I got another good workout done today. Just gotta keep at it. I was hoping to see Blue Impulse today but I didn't see them anywhere overhead and didn't manage to hear any jets in the air either. I saw a lot of photos being posted on social media though so that was pretty cool. I'm looking forward to checking out the Paralympics though, hopefully it gets good coverage on tv. I'm not really a coffee drinker but lately I've been trying different coffees from the local convenience store in an attempt to find one that I like. I tried the Boss coffee today since I always see commercials for it and it seems to be pretty popular, but it seemed a bit watery to me so I think I'm going to have to keep searching. If anyone has any coffee recommendations for me I'd love to hear them lol

Was pretty nice weather outside today, felt good to be outside for a bit. Finally got to work out again, wasn't able to since I had to wait after getting my first shot of the vaccine. Trying to eat a bit healthier lately, avoiding sweets and stuff like that. The convenience stores in Japan are really amazing for having pretty tasty salads and even different varieties. Wouldn't be able to find that at most convenience stores in America. I've been trying to do some meal planning but I need some more recipes so I'm not just eating the same thing though. Not being able to go outside much this year was a little rougher on my body than I would have imagined. Managed to put on a couple pounds lol. Gotta get back in shape before winter, though, the heat helps with weight loss which is nice. The weather is supposed to be pretty decent this weekend too, so hopefully that doesn't change. Would like to go to the river and have a picnic or something like that. That's all for today I guess. Here's a photo of a station I took a few days ago. Thought it looked kind of neat with all the wires and everything. Would probably be better with a nicer camera though lol

[English/Japanese] Things that Surprised International Students When They Came to Japan: Shops (1) For two consecutive weeks, I have been telling you about the city, but this time I would like to introduce you to the "stores" in the city. All stores in Japan are famous for their courteous service, and the customers themselves are known to form beautiful lines when waiting in line at the cash register. Here I would like to share with you what kind of problems international students encounter when they come to Japan for the first time and shop, based on the stories of our students. Convenience stores are a bit expensive but convenient. Is this juice? Or is it alcohol? There are about 7,800 convenience stores in Tokyo. In other words, the city is full of convenience stores. Most of them open 24 hours a day, so international students often say things like, "It's convenient because they are open even when I come home from my part-time job late at night.” and "I don't feel scared when I walk alone late at night because the stores are well-lit. ” Also, when international students enter a convenience store for the first time, they are surprised at the large number of products. I often hear that they are impressed by the variety of drinks. However, there are many stories of people who bought what they thought was a beautifully packaged juice, only to find out that it was alcohol. Because of this kind of trouble, the Chinese character for "liquor" is not usually taught at the beginner level, but at our school, it is taught immediately after entering the country. Please be careful, everyone. Do you buy too much? 100-yen stores Did you know that there are stores where all items are sold for 100 yen (excluding tax)? Although not as common as convenience stores, there are nearly 800 of these 100-yen stores in Tokyo. These 100-yen stores, commonly known as "100-yen stores," offer daily necessities (dishes, cleaning supplies, etc.) and even food. Therefore, when students start living in Japan and need daily necessities, they go to these 100-yen stores to buy them. Not only are they inexpensive, but they also come in a variety of designs, and once they have been to a 100 yen store, many of them end up going back again and again to buy things they don't need. I often hear stories of students, especially those who have just arrived in Japan, who have spent a lot of money at 100 yen stores. This is the time when you need money until you start your part-time job. Be careful when shopping. A room full of stuffed animals! Be careful not to get too carried away at the game center. Just like 100-yen stores, game arcades are a place where people tend to spend a lot of money. Some study abroad students get addicted to "crane games" and spend a lot of money on them. And before they know it, their room is covered with stuffed animals from the crane game. Because of this, students often throw away their stuffed animals as trash when they move out, crying because they have too much luggage. Students often feel lonely when studying abroad, and many of them find comfort in their stuffed animals. Try not to have too many stuffed animals, and enjoy them! Did you get to know about Japanese stores? We will continue to introduce stores in the next article. By the way, our school has a convenience store and a 100 yen store just a few meters away from the school (student dormitory). Even if you have just arrived in Japan, you can get everything you need quickly. You can learn how to shop with your teacher at first, so you can start your new life with peace of mind. What surprised international students when they came to Japan ~Shop edition (1)~ For two weeks in a row, we have been telling you about the state of the city, but this time we will introduce the "shops" in the city. All Japan shops are polite in their customer service, and customers themselves are famous for forming a beautiful line when they line up at the cash register. Here, we will tell you what kind of trouble international students cause when they come to Japan for the first time and shop, based on the stories of our students. A little expensive but convenient convenience store Is this juice? Alcohol? There are about 7,800 convenience stores in Tokyo. In other words, the city is full of convenience stores. Since most convenience stores are open 24 hours a day, international students have commented, "It's convenient because it's open even when you come home from a part-time job late at night." or "It's not scary because it's bright even if you walk alone at night." I often hear that. Also, when international students enter a convenience store for the first time, they are very surprised by the number of products. Among them, I often hear that they were impressed by the number of drinks. However, there are many stories that when I bought it thinking it was a juice in a beautiful package, it was alcohol. Because of these troubles, the kanji "sake" is not usually learned at the beginner level, but at our school, we try to teach it immediately after entering the country. Please be careful. Do you buy too much? Shops with 100 yen uniform Did you know that there are stores where you can buy all products for 100 yen (+ consumption tax)? Although not as much as convenience stores, there are nearly 800 shops in Tokyo that offer 100 yen uniforms. This 100-yen shop, commonly known as the "100 yen shop", has daily necessities (tableware, cleaning tools, etc.) and food. Therefore, when students start living in Japan and need daily necessities, they go to this 100-yen shop to buy them. Not only is it cheap, but there are also various designs, and once you go to a 100 yen shop, many people go there many times and buy things they don't need. In particular, I often hear stories of students who have just entered the country and splurged money at 100-yen shops. This is when you need money until your part-time job starts. Let's shop carefully. Before you know it, a room full of stuffed animals! Be careful not to get too stuck in the arcade. Just like a 100-yen shop, it's a "game center" where you end up spending money. Among them, there are international students who are so addicted to the "crane game" that they spend a lot of money. In addition, before you know it, the whole room is full of stuffed crane games. Because of this, students often throw away stuffed animals when they move as garbage that makes them cry because they have too much luggage. Studying abroad often feels lonely, and many students are healed by stuffed animals. Let's enjoy the stuffed animals so as not to add too much. Did you get to know about Japan's shop? We plan to continue to introduce the store next time. By the way, our school has a convenience store and a 100 yen shop a few meters from the school (student dormitory). Even if you have just entered the country, you can prepare what you need immediately. You can start your new life with peace of mind because you can shop with your teacher at first.