Random Thoughts about Japan, WIPS

I'm nearly done with with front and back of Two Hearts, knitting in the round. Marlene (Cookie A sock from Knit 1) has taken a back seat to my Beaverslide cabling love for now. The sewing machines have returned home, all oiled up and humming. I've cut out some new bags, and finished one springy/pinky one. I have some Amy Butler martini dots fabric in the mail.

Two more Woodland Spirits were complete. The light grey one has gone off to the Pacific Northwest. The other guy is hanging out with Hello Kitty.





Randoms thoughts about my trip to Japan.

1. Men in Tokyo carry bags. If not a briefcase, then a small zippered purse. Some even have cell phone charms and little plushies.

2. Tokyo has really great manhole covers and as I guessed there is a whole Flickr group dedicated to them, many much more ornate then the ones I saw.



3. I like the greeting one gets when walking into a shop or restaurant and also the thank you and Japanese version of y’all come back when leaving.

4. Many of the delivery and maintenance trucks appear more compact then the ones in the US. They seem perfect for the narrow streets. I'm not sure our substantial US humans can fit in them. And, yup there is a flickr group for Japanese trucks, too.

5. Toilet paper and paper towels are not always provided in restrooms in temples or subway stations. The Toto toilet is a wonderful contraption that warms your seat and says hello by running water and heating it up when you sit down. If you are really lucky, the toilet seat cover goes up when you open the door and goes down when you leave. Birds may also sing. There are push buttons to freshen your bottom and flush.

6. After seeing The National Treasure ASHURA and Masterpieces from Kohfukuji at the Tokyo National Museum, I learned a little about how Buddhism came to Japan. I also learned the origins of some characters of anime and folklore. My son tells me he learned this in his high school art class.



It's amazing what I can learn from my children. Shhhh...don't tell them.

7. You can buy an amazing variety of things from vending machines in Tokyo, including beer. I wish the American vending machines had more unsweetened choices.



8. I wish I bought more of those tomato chips…yum, but unfortunately, fried, so maybe it’s better I didn’t.

9. This is an ashtray.



10. If you want temples and shrines, Japan has many many!! I learned the Daibutsu at Kamakura, the second largest in Japan, is hollow and has windows on the back.



Daibutsu is very photogenic when the natural light is perfect.



11. I love camelia and they grow on trees in Tokyo!



12. Godzilla better keep away from Tokyo, it is still wired to the hilt!