Enough with the smoking please!

So, this city is known for its beautiful temples, shrines and pagodas - but what they didn't tell you was all the smoking that follows you around...I guess coming from Seattle - I'm spoiled in the fact that I don't have a cigarette constantly blown into my face....it's nuts - on trains, in restaurants and in bars, but I was talking to an Expat about what they are doing to get rid of all the smoking - and they have some new laws now where its only outside and they are working on it every where else - they said that it should be like the States in a few years...though I might have second hand smokers lung by then...:P

They also don't tell you about about all the public drunkenness that occurs every night...I had a guy fall on me in the subway last night and he reeked of Asahi beer! It is part of the whole after work thing, but I'm amazed that people don't say anything about it...

Subways are annoying how they only are in use until about 1230am, so all of us party kids are forced to stay overnight where we are - keep drinking - sing karoke - or take a $500 taxi back to our homes...If I spoke enough Japanese, I'd totally do a petition signing...ha!

On the bright side, I love the super market! Everything in the produce aisle looks like a present - they are all weighed out for you, all organized to be in the same direction in the bags, cleaned, trimmed and washed...it's quite pretty! Also, they have this great 100yen store - which is like our dollar stores in the states - but way better! They have little bits of everything and it's awesome!!