A Day On the Town/Farm

Despite going to bed rather early, I found myself running late for our 11 AM departure as a group to Asakusa today! Now this is mostly due to a retardedly retarded time waster I have come to embrace on the facebook called FarmVille. Now folks, let's just discuss. I have spent most of my life wondering how my grandparents survived on a farm back in South Dakota. I couldn't really understand the concept of plowing, planting, harvesting, and cow herding for a living. I honestly didn't find much merit in learning about it, and the only time I've found myself desiring a visit is during pheasant hunting season, just so I could walk the fields and be a part of the family. But now, in the midst of all the wonder to explore that is Japan, I find myself rushing home to check to see if my "crops" are ready for harvest yet! What is happening to me? Am I that bored? Or am I finally in tune with my genetics and embracing my inner calling to be a farmer (albeit a digital avatar one)? I don't know, but if you wanna be my neighbor... just send me a little gift of a rabbit or an avocado tree!

Needless to say, I forced myself to get out of the house and enjoy some of the stunningly beautiful weather we had to day. Finally, a cooler, sunny and clear day. For a few hours anyway. By late afternoon it was a bit hot and everybody got a bit zonkered. I ventured with Adam and Blair to Asakusa where we visited the Senjo-in Temple which is the oldest temple in Japan. We had a lot of fun taking pictures, getting our fortunes told (which all turned out surpisingly bad for some reason), and wafting incense over our bodies. We didn't have nearly as much fun trying to figure out whether or not we should put the cleansing water at the temples in our mouths or not (we were split 2 to 1).

We meandered through some of the old streets and had DELICIOUS soft ice cream, semi-delicious candied sweet potatoes with syrup and sesame seeds (i think), and deliciously-made, little hot-off-the-presses bean jam treats. We even found the strange raccoon/monkey/dog god who was supposed to be able to fly around on his huge balls. Yeah. It's that bizarre. We even visited the "golden turd" that is supposed to be the smokestack or something of the building that houses the Asahi brewery. We stopped in for some yummy beer and some not-so-yummy shrimp au gratin in a half-toasted bread loaf with an egg on top. (the egg obviously did me in). Then we slept on the train to Shibuya, did a little shopping (and checking my "farm" in the Apple store) and met up with the other singers sans Joseph at the Hachiko wall/gate.

Side note: I finally figured out that I wasn't crazy; I simply couldn't find the Hachiko statue at the station for the past 4 times I've been there because he was bounded off by construction siding. And we all secretly wanna see the new "Hachi" movie with Richard Gere and Joan Allen even though we think it's going to be really bad.

As a group we were beat and decided to head home where we tried the DELICIOUS Indian restaurant! I'm so thrilled to have a tasty place to eat near home. And then a surprisingly cool walk home before Farmville sucked up a few more hours of my life (as well as the movie channel, planning our Fuji trip, and talking to Jordan). So now I'm off to bed hoping our Fuji trip for this week turns out as planned. And a return to Summer Party and all all my friends tomorrow!!! I'm so thrilled!!!