Always be aware of your surroundings...and have a good sense of humor

I've been running low on my contact solution and kept reminding myself to go searching for it. Over the week I kept forgetting and it was getting to the point where I had one nights worth of solution left...maybe. So on my last visit to Shinjuku I set out on the mission of finding contact solution. Should be easy right? Yeah that's what I thought. 4 stores later I began to wonder if contact solution existed in this country. (For example, I went looking for grape jelly to make a PBJ sandwich, it doesn't exist here) Finally upon walking past a store I saw a sign that had the above box pictured on it. Finally, my quest was over. I was so overjoyed that I rushed right into the store. The first thing I noticed was the odd looks that were shot my way as I entered the store. I brushed it off. There aren't many black people in Japan, I've gotten use to the looks and stares. I went perusing down the aisles looking for the holy grail of my eyeballs.

Upon finding my treasure I happily brought it to the counter where the clerk was looking at me very perplexed. It was then that I noticed that right above her was a huge shelf filled with feminine hygiene products (you know what I'm talking about). It was then I took a look around and noticed pretty much everything in the store was pink and that there were only women in there shopping. Putting 2 and 2 together I had realized that a black guy had happily rushed into a women's only drugstore. That's why I got those weird looks. DOH! All I could utter was a "Gomen" (sorry in Japanese) at which the clerk starting laughing. So next time I decide to buy something, I'll be a little more aware of exactly what store I'm going into.