Random observations...

[tikistitch]

The famous Nara deer are kinda like overgrown squirrels. We stupidly bought a pack of deer cookies, and ended up in a scene out of Lord of the Flies. They even finished off the wrapper.

People here don't look twice when you pay small bills with a crisp 10000 Yen note, but they tend to freak out at credit cards. They rejected our Mastercard at one place evidently because the signature had gotten a little blurry.

We saw kogals!!! We thought the look was "over," but there are packs of the sloppy-socked kiddies everywhere here in Kyoto. Miniskirts are pretty common everywhere it seems. Do schools regulate skirt length, or do the girls still roll up their skirts after school?

#$%&"#$%& UFO catcher machines!!!!!

We ate at the most awesome restaurant last night. It was like a "fried stuff" place. You order just about anything, and they'd fry little bitlets and put them on skewers. Oh, teh yum!!!

Off to some mountain monastery thingamubob in a minute. We've packed our winter woolies.

Comments

[tsubasahome.livejournal.com]

I had a lot of problems with credit cards in Japan. For some reason, the card readers at most of the stores I went to couldn't read my card. They kept popping up error messages. I think the only place it worked was Toy's R Us and Midori Gakki. A few of my friends had problems with their's, too. The shop employees are probably being freaking out because they're worried they won't be able to "communicate" with you that they can't read your card.

And once, when I had a cold, I bought a 100 yen package of pocket tissues with a 10,000 yen note, because it was all I had. ^^;;;

[biscuitbear.livejournal.com]

Once one of those deer even began to eat a corner of the map I had taken out to find my way!

The first time I went to Nara, I had barely been for a month in Japan, I went with an Inidan friend, and we bought some cookies in the park. They didn't taste very good and she gave up after one bite but I lectured her on how you have to try the local foods and make efforts, and ate several. Then after wandering some more, we fnally found a display of those cookies with a label in English : "deer food". She told everyone after we came back to the campus, and they made fun of me for months!

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's an awesome story!!!

[avalonjones.livejournal.com]

Did you feel the earthquake at all?

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

Slept right through it．I'm a california girl, remember.

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

Do schools regulate skirt length, or do the girls still roll up their skirts after school?

Yes, and yes. Of course, dress code enforcement probably varies by school, just like here.

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

A lot of schools ASSIGN uniforms that are short!

The deer made disturbing ticking noises while we were there. We feared they might explode.

Are you going to Koyasan? Visit the cemetery at night if you can! It's supposed to be gorgeous. And the train thingie up to Koyasan is awesome. but if you're going somewhere else, enjoy that too. ;)

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

We might do a pass on that one, as time is short

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

That's OK--I only mentioned it because I thought maybe that was where the monastery you were visiting was. Save it for next time. :)

We need to put together some kind of geeky tour of Japan, with lots of visiting Yellow Submarine and doll shops and so on ...

[tikistitch.livejournal.com]

I'm still blown away by all the dollie goodness in that one single shopping plaza in Akihabara, where Volks is located.

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

I really want to see that. :)