Part I
It all started on my way to work. I hopped onto my bicycle this particular Saturday ready to conquer the day and start my weekend. While dipping and dodging people and vehicles which is something you will find yourself doing every time you get on a bike in Japan, I heard a jingle sound as I rolled over some train tracks. I didn't turn around to see what happened and assumed that I must have ran over some coins or bottle caps. Littld did I know that this very jingle sound would haunt me for the rest of my life (or maybe just for a couple weeks.)
When I got to work, I pulled my key out of my bike and realized that the key seemed a bit lighter. I thought nothing of it as I chased and wrangled up a bunch of 3 and 4 year olds for the next 5 hours. While getting ready to go on my lunch break, I grabbed my keys and realized that I'd only grabbed "a key." The other key (my apartment key) and my keychain loop was missing.
Now before I continue with this story it's important for me to explain that I have a delayed reaction to things. Maybe it's a defense mechanism but my brain is like a convection oven that takes a while to heat up, but when it finally does . . . things get way too hot. Either way, I don't usually get the gravity of situations until it is nearly after the fact. (It's also important to note that my first reaction is ALWAYS a strange smile or a nervous laugh.)
So after telling my coworkers that I misplaced my key and giggling a little bit, everyone assumed I had it under control and we all went to lunch. At the end of the day I hopped onto my bike with the assumption that I would just look for my keys on the ground on the way home. Just to be sure, I told my manager that I lost my key and she hands me a spare set. At that point, my confidence was through the roof and I was grateful that my "delayed-reaction-convection-oven-brain" didn't heat all the way up.
While on the way home, I made a feeble attempt to look for my keys and suddenly found myself sitting inside of a Starbucks enjoying my new favorite treat...a green tea frappucino. While sipping on this refreshing beverage, I ran into some fellow (young) Americans, introduced myself and found out that they were also English teachers (aren't we all?). They invited me to dinner and before long, I was eating meat on a stick in the historic Bikan Chiku district of Kurashiki with about 9 people that I didn't know. It was REALLY REALLY strange, yet wonderful.
So after this, the friendly group invited me out to Okayama to enjoy some karaoke. It was then that I probably should have headed home, but then my story wouldn't be as interesting would it? (Intrigued yet?)
I'm sure you can guess that I took them up on their offer, but first decided to run home and grab some cash (because I was very broke) and I also wanted to change out of my work clothes (because I was still wearing a very stuffy suit that literally buttoned all the way up to my neck). And the humidity was FIERCE! So while stomping my way up the stairs to my apartment complex, I called my friend from Okayama. "I just met some other English teachers at the Starbucks," I told her, "and we're all going to the karaoke place near you. You should come!"
"Sounds good! I'll get ready." she replied. *Click* I hung up the phone thinking about how much fun my first night of karaoke was going to be, tried my spare key in the lock of my door and it didn't work.
. . .
(If you want to read Part 2, email me at blackginjapan@gmail.com and I'll send it to you!)
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