We responded to this flier and signed up for the Kyoto City Comprehensive Disaster Drill. The flier was in English, Japanese, and Chinese, and the event was translated into the English and Chinese.
When we arrived at the spot this morning, there were lots of people, and someone holding a sign. It took a minute to realize that this was our event. They checked off our names, gave us name tags, and reimbursed us for our bus fare. Everyone got a vest with the name of the event, and we were moved from spot to spot for a bit (much as we would be in a real disaster).
When we came up out of the station as a group, we could see that this was a very large event with lots of other groups of people, tents, emergency vehicles, stations. After some more waiting, we were given the chance to practice using AED devices on the same type of dummies that you train CPR on in the US. This was particularly useful for me because I was wondering how I would use an AED that spoke Japanese. There are lots of AED devices visible here, and response time for an ambulance is 7 minutes, so it makes sense to have everyone ready, foreigners included.
Call 119, not 911 in Japan.
Next station was water course. We put on boots, and walked through murky moving water with uncertain footing (we were given canes) to practice. And we had a chance to try to open a door that had 40 cm of water pressing against it (impossible).
Next station was an earthquake simulator. Four people stood at a kitchen table, then the truck shook like a 7 level earthquake. Each person needed to get the chair out of the way and crawl under the table in the midst of lots of movement. Will held on, but did not get under the table. Ooops.
Next stop was a seating section where we were given emergency rations to taste. Turns out it was more or less instant fried rice, and was quite good.
Then we watched an emergency scenario -- smoking bus, "person" squished under an heavy block and a smoking "building". When those were fixed, many "wounded" were taken off by firefighters, police, Red Cross, and "Self defense force" people.
Then there was smoke on top of a building with about 8 stories -- a helicopter delivered a person to the rooftop, and another person repelled down the outside. Then, a group of volunteer firefighters sprayed a lot of water. Finally the mayor gave a 5-minute speech.
For the firefighters, police, Red Cross, and "Self defense force" people, this was real training.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
"Please wait for a few minutes for the change of the driver."
"Please wait for a few minutes for the change of the driver."
Subtitile: Learning to ride the bus in Kyoto.
We do understand the basics -- get on the bus in the back, and pay 220 yen when you off in the front. Each bus stop has a name, and the name is posted electronically in the bus as well as announced. There is an excellent bus map well worth carrying with you. If you pay very careful attention, this can get you where you are going. At the bus stop there is a route map for each of the buses that stops there, as well as separate time schedules for weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays/holidays.
But there are puzzling things. We are a couple of stops from a bus yard, and sometimes they will announce in English, "Please wait for a few minutes for the change of the driver." The driver undoes his seatbelt as we approach the stop, and collects his name plates from two display slots, bows to the passengers, and gets off. The next driver is ready to go with his microphone already attached to his hat, slips in his name plates, and heads off.
Occasionally, at the same spot, the bus will give its end-of-the-line announcement and everyone unloads. We walk to the next stop, and another bus comes along with the same number, but seems to cost two fares.
And one time, after this announcement, the driver got off, and a uniformed fellow stood in the doorway. After the bit, the driver came running back, probably from a bathroom break, and the other fellow left. All I could think of was the wonderful children's book, "Please don't let the pigeon drive the bus." Clearly the fellow in the doorway was making sure that the pigeon would not get on an try to drive the bus.
We recently learned that you can get a 500 yen pass for the day -- thus getting on and off as often as you wish. And today I learned that I can get a monthly pass and be done with always rummaging up cash. (Actually, you have to put the exact change in the slot, but the machine gives change from another slot.) It turns out that, with my pass, Will (as a family member) can come along for only 100 yen (instead of 220) on weekends and holidays.
Today we hopped on a bus to Kyoto Station, and as we were getting off, learned that it was not a copy bus -- and thus not covered by our 500 yen day pass......
And you have to think a lot about which side to wait on (since they drive on the opposite side of the road, and since the stops are not necessarily opposite one another.)
Overall, they come on time, run often, and work well.
Subtitile: Learning to ride the bus in Kyoto.
We do understand the basics -- get on the bus in the back, and pay 220 yen when you off in the front. Each bus stop has a name, and the name is posted electronically in the bus as well as announced. There is an excellent bus map well worth carrying with you. If you pay very careful attention, this can get you where you are going. At the bus stop there is a route map for each of the buses that stops there, as well as separate time schedules for weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays/holidays.
But there are puzzling things. We are a couple of stops from a bus yard, and sometimes they will announce in English, "Please wait for a few minutes for the change of the driver." The driver undoes his seatbelt as we approach the stop, and collects his name plates from two display slots, bows to the passengers, and gets off. The next driver is ready to go with his microphone already attached to his hat, slips in his name plates, and heads off.
Occasionally, at the same spot, the bus will give its end-of-the-line announcement and everyone unloads. We walk to the next stop, and another bus comes along with the same number, but seems to cost two fares.
And one time, after this announcement, the driver got off, and a uniformed fellow stood in the doorway. After the bit, the driver came running back, probably from a bathroom break, and the other fellow left. All I could think of was the wonderful children's book, "Please don't let the pigeon drive the bus." Clearly the fellow in the doorway was making sure that the pigeon would not get on an try to drive the bus.
We recently learned that you can get a 500 yen pass for the day -- thus getting on and off as often as you wish. And today I learned that I can get a monthly pass and be done with always rummaging up cash. (Actually, you have to put the exact change in the slot, but the machine gives change from another slot.) It turns out that, with my pass, Will (as a family member) can come along for only 100 yen (instead of 220) on weekends and holidays.
Today we hopped on a bus to Kyoto Station, and as we were getting off, learned that it was not a copy bus -- and thus not covered by our 500 yen day pass......
And you have to think a lot about which side to wait on (since they drive on the opposite side of the road, and since the stops are not necessarily opposite one another.)
Overall, they come on time, run often, and work well.
What can be done while riding a bicycle in Japan?
I have seen the following things being done while riding a bicycle in Japan:
Holding an umbrella
Talking on the cell phone
Texting
Cleaning the fingernails of one hand with the nails of the other hand. Look Ma, no hands.
Carrying two kids in bike seats -- as well as their bags and some groceries. This is not unique to Japan -- daughter-in-law Liz does this in DC.
Playing a harmonica
Smoking
Carrying an 8 foot long Japanese archery bow
Carrying your boyfriend on the back of the bicycle, seated sideways.
As a high school student, carrying a large duffel bag on the back, a regular backpack on the front, and a medium sized bag from the handle bar.
As a middle-aged couple, biking together, each having a small dog in the front basket.
Carrying your girlfriend on the back of the bicycle, seated sideways -- with each of you having a back pack and a medium sized duffel bag.
With the typhoon coming, the carrying baskets had elastic-edged nylon or plastic covers like you can see on a backpack.
Carrying bags of bottles and cans for recycling. This morning a fellow came by on his bike with two gigantic bags strapped to the back, two very large bags dangling from the back of the bicycle, and 3 very large bags dangling from the front of the bicycle.
(Kids often wear helmets, adults do not.)
And today I saw two mothers, each with a child on the back of her bicycle, probably on their way to preschool. The mothers were chatting, and the children were content. The children's bike helmets were in the bike's front baskets.
Alternatively, I saw two children with their mother at the bus stop, and one of the children was wearing his bike helmet there -- no bike in sight.
Locking bikes:
Instructions from George Washington University:
"Know how to properly secure your bike. Use a steel U-lock and consider using multiple locks."
And to lock a bike in Japan, there is a flimsy lock ($2?) that keeps the wheel from turning. That is it. The bike is not locked to anything.
Holding an umbrella
Talking on the cell phone
Texting
Cleaning the fingernails of one hand with the nails of the other hand. Look Ma, no hands.
Carrying two kids in bike seats -- as well as their bags and some groceries. This is not unique to Japan -- daughter-in-law Liz does this in DC.
Playing a harmonica
Smoking
Carrying an 8 foot long Japanese archery bow
Carrying your boyfriend on the back of the bicycle, seated sideways.
As a high school student, carrying a large duffel bag on the back, a regular backpack on the front, and a medium sized bag from the handle bar.
As a middle-aged couple, biking together, each having a small dog in the front basket.
Carrying your girlfriend on the back of the bicycle, seated sideways -- with each of you having a back pack and a medium sized duffel bag.
With the typhoon coming, the carrying baskets had elastic-edged nylon or plastic covers like you can see on a backpack.
Carrying bags of bottles and cans for recycling. This morning a fellow came by on his bike with two gigantic bags strapped to the back, two very large bags dangling from the back of the bicycle, and 3 very large bags dangling from the front of the bicycle.
(Kids often wear helmets, adults do not.)
And today I saw two mothers, each with a child on the back of her bicycle, probably on their way to preschool. The mothers were chatting, and the children were content. The children's bike helmets were in the bike's front baskets.
Alternatively, I saw two children with their mother at the bus stop, and one of the children was wearing his bike helmet there -- no bike in sight.
Locking bikes:
Instructions from George Washington University:
"Know how to properly secure your bike. Use a steel U-lock and consider using multiple locks."
And to lock a bike in Japan, there is a flimsy lock ($2?) that keeps the wheel from turning. That is it. The bike is not locked to anything.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
More on the weather in Kyoto
I have discovered the "official" weather forecast for Kyoto from the Japan Meteorological Agency. Previously, some of the weather reports have been from the airport in Osaka -- nearby, but much cooler.
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/week/333.html
In the forecasts, they actually acknowledge an error band around the predictions and they rate the accuracy of their estimate as A, B, or C. And they even give you the percent correct for A and C predictions. The accuracy of the precipitation forecast was 86% for A level of confidence and 56% for C level of confidence.
I think this level of information is great -- and it make sense when you realize that all students get some statistics in high school.
None of this detail changes the fact that it will continue in the 90's and high 90's more or less indefinitely. Apparently fall comes with fall colors and cool weather in November. Kyoto is known to be particularly hot because it is surrounded by mountains that hold the air in.
Being surrounded by mountains was strategically a good idea back in the 8th century.......
None of this detail changes the fact that it will continue in the 90's and high 90's more or less indefinitely. Apparently fall comes with fall colors and cool weather in November. Kyoto is known to be particularly hot because it is surrounded by mountains that hold the air in.
Being surrounded by mountains was strategically a good idea back in the 8th century.......
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
So how hot is it? And why is the heat so oppressive?
This matters so much because it is not an automobile based society -- we, and the Japanese, are out in this sun. For me it is a 15 minute walk to the grocery store, and a 10 minute walk from the bus stop to my office. To go from the office to the gym/pool is a 20 minute walk, or a bit more. And it can take 10 minutes of waiting to get a bus mid-day. And, of course, visiting all these temples and shrines involves walking.
Sometimes we take a great interest in what is in the little shops that we pass -- just to enter and enjoy a few minutes of air conditioning.
30 = 86
35 = 95
40 = 104
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
What are they wearing, and what does that mean for me?
Mindful of the ongoing heat, the well dressed business man is wearing his dark suit and white shirt, but with no tie and an open collar. More men are wearing short sleeved shirts, with or without a tie, and no jacket.
There is a serious energy shortage -- all but a couple of the nuclear plants are turned off, and those remaining ones are going to be turned off in September for inspection. The high cost of imported fuel is cancelling out the impact of the favorable exchange rate on exports. So the air conditioning levels have been kept quite warm. The implication might be that layers are not needed indoors or out.
What are the women wearing? They are wearing layers, apparently for protection from the sun, and sometimes for modesty with short skirts or skimpy tops. The leggings come in white, black, and black/white patterned, and in lengths from above the knee to full length.
Women often have a sweater or long sleeved cotton or linen shirt to protect their arms from the sun. Sometimes a cotton scarf keeps the sun off the back of the neck. Women also wear sleeve protectors (like I wore to keep warm running) in various lengths to keep off the sun. Sometimes this takes the form of full length gloves, or fingerless elbow length gloves.
For the head, many women are wearing a hat, and carrying a UV umbrella for portable shade.
And the styles vary, from eclectic mixes of prints, stripes and patterns to tailored clothes that seems to come right from Eileen Fisher. Colors are muted: as a friend once described the fashions in New York, squirrel colors -- black, tan, grey.
I have looked for models of what professional women my age are wearing. But, there are almost no professional women my age.......
Some days I feel defiant and wear a bright print skirt with an orange top. In one shop I overheard them saying my print/orange outfit was cute! Not my usual category. Or I might wear a bright blue top or scarf with my wonderful going-away bright blue earrings. Other days I am as muted as the Japanese. I have been coveting, and so shopped.
I picked out a couple of things to try on, and was invited into a try-on-booth. Immediately I was corrected for stepping onto the round rug in the middle of the booth with my shoes. And I was asked to use the face cover when trying on -- presumably so that I would not get my makeup (?) all over the clothes. The face cover was lightweight non-woven fabric more or less shaped like a bag.
I now have some of the proper accessories -- lightweight hat, grey cotton scarf, 100% cotton long sleeved shirt in off white, lightweight dark blue sweater, and UV umbrella with lace around the edge. I will seek out more sun protection, even though I put sunscreen on my face and arms every morning.
There is a serious energy shortage -- all but a couple of the nuclear plants are turned off, and those remaining ones are going to be turned off in September for inspection. The high cost of imported fuel is cancelling out the impact of the favorable exchange rate on exports. So the air conditioning levels have been kept quite warm. The implication might be that layers are not needed indoors or out.
What are the women wearing? They are wearing layers, apparently for protection from the sun, and sometimes for modesty with short skirts or skimpy tops. The leggings come in white, black, and black/white patterned, and in lengths from above the knee to full length.
Women often have a sweater or long sleeved cotton or linen shirt to protect their arms from the sun. Sometimes a cotton scarf keeps the sun off the back of the neck. Women also wear sleeve protectors (like I wore to keep warm running) in various lengths to keep off the sun. Sometimes this takes the form of full length gloves, or fingerless elbow length gloves.
For the head, many women are wearing a hat, and carrying a UV umbrella for portable shade.
And the styles vary, from eclectic mixes of prints, stripes and patterns to tailored clothes that seems to come right from Eileen Fisher. Colors are muted: as a friend once described the fashions in New York, squirrel colors -- black, tan, grey.
I have looked for models of what professional women my age are wearing. But, there are almost no professional women my age.......
Some days I feel defiant and wear a bright print skirt with an orange top. In one shop I overheard them saying my print/orange outfit was cute! Not my usual category. Or I might wear a bright blue top or scarf with my wonderful going-away bright blue earrings. Other days I am as muted as the Japanese. I have been coveting, and so shopped.
I picked out a couple of things to try on, and was invited into a try-on-booth. Immediately I was corrected for stepping onto the round rug in the middle of the booth with my shoes. And I was asked to use the face cover when trying on -- presumably so that I would not get my makeup (?) all over the clothes. The face cover was lightweight non-woven fabric more or less shaped like a bag.
I now have some of the proper accessories -- lightweight hat, grey cotton scarf, 100% cotton long sleeved shirt in off white, lightweight dark blue sweater, and UV umbrella with lace around the edge. I will seek out more sun protection, even though I put sunscreen on my face and arms every morning.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Fears, founded and unfounded
Two Japanese encounters are especially scary. First, taxis. The driver more or less expects you to know where you are going, and he expects you to be able to give him directions. The first time I tried to get to my old apartment, we drove right past it because I had never approached it from that direction. I got about 3 blocks away. Next time I got within a couple of blocks. then I got right around the corner.
We have practiced giving directions in my Japanese class, and those were very practical lessons.
The new apartment is easier for directing a taxi because it is near a major intersection. It is easy to take a taxi to the station because little direction needs to be provided.
The second scary encounter is getting my hair cut -- my hair is getting longer and longer while I work up my courage. When I was here 25 years ago, the first time I went for a haircut, I took 3 dictionaries. And the first thing they did was take my purse and put it, with the dictionaries, into a locker. I will keep you posted.
Actual fears -- getting run over by a car or a bicycle. Many people get around by bicycle, without either helmets or bike lanes. They ride on the sidewalks -- which vary from particularly narrow to quite wide. There is no system for who gets which part of the path, and bicycles seem to assume some right-of-way. Sometimes they signal when overtaking, but not necessarily. I try to find someone to walk behind who would be hit before me.....
And the cars also seem to assume some priority, even when I am in the crosswalk, crossing with the light. They come quite close to pedestrians when making their turns.
Actual/not? The Lonely Planet guide suggest that Japan is not a safe place for a woman -- even though it is particularly safe in so many other ways. I use caution, and stay away from where men have been drinking at night.
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