Juice it Up

Most days I try to have my Nalgene handy, especially when classes come back to back. One of my adult students was excited to see the waterbottle. She explained that when she went to America everyone seemed to have a waterbottle! I guess this put me into familiar territory and we hit it off. She explained that Japanese children always carry juice to classes, not water. If it's not juice it's tea. And if you're an adult, maybe it's coffee.

Jeff and I went for a walk yesterday. About a seven minute walk to the local mall. True to form we were greeted at every opportunity with a vending machine. The first one, steps from our front door, hosted Caplis products. Perhaps we would be thirsty a minute later, or remember a friend who would appreciate a delicious drink--just in case, there was a Nescafe awating our every need! The third vending machine was sitting haphazardly at the back corner of the grocery store, looking as if it had just been unloaded off a truck. If you peeked into the warehouse you could see another machine in close competition. The fourth assailed us while we waited to cross the road. It not only offered a drink, but a smoke. Every need in supply, right;) Entering the mall we found a cluster of machines hailing us to gander at the incomprehensible labels and gamble our money on something we might or might not enjoy. The last troupe (but only because we stopped walking) was camped in the center of the mall. Not only could you choose hot or cold, the drinks would be dispensed into a foam cup if that was more desireable.

Even a few of these tempters had recycle bins nearby, making it an easy stop to quench the thirst. (Normally it is considered rude to eat or drink while you are walking, but trash cans are rare. We often choose to stow either the drink or the trash for later.)

The vending machines are kind of a fun way to spend change. Since my Kanji reading is extremely limited, I never know if I'm getting something fruity or tangy. Sometimes I choose my favorite label. Other times it just depends how much I have in my pocket. Jeff teases me when I come home with a can of something. He asks "What have you got there? Alcohol?" I answer truthfully, "I don't THINK so...", but then I smell real deep before I drink. So far so good!