21

As with many things, the hallway in this apartment looks completely plausible either upside down, or right side up.

17

Regarding the upcoming typhoon: there was a sudden, impromptu meeting on the terrace with the superintendent of the apartment complex who climbed over the railing to the terrace while I was taking a shower. He wanted to secure the plants and make sure the drains were unclogged and OK. I heard a voice, so I went down the hallway to the front door, then outside, but nobody was there. Then I heard a voice from the terrace, so I went inside – nobody there, but a voice from the front door, so I went back out – nobody there yet again. This repeated not unlike your average cartoon skit until I looked over onto the terrace from near the front door, saw him, and we finally spoke (we slightly spoke would be a more accurate description). I rushed out in shorts, in the rain, without contact lenses and started "hai, hai, hai-ing" to everything he said, scooping leaves and mud from the drains as I interpreted, and moving things to where he pointed. It was quite comical – my arigatous, my blindness, his arigatous, much mutual bowing and confusion, etc. I moved all the small plants towards the building and surrounded them with a ring of larger, protective plants according to my deduction of what might potentially have been his suggestions. Now watch, there probably won't even be rain later in the day. Regardless, we are ready for whatever is coming.

15

Today while I was standing in the hallway thinking about going to the local paper museum a slip of paper came halfway through the mail slot in the front door. I stood motionless in the hallway, rotating my head towards the sound and watched it enter the apartment. I was tempted to start pushing it back out, or pulling it in just to see what would happen, but I didn't. I went into the kitchen and poured a glass of ポカリスエット (Pocari Suetto) with an exceptional meniscus. The trembling upper curve of the liquid indicated that a typhoon, or something else, is getting closer. As well, the sliding glass doors of the apartment are struggling against the strong winds, rattling in their aluminum frames in protest and generating an intermittent howling.