My Japanese Adventure:
Here it is – Tuesday, about 5:30 and I’ve just returned from my day in Marc’s village. It’s somewhere outside of Osaka. I have no idea where. There aren’t any street signs. I mean, maybe there are, but I can’t read anything – unless, of course, it’s random English words. For example, I’m drinking a coke and on the top it says Get!! Shop NO REASON.

Which leads me back to my day. I shopped for NO REASON. I went into this make-up store to figure out what was good and then I was going to go to one of the Pharmacy’s around – per instructions from my friend Yukie. Apparently, the good make-up/cleanser/etc companies in Japan, make these very high end products and then make basically the same stuff, but sell it for a lot less in the pharmacy’s or Duane Reades – or what have you. However, they were just so nice and they cleaned my face and I felt pretty and so, I left after having spent over $100 for facial cleanser, moisturizer, some other stuff that you put on after the moisturizer and then some more moisturizer that you put on after the other stuff, but it has sunscreen and lip balm. WHAT is wrong with me? I wanna buy a cool digital camera. Well, Barnum may as well have been talking about me when he spoke of the sucker born every minuet.

But before I went in there, I went to the bank and was there for another trying to change my American Express money into Yen. I really have no idea why it took that long, but it was a nice place to sit and everyone was so nice and I got to do a very nice bow at the end of it. Now, go back to the paragraph before and realize that the money I had just had exchanged was spent at the above said store.

Well, almost.

I then went into my second Japanese supermarket. I really enjoy them. I just wander and exasperate the people who are there to actually buy stuff. I did pick up bacon, tomatoes, lettuce and Ziploc bags.

There is this street across from the train station called “Shopping Street” – that’s where I went for the above stuff.

I went next into a coffee shop. I drank coffee. It was very quiet.

Actually, everything in Japan is quiet. Quiet and clean. Oh, and I’m about everyone’s height! Wacky.

I went to many electronic stores to find a coffee grinder. At one point, I asked for a kohii misu grinder (translated actually means – coffee bean paste grinder). And made the international grinding sign with my fist and open palm. At this store, they didn’t have it, but I did get a picture of a coffee grinder and so, I was able to eventually purchase said item.

It seems that everyone has a bicycle. And many ride with passengers. It’s groovy. All the school kids seem to wear uniforms.

I found a dollar store or 100 Yen store. I wandered there last night with Marc for awhile – until he was tired of it. I went back today and wandered more. I bought Marc a really cheap pan – like a wok – and it will probably be destroyed before I go.

It’s really lovely weather here right now. Rainy, but in the 60’s or so. It reminds me of Seattle.

So, now, I’m going to take a nap. I’m still a bit off on my sleep. I’m so excited to see stuff that I stay up thinking about it and then don’t sleep.