Cast of Characters

It's 8:22 and I can be seen hurrying to work, by car as of late, despite the very short distance to my school; it's 15 minutes by foot, 6 by bicycle and 2 by car.

Just about every day, at the same moment I pull up to the traffic light down the road, a middle-aged man can be seen rounding the corner in his ATV. He looks so smug and self-content in his characteristic goggles, which are reminiscent of basketball legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Horace Grant. Without fail, as I approach the light at 8:22, he too turns that fateful corner and we exchange knowing glances as he tackles the all-terrain road and passes the local dry-cleaner's, gradually accelerating to the speed limit of about 25 mph.

I like to think that this daily excursion is part of his morning routine, perhaps taking place before he heads to work. I imagine that after a few laps around the block, he returns to his modest abode and removes his goggles, wiping adrenaline-filled beads of sweat from his brow. His wife, plain though loving, eagerly inquiring as to all the details of today's outting. He plays it off like it's no big deal, but both parties know better; he is truly a badass.

Hats off to you, ATV man; your thirst for adventure amidst the rice fields and love hotels has captured our spirits and our hearts. You will always have a place to call your own in my Amagi Cast of Characters.

Horace "The General" Grant