After a week of avoiding answering my phone to which a particular number was showing up without leaving a message (I was sure it was the old contract company which I was working through), they finally left a message and in English! It was the Police! Of course, I wasn't in trouble, but they had been trying to call me all this time to tell me that they found my bike!

Back in the beginning of June when Jackie and her friend Julia came to visit, I accidentally left my key in the lock (the first time) and that night it was stolen. We went to the Police Station and filed a report and really thought they would never find it again. At the police station Nick did most of the translating, but they really wanted me to have a Japanese 'Honko' or name stamp. This is the official signature of Japanese people. They don't sign their names on anything, they all have a stamp in which to make documents official. Since I didn't have one (actually I do at school it's says 'Jen' in katakana, which they made me get) they made me sign my name about 6 times on one sheet of paper and then stamp my left finger on the paper next to each place I signed. They do go overboard sometimes, seriously who needs six signatures and fingerprints on one A4 size piece of paper.

Anywho..we left it at that and thought on a few occasions that I saw my bike around town, but it never was until now. I headed to the police station and they were very helpful, the guy even spoke English pretty well. They had me of course go through more paperwork. After another set of signatures and fingerprints, I finally got my bike! It's not in the best shape, but with a little oil it is as good as new, I think. I have been riding Nick's old bike which has a pretty wobbly wheel and probably not the safest bike. For the record, we now have two sets of bikes. Bikes for riding far and 'going on bike rides' which are our new mountain bikes and then our shopping bikes with the baskets on the front.

It was funny because when I got home the English speaking police officer called again and guess what!? They needed my fingerprint, no joke, one more time on the page. Again, I had stamped my finger 6 different times one the first report, 6 different times on this latest report and they really ....really needed one more. So they sent out an officer to our apartment to have me stamp one and final time!

Now I stamped it in the correct place and the officer reached out his hand at the time, here's me thinking that he was going to shake my hand, showing a little cross cultural gesture (Japanese people don't shake hands!)So I reached out with my hand to shake his and actually did so...when he suddenly jerked away and grabbed the tissue he had given me to wipe off my finger and was holding in my hand. He just wanted the tissue! He wasn't going to shake my hand!

I find this extremely amusing as this is about the 3rd time I have been in the presence of Japanese people (older people) where I have gone to shake their hands because it seems as if they have put their hand out to do just that, only to moments later be extremely embarrassed because they never had such intentions. Usually it has been a gesture to sit down or to motion to something. And each time I do this I laugh and remind myself that Japanese people don't shake hands, no matter how much I want them to. :)

I'll have to put up a picture of the before and after pictures of my bike a little later.

The leaves are starting to change color (hopefully not too quickly), there's a cool wind in the air, the days have been gorgeous and sunsets like these...

Our good friends Chris and Adrianna had a baby girl, Sofia, in July this year. Being good parents, they only teach Sofia the good things in life; only educational toys and DVDs, only positive music and language around her and only actions befitting of a lady. Just look at her hands, they are trying to communicate something with us...

"Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like"
Queen ~ Bicycle Race

Two attempts later, we finally rode our bikes all the way from little Okubo to the massive Dutch windmill, some 2.5 hours each way alongside a small river. The ride was fairly tough but made easier by some good weather and lack of people making a nuisance of themselves along the track by the river. Our legs were sore at the beginning of the day as we both had busy weeks and while riding they were ok but as soon as we got off our bikes for a break, we were walking like little Japanese grandparents with bent backs from planting rice.
The windmill at the end of the ride was cool, it was big and circulating clockwise. Why would you want to know that? I don't know. The funny thing with Japan is that when Japanese people get interested in something, they get obsessed by it. And that is exactly what has happened here. I think the lady selling sweets was wearing wooden clogs. Also, we saw these guys with fishing boats, not row boats suiting the very narrow and shallow river, a high tech boat that people use in fishing competitions, the ones with a seat in the middle and the high tech fish finding radars. They sit on them, looking at the water intently, waiting for the bite... of nothing.
Up and back in about 6 hours including lunch. It was a great run. But at the end of the day, sure enough as the sun has set today, pain has set in as it hurts to walk, it hurts to use our muscles.