Here comes the sun...

I didn't get a chance to sleep in this morning because there were workers scraping and hammering away just outside the window at 8 AM. I stayed in bed for about another hour and then rolled out to start my day. It was nice getting to talk to Mom and Dad this morning, then to Mariko shortly after that. I read more of the James Patterson book I started the other day, and then made some ramen for lunch. I didn't get into the shower until 2 PM and then saw that the sun was shining so I went out to explore a bit.

I walked around the neighborhood, enjoying seeing the sun for the first time since I got here! There has been this gray cloud cover each day I've been here (not that I mind because it does keep it much cooler!). Thankfully, there was a pretty strong breeze so it wasn't stifling or sticky hot. I wandered around, checking out the stores in the immediate area, seeing the restaurants that are around, and then spent most of my time at the 100 yen shop near the JR train station. This particular one had food items downstairs and items for other rooms upstairs. I spent about an hour picking out breakfast and dinner items and snacks. It was easy to calculate the cost in my basket because everything was 105 yen (about a dollar!) I now have groceries for the week and just need to stop at the fruit/veggie store nearby to stock up on that stuff. Since a lot of the food needed refrigeration, I walked back to the house and unloaded my stuff. I wasn't sure what to do next, and I heard what sounded like taiko drums playing and someone talking on a loudspeaker.

I went out to check it out. I thought it might be a festival or some kind of performance going on near the local train line station outside of the apartment. But, it was actually just a guy with a loudspeaker on his small van, I think talking about a politician or something. A woman was holding a big banner with a picture of a man on it. I never did find out where the taiko drums sound was coming from...instead I explored the small stores in another area. I saw the doctor's office that I went to last year (avoiding that place this year for sure!), and was disappointed that the bakery across the street from there was closed for the day. I'll have to go back there for sure! Dinner tonight was curry and rice- and how excited was I that there is curry in a bag that you just heat up and put over rice?! And for 105 yen! I didn't have any rice here, but there was a pouch of rice (again, just heat and serve) for 105 yen at the shop that was the perfect serving size for the curry! I guess it's the little things that keep me happy...my yummy $2 dinner! :)

I discovered that Facebook chat is a fun way to keep in touch with friends who happen to be online, so I kept that open and got to chat with Mariko, Karen, Bryan and Jed today. Last night, when my friend couldn't sleep at 3 AM, she found me online and we got to chat then, too! For a day of quite a bit of nothingness, I'm pretty tired! I did forget to take my allergy pill last night so I was pretty sneezy today. Maybe that is some of the tiredness. Off to bed I go...good night!