love hotel

last week matt and i went to shibuya to an all you can eat indian buffet and it was delicious! our taste buds didn’t know what hit them, it had been a long while since spicy foods had taken them out for a little dance.

after the delicious meal we went to a new orleans-style bar where we ordered gin and tonics followed by a jack n ginger for me and a good ol rum n coke for matty. we smoked cigarettes and listened to some jazz amongst a who lotta gaijin. It felt so strange seeing so many other gaijin roaming the streets, we’re so used to being the only ones walking around our neighbourhood. i’m going to have some severe culture shock when i get home.

so after a couple of drinks we decided we’d go for a stroll on love hotel hill. it was pretty cool. we found ourselves walking along these small streets with a plethora of hotels surrounding us. names like hotel passion in red letters and rates for “rest stay” were a dead give away that we had located our destination.

we were hell bent on finding a themed hotel, apparently they are pretty hard to come by these days but we browsed around a little. immediately upon entering a hotel lobby you can see a large panel with photographs illuminated from behind. they look just like those hotel panels you used to see in an airport arrivals section. all the vacant rooms are lit up while the occupied ones are turned off. when you see a room that suites your needs, you press a little button below the picture that has the room number printed on it. you then go to a wicket and pay your money to a pair of faceless hands.

it was quite funny walking into these places. sometimes there were other couples browsing for rooms as well. no eye contact was made but we all knew we were there for one thing. i think it would be fascinating to work in a love hotel, i’d make some serious use of my camera that’s for darn sure.

the rooms are really nice! if you’re ever looking for a cheap place to stay while in tokyo love hotels are the answer!! our room had a crazy 70’s style radio with every station under the sun…all music all the time. we had our own karaoke machine, a nice jacuzzi tub and a fancy toilet with a heated seat. i have yet to try the crazy bum cleaning jets, i’m a little frightened.

there were two vending machines, one with toys and lubricants to suite all of your personal needs and another with beer, soda and water. the room was also loaded with complimentary tea, coffee, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, hair brush, and this fancy hair band…

Listening to Gllia - Kazumasa Hashimoto

saitama shuffle

I never thought I’d live to see the day where I wear running shoes with business attire. It’s happened, I look like Melanie Griffith’s Tess McGill in Working Girl. All I need to complete the package is to dye my hair red and listen to Carly Simon’s Let The River Run on my ipod.

I’ve now made it my daily routine walking from Yono to Omiya station. It takes me about 40 minutes each way. There’s a lovely path between Yono and Saitama’s famous Superdome. It’s kinda like walking around the Skydome but there are flowers and many small sculptures that look as though they were made by elementary students. I also pass a single row of 6 palm trees which is a lovely site to see. There’s nothing like spotting the odd palm tree here and there to remind me that the best weather has yet to come.

When heading towards the Superdome I walk in the opposite direction of many business people. They all wear black. Black jackets, pants and shoes. I stand out in the crowd as I dodge people here and there sporting my pink shirt, blue rain coat, red scarf and white Adidas. Tess McGill’s attire wasn’t as loud but you could probably spot her hair in the river of black suits.

Today I decided to put my ipod on shuffle and I can’t believe the difference it makes when I walk. As I was getting off the Iwatsuki train at Omiya station, Explosions in the Sky accompanied the action of searching for my metro pass in my enormous purse. Who knew such a simple action like that could contain such drama? People were coming at me from all directions as I fished for my wallet, I was afraid to look down as the music escalated. Suddenly I felt the leather at my finger tips and the music swelled out of control. I pulled out my wallet just as I reached the gate, I could feel the urgency of the people behind me as I swiftly removed my pass and inserted it in the machine…phew! I nearly fumbled that one.

As I went up the escalator to catch my connecting train Loverboy’s Workin for the Weekend came on and what a strange sensation that was. I didn’t know what to think. I was in a busy train station listening to…well…Loverboy. I guess there’s a time and place for it like karaoke or casinos but that just wasn’t right. Plus it was Monday, it might have felt a little more genuine on a Thursday or Friday…I dunno I got through half the song and had to fast forward it. After that I heard Sparklehorse’s Painbirds and it was perfect. There’s something really cool about listening to mellow music in the thick of madness.

I wonder what Tess would have had on a mixed tape. What was she listening to as she rode the ferry into Manhattan? Was it George Michaels’ Faith? Perhaps Neneh Cherry’s Buffalo Stance? Maybe Chicago’s Look Away? My vote is Poison’s Every Rose Has It’s Thorn because, after all she’s just a small town girl trying to make it in the big crazy city.

Listening to whatever my ipod chooses

missing food

There’s a nice food shop in Saitama-Shintoshin where I can but some lovely foreign goods. I went in there this evening to buy some Dijon mustard and Celestial Seasoning tea and I was delighted to find some green salsa sauce and taco chips!!! Of course they do cost a mint but I bought them as a small treat for my taste buds. I can’t remember the last time I was so excited about food. My roommate Amy was laughing at me because I was soooooo happy about chips and salsa…no seriously, I’m so excited right now. Ok, here I go…first test…BLARGH!!! It doesn’t taste like delicious Herdez! I’m gonna have to add some Tabasco. Spice is a problem…you need to carry a bottle of hot sauce in your pocket if you want any kick.

Here are some foods I have been missing as of late:

Breakfast at Mimi’s restaurant
Gandhi Roti
Island Food Patties
Sandwich Box
Epicure
cheese
Irene’s delicious cooking
brie and avocado sandwiches at Squirrly’s
Beaconsfield brunches
falafel with grape leaves
poutine
Creemore
mint chocolate.

I don’t think I can take rice, noodles and bread for much longer and I’ve only been here 3 months! Sigh, I’ll be ok. For now I’ll just keep adding to the list of things I can’t get my hands on here. I think Matt and I might go on a quest for Indian food on Monday evening. A girl named Stacey and her boyfriend Eddie from Pickering just moved in downstairs and they found an all you can eat place in Shinjuku. Tandoori chicken here I come…hold the rice please.
Xo

d

Listening to Tapes n’ Tapes – The Loon

photo booth

my eyes have recovered, i can see the world clearly again...well sort of. here are a couple photos of dave, matt and i in a fancy photo booth. if you look very closely you can see a box of meji chocolate almonds tucked away in my jacket pocket. never leave home without them.
xo
d

Listening to Royskopp - The Understanding