A Very Harry Day

Reading: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling
Listening: Who cares? I'm reading Book Seven of Harry Potter.

Monday, July 23
Partner-in-Travels and I arrived in Kobe early. We freshened up and had a breakfast of ham and egg sandwiches at Fred's Cafe. With nothing else open, we played tourists in our own city and explored the only locations open in the morning besides McDonald's: Japanese shrines.

Possibly the earliest we've ever been out in Kobe.

We made our first stop 生田神社 (Ikuta Shrine), located in the heart of Sannomiya, immediately behind Tokyu Hands.

Vermilion torii against the first blue sky in a long while.

From there, we walked to 三宮神社 (Sannomiya Shrine), a tiny construction located across the street from Daimaru, a luxury department store in Motomachi. We spent the next few morning hours in bookstore-hopping, with a special stop at Random Walk, a small shop specializing in Western books, to pick up a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. We chatted a bit with the store employee, from whom we learned that I bought the store's final copy.

We dropped into Muji, where I picked up my usual essentials--that is, a shopping bag full of the most wonderful goodies. My selection today included buttery soft moccasins, facial lotion, and jasmine tea. We found lunch at the new Muji Cafe, which I first fell in love with at the Namba Muji in Osaka. Customers can make a lunch plates of three deli items, rice, and soup for only 680円. The food is fresh, nutritious, and oh-so-yummy!

I ate the chicken-spinach pattie, pasta-caesar salad, and creamed sweet potato.

Chris and I roamed through Junkudo for awhile afterwards, looking at books and discussing my frustrating career plans (or lack thereof). As an antidote for my depression over my confusion of what to do with my life, Chris agreed to take me to see the new Harry Potter movie.

At the M-int Building, we saw a 4:40 pm show. Movies in Japan differ from those in America in that they cost more than twice as much (I paid 1800円 for each of us), the popcorn, even in "Large Bucket" size, is too small a serving, and the seats are reserved (i.e. assigned), meaning that twenty people will be packed into a row, with the remaining back rows left empty. Oh well. No matter since I saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix! In miniature review, I loved the film, though as usual, I wished it could have been longer. Who wouldn't see a four hour-long Harry Potter movie?

Me and Harry. Back off, Cho Chang.

The movie finished at 7:10 pm, and Chris and I rode a crowded train home. We picked up dinner from Takitate Bento and returned to my place for yummy food and funnyfunny Japanese dramas.