Japan- December 19th, 2007

Well, not too much to report on the first full day following a 14 hour plane ride. We took the subway up to Tokyo and grabbed our room in the beautiful New Sanno Hotel. Taking the subway was interesting because of the way Japanese people go about their daily activities. The unique thing about this country is the fact that they are a very polite people and are also extremely trustworthy. My parents told me that if i were to leave my wallet on the seat of the on the train, that I would be able to go back to that very spot hours later and it would still be there. It was very strange seeing very young children traveling on the subway all by themselves, but that is just the nature of the Japanese. The mix of people on the subway ranged from the elderly to business professionals all the down to the youth. The younger demographic on the train was glued to their individual cell phones. It was crazy to see that almost no one was talking to each other when they boarded the train in groups. They stuck to texting on their cell phones, no conversations literally.

Although I was one of the few faces that stood out, for the obvious reasons that I was white and taller than most of the crowd, not once did I catch anyone staring at me. Not even eye contact usually, which was weird cause you would think just the opposite. I saw a few other people that were of European descent and every time we locked eyes and gave the classic "head nod." It's weird being able to identify with a minority in a country but kind of cool nonetheless. Another characteristic that is integrated in the Japanese culture is efficiency. From the leaders of the country all the way down to the maids that clean my dad's apartment, the Japanese pride themselves on being efficient. This is evident even in the architectural landscape of the country. Riding along the tracks for about an hour and a half altogether, I could not help but notice that there was not a clearing as far as the eye could see. Large apartment complexes were stacked next to one another and even conquered the mountainous terrain that normally limit the development of urban areas. Streets wound their way through the various cities we passed through with only a few feet separating the towering buildings and the traffic. Making use of every bit of space the country has to offer is a priority throughout the nation as they have run out of room to expand horizontally and are reduced to expanding towards the heavens.

We traveled to the US embassy (Benger had to renew the passport) where we passed through a security checkpoint, in order to enter. While I was waiting I got to check email and facebook of course, thanks for the love people! After that was taken care of, we strolled around a little bit. There was a sweet store that was called "Japanese Sword" and it had all kinds of Samurai armor, weapons and art on display. Red and black of course were the most popular colors for the armor but they also had some that were accented by gold which were beautiful. I should have taken some pictures but we were on the move so I will see if I can make it back there, or go somewhere that has cooler shit.

Ma B was getting tired because it was almost four... just kidding she hadn't slept well the night before and neither had Benger Sr. so we headed back to the room to chill and unwind. I hit the gym which was amazing. It was all glass windows and was above the pool and looked out to the streets so the view was fantastic. It had a greaet stereo system, which was nice cause I forgot the ipod but of course only played the corniest American music possible.After zoning out there for almost two hours, I desperately needed the break from the ol rents, we indulged in some vino and cheese before dinner and caught up on some Sportscenter. We then headed down to the restaurant next to the lobby called the "Emporium." Flashes of Mac desktops computers and neon lights immediately flooded my brain as I almost rain away in panic before I remembered "Oh yeah, I graduated and never have to be there again!" So I stayed to grab some dinner. Of course my parents would bring me to a place that servers burgers and had an Italian buffet special, come on... I had the duck, which was pretty good and washed it down with a Sapparo (an authentic Japanese beer that tasted like a stale Coors).

Done with dinner we headed back up to the room and it is now eight o'clock. I am typing with both of my tavelmates passed out in their bed. They promised tomorrow to be more eventful as we will travel to a number of different locations. So with the night just beginning, I guess I am reduced to my sofabed, a movie and thoughts of home, not the States, but you guys...

Love from the far east,
GB-son