Comments on: True Stories of Life in Japan, pt 5: Bicycling and Injury http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/ read, and be entertained Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:03:08 +0000 hourly 1 By: True Stories of Life in Japan http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/comment-page-1/#comment-1998 True Stories of Life in Japan Sun, 31 Aug 2008 21:01:40 +0000 http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/#comment-1998 [...] Bicycling and Injury [...] [...] Bicycling and Injury [...]

]]> By: coriolinus http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/comment-page-1/#comment-1371 coriolinus Sat, 05 Jan 2008 00:46:41 +0000 http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/#comment-1371 If you do find something in programming in Japan, I'd be interested to hear about it. I'm not exactly looking right now, but I'd love to at least know how you found the position. If you do find something in programming in Japan, I’d be interested to hear about it. I’m not exactly looking right now, but I’d love to at least know how you found the position.

]]> By: onesweetgirl http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/comment-page-1/#comment-1370 onesweetgirl Sat, 05 Jan 2008 00:26:21 +0000 http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/#comment-1370 I wiped out on trolley tracks in the road near my apartment. My bike wheel caught between the tracks and the pavement when I was trying to cross the road and the only thing that actually saved me from eating road was my sunglasses. A few weeks later I ran over a bum as he walked out of an alley. Oops. I wiped out on trolley tracks in the road near my apartment. My bike wheel caught between the tracks and the pavement when I was trying to cross the road and the only thing that actually saved me from eating road was my sunglasses. A few weeks later I ran over a bum as he walked out of an alley. Oops.

]]> By: dr4b http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/comment-page-1/#comment-1369 dr4b Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:10:20 +0000 http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/#comment-1369 Oh man. One month after I moved to Japan -- and two weeks after buying a bike -- I was <a href ="http://dr4b.livejournal.com/739050.html" rel="nofollow">hit by a car carrier truck</a> riding through southern Saitama at night. It was probably one of the worst days of my life in Japan (the second-worst was the day my <a href ="http://dr4b.livejournal.com/745690.html" rel="nofollow">eikaiwa was overrun by gigantic buzzing insects</a>). Anyway, I was also really fortunate not to have anything broken -- but also, maybe due to the nature of the incident, they made me go to the hospital. Given, my Japanese is pretty decent for a foreigner (I too studied computer science and Japanese and stuff in college) but it really was a pretty crazy experience. I also worked it into my lessons -- did you know that the Japanese word for "reservation" is the same as that for "appointment"? Spontaneous lesson on not telling a hospital that you have a reservation! I at first thought I'd have to pay tons of money for the hospital, but you know what? The ER visit actually only cost like 30,000 yen, and the truck driver's company paid for it anyway. I have no particular point here, but I did want to say I read your whole series, and I sympathize. I too wonder whether I'll be able to find a programming job once I finish the eikaiwa contract, because, yeah, somewhere along the line it's really going to hit me exactly how much I am <i>not</i> a teacher, similarly. Oh man. One month after I moved to Japan — and two weeks after buying a bike — I was hit by a car carrier truck riding through southern Saitama at night. It was probably one of the worst days of my life in Japan (the second-worst was the day my eikaiwa was overrun by gigantic buzzing insects). Anyway, I was also really fortunate not to have anything broken — but also, maybe due to the nature of the incident, they made me go to the hospital. Given, my Japanese is pretty decent for a foreigner (I too studied computer science and Japanese and stuff in college) but it really was a pretty crazy experience. I also worked it into my lessons — did you know that the Japanese word for “reservation” is the same as that for “appointment”? Spontaneous lesson on not telling a hospital that you have a reservation! I at first thought I’d have to pay tons of money for the hospital, but you know what? The ER visit actually only cost like 30,000 yen, and the truck driver’s company paid for it anyway.

I have no particular point here, but I did want to say I read your whole series, and I sympathize. I too wonder whether I’ll be able to find a programming job once I finish the eikaiwa contract, because, yeah, somewhere along the line it’s really going to hit me exactly how much I am not a teacher, similarly.

]]> By: coriolinus http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/comment-page-1/#comment-1368 coriolinus Thu, 03 Jan 2008 12:02:45 +0000 http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/#comment-1368 To be honest, the only time I've seen the inside of an emergency room was when my grandfather fell and hurt his leg while we were visiting England. I'm hoping that events keep that statement true for as long as possible, but if I ever do need emergency care, it'll be a new experience for me no matter where it happens. To be honest, the only time I’ve seen the inside of an emergency room was when my grandfather fell and hurt his leg while we were visiting England. I’m hoping that events keep that statement true for as long as possible, but if I ever do need emergency care, it’ll be a new experience for me no matter where it happens.

]]> By: moonplanet http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/comment-page-1/#comment-1367 moonplanet Thu, 03 Jan 2008 10:41:29 +0000 http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/#comment-1367 I've been in 3 Japanese hospitals in total [across the country because I was travelling], though one was a specialized clinic. Every time I had to get a hospital card with my information on it before they could help me [it wasn't so serious that I needed immediate help]. So I don't know how they go about helping you when you need immediate attention - they'll might ask you to make a card afterwards, I don't know... I’ve been in 3 Japanese hospitals in total [across the country because I was travelling], though one was a specialized clinic. Every time I had to get a hospital card with my information on it before they could help me [it wasn't so serious that I needed immediate help]. So I don’t know how they go about helping you when you need immediate attention – they’ll might ask you to make a card afterwards, I don’t know…

]]> By: coriolinus http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/comment-page-1/#comment-1366 coriolinus Thu, 03 Jan 2008 10:28:56 +0000 http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/#comment-1366 It's hard to judge our relative luck between the two cases; given that paying for much more than than what I did could have gotten kind of sticky, I felt really lucky not to actually end up needing hospital attention. I can totally empathize with the sudden flash of triumph upon hearing a sentence and realizing that you understand it <em>completely</em>. It happened to me more than a few times. Then I was always either really proud because I learned the necessary Japanese two days prior, or kind of embarrassed because it was straight out of the Japanese 1 that I'd had before ever arriving in-country and I had no right to feel triumphant. I never had such a flash immediately after being hit by a car, but it's easy to see how it'd override even that set of emotions and sensations, at least temporarily. It’s hard to judge our relative luck between the two cases; given that paying for much more than than what I did could have gotten kind of sticky, I felt really lucky not to actually end up needing hospital attention.

I can totally empathize with the sudden flash of triumph upon hearing a sentence and realizing that you understand it completely. It happened to me more than a few times. Then I was always either really proud because I learned the necessary Japanese two days prior, or kind of embarrassed because it was straight out of the Japanese 1 that I’d had before ever arriving in-country and I had no right to feel triumphant. I never had such a flash immediately after being hit by a car, but it’s easy to see how it’d override even that set of emotions and sensations, at least temporarily.

]]> By: coriolinus http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/comment-page-1/#comment-1365 coriolinus Thu, 03 Jan 2008 09:53:44 +0000 http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/#comment-1365 ... you know, I hadn't thought of that at all--but you're right. It was a totally cinematic crash. … you know, I hadn’t thought of that at all–but you’re right. It was a totally cinematic crash.

]]> By: alphabet26 http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/comment-page-1/#comment-1364 alphabet26 Thu, 03 Jan 2008 06:48:05 +0000 http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/#comment-1364 I got hit by a car when I was riding home from work one day...I didn't speak Japanese, they didn't speak English. Well, I did understand a <i>little</i> Japanese when the guy said on the phone, "Gaijin-san nihongo ga wakari masen." And despite the fact that I was pretty much in a complete panic and a bit of pain, I did feel all triumphant that I understood him. But I was a bit luckier than you, I think, because even though I did panic a bit, I was through Nova and I called up the Japanese staff to help with the translating, and the staff also accompanied me to the hospital the next day. I got hit by a car when I was riding home from work one day…I didn’t speak Japanese, they didn’t speak English. Well, I did understand a little Japanese when the guy said on the phone, “Gaijin-san nihongo ga wakari masen.” And despite the fact that I was pretty much in a complete panic and a bit of pain, I did feel all triumphant that I understood him.

But I was a bit luckier than you, I think, because even though I did panic a bit, I was through Nova and I called up the Japanese staff to help with the translating, and the staff also accompanied me to the hospital the next day.

]]> By: lil_bunnyrabbit http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/comment-page-1/#comment-1363 lil_bunnyrabbit Thu, 03 Jan 2008 04:52:38 +0000 http://www.coriolinus.net/2007/12/19/true-stories-of-life-in-japan-pt-5-bicycling-and-injury/#comment-1363 God, I wish we had that wipeout on youtube it sounds ridiculously gnarly. God, I wish we had that wipeout on youtube it sounds ridiculously gnarly.

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