Some very random musings

It's another lazy day for me...there have been too many but nevertheless here we go. I ventured into a coffee shop yesterday to sit and well, drink coffee, write, read and enjoy their air conditioning. While there I pondered about the following subjects:

1. Why am I the only girl in this place? Ooh, did I enter a snack bar unknowingly?
2. Nifty Asian made cell phones! Very advanced...and prettily coloured.
3. How almost all things are packaged individually. Ie, cookies are often individually wrapped and then put into a larger package with other individually wrapped cookies.
4. Print Club/Photo Booths and their popularity
5. How this heat is just refusing to leave. Oi.
6. If I go to Kyoto will I be able to see a geisha? Or even more than one geisha?

Going back to #1, snack bars are places where men go to unwind and relax after work. Notice I said 'men' not 'people'. While the name 'snack bar' is innocuous enough the things that go on inside them aren't. Usually when viewed from the outside, you can see a rather nice building with the windows all heavily curtained off. In snack bars there are hostesses. These are women who go around, serve drinks and tidbits, and chat up the menfolk. Before I left Canada, I had to sign a waiver stating that I would not engage in this kind of work (in addition to prostitution and other unsavoury jobs). While hostesses aren't expected to do anything more than chat and harmlessly flirt with the men, there are some who go further, if you know what I mean. *wink wink, nudge nudge* Perhaps not the most desirable of professions.

At #4 I've listed Print Club. What is this you ask? Well, it is a booth designed for taking photo sticker pictures. We don't see too many of these back home, I don't think they're all that popular. What happens is you first choose the machine of your choice and then, the camera flashes away while you assume rather ridiculous (but sexy) poses. Note that this is usually done with at least one other person. Then, you choose how many of the photos you want printed. The real fun with the Japanese version comes from being able to adorn your photos with the most zany, loud and preposterous looking borders, stars, hearts and whathaveyou. Then, voila! You have print club stickers, ready to dole out to your friends. I commonly put mine on my bank card to dress it up some.

Alright, I'm only going to go over those two since the others look self-explanatory. Hope the weekend went well! Cheers,