It's still muggy and looks like rain. June is supposed to be Japan's rainy season, although we're told this year the rain began in late April. http://www.climatecrisis.net/thescience/
Time for lunch and cell phone acquisition.
I decided on a 24 hour restaurant, which seemed to offer quick, local cuisine at a great price. I should have, however, better predicted the quality once we were instructed to purchase food tickets based on an array of pictures scattered across vending machines near the entrance. The choices were categorized by meat- pork, beef and chicken, and all items featured miso soup and a side of egg (in shell) which appeared to be completely raw. Prices ranged from 160 - 600 yen ($1.60 - $6.00 roughly). Once tickets were purchased, the waitress walked 5 feet to the kitchen and promptly microwaved our food in plain site. Three or so minutes later and the exact replica of the plastic vending machine picture sat before us in alleged edible fashion. Interesting to eliminate the ordering process by introducing the vending machine + tickets, but you lost me at microwave.
Vending machines in general are huge here. They line every street, typically in groups of two and sell anything from cigarettes ($3 per pack in Japan) to an array of tea (black, oolong, green) and canned coffees. I will more than likely stick to vending machine liquids from here forward.
Off to Shinjuku for cell phones.
Shinjuku is the equivalent of Time Square, but with 100 times as much neon, and without the homeless people and the naked cowboy strumming his guitar, http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=Z79EI_XiOq4. The sidewalks and streets are packed with people, advertisements flash in neon, occupy video screens and splatter billboards everywhere, and you can spot Starbucks, Doutor and other cafes on every corner.
At 9:45, cell phones finally in hand, we found ourselves surrounded by "salarymen" who were just leaving the office. Salarymen have been named as such due to their incredibly exhausting work schedules, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salaryman. Once released from work (weekdays included), it's customary for salarymen to head directly to a bar with coworkers to dine on appetizer foods and drown their sorrows. It's believed, actually, that alcoholism is a huge problem in Japan due to such routines, but the disease is never (and may never be) acknowledged. Trains full of vomit, passed out drunks in tailored Italian suits, and those remaining conscious (now babbling uncontrollably) characterize just another night here in Tokyo.
10:06 local time, and time for bed. This Kendall, by the way, totally Kendall-ed through jet lag.
Time for lunch and cell phone acquisition.
I decided on a 24 hour restaurant, which seemed to offer quick, local cuisine at a great price. I should have, however, better predicted the quality once we were instructed to purchase food tickets based on an array of pictures scattered across vending machines near the entrance. The choices were categorized by meat- pork, beef and chicken, and all items featured miso soup and a side of egg (in shell) which appeared to be completely raw. Prices ranged from 160 - 600 yen ($1.60 - $6.00 roughly). Once tickets were purchased, the waitress walked 5 feet to the kitchen and promptly microwaved our food in plain site. Three or so minutes later and the exact replica of the plastic vending machine picture sat before us in alleged edible fashion. Interesting to eliminate the ordering process by introducing the vending machine + tickets, but you lost me at microwave.
Vending machines in general are huge here. They line every street, typically in groups of two and sell anything from cigarettes ($3 per pack in Japan) to an array of tea (black, oolong, green) and canned coffees. I will more than likely stick to vending machine liquids from here forward.
Off to Shinjuku for cell phones.
Shinjuku is the equivalent of Time Square, but with 100 times as much neon, and without the homeless people and the naked cowboy strumming his guitar, http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=Z79EI_XiOq4. The sidewalks and streets are packed with people, advertisements flash in neon, occupy video screens and splatter billboards everywhere, and you can spot Starbucks, Doutor and other cafes on every corner.
At 9:45, cell phones finally in hand, we found ourselves surrounded by "salarymen" who were just leaving the office. Salarymen have been named as such due to their incredibly exhausting work schedules, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salaryman. Once released from work (weekdays included), it's customary for salarymen to head directly to a bar with coworkers to dine on appetizer foods and drown their sorrows. It's believed, actually, that alcoholism is a huge problem in Japan due to such routines, but the disease is never (and may never be) acknowledged. Trains full of vomit, passed out drunks in tailored Italian suits, and those remaining conscious (now babbling uncontrollably) characterize just another night here in Tokyo.
10:06 local time, and time for bed. This Kendall, by the way, totally Kendall-ed through jet lag.
0 comments:
Post a Comment