Today I met a magical man...
(As best I can remember... I'm walking north along Karasuma-dori, which is directly adjacent to the Kyoto Imperial Palace. I'm about to meet one of the other T.T.T. students to go over what we had done the night before in class.)
(The Magical Man jogs past me swiftly, then stops suddenly and turns around.)
Magical Man: Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!
Me: Uh, hello! Thank you.
(The Magical Man begins to jog again and then stops a second time.)
MM: I love jogging! I may be old, but I jog often. Do know know, uh, how do you say, jogging?
Me: Hah, yeah, jogging is very good for you.
MM: I do it every day! Once at least, for many miles. Where do you come from?
Me: The United States.
MM: Ah, very good! Many people jog there. You see, I am very old but I want to be young again. So, I exercise every day and I go jogging. I want to be young! How do you say, I want to be young again?
Me: Uh, reclaim your lost youth?
MM: Yes! I want to regain my youth. You are young still. But you must exercise. I am very old so I exercise to be young! And, you must also eat well. How old are you? Not as old as I am, hah!
Me: I just turned 22 actually.
MM: Ahhh, you are very young then. You must eat a lot! Meat, especially, and, how do you say, protein? Eat plenty of that, since you are young.
Me: I've been eating a lot since I arrived in Japan, plenty of meat.
MM: Ah, that is very good. When I was young I was diabetic. How do you say? I have the diabetic.
Me: Diabetes?
MM: Yes, and I had the diabetes and I have the high blood pressure. Here they say high blood pressure, too! Hah. I have that. But I exercise every day. To stay young. You see what I am wearing? A T-shirt. How do you say?
Me: We call that a tank top in America.
MM: Ah, yes, this is my favorite tank top! You see, it makes me not so hot, since Kyoto is very hot during the summer months. It is my favorite, and I wear it when I go jogging, which I do every day. But you must exercise! Do you exercise?
Me: Probably not enough, but I try to. I try to do sit-ups and push-ups every day.
MM: Ah, yes the push ups! When I was young I could do thirty-two, but now I can only do five, as you see! (he points to his arms) How many can you do?
Me: Maybe 30 or 35.
MM: Hah, you are very young, that is a good number. So, what are you? What is your status? Are you a student?
Me: I just graduated from college.
MM: Ah, yes, a university. I went to the Boston College and then to Harvard. Both very good schools, I studied for a very long time. Do you know these schools? Also, the MIT school. That is a very good school.
Me: Yes, I have some friends at Harvard. Well, they just graduated.
MM: Ah, what are their majors? What do they study?
Me: Uh, I'm actually not sure.
MM: Well, they are obviously good at what they do, if they go to those good schools. Come, let us jog! (I giggle as he takes off ahead of me) You are always laughing! That's good for you. Come on, let's run! (We run for about 100 yards, with me giggling the entire time. He stops suddenly.) You are a very happy person. That is good. I wish I was as happy as you are. (A bike, riding on the sidewalk rings its bell to tell us to get out of the way) Hmm. In America, where do the bikes ride?
Me: We ride on the street in America. It's odd to me that people ride on the sidewalk here.
MM: What is the penalty in America?
Me: Well, it depends where you are, but it's probably a ticket or a fine.
MM: Well, we are here, right outside the Kyoto Imperial Palace and they are riding on the sidewalk, is that not worth a ticket? You are supposed to ride on the road here but there are so many bikes and the cars are supposed to stop for them. So the cars would never move if the bikes all ride in the streets. But they are dangerous, you must watch out! My mother was hit by a bike.
Me: What happened?
MM: Yes, they hit her hand. It has made me very careful on the sidewalks, but they should be more careful, too. You know, if I went to a police officer I could report someone biking on the sidewalk, but everyone is too busy here, they never care. The fine is almost 20,000 yen! Can you believe that. It is very expensive, but no one cares enough to report the bike riders. But, if there is a collision! Then, there is trouble.
Me: Well, I was just walking to meet my friend, and she's just across the street on the corner there.
MM: Yes, I will let you go on your way. I have nothing to do with you, but this is the southwest corner, that is the northwest corner.
Me: There she is, do you see her?
MM: Yes, she is very pretty. I will let you go, I have nothing to do with you.
Shaiya: Hey, Matt.
MM: Ah, hello, you are his friend. I will let you go as I have nothing to do with you, but I was jogging and said hello and we started to talk! I am very old. Only twenty-seven years old! (he laughs) I told him of my high blood pressure and my diabetes. I have nothing, but that makes me strong, and I don't care about money.
Shaiya: Um, that's good.
MM: Why is that good? If I were rich, that would be good! Hah! But, I am not rich. But that makes me rich in spirit, which is all one really needs. Yes, I am truly rich in spirit, but again I have nothing to do with you, so I will let you be. Goodbye now, goodbye! Goodbye!
Me: Goodbye! Nice to meet you.
(The Magical Man jogs past me swiftly, then stops suddenly and turns around.)
Magical Man: Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!
Me: Uh, hello! Thank you.
(The Magical Man begins to jog again and then stops a second time.)
MM: I love jogging! I may be old, but I jog often. Do know know, uh, how do you say, jogging?
Me: Hah, yeah, jogging is very good for you.
MM: I do it every day! Once at least, for many miles. Where do you come from?
Me: The United States.
MM: Ah, very good! Many people jog there. You see, I am very old but I want to be young again. So, I exercise every day and I go jogging. I want to be young! How do you say, I want to be young again?
Me: Uh, reclaim your lost youth?
MM: Yes! I want to regain my youth. You are young still. But you must exercise. I am very old so I exercise to be young! And, you must also eat well. How old are you? Not as old as I am, hah!
Me: I just turned 22 actually.
MM: Ahhh, you are very young then. You must eat a lot! Meat, especially, and, how do you say, protein? Eat plenty of that, since you are young.
Me: I've been eating a lot since I arrived in Japan, plenty of meat.
MM: Ah, that is very good. When I was young I was diabetic. How do you say? I have the diabetic.
Me: Diabetes?
MM: Yes, and I had the diabetes and I have the high blood pressure. Here they say high blood pressure, too! Hah. I have that. But I exercise every day. To stay young. You see what I am wearing? A T-shirt. How do you say?
Me: We call that a tank top in America.
MM: Ah, yes, this is my favorite tank top! You see, it makes me not so hot, since Kyoto is very hot during the summer months. It is my favorite, and I wear it when I go jogging, which I do every day. But you must exercise! Do you exercise?
Me: Probably not enough, but I try to. I try to do sit-ups and push-ups every day.
MM: Ah, yes the push ups! When I was young I could do thirty-two, but now I can only do five, as you see! (he points to his arms) How many can you do?
Me: Maybe 30 or 35.
MM: Hah, you are very young, that is a good number. So, what are you? What is your status? Are you a student?
Me: I just graduated from college.
MM: Ah, yes, a university. I went to the Boston College and then to Harvard. Both very good schools, I studied for a very long time. Do you know these schools? Also, the MIT school. That is a very good school.
Me: Yes, I have some friends at Harvard. Well, they just graduated.
MM: Ah, what are their majors? What do they study?
Me: Uh, I'm actually not sure.
MM: Well, they are obviously good at what they do, if they go to those good schools. Come, let us jog! (I giggle as he takes off ahead of me) You are always laughing! That's good for you. Come on, let's run! (We run for about 100 yards, with me giggling the entire time. He stops suddenly.) You are a very happy person. That is good. I wish I was as happy as you are. (A bike, riding on the sidewalk rings its bell to tell us to get out of the way) Hmm. In America, where do the bikes ride?
Me: We ride on the street in America. It's odd to me that people ride on the sidewalk here.
MM: What is the penalty in America?
Me: Well, it depends where you are, but it's probably a ticket or a fine.
MM: Well, we are here, right outside the Kyoto Imperial Palace and they are riding on the sidewalk, is that not worth a ticket? You are supposed to ride on the road here but there are so many bikes and the cars are supposed to stop for them. So the cars would never move if the bikes all ride in the streets. But they are dangerous, you must watch out! My mother was hit by a bike.
Me: What happened?
MM: Yes, they hit her hand. It has made me very careful on the sidewalks, but they should be more careful, too. You know, if I went to a police officer I could report someone biking on the sidewalk, but everyone is too busy here, they never care. The fine is almost 20,000 yen! Can you believe that. It is very expensive, but no one cares enough to report the bike riders. But, if there is a collision! Then, there is trouble.
Me: Well, I was just walking to meet my friend, and she's just across the street on the corner there.
MM: Yes, I will let you go on your way. I have nothing to do with you, but this is the southwest corner, that is the northwest corner.
Me: There she is, do you see her?
MM: Yes, she is very pretty. I will let you go, I have nothing to do with you.
Shaiya: Hey, Matt.
MM: Ah, hello, you are his friend. I will let you go as I have nothing to do with you, but I was jogging and said hello and we started to talk! I am very old. Only twenty-seven years old! (he laughs) I told him of my high blood pressure and my diabetes. I have nothing, but that makes me strong, and I don't care about money.
Shaiya: Um, that's good.
MM: Why is that good? If I were rich, that would be good! Hah! But, I am not rich. But that makes me rich in spirit, which is all one really needs. Yes, I am truly rich in spirit, but again I have nothing to do with you, so I will let you be. Goodbye now, goodbye! Goodbye!
Me: Goodbye! Nice to meet you.
posted by Matt Hooks at 12:00 PM
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