I am not having much luck with bicycles over here. Got a flat a few weeks ago. No big deal really. Fixed it a day or two later and was good to go. But in the past couple days I have busted the chain on my mountain bike and then yesterday the damn key broke off in the lock of the crappy bike. Luckly the lock was merely wrapped around the neck of the bike (as that's were I put it when I am riding it). I think the rain must have caused some internal rust cause it was quite hard to unlock back at the apartment. And then when I was going to lock it here at the Kencho is when the key broke. So I just left it here all day without a lock. Nobody would want the damn thing anyway.
So anyway, now I have to figure out how and where to get the mountain bike fixed. Again, luckily I was on my home when the chain busted. I was going up a hill, changed down into an easier gear and the thing let loose. I thought that the chain had merely come off, but when I looked down there were two ends that were't joined in holy matrimony and I knew I was screwed. So i walked it the rest of the way home with grease all over my fingers and the chain in my hand dangling like a dead snake (figure if I take the broken chain in with the injured bike, I'll get my point across much better than if I try to speak).

And speaking of dead snakes....yesterday I almost stepped on one. Only, it wasn't dead!
I was walking to the station from the avaition academy, minding my own business and thinking about getting my bike fixed. I was only looking a foot or two in front of me, like you do when you are deep in thought. And then quite suddenly there was something long and skinny not two feet from my feet. I looked at for a split second wondering what it was when it became clear that it was a snake! "Wow," I thought, "pretty cool. I wonder what killed it." But then through my keen sense of awareness (and the fact that it moved), I figured out, "Hey. That thing's not dead." At this I quickly put a few more feet between me and the tempter of sin and watched from a safe distance. It just lied there sunning itself on this slightly cool day. Didn't seem too interested in me and I was soon cussing myself for not having my camera. It was a pretty little thing, about 3 feet long (perhaps minus a half foot for the way we all exagerate in the these situations), and you'll be happy to know that I fought off all temptations to make like the crocodile hunter, grab the thing by the tail, hold it up for all to see (of which there was no one), and yell out, "Whoa, little fella'. You're alright.....She's a bute!" in my best Australian accent. Anyway, I had a train to catch and soon had to call this nature expedition to an end.

Ok, not much else to tell you at this time. I have all afternoon left to go here at the exciting Kencho so perhaps I'll attempt to rivet you with more stories of my escapades. Maybe, maybe not.