Welcome to the jungle!

9 million people live in Sweden compared to 127 million in Japan. So if Japan is densely populated Sweden is definitely the opposite. All this extra space makes people spread and they get spoiled. For a Swedish person a stroll in the woods is never far away, wherever you live. From my apartment at home it takes 15 minutes with car to the sea, 20 minutes to the closest forest (and 1 hour to Copenhagen for days when I prefer a big city environment).

There are plenty of parks in the Tokyo area, but the unspoiled nature is definitely absent. It would be a lie to say that I don’t miss it, but on the other hand, you don’t really go to Tokyo to experience the great Japanese outdoors.

To my big surprise my persistence delivered a whole jungle right behind my office this morning. Yes, it’s true. All this time of “green hunger” and I hadn’t even noticed the garden… isn’t it strange?

Sembei :) and natto :(

One of the first new things that will strike you as different when you’re visiting a new country is probably the food. It will either make you cry and long for your regular breakfast or it will increase your taste buds and prepare you for a gastronomical journey.

I really enjoy Japanese food. Me and my roommate cook together almost every night. We go grocery shopping and she’s a great support. It can be hard at times when you can’t read the labels. Sometimes I’m just guessing what’s in the container but usually, thanks to all the brilliant Japanese designers for making it simple by drawing an apple or tomato or whatever is on the cover, I can find what I’m really looking for.

My favorite snack so far is doubtless the spicy kind of sembei (rice crackers). When it comes to food I’m very fond of tempura (deep fried vegetables and shrimps etc), grilled or fried fish (there are so many different kinds) and sushi of course. There are a few exceptions though. Natto (fermented soy beans) is one of them and the “delicacy” raw horsemeat - I wouldn’t dare trying it. But if you ask me again in few weeks I might have changed my opinion.

Passing a tall girl

Walking from Meguro station to my work this morning I passed an unusually tall Japanese girl. Surprisingly she was a lot taller than me. I always feel tall compared to other women, especially on the train or in larger crowds. Not to mention all the clothes I can’t buy because they have too short sleeves or legs. But next to her I felt small… until I discovered her shoes. They where so high! Imagine an earthquake would strike this very minute, that girl would fall like a tree. But still I’m quite amazed she could actually walk in those shoes.

Train habits

I live pretty far from my work in Meguro. On a busy day it takes at least 1h and 15 minutes from door to door. These trips are perfect for observing people. I enjoy to guess their age and occupation, admire their clothes and hairdos, watch them sleep, read, put on their make-up or play with their cell phones.

Trains are good meeting spots as well. It doesn’t feel strange to start talking to the person next to you. You could mention the weather, a possible delay or ask where to get off. Sometimes this introduction brings a long conversation with exchanged business cards as a result.

But there are days when you’re just too tired to do else but sleep the whole way through.

Earthquakes and fish

I was in the shower getting ready for a dinner last Saturday when I suddenly tripped and almost fell out of the bathtub. I thought the hot water, the steam and the fact that I hadn’t eaten might have made me dizzy, but the second quake made me quite sure it wasn’t me but the whole building that was moving.

Later that night my friend explained what to do if it happened again and I calmed down so I could enjoy the dinner. We ate at a Japanese restaurant in Shibuya where the food was circulating on a moving belt, ready for you to pick a dish. It was a fun experience and the fish was very tasty!

Talking about fish, I live next door to a fish breeder. I see them every day, red little fish swimming in their blue plastic tubs, on my way to the train station. But I wonder what they did during the quake…

My first week

It’s the end of my first week here in Tokyo. My jet-lag is slowly disappearing and I enjoy getting to know my neighborhood, Tokyo and the Japanese culture in general.

I have been busy with a few things lately:

¤ trying to make a phone call from a parking meter (well, I’m not so hi-tech and all information was in Japanese).
¤ learn how to move fast in a large group of people with an umbrella without hurting wether myself or someone else (it takes a lot of practice, but after three days of constant rain I’m pretty good at it).
¤ practicing my Japanese at the local Post office in Shin-koiwa (the result: 10 stamps for Sweden!).

The rain has finally stopped and I enjoy walking in the sun. Hopefully it will help me get rid of my cold.