Ueno Park

So today was the last day we had our amazing trainer there...and the shortest day as our health checks had been cancelled (postponing the inevitable "you are obese" statement for a bit). Some of us decided to go off and explore Ueno park, and the western art gallery there (But before that we found one of those "love hotels"!) Its a beautiful place...with a Buddhist temple and an amazing market selling all sorts of random food and beautiful crockery (Yes I know I am such a girl, for going mad over painted rice bowls...but trust me you should have seen them). We got to try little dried shrimp things with eyes...strange nuts that dried out your mouth in seconds, and pieces of fish with soft bones....mjam mjam! We had a lot of situations of japanese taking pictures for us and vice versa...its another way to make friends I guess! I have become addicted to onigiri! They are basically bigger versions of sushi with fish and mayo (sometimes) inside and crunchy seaweed on the outside! Actually the most delicious thing ever! On returning to the hotel I discovered that Herbert (my trusted teddy bear) was missing!!! I was a little upset..but thought..why would the cleaner take my bear??? So I took my dictionary and went to the front desk to ask "watashi no kuma no nuigurumi wa kieru". Which is supposed to mean "My teddy bear has disapeared". It was probably completely wrong..but the guy got the message and set off on a mission to find him. 20minutes later I get a knock on the door..and am reunited with him. he was bundled up in the dirty bed cloths!

In the evening I then went out for another go at Akihabara but this time in search of a maid cafe (Chris wanted to go, and I was curious). It took some detours ( via a music shop where I discovered that the indie boy look, with those tight trousers seems to be fashionable here too!!!!) but eventually we found one called "Mai dream" (My name!!!!!!). It was very surreal. the inside was all pink and girly, and we were surrounded by these very fast speaking pretty girls in Manga maid outfits....I was the only non maid female there...It was obviously more a place for the guys to be served by girls there. It was damn expensive! Unfortunately we couldn't take pictures of the inside or the maids without paying even more...So guys...I'll just leave it to your imagination. All I can say is, it was a little disturbing.