ShopKo Corporate Headquarters

Dec 28 2003

I’ve been getting a disproportionately large number of very pretty photos from just outside of work when my shift ends in the morning. It’s kind of nice after 12 hours of getting bombarded by CRT radiation to step outside and see something like this stretching from one horizon, over my head, to the other horizon. I think I’ve figured out one key point that I can use to describe the difference between life in Tokyo and life in Green Bay: Trains versus cars. When riding trains around, you get a nice little walk to the station, then while on the train you can read, listen to music, play Game Boy, email on your phone, or just enjoy the scenery. Then you get another nice little walk to your destination. During these walks you can stop by any little cafe or bookstore that seems interesting, or just walk around and explore. Driving is much more deliberate: you get in your car, and fifteen minutes later you’re somewhere else. You may as well have teleported there. In a train culture, things are there to be discovered. In a car culture, you already have to know where you’re going. Well, this train versus car thing is probably just something I’ve made up because I’ll probably never live in Tokyo again and I don’t want to think that I’ll never have that kind of life again.