my friendly neighbors

Today i made a brief trip around the neighborhood to visit some acquaintances i made over the past months. I visited first the "Nepari" store that sells Nepali teas, salts, and jewelery. I usually speak with the woman there, but today her husband was there and i spoke with him instead, mostly about Nepal and my Japan living statistics. He has been there 10 times, i assume with his wife, and his daughter is going there to become a tour guide. His wife made us some Nepali milk tea, which was delicately spiced and richly flavored. I then proceeded to the barber shop and entered only to find both barbers hard at work on two heads. The man, nicknamed "Yogi" after the cartoon bear, commented on my beard in a surprised and delighted tone. I seated myself and waited a while, entertaining myself by watching the sports news--a young woman who was training to be a champion weight lifter, an aggressive judo trainer who was enormous and stern-faced, a woman pro-golfer who won some award. Eventually, they asked if i wanted my haircut, and i humbly told them i simply wanted to say hello and that i saw they were busy, whereupon they smiled and told me to come back later when i wanted a haircut. It really is a shame that their haircuts are so expensive, otherwise i would actually go. After this, i went to see about my plane ticket at the travel cafe, and was told that my flight would be nearly 2000 dollars. Naturally, i became nervously confused, because the previous time i was told a figure closer to 500. I then went to the international center and was advised to go to a certain travel company, which i quickly did. Once i got there, i sat down with a woman who spoke to me and Japanese and got my basic travel request. Another woman then sat down with me and spoke to me in slow but precise English, and for this i was thankful, and replied in slower English than she spoke. She informed me that the price would be about 600 dollars, a figure more to my liking. It seems that i will fly out of Narita airport in Tokyo. My plan is to travel to Tokyo in April and stay a few days, then fly out of Narita to LaGuardia. A noble plan, if i dare say so myself. Before this, of course, i must satisfy all my tourist urges, which may prove to be impossible. More on this later.