Time is flying by faster than I would have anticipated. The weather though is a bit frustrating. Much more rain and clouds than i would have liked but in some ways a blessing. It is also pretty warm. The combination of humidity and warm weather ...sucks...in a word.
On the last Friday i was in Japan I got up early and made a trek back out to have my final samples of sushi. I arrived shortly at 10 am owing to the congestion on the trains. As I am sure I have mentioned in the past, it amazes me how so many people can be moved so efficiently. The trains take a little longer during rush hour(s). From my experiences it seems there are three times of the day where the trains are almost guaranteed to be packed to the gills. Early morning for the start of the work day, late afternoon for the slackers who leave work at 5 and students and then again right before the system shuts down for the night around 11 pm or so, for the real workers who put in a full day and pound back a few beers before returning to their homes.
Getting back to breakfast, I sampled my favorites and true to form, Eddie was able to come up with a creation that I had not had before, nor seen elsewhere. In honor of my final visit I washed it all down with more than a few ice cold beers. Who needs coffee in the morning. I did finish up with a little hot tea just so I would not appear like a total lush, but i think it may have been too late to try to save face. I made my way back to Shinjuku to hang out for the afternoon. I was meeting Yasu after work to get dinner and hang out.
Oddly enough he did not work late that night. We met up at around 6 pm. The challenge was finding a location within the station that we both knew how to get to. The station is enormous and always crowded. If I had not had a phone i would never have been able to connect with him. It took wandering around in the station for a good thirty minutes before we ran into each other, I insist it was purely by chance. The next search was to find a place to eat. I did not want anymore fish for the duration of the time I was in Japan. We chose a little izakaiya we found after being turned away from a few because they were packed and had many people waiting in line. Our choice was fine, a good sampling of food, a few more drinks and we were ready to hit the streets. We were club bound
We made it to the Asakasa section of the city and stopped by a few places. The bars we visited were small and the club even smaller. But the drinks were good and the music not bad at all. The evening flew by and we were well aware of the time sensitive nature of our venture because we did not want to get stuck in the city and have to cab it home. We made the last train at 1130 pm and were met with what i mentioned earlier. A packed train. I think i was sweating as much on the train as I had in the club. That was a long day.
We chatted about what we were going to do for the last few days. the weather was just not cooperating so we stayed local for the most part. We did plan to visit Tribes, for dinner. It is the African restaurant we visited earlier int he week only to find it closed for renovations. When we arrived it was mostly complete and it looked great. The closed space had been opened up to include huge sections of the outside wall opened up so there was more light and air. Once it is totally complete it will be a great place. The food was good. I would only suggest that they work on getting food out a bit faster but because we were not in a hurry, it was fine. There was a good selection of food and drinks. I even had a beer made from bananas. Sounds strange but it really was not too bad.
Sunday was a lazy day, doing domestic stuff. There were a few things I needed to buy so we did some shopping right in the area of Yasu's place so we did not get too wet. Food was the main reason we went out, chinese was the fare for the night. Back home early and began packing. We were going to head to the airport hotel the next morning. I am glad I have taken to stay the night before at the airport. There is no rushing around to get a train or bus the day of the flight. For the "last meal" at the hotel we opted for the Teppanyaki restaurant. The food was great. A few scallops, a thick and melt in your mouth steak and veggies made for a great meal. The chef, however, did not display many knife skills that we might see here if you go. I could have done a better job in fact.
It is always sad to say goodbye. As you have seen, this was a great trip. The ride back was uneventful, I was comfortable and well fed and plied with drink for the ride back. I arrived on last Tuesday and started work Thursday. So, it has been a week and I think I am finally back on my regular sleep schedule.
Until the next trip, I hope you all stay well. I have not yet made plans to take a vacation but i am sure to have this conversation with my boss soon. The faculty in this department is mostly gone for the summer so I have not met many of them. I am sure the beginning of the school year will bring lots of long hours and the need to take some time off will come during the middle of the semester. The big question is where to go next, I will have to consult with Yasu.
Bye all
Craig
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