Arrived Tokyo safely

I landed a couple months behind Scott at the Narita, Tokyo airport on Feb. 24th.  20+ hours after departing Minneapolis St. Paul airport.  Thankfully, the weather is a bit warmer than Minnesota this time of year.  I went from below freezing temperatures to 35-55 degrees in Tokyo.  

We're living in Hundred Stay Apartments which is in the Shinjuku area that is a ward within Tokyo but about 30 miles West of the "downtown" city.  Shinjuku has the largest and most traveled train station in all of Tokyo with 2+ million riders a day.  Sometimes even up to 11 million people go through Shinjuku station in one day!  The shopping is extravagant, there is great people watching all around and a ton of wonderful restaurants right out our door.

So far Japan has been wonderful and the people are fabulous!  Few things I found interesting:

• They are tall!  Only a few are really short and they are normally the elderly.  I would say the woman range from 5' 2" - 5" 10" (plus they all wear high heals or lifted boots) and the men are 5' 6" - 6' 5".  I feel normal height at 5' 9".  
• Finding a shoe over size 25 (US 7) has been difficult.  Plus they run on the narrow side.  But my boot mission continues...
• Everyone is super nice and helpful.  They keep to themselves and avoid direct eye contact but still manage to be very observant and always willing to assist.
• Everyone smokes, but there is a smoking section inside and outside on the streets.
• They don't eat or drink on the streets.  It is cleaner than the states and recycling is a huge deal.  You must separate your plastic and paper everywhere.
• It is so quiet despite being surround by a population of 13+ million people.  No one talks on the train or on the streets, and that includes their cell phones.  Or if they do speak then they are at a whisper.  Even the trains, subways, cabs, cars and cell phones are silent like mice.
• No one wears sunglasses even though it is sunny outside.
• You must walk and stay to the left on the street (not the right like in the States or zig zag in New York).  They also drive on the left hand side.
• It is very orderly.  There are distinct lines for getting on the trains and people move for one another.  Very courteous group.
• You can buy anything and everything you ever wanted here.  We're only blocks from one of the biggest department stores, Odakyu.
• There are venting machines everywhere for soda, coffee, water, cigs, really anything you want.
• Their toilets are very elaborate with heated seats, water sprayers from every direction and music.  However, some have the original old school toilets which are literary just holes in the ground and you have to squat over (no thank you!)
• Not surprising but their meat is awful!  Tough and gamy.  However, their traditional Gyoza and Ramon is out of this world!
• Few speak English, but thankfully most signs in Tokyo have English or pictures so I can order food by pointing and smiling.
• They dress either very nicely or oddly depending on age.  The younger kids love the bright, flashing clothes and the adults enjoy their designer outfits from head to toe.
• Their magazines open opposite of ours and go left to right
• Setting up this blog site has been extremely challenging because not everything will translate from Japanese to English online for our internet.  So please bear with me!
• MOST IMPORTANTLY: Do NOT separate the bananas at the grocery store!  I got scolded in Japanese by both the cashier and stock boy for ripping 3 bananas off a group of 5.  I've learned to smile and nod a good deal lately :)

Our adventure has just begun so stay tuned for updates.  Love and miss you all!

Scott and I on the bridge above Shinjuku Station