Japan: Days 2 & 3

"I hope that by leaving myself open to misadventure, disaster, and the happy accident, good things will happen. I'm not afraid to look like an idiot." -Anthony Bourdain

I think this quote really is the mantra of this trip. I've enjoyed Bourdain's show on the Travel Channel for some time and am in the middle of reading one of his books. He encourages that people stop being tourists and become travelers by stepping outside their comfort zone. I'd always aspired to do so but despite experiencing various countries, I'd never really gotten there because of the polished, packaged experiences I was a part of.India put things into a different perspective for me and while it was definitely a new experience, it wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as Japan has been in a mere 3 days. Without a translator, in a land where a vast majority of people either don't speak English or are self-conscious about doing so, you are stripped down to your rawest form. You can't pretend to be someone you're not and are forced to drop all pretense because what really matters is finding the right words to order your lunch.

I guess that's enough existential mumbo-jumbo for one post... on to what you're really reading for... in familiar bullet format!

• I might be biased but Buddhist temples are a lot cooler than any church I've been in. Maybe that's not true, because the churches in Russia and Estonia were cool, but there's just something very spiritual about the one we visited yesterday. Despite no obligation to do so, I felt compelled to buy/light some incense and cleanse my soul in its smoke.
• Street food really is the heart of any city. Whether it's hot dog vendors in New York or sweet bean paste buns in Tokyo, there's something pure about what's available at your fingertips. If you ever find yourself wandering the alleys of Ameyoko, try the buns or really anything you can get your hands on. Don't be squeamish about what you see either, or you won't last.
• The train system in Tokyo (and probably Japan) is simply amazing. A glance at the map would lead one to believe there are too many trains and stops to prevent any chance of understanding. Not only are the trains impeccably clean and supremely punctual, the system is so idiot-proof that I feel like a pro using it. After a 30 second explanation from our guide of the various companies (yes, companies), lines and ways to read the extremely helpful maps, we've been able to use it multiple times a day without issue. After three days, I feel just as familiar with it as I do DC's metro and I grew up using that.
• All the cell phones here are the same basic rectangular shape. All the tales of the Japanese being obsessed with their phones are true. If they're not sleeping on the metro, they're listening to music while txting. There are no iPhones or iPods and I love every minute of it.
• I love yakitori. I'd never had chicken liver before but if it all tastes like what they served me last night, I'll be eating more of it. Also on my highlight reel were the chicken meat balls dipped in raw egg yolk. I'm sure they both sound gross to the average American but they were simply fantastic.
• The Japanese spirit continues to amaze me. While walking in a city park today, we were approached by a man in his 50s holding out a piece of paper. No, he wasn't soliciting us or pushing propaganda... he wanted me to proofread his English essay. When was the last time you were asked by a complete stranger, in their country, to help them better understand your language? His display of gratitude afterwards was borderline embarrassing for me.
  

Whew. Looking at this post, it doesn't amount to much for two hours worth of work. I did so much reading about the places we went and things we saw that I ended up spending a lot more time than I'd intended. Wikipedia truly is an amazing beast. Speaking of amazing beasts, tomorrow brings us a trip on the Shinkansen to Kyoto. Sayonara Tokyo!