The randomness of Japan

...which I've come to love.

Except for the old dudes taking a leak in the middle of the street - what is with that? Getting off the bus in the mornings and being greeted by that view is so not cool. It disrupts my peaceful, tranquil Japanese mornings.

I was at my local supermarket on a Saturday morning and in walks this old guy with a Kirin beer in one hand and a shopping basket in the other. Just shopping for groceries and having a beer...at 10am in the morning. I couldn't help but giggle as I smelt beer on him as he walked past me cruising the aisles with a laid back 'don't mind me' kind of swagger.

In the past week I have come across abandoned toys left in the strangest of places. I laugh to myself, take a picture and continue on my way. But the next day they're gone, as if they were never left there at all. Am I seeing things? But I have the pictures to prove it.

Walking home from school I encountered a tiger in its natural habitat, dozing under a tree in front of some motorbikes

This bull seemed to be lost, walking along a cement wall overlooking a carpark

I so very much wanted to take the bull home and make it my pet. But I thought that I should leave it where it was so it could make other passerbys smile or it might already be some kid's pet that just got lost. That's the thing about Japan, you can leave something somewhere and there's a 95% chance that it'll still be there (I think the other 5% is made up of gaijins and random, crazy people). People leave old (but still good) chairs by the bus stops so people waiting can sit down. If that happend back home, they would have be nicked within the hour.

There are plenty of stories of people finding their lost items and wallets (with the same amount of cash left in them). People leave their bags and handbags at cafe tables to 'reserve' them or while they place their orders up at the counter. It's so normal here. It's nice like that. Remembering there used to be a time when you could leave your front door open.

Cheryl gave me a BIG Cup Noodle. It sure was BIG, compared to the normal Cup Noodle cups. I couldn't even finish it and had the rest of it for breakfast the next morning.

Kit Kat Updates

Latest flavours I've tried;

BANANA - You'd think it would be yellow but it's quite normal looking on the outside but yellow on the inside. It's okay, very banana-ry, but not something I would buy again.

SAKURA (cherry blossoms) - Released for Spring. It's pink on the outside and inside. I don't like it and don't know how to describe it, but here's Sue Yen's take on it, "It tastes like new plastic smell." haha oops I also ate it and forgot to take a photo but the packaging was light pink with a sakura on it.

MATCHA (green tea) - This was released last year sometime. It's made a come back and being a lover of matcha, Ilikeitalot. I think this will be omiyage (souvenirs) for my trip back home.