The subtle art of head nodding

It is very important, while you are in Japan, to master the art of head nodding.
When you have no idea what is going on, you nod your head. Nod vigorously when the person is excited, and thoughtfully when the tone sounds more philosophical, and the person will assume you have followed what they are saying. Furthermore, add conversational comments on the few words you do pick up "oh, the higayashi temple?"..."Yes, I've heard it has walls".

I have gained a mastery of this tonight whilst staying at the Tour Club Youth Hostel in Kyoto. I went down to the local Yakitori place (they serve whatever you want on a stick, I had chicken and shitake mushrooms)...one of the best tourist sights in the country I believe, but never written in any guidebook. A tiny little Japanese joint, where I sat on a stool and talked with the friendly staff (its run by a family of people who sit around yelling at each other in between cooking), and ask them about Kyoto, the shop, and life in general. The air is warm from the fire they cook my food on, and the conversation is just as warm...the mother sits and cuts chicken in the corner while we talk about global warming and its international ramifications. It is interesting to compare observations from the other side of the world; I tell him about the drought in Australia, while he tells me about the onset of the rainy season, which despite being predictable for thousands of years, is now anybody's guess. Conspiratorily, we add in hush voices "somethings just not right..."

I am sleeping tonight on the floor of the common room, a tatami mat which looks quite comfortable. They were full when I first arrived, but someone at another youth hostel made a phone call, and it turned out they weren't that full. I have to wait until 11pm for everyone to go to bed though, until my futon is unrolled. I am sharing this floor with two swedish girls (I assume they're swedish, as they are blonde and don't seem to speak english that well). This place is heaven on earth, the owner even brought us out some warm sake while me and a couple from Wales chatted over a copy of lonely planet.

Yes, I finally bought one...Walking down the street today, I thought to myself of the huge numbers of tourists in the area at the moment. Then, a quick look at my own giant backpack and copy of Lonely Planet later, it suddenly hit me...I'm a tourist! I jumped down the streets with glee. I'm a tourist! I'm a tourist! I'm touring, or whatever it is that tourists do!

Speaking of whatever tourists do, my back hurts from my backpack (how stereotypical :D), so I'm going to the public baths for a hot soak. Its just down the alleyway, a quick walk through the streets of pre-western era Japanese wooden houses, and across the road from one of the centuries old temples.

Ah Japan, you've done it again...