Otherwise known as the most shopping I've ever done, in my life.
We had it all planned out. We would wake up early, beat the morning rush and ride the JR Yamanote line from Shinjuku Station to Shibuya Station. From there we would head over to the Starbucks there, get coffee and something to eat, then sit in the observation area to watch the morning rush come bustling through the super busy, famous intersection. It was working too; by 5:00 AM we were both up, and went about getting ready to go. Shortly after 6:00 AM The Art Girl and I hit the streets, and our well traveled route to Shinjuku Station. Moving in and out of this station has become as familiar as getting in and out of bed; something which seemed unfathomable previously. Shinjuku station is far larger, more complex, and many times busier than Grand Central Station in New York, but it has become like our second home here in Tokyo.
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| Organized Chaos at its Finest |
While heading into our second home, however, it dawned on us, rush has gotten going, and the trains are going to be very packed. At this point, the no-coffee, and no-breakfast was too much of a drain, and we were not meshing properly with the system that is the Japanese commuter hive. When we're properly energized, it's incredible to us how we've managed to become part of the flow. Early in our stay it was a little stressful to move with and through the large groups of people. Tens of thousands of people all at once are passing through numerous narrow passageways, and they're going in every direction you can imagine. Yet, no one bumps into anyone else. No one yells at anyone, gets upset, or gets in anyone's way. Originally this all seemed so chaotic and impossible to navigate that we would drag each other around, not key into what the other was thinking, and stress ourselves out even more. Today, however, the rhythm was there for us. We were able to move within the crowd, casually, calmly, and efficiently. It's all about being mindful of what/who is coming up in front of you, and making subtle course alterations, because they will do the same. Neither of you moves enough to clear the other, but combined the efforts result in a seamless flow, with nary a single shoulder bump.
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| A good day for some comfort |
We both agreed, partly because nothing else was open, and because we weren't ready to learn the JR Yamanote line, just yet, to get some breakfast at the McDonald's near the entrance to Shinjuku Station. For The Art Girl an Egg McMuffin meal, and I opted for a Sausage McMuffin with egg meal. The part we wanted most was coffee, but the rest was energizing, and just what we needed to make the journey we had planned. You see, by the time we'd headed back towards McDonald's, my foot felt ready to break along the right side, and based on the way I was hobbling around, The Art Girl almost called off the day.
The train station McDonald's was unique, and tailored to the commuters. Rather than family sized tables and plenty of space, it was tightly packed with single seating stalls and mini-booths. We found a space with two adjacent low bar-style seating. The space was just barely big enough for our tray, yet many managed to have their laptops open and on their tiny counter space. There was also power available for each seat, and a small shelf to set your brief case. We found it hard to ignore the song playing in the restaurant when "Saturday in the Park" by Chicago came on. Another one of those odd moments where you feel like you're home, but most definitely are not. All the Christmas music playing in so many places adds a strange feel to being in Japan too.
