen last year in Kyoto. That's about the same as we were selling here, but they were selling better beer and it's so easy to get. You can even drink it on the pavement, and on the trains if you behave yourself. Let me tell you though, drinking and walking at the same time is very overrated.
Kawachi Yamaya. a "grocery store" that uses about 50% of it's store space to sell cheap spirits. The stuff is only slightly cheaper, but much easier to find and much more available. I like this store.
Greenery. Some people say that there is not enough greenspace in Tokyo. I guess it all depends on where you come from. I would say that there is more than I expected, but what I like is that the flowers and shrubs tend to be different types than what we find here. Makes sense actually.
MOS Burger. I read somewhere that the closest MOS Burger is in Hawaii. But I've also heard that it closed down. I would like to eat MOS Burger again when we go next. Generally, food. A lot of people make jokes about Japanese food and how silly some of the products can be. In Tokyo, I could eat Indian food five times a day seven days straight if I wanted, each time at a different place but all equally near to my Tokyo base. Or I could eat a different kind of meal just as often. There are restaurants everywhere, but I'm not limited to pizza, chinese, and subs. I can get whatever I want, and the quality is way better. And that's why I came back from Japan fatter than I've ever been.
No cellphone zones. I'm one of those people that fantasize about punching cellphone drivers in the throat. I have a cell phone, but I use it only at long reds, or I'll pull onto the verge. Using a cell phone while driving in Japan is actually illegal. Ha ha aha. Not so simple, right? It's a matter of enforcement. Since I don't drive in Japan yet, it doesn't really concern me. What I like though, is that they have sections of train designated for cell phone users. If you are on the train, and your friend calls you to talk about this really awesome pair of blue jeans they just bought at Uniqlo real cheap then you are expected to remove yourself from the vicinity of other passengers' ears and go to the end of the car where there is a designated area for cellphone yakkers. Even if you're just messaging. It's awesome. It's like taking a time out in the corner, like that hyperactive kid in grade school who was always setting the reading mat on fire.
And almost everyone abides. I say almost because even Japan has those people - you know the ones - the ones who think that the courtesy reminders are meant for everyone else and not them because they're special and already soooo courteous. Like my father-in-law. I'm fine with that because at the time it was late (not really excusable), his daughter was in labour, and he doesn't normally ride the train with plebs so it's quite imaginable that he's not aware of the courtesy, and he just might have not seen the fifty placards requesting cell phone gags.
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