continued...

I just got the blog equivalent of being cut off by the answering machine.

Errr... so you press your hands in prayer position and bow down. We also went to get our fortunes. You get a stick from a silver cylinder (shake it till a numbered stick falls from a tiny hole in the top of the cylinder) and then read the fortune from a drawer with the same number that the stick had. Mine was bad, bad luck, which had me very worried about getting my luggage back! (I did get it that night, though, ha) So those with bad fortunes fold them up and tie the paper onto a rack nearby.

The temple was extraordinary. The ceiling was painted with different Japanese pictures, and the altar itself was stunning. Lots of gold, and people knelt in front to meditate. There was a sort of wishing well where people threw coins and bowed down to bring good fortune to themselves. Nearby were lots of statues of Buddha and Buddhist characters. It was a busy area, but also very peaceful the closer you were to the temple.

After, we got to meet up with some other St. Johnsbury friends from my class and a couple years ahead of me. Fun to catch up on where everyone is, etc. Tamae and I had dinner together and then sadly we had to depart. I loved getting to hang out with her.

Yesterday I was VERY tired, so the morning was pretty low-key, but then I went to the bank to get some money exchanged and headed out for lunch. I went to a place Tamae recommended, called Mos Burger, which is a chain restaurant here (I think they actually have some California locations, too). She recommended I try the rice burger, so I did. The rice part actually describes the buns, which are two rice "patties" (reminded me of a purely rice veggie burger). Between the rice buns I got the shrimp/ fish option. Yummers! Iced oolong tea washed it down perfectly :]

Then I was off to the aforementioned meeting where I got horribly lost. It made me so anxious and nervous. Obviously I didn't want to be late for the meeting, but that feeling of hopelessness/ being 100% lost is not a good one! But again, thanks to the goodness of others, I was on my way. The meeting was in Harajuku, another part of Tokyo. Anyone recognize the name? Think Gwen Stefani... she used it as inspiration for her music and her clothing line, and I can certainly understand why. A very fresh scene, younger crowd, music and clothing everywhere. It's so funny to me the American music that gets absorbed here (Olivia Newton John, anyone??? haha). I checked out some clothing stores Cam had recommended I see, which were very cool. So abstract and fun to look at and explore.

By the time I got back to my hotel I was so hungry, so I went to grab some dinner nearby. The meat-filled egg, along with a small salad topped with a poached egg, croutons, chicken, lots of greens, and a Caeser-ish dressing, and a draft beer filled me up perfectly! Well, I did opt for some dessert, too... of course (Dyl knows all too well that I cannot have a dinner without some form of dessert). I went for the waffle with bean filling, and it came with a small scoop of ice cream. It amazes me how much people eat here, but how incredibly slim they are. Food quality!!! It is all real, fresh food without fake ingredients. I am actually eating less than most people at restaurants (even with dessert! ;-] ), but they eat well and stay very healthy. Good to see other cultures' approach to food and eating habits. Very interesting to me.

Back at my hotel, I went to the sauna (which was beautiful, but I am a wimp in saunas and could only bear five minutes), and then the "bath house," which is basically a hot tub. You have to be nude to go in, so you must shower before hand-- cleanliness is HUGE here! Before every meal you are given a wet wipe or a warm, moist towel to wipe your hands (even at a chain restaurant like Mos Burger). It was very relaxing, and helped get me set for that awesome night's sleep.

Today I have more meetings and hopefully I will do some exploring closer to my hotel, like the Shinjuku Central Park and the government building, which allows for good views of the city.

Hope you're all doing well! Sorry if I'm rambling a bit... so much on which I can report!

xoxoxoxoxoxo