Kikai/Japan Idiosyncrasies, Part 2

OK. I'm back w/ more titillating info - all the things you never thought to ask about Kikai and/or Japan and never wanted to know. Maybe you shouldn't read this post.

-Don't ever let anyone tell you that America has a monopoly on big stuff, like food or vans. Some of the vans (just regular passenger vans, I mean) are beasts. For some reason, they seem more imposing than American conversion vans. I know they're not, but they look it. Maybe it's just the comparison w/ other cars that make them look that way. Also, there are no "regular" loaves of bread here - any loaf of bread is sliced up into these monster Texas-toast slices. Put two of 'em together and it's already hard to get them into your mouth, and that's BEFORE you put in any sandwich stuff.

-Don't ever let anyone tell you that America is the only place where everything is way too individually packaged. Here, many many things like crackers and cookies and sweets and seaweed (the well-known nori that encircles sushi rolls) are bought in regular-sized packages. But then, once you open that package, there are always smaller ones inside. Chocolate chip cookies and almost all of the popular coffee-break crackers/cookies are individually packaged. Candies are individually packaged in groups of 4-10 little candy bar things. It's strange. Convenient, but strange.

Later!