No Cheapskates Allowed

I am going to take this opportunity to fill you all in on what I have been doing lately while at the same time comparing Japan and America as everyone expects me to do.

I become increasingly busier everyday at least 3 times a week I head off together with friends to a different destination. I've Osaka Castle for the first time, enjoyed the more karaoke (that never gets old), and gone shopping two days in a row! Almost everyday now is filled with a new adventure. This coming week I am looking forward to Universal Studios Japan, more karaoke, and probably a lot more. Each time I go out with friends I make it a priority to get purikura to remember the day by and so far I have done just that, my purikura collection is becoming quite vast.

However, the interesting thing is this: in America everyone is familiar with the phrase "just hanging out" which simply entails being together with friends. If you happen to have money you go see a movie, if no one has money then you just "chill" somewhere and do very little. Here, there is no such thing as "just chillin" when you want to hang out, you better have money because you will need it. I have not gone out once without spending at least 1000 yen (about $10). Because of this, play-dates are usually great fun and you don't often have to worry about long awkward silences or bored friends. You do, however, have to worry about going completely bankrupt.