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I don`t know why I called this blog Simon goes undercover in Japan. I mean I stick out like a black man at a Klu Klux Klan meeting. I`m a foot taller than most of them, fair skinned and dressed like a stereotypical American backpacker in T-shirt, shorts and sandals, I can`t pass for a Japanese person. When I walk in the street, I often get double looks as if it is incredible that there are people in this world who aren`t Japanese. When I am in the onsen bathing, I get looks of incredulity from children as if I am from another planet and looks of bewilderment from the older and oldest of men that I found out that there were places like those and inwardly swearing to slit the throat of the one who betrayed the secret.

At least when I lived in France and Germany, I had to open my mouth before my guilty secret could be revealed by my foreign accent and difficulty with advanced grammer and vocabulary. Here even five year old children aren`t fooled. So I am going to change this blog`s name. Any suggestions welcome.

Today Reiko bought me a suit as congratulations and for my new job teaching English. I`ll be the best dressed teacher if not the best teacher there at least. Pictures to come? After that she went to Namba to get HEAT magazine from HMV whilst her mum and I went on a tram to have a look at a famous nearby temple. Her mum is funny and always happy and fun to be with but Reiko`s still safe. There is a famous bridge over a large pond in the temple there which rises and falls really steeply. There should hopefully be a picture of part of the temple below and there will be some above.

I recently had my hair cut a few days ago for the first time since June and the first one in Japan. I was a bit scared of letting them near my hair as the fashions (which seem to suit the Japanese well) aren`t for me. It only cost 1000 yen and was over in 10 minutes. Milestones.

There is a TV program which is like an adult Blue Peter and tells you how to make boomerangs out of postcards and party poppers out of cellophane. It has a website which is in Japanese but if you translate it with Babel or something, it should be all right. It is here. Yay.

Last night I watched Kissing Jessica Stein which is alright. I read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and I`m on the excellent The Three Musketeers. I have also read every Sherlock Holmes story there is. They are excellent. Do I want a medal? Maybe I do.