shhhh......

japan. the J. land of the rising sun. also notable for it's sake, sumo wrestlers, delicious raw animals, and strongly recommended public silence.

it's generally unacceptable to use your outside voice here while sober (unless you're safely confined inside of a building, and you're in the company of good friends). this rule seems incredibly out of place, as the noise pollution is unlike anything i've ever heard. upon entering a place of business, be it restaurant, clothing shop, or vegetable stand, every available employee shouts their welcomes across the room. upon leaving, they shout again. it's customer service with a smile, but pretty F'ing loud. you should be careful, however, not to raise your voice in these situations, for it could make your fellow customers uncomfortable.

when you're boarding the train, it's a whole new auditory adventure. on the platform, there are chimes and whistles to alert you to train arrivals. there are announcements (that i can only partially understand) concerning destinations and times of departure. there are freight trains careening by at 120 dB. again though, be careful not to speak too loudly or draw any unnecessary attention to yourself.

on the train itself, remember to turn your phone to manner mode. you should also remember to turn your ipod down to prevent any unwanted noise from escaping your ear canal. you'll probably have to turn it back up every 15 seconds though, so you can hear your music over the PA, loudly spreading the conductor's instructions to turn your phone to manner mode.

fortunately, today the train was quiet as ever, with only the loud, frequent, grainy warnings to hush your electronics. it afforded me plenty of time to watch my main man engaging in, while not the strangest activity i've ever seen, easily the strangest i've seen on a japanese train. at every stop, he would de-board the train to shed a random object, then hop back on. once back on the train, he would fidget, put his winter hat on, and then abruptly take it off in preparation for the next station's deposit. first was a folded piece of paper, roughly 8.5 x 11", placed on a table in a resting area (standing is japan's least favorite past-time). i first assumed it was a suicide note, and he would surely leap in front of a locomotive somewhere down the line. my thinking change when, en route to the next stop, he put on his hat, took a dirty plastic spoon from his bag, then took his hat off. only half leaving the train at the next station, he carefully dropped the spoon through the 2" gap between car and platform. "genius," i thought. he donned the cap, found a rubber band on the floor, put it mischievously in his mouth, and took the cap off. he was ready to leave his new treasure at the next stop.

i'm guessing he was autistic, and the experience left me wondering what the hell it is that he knows and i don't. it's amazing how stimulating a single unique individual can be in a land of silent, staring masses.

anyway, here go english:

there's this penguin bar downtown. it's pretty cool, but you often feel pretty sad for these penguins that live in a basement.

so i had these two girls contact me through couch surfing and ask to stay for about 2 days. turned out to be 8 days over two visits. quite possibly the craziest girls that i know, and two of my new best friends. took this on the ferry to awaji island, where much fun was had by all.

luckily they've since returned to their home country, 'cause at my age, i just can't keep up.