June 7, 2009 – 2:39am
After waking up at 8:00am, I went through my morning routine and headed to work. It was Saturday, so I wasn’t sure about going to work, but I decided to go since most of my co-workers would be there, and I wanted to use the internet for free. I got to lab at around 9:30am and talked to some people online. At around 11am my boss, the associate professor in the lab, came to talk to me. He is really funny, and a really nice person, so I had a great time talking to him. He also seems concerned about my well-being and me having people to spend time with. He asked me if I had friends around here, etc.
A guy came to my desk yesterday and introduced himself, I asked him if he was doing research in that lab (it didn’t seem that way since he was dressed in a suit) and he said that no, he just goes there to sell tips, pipets, and other things to the professor. He was a really nice guy, and when I stopped talking to him he went back to the associate professor. I’m sure the professor told him to introduce himself to me, which is funny. I wonder if the professor was sitting there and told him: “that foreigner needs friends, go talk to him.”
Anyway, my boss asked me things about what I liked to do, and what I wanted to do, and he suggested a few things I could do in the project. I told him that it sounded good since I had applied those skills before (PCR, cloning, etc.) and that if I had any questions I’d ask the post-doc I’m working with. He seemed satisfied with this answer, and after we talked for a bit longer he went back to his desk to discuss something with another researcher in the lab. I then plated some cells, and afterward went to lunch. Lunch was delicious and cheap, as usual.
At around 3pm I decided to head back home since I was a bit tired and did not want to spend my Saturday in lab. I got home at around 5pm and I was so tired I just laid on bed for a bit… which turned into me falling asleep! I woke up at 1am. Haha. So much for having fixed my sleep schedule this week, now I went back to a completely messed up sleeping schedule. I’ll try to sleep in an hour or so.
So at around 2am I decided to go out and see how lively it was around here at that time. I went down the street and called my mom a few times, but she didn’t pick up. After a bit I just kept going and walked around. There are quite a few places open at night, some food places, some karaoke bars, and some 24 hours convenience stores. I kept going, and when I crossed an underground ‘bridge’ at the other side this woman came to ‘talk to me’. When I said I was doing fine she offered me a ‘massage’ and said that ‘it will feel good, for sure’. This woman looked pretty cute, and I wondered why she was offering massages in the corner of a street by the train station at 2am, but I just told her not to worry, I was doing just fine as it was. She asked me where I was from and told me that I was cute, like three times. I felt good for a second, and then realized that she probably tells that to everyone she offers a massage to. Oh gosh, the oldest profession, mastered by a selected few around the world – a self-selected few, that is.
I kept going and then stopped a bit further down to call my parents from a different phone. I called home and my stepfather answered, so I talked to him and my brother for a few minutes. Then I tried calling my mom again, this time she answered. Turns out she was talking to someone else when I called before, and she thought my call was one of those random phone promotions since the phone number was weird. I talked to her for a while and she told me to call my dad, so I did. I talked to my dad for a bit longer and then headed back home. On the way back home the same woman offered me a massage… she really didn’t get it, I had NO interest in a massage…
I told her that I was fine, not to worry, and told her to have a good night. I am so polite. A few seconds later this man was walking past me (in her direction) so I decided to see how he would manage the same situation. Turns out he just kept walking as if she hadn’t talk to him at all. I guess when you have been offered enough massages in your life you learn that it’s easier not to pay attention to the offers at all. Sort of like my mom not answering the phone cause she thought it would just be someone trying to sell her something… I guess life teaches you something every day. I just felt bad completely ignoring such a ‘cute, nice girl’.
So that was pretty much the summary of my day. On the way to work this morning two men were walking down the street and when I looked at them they greeted me: “Konnichi wa! (good afternoon!)” and I greeted them back. One of them stopped for a minute and asked me where I was from, and what I was doing here, and then wished me good luck! He was so nice.
Mm… I don’t think I’ve mentioned here that I love the water heater in my apartment. I turn it on and with a control set the exact temperature I want the water at, so when I shower/bathe I don’t have to adjust the temperature by opening both the cold and hot water – I just open the hot water hose and the water comes out at the temperature I want. Sigh… just thinking about it makes me want to go bathe. ~
Also, I think there is something special about water in Japan. When I shower or bathe, the water feels so nice on my skin. I don’t know what it is, but it just feels more like I’m bathing in a natural water pond than at home. Maybe that’s just my mind making things up? Not sure.
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