「請小心不要撞到頭。」我每次要經過一道門時，公共澡堂的員工都要反覆重複著說。
這是一週內第四次泡溫泉了。並不是特別喜歡溫泉，純粹是天氣太冷了。
Dogo Onsen (Japanese Bathhouse)
"Please watch your head," the staff said.
It's a very typical Japanese heritage that I had to bow my head to pass every. This public bathhouse was very famous because it's one of the oldest hotsprings in Japan. Almost every tourist would pay a visit.
The photo was the historial public bathhouse, Dogo Onsen Honkan, which was partially under maintenance but still open.
Swim in the morning
I had not arrived the pool before its open hours for a long time. There were only a few old men waiting. They signed on a booklet in turn. It's probably free for the elderly.
"Ah, for the public admission?" the staff did not expect a paid user. I was the only one paid.
The old men rushed in. Everyone was faster than me but an old man with a walking stick. I was worried that all lanes would be occupied when I arrived, but there was one left.
大阪的腳踏車
「大阪的腳踏車也太多了吧？」剛到大阪時傳訊息給當地的友人。
「對😂而且亂停。」友人回覆。
的確，事後回想起來，東京的腳踏車也很多，為什麼我沒有特別感受到？也許是腳踏車亂停的關係吧。
大阪的腳踏車亂停到什麼地步呢？並不是「亂」停，基本上都是緊密整齊地並排著，就像台灣停放機車一樣，只是都是出現在不應該出現的地方。大阪的難波站附近到處都有像照片中一樣的標誌，明確地告知禁止停放腳踏車。但是就像照片中的標誌一樣，都被無視了。
Bicycles in Osaka
"There are way too many bicycles!" I messaged to a local friend when I just arrived in Osaka.
"Yeah😂and they are not well parked," the friend replied.
Indeed, there are also many bicycles in Tokyo, but I did not feel the same way. Maybe it is the difference.
How the bicycles in Osaka are not "well" parked? Actually, just like the scooters in Taiwan, they are well aligned and packed. But, both are parked in the prohibited area. The following photo is an example of the sign clearly indicating that parking bicycles is prohibited. There are such signs all around Nanba station in Osaka. But, just like the example, nobody takes it seriously.
體操時間
「不好意思，現在是退掃時間。」游泳池救生員在岸上對著我說。
「可以再說一次嗎？」我脫下泳帽好聽清楚他說什麼。
「不好意思，現在是退掃時間。」游泳池救生員重複。
「好的。」我還是不確定他說什麼。看他手上拿著清潔工具，也許他說「打掃」時間吧？
「一，二，三，四...」廣播伴隨著非常熟悉的鋼琴伴奏，讓我想起小學的體操。
不會吧？！真的是「體操」時間。不懂為什麼要把泳客趕上岸做體操，但是幾個日本人已經在池邊就定位。不敢多問，趕緊逃離現場，以免被強制做體操。
It's Gym Time
"Sorry, it's gym time," the swimming pool staff looking down at me from the starting block.
"Excuse me?" I took off the swimming cap to make sure I correctly caught the Japanese phrase.
"Sorry, it's gym time," the swimming pool staff repeated.
"OK," but I was not sure. He probably said "hygiene" time because he was holding a cleaning tool.
"One, two, three, four..." the speaker broadcast with the familiar piano melody that reminded me the gym time at the elementary school.
OMG. It is really the "gym" time. I did not understand why everyone had to get out of the pool doing the gym time, but there were a few Japanses near the pool getting ready. I did not dare to ask but fled the pool in case that the attendance was mandatory.
因為天氣變冷
「你在這一天要遷出？」區公所職員指著我的表格問。
「是的。」
「是因為工作要搬家嗎？」職員繼續問。
「ㄜ...不是因為工作...」我謹慎地回答。
「你這個月才從札榥搬過來，現在要遷出嗎？」職員繼續問。
「是的...因為天氣變冷...」我試著要解釋清楚，但是沒想到會問這一題，完全不在預先設想的對話腳本裡。系統出現異常，大腦已經停止運作，無法說出完整的日語句子。
「所以你不會回來仙台？」職員只是要確認是真的要遷出。
「是的。」對我來說，天氣變冷這個理由很合理。
照片是仙台名物烤牛舌。仙台到處都有牛舌產品，餐廳，居酒屋，土產店。甚至有一次在除了稻田以外，什麼都沒有的鄉下，看到一間牛舌便當工廠。
Because The Weather Is Cold
"Are you are moving out on this date?" the ward officer pointed at my form and asked.
"Yes," I answered.
"Is it because of work?" the officer continued.
"Hmm... no... it is not because of work," I answered carefully. This was the third time that I went through the moving-out process in Japan, but it was the first time I was asked for a reason.
"You have just moved from Sapporo this month. Are you moving out?" the officer asked again.
"Yes... because the weather is cold," I tried to explain but my brain was not working. Her question was not the scenario I had expected. An unhandled exception occurred, and my brain failed to compose a sentence in Japanese correctly.
"So, you are not coming back to Sendai?" the officer just wanted to confirm that I was permanently moving out.
"Yes," I confirmed. The cold weather was a very good reason to me.
The photo is my impression of Sendai, beef tongue, the most famous dish. It's sold all over Sendai. Restaurants, bars, souvenir shops. I even saw a factory of beef tongue meal boxes in the middle of paddy fields.
日本最北車站稚內
從札幌坐了一個多小時到旭川，下車後從第一月台走到第十月台，都沒看到可以轉乘到日本最北車站稚內的班次。距離表定發車時間不到十分鐘，只好硬著頭皮去問站務員。
「請問這班列車的月台在哪裏？」我指著車票上預約好要轉乘的班次問。
「去稚內的列車今天停駛，明天也停駛，昨天新聞有報導⋯」
不會吧？上次要去最東邊的根室，遇到大雨停駛。這次出發前一週，天天都在查詢氣象預報，又被我遇到了？
The Northernmost Train Station in Japan
The train took 1 hour from Sapporo to Asahikawa. Then, I was supposed to take another train to Wakkanai, the northernmost train station in Japan. I couldn't find the platform for the train, and the train was leaving in 10 minutes. I had no choice but asking the staff with my lousy Japanese.
"Execuse me, where is the platform for this train?" I pointed the connecting train reservation on my ticket.
"All the trains to Wakkanai have been suspended today and tomorrow. It was broadcast on the news..."
WTF? My trip to the easternmost town was suspended due to the weather last month, so I checked the forecast daily before departure. No rain but the train suspended again?
全線停駛
「請問，從這裡可以到札幌嗎？」指著時刻表上的車站名稱詢問票務櫃台。
「可以的。」櫃台小姐微笑著說。無需說明，已經了解我的困境，手指快速地點擊操作螢幕，列印出早上9點出發，傍晚6點抵達札幌的行程。
三天兩夜旅行的第二天早上，準備前往北海道最東邊的根室。昨天晚上還在想，今天中午到了根室要去哪一家壽司店大快朵頤一番。沒想到東西向的電車突然全部停駛，連回札幌的電車也都取消了。
剩下的唯一的電車是30分鐘後，往北到網走的快速電車。雖然名為快速，其實只有一節車廂，和普通列車一樣慢，要花三小時穿越山區。之後還要再花六小時，搭兩班電車往西才能回到札幌。
從網走回札幌是180度的大迴轉。但是這班快速電車之後，今天剩餘的班次也全部取消了。進退兩難的情況下，只好聯絡取消根室的住宿，臨時改道去網走了。
The Giant U-turn
"Execuse me, can I get to Sapporro from there?" I pointed at the station name on the timetable.
"Yes," the counter clerk replied. Without further explanation, she understood my situation. She quickly operated the console and printed out a journey that departed at 9am and arrived in Sapporo at 6pm for me.
It was the second day of the trip from Sapporo in the western Hokkaido to Nemuro in the eastern Hokkaido. I had checked out the hostel and was going to Nemuro. Suddenly all trains between Sapporo and Nemuro due to the rain. I was stuck in the middle.
The only train still in operation was leaving in 30 minutes for Abashiro in the north. All the other northbound trains would be suspended after this rapid train. It was a "rapid" train, but as slow as the commuter train. It was a single-carriage train that took 3 hours to go through the mountains. Then, I would need to take two westbound trains for 6 hours to get back to Sapporo.
It would be literally a giant U-turn, but I had no choice other than sitting in the train all day long.
日本潛規則
「超過他！超過他！」阿婆邊說邊打手勢要我往前游。
「我素歪果人，不懂日本的規矩，可以超車嗎？」
今天泳池人有點多，每個水道都有人了。阿婆很好心地把長泳水道讓給我。正當覺得今天運氣很好的時候，有個阿伯從另一頭下水，緩慢地游在前面。已經被救生員糾正過一堆規定，不敢造次，只能慢慢地跟在阿伯後面。
游回出發點時，阿婆堅持：「三四個人的話會有危險，只有兩個人沒關係。你比較快就超過去啊。」
在阿婆的加持之下，壯著膽小心翼翼地超過阿伯兩次，直到阿伯換去別的水道游，救生員都沒來說什麼。看來日本的潛規則我也略懂略懂。
游泳時段結束時，大家都要離開泳池，我在水中走向泳池兩側的梯子。本來沒有使用泳池的梯子出入水的習慣，直到來到日本後被泳池的救生員糾正。
這時突然有個阿桑直接爬上出發的跳台。這應該又是另一個潛規則吧。我雙手引體向上，空中轉身180度，優雅地坐在跳台上。
「先生不好意思哦，要用側邊的梯子出入泳池...」
我才要站起身來就被救生員糾正了。看來日本潛規則這門課還是要重修了。
Hidden Rules In Japan
"Overtake! Overtake!" said the old lady with her hand to signal me moving forward.
"I am a foreigner. I don't know the rules in Japan. Overtaking is forbidden, isn't it?" I explained.
It was a little clowded in the swimming pool today. All lanes were occupied. The old lady kindly gave away the lane when she saw me wondering in the pool. I was glad to have a private lane until I reached the other end. An old man jumped in and started swimming slowly right in front of me. I had no choice but tailed. Overtaking was a big no-no in a Japanese swimming pool. I had been warned by the life guard with many other rules. I didn't want to be preached again.
"It would be dangerious if there were 3 or 4 people. There are only two of you, and you are faster. Overtake him!" the old lady insisted when I came back to the starting end.
By her request, I carefully overtook the old man. I did it twice until he moved to somewhere. The life guard didn't bother to stop me. I started to understood the hidden rules in Japan.
At the end of swimming session, everyone was getting out of the pool. I was going to the ladder on the side. I had never used the ladder for existing the pool until I was told by the life guard in Japan.
Suddenly another old lady climbed up the starting block and got out of the pool.
It must have been another hidden rule for this special occassion. I put my hands on the starting block, push up my body out of water and rotate 180 degrees to gracefully sit on the block.
"Execute me, sir. You should have used the ladder on the side, blah blah..." told by the life guard again when I was standing up.
What?! I just failed the hidden rules in Japan again.
Snowing in June
"Cold! Col..." murmured two young ladies at the intersection while waiting for the traffic signal.
I thought Sapporo would be warm in the summer, but the temperature was 15 celsius degrees at noon today. It was the middle of June, but the locals also complained the cold weather. I came to Hokkaido a little too early.
It is more surprising that there were snowflakes floating in the air. It turned to be tiny white flowers called Robinia scattered from the trees.
戶籍遷入
旅行社職員說：「你搬去別的地方之前，還要再來這裡登記。」
「還要再來這裡？」我們正在區公所辦理戶籍遷入。已經等了很久，沒時間吃午餐。（來日本不過一週，已經是第二次餓著肚子等...）
在機場拿到在留卡，但是上面的住址是未定。所以今天旅行社派了一位職員來幫我辦理戶籍遷入，更新在留卡上的住址。
旅行社職員回答：「是的，在你搬去別的城市之前。」
「所以，如果我下個月要搬去北海道，要先來這裡辦理遷出，然後在北海道辦理遷入？不能在網路上辦理嗎？」
「不行，只能現場或是郵件辦理。」
想不到這個戶籍遷入只是無限迴圈的開始。不曉得卡片上剩下的六行空白要是在一年內就用完會怎樣。
Residence Registration
"When you move out, you have to come here again," said the coordinator.
"Again?" we were in the city hall to register the so called "moving-in". We were waiting for a while and had to skip lunch.
I got my residence card when I arrived in the airport, but the address was not specified on the card. So, the travel agency sent a coordinator to help me register my address and update the residence card.
"Yes, before you move to another city," the coordinator replied.
"So, for example, if I move to Hokkaido next month, I have to register the moving-out here and then register the moving-in in Hokkaido? Can I do it online?" I asked.
"No, you cannot do it online but you can do it by mail."
OMG! I have to go through this again and again if I want to travel around Japan? I wonder what would happen when the remaing empty rows for address on the card run out in a year. But I don't bother to ask this question.
歡迎回到台灣
「出來了！出來了！」檢疫人員雀躍地跑去看 PCR 檢驗結果。她比在場所有的乘客還興奮。
現場只有 26 個乘客，經過 9 小時的飛行，大家靜靜地在清晨 5 點鐘等候 PCR 檢驗結果。如果檢驗結果是陽性，立馬會被送到負壓隔離病房。那將會是無期徒刑，要連續測得兩次陰性結果才能出院。
「全部陰性，」檢疫人員開心地喊，「恭喜！歡迎回到台灣！」
乘客們沒什麼反應，只有幾個人弱弱地拍手。大家應該都累了，而且這只是開始，接下來還要在旅館隔離兩週。
照片是快篩測試。在隔離期間的第 3/7/10 天要自己用快篩測試。
Welcome back to Taiwan!
"Here come the results!" the CDC agent shouted while running to her laptop to see the PCR test results. She was more excited than all the passengers who had just arrived in the airport.
There were only 26 passengers. After a 9-hour overnight flight, all the passengers were just quietly waiting for a negative PCR test result at 5ish in the early morning. If someone got a positive result, the person would be immediately quarantined in a hospital. It would be a life sentence because the person would need two consecutive negative results to finish the quarantine period.
"All negative," the agent cheered, "congratulations! Welcome back to Taiwan!"
No responses from the passengers but a few applauded weakly. Most people were too tired to cheer, I supposed. Besides, it was just the beginning of the upcoming 2-week quarantine in hotels.
The photo was an antigen rapid test kit. A negative result is required on day 3/7/10 during the 2-week quarantine period.