O zi interesanta / An interesting day

Journal Entry by Cristina Sarlea — October 25, 2023

Am terminat cu tratamentul pe la 11am si dupa ce am mancat un ou m-am aventurat din nou sa merg in centru orasului Osaka, mai precis la palatul Osaka. Nu mai sunt intimidata de mijloacele in transport, daca nu stiu intreb aratand pe google map unde vreau sa ajung si daca ma pierd il intreb pe google cum ajung acasa. Cea mai mare grija cand plec este sa am destula baterie la telefon. 

Cand am ajuns la palat am vazut ca m-i s-a meritat tot efortul. Vremea era cum nu se poate mai frumoasa, palatul imperial are gradini si livezi, si un park superb de plimbat in jurul lui. Mi-a placut mult sa ma plimb si sa vezi palatul asezat in mijlocul cladirilor inalte, moderne, o combinatie  suberba de istorie cu modern. Mi-am facut  cei 10,000 de pasi si inainte sa ma intrept spre casa. Inainte sa ies din parc ma abordeaza 4 batranei japonezi ( 2 femei si 2 barbati) care ma intreaba intr-o engleza stangace daca eu vorbesc engleza. I-am intrebat cu ce ii pot ajuta si imi spun ca ei sunt studenti la engleza si vor sa conversese cu cineva in engleza. Nu eram grabita asa ca am zabovit cu ei la povesti . Ma intreaba unde locuiesc, le spun ca sunt din Romania dar lucuiesc in Texas, si unul dintre ei zice Mexic? :) ii raspund zambind ca Texas este in Statele unite ale Americii. OK, s-au luminat la fata, apoi ma intreaba daca sunt singura si Japonia, si cand le spun ca da, se uita toti nedumeriti la mine, cum am aterizat de una singura in Japonia? le-am trezit curioazitatea, si m-au intrebat unde locuiesc in Japonia, si le raspund numele cartierului unde este apartamentul, cei cu vezhime in Osaka, cam cunosc zonele. Cand le-am zis ca stau in Moroguci au fost si mai socati. Pentru mine era din ce e in ce mai amuzat. Pana la urma m-au intrebat ce fac eu in Moriguci? le-am spus attunci ca am venit la un tratament de cancer, unul dintre batranei trecuse prin operatie de cancer la stomac cu un an in urma si acum se simtea foarte bine. Celalat batranel m-a intrebat daca imi plac florile, si i-am spus ca da iubesc florile ( nu le-am mai zis ca florile nu ma iubesc pe mine si ca toate mor cand ajung in posesia mea) si ascos din geanta lui o poza cu o floare de cires facute de el in primavara si o poza cu o pasare care in cultura lor reprezinta bucurie. Mi le-a dat cadou, ne-au urat o zi buna si ne-am despartit. Au fost cei mai draguti japonezi cu care am avut a face ( in afara de cei de la clinica) Ziua era deja frumoasa dar ei mi-au inseninat-o si mai mult!

Am intrebat pe google daca este un salon de pedichiura pe-aproape, am gasit unul si cand am ajuns acolo, aflu ca google nu are informatii corecte...faceau doar tunsori. Dezamagita plec catre metrou si in drum dau de o patiserice frantuzeasca, super! mi-am luat un quice si 2 croisante sa am pentru dimineata sau mai tarziu. Croisantele pareau a fi ori simple ori cu branza. Am ajuns in statia mea de metrou si am luat autobuzul. Era inceput de traseu pentru autobuz si am stat sa se faca timpul sa plece. Norii erau tot mai posomorati si inainte sa plecam se porneste o ploaie hotarata cu multa gheata. Traseul meu cu autobuzul a dura cam 10 minute timp in care gheata nu mai inceta. Ce ma fac? Sa ma dau jos din autobuz? Pe cand sa ajung la statia unde sa cobor gheata a incetat dar inca mai ploua bine, am fugit repede in cel mai apropiat magazin ( Domino's Pizza) si nu au comentat ca de ce stau acolo fara sa comand. Am asteptat cateva minute si pe cand ploaia era mai domoale m-am pornit spre apartament, cam 5 minute pe jos. Aici, strazile de cartier sunt foarte ingusta si nu au trotoare pentru pietoni, acelasi drum ingust e impartit intre masinile ce circula in ambele sensuri, autobuze, biciclisti si pietoni, oh si se circula si pe stanga ( ca in Anglia). Eram deja destul de uda dar nu pana la piele si mergeam cu ranva sa ajung cat mai repede la destinatie cand o masina din spatele meu trece pe langa mine si trecand printr-o balta, ma uda toata pana la piele! Nu cred ca am tipat dar un nene ce se adapostea si a fazut faza s-a uitat la mine cu compatimire, limbajul transmis prin priviri nu are nevoie de traducator. i-am raspuns si eu tot prin priviri, "iti vine ca crezi ce mi-a facut? ce oameni!" Am ajuns ciuculet la apartament si dupa ce mi-am schimbat hainele ude am zis sa mananc un croisant asa ca de comfort. La a doua bucatura, de ce dau? CIOCOLATA! croisantul meu era cu ciocolata? Eu nu am mai gustat ciocolata din iunie si ciocolata era slabiciunea mea #1. Ce sa fac acum? sa il mamanc? eram trista si vroiam ceva sa imi insenineze ziua, dar ciocolata hraneste cancerul...am mai luat o bucatura mica si am aruncat croisantele mele cu ciocolata la gunoi...Na, ce mai zi...mi-am deschis palsa de cumparaturi sa pun salata cumparata in frigider si incercand sa le aranjez in frigiderul meu mic, o cofrag cu 2 oua ramase in el cade direct pe jos. Bineinteles ca amandoua ouele s-au spart. ...ce mai urmeaza? 

Mi-am luat computerul sa scriu peripetiile de azi, ca asa sa stau linistita , da de nazbitiile pe azi se termina.

O sa postez pe social media poze cu Castelul, aici, pozele sunt foarte neclare.  

Va imbratisez, 

Cristina

English

I finished the treatment at 11 am and after eating an egg I ventured again to go to the center of Osaka city, more precisely to the Osaka palace. I am no longer intimidated by the means of transport, if I don't know I ask by showing on Google Maps where I want to go and if I get lost I ask google how to get home. The biggest concern when I leave is to have enough battery on my phone.

When I arrived at the palace, I saw that all my effort was worth it. The weather couldn't have been more beautiful, the imperial palace has gardens and orchards, and a beautiful park to walk around. I really liked walking around and seeing the palace sitting in the middle of tall, modern buildings, a superb combination of history and modernity. I did my 10,000 steps even before I headed home. Before I leave the park, I am approached by 4 old Japanese people (2 women and 2 men) who ask me in clumsy English if I speak English. I asked them how I could help them, and they told me that they are English students and they want to talk to someone in English. I wasn't in a hurry so I lingered with them to tell stories. They ask me where I live, I tell them I'm from Romania but I live in Texas, and one of them says Mexico? :) I answer smiling that Texas is in the United States of America. OK, they lit up, then they asked me if I was the only one in Japan, and when I say yes, they all looked at me puzzled, how did I land alone in Japan? I aroused their curiosity, and they asked me where I live in Japan, I told them the name of the neighborhood where the apartment is, those who live in Osaka,  know the area. When I told them that I live in Moroguci, they were even more shocked. For me, it was more and more amusing. In the end, they asked me what I was doing in Moriguci. I told them then that I came for cancer treatment, one of the old men had undergone stomach cancer surgery a year ago and now he was feeling very well. The other old man asked me if I like flowers, and I told him that yes I love flowers (I didn't tell them that flowers don't love me and that they all die when they come into my possession) and he took out a picture of a cherry blossom made by him in the spring and a picture of a bird that represents joy in their culture. He gave them to me as a present, they wished us a good day and we parted ways. They were the nicest Japanese people I had to deal with (apart from those at the clinic). The day was already beautiful, but they brightened it up even more!

I asked Google if there was a pedicure salon nearby, I found one and when I got there, I found out that Google didn't have the correct information...they only did haircuts. Disappointed, I go to the subway, and on the way I meet a French pastry shop, great! I bought a quice and 2 croissants to have for the morning or later. Croissants seemed to be either plain or with cheese. I arrived at my metro station and took the bus. It was the beginning of the route for the bus and I stayed until it was time to leave. The clouds were getting gloomier and before we left it started to rain heavily with a lot of ice. My bus ride lasted about 10 minutes during which the ice did not stop. What do I do? Should I get off the bus? By the time I got to the station to get off, the ice had stopped but it was still raining, I quickly ran to the nearest store (Domino's Pizza) and they didn't comment on why I was sitting there without ordering. I waited a few minutes and when the rain was calmer I started to the apartment, about 5 minutes on foot. Here, the neighborhood streets are very narrow and have no sidewalks for pedestrians, the same narrow road is shared between cars traveling in both directions, buses, cyclists, and pedestrians, oh and they also drive on the left (like in England). I was already quite wet, but not up to the skin, and I was walking fast to get to my destination as quickly as possible when a car behind me passed by me and, passing through a puddle, soaked me all the way to the skin! I don't think I screamed, but a man who was taking shelter looked at me with compassion, the language transmitted by looks does not need a translator. I also answered him by looking at him, "Can you believe what he did to me? some people!" I quickly arrived at the apartment and after changing my wet clothes I said to eat a croissant so as to comfort. At the second bite, why do I taste? CHOCOLATE! Was my croissant with chocolate? I haven't tasted chocolate since June and chocolate was my #1 weakness. What should I do now? to eat it? I was sad and I wanted something to brighten my day, but chocolate feeds cancer... I took another small bite and threw my chocolate croissants in the trash... No, what a day... I opened my shopping bag to put the bought salad in the fridge and tried to arrange them in my small fridge, a box with 2 eggs left in it falls directly on the floor. Of course, both eggs broke. ...what's next?

I took my computer to write down today's adventures, so that I can stay calm, and hopefully the adventures for today come to an end.

I'll post some pictures of the castle on social media, when I post on this site, the pictures are not clear.

Sending hugs,

Cristina