Random thoughts Stray memories

Wednesday, March 27, 2002

Currently in Kyoto and it's a rainy morning. I'm only staying here for a night so I checked into a dormitory-style hostel. Bad mistake. There's 4 of us in a room (2 guys and 2 gals) and NOW I'm really glad I brought my Discman along, cos in the middle of the night, one of the guys snored with a vengeance. omg. I laid in my bunkbed wondering if I should get up in pitch darkness and wander over to pick up my Discman from my haversack! from the closet! from across the room! so I don't have to listen to him snore. I waited 20 minutes and did it anyway. And even then he was so loud he could be heard over the music. It's sorta funny to have his snores keeping beat to the music (which is btw Hajime Chitose, Japanese Indie-pop... girl wails like a Jap banshee but so beautifully). Luckily I return to Tokyo and the wonderful single room tonight!

Kyoto. I've never removed and put on my shoes so many times in a day as I did here. The Standard Operation Procedure is hit a shrine, take off shoes, walk round, put them on again. I've seen my first Zen garden too (eh). And the folks here overestimated everyone's walking ability. They have walking tour maps estimated to take 50 minutes. Well, 5 hours later I'm still on the same route. I guess they didn't factor in that people do stop and look INTO the temples instead of passing them by. My feet hurt like nobody's business and I'm determined to walk again today, rain or not.

On this trip, I met lots of girls. Australian, Hong Kong, Taiwanese, Japanese... but no guys. Well yah, da mouse is right about the Jap guys. They're tall, lean and nonchalantly good-looking, hiaks. And yah, I'm returning this Saturday night.

On the fourth day I felt lonely for the first time in this trip. I went up the Tokyo Tower to the very top (even though I thought it's a tourist trap) and there I felt like talking to someone. But I am so glad I had the courage to come alone, to motivate myself to do something for ME. I didn't get lost on the subway, not even once. On this trip I often seem blessed to be in the right place at the right time. Yesterday I was the last one to enter a Kyoto temple before the gates were closed for the day. Thank you whoever is looking out for me. :)

UK travelmate: I'm meeting Tokiko tomorrow night after my day trip in Hakone. She's bringing me to eat some Jap steamboat or something.

Going off to venture in the rain to goodness knows what. Maybe visit a castle. Quite the thing to start the morning with, don't you think?

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