SCOTCH AND EARTHQUAKES

Yesterday was my first day of work at Arata Isozaki's office. The office is a very young and relaxed environment. Most of the staff cannot be much older than 35. The office space is one large studio environment with low tables and sight lines to everyone. 

I arrive at work and I am put to work right now.... with labour. The office is in transition from old projects to new projects. Most of the staff and I were busy moving old files and projects around, cleaning up tables and boxing up old models. I helped carry and ridiculously heavy stone counter top up from the basement with another colleague. I hope it remains in its new location. 

Next week we'll be start what I hear is a massive masterplanning model for a project in China. The masterplan model will be about 4-5m long and 2m wide. Have to love Chinese projects which are gigantic on scale. 

I experience my first true packed subway ride home. Literally squashed up against everyone, but no one took any office to the tin of sardine conditions. What I noticed was the wafting smell of scotch from the Salarymen. Scotch seems to be a high selling drink here with advertising everywhere for it. Makes Bill Murray's roll in Lost in Translation make more sense. 

The northern prefectures experienced a 7.1 magnitude earthquake last night. I was relaxing in bed chatting to people online when it hit. Shook the house for a good minute. Furniture shifted a little. My Japanese friend is going to help be build up my earthquake kit and recommended that I sleep with a pair of shoes near the bed. 

Not many new images for this post, just some of the Sakura blossoms alone a street near me. Hopefully more to photograph and write about this weekend. 

SILENCE

I had somewhat of a breakthrough moment last night and started to realize that I am actually in Tokyo right now. I've been moving through a sort of surreal fog and not processing my surroundings and realizing that I am actually here. But, last night I was travelling home on the subway from dinner in Shinbuya and noticed something profound on the train. While there was a ton of people packed into the train, they were all SILENT! It was the most peaceful subway ride I have ever had; not a single stressful moment of listening to someone else's cranked iPod or people yapping excessively loud to each other. I could serious get used to a packed train when everything is calm and quiet.

Yesterday the day started yet again with me attempting to unlock my iPhone with marginally better success than the day before. At least the phone is now jailbroken but still has not been able to work the new SIM card that I am renting. I'll have to continue to work on getting that going properly.

I went to Harajuku again and went straight to BEAM's to buy a nice couriers bag I saw the day before. It was priced alight, probably a little cheaper than what I would get in Toronto. I also picked up a London Fog style jacket, makes me look like a 1970's French spy. I also hit up a 100Yen store (similar to a dollar-store) and bought a few odds and ends like a pad of paper and shampoo. While the 100Y stores are really hyped up on websites I don't think they are any better than our Dollarama's back home. 

Met two of my flat mates yesterday, both American's. There is a Swede here that is an intern architect, but he's been pressured by family to go home due to the disasters north of Tokyo. Supposedly there has been a few architectural interns through this house. The girl from L.A. already annoyed me a little, she has a 'you against them' mentality. Gave me a little solidarity talk which turned me off from her. I hate when foreigners get a protective mentality; I want to get out there and not bother always hanging out at the house with flatmates. 

Travelled to Yoyogi Park near Harajuku station. An absolutely amazing park full of trees, ponds, fields and people hanging out on blankets. I think people back home have to utilize our parks better, it was refreshing to see so many people hanging around and having fun outdoors. I sat out at the park until it was dusk and took off for Shibuya for dinner. And when I arrived at Shibuya I was greatly surprised.

I was hoping to find some restaurants but instead found hundreds of places to eat ranging from cheap to expensive dishes. I ate at a soba restaurant for about $5 and it was a fantastic noodle dish. Ordering was made even easier when all you do is see what plasticized dish you like to have and pop the money into a vending machine. The machine gives you a ticket to give to the chef and you take you seat after. No fuss and no tipping... great!

After Shibuya I travelled home and picked up two beers... which will make my father jealous... two tall cans for only $2 each. Jet lag is still taking its toll on me and I was crashing by 9pm again. Today I hope to get some much needed grocery shopping done and will do a practice run to work today... tomorrow is the start of my first day of work in Tokyo.