Friday was quiet. We planned to go and visit Hiro's aunt in hospital - she had a stroke twenty years ago and don't think ever got much in the way of rehabilitation - if she did it doesn't seem to have been particularly effective. Walking through the nursing home I made a mental note that in view of all the stroke patients in there, my contempt of low salt soy maybe seriously misplaced...
We picked some daffodils from the garden and took them there, it's possible there is a no flower policy, the nurse took them and they didn't come back.... Entering the hospital we had to change our shoes, wash our hands, gargle and were offered a mask. The home did seem exceptionally clean and well maintained...I guess sterile doesn't have to be a bad thing...
I needed to find internet access to proofread an assignment from one of my former students that was due the following day. In the process of seeking internet access, we learned - despite information to the contrary on the internet - that there is no internet cafe in Odate. There is a library with one terminal that can be booked in 30 min slots. It runs windows xp and has no compatibility software to open word documents made on current versions of Microsoft. After getting a message it would take 45 minutes to download, I was thankful to google documents which bypassed the need. Fortunately no one was on it, fortunately noone was waiting after my 30 mins and I could finish the lot before the next person came along. For such a technology country, I was shocked that the access was so poor. In my local library in Tokyo, there there is free wireless and about 10 terminals...
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| Zen mai - a mountain fern - drying |
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| Fuki - a mountain vegetable - though its not a good photo |
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Hiro's mother has started trying to grow mountain veges near the
back shed. |
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| The vege patch getting ready for planting |
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