From the Scuttlebutt...

So last time I mentioned that His Highness (aka the Big Boss) was AWOL with my fellowship hanging in the balance. Well.... as it turns out, he's in a hospital somewhere in Sapporo! He came back from his hols in the UK (apparently the UK isn't to blame for this-well I hope not, not a very stunning recomendation to visit otherwise) and went into hospital. Its all been very cryptic, the first I heard of it was on the gaijin grapevine (or the beer garden in Sapporo) when a friend of mine who helps with proof-reading etc. was called into work to help draft emails cancelling various events. Naturally he passed this on to me. Then the next day around at a friend from works house we all sat round and discussed that my mini boss had recieved a phonecall on Friday, saying that he was in a hospital....much gossiping ensued, most of it lost on me with it being in Japanese.
At work last week, the lunchtime has been spent with much discussion, but it seems that those who know are being tightlipped... I've tried plumping the lovely secretaries for info (because if anyone knows I figured they would be the ones) but they ain't saying anything. Also that he's not in the university hospital either is pretty telling, the entire department would have known whats wrong within minutes most likely. All thats known is that he's out of action for the next couple of months...now all we can gossip about is what it is thats wrong with him and enjoy the fact that the department meetings will probably now take half the time without him there...
Thankfully though, my mini boss has stepped in and (bless him) is helping me complete the fellowship application. So there's progress there, thankfully.
It was actually a very medically drama theme week last week... the visiting Prof, that should have come last week cancelled due to being holed up in a Bangkok hospital with food poisoning and then whilst out with a friend for dinner at open plan restaurant, a passing eldery salary man crashed headfirst into the seats right by our table with something pretty seriously wrong with him. I was already to leap into action with my very rusty first aid skills when a what I think must have been an off duty doctor got there first- probably a good thing as I can't ever remember the word for ambulance in Japanese.
All this and Oyomesan's melon sized cyst too. I can't imagine what I would do if I was if it was me with that inside me. I don't think I would be coping as well as she seems to be! Hang in there Oyomesan!

Meanwhile I hope everyone else is healthy.