I don’t really know about the title of this blog except that it is all about random things.  Here it goes!  :

I walked out of the Center on my way to buy paint at Daiso (100 Yen shop/Dollar store), turned the corner to walk to the intersection and was run over by a bicycle.  After he began apologizing in Japanese and I apologized in English, we both established that the other one was ok, and we went on our ways.

I wanted to buy batteries, but DeoDeo (electronics store) is being remodeled, so I had to settle for just getting paint today.  It was ok

I walked into Daiso and was looking around.  I saw a transvestite…the first transsexual person I’ve seen in Japan since I’ve been here.  We have a lot of metrosexual guys, but they are firmly hetero…but this was obviously and trans.  He wore a skirt, had dark, thick eyeliner on, and man legs…he also made a loud clodding noise as he walked around the store.  I could tell when he was coming near my aisle.

Katakana is a great thing.  It “Japanese-izes” just about any English word.  “Cup” becomes “ka-pu”…and so forth.  Once I learn how to read it, I will be set. 

I now have a Japanese dad.  It is Yoshio-san at Quixote restaurant.  He gave me 9 tickets for the Wind Ensemble Concert in June, on Father’s Day.  That will be fun. 

I got off the train at Ayaragi and several men in construction worker uniforms were holding banners and handing out leaflets. I thought maybe it would be my first encounter with striking in Japan.  Alas, they were pamphlets detailing with pictures and bright colored words which side of the street bicycles should be ridden on…also, that you should not ride a bicycle under the influence, tandem, or side by side talking with someone else.  After my first encounter with a bicycle today, I’m pretty glad they are handing out the flyers en masse.

I was practicing with Noriko-san the music for Sunday, b/c I’m supposed to sing on the Praise Team with Eri (in Japanese, mind you).  So, I’ve been going over the words and such…and Noriko stopped by the Center to practice the piano, so I thought I’d run through with her, confident that she would help me through any problems I was having.  We got through the first song alright, and the second one, until Noriko started laughing so hard that she couldn’t play anymore.  The Japanese characters had been written out in the Romaji (english letters) so that I could quickly get the sounds, and she told me to say a certain word as “shu”, which means Lord.  But I couldn’t find “shu” on my page, only “syu”.  So, I kept singing and saying “syu” and she started laughing again.  Turns out that I was saying “vinegar” instead of “Lord.”  Thankfully she corrected me, so I should be safe Sunday morning, but everyone is getting a good laugh out of it.

Oh, there’s a burger place by Sea Mall called “Lotteria.”  If that wasn’t weird enough, they sell “straight burgers”…as opposed to crooked ones?  eh?

Also, they play American country music outside of the KFC…just saying…that’s weird…country music in Japan??  Well…country music at all?  hmmm…it follows me everywhere…

Oh, and the Mister Donut sells…yes, doughnuts…but also Chinese noodles, soup, and dumplings.  It’s a great world we’re living in.