I came to Okinawa believing that I would be able to get my eye fixed quickly. Lurking at the back of my feeble mind was that I was making up the ease of getting cataract surgery in Okinawa. It would in reality be complex and take months.
Notwithstanding, I amble into the Hayakawa Eye Clinic, which is just up the road – no appointment.
” Gimme cataract surgery!” I suggest Dreedle-like.
A wonderful nurse leads me off immediately and places me in front of a series of eye machines.
5 minutes later I am talking to the the clinic head honcho.
” Yessiree, y’all got cataract big time in right eye. Lookit, because of history of Uveitis there is 5% maybe 10% risk of complication after the surgery. D’y’all wanna go ahead?”
” What was the name of Fridtjof Nansen‘s boat?”
“The Fram of course!”
” So Forward!” I cry.
I am led off for a blood test and an electrocardiogram.
” OK,” says head honcho “Can you come in on 4 March? I can slice up your eye at 09:00”
” The surgery will be expensive.”
” How much?”
“18,000 yen!”
Food background noise.
Wrong of me to doubt the excellence of Japan.
The Quiet Ripple Defines The Pond 
Ah, cherry blossom season – wonderful time. That food looks just great – mouth’s watering even though I only had a meal an hour ago! Looks like there’s a young lady facing you – who’s that?
Great that the eye people are sorting you out for such an un-American price and so quickly. Good thing that you got out of the USA when you did as at any moment the Orange Loon is likely to sign an order cancelling Medicare. Of course there’s always the chance that he’ll put “beautiful tariffs” on medical treatment in foreign countries so hopefully you’ll get your treatment before that happens.
Could we borrow some of your weather? It’s 1 or 2C outside as I type tonight and tomorrow gets no higher than 4C.
Enjoy your time in the sun.