Today while Zeb worked on his Abstract for a conference he will be presenting at, I took the chance to meet up with my new friend Momo. It's very convenient that she speaks Japanese and nearly perfect English.
The train on the way to meet her was late and therefore completely full. This was the first time that I had been REALLY sardined into a train, and by myself no less. It was an experience moving and getting pushed by the crowd. It was true that anything you let go of wouldn't touch the ground, due to it being supported by the people shoved in around you. In the end, I was nearly half an hour late to meet Momo. Luckily she was late too, so it all worked out. She said that she had heard some panic in my voice when I answered the phone on the train, but I was really trying to be quiet because you're not supported to talk on the phone while in the train. It's a good idea really... I can't imagine if everyone was on their phone in the train. You wouldn't be able to hear yourself think! Anyhow maybe she's right about the panic being me worried about how crowd it was. ;) (Now I feel that I'm just rambling)
The first thing we did was find some shade at the Meiji Shrine. It was beautiful to walk the gardens and see the blooming irises and lilies! The shrine itself was also interesting. Momo helped me find some answers to questions that hadn't been answered by English signs. For example, "What are those white zig-zags hanging from everything in a shrine?" She explained to me, after asking someone at the shrine, that they represent a marking for something that is holy. It made sense. She also advised me that stepping on a door frame is like stepping on your father's head. How that makes sense I may never know, but now I know.
I also asked her what a few signs said. She laughed at one I was asking her about in the garden; "Don't take pictures on the bridge"... after I had taken pictures on the bridge. Opps.. how was I suppose to know; there was no sign showing a camera with a red line through it. Oh well... must have been directions to Japanese people only. Hehe...
By this time we found that we were a bit peckish, so we headed to lunch at a place that served lamb. It's a very popular/traditional dish in Japan, according to Momo at least. It looks very strange, so I hadn't eaten it up until that point. It wasn't as bad as it looked. It was actually quite good. It really is a shame that my stomach didn't completely agree with it later in the day... but after a few hours it settled. I think I'd have the dish again... now that my tummy knows what it is.
Following lunch Momo helped me find a gift for Zeb's parents, who are having their 30th wedding anniversary on the 4th of July, and then we found desert. The Japanese really love their sweet red bean paste. I wouldn't want to eat it all the time myself, but it is fairly good. They have the most interesting traditional deserts... green tea and red bean paste is normally involved in this endeavor.
By the time we had done desert and shopping we had just enough time to visit the Edo-Toyko Museum. It was highly fascinating. I learned quite a bit, and Momo convinced a few Japanese guys to get into a photo. It was fun to pretend like I was being carried like royalty in a .. little box thing... (I've forgotten the name of the thing. Oops).
We weren't tired or hungry after the museum, so we decided to wander around Akihabara. After only about a half an hour Momo and I had had enough. It was all just overwhelming. So many people, noises, things to buy, girls in weird maid and "little girl" outfits,... and everything! We then decided this was our chance to go somewhere quieter, Koenji.
Dinner was in Momo's city(where she lives, that is), Koenji, right after she was so sweet and bought me some books with Japanese kid's stories in them. They're in English so that I can understand them... mostly. Momo and I read a few of them before dinner at her favorite cafe, and she had to explain a few things and I got to explain a few things to her. It was good fun.
I really had a great day by the end, but at 10pm, it was time to meet Amanda at the base and start thinking about what to do next!
Thank you Momo for such a wonderful day!
The first thing we did was find some shade at the Meiji Shrine. It was beautiful to walk the gardens and see the blooming irises and lilies! The shrine itself was also interesting. Momo helped me find some answers to questions that hadn't been answered by English signs. For example, "What are those white zig-zags hanging from everything in a shrine?" She explained to me, after asking someone at the shrine, that they represent a marking for something that is holy. It made sense. She also advised me that stepping on a door frame is like stepping on your father's head. How that makes sense I may never know, but now I know.
I also asked her what a few signs said. She laughed at one I was asking her about in the garden; "Don't take pictures on the bridge"... after I had taken pictures on the bridge. Opps.. how was I suppose to know; there was no sign showing a camera with a red line through it. Oh well... must have been directions to Japanese people only. Hehe...
By this time we found that we were a bit peckish, so we headed to lunch at a place that served lamb. It's a very popular/traditional dish in Japan, according to Momo at least. It looks very strange, so I hadn't eaten it up until that point. It wasn't as bad as it looked. It was actually quite good. It really is a shame that my stomach didn't completely agree with it later in the day... but after a few hours it settled. I think I'd have the dish again... now that my tummy knows what it is.
Following lunch Momo helped me find a gift for Zeb's parents, who are having their 30th wedding anniversary on the 4th of July, and then we found desert. The Japanese really love their sweet red bean paste. I wouldn't want to eat it all the time myself, but it is fairly good. They have the most interesting traditional deserts... green tea and red bean paste is normally involved in this endeavor.
By the time we had done desert and shopping we had just enough time to visit the Edo-Toyko Museum. It was highly fascinating. I learned quite a bit, and Momo convinced a few Japanese guys to get into a photo. It was fun to pretend like I was being carried like royalty in a .. little box thing... (I've forgotten the name of the thing. Oops).
We weren't tired or hungry after the museum, so we decided to wander around Akihabara. After only about a half an hour Momo and I had had enough. It was all just overwhelming. So many people, noises, things to buy, girls in weird maid and "little girl" outfits,... and everything! We then decided this was our chance to go somewhere quieter, Koenji.
Dinner was in Momo's city(where she lives, that is), Koenji, right after she was so sweet and bought me some books with Japanese kid's stories in them. They're in English so that I can understand them... mostly. Momo and I read a few of them before dinner at her favorite cafe, and she had to explain a few things and I got to explain a few things to her. It was good fun.
I really had a great day by the end, but at 10pm, it was time to meet Amanda at the base and start thinking about what to do next!
Thank you Momo for such a wonderful day!
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