Tokyo
Monday, July 19, 2004
Can't sleep past 7am today. Get up and check email and read the Japan Times. Everyone keeps saying I'm eating too much McDonald's. I agree, but I've been just trying to go for breakfast, need fuel for these 5hr+ days of walking. So, I get my hotcakes this morning around 9am, nuff said. Head to the JR (Japan Rail) train station and head towards Harajuku. Have to take two trains, but it's easy and we get there in under 30min. Pretty crowded on the train, as it is some kind of shopping holiday. Arrive in Harajuku and the streets are full of people.
First stop is Kiddie Land, a 5 floor toy store, where I always buy some gifts for my nephews and others. After Kiddie Land, we walk around checking out the small shops on the back streets. I try to find the Paul Frank store, but never see it. Bummer. (realize when I get back to the room and look at the map, that it is actually inside a department store). Hit my favorite thrift store "Chicago", but don't see anything. Get back on the JR and head back towards the hotel.
Stop in Ochanomisu to check out the guitar stores again. Not as crowded as yesterday. Find my Mosrite, and after a little dickering with the guy, I buy it. Sorry Paige. I end up paying half of what the new ones are going for, so I think I got a deal. Now something will have to go on eBay when I get home. Jerry talks himself out of the Gretsch he was going to buy, it's a good deal, but he walks. He has more willpower than me, I guess. We check out a few more guitar stores and head back to the hotel on the JR, man this guitar is heavy.
Arrive at the station and we decide to be daring and try the 'Squid' balls they sell at a stand across from the hotel. We watched them make some last night and they looked intriguing (kinda like fish cakes). We buy a box of 6, medium spicy and take them back to the room. Bite into the first one, not terrible, but not fish cakes either. Sort of like eating eyeballs or something. Well, it was worth a shot. Chill in the room for a while, gonna go over to the gig later and see what's up.
Go over to the gig to upload some pictures using the free high speed connection. Decide to dine in catering (hey, it's free), fried rice and cashew chicken. Yummy. Surf the internet with about half of our crew, hanging out in our designated 'crew room'. Nice when you don't have a bus to go to on the downtime. Back to the room for reading and sleep.
First stop is Kiddie Land, a 5 floor toy store, where I always buy some gifts for my nephews and others. After Kiddie Land, we walk around checking out the small shops on the back streets. I try to find the Paul Frank store, but never see it. Bummer. (realize when I get back to the room and look at the map, that it is actually inside a department store). Hit my favorite thrift store "Chicago", but don't see anything. Get back on the JR and head back towards the hotel.
Stop in Ochanomisu to check out the guitar stores again. Not as crowded as yesterday. Find my Mosrite, and after a little dickering with the guy, I buy it. Sorry Paige. I end up paying half of what the new ones are going for, so I think I got a deal. Now something will have to go on eBay when I get home. Jerry talks himself out of the Gretsch he was going to buy, it's a good deal, but he walks. He has more willpower than me, I guess. We check out a few more guitar stores and head back to the hotel on the JR, man this guitar is heavy.
Arrive at the station and we decide to be daring and try the 'Squid' balls they sell at a stand across from the hotel. We watched them make some last night and they looked intriguing (kinda like fish cakes). We buy a box of 6, medium spicy and take them back to the room. Bite into the first one, not terrible, but not fish cakes either. Sort of like eating eyeballs or something. Well, it was worth a shot. Chill in the room for a while, gonna go over to the gig later and see what's up.
Go over to the gig to upload some pictures using the free high speed connection. Decide to dine in catering (hey, it's free), fried rice and cashew chicken. Yummy. Surf the internet with about half of our crew, hanging out in our designated 'crew room'. Nice when you don't have a bus to go to on the downtime. Back to the room for reading and sleep.
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I got tired of writing the same email to everybody asking about life on the road. So here it is, day by day...
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