Waterlogged
...written on 2001-06-17, @ 1:06 a.m.
Tales of Kim's Life in Japan
Sun June 17, 2001
"Kim, the Ogaki Water Company called and said you haven't paid a water bill for three months", said Toyo as he handed the white scrap of note paper to me. I took the paper from him and glanced at it.
"That's a LIE! " I asserted vigorously. "Why, I haven't paid a water bill in the NINE months I've been here!", I said with a smile and a wink at Ivan.
I had been asking everyone about my water bill since January. I even showed Manami the paper I got from the water company once and she said that it was not a bill, but rather a receipt of payment. We were both perplexed over that since it was not one of the utilities that we arranged to have deducted from my bank account and I was wondering who my generous water genie could be.
Well, the genie was out of the water bottle now.
The next day, the Ogaki Water Company sent the delinquent bills to the office. I asked Fred to explain some things on them. He said that water bills are not sent every month, but rather every two months and that water for the sink and washer are charged separately from the water that goes into the toilet. It costs me $23.10 every two months to flush my toilet. . .
Now, let's not get confused here. I don't just flush my toilet every two months, ok? And don't worry, the banker will be here on Monday and I shall eliminate my water . . . debt.
Compartments. Compartmentalize. Bath water, toilet water. Recyclables, burnables, non-burnables, tin cans, oil cans, brown bottles, clear bottles, plastic bottles. All of this organization, categorization, departmentalization and the Japanese still don't have HANGING FILE FOLDERS! What's with that? They don't even have manila file folder thingees either. And just TRY to find an index card in this country. Go ahead, I DARE YOU!
Hey, if you do find index cards, please send me some. The 4x6 unruled neon glow color kind. Thanks.
Note to loyal readers: I have been busy today and have written many entries. Enjoy!