The Dog

I so need a bike. It's not even funny.

Last year, the main part of which I spent in the fabulous city of Nagoya, I lived with two guys. And a lot of very loud Austrians, but that's neither here nor there. Anyway, one of the two guys was Norwegian, no less, and went to a 100-yen shop (the slightly more luxurious version of the 99-yen shop. And no, I'm not joking) and came back with a rather ugly, and therefore insanely lovable mini-statue of a dog, promptly named Za Doggu, in proud Japanese fashion. I here offer a small tribute to Za Doggu:

And no, I have not used it to clean any kind of dog. Yet.

There are things you only do once in life. They come in two categories. One is things you'd really, really love to do again (oh, I don't know, experiencing the joy of getting up at 06:30 on your birthday to take the theoretical part of the drivers' licence test), but can't, the other is made up of things you've done you just don't want to do again (such as getting up at... yeah). Today, I did something that I with the aid of a future bike won't have to do again.

I walked from Shibuya to Harajuku to Yoyogi to Shinjuku to Yotsuya. Where I live, so there wasn't much need for further walking. I could have taken the train. There is money on my Suica commuter's card, and I have the knowledge to utilize it properly. But no. So if anybody needs directions to the Subway (the sandwhich place. Or, for that matter, the train station) closest to the Yoyogi police station that I passed on the way, you've come to the right place. The serve a mean roast beef sandwhich, if memory serves.

I took a brake though. In Yoyogi park. Which seemed like a good idea at the time. I had brought with me one very fabulous book and, it would turn out, an equally fabulous magazine. So I sit down, hoping for some peace and quiet (well, except all the people around, and the two bands trying to out-volume each other). And promptly get shit on by a bird. I'm pretty sure that's never happened before.

Right after The Incident, three guys come up to me and start talking to me because I look like a foreigner. Probably because I actually am one. But who knows? Either way, we talk for a while, and then I break out the Japanese, to much applause, and now it looks like we're going to be playing some Footsal (or is that Futsal? I should ask the guy who bought Za Doggu, he'd know) together in the future. That pretty much cancels out my anger at the world for being, well, shit on. The picture has nothing to do with that. It just has lots of people in it. It's taken at a place many of you already know and all of you must know one day.


Walking around this great city of ours/theirs, I also managed to find something that just makes me happy, somehow. Not so much the product itself, but the fact that there are people in the world who work at companies which let them produce stuff like this. And the Dog Cleaner. If you study the picture, you'll realise how I'll spend my Friday nights from now on.

I believe that, as they say, is that. I could regale you about tales regarding mine and Tomo's adventures in the Junior Suites at Tokyo Dome watching the Dragons slay the Giants this week, or possibly show which part of western Tokyo looks most like the Mediterranean (hint: it's not the Turkish embassy, despite it being located here), but I have to save something for later.

As I wrote this, I have consumed far too much of very good Swedish chocolate. Oh, and Mitsuya Cider, once quoted as being "God's gift to thirsty people". By me, quite obviously.

UPDATE! I was just informed of the nature of things by Toyomi, calling from Nagoya (where else?). She has been given a machine that will amaze some of you. Or me, and I hope one more person, at least. Let's Beer Great is all I have to say for now. Make of that what you will.

UPDATE the UPDATE! I was just informed of the nature of some other things by Tomo, calling from room 719, and it looks like... a lot of things. Never mind, I just wanted to update the update, really.

UPDATE the UPDATE the UPDATE! Yeah, he called again. Lost the charger to his phone, it would seem.

UPDATE the UPDATE the UPDATE the UPDATE! Now we're talking! And he found the charger. Hidden away in his bag, apparently.

I'm going to sleep very, very soon.