London v Tokyo

I went to Ginza today. I know that its not really the place to go shopping unless you are a toff, but I fancied a change, Im bored of Kawagoe and Ikebukuro. Its a shame that Tokyo hasnt really got a 'down-to-earth' shopping street like Oxford Street in London. Ikebukuro is too confusing with too many exits, and Kawagoe - the shopping street - is a bit dull really. I guess Shinjuku is nice for shopping, but again, the good shops arent all located in one place, they are dotted around, and unless you know your way around, Shinjuku can be daunting. (Thankfully, Ive become accustomed to Shinjuku. I like Shinjuku, but, a bit far huh?) Ok, Oxford Street isnt all that, the prices can be seen cheaper elsewhere and its always packed. But, its a nice place to go window shopping.

Im in the market for a MP3 player. My MP3 only holds 99 songs, and its starting to get to me. As well as that, I think it has a bug, as it wont let me put some songs onto it. (namely Justin Timberlake & Evanescence...) >_< Like the look of the iRiver H10, but the price for the GIGABEAT by Toshiba is well worth it (only 5000yen more for 14GB more room -- WOW)... So, do I go for looks or for price? Hard decision, Ive a Design mind, I usually go for looks... But, ??

Foriengers. When I say foreigners I mean people like me. People from other countries who live in Tokyo. THEY ARE SO UNFRIENDLY. Foreigners are so unfriendly. Even I, for some reason, dont know how to react when I see another forienger, Im a type A foreigner.

TYPE A: You feel as though you should smile or say 'Hi' or something, even though you dont know them - they might not even speak English, and they couldve been living here for years. But, none the less, you should do something to recognise they are there.

TYPE B: You do everything you possibly can to avoid eye-contact. And, if heaven-forebid, you do accidently look at them, then ARGH! Its the look away quick and pretend to be interested in something else. After all, you're not foreign like them are you, you've probably been living here a while and consider yourself 'at-one' with Japanese culture. You may even go one step further to say you are a Japanese, but then again, no....

TYPE C: Usually located in the suburbs or rural areas, can be friendly. Saying 'Hi! where you from - you speak English?' but, this type of forienger is hard to come by. Theyve probably only been in Japan a short amount of time too - the longer you stay, they further you want to distance yourself from other foreigners - a type B.

Why cant there be more type C foreingers in Tokyo? The ones that dont really care how long youve been here, why you came or what you are doing here. Just the fact that you are the same - outsiders in the land where outsiders aren't ever fully excepted, however long your passport says you've been here.

Also, why cant London be more like Tokyo? Maybe Tokyoites are naive. Maybe Londoners are too criminal-minded. In Japan, you can meet up with a stranger from the internet who you plan to just practise Japanese with without feeling too alarmed. In London, wow - you are brave, that internet person is bound to be a mass-murderer, or a rapist, or a ..... If you forget your bag in the cafe in Tokyo, you can go back and be 75% sure its still gonne be there, contents still intact. If you forget your bag in London, even if you are lucky and the bag is still there or someone has handed it in, youll probably notice your wallet gone or if not, the money inside. You'd never think of leaving your umbrella outside the shop when its raining. -ITS RAINING! - someone who hasnt got an umbrella is bound to take it, its an open invitation. And those expensive shoes you saved up for ages to buy? theres no way you will leave them in the shoe 'case' at the swimming pool for all and sundry to take while you innocently swim.

Hmm. Tokyo. Gonna be strange converting myself to be extra self-alert when I return to London.

Dangerous time? Or over-thinking (as usual)?