ネイティブが教える英会話のジェムスクール☆Teachers☆

One of the things that I really like about Japan is how organized and orderly it is. The trains run on time to the minute. Certain types of refuse are picked up on certain days based on a systematic schedule. When you go to a restaurant, you can even pre-buy a ticket for the type of meal that you want served, and then you can receive it at your table soon enough in which it has been deliciously prepared. No muss, no fuss. Because of this, life is convenient and efficient. People know what to expect and are comfortable and polite in their daily lives.

When I deviate from this is when I run into trouble. For example, I recently took the express train, round trip, from Niihama to Imabari. In Imabari, I wanted to visit the Shimanami Kaido company to make a reservation for a one-day bike trip across the bridge to Onomichi City during the Christmas break. I also wanted to check out the appropriate bike sizes and styles, as well as to make sure I could get a bus ride back to Imabari after finishing the bike trek in Onomichi.

I thought I could easily find the Shimanami Kaido company after arriving in Imabari. I was wrong and hadn't done the systematic research to know its address and how to get there from Imabari Station. I had thought that Imabari City was much, much smaller than it actually is. After wasting a lot of time fruitlessly, I had to return to Niihama without the information I wanted. I later did the simple, systematic research, and now know exactly where to go, City Hall, when I return to Imabari.

The day was not a total loss, as the train ride did provide lots of beautiful, rural scenery.