Well, I made it...(sigh). I am sitting at a Starbuck, drinking my signature Carmel Frappacino, listening to my walkman, overlooking one of the busiest intersevtions in Tokyo (I will try to email a picture to Jenn so maybe she can post it). [Posted on 5/7. -Jenn] I cannot accurately explain my emotional state... I think it might best be described as having a dream, being conscious of the fact that you are dreaming, and playing along with the non-reality anyway... the prevailing thought running through my head is "Did I really decide to do this?"

As I sit and stair out at the mass of Japanese, still in my dream state, my mind wonders to the New Years Eve I spent here at this very intersection, just 16 months ago... I still remember thinking that night if I ever could have planned such circumstances... ever since I could remember, I was wondering where I would be for New Years Eve 2000, and it turned out to be Shibuya, Japan. Now that it is past, a slight depression is setting in... suddenly I feel very alone (more so than the fact that I am alone I mean). The feeling is stemming from not looking into the future, but concentrating solely on the present. It is not a bad "alone" though... more like the calm before the storm

I keep laughing at myself as I walk around, and even as I sit here... I wanted a challenge! I wanted a challenge, but I am daunted by the thoughts of everything I have to do to exist here... what did I think this was going to be... but will it really be that hard... I doubt it... it is just living after all.

Wow, I am rambling today...sorry

Let me get to the portion of our entry I like to call "What Jason Learned in Japan Today" (I am sure this will be a recurring segment).

1)McDonalds has a smoking and a NON-smoking floor(don`t just sit in the first one you come to)

2)Doesn`t it sound dirty when McDonalds is selling something called "Donald`s Biscuts"

3)Carmel Syrup used in Carmel Frappacinos tastes different in Japan.

Some Starbucks as well as some McDonalds have a hostess helping you to find a seat... I had to wit about five minutes for this seat(I am not leaving any time soon)

In a completely unrelated story, the kid sitting next to me who has been holding two cell phones as if to be trabsferring his programmed information from his old phone to his new one, while reviewing an instruction book 1 inch thick, has finally made his first call on his new phone... he seems very happy!

No one in Japan is impressed with my PDA keyboard

Feeling pressure to leave Starbucks...still a line to sit, and I have been here for some time...

Time to get back to learning...