Transit Japanese Style

To quote Darth Vader: "Impressive, most impressive."

The Japanese transit system is nothing short of
fantastic. We went trapsing about Tokyo with
a friend yesterday, the transit system is very
intimidating at first, trains above ground,
subways below, stations which cross each
other at different levels, and different lines
which cross each other and use the same stations
you have to pay very close attention to
signage (which is thankfully in both english
and Japanese - while I can read Japanese
OK, I only know about 350 of the 1900
Kanji - Chinese characters - which I should
know) Ticket dispensors also have English
available, but they can still be daunting
to use at first.

Today, we wandered a bit on our own,
heading to Akihabara (nurdvanna -
the tech phreak's paradise) you want
something electronic or electrical - if
you can't find it here, your not going
to find it anywhere. From foreign
electrical adapters (Thankfully -
the one thing I forgot was a three
prong to two prong adapter,
Japanese electrical is supported
by most gadgets these days, but
if it has the North American third
leg, the ground connector, you need
that adapter.) to digital cameras,
circuit breakers, transisters
and other paraphanalia of geekdom,
all of it right out where it can attract
geeks, just like shiny stuff attracts
rednecks and packrats.... ;-)

We then headed over to Jimbocho,
paradise on earth for used book freaks,
if you read Japanese. There were a few
books in English, none of which
were of any interest to Penny, I was
overwhelmed and started to melt
down mentally. (What else is new
I am often in that state of mind...)

Then we came home - or to our
temporary home anyway.

Next - who knows...