Yesterday evening at Dinnerbar

2 weeks gone, 102 to go. I am doing quite well instigating talk with strangers who are Japanese. As soon as I make an overture, they are usually interested in responding, so that I will keep doing. Yesterday I was home all evening more or less immobile on the computer ordering used books etc, so by ten o'clock I thought I better go for a walk. I was a bit chilly to begin with because the apt is a bit on the cold side, so I walked briskly down past Demachiyanagi station to cross the bridge crossing first the Takano River and then the Kamo River. They meet right next to it and my plan was to return home over the other bridge close by which just crosses the Kamo River. Well, I had planned earlier in the day to find hot cocoa and a layer cake to celebrate my nephews birthday, but there was not much open at this hour. Then I came by a sign for a Dinnerbar on the 2. floor. They had wine! And an eggplant dish (なす田楽). I like both, so I climb the stairs and open the door - to a small room with an elderly mama-san behind a counter and six chairs lined up along it. A couple is on the left and three guys on the right. An angel walked through the room, as we say in Danish, but the mama-san pulled herself together within a fraction of a second and the others began talking again. I ordered and mainly watched a Japan-Korea iceskating grandprix transmission from Korea on the large TV, waiting to see what would happen. Well, mamasan was busy preparing various dishes to everyone, but after a good while, when the guy on the far left went to the loo, his girlfriend began chatting me up. So we talked and the guy joined in when he came back. I was a bit curious about his attitude since he was a bit yakuza with pinstriped jacket, a mysterious emblem, spiky long/short hair with lighter tips and red/black sunglasses. But superfriendly, too, as most people are here. 

Well, another example that the locals do cannot help bringing someone in if they are unattached to somebody; it made me feel good, so I ordered another glass of wine (having eaten my eggplant already - very good: broiled with miso-sauce on top) and then left and bade farewell.

On the way home I stopped in at Mr. Donuts, but they only had coffee and tea and donuts, so no birthday drink or cake for me. Next door was a great bookshop where I bought a manga called Nue (鵺) and takes place in old Kyoto when it was Heian-kyō. The story weaves a supernatural story into the story of Genji Monogatari - the story of prince Genji and is wonderfully drawn. I walk home and go bed. I read a bit in the manga and there Genji is walking over the Kamo River.