Thursday, August 22, 2013

Speedy Wanderings (in Japan)





It was noon, August 12, and Natalie and I were in Ikebukuro. We were hungry.
Apparently in Japan - your karaoke place serves full on meals. There's a lot you can get in a karaoke place, it seems. We didn't go inside one though. 
We got food from a famous chain, which I've forgotten the name of, because we were in a hurry. I got curry rice. 
From there we got on the metro and went to Shinjuku, Harajuku and that area. 
I can't really remember the order we did things in. It's all a blur of walking in searing heat and humidity, with breaks inside little shops or buying a cold drink at a convenience store. I remember seeing on the TV in Osaka that they were saying some places were 40 C, so I imagine the days in Tokyo were near that temperature too. 
Harajuku was fun. I found a lot of very cute clothing stores there. If I had a lot of money to waste - it would probably be wasted there. I bought a cute apple print dress there for 1,500 yen (a little over $15 usd). It was so hot and crowded I didn't much feel like taking pictures. Natalie really likes crowds, and so we went toward the most crowded places (and also down any alley that struck her fancy). 
This is a night scene outside of Ikebukuro station, west exit. After a long day, we were finally on our way back to the hostel. 

Now I have to relate to you the awkward story of dormitory hostel stays. 

We had chosen the dormitory style accommodation because it was cheaper. Something like $27 a night. Hotel Sakura's set up is 6 people on 3 bunk beds in one little room (with public style toilets, and 3 shower rooms per floor).
 After walking around all day and feeling dead tired, we went to the desk to get our keys and go up for the night. Right in front of us, at the elevator were 2 or 3 Asian guys, also going up. We all got on the elevator. What button? 6. Oh they are already going there. Fancy that. We all get off, and head to the same door. The boys were just a little ahead of us and had their key in the lock before us. I made the room number (on the key) obvious so they could see... we too were staying in that room! *facepalm*
I was so spent, I could hardly do anything at that moment except go in and collect my things for a shower. 
When I returned, I found Natalie chatting up the boys. They were all 3 from South Korea. They were friendly enough, and the one guy was most definitely pleased to have females as roommates. The other two were less pleased, but not mean or weird about it. They found it funny I could speak to them in Korean (with my terribly limited vocabulary). But you know, it was nice to speak Korean. It's such a strange thing, to go from being immersed for 6 months in one language, and suddenly find yourself in a place where you know what people are saying, and you can respond if you want to, but it's not English either. When you throw in English attempts on their part, while my brain is turning off Korean mode and engaging Japanese mode, it really messes things up! (i think the airline people appreciated my linguistic quandary, since most of them spoke all 3 languages interchangeably as a force of habit)

Koreans tend to live with their parents until they get married. Couple co-habitation is frowned upon in society. (it's also like Geneva on steroids, except you don't have to walk to Sheetz with a guy more than once for people assume you're going out. one view, one time - and a Korean thinks "that man and woman are dating or engaged or married") So I can imagine the whole situation was odd to the Korean guys too. I mean, I kept thinking it was some mistake. I told them, in Korean, the situation was a bit weird, and they said it was weird for them too. I was going to ask the desk in the morning, but around 11pm, a Japanese girl came in and took the remaining bed. That's when I knew - they just put people in wherever. (Japanese people are pretty similar with this kind of thing... Way to adopt Western weirdness for the sake of the almighty dollar, Hotel Sakura)

That was the end of day 1 in Tokyo. 


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