While queing for my Rail Pass, I picked up a tourist leaflet which said Nov 3 - also culture day - was the 東京時代祭, a historical festival. I grabbed my canera and headed out, photos to follow.
I felt fine until I got on the train back to Hanae's, when I literally started nodding off. Unfortunately, I had a cup of coffee balancing on my lap. Which soon made it onto the floor. I grabbed some tissues out of my bag (I only carry them in Japan as despite being a developed nation their toilets often lack paper) and desperately tried to mop it up as the train swayed. I was scrabbling for another tissue when a small cloth landed next to the spill - a man in his fifties sitting across the carriage had thrown it to me. I had barely thanked him when another tissue appeared, this time from the lady beside me. The spill was gone, leaving me with coffee-soaked tissues and the cloth. The man across the carriage reached over to hand me an empty tissue packet to hold them with, and a moment later the lady beside me gave me an empty plastic bag. I could only thank them again.
I felt guilty about the cloth but when I asked, the man just waved his hand gently in my direction - I could have it. I managed to stay awake for the rest of the journey (who knew mortification worked against jet lag?) and thanked them again when I got off. The lady was in her own world and didn't notice me, and the man just gave a slight nod in response.
I told Hanae about it at dinner and she gave a huge smile - ここ下町だからね - this is an older part of town (北千住) with older people, and as far as she's concerned, kinder ones.
Off to Nagoya in a few hours, meeting Dawn and Nozaki先生，then on to Hiroshima tonight for my anorak trip to the Toho beads visitor center tomorrow.
This phone is going to give me RSI - no predictive text entry in English and actually quite chunky. Think I'll get up soon and quietly do some packing.
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