Keep your eyes peeled here!
Neal
Sunday, May 16, 2010
New Series
Hi folks of the blogging world. I must apologize for my previous posting. Now that I read it myself, I realize it was extremely hard to read, and had a lot of unnecessary personal junk filler that you don't need to know. Over the next few postings, I'm going to attempt to keep it simple, short, and more interesting. Getting back to basics, as it were.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
It's Been A Long Time...
...Since I Wrote A Blog Post!
Cue crazy rock music from my parents era.
Yeah, but it's definitely been a while. Whew! But a lot of things have happened since my last posting, so now at least I'll have a few good solid postings filled with interesting and compelling material with which to sink your literary teeth into. Such will be the words of my musings, that your brain will liken it to buttermilk tarts, venison smoked on an open fire, and the finest wines from the vineyards of Europe (complete with toe jam from those who trample the grapes). Your soul will be filled with longing for more, like an addiction, or lusting.
Or, instead, you'll just come back next time for another blog posting. Sound better? Good, then off we go!
Sitting down to this posting, I must first regale you with my most recent findings on the nature of the human body. Now, far be it from me to claim to be an expert on the human body. Far from it. I know very little about a veritable mountain of information available about the great machine that is the human body. But through recent experience and deprivation, i have discovered another two items about myself that I never thought possible.
Number one, I can safely and accurately function without proper sleep for days on end. While I am loathe to admit this, as my father will surely be reading this and be hearkening to awake me at ungodly hours once I get home, it is sadly true. No more can I use the excuse, I need my sleep. Frankly, sleep has now become a brief respite to the wonders and realities of the waking world; And undisturbed sleep, well, that is truly a dream without peer. I do not believe I can recall a time in recent history where I have attained a full night of undisturbed sleep, well, anything over 4 hours. Unfortunate, yes, but enlightening also. I've proven to myself that while uncomfortable and taxing, I can function quite well over the course of three to four days on minimal to know sleep, only rest. It's almost a meditative thing, though I wish i could make the time fly faster. At the writing of this blog it's actually 5:45AM, an ungodly hour if ever there was one. I would not have realized it existed save for the many ski trips I've taken over the years, as well as last night when I spent the entire night awake. At 4AM I simply could not take lying in bed and wide awake, so I marched down to the hotel lobby to finish my book. That nearly completed, I had to occupy my thoughts further with some typing, as my eyes were starting to grow blurry and the couch too comfortable. Considering I'm not supposed to be in this hotel, only at the behest of my friend here on business, I consider falling asleep in the lobby a bad thing.
Dad, if you wake me up at 5 when I get home, I will be forced to beat you, regardless of how fit you've become and how badly you will now be beating me at running.
That's another thing that I've found. Ok, so now make it three things. I'll be re-visiting the fact of my ever-changing demeanor towards life, stress, and what really matters. I touched on it briefly in the last blog post. But the other item that just caught my attention was my latent fitness. While my father has been training diligently during my absence as his running partner in crime, I've been wandering aimlessly around cities for hours on end. But with that, I've tried to get to a climbing gym once or twice, and I did go out for two runs. Funny thing, that even though I haven't done a lick of training for months, I've actually help up pretty well. Sure, my strength is a lot to be desired, but somehow it doesn't feel like I've lost too much in the process. In fact, it feels like I'm losing all the unnecessary, and keeping only what's needed for my activities. I mean, heck, if I can still run for over thirty minutes without breaking much of a sweat, I still think I'm doing alright. Although, with my new love of climbing, I may have to harass the YMCA to see where they put their climbing apparatus. Blasted move of location took away my climbing wall. Buggers. They should have set it up down in the park as a bouldering wall. It would have been a great move for the city, but of course, they'd never think of that. But in any case, it is rather interesting to still be able to do things that I could do before, albeit at a lesser extent. The more I learn about how the body operated, both through experience and through classical learning, the more I'm amazed at the biological machine we've been graced with. Maybe I'll get into the health industry one day, maybe not. That actually brings me to my final point.
I spoke last time about how I've been altering my thinking patterns as I go. The real crux of the matter, is that not one year ago, actually, less than a year ago, if I thought too much about the lack of obvious direction in my life, or comparing myself to my hitched, successful, or otherwise job-oriented peers, I would have gone into a hyperventilating fit. Well, maybe not quite as bad as I described, but certainly not far off it. I was a complete mess at times, and had to go with the reliable "Dad-on-the-other-end-of-a-phone" treatment to calm me down. It works, but I think that since I'm 24 now, I should be able to handle most things without too much guidance. Wait until I end up tying the knot. Whew, Dad's gonna need another mortgage for that phone bill. Ha ha ha. But in any case, I've found that circumstances and situations that would have caused me to freak out before, are just not fazing me as much any more. For example, I lost a 32 Gigabyte iPod touch within my first 12 hours of being in Australia. Of course it was fully loaded and I had bought songs and such from iTunes on the way. Gotta have some variety, right? Was I upset, oh yeah! But after the next day when I went searching for the expensive mini-jukebox, I didn't think about it much more than that. The same thing when arriving in town with no place to stay, like I did in Tokyo. Normally, a cause for distress; Now, a cause for a brief look around and a good walk to find where I'm going to lay my head for the evening. And the final one, the bastard of them all, is monetary! Normally, a lack of funds would cause my blood to freeze, my veins to run cold, and my heart beat in palpitations so fast a hummingbird's wings would seem slow by comparison. I think now, I'm finally fully coming to terms with not having money, and even being in debt. For the first time in my life, I actually owe serious amounts of cash to a cash-flow institution. Mastercard and Visa are gonna love me when I get back, as every waking moment will be spend tryin to pay off the blasted cards. But strangely, no panic! I've finally got some of the monetary maturity that people like my Mom, Dad, Aiden and Frank Coleman, and other successful people in my life have possessed for quite some time. It's a remarkable sensation, knowing that even though you owe money, I have the abilities and knowledge to get myself out of the situation and back into the black. Red's only a good color when we're talking about blood and shirts.
Well, enough about personal musings. Time for the stuff you've been waiting for. You didn't come to this website to read my personal growth entries, otherwise I label thee stalkers of the first degree! I jest. But no, you came here to read my musings and observations on what I've seen, heard, smelt, tasted, and touched. Well, I've got plenty of info to update you on, and lots to talk about. Unfortunately, I just realized (now that my brain has activated after eating some of the hotel breakfast that I'm not supposed to eat, or even be staying at. Shhhhhh,) that I have packed my previous Moleskin notepad in my travel bag which is upstairs in the room, that I probably shouldn't go up to until later. Gah! Alright, well, maybe I can update you in a less than chronological order then. Sound good? Ok, to Japan it is, and we'll visit the rest of Australia and Taronga Zoo another day.
I started a new notepad when I headed to Tokyo, as the other one finally ran out. I tell ya, those notebooks Mike gave me are the best investment ever. Thanks Mike! Oh, which reminds me, I gotta call him and wish him happy birthday. He's 25 today! Wow, how time flies. Be right back, gotta make a phone call.
Ok, I'm back. Mike, you never picked up. Of course, that's understandable for a guy in your position. Crazy amount of work coming your way still I would surmise. I'll try calling after work. Got the timer on my watch set and everything.
As I was saying, I started my new notebook when I was getting ready to head to Tokyo for a 24 hour stopover, then up to Vancouver. yes, I'm back in Canada. Gotta get some visa stuff ready to jobs in South Korea. Me's gonna be un English teacher, hyuk! Or so I hope. I'll jsut keep firing off resumes, and since they don't start till August, well, most of them, I should be able to get in with a Public School of my choosing. No Hagwons for me, uh uh. Not with the horror stories I've read and heard about them. But yeah, the notebook, right. I took the liberty of writing down everything I wanted to see in the time I was there. It included the following:
As a separate note, I think that all airlines should be forced to install cameras down by the landing gear. It was so cool to watch on the TV screens int he jet as the plane taxied down the runway and then lifted off. It was especially cool when they turned on the downward facing camera as well, so you could see the ground getting smaller and smaller. I only wish that they would leave that downward camera, or even the front-facing one, on while they landed. Now that would be a rush to see. Although, I suppose it would cause a smattering of discomfort to some of the more flight-sensitive clientele. Bah on them! Still, cool feature, get it!
Right, landing in Tokyo was another experience altogether. I don't even remember if there was a customs department going in or out of the country. Couldn't tell you at all. I've completely forgotten. Ha ha ha. I do, however, remember the lady who helped me at the customer service desk. For the life of me, I can't remember her name (still haven't got much better with that task) but I do remember her service. She was, by far, the best customer service representative I've ever had, in any country, in any business area. Hands down. She was just so, cheery, helpful and took care of everything I needed. She's definitely the benchmark for all customer service agents. And what's more, she spoke English better than I did! Bonus! Still, this young lady gave me four or five different maps, set up my lodgings for the night, showed me where to store my baggage at the airport, and even gave me suggestions on where to go and what to do based on kind of night-life I wanted to have. Kudos!
So, I ended up staying in the Asakusa district, near the temples and gates that surround the more traditional-styled area. There was this little place, and even now I don't have my camera on me so I can't tell you the name, but it was of a more traditional style room. About $60 buck or so for a one person room, but done with tatami floors and low tea tables and the like. Now, while the futon was thin, the floors hard-ish, the tea pot amazing and the noise outside the window rather quiet for a busy area, I have to comment mostly on the bathroom. While I've heard of space-saving endeavors, I believe the Japanese have it figured out better than anyone else in the world. I believe the dimensions of the room were 6 ft high (maybe), 5-6 ft deep (to the back of the tub from the door), and about 4 feet wide (If that. From one shoulder to my fingers on my other arm outstretched.) Basically, anyone taller or wider than me, and they ain't gonna fit! The tap system was quite ingenious though, running both the shower and sink on one tap. Great way of saving space and money. Oh, and you know how if we put water in thermos' back in Canada, 9 chances out of 10 if you check it the next day it won't be hot? Well, save for very expensive tea kettles and water bottles at least. Well, the one that was in my room was already filled with water when i got there, piping hot, and when I checked it the next morning in order to have some green tea (I'm in japan, gotta do it) it was still hot enough for tea! Fantastic!
Then it was off to wander. I started my day quite early, somewhere in the viscinity of 6 and 7, and headed out the door to the Hozomon and Kaminarimon gates leading to the Sensoji temple. The area has been turned into a great tourist attraction, what with the long walkway leading through the two gates up to the temple being lined off with whatever shops you can imagine. I only caught a glimpse of what was there, as when I arrived all the shops were pretty much closed down, and when I got up the next morning I was already moved on to another district by the time they opened up around 10. I did get to say a prayer at Sensoji temple though, and watch the monks do pieces of their ceremonies and chants. Quite cool! They now have a few of my previous yen in the temple coffers. No pictures though, uot of respect, and the big glaring sign of a camera with a cross through it.
The night before, I have wandered around the area, trying not to get lost too often, and began to notice things. First off, I got drawn in to try one of the video game arcades they had. Hey, I'm in Japan, pretty much the birthplace of all things cool and technological, so sue me! But yeah, they had some crazy games like a full 3D Mech Game, a full-Sized DJ game that puts DJ Hero to shame, and even a Japanese drumming game that was waaaay more fun than any DDR or Band Hero game ever invented. I want one...of everything! Next door there was even a batting cage and caged-in mini soccer field for 5 or five or three on three games. Quite great ideas, and definitely something I'll be partaking of when I visit next time. Oh yes, there will be a next time, have no fear. I have a list of some of the stuff I could make a killing off in arcades back home. But, I digress in my geek-ness.
After the temple district, and my breakfast at McDonalds in one of the alleyways next tot he temple, it was off to find the legendary Akihabara, mecca of all things Geekery. From machines to Manga, it was all there. Anything you could possibly want to own, view, or even just stare at could be found, but not if you weren't looking for it. For example, more of the signs outside shops were in Japanese, of course, while some had English subtexts posted on them as well. They all look pretty simple from the outside...until you realize that each one has 7 to 8 floors, plus a floor or two underground, and all are filled with different wares. Oh yeah, now we're talking Space Savers R Us on an entirely different level. I ended up in one of the major arcades there, where they had an Anime expo/info area as well, just under all the offices that towered above in the same building. Again, since it wasn't open at the time, I never got to see that part of the builsing. But that's not the point. The point is, I found God's Toilet!
Oh yes, do not be fooled by imitators people. I have found God's Toilet, for if any god or diety or supernatural being ever owned a toilet, it would be Japanese in make. The think had a heated seat. A heat seat! Let me rephrase that again...no, that just about does it. A heated seat! Holy crap that was cool! And then there were heated water jets to clear out your bottom, and differing pressure controls depending on if you wanted to be dampened, cleaned out from 'arse' to ears, or jettisoned off the seat into the stratosphere...or the office above. But yeah, enough on the toilet. Five or six lines of text on something you crap in is enough.
Then I wandered off to hit up downtown Shinjuku, but on the way, I stopped off at the Imperial Palace area. Bloody hell, that place is big, and I mean properly big. You could walk for an hour and not circumvent it. And of course, I didn't. Once I found out that it was closed on Mondays (curse it all), I immediately toddled off towards Shinjuku. On the way, I privately mused about three items. The first being, how safe I felt in Japan. There's a police box pretty much on every street corner, and they're all so bloody professional and friendly. More than once during my arrival night I asked them to point me in the right direction, which they did with a bow and a smile. Quite great blokes them. And ladies too, I did get directions from one of the female cops as well. She was pretty! Ahem, right them, second item of thought provocation was the cleanliness of the city. While there were cleaners everwhere, I wouldhave thought a place with millions upon millions of people in such a packed area would have been a little bit dirty. Au Contraire, the whole city was cleaner than back home...or anywhere for that matter. Probably the cleanest city I've seen in a long time. Number three! I have to say, this struck me the hardest. Anywhere I've gone so far, there's been at least a good share of foreigners and Caucasian people. So honestly, I kinda blended in. However, after stepping off the plane in Tokyo, I had to say,
"Neal, we are not in Kansas anymore!"
It's the first time I've truly felt like a foreigner in a strange land. But still, best damn experience I've had in a long time. And the shopkeepers, my god! They're all so polite, even if they don't want to be. Everyone working there welcomes you as you enter, says goodbye when you leave, and are smiling all the time. Well, except for one poor white girl working in a tourist-themed gift shop on the 7th floor, she looked like she had not woken up yet. She's forgiven!
Unfortunately, this was the end of my tour around Tokyo, as once I got to Shinjuku, I had to get back on the train headed for the airport for being late for an international flight is a definite no no. Though, I don't know what I was worrying for. The Japanese airport was more efficient than a McDonald lineup. Actually, I think I got signed in and through security faster than i usually get served at any fast food joint, including drive-through services. Every airport service personnel who's reading this, I want you to get on a plight to Tokyo and see for yourself. Now go!
Ya know, for as much of a pain as it is to have to head back home, even if it is to get paperwork done in hopes of heading to Korea soon, it's good to have people put it in perspective for you. If you're reading this, you know who you are. They pointed out that I've circumvented the world, almost. Once I hit home, I will have. Crazy stuff eh? When you put it in that kind of perspective, not 100 years ago that would have been a huge undertaking. Today it merely requires money, patience, and a really comfortable seat. And really, it's not even that much money. I travelled to a hell of a lot of places, covering Toronto, Cuba, Barcelona, Venice, Frankfurt, Berlin, London, Singapore, Perth, Sydney, Tokyo, Vancouver, and Regina all for about $10,000. And I didn't even try and save too much money. I bought gifts to bring or send home, I stayed in proper bug-free lodgings (most of the time) and ate very well. I was entertained, traveled when I wanted, and never quibbled too much about costs of transport. It really makes a lot more sense, when you put it that way. Thanks for the sagely advice. Once again, you're still the wiser one of us two.
Right then, before I go, I have a comment for you to ponder over. You've probably all heard of the 9 circles of hell, or was it 7. In any case, I believe I've found the lowest circle of hell. It involves extended length, non-stop flights, with no food to eat, and crying children all around.
Later days,
Neal
Cue crazy rock music from my parents era.
Yeah, but it's definitely been a while. Whew! But a lot of things have happened since my last posting, so now at least I'll have a few good solid postings filled with interesting and compelling material with which to sink your literary teeth into. Such will be the words of my musings, that your brain will liken it to buttermilk tarts, venison smoked on an open fire, and the finest wines from the vineyards of Europe (complete with toe jam from those who trample the grapes). Your soul will be filled with longing for more, like an addiction, or lusting.
Or, instead, you'll just come back next time for another blog posting. Sound better? Good, then off we go!
Sitting down to this posting, I must first regale you with my most recent findings on the nature of the human body. Now, far be it from me to claim to be an expert on the human body. Far from it. I know very little about a veritable mountain of information available about the great machine that is the human body. But through recent experience and deprivation, i have discovered another two items about myself that I never thought possible.
Number one, I can safely and accurately function without proper sleep for days on end. While I am loathe to admit this, as my father will surely be reading this and be hearkening to awake me at ungodly hours once I get home, it is sadly true. No more can I use the excuse, I need my sleep. Frankly, sleep has now become a brief respite to the wonders and realities of the waking world; And undisturbed sleep, well, that is truly a dream without peer. I do not believe I can recall a time in recent history where I have attained a full night of undisturbed sleep, well, anything over 4 hours. Unfortunate, yes, but enlightening also. I've proven to myself that while uncomfortable and taxing, I can function quite well over the course of three to four days on minimal to know sleep, only rest. It's almost a meditative thing, though I wish i could make the time fly faster. At the writing of this blog it's actually 5:45AM, an ungodly hour if ever there was one. I would not have realized it existed save for the many ski trips I've taken over the years, as well as last night when I spent the entire night awake. At 4AM I simply could not take lying in bed and wide awake, so I marched down to the hotel lobby to finish my book. That nearly completed, I had to occupy my thoughts further with some typing, as my eyes were starting to grow blurry and the couch too comfortable. Considering I'm not supposed to be in this hotel, only at the behest of my friend here on business, I consider falling asleep in the lobby a bad thing.
Dad, if you wake me up at 5 when I get home, I will be forced to beat you, regardless of how fit you've become and how badly you will now be beating me at running.
That's another thing that I've found. Ok, so now make it three things. I'll be re-visiting the fact of my ever-changing demeanor towards life, stress, and what really matters. I touched on it briefly in the last blog post. But the other item that just caught my attention was my latent fitness. While my father has been training diligently during my absence as his running partner in crime, I've been wandering aimlessly around cities for hours on end. But with that, I've tried to get to a climbing gym once or twice, and I did go out for two runs. Funny thing, that even though I haven't done a lick of training for months, I've actually help up pretty well. Sure, my strength is a lot to be desired, but somehow it doesn't feel like I've lost too much in the process. In fact, it feels like I'm losing all the unnecessary, and keeping only what's needed for my activities. I mean, heck, if I can still run for over thirty minutes without breaking much of a sweat, I still think I'm doing alright. Although, with my new love of climbing, I may have to harass the YMCA to see where they put their climbing apparatus. Blasted move of location took away my climbing wall. Buggers. They should have set it up down in the park as a bouldering wall. It would have been a great move for the city, but of course, they'd never think of that. But in any case, it is rather interesting to still be able to do things that I could do before, albeit at a lesser extent. The more I learn about how the body operated, both through experience and through classical learning, the more I'm amazed at the biological machine we've been graced with. Maybe I'll get into the health industry one day, maybe not. That actually brings me to my final point.
I spoke last time about how I've been altering my thinking patterns as I go. The real crux of the matter, is that not one year ago, actually, less than a year ago, if I thought too much about the lack of obvious direction in my life, or comparing myself to my hitched, successful, or otherwise job-oriented peers, I would have gone into a hyperventilating fit. Well, maybe not quite as bad as I described, but certainly not far off it. I was a complete mess at times, and had to go with the reliable "Dad-on-the-other-end-of-a-phone" treatment to calm me down. It works, but I think that since I'm 24 now, I should be able to handle most things without too much guidance. Wait until I end up tying the knot. Whew, Dad's gonna need another mortgage for that phone bill. Ha ha ha. But in any case, I've found that circumstances and situations that would have caused me to freak out before, are just not fazing me as much any more. For example, I lost a 32 Gigabyte iPod touch within my first 12 hours of being in Australia. Of course it was fully loaded and I had bought songs and such from iTunes on the way. Gotta have some variety, right? Was I upset, oh yeah! But after the next day when I went searching for the expensive mini-jukebox, I didn't think about it much more than that. The same thing when arriving in town with no place to stay, like I did in Tokyo. Normally, a cause for distress; Now, a cause for a brief look around and a good walk to find where I'm going to lay my head for the evening. And the final one, the bastard of them all, is monetary! Normally, a lack of funds would cause my blood to freeze, my veins to run cold, and my heart beat in palpitations so fast a hummingbird's wings would seem slow by comparison. I think now, I'm finally fully coming to terms with not having money, and even being in debt. For the first time in my life, I actually owe serious amounts of cash to a cash-flow institution. Mastercard and Visa are gonna love me when I get back, as every waking moment will be spend tryin to pay off the blasted cards. But strangely, no panic! I've finally got some of the monetary maturity that people like my Mom, Dad, Aiden and Frank Coleman, and other successful people in my life have possessed for quite some time. It's a remarkable sensation, knowing that even though you owe money, I have the abilities and knowledge to get myself out of the situation and back into the black. Red's only a good color when we're talking about blood and shirts.
Well, enough about personal musings. Time for the stuff you've been waiting for. You didn't come to this website to read my personal growth entries, otherwise I label thee stalkers of the first degree! I jest. But no, you came here to read my musings and observations on what I've seen, heard, smelt, tasted, and touched. Well, I've got plenty of info to update you on, and lots to talk about. Unfortunately, I just realized (now that my brain has activated after eating some of the hotel breakfast that I'm not supposed to eat, or even be staying at. Shhhhhh,) that I have packed my previous Moleskin notepad in my travel bag which is upstairs in the room, that I probably shouldn't go up to until later. Gah! Alright, well, maybe I can update you in a less than chronological order then. Sound good? Ok, to Japan it is, and we'll visit the rest of Australia and Taronga Zoo another day.
I started a new notepad when I headed to Tokyo, as the other one finally ran out. I tell ya, those notebooks Mike gave me are the best investment ever. Thanks Mike! Oh, which reminds me, I gotta call him and wish him happy birthday. He's 25 today! Wow, how time flies. Be right back, gotta make a phone call.
Ok, I'm back. Mike, you never picked up. Of course, that's understandable for a guy in your position. Crazy amount of work coming your way still I would surmise. I'll try calling after work. Got the timer on my watch set and everything.
As I was saying, I started my new notebook when I was getting ready to head to Tokyo for a 24 hour stopover, then up to Vancouver. yes, I'm back in Canada. Gotta get some visa stuff ready to jobs in South Korea. Me's gonna be un English teacher, hyuk! Or so I hope. I'll jsut keep firing off resumes, and since they don't start till August, well, most of them, I should be able to get in with a Public School of my choosing. No Hagwons for me, uh uh. Not with the horror stories I've read and heard about them. But yeah, the notebook, right. I took the liberty of writing down everything I wanted to see in the time I was there. It included the following:
- Akihabara (Tech District)
- Asakusa(Temples, tourist shops)
- Imperial Palace (Royalty, duh!)
- Kokusaitenjojijo (Toyko Big Sight, some famous architectural building I read about online.)
- Roppongi (Cosmopolitan at its finest, more tourists than locals. Hard to fathom that.)
- Ryogoku/Kokugikan (Sumos!)
- Shinjuku (Neon and nightlife. Partay!)
- Kabuki-cho (Red light district. What? I haven't hit Amsterdam yet.)
- Yoyogi park (Veritable freakish fashion show by the locals every day, not on purpose.)
- Tusikiji (Fish market. Just don't eat anything.)
- Harajuku (Meiji Jingu Temple)
As a separate note, I think that all airlines should be forced to install cameras down by the landing gear. It was so cool to watch on the TV screens int he jet as the plane taxied down the runway and then lifted off. It was especially cool when they turned on the downward facing camera as well, so you could see the ground getting smaller and smaller. I only wish that they would leave that downward camera, or even the front-facing one, on while they landed. Now that would be a rush to see. Although, I suppose it would cause a smattering of discomfort to some of the more flight-sensitive clientele. Bah on them! Still, cool feature, get it!
Right, landing in Tokyo was another experience altogether. I don't even remember if there was a customs department going in or out of the country. Couldn't tell you at all. I've completely forgotten. Ha ha ha. I do, however, remember the lady who helped me at the customer service desk. For the life of me, I can't remember her name (still haven't got much better with that task) but I do remember her service. She was, by far, the best customer service representative I've ever had, in any country, in any business area. Hands down. She was just so, cheery, helpful and took care of everything I needed. She's definitely the benchmark for all customer service agents. And what's more, she spoke English better than I did! Bonus! Still, this young lady gave me four or five different maps, set up my lodgings for the night, showed me where to store my baggage at the airport, and even gave me suggestions on where to go and what to do based on kind of night-life I wanted to have. Kudos!
So, I ended up staying in the Asakusa district, near the temples and gates that surround the more traditional-styled area. There was this little place, and even now I don't have my camera on me so I can't tell you the name, but it was of a more traditional style room. About $60 buck or so for a one person room, but done with tatami floors and low tea tables and the like. Now, while the futon was thin, the floors hard-ish, the tea pot amazing and the noise outside the window rather quiet for a busy area, I have to comment mostly on the bathroom. While I've heard of space-saving endeavors, I believe the Japanese have it figured out better than anyone else in the world. I believe the dimensions of the room were 6 ft high (maybe), 5-6 ft deep (to the back of the tub from the door), and about 4 feet wide (If that. From one shoulder to my fingers on my other arm outstretched.) Basically, anyone taller or wider than me, and they ain't gonna fit! The tap system was quite ingenious though, running both the shower and sink on one tap. Great way of saving space and money. Oh, and you know how if we put water in thermos' back in Canada, 9 chances out of 10 if you check it the next day it won't be hot? Well, save for very expensive tea kettles and water bottles at least. Well, the one that was in my room was already filled with water when i got there, piping hot, and when I checked it the next morning in order to have some green tea (I'm in japan, gotta do it) it was still hot enough for tea! Fantastic!
Then it was off to wander. I started my day quite early, somewhere in the viscinity of 6 and 7, and headed out the door to the Hozomon and Kaminarimon gates leading to the Sensoji temple. The area has been turned into a great tourist attraction, what with the long walkway leading through the two gates up to the temple being lined off with whatever shops you can imagine. I only caught a glimpse of what was there, as when I arrived all the shops were pretty much closed down, and when I got up the next morning I was already moved on to another district by the time they opened up around 10. I did get to say a prayer at Sensoji temple though, and watch the monks do pieces of their ceremonies and chants. Quite cool! They now have a few of my previous yen in the temple coffers. No pictures though, uot of respect, and the big glaring sign of a camera with a cross through it.
The night before, I have wandered around the area, trying not to get lost too often, and began to notice things. First off, I got drawn in to try one of the video game arcades they had. Hey, I'm in Japan, pretty much the birthplace of all things cool and technological, so sue me! But yeah, they had some crazy games like a full 3D Mech Game, a full-Sized DJ game that puts DJ Hero to shame, and even a Japanese drumming game that was waaaay more fun than any DDR or Band Hero game ever invented. I want one...of everything! Next door there was even a batting cage and caged-in mini soccer field for 5 or five or three on three games. Quite great ideas, and definitely something I'll be partaking of when I visit next time. Oh yes, there will be a next time, have no fear. I have a list of some of the stuff I could make a killing off in arcades back home. But, I digress in my geek-ness.
After the temple district, and my breakfast at McDonalds in one of the alleyways next tot he temple, it was off to find the legendary Akihabara, mecca of all things Geekery. From machines to Manga, it was all there. Anything you could possibly want to own, view, or even just stare at could be found, but not if you weren't looking for it. For example, more of the signs outside shops were in Japanese, of course, while some had English subtexts posted on them as well. They all look pretty simple from the outside...until you realize that each one has 7 to 8 floors, plus a floor or two underground, and all are filled with different wares. Oh yeah, now we're talking Space Savers R Us on an entirely different level. I ended up in one of the major arcades there, where they had an Anime expo/info area as well, just under all the offices that towered above in the same building. Again, since it wasn't open at the time, I never got to see that part of the builsing. But that's not the point. The point is, I found God's Toilet!
Oh yes, do not be fooled by imitators people. I have found God's Toilet, for if any god or diety or supernatural being ever owned a toilet, it would be Japanese in make. The think had a heated seat. A heat seat! Let me rephrase that again...no, that just about does it. A heated seat! Holy crap that was cool! And then there were heated water jets to clear out your bottom, and differing pressure controls depending on if you wanted to be dampened, cleaned out from 'arse' to ears, or jettisoned off the seat into the stratosphere...or the office above. But yeah, enough on the toilet. Five or six lines of text on something you crap in is enough.
Then I wandered off to hit up downtown Shinjuku, but on the way, I stopped off at the Imperial Palace area. Bloody hell, that place is big, and I mean properly big. You could walk for an hour and not circumvent it. And of course, I didn't. Once I found out that it was closed on Mondays (curse it all), I immediately toddled off towards Shinjuku. On the way, I privately mused about three items. The first being, how safe I felt in Japan. There's a police box pretty much on every street corner, and they're all so bloody professional and friendly. More than once during my arrival night I asked them to point me in the right direction, which they did with a bow and a smile. Quite great blokes them. And ladies too, I did get directions from one of the female cops as well. She was pretty! Ahem, right them, second item of thought provocation was the cleanliness of the city. While there were cleaners everwhere, I wouldhave thought a place with millions upon millions of people in such a packed area would have been a little bit dirty. Au Contraire, the whole city was cleaner than back home...or anywhere for that matter. Probably the cleanest city I've seen in a long time. Number three! I have to say, this struck me the hardest. Anywhere I've gone so far, there's been at least a good share of foreigners and Caucasian people. So honestly, I kinda blended in. However, after stepping off the plane in Tokyo, I had to say,
"Neal, we are not in Kansas anymore!"
It's the first time I've truly felt like a foreigner in a strange land. But still, best damn experience I've had in a long time. And the shopkeepers, my god! They're all so polite, even if they don't want to be. Everyone working there welcomes you as you enter, says goodbye when you leave, and are smiling all the time. Well, except for one poor white girl working in a tourist-themed gift shop on the 7th floor, she looked like she had not woken up yet. She's forgiven!
Unfortunately, this was the end of my tour around Tokyo, as once I got to Shinjuku, I had to get back on the train headed for the airport for being late for an international flight is a definite no no. Though, I don't know what I was worrying for. The Japanese airport was more efficient than a McDonald lineup. Actually, I think I got signed in and through security faster than i usually get served at any fast food joint, including drive-through services. Every airport service personnel who's reading this, I want you to get on a plight to Tokyo and see for yourself. Now go!
Ya know, for as much of a pain as it is to have to head back home, even if it is to get paperwork done in hopes of heading to Korea soon, it's good to have people put it in perspective for you. If you're reading this, you know who you are. They pointed out that I've circumvented the world, almost. Once I hit home, I will have. Crazy stuff eh? When you put it in that kind of perspective, not 100 years ago that would have been a huge undertaking. Today it merely requires money, patience, and a really comfortable seat. And really, it's not even that much money. I travelled to a hell of a lot of places, covering Toronto, Cuba, Barcelona, Venice, Frankfurt, Berlin, London, Singapore, Perth, Sydney, Tokyo, Vancouver, and Regina all for about $10,000. And I didn't even try and save too much money. I bought gifts to bring or send home, I stayed in proper bug-free lodgings (most of the time) and ate very well. I was entertained, traveled when I wanted, and never quibbled too much about costs of transport. It really makes a lot more sense, when you put it that way. Thanks for the sagely advice. Once again, you're still the wiser one of us two.
Right then, before I go, I have a comment for you to ponder over. You've probably all heard of the 9 circles of hell, or was it 7. In any case, I believe I've found the lowest circle of hell. It involves extended length, non-stop flights, with no food to eat, and crying children all around.
Later days,
Neal
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