Some days, it just doesn’t pay to get up…

This is one of those days I should have just stayed in bed…I probably would have gotten more done!

I started off the day by being 5 minutes late to class. Actually, I left with plenty of time to get to work, but the trains had stopped for some reason, and so they were all messed up.

There are four lines that stop at my station (荻窪駅／Ogikubo Station). Two are subway lines, and two are JR (Japan Railway) elevated trains. When I go to my main school, I usually take the express train until the stop right before my school, then transfer to a local train, because they express doesn’t stop at that station.

When I got to the station, I saw a huge crowd of people trying to go up the stairs and escalators. As i was going up the stairs to the express, the announcer said we should take the local. I managed to get on the next one. The trains schedule was still off. The announcer told us we would go to the next station and then see…It took a long time to get to each station. Finally, after we had gone two stations, they told us we should take an express. So I got off the local and went to catch an express.

To make a long story short, I was about 5 minutes late to class, but it was no problem. But I guess that set the tone for the day. It was just a long and stupid day. But now it is over.

The trains in Japan are very reliable and they pride themselves on their punctuality. When the trains are late, they hand out an excuse that you can give to your boss. This is only the third time I have ever gotten one. In the past, I turned them in. This time, I thought I would keep it. I took a picture of it when I got home. It is just a note saying that the trains were late and the station manager apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Actually, the day turned out ok. But it was a long day, and I’m glad it’s over! Tomorrow, my classes resume at a music college I teach. It is pretty far away, so I had better get to bed.