Life in Tokyo

Photo above: Sunrise in Tokyo (I've taken this while I was up at around 0500 am yesterday)

So if anything, then today would be the day I felt like as if we we're really living in Tokyo. We didn't do much, but that's also why it felt like as if we live here.

The good side of going on Holidays with a Tour is: You'll get to see a lot. A lot of the your tourbus that is! Sure you do get to see a lot of touristic attractions like shrines,temples and all those other famous places. But after you've done seeing all those stuff, you haven't really experience Japan yet. You were the tourist. That's the downside...

I didn't want that. I wanted to feel as if I was living in Japan. And I think we've come pretty close to that kind of feeling. For the past 3 weeks we've been using the metro, trains, buying groceries at convience stores/supermarkets, eating at restaurants, buying stuff, eating at home (snacks! Microwave food! Drinks! Warm Green Tea!), dumping the garbage, washing the dishes, bringing clothes to the laundry, going to he postoffice etc etc. As if we were Japanese residence!

Well sort of. But I like this more than each day waking up early to get on a tourbus and go sightseeing.

Life In Japan. I don't know how it would be like. I guess it would be pretty hectic. Seeing how hard everyone works here. And they must be tired, sleeping in the metros.

So it's still fun if you're on holiday, but I wonder how it would really feel like to actually live here.

I am actually thinking of going to Japan for work! or Study! Maybe, who knows =P

Still 2 days left, So I'm gonna combine all the things I still want to write in 1 post. I'll make a JAPAN REVIEW/GUIDE later. As to the prices of food, the public transport etc. Ofcourse you can read all this on the web, so it will be my take on it. From what I've expenrience.

Keep it short!

Today a few things:

Homan's 21th no Tanjobi desu!!

The initial plan was to get him a cake/pie since you got to have cake/pie on your birthday.

But it should be done without him knowing, a sorta suprise you know.

So I needed to get an opportunity to go buy it without him knowing. So here's how the day begins. We both went out to the yubinkyoku (postoffice), then we returned home. I still had no chance to go buy it. I knew I had to come up with something. So afterwards we were supposed to go to Harujuku. So we went to the Ueno station, but when we arrived there, I discovered that I had forgotten my JRpass!! (Or did I?...;)

So we decided that he'll go first to Harujuku and I'll meet up with him later. (All according to the plan...*grin*...or maybe it was just coincidence, haha who knows =p )

Anyway, this gives me time to go buy the cake. I went to "DOUTOR" to buy it. Lucky there was this place just around the corner which sells stuff like cake/sandwiches/coffee. So I got futatsu (2 pieces of) pies. Next was candles, but there weren't any candles to buy anywhere here.

Anyway just pie will do =) Better something than nothing.

We went to Harujuku and Akihabara Laos (Duty free shop), came back, send our stuff, eat, and came back for the BirthdayPARTY!!.........................not. Wish you guys were here hahaha.

(If it looked like we had fun, well only the photo was hahaha. )

Anyway I'll keep this short. I also went to get a haircut, like all of you have anticipated for sooo long. No photo =P See the result when I get back hahaha. (Suprise or Dissapointment?!)

Hairdresser story, kinda same like Homenz story. Difficult communication, hand gestures, laughing, not understanding, worrying on hairdressers side (whether he will do it well), more hand gestures, asking other guy to help communicating...etc etc.

But the Japanese hairdressers are so worried of messing your hair up, they absolutely do not want to have unsastified customers. They really care about you, the customer.

(Amsterdam Chinatown's Chinese Hairdressers are totally garbage compare to them!!)

So yeah, I really like this Japanese mentality, of "Customer is the King". They really put effort in their job.

Anyway still managed to have some small conversation with the 'funny guy' hairdresser (Yes this particular place I went to had 3 hairdressers. A blond-haired guy which was the boss I suppose, a tough looking guy with shaven head on both sides and back but with long hair! on top in a short tail, and this funny guy who always kept a smiling while he was cutting my hair).

So I said I was from Holland and he was like: Eeeeh, from Holland?!?!. Then he asked what ethnicity I was, I said Chinese and then he said: Oh chinese? So desu ka, but your face, look like Japanese!! I knew I would blend in =P

This place I went to was just near Ueno station, 5 min walk from our appartment, I chose it because it was close, it was cheap 1200 yen!, and the hairdressers looked like good and proffesional ones. Aged 25-35. Means at least trendy. =p

(My English: It went from bad to worse! I know it's bad, I'm sorry. I'm not putting my utmost effort into writing a good post. Gomen nasai)