Well, the last time I did something like this, I was in Toronto, and
20 years younger! Back on Sunday, I made the mistake of trying
to cross the road at a rail crossing diagonally.
The thing about rail tracks embedded in street pavement;
they like to eat bicycle tires!
Down I went, banging my right hip nicely on a rail. OUCH!
Worse! I am lying hurt on a railway track! CRAWL TO SAFETY FAST!
Lucky me: no train, no guardrails coming down, the car that pulled
up to the crossing in my lane is blocking traffic, and two nice ladies
have grabbed my bike and dragged it to the side.
The older one is rubbing my hip as if I was a bruised
grade-schooler and repeating “itai! itai! itai!” (”hurts ! ?”)
All I can say is “sumimassen and arrigato”
Thankyou-sorry, over and over again.
Crap it hurts!
The next thing, they are joined by another lady, and all three
are asking me things that I cannot understand.
Then one says in practiced english “You can not
understand japanese?” I can’t even remember
enough Pimsleur to get out a "wakerimas-sen".
So their cells phones are out, and I am anticipating police
and ambuance, and lots of explaining. . . Yike! Lucky for
me I have my cell phone with a nice Softbank 3000Y
prepaid sim card in it, and I can get through to my friend.
She was able to translate, thank my good samaritans and
was soon on the way. Five minutes later she is helping me
do final thanks, and helping me sling my bruised
ass over my bike seat and limp it and myself back
to her apartment. Hurts like heck!
Eat lots of Ibuprophen and thank all the gods of japan
that I didn’t become train meat (Densha Niku ????).
The next day I hurt even more, so my friend makes it clear
that I should visit her friendly local physiotherapy/
sports medicine clinic, where I can get acupuncture,
muscle zapping, heat treatment, moxa and referrals to a
nearby hospital, if needed.
A quick call to my trip insurance, via Magic Jack internet
phone confirms that I am covered for physiotherapy, but
not acupuncture. Yeah Magic Jack! I am making free calls
all over North America, because it thinks I am in L.A.
My friend’s optical fibre internet connection makes the call
completely clear - so clear that the insurance agent is extra
vigilant to make sure I am really me, and not pulling a scam.
Doctor Yoshida’s clinic is half a block away, and caters to
the neighbourhood’s aches and pains, as well as local
sports teams. He spent time in Canada, has a good
command of english and is soon tapping, squishing
and hooking me up to a muscle zapper.
15 minutes on the back, 10 more on the front, and then I get
taped up like an injured athlete. Total bill; Y1400
(about C$16 !!!!!)
So if you are going to sprain yourself, Japan is not the
worst place to do it! It is now Wednesday evening, and
I had done some mall-walking and slow leisurely bicycling.
Got to “Hard Off” (see last year’s posts) today with
my friend, and picked out a nice set of lightly used
(like new) pc/ipod speakers for her apartment, and
another Y1050 3MP canon sd camera for myself
(ebay for charger, battery and memory will add
another C$15, but this one matches the one I
already have, so it can share).
Side note: sorry Nick; no digital sound recorder
yet - only ones found are low quality units for
salaryman dictation duties.
Then back to Yoshida Sensei’s clinic..
Another session, more muscle zapping
and taping, and only Y900 bill!
This is ridiculous! Best deal in physiotherapy
around! I think he is giving me the discount rate
for impoverished looking tourists!
So I might miss going to a few tourist spots,
as I heal. But I am getting to watch
the Sumo tournament on NHK tv,
and they have an english commentary track,
(sometimes with a 75 year old "veddy British" lady
who is a world expert on Sumo),
and all is well in the world.
Must heal enough to do the MORI galley
in Tokyo, and Akihabra, and then
Kyoto.
One week done, another 2 to go!
