JAPAN DAY 2: A POX ON SANDISK!

MUCH TO MY SURPRISE AND JOY, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY TROUBLE FALLING (AND STAYING) ASLEEP. THE BEDROOM I WAS PROVIDED WAS REALLY COMFORTABLE - AND BENEFITED FROM NOT BEING DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM A GIANT "EPSON" SIGN ROUGHLY THE SIZE OF A SCHOOL SPEWING BLINDING WHITE FLASHES OF ILLUMINATION IN THROUGH THE WINDOW. UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT AS FORTUNATE THE FIRST TIME I CAME TO JAPAN (SEE PIC BELOW), AND SLEPT VERY LITTLE AS A RESULT.


THE BEDROOM I WAS STAYING IN THIS WEEK HAD THESE THICK IRON SHUTTERS OUTSIDE THAT SLOWLY (AND NOISILY) OPENED AND RAISED AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON. SO COOL. I IMAGINED THEM TO BE FROM SOME SCI-FI MOVIE IN WHICH A WEARY SPACE TRAVELLER WAKES FROM HYPER SLEEP, SIPS FROM A CUP OF SPACE COFFEE, AND SCRATCHES HIMSELF (OR HERSELF) AS THE ROBOTIC WINDOW SHADES OPEN TO REVEAL A BEAUTIFUL FOREIGN WORLD OUTSIDE.

(THE ANALOGY WORKS, CUZ NOT ONLY IS JAPAN LIKE A FOREIGN WORLD, BUT I ALSO HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO ENJOY A NICE MORNING SCRATCH. SEE?)

HAVING ALREADY LIVED IN THIS HOUSE FOR DECADES, THE FAMILY I WAS STAYING WITH DID NOT SHARE MY EXCITEMENT FOR THEIR HOME'S WINDOW APPLIANCES. LOOKING BACK, I SUPPOSE I MIGHT BE EQUALLY INDIFFERENT IF A FOREIGN GUEST HERALDED MY TOASTER OVEN AS SOME KIND OF FANTASTIC CONTRAPTION THAT CLEARLY MUST HAVE COME FROM NASA.

AFTER LUNCH, SHINPEI AND I DROVE NORTH TO THE SEASIDE OF CHIBA. THE LONG BEACHES HERE LOOKED A BIT LIKE THOSE OF NEW JERSEY, ALBEIT WITH LESS MEDICAL WASTE WASHING UP ON SHORE. ALSO, NONE OF THE LOCALS WORE T-SHIRTS THAT WARNED "DON'T F**K WITH ME, I'M LOCAL!" (YES, SOME JERSEY LOCALS REALLY WEAR THOSE). NOBODY WAS SWIMMING, GIVEN THAT THE EARLY SPRING TEMPERATURES WOULD PROBABLY KILL ANY BATHERS WITHIN 10 MINUTES OR SO. BESIDES, I FORGOT MY SWIMMING TRUNKS AT HOME TODAY - ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PLANET. BUT IT WAS STILL NICE TO SIT FOR A WHILE AND CHILL (QUITE LITERALLY).

AS WE WERE GETTING READY TO LEAVE, 4 TEENS MADE THEIR WAY DOWN NEAR THE WATER. THEY FORMED A LINE AND JUMPED SKYWARDS IN UNISON, AGAIN AND AGAIN, STRIKING RIDICULOUS POSES WHILE ONE OF THEM TOOK PHOTOS OF THE EVENT. TAKING FULL ADVANTAGE OF MY LONG CAMERA LENS AND A PERFECT VANTAGE POINT, I SEIZED UPON WHAT I KNEW WOULD BE THE DEFINING PHOTOGRAPHIC OPPORTUNITY OF MY ENTIRE TRIP. THE DUNES AND REEDS IN THE FOREGROUND; LAYER UPON LAYER OF CRASHING WAVES IN THE BACKGROUND; AND SEVERAL COLORFUL YOUNG JAPANESE GOOFBALLS FLASHING AIRBORNE PEACE SIGNS IN THE CENTER OF IT ALL. I WAS SO EXCITED TO GET HOME AND SEE HOW THE PHOTOS CAME OUT.

...WELL, BY NOW YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED I HAVEN'T POSTED A SINGLE VACATION PHOTO YET (THE EPSON SIGN ABOVE DOESN'T COUNT - THAT'S FROM 2003). THAT WOULD BE BECAUSE MY MEMORY CARD DECIDED TO DECLARE ITSELF CORRUPT 3 DAYS INTO MY TRIP, AND IT DRAGGED ALL OF MY BELOVED PHOTOS KICKING & SCREAMING TO THE DIGITAL GRAVE ALONG WITH IT. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW DEEPLY THAT BREAKS MY HEART. SERIOUSLY. IF ONLY I WAS CAPABLE OF HUMAN EMOTIONS, I WOULD HAVE CRIED. WHEN I FIND WHO'S IN CHARGE OF KARMA AND COSMIC JUSTICE AND ALL THAT NONSENSE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE WORDS... WORDS, AND A GOOD OLD FASHIONED KNIFE FIGHT. TEXAS STYLE!

SO YOU'LL HAVE TO PUT UP WITH ME BLABBING A LITTLE MORE BEFORE ANY PICS GO UP. I'LL TALK LESS ONCE I ACTUALLY HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOW. APOLOGIES.

TODAY I LIKE: RARE MOMENTS THAT WILL NEVER EVER HAPPEN AGAIN
TODAY I DISLIKE: CORRUPTED MEDIA OF RARE MOMENTS THAT WILL NEVER EVER HAPPEN AGAIN