Train trouble

'Twas Saturday afternoon, just after my arubaito in the language school. I was on my way to meet up with a student-friend. I was sitting comfortably, almost asleep, when the train stopped in one of the stations. To my surprise, the train didn't just stop -- it stayed there for more than 30 minutes! Oh my! What happened? Why ain't the train moving? Obviously, there was some kind of trouble, as the train staff were on their megaphones announcing something I could hardly understand. As I tried to listen, and as far as my understading of Nihonggo can go, I figured that there was trouble between two stations which affected three train lines. For what kind of trouble, I wonder. Maybe, two trains collided with each other. Maybe, there was someone who tried to kill her/himself. Maybe a thunderstorm? Nah, it wasn't raining.

I was about to panic since I was already getting late for my appointment. Since I have no celfone (oh, poor me!), I had to stand up from where I was comfily sitting (and thus, giving up my seat) and look for a payphone to make a call. To make the story short, I arrived in the meeting place one hour late. Because not only once did the train stop, but thrice!

This "lovely" experience of mine brings back all the train-related glitches I had when I was still teaching in Tsukuba. Once, the train I was on stopped in the middle of the long bridge for about 30 minutes. And since my Nihonggo was really awfully zero at that time, I didn't know what was really happening. I was able to know the reason only when my students explained it to me, when I arrived in the class one hour late. They said the train stopped due to thunderstorm. Oh, boy!

I have had other train troubles, some are minor ones, others are my own fault. But if I were to tell them all here, it will probably take you a day to finish reading a single post. I could not exactly tell that I won't face another train trouble in the near future. Seems like this kind of thing is always near me, if not with me. I try to commute early just so to avoid any inconveniences. But sometimes, no matter how hard or careful I am, Murphy's law strikes without a warning.