Breakfast with Mike,
meetings all day. We traveled a considerable distance via bullet train: the
view from the window was mountainous beauty.
[Title: "View from Bullet Train, 200+ km From Tokyo"]
We got back to the hotel around
8pm. I was hungry, and decided to try the sushi resturant again. I sat
at the sushi bar this time, and as the resturant was rather empty, I
spent a bit of time
chatting with same gal that suggested the saury fish last night.
Her name is Ami, and she is a univeristy student. We talked
a bit about Japanese culture, and what life in Japan was like. I asked
if she was was free to go touring with me over the weekend, but she said
she was busy both days, with classes, and with volunteer work with childern.
Oh well, I'll continue my quest for someone who speaks both Japanese and
English to be my tour guide...
Wednesday, 24 July
Breakfast with Mike,
meetings all day, dinner with Ayami at a wonderful Japanese resturant.
Mike and I ordered a red wine (which was served much colder than we expected,
but was pretty good, once we let it warm up to room temperature.)
The dinner started with a series of appitizers--all very tasty, about six
different items in total. Ayami explained about Japanese rice wine (sake)
and the different quality grades. It turns out that what I liked from the
U.S. was the lowest grade of sake, and in Japan was consumed mostly
by college
students who couldn't afford anything better. Ayami ordered a 5th-grade
("top shelf" to us Americans) that was the most incredably smooth sake
I had ever tasted. I doubt I will ever drink that lower quality stuff ever
again! Later in the evening, the main course arrived, and Ayami ordered
some plum wine (served in very small glasses). The plum wine was even more
amazing than the sake! (Note to self: find a U.S. source for these
two wonderful items!) For dessert Mike and I had green tea ice cream.
(Ayami didn't eat ice cream, and Mike had never had the green tea variety
before. He didn't appreciate it as much as I do.)
Thursday, 25 July
Breakfast with Mike,
meetings all day. In the evening, Mike and I went shopping in the Tobu
Department store (9 floors of shopping!). We wandered around, and found
a nice gal who spoke English to help us find the items he wanted to buy
for his kids. Afterwards, I got her to give me directions to several interesting
places in Tokyo. I also asked her if she was free over the weekend to go
touring with me, but unfortunately she had to work. Bummer! I'll continue
my quest.. Leaving the store, we dropped his bags at the hotel,
then headed back out again, this time in search of food. We navigated our
way back to the building where we had dinner the night before with Ayami,
and found a different resturant. This time we had sushi again.
(Need I say I love sushi? And Mike seemed to be developing a taste
for it as well.) Oh, and in the assortment we ordered, uni showed
up, much to my dismay. I decided to try it for the third time in my life.
This was the best taking uni I had ever had. However, it was still
the worst tasting sushi I had ever consumed. On that recommendation
(or perhaps from the look on my face) Mike declined trying any uni.
Friday, 26 July
Breakfast with Mike,
meeting in the morning. When we got back to the office, I gave Ayami the
gift I had brought him from the US: Hershey's Chocolate. I had kept it
cooled in the 'fridge in my room. In the afternoon, I taught a class. Then
about 15 people from Ayami's office, and Mike and I, all went out to dinner
together. It was a traditional Japanese resturant, and a traditional
after-work 'drinking meal'. There was an endless stream of appitizers
of all sorts, and various drinks. Ayami ordered me two of the best sake
I'd ever had (again). We all sat on the floor around a low table. Over
the course of the evening (hours) various people moved around to talk with
different people. I stayed put, and people came over and talked. I
learned my numbers from 6 to 10 in Japanese (I had already learned 1-5),
and I learned some basic kanji, such as:
["Mountain;
River;
Rice;
Center"]
When we were getting ready to leave, I asked Michiko if she wanted to tour
with me on Satuday, that I wanted to go to the Tokyo Tower, and other
places. She said sure, but she had to finish by mid-afternoon, as she had
English classes to attend. She gave me her cell phone number and
suggested I call her between 9 and 10 am. We all said our goodbyes, and
departed. Mike and I wished each other a safe trip home.
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