The Japanese Inquisition

Today I found an internet cafe that is not only a whole 35yen cheaper but also has an icecream machine for free!! Can't go past that. It is kind of weird being out and about on a weekday, I feel like I am breaking the rules. But I have lots to do since yesterday was wasted at my welcome party hosted by the Mayor's wife. She and a bunch of her friends from the English conversation classes rocked up and force fed us sushi and mandarins. I kept turning around to find someone had slipped yet another roll of salmon and rice onto my plate. Most of them were OK but some of them were quite trying with constantly asking weird questions about our countries and it felt like we were the subjects of an inquisition rather than just around for a friendly chat. We went up to carefully crafted creek area and it was very pleasant to sit in the sun. Dylan was trying to explain that he doesn't consider man-made creeks particularly beautiful but I am not sure that they understood. I mean, they do try, they put rocks in there randomly, it's just that the rocks are cemented in place and there's no leaves or moss or debris around to make it "natural" I guess. The whole place looked like an elaborate water feature that you might expect to find in a top notch hotel lobby. Kind of pretty, but unmistakably man-made not natural and hence not quite so wonderful as the real thing.

I struggle with the Japanese interpretation of beauty in nature a bit too. Being taken to the sea and stood in front of a grey wall built on top of a landfill and asked "Isn't it beautiful?" is unfortunately common. No, actually I don't find concrete and murky water all that pleasant to look at, even if the sun is out. I think the Japanese find beauty in order; and nature is disorderly in the extreme. Obviously this isn't much of an insight on my behalf, anyone who knows anything about Japanese gardening also knows this peculiarity of the Japanese.

Towards the end of the day we did witness a life and death struggle between a small crow and a small snake which was quite amusing. The crow was trying to just pick the snake up and fly away with it I think but the snake was having issue with this plan and between trying to wriggle away was turning around to try and bite the bird. Eventually the snake gave up trying to run away and just coiled itself up and tried to look threatening and the crow flew off, clearly quite threatened! I went down to have a look, regretting as I usually do wherever I go, the decision not to bring my SLR with me. All the times I have encountered native wildlife in Australia I have never seen something attempting to eat something else. Maybe I should go to South Africa next where I am told I can watch cheetahs running down sprightly deer. Somewhat more awesome I am betting...