Thoughts and facts on Japan that are more random than my grandma at a Phish Concert.

Bicycles in Japan:
Well, everyone thought that the people of Japan were just very ecologically concerned but in all honesty the place just isn’t big enough. Observation: Many people in this country ride bicycles; and I’m not just talking about a few little kids and pre-pubescent teens; I’m talking about everyone and almost anyon...which is difficult for me to count because I only have 32 appendages...and there are supposed to be over one million people in the city that I am living in; which is about the size of a quarter of Rockford. That’s a lot in a little.
So back to the ecology of this little island: because there are so many people here (about half the population of the U.S.) living on an island the size of California (or which only 20% is livable because the other 80% is too mountainous to call home…maybe “hill” but not home…) many do not drive cars.
Other Deterrents: every 100,000 kilometers car owners have to take their cars in for mandatory check-ups. At these inspections the mechanics are then to fix everything so that the car is in the best running shape possible. This means that the car owner then has to pay an outrageous fee to get the car fixed...no matter what kind of shape it is in. Also, when you purchase a car you have to prove that you have a parking space available at your home. This is rather difficult considering the fact that many people do not even live in their own homes but instead live in apartments or other space-conserving housing; therefore parking spaces are difficult to come by…even for your bicycle (side note: at train stations you have to have a parking permit to park your bike within a prescribed distance from the station, if you do not have a permit your bike may be fined and taken away). Weird. Therefore the reason that these people seem so ecologically sound is mainly due to the fact that they have no other choice. As for the size of the Japanese themselves…I think that they are so short because a long time ago someone decided that Japanese ceilings should only be so high, and this individual was obviously vertically impaired. Therefore all of the buildings in old-world Japan adhered to this standard and now the people do not grow above a predestined height due to evolution…no matter how many foreign men attempt to breed this characteristic out (mostly those dirty Australians…”g’day sweetheart.”

Author’s note: all statistics/facts compliments of Professor Martin Weatherby. He’s pretty dang smart…he went to Yale, which is no Loras…but at least he made due with what he had. Ha. So, all of this is true unless you want to prove a Yale graduate wrong. Go ahead, test those waters…you’d be swimming with sharks my friend. As far as the bit about the Australians...I just thought that it was funny and it's kind of a conclusion that I have reached.

The Yellow Scourge: No I am not turning into a huge racist, but I do find the term to be appropriate when talking about these horrifying little creatures that are constantly annoying the pants off of me. They are horrible. They just come and go buzzing in your ear in their harsh tones and strange noises. I thought that they were bad at home; but now I am convinced that I have never experienced such horrible and offensive creatures. I have done all that I can and I am at my wits end. They just keep flocking to me and although I swat at them and occasionally resort to simply yelling at them the mosquitoes continually attack me. It doesn’t matter if I am in my room tucked away in my bed with the air-conditioner set at a cool temperature or if I am walking around in the standing soupy air that is my new home they continue to pester me.
The mosquitoes here are much like the ancient race of samurai that used to roam the same land. They are quick nimble and able to render immense pain and torment. Plus they are about the same size as the cars in this land (but alas, I can not fit into the mosquitoes either). I have been told by those that call themselves “my friends” that they will soon be dying off and eventually be gone for the season, at least the people at the shops around here have gotten rid of their mosquito killing devices for now. But I do believe that just as we thought Japan would never back down in the great war numero deuce these mosquitoes aren’t going anywhere. Just the other day I think that I saw one wearing a North Face parka in preparation of the cooling temperature ahead; they are advanced and they are not about to give up. Wish me luck and dad please send me my gun. It’s open season. Love you all and I hope that you haven’t wasted too much time on my ramblings. Talk to you soon. Love Danny.