Mountain Climbing Costs Too Much
Jun. 6th, 2007 10:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mbarkerA lightly fictionalized account of a real event.
Mountain Climbing Costs Too Much
By Mike Barker
In which Mr. Hendricks learns that even walking in the mountains requires the
right uniform . . . at least if you want to do it the Japanese way!
Hendricks, the foreign manager, looked at Takemura's frown. "What's the matter,
Takemura? We've got a three-day weekend coming up, but you don't look happy."
In the open Japanese office, other workers tapped away at their computers. The
background rumble of quiet conversations, the occasional phone ringing, and the
rustle of papers filled the large, well-lit space. Groups of workers sat in
careful rows of desks, with a manager at the head of each row.
Takemura looked down in his lap and shook his head. "I am . . . not sure what to
do. My friends have asked me to go mountain climbing."
Hendricks rubbed his chin. "That sounds good. Do you like mountain climbing?"
Takemura tapped the end of his nose, looking surprised. "Me? It would be my
first time. But I don't think I can afford it."
Now Hendricks frowned. "Do you mean the ropes and equipment?"
Takemura looked puzzled. "No, this is just walking in the mountains."
"Are you worrying about the hotel then? I know that Japanese hotels can be
pretty expensive."
"Oh, no. My friends have tents and sleeping bags and we will stay outside.
That's not the expensive part."
Hendricks shook his head. "Okay, I give up. You're talking about walking around
in the mountains, and you'll be camping out. What's so expensive? Don't tell me
Japan requires a license or something to go walking in the mountains?"
Takemura chuckled. "No, that would be silly. But if I go walking in the
mountains, I need hiking clothes. And those are at least $200. Just for a hobby
that I may not even like. I think it is too expensive."
Hendricks blinked. "Wait just a minute. Hiking clothes? If I was going hiking in
America, especially for the first time, I would just wear blue jeans, a T-shirt,
and sneakers. What do you mean by hiking clothes?"
Takemura looked shocked. "No, you can't go hiking that way. You have to get . .
. you have probably seen them in the train. A checked flannel shirt, the pants
that have a little belt about your calves, knee socks, and hiking shoes. You
need a hiking backpack, at least, too, but I think I might be able to borrow
that from my friends. Not the clothes, though."
Hendricks knew the outfit. "But if it's your first time, and you aren't even
sure you like to go hiking, why not just wear clothes you already have? And if
you like it, then you can buy the hiking clothes?"
Takemura shook his head. "You really don't understand mountain climbing, do you?
You can't just go without the right clothes."
Hendricks closed his eyes for a moment, then looked at Takemura. "You're
serious, right?"
Takemura nodded, once. "Of course. And that's the problem, I just don't know if
I can afford to go mountain climbing. My friends make mountain climbing sound
good and I would love to try, but I think it just costs too much."
Hendricks smiled. "Well, if you go, please let me know whether you enjoy it or
not. And what you end up wearing, okay?"
Mountain Climbing Costs Too Much
By Mike Barker
In which Mr. Hendricks learns that even walking in the mountains requires the
right uniform . . . at least if you want to do it the Japanese way!
Hendricks, the foreign manager, looked at Takemura's frown. "What's the matter,
Takemura? We've got a three-day weekend coming up, but you don't look happy."
In the open Japanese office, other workers tapped away at their computers. The
background rumble of quiet conversations, the occasional phone ringing, and the
rustle of papers filled the large, well-lit space. Groups of workers sat in
careful rows of desks, with a manager at the head of each row.
Takemura looked down in his lap and shook his head. "I am . . . not sure what to
do. My friends have asked me to go mountain climbing."
Hendricks rubbed his chin. "That sounds good. Do you like mountain climbing?"
Takemura tapped the end of his nose, looking surprised. "Me? It would be my
first time. But I don't think I can afford it."
Now Hendricks frowned. "Do you mean the ropes and equipment?"
Takemura looked puzzled. "No, this is just walking in the mountains."
"Are you worrying about the hotel then? I know that Japanese hotels can be
pretty expensive."
"Oh, no. My friends have tents and sleeping bags and we will stay outside.
That's not the expensive part."
Hendricks shook his head. "Okay, I give up. You're talking about walking around
in the mountains, and you'll be camping out. What's so expensive? Don't tell me
Japan requires a license or something to go walking in the mountains?"
Takemura chuckled. "No, that would be silly. But if I go walking in the
mountains, I need hiking clothes. And those are at least $200. Just for a hobby
that I may not even like. I think it is too expensive."
Hendricks blinked. "Wait just a minute. Hiking clothes? If I was going hiking in
America, especially for the first time, I would just wear blue jeans, a T-shirt,
and sneakers. What do you mean by hiking clothes?"
Takemura looked shocked. "No, you can't go hiking that way. You have to get . .
. you have probably seen them in the train. A checked flannel shirt, the pants
that have a little belt about your calves, knee socks, and hiking shoes. You
need a hiking backpack, at least, too, but I think I might be able to borrow
that from my friends. Not the clothes, though."
Hendricks knew the outfit. "But if it's your first time, and you aren't even
sure you like to go hiking, why not just wear clothes you already have? And if
you like it, then you can buy the hiking clothes?"
Takemura shook his head. "You really don't understand mountain climbing, do you?
You can't just go without the right clothes."
Hendricks closed his eyes for a moment, then looked at Takemura. "You're
serious, right?"
Takemura nodded, once. "Of course. And that's the problem, I just don't know if
I can afford to go mountain climbing. My friends make mountain climbing sound
good and I would love to try, but I think it just costs too much."
Hendricks smiled. "Well, if you go, please let me know whether you enjoy it or
not. And what you end up wearing, okay?"
