People here really like to move at their own pace. I have a feeling it’s some sort of subconscious defiance of the system from which most Tokyoites are enslaved. I see it all the time here, too. Chivalry is absolutely and completely non-existent. I watched a salary-man take out a little kid on the stairs and didn’t even look back to say sorry. I don’t think he is a bad man or anything, and everyone is responsible for their own actions, I really believe that he was just so absorbed into his world that he didn’t notice. He really just needed to move within the confines of his own world, which includes moving at his own pace.

One day I saw an old lady trying, by herself, to make her way through the madness that is the mass transportation here. She had her hands full on top of it, and to me looked like she was ready to collapse. In Japan, being handicapped means nothing, as there are no anti-discrimination laws on the books here. She was hand over hand pushing herself up the only set of stairs in the station, trying to get to her exit. I approached her and in my nicest most humble and formal Japanese asked if she needed any help. To my surprise she told me she does that once a week, and has done it since she lost her husband 10 years ago. I was just amazed.

In Tokyo, people push all the time. They don’t look at you when they do it, but they do. People run up escalators and impatiently wait for elevators; feet taping hastily to the unknown, 300bmp pulse of Tokyo. People bum-rush the ticket gates at Shibuya only to wait for the next train anyway. I let women and kids go before me only to get pushed out of the way by some salaryman trying to rush the office early or already running late and trying not to lose his or her job. It’s pretty damn dog eat dog here, and despite the fact that the actual crime rate here is astonishingly low, this city is a subtle battlefield of human existence all sitting just below the surface that no one really likes to talk about.

And here was this old woman, climbing up the stairs, entirely at her own pace.

So for a while now my hands have been shaking almost entirely uncontrollably. It took me a few weeks to figure it out but I feel like my system is going through some serious caffeine withdrawal. the funny part is that there’s tons of caffeinated products around here, but there is nothing that even comes close to real drip coffee here unless I feel like spending 500y (like a little over 4 dollars) on a cup. I refuse to pay that much. So lately my system has slowly been purging itself of its vivacious caffeine dependence. Even now I still have the shake. I’ve tried to wean myself off by drinking this stuff called “black,” that you can get in vending machines. It’s nothing more than just cold black coffee, but something is amiss with it. It just does not taste like real drip black. The Japanese love sweet stuff, and there is a small hint of something even in there. Oh well. I guess for now I will just have to adjust to not being as ripping on coffee as I once was.

And before you ask, no I refuse to drink those energy drinks they sell here. For those that don’t know, they are these little, like 100cc bottles of insanity in a small package. I didn’t drink those bawls or redbull in the US; I’m not about to do the same here. It’s mostly principle. I don’t put stuff into my body that I don’t like. Yes, I love the flavor of all forms of coffee and tea so that’s why I drink it. I hate the flavor of all of those drinks, even the ones here.

I had this thought other day. Living in a foreign country is entirely a world apart from just visiting on vacation or the like. I think it’s like watching an episode of Survivor vs. actually being stranded on a deserted island. Sure you might be able to recognize somethings later, but as soon as the show is over the channel changes and you’re back in reality. Actually living here is like being on that deserted island. You have to find your food, the way everything lays into place, and the way you fit into that world; both how you look at where you are and how it looks back on you. Sure, being a foreigner here is fun, but the world looks both at you and on to you every moment you are outside in public. The only way I could truly disappear is if I put on a hat and wear sunglasses, which I sometimes do but merely for fashion and not to become invisible. I don’t want to be invisible here. I like my gaijin [foreigner] status, and so do most of the people I meet. Lately as my Japanese has gotten better I find people more and more opening up to me and inquiring into my life. I also like the fact that no matter what drink you buy in a vending machine, it usually comes in a can and is heavy enough to break a man’s skull.

Why does Apple sell so well here? Why does the classroom I’m sitting in have Bose speakers? Why does everything talk here? Why would I need to shoot warm water into my ass instead of just using TP? Why is it that tech here is so amazing, but I cannot even use the internet in my room? More ranting later…Stay Tuned!

Ihara-dojo. I found it out in the corner of Ebisu yesterday. They turn out some of the best K1 fighters, which is exactly what I want to do. I sent them an email but have not received a reply yet. When I went there, the lights were out and no one was there. I hope I get a reply soon, as this period of non-training is killing me.

Going from taekwondo, BJJ, and afternoons in the weight room to doing what I can in my room and throwing kicks on the roof of my apartment is a hard adjustment. I am trying to stay in shape, so whatever counts. I miss training my ass off at umass, although I don’t think I have lost much of anything being here. I can still ax-kick over my head and sidekick you in the face.

Other than that, classes here at Sophia have been pretty Ok. For intensive Japanese, it’s been rather easy although having already worked through the Intermediate Japanese textbook will do that to you. The other text book is mostly just reading materials, but I am going to start doing the exercises on my own, and working on kanji on my own. I think I’ve already learned another 100 since I have been here, which is awesome for not even 3 weeks. I feel like taking two semesters of intensive Japanese will put me at a great spot, should the zoo make me come back to graduate.

I only wish I had the opportunity to meet more people. This Friday there is a gathering for the Amnesty International circle, and if it is not very time intensive I might end up joining that; anything to meet some Japanese and speak more than I am now. I think between kick boxing and that, I should have plenty of opportunity to speak and meet a lot.

I’m still here, still shining, still taking pictures, although lately I have not been around much cultural things to take pictures of. I snap random shots with my 5.1mp cell phone, but that is merely to ease my curiosity when i see something framed the way i like it. The pictures are ok, but the Kodak has a much nicer — well — everything. I’m forcing myself to take my Kodak out more before I pick up a Nikon D40 kit. It’s not even 500 dollars here, and for a dSLR setup with glass – that’s really cheap. Gotta love Bic Camera.

We shall see. Maybe I’ll upload some photos later. Hopefully we’ll be getting internet in the apartment soon.