sendai city, media cafe, paying for it, but actually able to upload pics and burn more cds.

more rain.. the only thing i can do in the rain is sit on the bus. hence, i've traveled all the way to sendai in 2 days. the cities along the way were uneventful, but on a 4 hour bus from niigata to sendai, crossing from one ocean to another and all the rain, wind, and mountain ranges in between..

i got on and took my place about half way back - a window seat on the right side. we stopped once or twice on the way out of town and the bus was pretty much full, business men and older couples. the last time we stopped a girl got on and sat one row up on the opposite isle. she stuffed her bag overhead and then noticed me. we had a single long second of eye contact - more than what i would consider a passing glance. it became clear that we were monitoring one another the way friends whould had they been sperated on a crowded bus. not speaking, but occationally taking note of the other's progress. i listened to music and read more of the book a new friend in toyama passed on to me. i took out the chocolate i brought for the ride. the girl, took out her chocolate - the same one in fact. she took out her phone and emailed a friend. i took out my phone - the same one in fact - and emailed a friend. we were communicating. my headphones were urging me on. i started planning what i might say when the bus stopped at a rest area.

we both got off the bus, but i didn't get a chance to speak to her. the man next to me sat down before she could get on and seperated us with a newspaper. she got on and gave me an exhaused look. i took out my ticket booklet and wrote a short message:

hi! you are cool! let's write email on the bus. my name is mike! (then my phone number)

i wrote it in two languages, so she wouldn't be scared of using english. but there was still the man and his newspaper. i held my note. read it over, checked my japanese on my phone. i folded it. i was so nervous, it wasn't even normal. i don't usually get nervous - well, no more than usual anyway. i thought about how to get it to her. i was suddenly concerned with what other people on the bus might think if they saw me hand it to her. or, worse, how awkward it whould be if she chose to ignore me. two more hours of total bus-load embarrassment.

she was practicing looking sleepy and uninterested, but out of curiosity checked her own ticket book at pulled out the little orange paper i was now rolling around in my hands. she was in. i had to make a move. should i disturb the man to go to the bathroom? i could hand it to her in the getting-up commotion. i got an idea. i took out the little japanese doll on my cell phone strap - a gift from a recent driver - and punched a hole in my note. i looped the doll's chain throught the hole and passed it over while the man was flipping pages. she was totally ready for it and the doll landed in her open palm.

we spent the ride getting aquainted. it was entertaining, but she was in sendai to take an exam (law school), so she left me at the train station - too busy to chase chances around the city at night. i called a friend i had met 2 weeks ago, traveling in kyushu on his spring break, now back at school in sendai. we went out and did the ohanami party thing and had a good time of it. weathers good - i'm right on track!