21 Months

A couple　of things to know ...

- They don't have kerbs in Japan, The road and the path are at the same level. They have raised concrete barriers about 6 inches high at intervals to mark where the path ends and the road begins.

- I'm not allowed to have pretty things.

So here's　the story.

Thursday was a crazy day so when I got home at ten I had some comfort food (tuna potato bake), put on Harry Potter (I've been listening to the audiobooks) and relaxed. After that I spent a couple of hours preparing lessons, and hung out on my balcony reading emails. Was kinda feeling a bit lonely so thought 'I know!!! I'll bring my laptop to the 24 hour internet cafe and call someone at home!!!'

Jumped on my bike, headed off all happy, went into Irish cycling mode, came out onto the main road, which was completely empty considering it was 2 in the morning, and pulled out onto the road.

Well that was the plan.

After 6 months of dicing with death in Dublin rush hour, a bloody lump of concrete on an empty road was the thing that got me!!!

So after a pretty impressive piece of acrobatics, I end up on the road, flat on my back and went immediately into embarrassed survival mode! Standing up, completely winded, trying to grab my bike and start moving in case anyone saw. And luckily no one did.

Oh wait, except for that whole bar over there!

So the waiter runs out speaking Japanese, helping me with my bike, and as soon as　I grab my breath back all I can say is 'Sumimasen, Arigato, Sumimasen'. Meanwhile he's looking at this crazy foreigner just babbling 'Sorry, Thank You, Sorry, Thank you' and wondering how hard exactly I hit my head.

So taking my 'oh so graceful' leave of my Japanese hero, I start hobbling back to my apartment feeling immensely sorry for my self, but deep down knowing I was ok. A scratch on my arm, and some tender ribs (a lot less than the time Crusher (aka Dave) tried to kill me). It was a fairly lucky escape for a first bike accident.

And then I remembered.

My laptop.

Its safe to say, it didn't fare quite as well. From　the outside there's just the tiniest scratch but inside the screen was completely smashed, and no amount of band aids seems to be able to stick it back together. Having said that, it seems to be starting up and working ok other that the fact I can't see anything.

So tomorrow maybe an emergency trip to the Apple store, which of course was one of the first things I located (hospital, fire exits, bar, apple store (not necessarily in that order)). So wish me luck.

Either way, I'm going to be even less around than before and I don't want any complaining cos if ya do, you'll get what Dave has had to listen to for the past couple of days. 'My beautiful laptop, it was so pretty, and now its gone. I loved it so ....' You have been warned.

Any donations to the Joanne's Pretty Things campaign gratefully received. Alternatively you can donate to Dave's Sanity Fund.

Right I'm off to cry myself to sleep again!