Never Have I Ever....

4/11/09
11:40

Some of you may be familiar with the game “Never Have I Ever…” but I am going to give a brief explanation for those that are not.  This is a game often played at slumber parties or small gatherings with close friends.  A person says “Never have I ever _____ (fill in blank with something you have never done)” and then those that have done that in their life put a finger down.  The game is also called “Ten Fingers,” and the first person will all ten fingers down, loses. 

Okay so let’s play.  Before Japan, I would not have put any fingers down if someone said “Never have I ever:”

1)      taken a train that goes 330 miles per hour
2)      seen the devastation of the Atom Bomb and how Hiroshima is prospering in spite of tragedies that took place there
3)      seen the Japanese cherry blossoms in full bloom
4)      eaten okonomoyaki
5)      bathed in a public hot spring with complete strangers
6)      seen actual Harajuku girls
7)      eaten sushi
8)      slept in a Love Hotel
9)      eaten sweet potato ice cream
10)     traveled alone in a foreign country without any form of ID, without a phone, without any knowledge of the language or surroundings, and with only 3000 Yen ($30 USD) to my name.

After visiting Japan…I would have to put down all ten fingers.  So there is a glimpse of my whirlwind trip in Japan.  Want to hear more?  I’ll write it all down soon.