Konbanwa from Shinjuku! My friend Mihoko brought me here and then left me on my own while she attended a seminar. Yes, I am making it on my own in Tokyo. I even bought a book and logged on at an internet cafe all by myself! Applause! Granted, I would voice my request in halting broken Japanese and then the clerk or whoever would repeat back to me in English what I tried to say, and then we would continue in English. So I would kinda cheat. Mostly I say "wakarimasen" which means "I don't understand.". Here at the internet cafe we had more trouble communicating because I don't know Japanese and his English wasn't as stong as the bookstore lady's, but somehow we managed and here I am typing to you!

This cafe is different from the ones in Ireland and Scotland. Those were just big open rooms with rows of computers, like the computer labs at my University. The labs here (or at least the two I have seen) are instead a bunch of wooden cubicles with doors and walls that almost reach the ceiling. Every person gets their own private space.

I think privacy is very important to the Japanese. Like at the restaurant I told you about, the one Mihoko took me to a couple of nights ago. A thought it was very fancy and elegant that everyone had their own area but Mihoko tells me that that was only the equivalent of a pub, somewhere business men go to drink and eat after work. So it is much more common to have private rooms in Japan than in America.

Well I need to go meet Mihoko now so I better go. Domo arigato gozaimas! Thank you very much!