Day 9 June 3rd

We made an attempt at a more traditional Japanese breakfast this morning. Craig used our rice cooker and we had rice with seaweed. Tomorrow he's going to try making miso soup.

I'm going through media withdrawal. Because I've got a Japanese IP address Pandora, Hulu etc won't let me play anything. I'm trying to find Japanese alternatives but so far they've sucked. Right now I'm listening to a Japanese version of Pandora and set up an STP channel so I could get my 90's alt/grunge rock. I'm guessing it has something to do with licensing but all I've heard has been the one hit wonders of the 90's but not even the songs that became hits. Even the STP songs they've played haven't been ones I've heard before. We're considering getting US IPs and if this is any indication of what we'll find here we probably will. I suppose I should get to know and like Japanese music but, based on what we've heard out and about, I don't even think Japanese people like it. Even though we've only been here a week I find it very relaxing to listen to English language music because I actually understand it, as well as one can understand lyrics. I also tried setting up a Lady Sovereign and M.I.A. station but they'd never heard of either of them.

I don't know about other people but I need to have everything unpacked and put in its place before I can start actually being productive. I finally finished unpacking my film stuff so I can start making changes and checking our possible festivals. Yay!

We went to a “tonkatsu” restaurant for dinner. It is definitely the most comforting food we've had so for. Tonkatsu is breaded and fried pork chop or chicken. Craig's was topped with fried egg and a tartar sauce type of thing, mine had a more BBQ flavor. Both were served with miso, cabbage, something pickled and rice. While walking there we passed a group of older women all wearing conservative black dresses and pearls. Craig remarked that “people seem to have a proclivity for walking around in identically dressed groups.” There are swarms of school children around here and they're all in uniform. I never really got Sailor Moon but apparently girls do dress that way because I've totally seen middle school-aged girls in navy blue sailor dresses.