Karo was here

My old friend from Germany came to visit me. Actually, we just realized that we have known each other for 20 years now! 

When she arrived at the train station in Oita I was there to pick her up. I had been excited for days already. She had made it all by herself from Tokyo to Oita. I was impressed! We took her straight to an izakaya for dinner and getting to know some of our Japanese friends. So her first impression of Oita was a cozy personality-filled bar with Japanese sitting on the floor around big tables in seperate rooms, Japanese dishes like raw fish, tempura, mochi, huge sake bottles, children running around in the bar... She said to me: "All this really exists? I thought this is only in movies." I have spent 4 months in Oita so I already forgot how it is to encounter everything with fresh eyes and fresh mind. It is interesting to see the things she finds fascinating, which has become normal for us.

The first day I had to show her Oita City. I started the tour by the most basic thing: 7-11! I had to show her how to survive in Japan without being able to read Japanese signs, nobody speaking English... Especially in areas where there is no McDonalds to rely on... The Japanese konbinis have everything you need as a traveller to survive. Mini bottles with shampoo, convenience food in see-through packing (so that you see what you are buying), water, juice, bakery goods, warm meals, which are heated up for you... This seemed especially important, as she had been hungry the first day when she was alone in Japan because she had not dared to go into any restaurant. The foreign signs and letters and the speaking barriers had prevented her to get something to eat!

After the konbini I showed her all the important shopping places - our three department stores. I basically did the same tour as on our first shopping day in Oita back in October. Forus, Parco, Tokiwa. We could not do anything else than shopping because it rained so much. We were so unlucky! All the time the sun is shining in Oita and on the day she comes to visit me, boom, rain, rain, rain... But the shopping day was excitement enough. I think she was overwhelmed by the variety of accessories, clothes, shoes, and simply crazy stuff. 

 

The morning started off very relaxed in the Traindor bakery at the station. I had shown her some Japanese alternatives for breakfast, but the "normal" bakery seemed like a more secure choice for the moment...^^

  

Japan has many "fantasievolle" watches

And they are not too expensive: around 20 Euros
 (Parco, third floor)

Karo encounters Japanese love for colorful objects

  

 I heart Japan

  

Telling name

  

 In the evening we went to an Indian restaurant. Two types of curry, bread, rice, and meat for the meat eaters.

 

It was a fun evening - thank you guys!