I decided it was time to look into a cell phone and internet service so I headed to an electronics store that deals with all the companies and is located at a mall called Viva City. It's about 3 miles away, across from the other train station (I live between 2 stations - Hikone and South Hikone - but S. Hikone doesn't have express trains, I haven't figured out the bike parking and it's not as nice of a ride). On the way I stopped at a 'foreign food store' which didn't really have many foreign foods but did have some interesting things, and a small supermarket that seems to have better prices than the ones near me - but is a little far for everyday needs. Their meat looked especially good. I stopped in my 2nd bookstore looking for a Lake Biwa birding chart or book which doesn't seem to exist given the weird looks I've been getting when I ask. There are supposed to be 50,000 birds that live on or migrate to/from the lake so you'd think there'd be something....maybe I'm just not looking in the right kind of store. Then I went on to Edion for a mind melting couple of hours talking about cell phone plans and internet service. I can hardly understand all of that in English - actually I can't understand it in English - so this was even worse. In the end it turned out there was only 1 internet company that I can use at my apartment so I didn't have to make that decision but after filling out a lot of paperwork in preparation and then speaking with someone on the phone it turned out that I can't get internet until I get a phone number and I haven't decided if I should splurge on a smart phone or not. So with my mind mush, I decided I needed lunch and went into the mall to be faced with more decisions. Breads, pastries, Japanese sweets, ice cream, pasta, rice dishes, hamburgers, tempura, noodles, etc. After going around a couple of times I decided on tempura that came with a side of cold udon (fat white noodles) and soba (buckwheat noodles) with a dipping sauce. I just realized I didn't take pictures... not that you would get to see them any time soon! It was ok, but I guess tempura isn't really one of my favorite fried foods, somehow it tastes greasier than other Japanese fried food though it probably isn't.
I walked around, picked up some cleaning supplies at the Y100 store and decided I was really wasting a nice day by being inside. But by the time I left it had turned overcast and windy (but still warm). In a bad mood, both technology and decision making always put me in a bad mood, I got home, brought my futon and blanket inside, cooked some shiitake mushrooms for the week and had a snack since for some reason I was hungry... I also put some little, soft sticker type things I picked up at the Y100 store onto my door. So now a little black cat sitting under a cherry tree will greet me when I come home. Better mood.
I'm really tired but it's only 7 so I think I might go and soak in the tub. Hope you're all well!
Might need to be a situation where you let the sales person recommend something.
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