8. Higashiyamato/Tokyo

Bedtime in Japan is much better than bedtime in Norway. I have slept so good during my first two weeks her in this wonderful country and I am looking forward to sleep even better in the following weeks.  Although it is a little bit cold in the late night hours I think it is nice with hard beds, especially the one that are straight onto tatami mats on the floor. My dear friend has no tatami floor, but the bed is a little hard and that makes my bedtime dreams come true.  I love it and I hope my sleep here  will continue after  arriving Norway, or I might find it necessary to cut out  my bed and just sleep on the wooden floor.

Well, today I woke up a little late (I think), and did not  go  to breakfast before 10.30 am! After this morning snack (of course with a cup of green tea  ”cha” on the side) me and my friend rehearsed for our concert the 25th december.   I think it will be fun, but we have to do  something with the sound of the loudspeakers, unless I want to sound like a crow in some songs…   Maybe we take some songs with microphone and some song without. We will see, but waht is most important anyway is to have fun while playing!

Yesterday, the 21st of december, we went to Tachikawa to go windowshopping (is  a good way of shopping as a student) and then to Akihabara to buy some presents for  my dear family and to a friend of Miki. What we ended up doing was not in our plan, but we did not find out that they only sell computer games that works in Japan, in Japan. So no Final Fantasy 13 (released 17 th of december!) to  buy for use in Norway, and no Nintendo DSi either… I will have to buy a magazine for the long flight home instead of a DSi… I did actually want to act a little “childish” and buy one of those technical things, because it could help me get rid of my technophobia…

Not a place to stay too long… Only electronics, computers, gadgets, and even worse…

cables:

Heaven for some, hell for me… I guess my brother would have loved this place!

After burning some yen at these enlightined stores, we went to Shibuya to meet some friends for dinner. We had one hour  to spend before meeting the other ones, so I said I wanted to go to a food market to buy some necessarities to bring back to Norway. Wasabi, misopaste,  some more gifts for my beloved ones and also something made of soyabeans. A powder that I unfortuanately do not  remember the name of in  Japanese. Some thing sounding like kinkuka, kakuki or kinkaku… Well, it is used to make sweets from beans…

So, after a hectic journey through the busy food market we met the other Norwegians and the Japanese people. Off we did go to Izakaya. A place where you often go to drink as much as you like and eat as much as you like. For me, that means to drink all I can of orange juice, tea  and water, since I  am not  very fond of alcohol, and of course tasting and eating all  the exiting food from Japan. I am always surprised by the meals because it seems like Japanese chefs never loose their creativity in cooking. And it all looks so good and fresh!

As you can see. Alot of nice colours and flavoures mixed into a wonderful meal!

After the coloured dinner we went off to take Purikura,  pictures that you can change by writing onto them after  they are finished.  You can add small  stars, hearts, bubbles, giraffes (I had to add one!) and make whatever you want out of the photographies. We took pictures inside  the picturetakingbox, and  it all seemed at least as colourful as our  recent meal. Perhaps even more colourful!

We took the train back home, and I went to sleep in my Japanese styled bed (a good one) around 00.30 am. Sleepy and  satisfied  after all the  impressions of the young and Japansee culture. I like this country even more now. Both the ancient and  old traditions with tea, haiku, nature, language and history and the young and magical, energetic, wild and colourful young activities!

Good night to all of you.

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