Cool Stuff

The first cool thing is that I started work on Saturday. I have a six month contract teaching young kids in 50 minute lessons, ages from 2 - 7 in different classes. Lots of games, singing, talking.

The second cool thing is that I caught the express train for the first time to get to work. I had to stand, and I started to feel like I was seriously going to vomit. I felt my knees go weak, I started to sweat. So I thought "I'm definitely getting off at the next stop to hurl". The next thing I know, I'm on the ground with concerned Japanese faces looking into mine. I had fainted!! Didn't realise until I woke up on the ground - I didn't feel a thing. Luckily I had fainted at my stop. The train driver made me sit down, and then he made me get into a wheelchair and took me into the staffs office. No one spoke English. I contacted my uncle - he told me to get out before they called an ambulance and put a drip in me, which is what the common cure for what ails you is around these parts. After a slight rest, I went to work and felt fine. Strange episode, I think it was stress and motion sickness. Considering I'm fine, I laugh to think what everyone's faces would have looked like; a big 75 kg foreigner collapsing to the ground making a loud noise...it's just not done on the train! They would have thought I was on drugs.

The third cool thing was that I had an epic weekend with Josephine and Caroline. I took lots of pics, and want to show you them, but am going to have to split them up into groups.

Here is some cool stuff I saw, with stories where applicable.

We stayed at a hostel called U-en for the night, as if you wanna go out in Japan you have to either stay out til 5am (first train) or leave before midnight. The hostel had rice paper walls, tatami mats with futon to sleep on, and floors like that. http://www.u-en.net is the website, I highly recommend it.

A Japanese keyboard. They are a pain to use cos you keep hitting wrong keys and converting into Japanese. There is a red panic button for some reason - I pushed it, nothing happened. I think it's unique to the hostels computer though.

Live FUGU, the poisonous fish. In a restaurants window, ready for the cooking.
Aren't they cute?

oh, hai!

I want to know what this material is, I love how this building looks. Reminds me of pounamu.

This cute cat was walking around the floor at a game arcade. They have heaps of toys that walk around to lure you in.

I think these are punters drawings of the staff at this bar we went to called Kangaroo Bar (at the recommendation of the staff at U-en, not cos it sounds Austrailian...)

More of U-en, this is on the walls outside of the rooms.

Classic Japan - according to my sources, most Japanese think Westerners are on drugs. This poster is in English, conveniently.

Cool lamp post in Shinsaibashi.

Cool mural on shop front.

Cool bike.

A love hotel...

The cast of a Japanese play.

You may have heard of hostess bars - businessmen go there and get doted on by young females. The drinks are really expensive; you're paying for the privilege of their conversation and attention.

Well THESE guys are HOSTS. The male equivalent!!! They were fishing for girls on the streets. One would break away from the group when they saw a candidate, and try and get her to go to their bar.

Caro playing a timpani game, similar to guitar hero.

OLD MAN PLAYING A VIDEO GAME!!!!!!!!!!!! Old Japan meets New Japan.

Can I have a go?