Well, today my honey and I went into Momochi (expensive area near the sea). We had a great day even though the weather was rainy...it is "tsuyu" (rainy season) so we couldn't exactly get upset. Anyway, we went to watch "Indy Jones" as it is called over here and then we went to Hard Rock Cafe Fukuoka. My honey loves this place and I like it to...mmm....nachos! Later we went to Starbucks. Of course we went shopping and hit the "jackspot" as my honey has called it (instead of jackpot) at a store. Lately, we have had a hell of a time finding new stickers and memo pads. Every store we have gone to has had the same as the last one but today we tried a store we hadn't been to in a really long time et voila- Great memo pads and stickers!So we took the train into the city and then a bus over to Momochi and I realized something that I just take as normal but not sure they do this anywhere else. When you are riding a bus and it gets to a red light, the driver turns off the engine. He/she also turns off the engine if they have to sit at a stop for a minute. It is weird. Of course they also have to tell you when they are going to start, stop, turn left or right etc. Basically the driver is talking all the time or the automatic voice is telling you the name of the next stop so it is pretty noisy but then you get to a red light and there isn't even the sound of the engine....hmmm.... Anywhere else do this?
4 comments:
the bus situation is pretty weird, it's definitely not like that in new york haha. but i guess its kind of nice, it seems like they are trying to conserve energy. maybe?
Well, when I lived there they didn't do that. Turn them off anyway.. But I did appreciate the calling out of stops. When I got back here I knew only the nicest bus drivers called out locations. Your blog is making me rather nostalgic. I loved your story about the obaasan! It is almost semi season there. I had never heard of these insects until I lived there. So consequently I never think of them with the english word even 20 years later. I hate them!
Hi Annie-the calling out of stops is ok but do they need to say they are turning left or stopping etc? Weird to me. Yes...semi season is here....we can hear them. They are pretty noisy!!! Still...wouldn't be summer in Japan without them!
Jess-I guess it is to conserve energy but it is weird sitting on a bus in the middle of the road without the engine going!
That is nice! Here (Montreal) You have to peek outside the window if you want to know which stop you are approaching. If it's dark, the bus is full or the snow is covering the windows you better be used to the bus ride because you can't really see where you are. Obviously bus drivers are nice enough to help you out if you need it but that is very cool that there is an electronic voice telling you where you are stopping in Japan!
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