Day 51 - I don't know if I'm gonna bother naming posts anymore…

I think I've realized what bugs me the most about Japan. It's my lack of control in almost everything. At my homestay house, I have almost no say in what I get to eat. Mama simply makes food and I have to eat everything or I'm "selfish". I've told her I don't like some foods, but apparently it's selfish to not eat everything in front of you. I have to spend most of my time with the family or I'm "selfish". There are many rules around the house that I'm not used to, and there is no sway here, it's either do it, or I'm a bad person. Which sucks. I have to worry about offending them because I have to stay here. It's incredibly inconvenient to move in the middle, and I'd have to get to another, different situation. I can't choose when I get to be alone, if at all, especially at the school. Don't get me wrong, most of the time I love it here, and enjoy spending time with the family, learning new things, trying new foods, but there are bad days, too.

I don't really feel like typing much else today. I did take a couple pictures today though. First is a tiny shrine that I walk by almost every day on the way to school. It's adorable. And I have no idea what it's for. Felt really conspicuous taking the picture. Still not sure on the Japanese stance on taking pictures of religious sites. I feel like it should be okay, but am not sure… The other pic is of Big Box, the main landmark of Takadanobaba, the station I stop at to get to school. It's enormous, and honestly, a big box. There's all sorts of clothing stores inside, but also a Karaoke parlor, and an entire floor devoted to an arcade. Quite a lot of fun to just explore inside.

The other two are what I had for dinner today. The first is a very Japanese lunchbox. I found that I liked pretty much everything in it. Especially the egg, it was sweet, and very tasty. The one thing I just can't get used to is this thing called Konyaku. It's a gelatin thing made from some sort of vegetable, that kind of greyish thing on the leaf on the bottom right. It's typically a light grey with black flecks in it. Apparently it's very good for you, but I hear that about pretty much all Japanese food. It has no flavor, and is just really chewy, and I can't eat more than a little bit. But I guess it has almost no calories, so women like to eat it when they're dieting? I don't understand eating something just to eat, especially if there's no flavor… The other is a soup Mama made. She's on this kind of soup kick. But this is just weird. Egg and chive? There was no other flavor. Yeah… I don't really know what else to say. Drinking egg is weird. Can't really do it. :/