On earthquakes and alienating my Asian compatriots...

So, the past few days have been very busy and touristy. On Tuesday and Thursday, we met with guides from the Tokyo Free Guide Organisation, which is this volunteer group which does tours of Tokyo for free - but I'm sure you worked that out. We saw lots of different parts of Tokyo - I won't bore you with the details - but it was nice having someone to guide our jet-lagged, fazed selves around. We went to Senso-ji in Asakusa, Ginza shopping area, Shibuya, the Meiji Shrine, etc etc. 

At the Kaminarimon gate

After these two days of speaking closely to them, I've noticed that the one thing the Japanese seem to love is nonchalantly mentioning earthquakes with a dispassionate, even majestic enthusiasm. For example, at the top of the Metropolitan Government building (50 storeys high), our guide: "this building was built about 20 years ago...it's funny, the Japanese are so crazy, we build tall buildings even though a big earthquake is due for Tokyo...this one would definitely fall down. Hahahaha." ...haha indeed! I was in the lift faster than a Shinkansen. 

My yukatta <3

Speaking of earthquakes, apparently there was one today. We were getting onto the subway, and the train stopped at the station for about 10 minutes and shook around a bit. From the way people were sitting around looking disinterested, I literally couldn't have noticed less. I didn't even know it was an earthquake until I got home and went on Facebook - I thought it was just a delay or something. Apparently it was a 4 on the richter scale, yet nobody made a big deal out of it like that shitty 2.2 in Blackpool a few months ago that everyone in Britain made main topic of conversation with their mum, nan and dog for weeks on end. Standard Japan!

I've also moved into my flat in Kyodo (about 20 minutes away from the centre of Tokyo). It's probably nicer than my accommodation in Leeds last year, and that's definitely saying something for somewhere as crowded and expensive as Toyko! I'm very lucky to live in such a nice place. I have two flatmates; one Polish, one Korean (the Korean one of which is now probably petrified of me after I shoved my G-Dragon poster in her face shouting "KANKOKU GA DAISUKIIIII!!!!"). Both are amazing at Japanese. Sucks to be me! I try to take comfort in the fact that they've both been learning it for two more years than me, but still. When the Polish one talks on the phone using her cute "atashi's" and prolonged "kudasaaaaaai's", it does make me want to wear my shoes all over her room a bit (or something else very Japanese and boringly inoffensive to Westerners!) out of pure jealousy! :)