today i spent the whole day in the hostel.

I am wearing two ankle supports and i hope that i am more comfortable to be walking tomorrow.  Didn’t do much today either.  Did some laundry and caught up on the emails.  I’ve just been talking with some other guests staying at the hostel.  And amazing as it seems, i ran into another person from Canada, but that’s not the most amazing part.  The amazing part is he was also from Winnipeg!

There are a lot of people here from canada and all over europe.  I also spent some time talking with the girl at the front desk and learned some things about Japan.  I learned that Japan is not a very social place.  Working long hours.  But the place is very orderly.  As opposed to Hong Kong, where everyone pushes and shoves to get on and off the subway, in Tokyo they all wait their turns.  They line up to the side of the doors until all the people have come off the train and then they proceed onto the train.  It’s all quite amazing that there are so many people but wtill so much order and unspoken rules everyone follows.

Japan also has a high suicide rate.  So many people only know their life as work.  They get up and go to work for 12 hours and then go home to start it all over.  Many people will go out drinking in the evening to release the day’s stress.  While walking around in the Shiodome area, where there are plenty of up-beat restaurants and lounges, i noticed many business men, dressed in shirts, ties and slacks, all stumbling around reaking of alcohol.  It was quite an odd sight to see.