my loverly japan: Tokyo Day 2-My Apartment and the Scavanger Hunt

Shibuya

I waited to take some pics of my apartment until the morning because in the evening it's slightly depresso because there's only flourescent lighting, but in the morning it's sweet. Although most of the apartment is freezing the tatami mat area is warm because the heating unit is in here and the shower is super hot a big plus in my book. Neighbors are all quiet too, thank god, I thought the screaming baby was going to be a regular, not so.

I'm upstairs you can't see my door it's in the little nook

OMG! So they just stuck a toilet seat ontop of an old Japanese style toilet, thank god!

My block

My first full day in Tokyo started at 3am, yes that early I got a total of 4hrs sleep because of the jet lag. I had to wait until things started opening to get some breakfast and go to the supermarket. I was a little confused when I got outside with my map because although I saw one thing on google street view it was another view in real life, so I decided follow all the folks going to work, they must be headed in the general direction of the train station, turned out I was right. On my walk around the corner I ran into a shrine which is so amazing to have these traditional structures just around the corner. Then I got my bearings and found the supermarket, Life, but it was too early and it was closed and I had no idea what their ours were, it was 9am figure 10am things would open.

I set off to find my breakfast, if nothing was open my next choice would have been the 7 Eleven, they have tons of prepared foods. I found Cafe Doutor open, they're a chain link Starbucks but with tastier and weird food options, they are right by the train station and around the corner from the supermarket. I had a yummy macha latte and a breakfast egg sandwich that had ham, peppers and other veggies. When I went to sit down I realized that there's smoking and non-smoking here and the smoking section is actually and enclosed area and it was the only place with available seating. I sat there for under 5 mins before I saw I women get up from the non-smoking section and I ran for it, I got smoked out!

After the delicious breakfast I headed back the supermarket, and it was still closed and so was the 100 Yen store that I needed to go to, so I just wandered to check out this part of the neighborhood. Lots of neat little eateries, plenty of after-work places to get sake and fried or grilled goodness. In my little wanderings I found a bakery called Transparente, it had mostly savory treats like the one I bought with ham,cheese, and broccoli. The bakery itself was lovely, super designed.

I headed back to Life supermarket and went shopping they have two floors upstairs they have non-food items including cheap clothes. I got the basics including some snacking nori and tofu, I'm sure the bread and the nori have MSG but here you just have to pretend it doesn't exist because it's just part of their cooking. They have an amazing pickle aisle that I know three people who would freak out over it, because they love pickled stuff so much.There meats and fish section are also pretty amazing as well as they pre-prepared foods with bento boxes,sushi bentos, onigiri and much more. I went upstairs to get cleaning supplies, kitchen towels, and other necessities and had no idea you had to pay on each separate floor but the girls at the register forgave my stupid gaijin ways and let it slide this time, at least that's what I got from the miming. Popped into the 100 Yen store (99 cent store equilvalent, except with the exchange rate it $1.22) I bought stuff like clothing dryers,towels, kitchen utensils,and a bunch of other useful things. I was off, back to the apartment to drop off my spoils and eat my lunch which I bought at the supermarket a sandwich pack, that comes with egg salad, potato salad with tomato, and ham&cheese. They're tiny little finger sandwiches.

After lunch I ran into a local drugstore to by some hand soap and paper towels then I took the train into Shibuya which is only two stops on the Tokyu Toyoko line and 120 yen each way. My main goal was to head over to Tokyu hands department store to find a hair-dryer to replace my non-working one, a tea ball, and a few essentials I was missing. I just hung out exploring all the floors in Tokyu Hands, lots of amazing stuff especially in the kitchen section.

Nakameguro train platform

girl at Shibuya station

Tokyu Hands ketchup and mayo lunch pack containers

Tokyu Hands, Ladies facial apparatus', I know it looks like other stuff but it's really for skin toning, Tokyu Hands would NEVER carry naughty things.

I headed back to my neighborhood when I was done around 4:30pm and went back to Life to see if they had a hair-dryer, no dice. So now I have to sit under the heating unit to air dry my hair. Picked up dinner at the 7 Eleven, tuna salad onigiri (riceball) and a variety of soups including little packets of miso which what I had with my onigiri. Watched some more Vampire Diaries and went to sleep at 7:30pm (remember I was awake at 3am), super jet lagged.

A few things I saw on the way home