Today would be a simple day, I decided. I didn't really want to do too much, and I wanted to regroup, and be able to be brain dead for at least a day, and besides two things I had to do, I didn't have to do anything that I felt obligated to do.
The first thing I had to do was get cash. I felt like the cash in my pocket was running out, and since it seemed that I could not get cash anywhere but a Citibank location, I had to think of that first. I could have gone to the same place in Marunouchi where I had found the first Citibank. The problem with going there is that it was out of the way from where I had to meet a friend later. I remembered from when I was here before, that there was a Citibank branch in Ikebukuro, and Ikebukuro was very close to where I was to meet my friend. So that's where I started the day.
Being in Ikebukuro brought back memories because this was the first stop in Tokyo from Saitama, where I lived a few years back. Therefore, this was my first experience of big city Tokyo in Japan. I walked around the busy side of the train station, completely forgetting that I was supposed to find the Citibank and get cash. I found a movie theatre, and wished that I could watch a new Japanese film, but my language skills preclude that, and they did not show the movie with English subtitles. I guess I will have to wait for the American release (maybe not for a year or more). I then passed the BIC camera store that helped me so much with my photography several years ago, and the Junkudo bookstore that had a great selection of English language books. However, it was too early in the morning, and many of these stores were closed, so I was just walking around amongst all the people rushing to work in the morning. This was fine with me. Only after making the decision that I should just walk down to the next station to meet my friend, did I remember to find a Citibank to get cash for my soon-to-be empty wallet. I only took a few steps, though, before I found a different Citibank branch, and got what I needed.
Since it was only one train stop away, and it was at least two hours before I had to meet my friend, I decided that I would simply walk there, and appreciate the lay of the land. Of course, as I first started out, I went in the wrong direction. I couldn't tell you what made me realize this, but at some point something did not feel like I was going the right way, and so I turned around. I finally came to a posted map, and it confirmed my fear. I was happy that I turned around when I did.
Leaving Ikebukuro, I saw a crowd of people. Many men were standing in line. I tried to figure out what it was for. There was a sign for AKB48, the Japanese all girl Pop group that is very popular and is on many signs and advertisements throughout the city. Could this large group of middle-aged men really be in line to see this group? It seemed a bit perverted, actually. I looked at the sign again, this time more carefully. I determined that they were not in line to see the group, but rather they were in line to enter the pachinko gambling hall where today a new machine was being unveiled. Can you guess who was featured on the new machine? It made me wonder if guys who don't have to work on Monday morning, and instead spend it playing pachinko really care who is on their machine. That is, were they in line to enter the pachinko parlour because there was a new AKB48 pachinko machine, or were they in line to enter the pachinko parlour because it was Monday?
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