「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。
"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.
"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.
