Recap on my life in Tokyo thus far

Here is a brief recap on how my life has been since coming to Tokyo:

Work: I am commuting to the office in Shinjuku. I've been doing it everyday, until I got the internet. I skipped out the past two work days and worked from home. My daily commute to the office is pretty grueling. Though I only have to endure a 12 - 17 minute train ride (depending if I hit the local or rapid trains) the amount of people I have to jock for position everyday is pretty crazy. I have been twice elbowed by two different elderly ladies. I've also been almost trampled over by a disgruntled salary man. The funniest part about the commute though is when we arrive to Shinjuku station. Right when the door opens, everyone makes an Olympic-like sprint to the stairs to get out of the station. I on the other hand patiently wait for the rush to go by fearing I would get eaten up by the sea of salary men and office ladies. My office is a 15 - 20 minute walk from the station. The time really depends on how gung-ho I am that day. Usually, I just take my time and enjoy the sights and sounds that Shinjuku offers. My office building is ok. I have taken a picture of the building in my previous post. The people that work near me (I don't actually work with anyone there, since I am remotely working with my old team) have treated me fair so far. I have met the people that were against me during my attempt to join their office and they put their fake smiles and handed me their Christmas handshakes. I offered the same. I have spoken to a couple of friendly people and had lunch a couple of times with them. I hope to make more office friends in the near future.

Apartment: Furnishing an empty apartment is not only expensive, but is hard work. This makes it extra hard without the aid of the internet to do prior research. Needless to say, most of the appliances and furniture have been obtained, but after an empty wallet, more furniture is still needed. The location of the apartment is convenient and area is not bad. On the weekends, I hear the occasional drunken salaryman battle cry, but all in all, the only constant disturbance I encounter is the express train zooming by.

Life: Life is fine. I have to admit, that I am fighting homesickness, but I try to make the best of it. I spend most of my off time trying to explore different parts of my area to find out what can be bought without going to the center of Tokyo. The center of Tokyo is not very far, but if things can be done without having to travel on the crowded trains (even on weekends it is crowded) and of course not spending money for the train fare, all the better. I also meet good friends on occasion which definitely cheers me up. So far Japan has experienced a few earthquakes and 2 typhoons. Though it sounds like a lot, I honestly haven't noticed any earthquakes thus far and had no immediate impact of the 2 typhoons.

Food: God.. I'm in heaven here. Food is so good. I even found a nearby Kaiten sushi near my apartment. There are also a lot of ramen shops that are just steps from my apartment. I look forward to exploring and discovering more tasty restaurants in the near future.

Misc: I have not missed American T.V. thanks to the slingbox. With the fiber optic connection I have here in my apartment, I get really good quality coming out of my slingbox. This is really good since NFL season is coming up in a few weeks. Go Cowboys!!!!!!!!!!!