Declaration

It's official. I'm in love with Japan. It's a clean and quiet Country full of humble people who welcome you with a warmth and dignity that is unprecedented.

A single emergency siren sears through the stillness of even a city night like a knife. Well-dressed folk swarm like bees in Shibuya, yet nobody runs into anybody. The people take immense pride in how they dress and it's clear that every part of the body is cared for.

The diet, though difficult for a Westerner to adjust to, is based on 100 different kinds of food/week. 30 different kinds of food/day. And GALLONS of green tea. The people have amazing skin and are overall extremely healthy. The life expectancy is 5 years longer here than in America and I'm finding out why. The Japanese know how to live healthily. It's part of their culture. Self-care, food-intake, meditation, volunteerism, and any and all mental and technological advancement for the betterment of society is what seems to be the way. Respect for the elderly, and an apologetic nature have made an incredible impression on me thus far, and I'm sure I'll uncover more and more as I become familiar with the language. (Which by the way, as I learn, sounds like French to me. Strange and unexpected, but true.) That seems to be part of the theme since we've been here. "Strange and unexpected, but true."

I'm off to find more sushi. Tomorrow we will take a train from Shinjuku to Kamakura for a biking excursion. Hooray for days off. Four, to be exact. Adventure awaits! Opportunities abound!