No104

Dear Customers & Friends
Hello from Japan! This is Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No 104.On last Saturday I caught a cold, and lied down almost 50 hours(not in one time, but during the weekend.) Recently I only sleep about 5 hours everyday, so 10 times sleep had to be the cause of everything. When I got up in the morning on Monday, I felt flood of life, but had a slight backache.As usual I went to our office, wrote descripitons of items and listed them, andselected items for photographing of that day. I lifted the package, which was not so heavy, and I tried to put it down on the carrier. Then I slightly lost my balance, and its heaviness came to one left side of the back.And I felt an acute pain in my back. I felt on my knees, and sweated it out. I called Yuka with handiphone, and she helped me to stand. My back still ached, but managed to stand, and walked slowly to the desk space. On that day I had to attend an auction in Osaka from 1 p.m., so I managed to climb on my car, and drove for about an hour. When I sat calmly, I didn't feel the ache, so I didn't feel so serious. On my way to the auction place, I stopped by at KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN and could walk to the register, order and eat a nice lunch. I arrived, and I parked the car where the staff introduced me. I slided down from the car, and began to walk to the auction house. It was about 50 metersdistance, and I walked very slowly. Staffs and other bidders asked me how did Ifeel today, and I explained and asked them go ahead. At the middle of the distance, backache became heavy, and I had to crouched on the road. Passersby worried about me, and asked me if I was OK. I replied I was fine, and waited the ache to become lighter. Some staffs of the auction came aroud me. I tried to stand up, but I couldn't. Finally I gave up to attend the auction, and asked a staff to drive my car to right where I was. I managed to climb up to my car with their help(literally they pushed me in the car), and drove back to our office.Our office is on the third and the second floors, and there is an orthopedic clinic on the grand floor. Every mornig and evening the grand floor of this bulding is filled with old men and women, and through the windows we can seetheir necks and back are drew. The next room of the clinic is vacant for longtime, and I sometimes imagine it may be a good idea to have a shop to sell somekinds of healthy goods for the patients, but I never imagined I had to be one of the patients.I lied down in our stock room waiting the treatment hours. At 4 p.m. Yuka helped me to stand, but the pain increased, and I couldn't stand up. Yuka went to the clinic and asked them if she could borrow a wheelchair, but they did nothave one. I asked her a cart we use to cart for carrynig kimono boxes. She and a staff brought a cart and a desk chair with wheels in the feet. First I climbed up on the cart, and next I climbed up on the chair on my belly. Theypushed the chair, but I was not good, and finally I managed to move my body andsit on it. During that time I cried outt, I should call an ambulance! Must enter a hospital!'At the entrance of the clinic, there are some bumps, I couldn't enter on the chair. I had to climbed down on the floor, and crawl on my hands and knees to get in.The doctor took an X-ray could hardly stood up. To stand up with holding the machine took long time, and the doctor was very calm just looking at me with his poker-faced look.The doctor said, 'Inflammation of the muscle, and a slight hernia of intervertebral disk. Will administer an injection. And give you oral and suppository. If the pain become lighter, come to rehabilitation exercise'. >From that Monday I have had always backache, and I couldn't stand up without holding something, couldn't crouch down, couldn't have a package and couldn't sit stil for a long time. Two auctions in the early of the week I coudn't attend,but I had to attend two auctions in the middle and end of the week. Fortunately I could hire a young man, Kurokawa kun, and asked him to drive, fold and carrythe packages.Without him I coudn't attend those auctions, and we had not to be able to list new items of this week.Usually you have to sit down on tatami on all auctioins(some people sit on the chairs but I prefer to touch and look close the details). But at those twoauctions I couldn't sat on the tatami, and sat on the chair behind the most front. There are many friends attended the auctions, so they helped me to checkthe offered items. They pulled the items for me to be touched, when my favoriteitems were offered. But when very very good items were offered, and there seemednot to be enough helped and times to check them, I rushed into climbing on thetatami ground and tring to approach to the items.A frined said, ' Greediness wins pain!' and all bidders burst into laughing. And I replied, ' No, no, everything are for my customers!'
one of a seller there said he could heal my pain only pressing my acupressure points of soles. I firmly declined, but he insisted that I had to be able to walk without pain if he pressed only ten minutes. He showed his callous of finger and he said he is a professional. I couldn't decline his WARM proposal anymore, and I gave my foot him. His pressing was painful, and I had to screamagain and again among other bidders ate the lunch. After pressing, he said ' Try to walk!'Could I say ' Still hurts'? Instead I said, ' I felt better. Pain may go away?!'Everyone asked me how I felt. I had to say 'feel better'. And I had to ask him,how could I pay for his pressing. He said, ' It's free. Please bid little bit higher for my items, its enough!'
For the backache this week I thought something, which I have not imagined.- Even if people look healthy, they may have some difficulty to move like healthy people. - On the ground there are many steps, which become the obstacles.- Some people must worry about the public toilets. I worry in the town if I can find Western style toilet. Japanese style toilet is difficult to be used.- Many kimono dealers have backache, which seems to be the professional disease.- Health is most important, and I must take care of my body gently, if I want to work for long time.- Someday, I will not be able to work because I get old or become ill. So I must hurry to do, if I want to make maximum possible contribution to the society.
Fortunately when I got up this morning, backache became slightly better. I could stand up without holding anything! Familiar pain of the previous week seems to be gone away! I should be still careful for the back, but from tomorrowmy life seems to become normal.
We will be listing ranru, katazome and kasuri fabrics and bolts.We will be very happy if you have some time to check our new arrivals.
Ichiro & Yuka WadaKimono Flea Market ICHIROYAhttp://www.ichiroya.cominfo@ichiroya.comaddress:Koyodai 3-3-10-109Tondabayashi city, Osaka, 584-0082 JAPANPhone & Fax ****(international number)-81( country code)-721-29-5446