The following is an excerpt from (ok, fine–is the entirety of) the thoughts I put to paper during my all-too-brief time in Japan. While I sometimes wish I’d wrote more, the truth of the matter is I spent every moment in Tokyo, Matsumoto, and Kyoto as I should have: experiencing it first-hand.

Akihabara, Tokyo – Day 2 (8:30am)

Brain. Overload. Akihabara, combined with foreign-food infusion and a completely shot sleep schedule, has almost been too much for my cranium to contain. We hit a number of game centers yesterday, and Josh taught me the intricacies of UFO-catchers and Jubeats. I managed to rank a “C” on the latter and snag a Frieza from the former–not too shabby for a baka gaijin.

Japanese culture is impressive, to say the least. Store owners and staff are incredibly polite and tolerant of my pitiful attempts at local-speak. My phrase of the week: sumimasen (pardon me / I’m sorry). Today’s phonetic favorite: chicken katsu curry, rice wan ni hyaku guramu, ju kara de. I’m sure I hosed the spelling of that, but it’s basically curry chicken and rice, as hot as you’ve got. It gives me no end of delight when they ask if I really meant to say “ju.” Word I most recently learned: konbonwa, evening courtesy and brother of konichiwa.

The girls here, to put it mildly, are gorgeous. Fortunately I have zero change of communicating said sentiment, and thus need not worry about the inevitable parade of faux pas that would follow. _|””|O

Josh is impressively at his ease, here in the land of the rising sun (related note: the kanji for “Japan” are 日本, which taken individually mean “sun” and “horizon”–look at the Japanese flag and it makes perfect sense). By his own admission, Rock-san’s personality fits well with the scene: technology, fast-paced, respectful, and fun. He’s incredibly passionate about what he does; his love of language and his desire to see his students succeed is evident. As ever, he is a friend I’m proud to know.

Speaking of which, the dead awaken, and thus begins a new adventure in the Orient. Dewa mata, yūjin.

Invade the interwebs!