Dilemma

I don't know how long I can keep up the Emma-based puns in the title, but I thought I could give it a go for as long as it's fresh for me. Now, since she's been here, I haven't really had a free moment to update, and right now I can't be certain of how long I have to type, but I'll make the most of free internet.

That's right, free internet, in the Mac Store, which I only entered so that I could get a better photo for Dan, seeing as I had to delete the last one due to it taking up about 50% of my memory. And for the first time I ventured upstairs, and they have a row of computers that are all online and free. Technically, they're for those who are waiting, but apparently they don't mind. Anyway, I'm posting.

I believe I left you last time as I was about to go skating. As it turns out, I wasn't as good as I thought I'd be, seeing as I was a minor expert before. But I was eleven then. So I found I wasn't going as fast as Emma or doing as well in general. But I did discover that many more people stare at you if you're rollerblading with another white person. Maybe it's because the 'blades made me about ten feet taller than everyone else, maybe it was just that there were two of us, maybe they don't have skates here, maybe it was the blood pouring out of my shoulder.

Entering the Convenience store, they shouted their usual welcomes and then stared in wonder, then I'm sure they hid smiles as we bought medical tape. It was fun though, and I only fell because I'd forgotten I'd taken my heel brake off in England. Trying to stop with something that isn't there, well, I think the natives learnt a new word.

After that, we went to another okonomiyaki restaurant, and I managed to mess up mine by flipping it off the hot plate. Emma also learnt the hard way that Stuart sometimes steals food. It wasn't exactly making her happy. But the trend only has continued.

Yesterday we made out way very early in the morning (8:30) to Nagoya to the Aichi EXPO. It was in the end an expensive advertisement for countries, with varying quality and consistency. Canada's was aesthetically beautiful, though less informative. Saudi Arabia basically focused on how they'd abandoned tradition and their history in favour of having huge oil-funded Western appearing cities. Yemen was like the real Yemen, it seemed, as in it was just salesmen putting bangles on you,telling you the extortionate price, and then knocking the price to something closer to what it is actually worth, but only if you liked it in the first place. We escaped by basically saying, "doitsujin desu", or "we're German". That meant I could apologise in Japanese and walk off. But during the exchange I occasionally shouted German sounding words at Emma, it was amusing.

The UK was disappointing, considering it was a small garden and some unrelated exhibits and some unEnglish sweets. The Czech Republic had a huge sound museum, which, had I not been rushed, would have been fun. The others that we visited were also entertaining, but I am dismayed at the huge amount of English. Though I was impressed with the capable trilingual Canadian helpers. I hope to be able to have that level of fluency in three languages one day.

Due to my hatred of suncream, my neck burnt, as I expected, but it's not too bad. Due to my hatred of anti-bug spray, I was almost bitten, but constant paranoia meant I was ok, I think. I caught one sitting on me, trying to bury through my shorts. I taught that critter a little something about natural selection.

EXPO is fun, but a little expensive, considering the price and quality of the food, but entertaining. I saw Hypervision something, the new phase of high resolution television. It has something like eight times the resolution, and they filmed the huge queue for a minute, and I could see every face, every freckle, on everyone. Then they showed shots of Japan, and the resolution honestly made it seem realistic. And this is on a huge, auditorium size screen. If they can make this into television, well, people won't want to go outside anymore. Is that good? I was impressed.

I then saw a frozen mammoth, and Emma won a free photo of all of us running from a mammoth, printed to look like a newspaper. I'll scan it when I return. It was a harsh, painful day though. I recommend it if you are devoted enough to queue for something that could severely disappoint, but may entertain.

Today we woke and rushed to dine with Yoko's mother, and I hurt my neck in wearing a strapped bag. I'm not sleeping there again, which is a shame because it's comfy and the internet is free, like here. But this place has better music.

Anyway, I'd give more details of today, but I think my time is up. I have bought more manga, and had a spree in a ¥100 shop. I'll go into more later. Tokyo tonight, and we meet Mizuki tomorrow. Hope everyone is well and everyone is happy, I'll be back to talking soon, and if I can, read other blogs.

Speak to you all later in time.