The Quiet Ripple Defines The Pond

Here is why I am back in California.

Keeping legal and up to date in two countries is a challenge. This time the validity of my California driving license is about to run out. Because I am over 70, I have to take a written test before they will renew the license. This means I must be physically present at the DMV. So I fly to the far side of the world.

Visiting the DMV is usually grim, so many people and usually some poor folks who panic at the formality and the dread of getting something wrong. The atmospheres is tense. I am terrified. First log in on computer, go to next window to queue for vision test. I have not brought my specs. I start to weep but a nice lady encourages me to take the test anyway and with the help of St Christopher, I pass! I queue to have my photo taken. I queue to take the test. This is multiple choice on a computer. ” How far must you park from an entrance? 8ft, 5ft, 7ft?” I fail. A nice lady comforts me and encourages me to take the test again – you can have three attempts. I pass!

I queue to get my final papers, “Sir, you didn’t take the motorcycle test. Don’t you wanna drive a hog?”

I go to the back of the queue. I take the test but fail. I take it again and pass! Yay, I have succeeded, five more years of US mobility.

Next is to get a US phone.

Very easy; take out Japanese SIM card, insert US SIM card and Bob’s your uncle.

New tires for James’ bike.

So good to be back in San Francisco, there is so much street life going on.

A gang of Mexican guys are working to restore the other three apartments in our building. At lunch time, a supercharged lady turns up with a vanful of home cooked food. She drives around construction sites selling wonderful Mexican meals.

Sunny, cool, joyful.

Munching through some delicious sushi I have a strange grating sensation in my mouth. Yep, I am chewing on a crown that has detached itself. Sushi! You lose crowns by chewing down on Elk bones, not sushi. I fly to California tomorrow- big drag!
I rush to Kinjo sensei’s dental clinic. “Help!”

30 minutes later I walk away with carefully fitted and nailed on crown. What luck that he and his hilarious nurses had time and inclination to look after me immediately!

The sushi was a treat after listening to Izumi sensei’s Provost’s Lecture at OIST. The lecture is part of the ritual connected to becoming a full professor and getting tenure. Yay Izumi!

A diversion from the main narrative . Things are lower in Japan. I notice this more and more as my knees become increasingly arthritic and useless. You sit down expecting the bottom to meet the seat once your thighs are more or less parallel with the floor. Not so in Japan, there is anther 6 inches of knee pain before the huge bulk finally settles.

I go down to the marina to check that the boat is nicely covered and moored so she can resist the inevitable typhoons.

Whilst at the marina, I pop over to Kiyuna San’s boat. There’s a party going on! A vicious squall has blown in and we shelter on his boat. We are Kiyuna, Kano, Okomoto, a guy from the University of the Ryukyus whose name I have forgotten, a new friend from Tokashiki who is a beekeeper and of course Jacko. The wind howls, the rain pelts whilst we eat fresh bread rolls with lots of delicious honey, drink liters of tea and tell jokes.

We have a farewell dinner at the best restaurant in the world. https://www.google.com/maps/place/恩納村こだわり沖縄料理「心の宿」/@26.4221552,127.7484782,15.39z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x34e510926b027a45:0xa6d9e10ea3d82e9a!8m2!3d26.4295568!4d127.7545419!16s%2Fg%2F124ympx8j

Sorry to leave you Okinawa but I’m off to California in the morning.

This my Sister’s and Brother in Law’s house in Sussex. Thanks Ian for the great photo.

This is where I live in Ginowan City, just above the Isakaya.

Looking back through previous posts, I read about exotic boating adventures to remote islands and the like. My recent posts are about medical checks. Oh dear.

Anyway, I get a letter from the Ginowan Town Hall about medical stuff. I cannot make it out and so seek help from the wonderful Shoko san at my local clinic. She explains that due to my decrepitude I can have a free mega total check up with emphasis on cancer screening. She sets an appointment for me in two days time. Next day, a Sunday, a polite man hand delivers an envelope containing the wherewithal for a stool test and full instructions in English of how to get to the test center etc. How did they know my address?

Thank you Japanese health service. I ask a Japanese friend if there are private hospitals and clinics. She said that she thought so but it didn’t make any difference as the charge to the patient is the same whether private or public. I don’t really understand and she could not really understand my questions.

Trouble with boat. The cord that hold the jib to the top of the Luff Spar has snapped and so the sail has slid down and thus sets badly and cannot be wound in neatly.

I have now renewed all the anti-slip paint around the cockpit and on the cabin hatch.

Must do more adventures!

I renew the antislip coating in the cockpit.

I put new shiny chain on the anchor.

We go to a Yakitori place just down the road. Such an excellent restaurant. It is very local and used to have a sign saying “Japanese Only.” They must have realized that I am pretty Okinawan now and did not throw me out. https://www.google.com/maps/place/GOT+ma-ma+Izakaya+restaurant/@26.2881239,127.7527217,18z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x34e51332f600f401:0xf19916284c2ffe6d!8m2!3d26.2878237!4d127.7539581!16s%2Fg%2F1vyst8yw

We have a great izakaya type meal. Just ordering up stray dishes as the fancy takes us and washing them down with ice cold beer.

Everything cooked on a BBQ facing out to the street. So delicious!

I make the annual pilgrimage to the iris field of Kijoka. https://thequietripple.com/2020/04/16/flag-it/

I drove there by taking the expressway. This I have not used since the accident nearly 3 years ago. https://thequietripple.com/2020/06/01/double-whammy/

It is not a classic vintage for irises. I am a bit early and only few irises are in bloom. More importantly, this is clearly a year of change as many of the old plants have been ripped out and there are large areas of newly planted irises that will not flower until next year.

I have been out on the boat a lot. Such a joy as everything is working. There are notwithstanding, as always, things that need finessing.

I notice that although the motor is working fine it seems to deliver less speed through the water. This is especially noticeable when going astern, like backing away from the pontoon. I decide that the cause is a dirty propeller. A guy in a bar once told me that a shiny propeller is very important and its efficiency is seriously compromised once dirty.

I decide to jump off the boat and scrape filth from the propeller and anything else I see that needs a bit of bullying. Masked, snorkeled and finned, I launch myself into the marina!

It is a lot of fun snooping around under the boat. It is March but already the sea is warm. I had trepidation before I took the plunge. I have not been feeling sporty of late. Would I be able to swim around underwater and above all, would I be able to negotiate the ladder fixed to the transom to get back into the boat?

Yes we can!

However new fins needed and must wear gloves as my hands are pretty badly lacerated. I understand better whyI gave up scuba diving. So much preparation! So much equipment/clothing!

I want instant gratification. I knew I should have worn gloves but I was too excited to put them on.

I go home feeling strangely fit. Skin glowing from the sea and the sun. Muscles aware that I had done some gentle exercise. I will go back to it tomorrow.

The marina is still swarming with millions of small fish.

As I get out of the car at the Ada Garden Hotel, lost in the forests of Yanbaru https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ada+Garden+Hotel+Okinawa/@26.751331,128.2963788,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m9!3m8!1s0x34e4401ed330e98f:0x2c018f8bcf9fe175!5m2!4m1!1i2!8m2!3d26.751331!4d128.2985728!16s%2Fg%2F1tgrzpgq I hear someone playing Irish tunes on the fiddle! Am I hallucinating? It is the day after St Patrick’s Day.

I speak to the gentleman who is gently playing away outside the hotel entrance. We have never met before but have many, many friends in common both in The Bay Area and Japanese Irish music diaspora. How strange is that? I wish I had brought the flute.

The reason for the trip is dinner fun with Ichiro san, Tomomi san, Martine and Albrecht. We eat and drink like Kings or Emperors, if you prefer, in Ichiro san’s amazing gallery/studio. A wonderful evening full of humor.

As bees flee hame wi’ lades o’ treasure, 

The minutes wing’d their way wi’ pleasure; 

Kings may be blest, but we were glorious, 

O’er a’ the ills o’ life victorious! 

The next day I drove slowly down the East coast of Okinawa, stopping frequently to look at things. Nice to take things slowly.

When I get back to Ginowan, I go to check on the boat. The marina is full of big shoals of small fish. I love my marina. The water is so clean.

Here is Peter playing with Fergal Scahill.

Japan’s biggest sports streaming channel is Jsports https://www.jsports.co.jp They have fantastic rugby coverage, with a round up program of the week’s activities called”Rugby Wonderful!”. This is hosted by a hilarious young woman.

So different from the deadly dull, rugby pundits in most parts of the world! Well done Japan.

I go to get a refill for my water cooler. For some reason they also sell rice.

I ask the guy which one I should buy and he recommends the cheapest. Probably thought the high quality stuff would be wasted on me. Anyway, rice in Japan is delicious!

There is also a board with cute photos of newborn babies. Their weight is highlighted. Arisa once explained what was going on but I have forgotten. Maybe you give the family the same weight in rice.

There are notably more tourists. Down at my beloved Tomari fish market https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x34e56a2ad8b579c7%3A0x5f5e66c400a87fa1!3m1!7e115!4s%2Fmaps%2Fplace%2FTomari%2Bfish%2Bmarket%2F%4026.2300302%2C127.680662%2C3a%2C75y%2C260.91h%2C90t%2Fdata%3D213m4211e1213m2211sTLV63e4Ub9BnGnK6pnEfsg212e0214m2213m1211s0x34e56a2ad8b579c7%3A0x5f5e66c400a87fa1%3Fsa%3DX!5sTomari%20fish%20market%20-%20Google%20Search!15sCgIgAQ&imagekey=!1e2!2sTLV63e4Ub9BnGnK6pnEfsg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjO_tektuT9AhW_53MBHTE9AYUQpx96BQiDARAN

There are a few tiny restaurants with 2 or3 tables where you can have the stuff you buy er cooked. These are now packed with folks from Korea and Taiwan scoffing the most exotic shellfish.

I do lots of sailing. The weather is warm. I wear shorts and a T-shirt. The winds are OK but gusty. The fresh air is wonderful.

I fill up the car. This is a rare event as it uses hardly any gas. Gas stations in Okinawa are wells of happiness.

He also hangs a red thing on the wing mirror. I am not sure why.

I go up to OIST to see some people. I thoroughly enjoy myself. The campus was closed to visitors for over 2 years and it is only now that I can reconnect. People are very nice to me.

I pay my annual Marina bill.

Anyway the best bit is nearly a whole day sailing with Kim and Otis. Neither has done any sailing before. The wind is strong and I wonder if it is a good idea to go out but on the other hand it is a glorious day and we should be ok if I reef the mainsail and only unwind half the jib.

So it is very windy, 15 – 20 knots, not ideal for complete beginners but the Norfolk Gypsy is a strong sea boat and with reduced sail we have a wonderful afternoon. I do nothing; Otis helms and Kim looks after the jib.

Thanks Kim and Otis for being such good, unflappable crew. This is the boat’s first major workout of the year and I spot many things that need adjusting and finessing. Above all the engine, started and drove us out of and into the harbor perfectly. Thank you Kiyuna san!

I wake up the next day, which is today, Sunday, with the old, familiar, sensation of light sunburn – very pleasant. Sailing is good for you. The door bell rings and a very polite young man hands me my health insurance card for next year. Another year of fabulous health care delivered to my door on a Sunday morning!

To overfill the cup of joy, I learn that France have absolutely smashed England at rugby. What is it about England that makes people, well me at least, rejoice in their defeat?

Amazon is of course the best entertainment in the world. When a little bored, you think of something you would like, order it on Amazon and Shazzam! it arrives the next day er usually. I decide I want apple sauce to eat with pork. I track it down, order it and the next day I find this.

I have written before about the wonders of package delivery in Okinawa. Someone comes to your door with the package between 08:00 and 20:00 everyday of the week. They grin, you sign and everyone is very happy. If you are not at home, they leave a chit with a phone number. You call and you choose exactly what time you would like it to be redelivered.

All this has changed. They now just leave the package outside the front door, California style. The chances of the package being nicked in Okinawa is zero. I am amazed that in San Francisco nothing seems to get nicked neither.

Anyway, I have had consistent acute diarrhea, or diarrhoea if you are British, probably the same condition, since I went to Mexico last year. I have waited for it to go away, have self medicated with stuff from pharmacies in Mexico, USA, Scotland and Japan, have consulted Nagasaki sensei who has prescribed various Chinese medicines, all to no avail. I think my gut is infested with droves of Mexican parasites.

Nagasaki sensei and I decide the time has come to consult a specialist gastroenterologist. The wonderful Shoko san tracks down an English speaking one and gives me full instructions of how to get to the hospital. It is called Chubu Hospital.

I turn up at the hospital and present the introduction letter from Nagasaki sensei. They politely inform me that there are two Chubu Hospitals in Okinawa and I have come to the wrong one. “Dai jo bou Neil san, we can look after you here.”

Chubu is a standard Japanese public hospital. You turn up at out patients at anytime and they will help you.

Blood pressure, weight and then I am asked to wait, English spelling is so odd. Very sincere apologies from the nurses as they are very busy and I will have to wait some time.

I see the doctor, who is young and speaks goos English. I explain that my gut is swarming with Mexican parasites. He examines me and then sends me off for a blood test and a stool collection exercise.

I wait for a bit, which is actually enjoyable as I watch Okinawan TV. I have not had a television since 2010 and this is a novelty.

There is a commercial break and there is Arisa!

I am called back to the doc who explains the results of the blood test. Apparently I am severely hypothyroid. Not sure what this means but he prescribes medication and apologizes for the fact that it will take longer to get the results of the stool analysis.

Off I go to the adjacent pharmacy to get my prescription filled.

Such fun.

In fact the contents of this post are much less dramatic than the title. After the high octane of the unforgettable trip to Hokkaido, I return to more mundane stuff.

I have mentioned Lustre before. When my apartment gets a little grimy, I fix an appointment for a person to come round to sparkle it. https://thequietripple.com/2021/09/30/lustre/

A wonderful lady comes to my door and kicks me out for 4 hours. She has the bit between her teeth.

A diversion on date traditions. British is ; day, month, year. My birthday is thus; 16, 5, 1952. U.S. is; 5,16,1952. Japan is;1952, 5, 16. It is easy to make mistakes and I miss a doctor’s appointment due to a confusion between day and month.

Having time on my hands, I drive down to the clinic, It is a specialist place dealing in prostrate glands. When I say say dealing in, I do not mean buying or selling but rather specializing in. I intend to set up a new appointment.

I sheepishly apologize and ask for a new date. ” Dai jo bou Neil san, have a seat.” Ten minutes later I am with the doctor. He speaks no English but we converse by Google translate on his computer screen. Brave New World. We establish that everything is OK and he prescribes some, just in case, medication.

I pay 400 yen for the consultation. The pharmacy is on the ground floor of the building.

Three months of drugs costs 1,500 yen, er like nothing. Why can’t health care be like this in the rest of the world? Thanks Japan.

The clinic is near the fish market.

My only gauge on increasing prices in Japan is tempura. When I arrived 12 years ago each piece cost 60 yen, now it is 80 yen. I blame the Tories etc.

The market is not too far from the stinking Triangular Pond, so beloved by birds. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Triangle+Pond/@26.1720552,127.6541421,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x34e569efb7fbab57:0x465dddfa94de705c!8m2!3d26.1720552!4d127.6563361

It is at its best! Big cohort of Black Faced Spoonbills, one of the rarest birds, and loads of wildfowl..

I drink it in and then drive home.

Not much drama but good all the same.