Thunder Dolphin!

Ok. Let me summarize my summer vacation for you: My friend Michelle came to Japan to work with JET! We hung out for one day with one of her friends, Mio, before she shipped off to Fukuoka. I went to my favorite school's summer festival, which was awesome. I wore my Yukata, got lots of compliments on that, and danced the Obon Odori, which also earned me compliments FROM MY PRINCIPAL. That was epic! Oh! And my old roommate Clarissa, one of my best friends ever, came to visit me for a whole week! We porked out on good food, ate lots of desserts, and went to 2 onsen (hot springs) together! We also went shrine hunting (she needed omamori (a good luck charm) for her co-workers and as souvenirs). Suffice to say: Lots of fun, spent a lot of money. I also went to what I later found out was the largest anime/manga convention in Japan, and 500,000 people go to it within the 3 day span it's open. It was at Tokyo Big Site and it was crowded and hot and stuffy. It was worth going to, because I found some really cute keychains and a super cute pair of earrings.

Through Clarissa I met her friend Veronica, who later invited me to Tokyo Dome City, which has an amusement park. Pay 4000 yen and you get an all day wrist pass that lets you onto all the rides. There was one ride called "Thunder Dolphin". I just HAD to laugh when I read that. I mean, c'mon. Thunder Dolphin?

Anyway, we went on all the rides that looked worth while. Thunder Dolphin was one of them. I think we would've ridden it all day if 1) it weren't so hot that we wanted to go on a water ride and 2) if the line weren't so long and there were other rides to experiment. It's one of those roller coasters that, if you've taken physics, makes you really happy to know that centripetal force is going to keep you on those tracks. The first drop is really steep, and when you're in the car you sincerely feel like you're making a beeline for the ground, it's so steep. It's about as steep as the drop on Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain, but much shorter so the G-force at the bottom doesn't affect you as drastically. All in all, a great roller coaster ride! We went on it twice. It was even better the second time. It's a real shame that it's so short.

We had lunch at a burger joint that had a black guy working on cutting up the burger patties and shaping them. I thought that was really random and really interesting, and also wondering just how much Japanese the guy spoke. I got the Salsa Burger, which was surprisingly delicious. The patties weren't huge, but they were juicy and SO much better than having a McDonald's burger. I really wish a good burger joint. I think that's the main food item I miss while here in Japan, aside from Freebirds Burritos. Hahaha.

Veronica brought her friend Nick with her. He's a short haole boy with hay colored hair and pretty dark blue eyes. He commented that I was very observant, to which I had to ask if he found that weird or disturbing in any way. I think being as observant as I am (and this is mostly for random things that aren't really important) could possibly freak someone out. They don't make the same connections I do, though really it's kind of like looking at a math problem or figuring your way around a map. I don't know, but either way it was refreshing to have him compliment me. :D

We all went our separate ways after the park, but I was really glad I'd gone. It was a really hot day, and normally I would've just stayed inside with the air conditioner going and read books or talked to friends on the internet. It's amazing what going out and being social can do. :D

Two days later, my friend Florence from UCSB came down to Yokohama to hang out before she shipped off to Osaka. She's working for the same company as me! We went around Vivre, this really big mall near Yokohama station, and ate Okonomiyaki for dinner. For dessert, we went to this really awesome tart shop Clarissa and I found while she was here. It's called La Maison (www.la-maison.jp). We were helped by a really cute Japanese guy, and since there was a really long line waiting to get in we ordered our tarts to go (in some seriously cute to-go boxes) and sat at some benches in the basement food court. It's funny. With our powers combined, the both of us can figure out what we're being asked by the clerks at shops and restaurants. hahaha.