Thai culture shock

Thailand is a bit more extreme of a culture shock than I remember. I expected to get some stares when skateboarding down the street here, since they essentially do not skateboard in this country. However, even when I walk around a mall or get dinner... people stare at me like they have seen a ghost. Its like I am a celebrity. When they walk past me, they turn around and stare at me. When they think I am not looking, they smack their friends and tell them to look over in my direction. I imagine that this is what it must feel like to be Jackie Chan and walk around Hong Kong. I wish that I could get away with simply wearing a fast mask so that I Could enjoy the culture without effecting that everyone that sees me... to see them in their natural state. Unfortunately, it just doesn't work like that when you are in a nation with this much sun and you are as white as me.

I guess I am experiencing culture shock. The strange thing is, I am no the one being shocked, it is the culture that I am visiting.

I survived

Mr blowfish did not kill me :). I have survived, and I have accomplished one of my goals for being in Japan. I am running out of Japanese goals however, anyone else have a suggestion?

Its Peanut Butter Blowfish Time

Tonight I ate blowfish. Thats right, Homer Simpson style Fugu... I ate it. This is a fish that is lethal if it is prepared wrong, but I will post up tomorrow to let you know if I am dead or not. Muahaha.

My illustrious tutor arranged for me to fulfil the goal of eating Fugu, and made reservations and a really lovely restraunt here in Yokohama. We met at the station, walked, and were seated. They served us Blowfish Skin salad, blowfish sashimi, fried blowfish, boiled blowfish, toasted blowfish fin warm sake, and blowfish porridge. It was awesome.

The taste is very delecate, but is well complimented by a very strong salty and sour sauce. My favorite was the Fugu Sashimi and the Fugu Sake, I did not particularly like having to eat around the bones with some of hte other dishes.

Now I have eaten whale, and I have eaten blowfish... and I eat seaweed, ell, and fish eggs regularly. Anything else I should eat?

- Colleen

Ginza

My wonderful tutor Funo San took me on a trip to Tokyo this Monday. We went to the Nissan showroom at the base of their headquarters, and to the Sony showroom. I have to say, it was an awesome experience.

At the Nissan showroom I was able to sit in the new Nissan GTR. I am an absolute Nissan Skyline fanatic, so sitting in the GTR means that my time here in Japan... can conclude with satisfaction. it was everything I had hoped for and more.

I also had lunch at Dennys here in Japan. Dennys... is actually run here by 7 and I holdings, which is the people who do the Japanese 7-11 convienience stores. You would think that it would bring down the quality, but the Dennys here offers much nicer food, and it is much higher quality. Unfortunately, they did not offer breakfast all day, which is of course the reason to go to Dennys, but I did have two helpings of awesome lasagna.

Next we went to the Sony showroom. If you want to read about my thoughts on that, check out my tech blog at www.thedigitalkitty.com.

Finally, we went to the ramen musem in Shin-Yokohama. Wow... that was tasty. It is this place that recreates a downtown area of old-time Japan, and has about 10 or so different small ramen shops of all different types. Oishi desu! (it was tasty)

I uploaded some pictures in the pictures section, and one in the WTF section.

- Colleen

Have you ever been in a sandstorm?

Well maybe you have.

But today... I was in a sandstorm in Akihabara Tokyo.

Thats right... a SANDSTORM.

How crazy is that?

-Colleen