Just chillin' ok more like shoppin' in Nagoya

We thought we’d take it easy and just stroll around Nagoya castle for the day but the shopping mall was just calling us to spend some money so we couldn’t resist. We’ve been doing pretty well so far in terms of spending. Asides from little souvenirs for our family, we haven’t really gone out and shopped. It was a bit overwhelming at first as we had no idea where to shop or more like where we can afford to shop but we decided to follow the crowds. There were hoards of girls my age at this department store called JR Takashimaya. There is this great boutique on the ground floor by the name of Opaque Clip. The clothes are very trendy and at very reasonable prices. I was impressed. It didn’t take me long to fill up my basket...more like Rod’s arms. It’s normal back home for a guy to accompany a girl shopping but it seems that asides from lingerie stores, guys don’t seem to shop with their girls. Rod was pretty much the only guy in the store. He felt uncomfortable at first but soon began appreciating the attention and the chance to outwardly stare at good looking girls. I think I ended up buying so much cause he was preoccupied and wasn’t paying attention to a word I said. Both the girls and guys in Japan are extremely trendy and always dressed to the nine. There are distinct trends and pretty much the entire population fits into one trend or another. I guess that’s why most of the girls look the same and also why we get stared at alot. I thought we were doing pretty well in blending in but something about our appearance just gives us away.

Anyhow, the highlight of the day was finding a really cute trench coat. The prices are pretty reasonable here if you stay away from their brand names. Oh and the most craziest moment of the day was bumping into a co-worker’s girlfriend. My co-worker and I had talked in lengths about our trip and knew that we were both going around the same time but had not made any real plans to catch up. I was trying on the coat when I heard my name being called out in English. Being tired from all the walking, I figured that I was just hearing things but it turned out to be his girlfriend who I had met previously. I’m amazed at the fact that she recognized me in a sea of Asian faces and that out of 1 billion people in Nagoya, we end up bumping into someone from Canada. It turns out that my co-worker’s not feeling well so he was resting up at the hotel. She is very brave to come out on her own in a foreign country. I admire her. Anyhow, we talked for a bit and we both went on to our shopping. I hope he’s feeling better. They’re headed for Tokyo and then home so I suspect we won’t be bumping into them again.

So tally for the day, 1 trench coat, 2 belts, a cute pink leather purse with a very cute bow, a funky new sandal that matches the cute purse and a few accessories to complete the ensemble. What did Rod get? Rope burns from my shopping bags, very sore feet from standing all day and his fair share of eye candy. So I guess we’re even!