(no subject)

[cjsmith]

Hi. My hotel room in Osaka has free wireless access. I am so @#$! spoiled.

Long day today. Tired. Got around okay, though. I think we did the right amount of planning for this trip: my knowledge of katakana, my ability to say a few things, Rob's knowledge of some kanji (and his Palm Pilot program to translate any others we're desperate for), and Rob's previous study of the rail system. We'd be pretty sorry if we were missing any one of those key things.

I have a love-hate relationship with Japanese toilets. The one in our hotel room has about a hundred different controls -- you can warm the seat, wash your behind with water (and warm that water too if you like), air-dry yourself, and Lord only knows what all else. The labels on all this are even bilingual! Now the flusher... where would that be? Heh. And of course, there are the squat-over-a-hole-and-squirt type. I wound up in one of those today too. What the heck, I have good quads.

OK, more later.

(PS: It's really 6PM.)

Comments

[rampling.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear you're safely there, and that your prep has worked out well! I hope you'll continue to be able to post updates; I love hearing what things are like there and what happens with you.

Best of continued luck!

[janigrey.livejournal.com]

have fun ! be safe!

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

I have good quads.

You don't say? ;-) *scampers off*

[katestine.livejournal.com]

Of course they have free wireless! My friend who is currently living there was horror-stricken when I told him we don't have cellular modems.

[lkeele.livejournal.com]

Hey Ceej! Nice to hear from you! Make sure you stretch those quads, girlfriend.

[msmichelle.livejournal.com]

OOOOOH! CJ is in Japan! I look forward to your updates on this adventure. :)

[sunnydale47.livejournal.com]

Wow ... the modern world is so amazing! Just fifteen years ago the World Wide Web didn't exist, now it's ubiquitous and connectivity is becoming ubiquitous as well, at least in the industrialized parts of the world.

I'm glad you can get your LJ fix and we can get to hear all about your trip in real time!

[eichin.livejournal.com]

Japan is also supposed to be the land of IPv6, but if you're behind a hotel NAT it probably doesn't matter.

Laura wants to know if calling for Japanese dancers takes longer because you have to "politely suggest" everything instead of just telling them :-)

[joedecker.livejournal.com]

I've always wanted a bidet, actually. Sometimes really getting clean with toilet paper is just a hassle. I'd be willing to learn a 50-knob toilet to have the assistance of gentle warm water.

The pits, on the other hand, sound like the pits. ;)

[ericainohio.livejournal.com]

I am fascinated. You can warm the toilet seat? Dry yourself? Ummmm...is there an attached vibrator too??? *hopeful*

*ducking and running*

[joedecker.livejournal.com]

Speaking of toilets.... (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20050105/ap_on_fe_st/boy_plumber)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I have very little time to get on the net, but I'll post fun bits when I get back too. :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :) Things are working out very well so far.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Heh, YOU try these toilets! ;-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

The hotel in Tokyo doesn't have wireless, but hey, *shrug*. The couple we stayed with the last two days has exactly one way to access e-mail: the cellphone. :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Heh. No choice! ;-) Heyyyyyy, happy birthday! I missed it!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I will try to post only the interesting parts! :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's great to be able to connect a little bit! My next chore tonight is to delete about 900 pieces of spam. Er, maybe over 1000 by now. Last time I connected I got as far as running out of disk space before the connection died. :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

*giggle* That'd be about right. There's some guy here (born in Japan but lived in the States for a couple years) who's written essays on how Japanese business conversations could be made more efficient if only people would say what they wanted...

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Rob agrees with your assessment of just paper, but he reports that the bidet is merely "okay". He says you get wet and then all the TP just falls apart all over you.

I think the pits are just fine. I was amused to learn that many Japanese dislike Western toilets because you TOUCH SOMETHING, iiiiick. :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Heh, no, but maybe warm water alone is pretty good. :-)

I love the warm toilet seats. (Note: many Japanese homes have no central heating. The family we stayed with did NOT have a heated seat, and yikes was it ever cold!)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I guess he's found his calling in life!

[lkeele.livejournal.com]

Thank you, CJ!

[joedecker.livejournal.com]

I think the pits are just fine...

Well, I haven't used them. I don't worry about the physical contortions, what worries me is ... well, I guess I just imagine it as being quite smelly, but that might be unwarranted.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Ah. They're porcelain and they flush, like Western-style toilets.

[joedecker.livejournal.com]

Oh, wrong mental picture on my part. No problem at all then, although I'd expect to be nervous the first time I tried to use one--the whole "aim" thing. ;)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I realize my description wasn't very complete :-) My "aim" is pretty easy 'cause I just get down low. It is odd not being able to see what I'm doing at all, though. Every time, I start worrying about my pants and shoes.