Things I have observed:
1. Toilets here run the gamut from high tech (amazing seats of wonder at the airport) to low tech (the lowly squatty potty), but there is no question at all when it comes to toilet paper. Low tech. Next time I come to Japan I am packing some Charmin. This stuff makes the school toilet paper feel like Egyptian cotton.
2. People in Japan apologize to you for not speaking English. They politely listen to you butcher their language, and still try to get you what you want. If they mess it up, they just give you stuff for free (as in the case of the large sushi platter tonight...more on that later).
3. No matter how hard you try, you cannot keep a group of Americans quiet on a subway or train. It can't be done, not even with stun guns (that's just a guess...I didn't actually use a stun gun).
4. Sometimes it is best to just eat what is in front of you and to not ask questions about it. Above all, smile and nod your head when asked if you like it, but don't be too enthusiastic about it...they might (and probably will) bring you more.
5. Happiness is the laundry room at the hotel, especially after a week and a half of not doing any laundry. If your clothes are carrying on conversations with you, it is probably time to have a meeting with some Tide.
6. The comforter on my bed in Sanyo-Onoda is a gift from God, or Buddha...your choice. I will miss it when I am gone.
7. The 7-11 has brought new meaning into my life. The ladies there already know that I am there to buy a Diet Coke. If it has been a long day, I'm probably going to top it with a Snickers. I'll already have the money ready...270 yen.
8. Tommy Lee Jones is advertising Boss coffee here. It comes hot out of one of the endless vending machines. He just doesn't look happy about it.
More about today when I get up tomorrow morning!
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4 comments:
Let me get this straight. The japanese culture is overly considerate, they believe in copious amounts of healthy, whole foods, Buddhism probably equals plenty of yoga practice, art in all its forms is valued, and they practice leaving a small carbon footprint (aka thin toilet paper. Sounds great to me. How is Sanyo Onoda (sp?)? Industrial or buccolic? Cannot wait to hear more.
Quite industrial. I think that this is a pretty economically depressed area. But the beach is stunning...I hope to check that out this weekend.
And thin doesn't begin to secribe the toilet paper...
I can remain quite on a subway train easily. I usually sleep on them.
Looked up a image of Tommy Lee Jones and Boss coffee, and I'm betting that it was taken from a movie of his. Or maybe he was just miffed that the coffee is cold? Heh.
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