Always have a camera with you

I realised that I should always carry a camera while here in Japan. The other day I was wondering around the local mall, called Roppongi Hills (similar to Tyson's Corner) on a rainy day. Outside the shopping area is an open forum where special events and concerts are frequently held. Well, imagine my surprise when I wandered over to see an Octoberfest/Tyrolean style 'oompapa band', in full lederhosen, valiently playing away in the pouring rain. They were all Japanese. It isn't even October! I was so frustrated to have left my camera behind, as this was a rare and special opportunity.

I lost my front door key this weekend, it must have fallen out of my basket when Tony and I took a lovely outing on our bikes to celebrate Father's Day and lunched at a little restaurant by the river a few miles from here. We were so hot and tired and thirsty by the time we had cycled uphill on the way home and were more than frustrated at struggling to find someone, who understood our English and who had a spare house key on a Sunday. Luckily, the owner was not so far away and we finally managed to track him down and he soon came to let us in. The estimate for the cost of changing the lock was monumentally high, but when four men turned up today to change it, I could understand the cost, except that only one man actually changed the lock. The rest of the suited men (including the senior architect of the management company) all watched and commented. It took all of 10 minutes. They were concerned that I was unable to return all the old keys, despite me using my wonderful mime skills to demonstrate that I had lost one of the keys and that was the reason for the new lock. Then they all stood in line on the front door step, bowed to me and departed. This is, apparently, how Japan manages to ensure a low unemployment rate. Layer upon layer of bureaucracy, several people to do the job of one man or woman. I dare not ask how many Japanese it takes to change a lightbulb... Whenever we have had to deal with government agencies (driving license office, alien registration department in the local ward office, to name but two examples), we have to wade our way through innumerable levels of seniority and many layers of workers to achieve our aim. It must be immensely costly, but it ensures a high employment rate and a very low number of homeless people, so perhaps not entirely without good results.