observations

1. I'm quite convinced that H&M in Harajuku is hoarding all the good styles for itself...I think America gets all the reject H&M fashions.

2. People dress well. Too well. I've said this already.

3. The ubiquitous monster of a car, a.k.a. Nissan GT-R, is probably the most beautiful piece of machinery I've seen in a while now.

4. Cellphones, keitai in Japanese, have their own email address.

5. The rush hour commute is hell. Train pushers, people who cram people into already packed trains, exist. But they don't do much, because all the commuters take it upon themselves to squeeze in as tight as possible so they don't have to be touched by a stranger with white gloves.

6. Beer: 900 yen at a club

7. As observed by Ben from my dorm: Kentucky Fried Chicken serves beer.

8. For a city with 12,000,000 people and a metropolitan region totaling 35,000,000, it can get quite lonely here sometimes.

9. I have yet to visit Shinjuku station or Akihabara.

10. The church I've been attending for two weeks now in Harajuku is right next to the largest Louis Vuitton flagship store. It's five stories full of stuff.

11. No one has the iPhone here.

11. When a train encounters an "Accident" it usually means someone committed suicide by jumping in front of the train.

12. Pharmacies dispense prescription drugs in small amounts to prevent people from overdosing - accidentally or deliberately.