Itte Tigers!

I got cable installed today, so I now have internet access from my apartment. As a by-product, of course, I'm able watch TV, just in time for the first game of the Japan Series, featuring the Hanshin Tigers vs. the Chiba Lotte Marines (from Chiba near Tokyo). Interestingly, the manager of the Marines is good old Bobby Valentine, former manager of the Mets. I'm still rooting for the Tigers. It's tied at one with the Marines batting in the fifth. Uh-oh, make that 4-1 Marines. Hmm.

I also made a trip to Nisshoo supermarket today, which is about a 15 minute walk, but much larger than the other one nearby. It's also right next to Kojima, the Best Buy of Japan, where I bought my cheapo TV the other day (with the help of Anabuki-san, into whose debt I have deeply buried myself). I wandered around the store some more today, and found the aisle of toilets. Actually, they just had the seats displayed, and there were twenty or so models possessing features of which you've never dreamed. Unless you're Dave Barry, or you've searched Wikipedia for "Japanese toilets". (Warning: that last link contains far too much information about toilet usage, so read at you own risk. Unless you're Dave Barry. Then you've already read it.)

Also at the Nisshoo plaza is a dollar store (100 Yen Store, so I guess it's really 87 cents at this point). I managed to spend 1200 yen, but in the process got everything else I need for my apartment.