What a great country!!! I really like it here!! everyone (almost) are so cute and helpful! and pretty small... I feel like a giant!! bought (a couple) a pair of shoes today, and I had to get the biggest ones in the whole shop!! I think maybe we scare the Japanese men, they dont look at us at all, but some of the woman or especially the girls find us fascinating. I had a bunch of 16 year olds coming up to me today, hehe... Guess we should be happy that the Japanese are not the size of Americans, imagin 128 millions huge persons..
The service in this country is amazing! if they have problems of
explaining directions for example, they dont mind walking us down half the street to show us! or draw a map, pointing and smiling.. and all the bowing... to greet and to thank us. Whenever I pay they take the money or the Visa card with both hands and bows. I`m really good at thanking in Japanese now. Some Japanese get crazy whenever i try to speak Japanese, the other day both women working in a shop jumped up and down clapping when i said Konichiwa (good day). Kristine came in wondering what was going on... One day shopping we had trouble finding someone who spoke English who we could ask about directions, but thanks to rap music that is probably possible all over the world! Our last shot was the guy who worked in a shop selling baggy clothes and playing rap music.. Think he was happy to speak some YO! Are quite a few Yo's here actually...
The best so far has been the home stay!! No doubt!! Kristine, Marte, Stine, Birte and I stayed with a big Japanese familiy. We're still not sure how many of them who lived there... They had a traditional Japanese house and garden, so beautiful there! All of us girls slept at the floor in a room with straw "carpets". We sat at the dinner table for at least 5 hours, drinking and eating.. for sure drinking!! CAMPAI!!!! Our dear "Papa" made sure our glasses were never empty.. they hardly even get half full... We were toasting and singing all night, their grandchildren running
around. We all made the most beautiful paper birds in origami- or not!! folding paper is not that easy when you're far from sober... The worst thing was that the family meant that we were lousy drinkers, the ones from last year were better (I cant understand that..), but we we're a lot better with the chop sticks and speaking Japanese!! (thanks to the little note in my pocket.. hehe..)
We have been around in Hiroshima and Kyoto so far. In Hiroshima we met a survivor from the atomic bomb, that was special. Her story is terrible!!! Of course we visited the Peace Memorial Museum, saw a lot of pictures and clothes from the victims.
Now I'm in Tokyo for a few days, great!! I have considered staying here, I look pretty good in a kimono and did alright at the tea ceremony.. Japanese calligraphy is something for me andi'm sure i'll be able to do origami after some training.. sober...
The toilets here are an attractions in themselves... usually you'll find a control panel and you can get your ass cleaned or make a fountain or have a warm seat... or if you have problems with pieing when others are listening just push the button for the sound of flushing! last about for 25 seconds..
(Pappa: send more money!! hehe...) The shopping over here is great!! Found out that shipping home is not too expensive so... stopping by a few shops in Tokyo i reckon.. hehe...
ps!! btw!! email is the only form for communication, my mobile (or the other norwegians' mobiles) is not working over here... probably too old fashion, they know their gadgets in this country!!
This is me in Darling Harbour. We really got the holiday feeling when we got there, no harbour in Brisbane City.
I met my old English roommate from Disney there too!! we were lucky enough to get a few days with her!!
Just outside Kyoto we did a school visit, where we told the children about Norway, showed them pics and sang a few Norwegian children songs. This is how they returned the favour.. could have been a night mare, but they were alrigth!! (thank heaven!!)
