Bus Stop Observations

I’ve been traveling by bus to Sapporo at least once a week for the past few months.  You’d think everything at the bus stop would be old news to me by now, but not so.  I have figured out what time I need to leave the house (7:45 am) to catch the 8:10 am bus. If I leave earlier, I get to the bus stop in time to take the bus that originates in another town and I don’t like to take that bus because it is already crowded before it gets to my stop.  If all of the regular seats are taken, you have to sit in a jump seat in the aisle. If I leave later, I risk not making it in time for the 8:10 am bus. 

There are two types of busses that stop at this place – the local bus and the highway bus.  I’ve figured out which line to get in for the Sapporo highway bus. I see other people who regularly ride the same time I do and we have a nodding acquaintance, or maybe it’s a slight bow.

You’d think that after figuring out the time and the line to stand in, it would all be old hat.  Nothing is old hat here, no matter how many times you do it.  One day recently, there were a bunch of ginki looking elderly people, milling around talking to and laughing with each other.  They weren’t in the orderly line, so I didn’t think they were getting on my bus, but I didn’t know. A big bright tour bus that was half full of other ginki looking elderly people pulled up and all the people that had been hanging around got on.  I noticed each one of them had one golf club.  No one had two or more, each person had just one.  The only think I could figure out is that they were going to play gateball.  I’m not totally sure what gateball is, but I think it’s something like a combination of golf and croquet.

This week, I was fourth in line waiting for the bus to come when 5 adults and 20 or so children all under the age of about seven got in line for the highway bus.  Each child had a little backpack and a hat and a water bottle on a strap.  The adults were taking pictures of the children, who all seemed very excited.  I looked at the subjects of these photos and I couldn’t believe my eyes - almost all of them were drinking from their water bottles!  I don’t know much about children, but I do know that a child drinking a liter of water, then getting on a bus without a toilet for an hour’s ride is not a good idea. I got on the bus and sat in a seat very near the front.  This crowd went to the back of the bus, probably heading to the jump seats.  I got off the bus at Odori Park and didn’t even look behind me.

Pins & Needles Return
I stopped working on this about the time I started the Yo-Yo Shawl. It's about time to get back to work on it, don't you think?   I'll have to read the directions to find out where I am on this project, but maybe there isn't so much left to do.