day 54! takadanobaba

So I had a pretty whacked up day today. Or at least, it started that way.

I woke up a few times in the morning, as usual. The room has an air conditioner but it gives off a funny musty smell when used, and besides, it hasn't been warm enough yet in Tokyo to warrant using the AC. But shutting the door does keep the air kind of stale and warm, so I'd been sleeping with it open, and the cool breeze through the screen door has been really nice. :)

Unfortunately, along with the cool breeze comes the glaring morning sunlight, as well as the piercing shrieks of a million young samurai in the making, from some nearby elementary school. I swear, those kids have recess ALL. THE. TIME. Don't they have calculus to go learn or something?? There's also some crazy grandfather clock chime (you know the one I'm talking about) that goes off at completely irregular intervals. Even when the sound doesn't wake me, I'm roused by the insane burning curiosity of what the fuck triggers that clock!! I'm telling you it's completely random.

Point is. That I wake up many times every morning, even with my level 99 sleeping ability. This morning though it felt like the waking and dozing thing went on way longer than normal. And every time I woke up I would think "man, it's starting to get dark out, I should really get up and do something!" But alas, with solitude comes complete lack of motivation (that's the correct Spiderman quote right?) and I kept the cycle up. When I finally dragged myself up and looked at my laptop clock, which is still on California time, it read something like 2am. I'm so used to converting back and forth between West Coast/Asia time that I don't even bother thinking about it anymore. It's just +/- 4 hours, and then flip the time. Easy. Right?

You would think. Instead of wasting brain power on figuring out whether to add or subtract 4, I just glance outside and check the sun, and based on that I'll know which of the two possible times it is.

Today was a special today. Or was I special today? The sky was overcast, and totally threw me off. So when I saw 2am, I was like is it 10am or 6pm? Well, I had woken up so many times that I was like oh shit it's 6pm and the day's almost done!!! Scrambled up, showered, (completely failed at figuring out how to style my new hair), and got ready to go out. I was starving and I wanted sushi (again! :3), but I didn't think the place was open that late so I was in a hurry to make it there before it closed.

By the time I left the apartment it was almost 8pm. :o Surprisingly bright for 8pm but you know, summer is coming, right? That's not unusual for summer. Oh also, about 10 minutes before I left the apartment it started POURING rain. I had meant to get a cheap umbrella from a 100yen shop, but had put it off til now. Leaving me standing in the entrance of the building chanting shitshitshitshitshit.

I "borrowed" an umbrella that someone had left near the entrance (sumimaseeee~n) and ran out into the pouring rain. It was not a happy day out. Even with the umbrella, my stockings and socks were soaked in 5 minutes. I could feel the water sloshing with each step. Also it was thundering? Big loud thunder. Mother nature in Japan is not friendly. O_O Did I mention that we'd already felt 1 earthquake?? Something like a 5.0, and no one was phased by it but it does freak me the hell out.

Basically the only thing keeping me going was my growling stomach, and the knowledge that fresh sushi was waiting for me at the end of the tunnel. Also the knowledge that fresh sushi wouldn't be available forever and that I was nearing that point....ruuun forrest ruuuunn!!! ><

I really love the plastic, clear umbrellas here. It doesn't really make sense to make an opaque umbrella and totally block your vision! I mean that's how other people's eyes get impaled (by the spokes of your umbrella) (cuz you can't see anything else when you're under your umbrella).

Sweet sweet sushi!! Most people weren't super prepared for the rain. Some had umbrellas, but I did pass many-a businessman sprinting down the street, soaked, in their button up shirts and slacks. :( Poor things.

Anyway sushi was really really empty, which I was surprised about, on account of the rain. I figured most people would be herded indoors to eat dinner, and wait out the downpour? But no matter, more for me!

After sushi, went to the department store near the station to shop around a bit. Kurt and I had been in there once or twice but hadn't actually stopped at any of the shops to browse. There was one store with cute little home implements, and I absolutely loved these (you guessed it) succulents in little cups.

I feel like these must be so easy to cultivate!! Just need some seedlings to get started, and once you have some plants, all it takes is a broken off leaf to start a new plant. What really makes them attractive is the cute containers and dirt that they're planted in though. Ahhhh I really really want to start a garden, and sell cute little succulent terrariums! X3

And of course I had to stop at Excelsior for my (now) daily ritual of honey latte. Took a pic of some cute outfits while waiting for my drink. Most of the people here are college students, that probably go to Waseda University.

Then since it was late at night already I decided to go home and catch up on my writing. Except. Wait a minute. That clock over there says it's 4pm. What the deuce?!?!? I'm sooooo confuuuuused.

Turns out I had totally done the math wrong. I had woken up sometime around noon, not in the evening. And when I had been rushing off to dinner, it was still lunchtime! That would explain so many things....like the sun still being out....and sushi being empty, cuz no one eats sushi at 3pm. -_- I felt so so so stupid. But it was also kind of hilarious. And I also gained like 6 hours of my day back!

I walked home anyway cuz my socks were still soaked and my feet were miserable. Saw these cute little weeds on the way and had to take a picture. How could anyone call these weeds?? They're so adorable.

These were actual potted plants growing near the weeds. I've never seen plants quite like these before, what odd looking leaves. Like little popsicle sticks. Don't they look like they were from the Ice Age or something?

When I got home I noticed that my friend Mark had called (yay!). I called him back and he invited me to dinner with a couple of his friends. My internal clock was all fubared from the events of today, and i was reluctant to eat again, but on the other hand it beats chilling at home for another 6 hours, and it would be nice to see Mark again. :) Also a chance to make some new friends right?

So I changed real quick and met up with them at the station. It was Mark, his friend that I want to say is named Eric (he shall henceforth be known as Eric), and Eric's friend Yuusuke. We went to a Szechuan hot pot place nearby.

Holy crap it's gorgeous!! One side is obviously spicy, the other side I think they got for my sake. It's supposed to be "sweet" and has dates in it.

Then they brought us many assorted meats, an we felt like kings. XD There was also a delicious sesame sauce to dip the boiled meats in. :3

And a bit later on, a MOUNTAIN of vegetables.


So originally when I decided to go to dinner even though I wasn't hungry, I was like meh, I can just order a tiny thing and sort of pick at it. I wish I had known that we were going to do something like this. :( In the case of hot pot, everyone pays a set price, and then they bring you x people worth of food. And even if you say "Oh there's 4 of us but only 3 of us are gonna eat", they won't let you do that because you guys could just be trying to save money and split the food more ways. So I was kinda boned. :(


I mean the food was amazing, and I do think you get quite a bit of food, but even if I had been hungry, $30 for hot pot is a bit more than I would normally want to pay. :/ And I wasn't even hungry. SIGH. Japan y u so expensive.


Dinner was alright though. It was good to see Mark, who is still Mark. He and Eric talked a lot about their mutual friends though so I was sort of unable to participate, although they were kind enough to explain many things for my benefit. I should feel more sorry for Yuusuke though, he was a good sport about it but we talked in English the whole time so he didn't really say anything. Just ate and ate and ate with a big happy smile on his face. lol. Anyway dinner was fine but I wasn't doubled up in laughter the whole time, or anything. :p

This almond tofu was definitely the light at the end of the tunnel though. :)

The sweating, spicy posse. Mark on the left, Eric in the corner, and Yuusuke on the right. Also the decimated remains of our once magnificent meal.

Saw this cute little figurine when we went up to pay. Year of the dragon, wut wut!

Was hoping we would do something after dinner to make all that money more worth it (cementing friendships and all) but unfortunately it was the middle of the week and everyone had work tomorrow. So that sucked.

I slowly wandered home, but stopped by this bookstore that's on the way home just to kill some time. Didn't see any books that I wanted but there were tons of manga and stuff. :) Maybe I shoulda taken a stab at one to pass the time.

Anyway that was pretty much it for my day though. :D Woke up, freaked out, had dinner at 3pm, then an expensive second dinner that I didn't really want. This is what happens when I am left alone!! X< lol.