Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Min did Tokyo



Because I am a slacker, I am 2 weeks too slow reporting on Min’s trip to Tokyo. But anyway, Min came to Tokyo! Min came to Tokyo for 5 days on her way to her new life in London and it was wicked to see her. Min urged me to partake in such cultural activities I would otherwise never have embarked, for example a tour of the National Diet Building (Japan’s Government House). We signed up for the tour under the promise of English headphones only to be denied at the point of no return but it turned out to be fabulous. Min learnt something and I had fun mock translating the tour guide for an hour. We appreciated culture a little closer to home when we went to nomihodai (all-you-can-drink) at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel 39th floor bar, which for me was the highlight of the trip. The view was spectacular, the service amazing, the cocktails sweet and the company priceless. It felt like another world sitting up there gazing over one of the biggest metropolis in the world, for some reason I was reminded of sitting at my computer playing Sim City in my sleepy old Cambridge days. Min was lucky enough to experience one of Tokyo’s more prestigious events, an Anton all-star party, which was sadly the last because it was his farewell. Anton rocks for all kinds of reasons but mostly because he introduced to a special big man I’ll boast later.




Having Min here gave me the opportunity to see Tokyo through tourist eyes again. I remembered how daunting everything was when I first got here. How difficult it was and how alien I felt. It was good to do some sight seeing, but it was great to spend time with an old friend. It was awesome to have her here and I know she is going to love life in London. Thanks Mindle, you rock.



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