tuesday

Does that look like an amazing banana?  Actually the only thing amazing about it is you can buy just one.  Here, they always come in bunches and like everything else, they are wrapped.  Doesn’t a banana come in its own wrapper already?  I guess I should feel lucky at least it’s not the price of a cantaloupe!  Not cheap, but not bad at 120 yen or $1.12.

I’ve decided not to take my laptop to Tokyo tomorrow.  I have my phone, and more importantly, Katie has her phone.  Not only is she a wise Millennial, she has better service.  Our capsule hotel has wifi and computers to use, so we will see what that means as far as access.  And I said I was gonna travel light.  I haven’t and it’s been a bummer sometimes.  So this time I go with the clothes on my back, 3 shirts/socks/undies/tank tops, another pair of jeans, soap, make-up, phone charger, kindle, earplugs, eye cover, hoodie, jacket.

I have talked a lot about shopping here.  It seems like shopping would be shopping wherever you are, but the differences strike me every time I’m out.  I’ve described about how the clerks rarely bother you or pester you to buy anything.  Their service is excellent when you are checking out.  They always smile and seem genuinely happy to be there.  This was true even in the post office today!  We are starting to ship stuff home.  Two large boxes full of heavy coats and work clothes cost about $100 and will take 2 months to go to the other side of the world and land on Todd’s doorstep.

The sounds in most of the stores are crazy, often loud and chaotic.  As you walk around the bigger stores, there are mini-tv’s playing videos about products or singing a catchy tune.  At any given time, you can hear 3 – 6 tunes, sounds, music at once.   And even in the small stores, the employees do this chanting-like thing.  It’s hard to explain.  They use a very nasally voice to chant.  Katie said her students told her they are saying nice things about their products and prices.  When the women do it, it’s almost like a cat yowling outside your window.  I found it disconcerting at first, and now just annoying.  It’s pretty constant in most of the stores.  One employee will start, then another might echo.

This afternoon I stopped at McDonald’s near Dotonbori.  I was going to get Taco Bell, but Katie told me not to get too excited–they don’t have beans and it’s expensive!  What??  I stopped in and sure enough–2 tacos and some other thing for 900 yen.  At the busy McDonald’s, they keep it moving fast.  The restaurant looks small, sandwiched between other stores, but there are signs on the stairs saying there are 179 seats on the 2nd floor and another 86 seats on the 3rd–room for everyone and even a window view!  There are video monitors so you can see if there are seats available before hiking up. Even on this cool, cloudy, Tuesday evening, the Dotonbori area is packed and everyone is excited!

Every single time you go in any store, there are always people stocking up.  They straighten all the time and sweep and tidy constantly.  The customers are generally quiet, and even in a big group like this photo, it’s not as loud as you might think.

Yesterday I met a guy who was visiting from Hong Kong.  He was born and raised in South Africa, but took a job in Hong Kong 12 years ago.  His wife is Chinese and speaks Cantonese.  I know a lot of people come to Orlando, but with almost no effort I have met people from all over the world who have diverse stories of the many places they have lived, worked, and traveled.  It really makes the world seem smaller and even more amazing!

Tokyo is one of the largest cities in the world, with over 37 million people in the metropolitan area!  (NYC has 20 million for comparison.)  I’m excited and really can’t wait to see it tomorrow!  Katie has been there last year with some friends, and it is the busiest tourist area in Japan, so I assume there will be plenty of English.  We are taking the bullet train, or Shinkansen train, which goes up to 200 mph; our trip will be 2 1/2 hours to go 500 miles.  So I am not sure when I’ll post updates again; maybe from Tokyo or maybe in a state of exhaustion when I return!  Thank you again everyone for your updates and nice words–they really mean a lot!

By the way, the banana was fresh and flavorful–maybe they’re on to something!

Photo:  Individually wrapped single banana from Family Mart