being a pretty laid back day, i thought i would have nothing to write about. but as soon as i left my host pad, weird things began to happen, which i blame on the new moon. i ran out of coffee & decided to stop at the jamaican blue mountain store. as soon as i walked in, the shopkeeper yelled across the room, "columbian!!" cause he remembered me from before (gee, what features could have made me so obvious?) and i looked at him and said, "blue mountain." he gave a very serious look of concern, then proceded to speak very fast japanese to me for what seemed like 20 minutes. just like mom. going on, and on, and on...i guess it looks like i understand cause the talking never stops. they don't seem to care that i am not getting it. he's pointing at the several types of special beans, i think he's trying to tell me that it's expensive (i know this) and that he would hate to grind it in house because the beans are expensive & special. i felt like i was buying diamonds or something. so he points to his calander at thursday, the 22nd, which is tomorrow. and asks what time i come. so i say, um, one oclock? and he writes it down, bows to me repeatedly, and i leave not really knowing what just happened. will the beans arrive tomorrow? why do i have to make an appointment for them? hmmm...
train mishap again, but a new one. very crowded, all japanese language tonight, sometimes i get on the lucky train & there is some english, but alas not tonight. made it to shibuya, but did not know i was there because i couldn't hear or see a thing. now wait a minute. is the train going the opposite way? or is it my imagination? sure enough, halfway home i go. i squash myself off and wait for another train. i am almost late for teaching. how did this happen? finally i get off, into the human sardine paradise called shibuya station, approach the escalator & am accosted by a man with foul breath desperatly tugging at my purse, saying "you speak english?" "you help me. please! 500 yen!!" and i'm late for work, i don't have a clue what this dude wants me to help him with, and 500 yen is not enough money for any favor to a stranger, that's for sure. so weird. and approach the famous shibuya crossing, where several directions of human tsunami cross simeltaneously. it seems impossible to make your way through this unbelievable phenomenon, and i think to myself, "how do they do this every day?" you have to have strategy, how to get around everyone as swiftly & effortlessly as possible. and most of all, do not panic or stall, cause you will be eaten alive. or trampled to death.
on the trains going back i avoided the express because i finally was witnessing the squshers at work. now i've always heard about these guys-the ones that are paid to squash people onto the trains at busy times-but this is the first time i witnessed them in action. i actually saw whole feet sticking out of the doors! the men wedging the feet back into the train. unbelievable.
home late, late massive meal spread of only 5 dishes. and bath pushers. how many times a day do i have to take a bath? don't they know i have dry skin?
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