RUN IN WITH THE LAW

So there I was on my bike, riding merrily along. I had come to a stop light so like I good citizen I stopped. Later, I was grateful that I had that because I noticed that there were two police coming in the opposite direction. Hey I wouldn’t want to get a ticket for "careless and reckless riding'(not that I know definitively that such a ticket exist but if dem can tow mi bike I don’ put nothing pass them.) I noticed too that they were staring a me but that was nothing new. People are always staring and though I don’t find it polite, I don’t find myself terribly annoyed by it either. The light changed and I started to ride again but now I notice that the police crossing the road and coming towards me – STRANGE!!! Now when a bike is in front of you can try swerve and continue on but when a police bike block you yuh know seh is stop yuh haffi stop. I had officially been pulled over by the cops. (LOL)

So the guys in blue hop off and I have no choice but to do the same. He asks if a speak Japanese. ‘No’, comes the swift reply and so my boy launches into an interrogation in fluent English. (Why I am not surprised?).

‘Where are you from?’ >>> ‘Where do you work?’ >>> ‘Is this your bike?’ >>> How much did you pay for it?”>>> ‘Where are the papers for the bike’ (Yes bicycles have papers but I didn’t have the papers for the bike.) >>> ‘Do you have your passport?’ Usually I don’t travel with my passport but I had it on me that day because I needed the visa page photocopied. I was glad I had it too because I done never have the papers for the bike.

So as Mr. English looks through the passport Mr. Silent gives the bike a thorough search. All bikes have a number on them so they start to radio the numbers back to the base. A bike had been stolen and mine fit the profile or was it my face that I fit the profile of a Thief ie. Non- Japanese.? Now I can’t even begin to explain to you how many black bicycles there are in Japan and how many black bikes passed as I was being interrogated.

Anyway I make them do what they have to do. I had to be somewhere at 5:15 and it was 5:08 so I just hoped that they did what they had to do quickly. They got a response from the base, this was not the stolen bike. I could have told them that from the beginning. Although the way dem did a check I start feel guilty although I know that the bike was perfectly legitimate. They thanked me (although I think I’m sorry would have been apt) and I rode off.

Update

I really can’t tell when last I wrote a blog, and I guess I could have just brought up the page and had a look but I always write in Word first and then cut and paste.

Anyway all is well here in Japan.

You may or may not know but I went back home in April. (sorry if I didn’t get to link you) I had a fantastic time. Definitely being with my family was the biggest treat and the biggest factor why almost I cleared out my account, but it was definitely worth every yen. ( How ticket expensive so ?) Got to check out two matches with the WI when they were winning, went to one of my favourite places, Portland and I got to see my Gabby who is absolutely precious.

Don’t ask if I neva put down a big bawling before I leave (cathartic) but I am happy to report that I have settled back in . I staying on for another year and really jusy enjoying every bit of this experience.

Latest drama- nearly rode into a moving car. Truly I know it is the Holy spirit protecting me from these possible accidents. But let me tell you how it go.

I was riding home one night and I had to take a corner. Now you may think that Jamaican roads small, but yuh nuh see small road till you come a Japan. Anyway I had to take this corner and on the corner of this small road was a parked a van. Usually I make the corner on the side walk so you are out of harms way but with this van parked on the side the only way to take it was to go on the road. So I went around the van ( i.e. on the road). Anyway there was a car coming at full speed in the opposite direction ( memba road small so it really doesn’t matter what side you on) , and me and him nearly make a CRASH). As you know though unlike the driver who is in a metal case of a car mi nuh have nuttin’ round me. Anyway I draw brake quick time and swung somewhere else and avoided the collision. Now I could I claim reflex but I know is the Lord himself who helped me. Other than that though things have been pretty uneventful – which isn’t all that bad if you think about it. School started back and I have a new set of students so I trying the make the classes as informative and entertaining as possible (the latter for my benefit of course)

Blessing on everyone who is reading this blog and even those who aren’t J Laters