Just a typical night at the supermarket
Aug. 13th, 2011 01:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snapes_mistressPosting these on Facebook got such a reaction from my friends and family back home, it reminded me of how overwhelmed I was by the sheer oddness of Japan when I first got here. My first few months, I was always tired, from the constant overstimulation and barrage of weird stuff everywhere I went. Even a trip to the supermarket was like a trip to Wonderland.
Nearly four years later, it takes a LOT more to make me stop and think, "Wow, that's odd..." Fully grown man in a Pikachu costume dancing in the park? Meh. Sushi ordered via touchscreen, which arrives at your table on a plastic space shuttle? No big deal. Port-a-potty in a town stricken by a massive tsunami three weeks earlier, stocked with pink Hello Kitty toilet paper? Yeah, so?
Liam and I were at Don Quijote the other night, looking at camping gear and shopping for groceries. Don Quijote is a huge store which sells EVERYTHING. It's like Wal-Mart on acid. My local one sells everything from groceries, to adult costumes and "novelty items," to cell phones, to cars, and literally everything in between. When I first moved to Ota, our local Don Qui was quite small. Only one level, with only a small corner for selling non-perishable food, and was packed to the gills with stuff. I remember getting hopelessly lost in there one night, trying to find my way out of the labyrinth of boxes and random merchandise. I turned around and got smacked in the face with a hanging pillow shaped like boobs. Lost among the boob pillows...
About two years after I arrived, our local Don Qui expanded. HOOO BOY did they expand! They now have an entire supermarket, and cover two huge floors of the shopping center by Ota Station. Because it's just "spittin' distance" from my new pet kennel--oops, sorry, I mean apartment, I usually shop there for groceries, toiletries, make-up, household goods, office supplies, and pretty much anything else I might need. Liam and I took a few pics the other night. Seeing how my Facebook friends reacted reminded me how weird Japan truly is. We saw this stuff at the place we shop for groceries. (Also a few unrelated pics included.)
Just a typical night at the supermarket. Let me check my list... bread, milk, cereal, toilet paper, giant effing vibrator... yep, looks like we got everything! (And yes, it really worked... we tested it, LOL.)
Seriously, what the HELL do you do with a vibrator that big?????
This shark backpack ROCKED! Unfortunately, at about 120 bucks, it was way too expensive for my meager budget...
This mannequin was already dressed in the muscle-man suit. I added the Kitty mask and cowboy hat...
Earlier in the evening we'd stopped by the 7-11. This guy was looking at porn. Usually, there are 4 or 5 guys standing in a row, all reading porn or comics... gotta get a pic of that one day.
Earlier at work, I'd drawn this to illustrate a tongue-twister the kids were doing; Little Linda Lamb licks her lovely lips. I was pretty proud of myself... usually, I can't draw for shit. This was my third attempt at Linda Lamb, and the first time the kids didn't say the equivelent of "WTF?" ha ha.
Today before work, we went to Joyful Honda, a big home center/craft store. They always play the weirdest mix of English music in there, often REALLY inappropriate songs... good thing most people don't understand the lyrics. It is pretty odd to shop for cross-stitch supplies while LL Cool J raps about how he wants to tear that ass up.
Anyway, Liam got this SWEEEEEET Lego geisha from a gumball machine! I am SOOOO jealous!
And I bought this super sexy granny-visor for our trip this weekend, ha ha. Meh. It ain't sexy, but it only cost 100 yen, and will keep the sun out of my eyes while I'm shovelling sludge.
4th trip to Ishinomaki this weekend. Gonna be a hot, sweaty mess, but I hope we can get some good work done. Pretty excited about the purple pop-up tent and air mattress I got. :D If I can just keep the heatstroke at bay, I'll be alright. がんばります！！！
Nearly four years later, it takes a LOT more to make me stop and think, "Wow, that's odd..." Fully grown man in a Pikachu costume dancing in the park? Meh. Sushi ordered via touchscreen, which arrives at your table on a plastic space shuttle? No big deal. Port-a-potty in a town stricken by a massive tsunami three weeks earlier, stocked with pink Hello Kitty toilet paper? Yeah, so?
Liam and I were at Don Quijote the other night, looking at camping gear and shopping for groceries. Don Quijote is a huge store which sells EVERYTHING. It's like Wal-Mart on acid. My local one sells everything from groceries, to adult costumes and "novelty items," to cell phones, to cars, and literally everything in between. When I first moved to Ota, our local Don Qui was quite small. Only one level, with only a small corner for selling non-perishable food, and was packed to the gills with stuff. I remember getting hopelessly lost in there one night, trying to find my way out of the labyrinth of boxes and random merchandise. I turned around and got smacked in the face with a hanging pillow shaped like boobs. Lost among the boob pillows...
About two years after I arrived, our local Don Qui expanded. HOOO BOY did they expand! They now have an entire supermarket, and cover two huge floors of the shopping center by Ota Station. Because it's just "spittin' distance" from my new pet kennel--oops, sorry, I mean apartment, I usually shop there for groceries, toiletries, make-up, household goods, office supplies, and pretty much anything else I might need. Liam and I took a few pics the other night. Seeing how my Facebook friends reacted reminded me how weird Japan truly is. We saw this stuff at the place we shop for groceries. (Also a few unrelated pics included.)
Just a typical night at the supermarket. Let me check my list... bread, milk, cereal, toilet paper, giant effing vibrator... yep, looks like we got everything! (And yes, it really worked... we tested it, LOL.)
Seriously, what the HELL do you do with a vibrator that big?????
This shark backpack ROCKED! Unfortunately, at about 120 bucks, it was way too expensive for my meager budget...
This mannequin was already dressed in the muscle-man suit. I added the Kitty mask and cowboy hat...
Earlier in the evening we'd stopped by the 7-11. This guy was looking at porn. Usually, there are 4 or 5 guys standing in a row, all reading porn or comics... gotta get a pic of that one day.
Earlier at work, I'd drawn this to illustrate a tongue-twister the kids were doing; Little Linda Lamb licks her lovely lips. I was pretty proud of myself... usually, I can't draw for shit. This was my third attempt at Linda Lamb, and the first time the kids didn't say the equivelent of "WTF?" ha ha.
Today before work, we went to Joyful Honda, a big home center/craft store. They always play the weirdest mix of English music in there, often REALLY inappropriate songs... good thing most people don't understand the lyrics. It is pretty odd to shop for cross-stitch supplies while LL Cool J raps about how he wants to tear that ass up.
Anyway, Liam got this SWEEEEEET Lego geisha from a gumball machine! I am SOOOO jealous!
And I bought this super sexy granny-visor for our trip this weekend, ha ha. Meh. It ain't sexy, but it only cost 100 yen, and will keep the sun out of my eyes while I'm shovelling sludge.
4th trip to Ishinomaki this weekend. Gonna be a hot, sweaty mess, but I hope we can get some good work done. Pretty excited about the purple pop-up tent and air mattress I got. :D If I can just keep the heatstroke at bay, I'll be alright. がんばります！！！
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no subject
Date: 2011-08-12 06:37 pm (UTC)I wonder if they have a don quijote in Okinawa where i'm going in September, i'm sure there'll be something similar!
no subject
Date: 2011-08-13 07:15 am (UTC)