Strange events occurred today. First, in my Japanese class I learned some basic kanji and after class I noticed those kanji everywhere and I was able to read them! Next, after work I was walked towards the train station and there was a large group of young people standing in a circle on the sidewalk next to a busy street. They were clapping and singing some sort of song. Most Japanese people walked right by them without any notice, but I was intrigued. I stopped and sat down a slight ways away and watched them singing, clapping and chanting in a circle. I was going to take a video of them, but before I could some old Japanese man carrying some cardboard asked me, in Japanese, if I spoke Japanese. I understood what he was saying and told him that I did a very little bit. He then proceeded to ask me, in Japanese again, for some money for soba noodles. I didn’t have any change and I also just learned the word for coins in my Japanese class, but I forgot the word. So I took out my book and looked up the words for coins and then told him that I didn’t have any. Since I had my book out I then started to ask him questions the best I could in Japanese and any part of his answer I didn’t understand I looked up. After a short conversation with a Japanese beggar I said ‘thank you’ and left. Next time I will be sure to have some coins to pay any future beggar for the help with learning Japanese. Before I took my train home, I went into a game place and killed all that dared to play me at Tekken. I had a fairly large winning streak and only intentionally lost to be able to get back home. I guess that last part wasn’t strange but still noteworthy. Lastly, on the train back home I had to stand next to some really really drunk guy on a crowded train. He was holding on to the overhead handrail firmly, his eyes closed and his head down, while the rest of him was bobbing around in every direction. He was constantly swaying into me, head butting me, and just bumping in to me as much as possible. While other Japanese paid no attention to this man, I found it very amusing. When he bumped into me I started to slightly push back. He would lean back and then come forward again and just go in random directions. I became intrigued and started to push back when he head butted me or started to lean on me. He would wobble in many directions and come straight back to me. He was like that blow up punching bag toy with the sand in the bottom. I swear that this must have been how that guy invented it. After much fun I finally had to leave the bobble toy for the next person to punch around.