Entries this day: Contacts Maid_cafe Shinagawa oedo_onsen oh_noes

Contacts

12:28pm JST Thursday 8 January 2009 (day 14169)

"Do you have contacts?"

"Yes."

"Today would be a good day to wear them."

But when Fred got his contacts out, the contact solution looked discolored (yellow) so he went to his backup pair. Pulled them out of their sealed blister packs and one of them was dryer than a block of ice. Soaked it and its partner in solution; hopefully they'll be hydrated by the time we go to the onsen tonight.

Maid cafe

3:56pm JST Thursday 8 January 2009 (day 14169)

Fred and I went to a Maid Cafe today. Used gmap.jp to find a cafe near Akihabara Station. The closest one I found was on the fifth floor on the ドンキホーテ building. Once we arrived, the girls we saw inside were, of course, wearing maid costumes. We sat down to wait for a seat, and were given an English information guide that said basically, "Welcome home, but don't take pictures; we'll take a picture for you if you want, or you can play a game with your Maid! Oh, and no touching the Maids, or we might kick you out."

I got a sorta spooked feeling about "playing a game" with our waitress. What kind of game? Monopoly? Charades?

We were seated by a girl with crazed hair sprouting from under her maid uniform hat. She was like, "わわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわわ" as she flopped out some menus for us, and then we were left to pore over the menu which featured over-priced spaghetti and over-priced desserts.

Fred noted with assurance, "these prices are way too high."

Then we heard a bit of some clacking behind us and I turned around to see a customer "playing a game with his Maid" I was like, "Fred Fred look."

Fred looked. I looked. He watched; I watched. Game consisted of a simplified version of Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah."

And we left.

- - - -

I tried later to explain why I couldn't stay. Something about not seeing the point of playing a game designed for 5 year olds as if it were a real game, in exchange for モエモエ coins, which have no value. wtf???

It's not like the girls dressed as maids really give a hoot about their customers, do they? Do the customers think they do? Man; I just couldn't figure it out.

Shinagawa

4:25pm JST Thursday 8 January 2009 (day 14169)

In 品川 station now, at the Starbucks, where we just got a window seat overlooking the concourse between the East and West exits. Spent a few minutes looking at the super-cool water fountain with strobe lights making the drops of water appear to fall slowly, levitate, and elevate. Pretty neat how they do it. We're supposed to meet Ami here in just over an hour, so we'll probably chill here until then.

5:41pm JST

Aight. I've sketched out a flow chart for reading and saving the level that people achieved in my game.

Headed out to meet Ami now.

oedo onsen

9:38pm JST Thursday 8 January 2009 (day 14169)

Good times at Oedo Onsen. Ami and I kept the plan from Fred so it could be a surprise for him. He figured it out once we were in the locker rooms. During our first venture into the bath area, he and I shaved. They offered free razors so I gave myself a goatee cause I've never done it before. We chilled (warmed) in a few of the baths, and got progressively hotter until I nearly passed out. Was outside on a bench at the time, so I just lay down in the cool night air until I felt clear.

Then we went to the central area and chowed some chow, and Fred got a ラムネ after I got one, but his had mildew inside the cap. Ewww! I tried to take it back to the guy, but his answer was, 開けない！ hahaha I guess this ain't Amerika.

Near the end of our meal, Ami noticed that I had shaved.

Back into the bath area, and this time I visited the 82 degree C sauna area for 4 minutes. Hot.

Ice cream after that and then our time was up; we had to catch the 9:30pm bus back to 品川.

oh noes

10:16pm JST Thursday 8 January 2009 (day 14169)

Just found out that Ami doesn't like John Travolta. Tsk tsk. Definitely gotta get rid of her.