Pics from the Tokyo Motor Show

Two weekends ago, I went to Tokyo for the big Tokyo Motor Show. The place was packed. We couldn't even get close the the crazy concept cars. The first thing I saw when we walked in was a brand-new, 2008 1980 Honda 750. They still had all the old dies and things, and people still want them, so they started making them again.

We kept moving and saw all the crazy cars and bikes and scooters, and I took pictures of them.

There was a crazy crowd in front of every booth, and I think 2 people looking at every car. There was a huge paparazzi frenzy in front of every girl. I couldn't help getting caught up in it. Finally, after taking all those pictures for Adrian, I stopped and took a picture for Dad at the Dodge booth.

Back in the Blogosphere

After a week or so of no internet, I finally got it hooked in my apartment. I know you missed me.

I'm pretty well settled in at my apartment. I thought I'd tell you about it, take pictures and stuff, but I realized I may run out of things to say, so I'l do it one step at a time and take longer. So I'll just describe where it is. I'm about 0.8 km South of the train station on the East side, as if that means anything to you. I guess the important stuff is I'm about 12 minutes walking to the station, about 4 minutes from 2 supermarkets (in Japanese, it's called a "suu-paa-). About 4 minutes from the hyaku-en-shoppu (100 yen shop). It's amazing how important the dollar store is here. That's where you buy just about everything. The quality seems better, and 100 yen is only 85 cents. They must save on shipping from China. Guess where I'm doing my Christmas shopping?

Last weekend, I had 2 nomikai (drinking party) to go to. I was introduced to the term nomihoudai (all-you-can-drink) and tabehoudai (lots of food). They set a time limit, usually 2 hours, and keep bringing the beer/sake/shochu and about 8 courses of dinner. My plans on getting skinny in Japan are taking a hit.

Friday was with my group at work at a chunko-nabe restaurant. That's sumo weight gain stew, and it's really good. If you retire from sumo and don't go into coaching, you open one of these joints. They fed me more than I could eat (including a big prawn that you have to clean yourself) and as much as I wanted to drink, which I kept in check knowing I had to do it again the next day. I didn't eat this that night, but a few weeks ago I ate the other one that was in the bowl before I took the picture. Mmmm, raw baby squid. Looks bigger in the picture than it actually was.

Saturday night was a going away party for one of the OAPs who's going back. I suppose I should define my terms better. OAP is Honda-speak for "Overseas Assignment Program". Anyway, he's a little older and had 2 kids, but still wanted to go to Roppongi for the night. That's the foreigner (and girls looking for foreigners) packed bar/nightclub area of Tokyo. One of the guys arranged the tabehoudai/nomihoudai at T.G.I. Friday's, which nobody thought existed. Best damn potato skins I ever tasted. Beer flowed freely. There were only 4 of us there, and we estimated (since we couldn't count) about 8-10 pitchers. I learned the phrase "itsu-mo futatsu kudasai", which means "always 2, please", and there were always 2 pitchers on the table. It was a hard night of drinking (in western style bars for a change), some dancing, and learning my way around. We dropped the older guys one by one (there were 2 of them) until me and the other younger guy called it a night around 3. Went to a conveniently located hotel that gave a discount to Honda employees and passed out until we rushed to catch the 10 AM shinkansen back for a OSU-Mich party.

Oh, and I bought some curtains.