More on Japan

Soooo, I've got some more interesting things to talk about.

There's a mall about 5 minutes (walking) from where I'm staying and it's actually pretty fun to walk around. I swear, I must of looked like the biggest tourist ever because people were staring. And not just the little double-take. Flat-out staring. But I was warned of this. Tokyo gets a lot of foreigners, but we're spread out and I'm not actually in a touristy area.

I found two possibly good gifts today. One of which is for my mother (haven't bought anything yet). I'm not sure if I'll get it at the store I found it at or browse until I find a better one. Then I found gorgeous cloth fans. And I do mean pretty. Plus, they're not ridiculously priced, either. (About $11 for what looks like it'd easily be $40 in America)

Vending machines - They aren't kidding when they say they're everywhere. So far I've found drinks, cigarettes, ice cream and perfume. OH and ramen ticket machines. I might eat at one of those places for dinner, depending on the price. I bought a mini coke from one. It tastes the same, but I will warn thee. Drinks in Japan are not always what they seem. I bought a little thing of "water" (said that in English characters) and it turned out to be similar to Pocari Sweat (a lightly sweetened drink kind of like gatorade but with no real flavor) except for the fact that it tasted a little like citrus. Another misleading Japanese drink - lemonade. I bought a little cup of lemonade and it's literally lemon water. Except this lemon water also had mango flavoring mixed in and you talk about sweeeet. I don't mind sweet, but not when it's 85F and nearly as humid as a rainforest.

I hit my first language barrier. The man in the 7-11 was trying to ask me if I wanted the plastic removed off the umbrella I was buying (because it started to drizzle) and I understood that. But I didn't quite know how to respond because I've never actually been asked that kind of question. What store clerk in America would do more work than they have to? So in the end we stared at each other for a couple seconds and then I said "Eto...watashi wa...chotto nihongo" (literally: "um...I...little japanese language"). Then it wasn't so bad. He double checked that I did indeed want the plastic off and away I went.

Moms in Japan seem to be the primary care-taker of children. I've seen many moms carrying around their infants in carry-pouches or strollers or on bikes. I was told Japanese men have very little to do with childcare, but I actually disagree to some extent. Yes, I've only seen a few men helping with their children, but I think it depends on the family, just like it depends on the family in America. We still have stay-at-home moms, just like Japan. And not all parents in America do joint care either. I know my mom was my main caregiver as a child. Because of her, I never got sick until around 2-3 years old. I dunno, I guess I feel the Japanese aren't really any worse than the rest of the world.

So, there's a reason they call June-July the rainy season in Japan. Because it rains daily. Good thing I invested in that umbrella!