Ketchup Post

Fair warning, this post contains no ketchup. Although, I did eat 3 (count them 3) Big Macs at lunch today. It is a celebration for the Big Mac this week, so they were only 200 yen. Cheap hamburger = happy Jeff. The Big Mac in Japan lacks the same quality that you find in America.

I have a few random pictures that have made their way into this 'ketchup post.' Clever and an appetite...how am I still single? Seriously, how? 

How about this little bugger that I found on my wall. (get it? bugger?)

 A close up. Seconds from the painful death it suffered at the hands of poison. 

 Awesome choir room at my Junior High. I took this while everyone was having the special teacher afternoon. They bring in 11 different teachers every so often to do special classes for the Junior High students. They learned stuff like cake making, wood working, calligraphy, wool doll making, tea ceremony, some Chinese game, nature painting, and pottery. It was interesting to go around and see the kids doing all of the classes. I got invited to participate in the tea ceremony. When done right, I am pretty sure that it is a beautiful tradition, but it required sitting in Seiza position (which you may remember from an earlier post). It was like painful Japanese torture. Both my feet fell asleep during it, but I bore like a champ.

 I found this sign in the hall that made me laugh. I think we should all catch dream. 

 I am concerned at this picture. It makes me feel...really weird. 

 Saturday we had the pub quiz! It was at a cafe in Otsuki. It was a little long (4 hours) but I was a phenomenal asset to my team. I was able to answer every Lord of the Rings question. 

 These are people who are from the Yamanashi area. 

 Elliot on the left and Nick on the right. Elliot was on my team, and we dominated some people. 

 Pizza and fish and chips. The pizza was not spectacular.  

 Carlos the Irish Spanish master who was on my team. We won those 'punny' shirts. 

 Devil horns, they fit right? 

 Carlos (previously mentioned), Karen (also Irish), and Christina (my next door neighbor).

 Also went to Don Kihote. Yeah, it is like it sounds. It is a mega store of all sorts of bizarre stuff.

 Coin-op machines full of Japanese characters. 

 THEY HAVE PUPPIES! This is a little tiny chihuahua. 

 Other tiny puppies!

 Check. Out. This. TINY. DOG! Cute right? Problem: This dog costs about 1,800 dollars. 

 Also, kittens. Can't express my love for the kittens. 

 They sell a whole lot of Halloween stuff here which is rare because Japan doesn't celebrate Halloween much. 

 Here is a nifty little item: A pillow that has all the lovable characteristics of a body wearing a thong. Weird right? I accidentally wandered into a not-clearly marked section of the store where I found many confusing items. It took me an embarrassing 20 seconds or so to realize what I was looking at. At this point, I felt weird and scuttled away. 

 Red Cozy Blanket. Amazing right? I think I am actually going to get one of these! 

They have a whole bunch of imported stuff here. I got some Sour Cream and Onion Lays, Jalepeno Pringles and Doritos! The chips pictured remind me of the Sabor de Soledad chips in the TV show 30 Rock.

Who wants one of these? I can get them to you. What is better than pretending that you have a pet, and that it is rooting through the trash? These are one of many treasures that you will find at Don Kihote.  

Cleanup Post...Apocalypse

Call me the king of broken promises, but I am now fulfilling some things that I said I wouldn't do. I had said that I would give some pictures and stuff. Here they are, and then some. 

 First up is this adorable little bag that I got at the Distribution Center under the Tokyo Temple. Who doesn't love puppies and engrish? 

 This is the holy love seat. Beautiful isn't it? I don't remember if I put up a picture of this yet. Even if I did, it deserves another post. This thing was 25 dollars. Genuine leather (or it would seem). It is starting to crack a little, which is unfortunate...but other than that little fact, this loveseat is probably my best friend here. 

 Bento Box that we got during sports day. I still have no idea what more than half of this stuff is. Some of it was good, the rest was digestible.

 Doth thine eyes deceive? Be that white people in the distance? Yea, it is. A week or so ago, I was out wandering around and happened on the golf course a few miles from my house. What I found was the Pata Gorufu Kosu, or Putter Golf Course. I happened upon a few people from North Carolina. They were very nice and we played 18 holes of the poorest cared for grass I have ever seen. No only does it contain 90% crab grass, it also has lots of patches of dirt that make it incredibly difficult. 

 I was actually pretty decent at it, and I ended up shooting par.

Mmmm....sweet sweet joy. You may think it stupid, but this here is phenomenal. 8 glorious pounds of peanut butter, and 2 pounds of extra sharp cheddar. Tastes like mana from heaven. American food from Costco.

 We went to a junk store closer to home. I found this charming little fellow peering at me as I rummaged through all the stuff this guy had to sell. 

 I seriously considered buying this little beauty. I figured that I would wear it all day everyday as a way to let the Japanese know that I value their culture...also, it would let them know that I am a formidable soldier who can cut them in half. 

A rodeo chair...which is weird...but I guess the Japanese love their rodeo. After all, it;s the bulls and blood, it;s the dust and mud...

I was going to get a whole post entitled, "The terrifying things I find." This is a teaser for you. Frightening right? I can't imagine why this is second-hand...

Adventures in Shopping

In Japan, there are many stores, in these stores, there is a lot of crap. Here is a collection of all that crap I have found in Japan. We went to some junk stores, and some other stores over the last week or so and I found some very wonderful, and very bizarre things. I shall narrate the way through this jungle of junk for you:

 So this is the view from inside the junk shop, it doesn't look too bad does it?

 Stacks of appliances in the same room

 This handsome couple guards the way to the appliance warehouse

 A whole shelf of wooden idol thingys

 This is a tiny porcelain toilet. I don't know why you would want to showcase this in your home, or why you would spend 6 dollars on it...

 I found this gem...the Worlds First Calculator! Amazing right? Here I am in Asia, and I find the worlds first calculator. You will notice that there is no price on it. After all, it would be priceless right?

 This place is a giant nerd store that the white folks call The Mummy's Ghost for obvious reasons. It is an absolutely wild collection of stores. It is like an indoor flea market for all things nerdy/Japanese.

 These are shelves full of little action figures from every anime ever created ever.

 More anime action figures, and if you look close, you can see my reflection.

 Another priceless gem that I feel could only be found in Japan, Destiny's Child's first CD. Incredible right?

 We have all heard of Japan and their wacky robots. Turns out Robocop guards this shop as well.

 Cannabis incense, for the classy, discerning individual

 Next was the House-Off store, which is like D.I. but nicer. This chest of drawers was about 60 bucks.

 This is the first picture of the fabled chairs that I keep talking about. Pooh may be what you focus on, but the true treasure was underneath.

 A trip to a Japan junk store wouldn't be complete without something that is largely inappropriate, so here is a mousepad with a built in cushion for your wrist. Convenient right? And icky.

The last picture here is of a full body bear suit that you can wear around and...do...beary...things...in. Weird right?