Kon nishi wa!

Hey everybody! I am leaving Japan today... I wish I could say that I didn:t want to go but I sure am ready. I found Japan while unique rather unineteresting. The people are nice but very shy and quiet. There is never anything going on in the streets and it seems most entertainment you have to pay for. Japan is a very, very expensive country, much more expensive then the states. I spent 3 days walking around by myself and it was just really boring. There are few people to observe and for once people didn`t take much notice of me. Not once did anyone stare or the men take second glances... It was nice not to be bothered but at the same time it seemed that I was just as uninteresting to them as they were to me.

I wasn`t able to go to Hiroshima b/c I double booked myself the day and wasn`t able to sell my ticket (I would have had to pay antoher $100 to go on a different day b/c SAS wouldn`t let me use my old ticket) I did get to experience some Noh theater. All the characters were played by men. The women characters were played bt big sumo wrestler type men with big burley, baratone voices. The movements were very slow and symbolic. We were given a headset and were able to watch the performance while someone translated the play. Thank god, because I never would have understood half the stuff.

Much like the states there are mini marts everywhere, but these ones sell sushi. I have eaten 7-11 sushi many times now and its incredible!

I went to a baseball game yesterday. It reminded me of a high school football game. The crowd brings musical instruments, clappers, banners and flags. It was cool but it was really cold so we left after a few innings.

And that is about my entire time in Japan. Its a very nice place but I think I would only come back on business- never to vacation. Today I am planning to take Jesse to the 100￥(yen) store... which is equivalent to a dollar store in the us. I went a couple of days ago and spent $30 but I want to pick up some more chopsticks. Then we need to go to a cigar shop (buy some cubans), the grocery store (two weeks of ship food ahead... yuck!) and finish our stay in Kobe at a steakhouse, partaking in a wonderful Kobe beef stake!