Restaurant meal vending machines?

So, Americans don't know from fast food.

Last night, schoolpsychnerd and I went wandering around Shinjuku again looking for food. After skipping out on an Italian restaurant because it had a long wait and we didn't have much time, we found some hole-in-the-wall noodle place (the third one we looked at). There was a large display of plastic replications of the dishes on the walls. I picked something that I could read ("クーリライスセット", Curry rice with noodles on the side), but it turned out I didn't need it. When we got inside, there was a big machine just inside the entrance with buttons on it. Each button corresponded to the number of one of the displays outside. You pushed your order, got the ticket, and gave it to the womean behind the counter, who then made your order.

It took her about 30 seconds to make both schoolpsychnerd's and my food, which is the least time I've ever waited. After she was done, she asked both of us "Soba de mo udon?" (at least, I think that's what she said?) and then "Atatakai de mo tsumetai?" which means "Hot or cold?" Until yesterday, though, I only knew atsui and samui, which also mean hot or cold but only refer to weather or places, whereas tsumetai refers to objects, so I heard it as "takai," which means "tall." I asked "takai?" and she looked at me a bit oddly, but we got it straightened out. She later stopped by our table and said something--I'm not sure what, but with the hand gestures I'm pretty sure it had to do with the fact that I was a foot taller than her. :-p

Good food, too, and only 800円 for the both of us. Who says you can't eat cheaply in Tokyo?

A lot of women were walking around with open umbrellas yesterday even though it wasn't cloudy. I'm not sure if they were for protection from the sun, insurance against the T-storms that were supposed to show up later, or what.

"I can't get the blood out!"

Okay, not exactly. I got most of it out.

I figured that if 90% of Japanese women under 30 can walk around Tokyo all day in 3 inch+ heels, then I can do it in sandals, right? Well, I can, but not very well--my pants are currently drying after I washed the bloodstains out. :-p

I walked from the hotel, past Shinjuku Station and down into Shinjuku Sanchōme before getting lost for a while. I could see Shinjuku Gyoen, but I couldn't find a way in. I eventually had to turn around and take several other streets before I found the main gate. It was a neat park--not amazing, but pretty. It used to be a private park for the Imperial Family, but after World War II it was opened up to everyone. There were a couple teahouses (closed, sadly) a Japanese garden, and English documentation was available from staffers who weren't actually there. There was an Engrishy wildlife guide which I grabbed, but I didn't see a single animal while I was there.

After leaving through the south gate and following the train tracks, I found the more interesting place of my visit--Meiji Jingu, the shrine to honor the spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken. I stood and watched people pray for a bit (and saw some shrine maidens, dressed in red and white with ribbons in their hair), took some pictures of the shring and tried to get into the Iris Garden except there's a 500円 fee to get in and I was too cheap to pay. :-p I now know the proper procedure for visiting a Shinto shrine, though. After wandering around the grounds I took the south exit and was relieved to see that Harajuku train station was right there.

While buying some peach nectar from a vending machine, I heard some people speaking English behind me and turned a bit to listen (you don't realize how much you miss it until 99% of the people around you are speaking a language you can't understand and most of them can't understand you either). They asked me if I spoke English, which I did, and we chatted a bit. They were both from California on vacation. We didn't talk long, though, because I was really tired, my feet were sore and I was right next to the train station. I wanted to wander around Harajuku a bit more, but...ah well. Maybe next time.

I'd like to live in Tokyo, I think--or at least a city with a mass transit system that's as good.

Grr

So, apparently, when Hiroshima told schoolpsychnerd that she didn't need to worry about my transportation to Hiroshima, what they actually meant was, "We're going to tell you you need to drop $330 on a plane ticket the day before you leave."

If I had known going over at the same time would be so expensive, I would have just waited and gone over two weeks after schoolpsychnerd did.