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Sneaker shopping in Tokyo, Part 2 or 3 or whatever
Ok, no class until 5pm today so I went shopping in the... I need a nickname for Shinjuku/Shibuya. Death by Trendiness? I dunno.
Anyway, I went to the southern Kinokuniya and got two applications for this year's JLPT (one for me, one for Bret The Sub since I told him I was going to get mine) and FOUR practice exams -- the book with the exams from 2004-2006, and the 2007 book. I already had the 2006 one, so if anyone wants the 1/2-kyuu test book from 2006, I have an extra copy I could happily part with...
I also talked to a Japanese lady there who teaches Japanese (but didn't seem to get my hint about how maybe I could use a teacher). I talked to her 80% in Japanese and 20% English, and told her about some of the books I've used, since she was looking for JLPT study materials for one of her students. She said she has a lot of trouble explaining some concepts of words; I got out a book and asked her to explain stuff like "nanka" and she was like "exactly, this is one that's kind of tough". Hrm.
After that I walked to Yoyogi station and went to Shibuya, and from there I walked to the New Balance Tokyo store which is kind of a pain in the ass to find; it's OFF of Aoyama-dori so I walked by it without realizing it the first time. Plus it got hot outside in the afternoon and I was carrying a ton of books, so that sucked.
Went in on the first floor (women's shoes), said "I wear a size 26," they said "Go upstairs to the men's section". Haha. Went upstairs and there was a pretty nice staff person there who helped me. She was also wearing NB992's. Problem is, I don't like the men's 992 design AND they cost like $220 here in Japan because they're made in America, so I am thinking I will go get 992's again when I'm back in America and can pick them up for $120 AND actually get women's shoes.
Funny part: I remember how when I got my 992's, in size 26D, in Seattle, I thought my feet must be HUGE to need width D. B is normal in America, I think? Well, in Japan... EEEE is the normal width. Seriously. The entire reason I went to the New Balance company store was to find width D shoes, which are the SMALLEST YOU CAN GET HERE. And 70% of the shoes in their store don't even come in width D. I wanted black sneakers and didn't want to pay more than 10,000 yen for them... but that turned out to be impossible. I ended up buying a pair of navy/blue NB 576's, which are essentially classic walking shoes or something to that effect. This is their page but you have to click on "navy/blue" to see the right color. I'm not unhappy with them but I'd like them better in black/grey :)
I walked back to Shibuya station from there and saw a KUA'AINA so I just had to go in there for lunch (well... almost 4pm more like early dinner, I suppose). Unlike the one in Saitama, this one does not have a set menu, just that you can get a fries-drink set for 300 yen, or a soup-fries set for 400 yen, or a salad-drink set for 500 yen. I decided to do a tuna&avocado sandwich with the salad-drink set and it was awesome. Salads and sandwiches on wheat bread and yum!
Came back to work and had an average day, I suppose.
I want to go to Lawson's and pay my bills and buy Dragons baseball tickets, but it's raining, so I don't feel like riding the kilometer or so there. Maybe I'll do it tomorrow during my lunch break from work or something.
Anyway, I went to the southern Kinokuniya and got two applications for this year's JLPT (one for me, one for Bret The Sub since I told him I was going to get mine) and FOUR practice exams -- the book with the exams from 2004-2006, and the 2007 book. I already had the 2006 one, so if anyone wants the 1/2-kyuu test book from 2006, I have an extra copy I could happily part with...
I also talked to a Japanese lady there who teaches Japanese (but didn't seem to get my hint about how maybe I could use a teacher). I talked to her 80% in Japanese and 20% English, and told her about some of the books I've used, since she was looking for JLPT study materials for one of her students. She said she has a lot of trouble explaining some concepts of words; I got out a book and asked her to explain stuff like "nanka" and she was like "exactly, this is one that's kind of tough". Hrm.
After that I walked to Yoyogi station and went to Shibuya, and from there I walked to the New Balance Tokyo store which is kind of a pain in the ass to find; it's OFF of Aoyama-dori so I walked by it without realizing it the first time. Plus it got hot outside in the afternoon and I was carrying a ton of books, so that sucked.
Went in on the first floor (women's shoes), said "I wear a size 26," they said "Go upstairs to the men's section". Haha. Went upstairs and there was a pretty nice staff person there who helped me. She was also wearing NB992's. Problem is, I don't like the men's 992 design AND they cost like $220 here in Japan because they're made in America, so I am thinking I will go get 992's again when I'm back in America and can pick them up for $120 AND actually get women's shoes.
Funny part: I remember how when I got my 992's, in size 26D, in Seattle, I thought my feet must be HUGE to need width D. B is normal in America, I think? Well, in Japan... EEEE is the normal width. Seriously. The entire reason I went to the New Balance company store was to find width D shoes, which are the SMALLEST YOU CAN GET HERE. And 70% of the shoes in their store don't even come in width D. I wanted black sneakers and didn't want to pay more than 10,000 yen for them... but that turned out to be impossible. I ended up buying a pair of navy/blue NB 576's, which are essentially classic walking shoes or something to that effect. This is their page but you have to click on "navy/blue" to see the right color. I'm not unhappy with them but I'd like them better in black/grey :)
I walked back to Shibuya station from there and saw a KUA'AINA so I just had to go in there for lunch (well... almost 4pm more like early dinner, I suppose). Unlike the one in Saitama, this one does not have a set menu, just that you can get a fries-drink set for 300 yen, or a soup-fries set for 400 yen, or a salad-drink set for 500 yen. I decided to do a tuna&avocado sandwich with the salad-drink set and it was awesome. Salads and sandwiches on wheat bread and yum!
Came back to work and had an average day, I suppose.
I want to go to Lawson's and pay my bills and buy Dragons baseball tickets, but it's raining, so I don't feel like riding the kilometer or so there. Maybe I'll do it tomorrow during my lunch break from work or something.
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like "you shouldn't do something", ie "雨が好きじゃないなら、横浜へなんか行かないで", or like never ever, "２級に成功を私なんかできないの."
I might have that second one a bit backwards.
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"If you don't like rain, don't go anywhere like Yokohama."
"Someone like (as bad as) me couldn't pass the 2-kyuu."