krispy kreme coffee cup and doughnut plate

I got this cute krispy kreme set from one of my students.  She used to design things for Krispy Kreme Japan, so I told her of my undying love for the Hot and Now original glazed doughnut.

When you put coffee in the mug, the "hot and now" neon signs comes on.  It's hypercolor or something.  How awesome is that?!  Totally awesome!

say "cheese"

A couple of girls enjoying a laugh over dinner.

starbucks

Is there anywhere in the world Starbucks hasn't conquered?  Japan loves their starbucks. Boy, do they love their Starbucks over here.  They call it "stahbah" for short.  I gotta admit that I often find myself dipping into one of the five kajillion starbucks to cool off from the crazy humidity in the Summer, and warm up from the bone-chilling cold in the Winter.  If it's one thing stahbah is good at, it's marketing.  I don't think I've ever seen a tv commercial, print commercial, or any kind of signboard for starbucks, yet somehow they've come out on top.  respect.

the flu

It's that time again. People are wearing masks and popping vitamin c tablets. The flu is attacking japan and it's citizens like 10000 Godzillas.

My school is telling all the 7th graders not to come to school for the next three days. About 20  percent of them didn't come to school today because of the flu.

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Bullet Train

Took a ride on the shinkansen (bullet train) yesterday, and took a mini video to show you how fast it goes.  I used to think that bullet train equals fast as  a bullet equals just under light speed (never was good at math/science), but I was wrong.  Don't get me wrong, it does go pretty fast, but not nearly as fast as a bullet.  That's gotta be some kind of false advertising or something.

It's pretty dang speedy, though.  I don't think that this is even top speed because I seem to remember that when I took a train down to Yamaguchi prefecture, that one was going even faster.  When it gets into residential areas it slows down a little bit.  Riding the bullet train through Tokyo is really awesome at night.  The track is elevated even higher than the normal train, so it almost feels like you're flying.

In the daytime, riding through the countryside is awesome.  You can see so much about Japan while going through small towns and farm lands.  You see high school students practicing sports, people hanging out their laundry to dry, rooftop gardens, busy and not so buy streets, and all kinds of shops.  It's a great way to travel around Japan.

stationery

Got some new notebooks, a marker, and some masking tape from MUJI

無印良品

pens of all colors.  Actually they are all black ink.  People don't write in blue ink in Japan

snowy walk home

Started snowing a bit tonight; slowed down the trains a bit tonight; made sure I walked a bit more slowly tonight.

go easy

on my street looking down towards Shinjuku

It doesn't often snow this much around Tokyo.  Won't stick though because I don't think it's cold enough.  Still nice to walk around in it.  Seems like on nights that it snows everything becomes a little quieter.  

rainy day in shinjuku

walked around western area of Shinjuku yesterday.  Been raining for the past three days or so.  It started out as snow on the first day, and just got all crappy from there on.  Wish I was back in Hawaii eating some shave ice and watching "Auction Wars"

The Washington Hotel.  Kind of looks like a prison.  I don't know why they made the windows so small.

The art college.  One of the coolest buildings in the Shinjuku area