Yo players. This is the Old Coot comin' at you one more 'gain from the Eastern Hemisphere. This is my last day here in sunny Japan, so you can expect that I'll be hollerin' at you on a more regular basis in the near future. I took somewhere on the order of 350 pictures, so you'll have to give me time to go through them all. In the mean time, here's a shot from the Purikkura (sp?) we did in Tokyo. This was the best.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Monday, July 30, 2007
Purikkura - The Shit!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Japan Teaser
Konnichiwa bitches! This is the Old Coot coming live and direct at you from Japan. I've been keeping myself eggstra busy, or my sister has been I should say. She's had the whole trip orchestrated for me, and I just been following along. This is how vacations should be!I Ate Some Shit Tonight
"Ha ha, he ate shit" you're probably saying to yourself and those around you. But I mean it in the "Ain't that some shit" kind of way. We went out for sushi where they have this carousel like you see at the airport with little plates of sushi on them. Whenever the moment strikes you, you just grab a plate and eat up. Or, in my case tell your sister what you want and she orders it fresh for you. PlacaTAN!Editor's Note: PlacaTAN! is not Japanese. It's origin is not completely understood, but what we do know is that it is not Asian.
I stuck with some things I've had before: salmon, tuna, some other thing, but I was convinced to try eel. Once you can get past the fact that it's totally disgusting and filled with tiny bones, it's really pretty good. I had a rough couple of moments at first where I thought I might lose my dinner all over the table, but I did alright and was able to finish it off.Purikura
I'm guessing at the spelling of this one, but that's how it sounds. This is a photo booth they have in arcades and whatnot, only you can doctor up the photos afterwards. We took a bunch of pictures with an assortment of poses, then I had the honor of decorating them. I did my best considering I had never done it before.
One of the girls with us is a real live Japanese person, and she had a hard time grasping what the hub-bub was all about. Apparently this is something you do in junior high school, not as full blown adults. But shit, we don't have this back in the States, so it's novel.
I've been promised a better Purikura booth tomorrow, and now that I'm a seasoned veteran it should make for some good pics.
The machine spits out microscopic photos, but I'm photographing them with my camera so I'll be able to share them nice and big.
I'm sorry to say it, but that's all you guys get for tonight. I have to get all of my notes in order, upload all of my pictures/videos, set aside about four days and twelve pots of coffee to get down to bidness and blog about my adventures. I'll probably dish them out in pieces to keep from posting one huge entry.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Friday, July 20, 2007
Lord I Was Born a Travelin' Man
Today's the day. I have most of my stuff packed, arrangements have been made for the kittens, I test drove my new ATM card, and I even know where to park at the airport. From what I hear, Economy Lot E is the place to BE!First Class All the Way
Well, almost First Class. A friend of mine just got back from Japan and flew the same airline I'll be taking. Her daughter is a flight attendant and through the magic of flight attendant perks, she got to fly First Class to Japan. Knowing that I wouldn't have such a luxury she snagged me an extra relaxation kit from the First Class section. It has socks, sleeping eye cover dealies, earplugs, toothpaste, a toothbrush and more. It even comes in a nice pouch. I guess that's what you get for a $12,000 seat. My only fear is that I'll have it taken away because people like me in the Cattle Car aren't supposed to have such luxuries.Making Chi-Town My Town
So when I arrive on the scene in Chi-Town tonight I have a couple of options. First, I can go to my hotel room and go to bed. Second, I can try to find a restaurant in the hotel, get something to eat, drink a coffee at the bar and hit on drunken vacationers (you know that's my forte). Third, I can catch a cab into Chi-Town proper and hit up some sort of sports bar or place with live music, and experience the night life in a real city. The catch is that my flight is at 7:00 in the morning out of O'Hare and I don't want to miss it.
I'm leaning toward the second choice. Dinner and coffee, maybe find a cozy place in the hotel to chill.Time's Up
Sorry, that's all I have time for right now. I'll have to holler at y'all later. Peace and I'll send you some high quality Oriental Vibes.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Packing, Re-Packing and Three-Packing
As you now know, tomorrow is the big day when I take my big boy self to the airport and cruise the friendly skies for Chicago. After a rest, I cruise the friendlier Pacific skies for Japan. Before that, I have to pack, repack and threepack.Pack
It started out as a harmless job: placing clothes in a suitcase. I knew I was going to need multiple suitcases if I was going to get back with goodies, but I still applied my normal packing technique to the job.
Checked suitcase: Dress clothes, underwear, shoes, other stuff.
Carry-on: Stuff you want to be sure you have when you get there. This includes toiletry bag, running gear, food.
Backpack: Stuff you can't live without on the plane. This includes food, magazines, book, music (and associated music accessories), cards, camera, chargers galore, and whatever didn't fit in the other bags (always a mistake).
I got the carry-on bag all set and figured I'd save the main packing for the next day when everything was out of the laundry.Re-Packing
Well, my basic plan is based on the premise that my luggage will be lost and I'll have to live on the carry-on equipment, hence putting all of my running gear in there. However, I have an overnight layover in Chi-town and I won't be sitting on a plane in a sleeveless technical shirt and little tiny race shorts; that would just be chilly. So I had to reorganize my whole scheme, moving travel wear into the carry-on and some running gear into checked bag.Three-Packing
Well, with most of the clothes packed it became evident that I had ignored footwear. Like a woman, I need about 5 pair of shoes when I travel. Crocs (which I'll be wearing during travel), Crocs flip-flops (cuz those Japanese make you wear them in their houses), dress shoes (in case we go somewhere decent), running shoes (for running), "daily drivers" (sneakers for just walking around in. I'm thinking the daily drivers might not make the trip. Crocs are pretty freaking comfy, I can probably get by with those.
Plus, I have a few items my sister requested that I bring. Your basic Bag Balm and Jiffy Corn Bread mix. You know, the basics. Those will be replaced by goodies from the Orient in my return trip.
Tonight I shall finalize the thrice packed luggage to see where I can make some improvements and what I can cut. Most importantly, the backpack will be reserved for ONLY things I'll be needing during my travels. None of that digging through toiletries to get to a pen. Basically I'll have reading material, iPod, kickass headphones and food.
Hopefully I can get that nonsense taken care of quickly so I have an evening to chill. Plus I have my Thursday Night Run that I would rather not miss. Wish me luck.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
For Clarity's Sake
My sister sent me a link to the Tokyo subway map, so I could get up to speed on how to get around. I thought I'd share it with all of you so you can see why I might be a tad apprehensive about getting around on my own.Map of Tokyo Subway System
Sorry, it's a pdf so you'll have to click the link. CLICK THIS LINK TO SEE THE MAP.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
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