First impressions

Skipping the long queues :-)

Happy to have been able to benefit from the Suica and NEX offer to go and move around Tokyo (the lady did not pay attention to my passport as I am not considered "a tourist" ;-))

Just back to the hostel. It has been a long and intense day. In Tokyo it is warm. Watanabe-san came to pick me up and went together to Ikebukuro, where I checked in for a couple of nights (the rest of the stay is arranged with friends or with some prize from a competition I participated in).

Because it is rainy season, I was lucky enough to be having a little "nap" (Spanish yoga) during the rain but later on moved on to Shinjuku for a bit of shopping and living "old times" :-)

On the train station in Ikebukuro, a promotional booth from American Express.. I´ve been one of the few accepting the "challenge" to the smiley boys and... have won one of the prizes!! :-)

On the visit to Shinjuku, I passed the gorgeous building where my former apartment was located. It took me a while to find it but must admit that it was really convenient and great there. Fantastic decision I had.

All in all, the impressions today are strange but will change by tomorrow for sure. I am aware that this time is for a couple of weeks but still this city gives me a lot of energy, inspiration and "good vibe".

More walking around, bought some books in Kinokuniya, visit to the always funny "Don Quijote", Uniqlo, getting a "Yukata" and ended having a cider in an Irish pub.

Returning to the hostel, a nice man sitting next to me on the train has asked me a few questions... in English but I could answer in Japanese and he was very hapy about it. His son is a Japanese teacher in Waseda (same place where I spent 5 months last year!). It is suprising also that another Japanese fellow has been speaking to me about football and I could follow with no problem. Definetly the basis are good (thanks to Takayama and Taira sensei!) and feel like going on (although from The Netherlands the motivation is much less... :-((

Back on the hostel, visit to the screen on the terrace to see the score... just started the match NL-Slovakia. I go up to the room to put my orange t-shirt on (the one with the "lion" that fancied for so long) and just realized that Holland is ahead in the score. I go down before I miss something important.

The days are getting busier and busier. Today I just took it as "relaxation" and "first contact". Tomorrow several things in the morning and dinner (possibly with Karaoke) and ending watching the match from Japan (one of the things "to do" in the morning is getting a blue t-shirt to support the national team and become "one of them" ;-))

More impressions very soon. Some pictures to illustrate the day, already posted at the beginning of this entry. Hope you enjoy the summer day in NL and the soccer!! (here 7 hours ahead... is almost midnight).