Japanese Hangovers

Day 3 - the day after Karaoke

I wake up in Hiroshi's lounge/bedroom/sardine can. I think I would be happy with the small space. I'm looking forward to the end of the year when I take off on my BIG trip. This is when I get to purge all my shit and reduce my possessions down to what I'll need to start over when I return. This hoarding habit has been picked up from my mum, who loves to surround herself with stuff that stopped working years ago. So come November, get in line, because I'll be giving it all away.

I asked Hiroshi about Buddhism, Zen and other religions in Japan. As the conclusions I've come to are more like feeling than words, it's not something I can write about here.

I have learned my first Kana or Kanji. I forget which one is which. By using my phrasebook I have been able to find my way around Tokyo, even when there hasn'€™t been any English or Roman characters on signs. The trick to it is finding the name of the thing you want (in this case: Capsule Hotel) and then memorising what the first couple of Kanji look like. Simple stuff.

Japanese McDonalds
There'€™s a neat little chain of Japanese eateries called "Yoshinoya". These guys have about 7 dishes to choose from with prices ranging from AU$3-$5. Fast food that is filling, tasty and cheap. What more do you want? The cool part is there is no take away, you have to sit at the counter and the ueita hands you a complementary Japanese tea on arrival. Don'€™t speak Japanese? No problem. Point at the pictures on the menu and gesticulate your preferred size.