Omoshiroi desu

A week after returning to Tokyo, I don't hate it so much anymore. Nothing about the city has changed. Nothing about me has really changed. And yet the seething annoyance that boiled over with a stream of profanities every time one of the annoying things about Tokyo popped up (which in my loose estimation, occurs about once per hour on average) for the first few days following my return has subsided. As I walked outside into the crisp, post-rain weather this morning to go Christmas shopping in Shinjuku, there was actually a little skip in my step. And when a wall of people blocked me from every which way on the sidewalk, escalators, subway and shopping malls, I just waited until the people passed or occasionally pushed forward until they moved out of my way without muttering "move bitch" under my breath. My anger level has subsided from a dangerous 9.9 (on a scale of 10), which is evidenced by a steady stream of "F*ing Tokyo!!," to a more manageable 5.0 or so, which is more of an "uh. Tokyo." The annoying things about Tokyo are just the things you have to put up with for the privilege of living here, and I do recognize that living in Tokyo is a privilege (not Tokyo per se, but the opportunity to live abroad). And when the anger/annoyance dissipates, I'm once again able to see the unique positive aspects of Tokyo - like how clean and safe it is, and how amusing it is. There truly is no other place in the world like Japan.

For the first time since I moved here, I went shopping in a department store. I've walked through department stores and very casually browsed items previously, but the ridiculousness of the prices made me conclude that there was no point in ever shopping in Japan. In fact, the only non-essential items (food, supplies, etc.) I've purchased in Tokyo are a Halloween costume and eyelash extensions. For a lifelong shopaholic like me, that is just...unnatural.

I'm glad I had the motivation of looking for only-in-Japan items as Christmas gifts to finally peruse the department stores because i) I scored a fantastic pair of suede boots for an amazing price (I'm fairly certain I wouldn't be able to get boots like these in the US for anywhere close to the price I paid, not to mention that I don't think I've seen suede boots in this color before - a medium gray with just a hint of lavender) and ii) I was amused all day long by the things Japanese people come up with. Such as a gadget which sole purpose is to de-stem tomatoes and strawberries. Or a gadget that slices and removes avocados from their skin. Stuffed, scented animal-boot holders which you keep in your boots so they keep fresh-smelling and don't lose their shape. Personal humidifiers for small spaces. Earmuff earphones - the earmuffs are actually earphones you plug into your iPod. Jewelry earphones - on the outside part of the earbud, rhinestones in different shapes. A smile-roller: a contraption you are supposed to roll over your face in an upward motion to turn your sagging mouth into a smile. A micro-fiber stuffed animal shaped case for your householding cleaning sprays (i.e. fits around a Lysol or Febreze bottle and turns it into a cute, furry stuffed animal that will no doubt attract your little ones with their cuteness, yet contains toxic substances that can potentially blind your child). An entire section dedicated to bento items - not just bento boxes but all the cute little shapes you need to shape the rice or cut the vegetables, the cute little paper cups you put items such as potato salad in, cute toothpicks, cute soy sauce holders, cases made to perfectly encase a single banana or bagel or boiled egg, personal chopsticks in carrying cases, and so on. Socks for every single type of shoe you can think of - maryjanes, flip flops, clogs, etc. An electric eyelash curler - like a teeny tiny version of a curling iron.

I mean...it's really just fascinating. Because some things, like the avocado peeler/slicer are really cool...but make you think: really? who eats avocados often enough that they would need an entire kitchen gadget dedicated SOLELY to slicing and de-shelling avocados? who actually studied the avocado long enough to come up with a contraption that could perfectly de-shell the fruit from the shell? and what possessed the person to think that they could mass produce this contraption and sell to enough consumers to make it worth it? Japanese people are so omoshiroidesu. Their peculiarness tickles me, just a little bit.