This is a cautionary tale.

Satomi has been calling me Harry Potter recently and it isn’t because I have saved the world from evil.  That’s high on my list but I was sidetracked by a bamboo pole we use to hang out the laundry.  I don’t know how many of you have cut bamboo with a Japanese nata.  The nata is an amazing tool.  If you channel your inner Bruce Lee when you swing it is possible to hack through some pretty stout bamboo in one swing. The resulting cut is angled and sharp and very stylish.  I cut a few pieces of bamboo so that we can hang out more laundry to dry.  It’s isn’t very common to have clothes dryer in the house (at least in this part of Japan) and going to the coin laundry every day adds up so we air dry as much as possible.

Now that I  know I’m not permanently disfigured I’m ready to tell the story so we can all laugh about it.  The other week we forgot to bring in some laundry while it was still daylight and when we heard the pitter patter of rain I rushed out to grab the laundry.  Outside it was almost pitch black and there is no outside light.  I wasn’t worried though, I have made that trek dozens of times.  The bamboo, however, is a recent addition.  Earlier that same day I distinctly remember thinking, “I should do something about that sharp end of the bamboo before someone gets hurt”.  I hadn’t done something about it (and still haven’t). I was rehashing that inner conversation as I bashed my head straight into the end of the pole.  Immediately I felt blood running down my forehead.  I wondered if the bamboo had made it all the way through to my skull.  Honestly, I didn’t want to look but denial wasn’t going to staunch the blood flow.  With a river of blood streaming down my face the rushed to the bathroom mirror.  I wiped away the blood.  It seemed like there was no skull showing but it was hard to be sure because the blood was fast and furious.  I am operating under the assumption that I didn’t strike bone.  It did however leave a one inch perpendicular gash midway between my right eyebrow and receding hairline.  I probably could have benefited from a stitch or two at the doctors office but it was late.  Instead, I opted for taping it back together with some medical tape and covering that with a bandage.  It worked well.  Two days later when I removed the tape there was already a nice pink scar.  The cut was so clean and straight that the scar may completely vanish and I will no longer resemble Harry Potter.

If you visit Japan, I hope you leave that experience off of your itinerary.  I will be doing my best not to repeat it.  But, if you find yourself in such a predicament, I will be happy to tape you back together.

-The Green Tea Dreamer