My Lord!

A road in Tokyo named after the main character of "Guardians of the Galaxy." Star-Lord. Oh, wait, it's Star Road. I see. 

Katakana can be a real bitch sometimes. I also love that Hobbit movie "Road of the Ring."

Coffee cryptomnesia

For the last few days I've noticed the reflection of the overhead halogen lights in my iPad screen while sitting at the local Starbucks. Each time I notice it, I get this sense of déjà vu. Of course, I think, "Oh, I noticed that yesterday." So the déjà vu is easily dismissed. But then my eyes are drawn into the reflection. I see the concentric pattern of seven small bulbs of equal size, six encircle the one in the center. My eyes have to refocus from the images and text on the screen to actually see it clearly, like when staring into one of those 3D illusion posters. Now the feeling of déjà vu turns into the sensation of being watched. Of knowing that I'm being watched. And realizing I keep forgetting that I'm being watched and knowing that I will forget again. You might call it an irrational thought or a paranoid feeling. But still, I return to Starbucks each morning for my coffee and the free wifi. I go about my business and then, a sudden shift in my reality, the halogen eyes are reaching out to me from another plane of existence.

Simon says WTF?

Spotted this through the window of a game center in Shibuya last night and had to go inside to take a closer look. When I first arrived in Japan back in 1999, Dance Dance Revolution was the hot arcade game. It was basically the old Simon electronic game combined with music and using feet instead of your hands. Well, meet Mai Mai. My friend described it best: "Simon meets Astroids meet Tempest meets Space Invaders on acid. Or some form of Japanese martial arts training. Possibly an epilepsy test."

Short-sighted snacks

This is the Anpan-man corner in my local supermarket. That little TV screen at kiddie height is some great marketing tool.