More Highlights

(Or everything I'd forgotten for the previous post on Japan)

Meguro Ramen Lady:

We were looking for a place to have dinner near Meguro when we came across this hole-in-the-wall ramen place nearby. There was just one customer, an old man, and the owner of the shop, a woman in her mid- to late-forties (maybe older - we all know how well-preserved the Japanese can be).

We sit down, Marie orders for us because she's got a better grasp of the language, though it was rather easy for me to order the char siew ramen and the biru. I take in the atmosphere for as long as she takes to cook up the noodles and the karaage for Marie. Then Marie tells the lady we're from Singapore. She tells us she's from Taiwan.

Boogle!

Then it was another 45 minutes of conversations in Hokkien and Mandarin.


Japan HDB flats:

Walking back to Kumiko's place in Meguro, I walked by one district that looked like it was completely transplanted from Tiong Bahru. Completely surreal.


Vending machines:

For everything. Canned and bottled drinks. Cigarettes. Used undies worn by AV stars. And the best one, those you find around Akihabara, where you stand a chance to win a PSP or even an XBox 360. And the consolation prize of a classic Game and Watch ain't half bad either.


Can't remember more at the moment, but I'm sure it'll come back to me.