Which is, of course, Japanese for ‘hot.’

I am back in Okinawa and go through the well trod procedures for establishment.

First comes a car. I do not own a car but rent from the genial Kiyuna san.

Straight down to the boat.

I had intended to mess around with boat a bit but the incredible heat and humility drive me off. It is impossibly hotto.

Next to Ginowan City Hall to get my new Health Insurance card. I am dealt with immediately by the laudable Momo san. She tells me that Ginowan City will give me money! Apparently if I spend more than 8,000 yen a year on medical expenses then the surplus will be reimbursed. They give me 14,000 yen. Not a huge sum but enough for some bottles of Champagne. All for the privilege of using the wonderful Japanese health service.

So straight to my favorite clinic . Nagasaki sensei sees me immediately and there is lots of blood test, urine test, lung X-ray stuff.

Next day I go back to get the results. I am OK.

Not sure why, but one of the first things I do is order a whole lamb from Tokyo. I also order a small freezer in which to store it. I blunder as the lamb arrives immediately but the freezer will take a couple more days to be delivered. Where do you store 18 kilos of lamb?

Anyway all of this is inconsequential compared to the letter I received a couple of weeks ago from the Californian tax authority. It said they were examining my tax history and would I fill in a complex form. This is a damoclesian sword that has been hanging over me for the last decade. I pay no tax as I have very small income income in the States. This seems wrong to me as I have tons of money and surely should pay tax.

As the admirable Amber, https://www.facebook.com/aFavoritePhotography/ told me:

You don’t tug on Superman’s cape
You don’t spit into the wind
You don’t pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger
And you don’t mess around with the IRS

I fill in the form and expect a reckoning whereby I have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for unpaid tax and penalties.

What a relief!

What a feeling of calm and security to be back in Okinawa after my recent travels. In the U.K. nothing seems to work. In California the health care system sucks big time. In Okinawa, everything works and is accompanied with glorious smiles.