Roppongi and That

Posted on 2006/04/23 08:30:45 (April 2006).

[Saturday 22nd April]
Chie had to go into work today, whereas I had a very lazy day off, just lolling around the flat. I did at least managed to get out for a bit in the afternoon to go and get my hair cut. Whilst at the hairdressers, I noticed that the guy sitting next to me didn't seem to be having a great deal done to his hair - he was just sitting there and the staff were completely ignoring him. On closer inspection I noticed he was in fact asleep, and the staff seemed to be too polite to wake him up. When he did finally wake up the staff got his things together and saw him out as though this was perfectly normal. It probably is. I couldn't help but wonder afterwards if he had in fact had his haircut at all.

As a small concession to poor old Chie, having to work on a Saturday, I went to meet her when finished. I had another mildly interesting "encounter" on the train on the way there. As the Oedo Line train was pulling into Shinjuku station, I noticed a whole row of empty seats on an otherwise reasonably busy train. "Great!", I thought, and proceeded to head towards that carriage. Once I had got on and sat down, I realised why they were empty. There was a guy sitting at one end, presumably homeless, who must have had, well, a bit of an accident. I couldn't see any, err, physical evidence, but the smell was, well, very noticeable. It was as if something had drowned in a vat of infected urine, and then been allowed to rot. I just sat it out, feeling too embarassed to walk off. However, at every station, passengers getting on must have had the same reaction of "Great - a whole row of empty seats" - and then almost all of them got up and moved within a few seconds of sitting down.

Anywho, I got to Roppongi around 6:30, and after a short wait met up with Chie. We decided while we were there it might be a good opportunity to go up to the top floor of the Mori Building, very near where Chie works in Roppongi. There's a viewing floor called "City View", imaginatively enough, and as Chie worked nearby we both got in free. The night time view was very nice actually (although there's a lot of this sort of thing in Japan, and the novelty has sort of worn off a bit now). I took some pictures there, but they didn't really do it justice - another reminder that our eyes are still significantly better than digital cameras! We also popped into the cafe / bar place on the same floor while we were there, which was quite nice, although, as you might expect, a bit pricey.

After admiring the night view, we came back down to ground level to have a bit of a wander round Roppongi, to see if we could find anything we fancied eating. We failed. Both of us (me particularly) seemed to have lost interest in eating out in Tokyo. More specifically, I realised I really don't like Roppongi that much - something about being around lots of other foreigners, and all the tackier and seedier things they unfortunately seem to attract, makes me, well, embarassed I suppose. So we started to head back home, thinking we might stop off at Shinjuku for something to eat on the way back - but gave up on that idea too. So in the end we just went home, and after a bit of digging about found the remnants of a Mexican meal in the freezer. Actually this was quite nice.

Still though, I think I have got to the point where I am really starting to miss English food again (despite having only been back there a few weeks ago). It is somewhat rediculous to say "I'd give anything for a trip to Sainsbury's", because actually I don't have to offer anything. I know quite specifically what is required to achieve this objective: simply a 500 pound plane fare. However, it is hard to say whether a lump of decent cheddar and some baked beans would taste better or worse knowing this somewhat hefty supplement had been applied to their price.

Happy St Geerge's Day. I shall think of you and your appetite while we tuck into a typically English Sunday lunch at a posh hotel overlooking Rutland Water.

Posted by Mum at 2006/04/23 09:31:09.

Now that sounds nice Mum - is that for Keith's birthday, or are you actually celebrating the patron saint of England?

Posted by John at 2006/04/23 09:45:01.

Actually reading that back again - St. Geerge - is he the patron saint of Denmark, in fact?

Posted by John at 2006/04/23 24:56:05.

I had a quick look on the ocado website and it doesn't say in the t&c that they don't deliver to Japan.

Posted by Kev at 2006/04/23 13:21:42.

Oh I'm sooo glad to hear someone mention St Georges Day!! I am not a lone nutter then?!?!?

Working in Wales I watch as they all whoop and generally celebrate St David. Ireland, of course has St Patrick. But... we English seem not so keen on his Georgeness.

I did hear it's because he never actually came to England, and was just a Crusader mascot, etc.

However, as most English wouldn't necessarily know this, why do we not celebrate our Englishness more!!??

Posted by Nigel at 2006/04/23 20:28:56.

Hi John,

Your experience rings an unfortunate bell with me!

Once, last year, my girlfriend Christina and I got on a train from Kilkis (where we live) to Thessaloniki (Greece's second city, 30 minutes' unpleasant train ride away) and on that day the train was virtually full, and Christina spotted a few empty seats alongside a huge, barrel-shaped middle-aged bald chap, and she pipes up to me: "Sit next to that gentleman and I will sit on the other side of the aisle".

So I squeeze by this chap, and he beams toothily up at me and winks!!! I have only settled into my seat for about 2 seconds when I realise that there is a humongous stench emanating from said bald chap, and I hurriedly manage to extricate myself from the seat again, to yet another horribly toothy grin and another wink!! Christina has, meanwhile, assessed my predicament and, in true supportive style, dissolved into girlish laughter.

I manage to move to a seat opposite, relinquished by another passenger only a few seconds before, on the other side of the aisle from Pongo, and I try not to breathe. Christina is, by now, sitting next to me, rolling in silent mirth, and then, horror of horrors! this chap leans across the aisle to me and rests his hand on my arm, and gives me yet another leering wink and the sort of smile that you would expect from a sexually overcharged Charon...

Writhing with embarrassment, I manage to prise the by now almost helpless-with-laughter Christina from her seat and we retreat down the carriage, with her now pouring out tears of laughter, only to be joined by another couple from the same set of seats. The woman of the couple was heavily pregnant and she was so overcome by this chap's "fumes" that she eventually had to throw up in the carriage's toilets.

By the time we arrived in Thessaloniki, the part of the carriage surrounding the chap in question was like a buffer-zone, fellow passengers having retreated in taciturn defeat to other parts of the train.

The irony of it all was that, despite his oh-so-obvious lack of sanitary participation in day-to-day social life, he was wearing a black arm band, a solemn sign of mourning for the dead in Greece, and yet he smelt worse than the corpse he was mourning (unless he had a portion of said corpse secreted on his person!).

Which would explain a lot...!

My dear Christina, of course, has never let me forget the time this chap made passes at me on the train...!!!

Oh, the joys of using public transport....!

Posted by Bryan Hollamby at 2006/04/23 23:24:38.

Cheers Bryan, as it happens I read your comment with my mobile on the train, and it brightend up another dull - but not foul smelling - journey!

Posted by John at 2006/04/24 01:19:26.

Answer to comment 2: Well, obviously Keith's birthday takes precedence in this household! And Tony's of course. Cars around here are sporting England flags, but they are the football ones, (i.e. with the word across the middle red bar) must be some match coming up.

Posted by Mum at 2006/04/24 20:21:51.

Glad to have perked your journey up, John! :-)

Posted by Bryan Hollamby at 2006/04/25 23:36:55.

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