[ Almost there

I can just about get a full night's sleep now, though I need to avoid long naps
in the afternoon. It usually takes a full week to get over jetlag, so I guess
I'm on schedule. I do like waking up very early in the morning though, when
everyone and everything else is still asleep, as I can get some peace and quiet
and watch the sun come up.

This heatwave was supposed to be finished already, but yesterday was another
hot and muggy day. I appreciate that it's not as muggy as Tokyo, but I'd still
like the humidity to go away all the same. 

Of course since I don't travel a lot overseas, I invariably compare the US to
Japan when I do. Once again I lament the fact that there are no vending
machines around, and none outside on the streets. In Japan they are all over
the place, and a bottle of water won't set you back $2.49 or more. Also I would
rather not have to go into a store and deal with some person behind the
register who hates the fact that they have to work behind the register.

We made another mistake by going to Trader Joe's; they have such great things
that are either very expensive or just not for sale in Japan. We haven't been
to Whole Foods yet and in some ways I'm not looking foward to it, because I
know I'll see all these things we can't get back home. I like our supermarkets
back home all well and good, but I'd rather gaze down isles of frozen food and
chips, than fish heads, octopus arms and tofu. To paraphrase: you can take the
person out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the person.

Take it easy and stay cool if it's hot where you are.