Best. Job. Ever.
Guess who has the meishi (business card) of the Ambassador of Bulgaria? And who sat on stage today to translate for several different embassies (and failed miserably)? Ooh, ooh, it's me!!

Today I was paid $100 to do next to nothing for seven fun and food filled hours at the Shibuya festival. Throughout the whole day I helped fewer than twenty people and not for a lack of trying. There simply weren't enough questions to keep us busy and every time we turned around we were asked to take another rest or complete another task that required absolutely no effort.

It was bliss. The day was beautiful and the festival was absolutely Japanese. I wore my cat ears almost all day to complement my awesome day-glo orange "Shibuya Staff" jacket. The kids got a kick out of that, especially some very young boy on the bus this morning, who called me kawaii and stroked my hair before snuggling up to my arm and mumbling to me in Japanese I didn't understand. The little letch!

I was by far not the weirdest dressed nor most outstanding weirdo at the festival. One girl was dressed as Pikachu, another as a monkey with a red butt. One sad-faced guy who toted around festival garbage all day was dressed as a lit cigarette. I ought to have gotten a picture of him.

Aside from being continuously amused and (for once) relaxed by the festival atmosphere, I made several good contacts, the least of which is the aforementioned ambassador. The main Shibuya interpreter and "Chief of Planning Section" have invited my friends and I to their Language Club party in early december. Apparently they want to drink with us and practice English/ Japanese. I suppose that's all anyone ever really wants to do! =)

Not much to say since I'm so tired... but the festival was great even if I was feeling typically overwhelmed and anxious by the end of the day. I think that the number of people here really bothers me and prevents me from thinking clearly and rationally. It's too distracting. Is it possible I have some sort of anxiety disorder?

At the end of the day today I stepped onto what was without a doubt the fullest train I have ever been on since I got here. There was no room to breathe and no room to even grab a handle. I was cradled in the middle of my four friends and simply, literally, laid back and enjoyed the ride in a sea of bodies. The whole time the four of us laughed and caroused and generally made gaijin asses of ourselves by drawing attention to the fact that we were clearly too, too amused by the crowd.

A good day. Hoping tomorrow's like it.

SOME PHOTOS:

Picachu and Minnie Mouse

Ikebana

Erin-san and Reinier-san

The festival

Obscene toilet paper?

Tea Ceremony

Grandma has purple hair!

An eyeglass store (no, really!)