Te... To... Ni... Ko... Ku...

You know that eye chart with the giant "E" at the top and then "F P" in the next row, "T O Z" in the next row, etc., where the letters get smaller as you go down? Well of course it makes sense, but I never would have thought about it until today: the Japanese chart is different! They don't have Western letters. Instead, they use Japanese characters that correspond to the sounds I put in the title of this posting. (I looked for a photo of one online I could post here, but I couldn't find it... only ones in Russian, Greek, and Chinese.)

I recently got something in my eye while riding the scooter. Since I've had my cold and been blowing my nose for a few days now, I must have rubbed that eye with a contaminated hand because I woke up today with "pink eye" in that eye. I went back to the doctor, but they referred me to an ophthalmologist because they "don't do eyes" at the regular doctor.

Anyway, I was ushered around the eye doctor's office from one waiting room to the next, and in one room, they do the eye air puff test and eye chart test all in the same room where everyone is waiting to see the doctor. I must have stared at that chart like it was the second coming of Christ, I was so transfixed...

It was mid-day, so it was me and a whole bunch of retired Japanese people. I did my regular fumbling through Japanese, listening for words I know when they talk to me, pantomiming my problems (me riding my scooter, something in my eye, catching a cold, rubbing my eye, waking up all crusty today). They gave me antibiotic drops and sent me home. The total visit without insurance, including the meds, was about $50. Not too shabby.

I just have to say that it's all a trip! These are the things we don't think about at home. And they don't think about them here either. They are just as surprised as I am when I've never seen a Japanese eye chart before! It's all they've ever known.

Another bit of good news: I came home to something in my mail box, that if I'm reading it correctly, looks like I'm getting some of my back pay in a few days!

Part of me thinks it's sad I should get so excited over a mere percentage of what is truly owed to me for the work I did 6 months ago. But another part of me knows that this exercise makes me appreciate every yen I get, no matter how delayed, so...

Whoo Hoo!