Back!

I’m officially back from my 2-week hiatus from life. I feel like a broken record, but Japan was amazing. It was everything I wanted and expected, and then some. I have so many thoughts, it’s going to take time to organize them and more thoughts will keep surfacing as I recall them.

Some initial thoughts:

• Of all the places I’ve been, being in Japan was the first time I thought about wanting to create a library of sounds. Their trains play a melody before the doors close and they are often specific to the station you’re at. Within many of the stations, they pipe bird songs to help direct blind passengers. Large intersections, such as those found in Shibuya, have video advertisements that play on the buildings AND they blast the sound too! There are so many different competing noises in addition to the sights, I feel the sounds in Japan need their own encyclopedia.
• Walking down random side streets in Omotesando is an activity unto itself! No need to plan or research, just walk down whatever streets catch your fancy and be amazed at all the cute shops and cafes scattered amongst residential buildings.