Hub, We meet again

Despite coming back to take a lot of junk back, I'm really looking forward to catching up with past teachers that thankfully are still here in Japan. An old Japanese staff member is also coming so it should be a good time for nostalgia.

The rendezvous was Shibuya at 2pm. It was raining so not the best weather. I brought along a brolly. Surprisingly I was the first to arrive so I looked around the nearby UFO catcher place while I waited. No prizes worth winning (apart from maybe a motorised walking Ted bear), and they've made the setup harder to win these days.

I brought along two kombini chuhis, but we ending up going to the usual sushi first. Avocado maki here still tastes the business.

Because of the increased tax rate to 8% and an impending rise to 10%, a lot of shops including this one is only showing the pre-tax price. I REALLY hated this system when I was in New York. What is really bothering me is the price showing looks like the usual pre-tax price (5%). If they add the 8% to this, it makes it actually 13%!

I guess this will have to be added to the "things I hate about Japan" list :(

Next stop is the Hub. That bastion of gaijin drinking, or as I like to call it, the English school where Japanese practise English for free from drunk, unsuspecting teachers!

Unfortunately my favourite Hub, with the magic meeting table, in Center Gai has moved up to Dogenzaka. I loved that table because that table was very conducive to starting conversation with cute J girls.

I bought three Long Island Ice Teas (like old times) for 700 yen during happy hour to keep me happy. Somehow I did end up talking to one J girl, but she wasn't anything special looks-wise. Still better than one of my friends. For some reason he has a real knack for getting J guys talking to him. Just like old times!

The Hub has free wifi now, which is nice. I checked when my last train was. By that late time all the other guys had left and I was struggling to fix the last sips of my Long Is. I don't remember getting home but I somehow made it back ok.