So things got started yesterday afternoon when Michelle asked me if I knew anything about Macs. Of course! Then I found out she was asking because one of the visiting American students had a Mac that was only showing a file with a question mark when she tried to start it up.
I don't know that much about Macs...
I looked online and found several reassuring posts that claimed this could be overcome - but of course, I didn't have the expertise to follow the directions, so I called Russell. Russell was pretty sure her hard drive was shot. No, no, no, the Internet disagrees, I assured him. Finally we decided that Russell would make an appointment with the Mac Store in Osaka and he would go with Amanda and also have them look at my computer (which has been requesting reboots 8 times out of 10 when it wakes up.)
Russell managed to get an appointment for the next evening (today at 5pm) so he and Amanda set off for Osaka around 3:30. At this points our stories split.
I was on my own, and while I almost just went home, I thought, "No! Russell is always waiting at home for me, this is my chance to go out and have fun!" I invited my coworkers, and my coworker from Singapore took me up on dinner. We went to a Vietnamese restaurant Russell and I had vetted and then went to take the train home. Since my coworker (I'm avoiding names as much as possible since blogs are more public than I care to think about) was working on a full stomach, she decided it would be fun to go exploring in her neighborhood up around the northern station (which was the same train line I take) so we happened to be riding together. About this time, Russell informed me that he was not going to get home until about 9pm. I decided to invite myself along for some exploring.
Now, this particular coworker and I are seriously bad influences on each other's waist-lines. We both have sweet tooths, and we seem to amplify each other. As if of one mind, we both decided that more than an exploration of mere places this should really be an exploration of dessert shops! Much more interesting. She took me around to all the places she had spotted in her neighborhood, and finally we decided to buy a slice of roll cake from a shop she had previously been too intimidated by to try. Roll cakes are very popular in Japan - at least in this region of Japan. They generally consist of a thin layer of sponge cake layered with a generous helping of whipped cream (the real stuff, not the sugary stuff we usually get in the US) and then rolled up and topped with gorgeous glazed fruits. (Note stock picture).
Each slice was wrapped up for us in an intricate little box with a compartment for ice to keep it chilled until we could get home. I was quite thrown off when the cake seller asked me how long I would be carrying the box. At first I thought she was asking what time I wanted to come back for the cake... Anyway, Michelle figured it out and we got a nice big helping of ice packets.
Next we went in search of a Bento for Russell. I can't remember if I ever explained Bento before. If I didn't, it is basically a lunch box that you can get at all convenience stores, grocery stores and train stations - most typically with a bed of rice and a variety of fried treats on top. There are of course, many variations. We tried several stores and finally found one that still had some reasonable selection (remember, it was getting late). I was just about set to say my goodbyes and head home when it occurred to me to check for my keys - nope, no keys. My coworker insisted she stay with me until Russell got back into town (I had just got a message that he was picking up the computers (the student got a new hard drive, and nothing was found wrong with mine) so there was still a good hour to wait until he got home. Considering our weaknesses, we found ourselves choosing between a bakery with matcha smoothies or Mr. Donut. The smoothies won out. We sat for about an hour and chatted over our drinks. I can't believe how lucky I was. If we had gone our separate ways at any point in the evening I would have been spending a very long time sitting outside my apartment waiting for Russell.
We eventually met up and headed home. Russell had spent the better part of the evening running around the Osaka train station trying to find a subway that had been renamed - then waiting for hours while the Apple folks poked and prodded the computers. All the service was free, though, so it was worth the trip. The student lost all of her pictures and work up to now, but at least she has a new hard drive and therefore somewhere to save anything new she generates. Hopefully, though not ideal, that is good enough for now. In the meantime, Russell has to put together a presentation for tomorrow morning for something that still isn't working.
Its going to be a long night.
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