Hanging out in Hiroshima

Finally, things have settled down. I spent the whole day locked in my apartment, working on my book and reading my copies of old Japanese magazines.

And I think I figured out how to expand my pictures. Try clicking on them, and they may expand in your browser.

Today, I devoted all to research and work and thus I have very few pictures to post. I watched some afternoon TV and saw some Korean dramas (very popular here), and a news segment featuring a car chase in Los Angeles. I would like to think that the Japanese exaggerate crime in America, but sadly, crime is too high in the States. I wish every American could come here and see what life is like without fear. Then you would hear fewer complaints about taxes to pay for jails, police, or social programs to reduce crime.

While walking to my Aunt’s place for dinner, I spotted Michiyasu, an old friend and lifting partner from ten years ago. He, like most Japanese I have met, recognized me right off the bat. He remembered that I mailed him a t-shirt and letter, and that he had forgotten to write back, and so he apologized profusely. We are talking about an event TEN YEARS ago that frankly I had forgotten about! We agreed to try to meet sometime this Friday, either the afternoon or evening.

I have been here for almost three weeks and I have hardly used or heard English. It is a very strange phenomenon indeed, and unlike the experiences of other non-Asian gaijin (foreigners), Japanese do not attempt to practice their English on me when they find out I am an American.
Anyway, I managed to use my cousin’s computer to download some blog entries. On my walk home in the middle of the night (that is how safe this country is), I noticed that Genkotsu ramen was open. So I went in and ordered a bowl of their ramen. It has soybeans on it, which MUST be a Hiroshima specialty, as I noted in a previous entry. You crush your own garlic on the noodles. Delicious and it costs only about $4.60 to eat this! Refills of noodles are 100 yen, or less than a dollar! Who says you can`t eat cheap in this country?