Another "Run In" With The Law

I guess I'll start with... I learned how to make paper cranes. It was a small goal I had set for myself ever since I picked up a random pack of origami paper from 7-11 one night. I had the idea that instead of keeping all the cranes and letting them overrun my apartment (yeah, Im talking to you), I'd take them to the river, douse them in vodka, and set them on fire. This had been the plan for weeks... or days.

So the other night after a bottle of red wine [each] I forced my roommate, neighbor, and a teacher from Tokuyama (who has the good sense to be going home) to make cranes in the kitchen. We decided after all we'd been through at work the last few days it was the perfect time to go light these guys on fire. So we gathered our supplies and went.



As far as I can recollect, it worked like a charm and everything was going fine. We were quietly standing on the bridge lighting the little birds ablaze and throwing them down to the water... where they softly floated away, bringing with them all of our troubles.

Actually, it was dark, and once they fell you couldnt see much.

But, since it's Kudamatsu, this paper-pyro game lasted about five minutes before the cops showed up. We all knew the routine, alien card, sumimasen and arigato. As the cops were leaving it dawned on me, we need a picture! So the four of us ran back to the one newbie cop saying picture, picture! He looked a little confused, but he agreed. I think he thought we wanted him to take a picture of us. Once I snapped the [really awful] photo below he ran back to his cop car. And the gaijin stumbled home and assumably went to bed.

Uh Oh! 5-0!

I am fixing up my resume and writing some essays to apply for a new English teaching job, here in Japan, before the company I work for completely tanks. So, to warm up my writin' finger I'll tell you a funny little story of my run in with the cops two nights ago.

When watching movies and doing laundry gets boring Kudamaters have to find other ways of having fun. So the other night me and my Australian next-door-neighbor (we'll call him Puffy), went down to the river. He was drinking beers and I was enjoying a soda on a bench on the street. Puffy went down to the water to "drain the dragon" as he'd say, and I sat under the streetlight alone.

It took only moments before a car pulled up to me. It was the Kudamatsu police. One guy said "good evening" and got out and sat next to me, between Japanese words he said "What's your name?" And handed me a notebook to write it on. Then he asked me my address. I slowly signaled that I would reach into my wallet to get my address out (as you would do when dealing with American police, no sudden moves). As I took out my Alien Registration card Puffy walked back up from the river.

The other officer saw him and they exchanged greetings. Apparently they'd met before. They chatted a bit, Puffy tossed out the name of our company, and the cops smiled, nodded, and left.

I guess public drinking is accepted and encouraged in Japan, because traditionally it would be impolite to stay at home and drink. I think the officers were just making sure I wasnt one of those Russian hookers we have around here.

And that was it.