Golden Week 2006

Well, for my first Golden Week in Japan - I'd say that it was pretty typical - Japanese style:

*Made some new friends.
*BBQed in the park Nihon-style, with beer, sochu, veges and sushi...then continued afterwards at an Izakaya.
*BBQed in the park American-style with beer, burgers, salads and rice krispie treats.
*Finally found the Great Buddah in Kamakura - with the help of some French-Canadians, their car - and of course, its GPS.
*Took a million "hai - cheese" photos on a picture-perfect day.
*Stubbornly attempted to speak my limited Japanese with a taxi-driver for 20 minutes in Kisarazu - searching for a non-existent ferry that crosses the bay, and an onsen with accomodation - only to end up calling my friend, staying in a business hotel, and taking a bus over on the aqualine (the longest underwater tunnel).
*Went shopping with a million other people at what I think is quite possibly the largest IKEA in the world.
*Slept (on the train - like everyone else, in the park, at my aparto...)
*Dodged the rain with an afternoon coffee at Starbucks in Shibuya (Tokyo), staring in wonder every other minute as thousands of umbrella-heads crossed through the busiest intersection in the world.

...all while continuosly checking train times, weather, e-mail and calls....on my phone.

Happy Holidays everyone. Spring fever is catching in Japan...curious to see what this "May Disease" is all about come Monday.

Di :) xo...

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