Entries this day: Most_awesomeest_day

Most awesomeest day

10:37pm JST Saturday 13 October 2007 (day 13716)

!2 hours and 10 minutes ago I set out for Hirama Station to meet Ami and her extended family for lunch in Tsukiji. I had been there twice before; once with Teddy Bear Tomoko and Sumidasan for okonomiyaki, and once with Steve Kushner and Takeshi from my I-group for a mad selection of sushi.

We took the Nambu Line to Kawasaki, where we met Toru's girlfriend. (Toru is Ami and Yuta's cousin.) Hung around for a little bit in a cafe (disgusting smoking section) after going to Lawson's to get a bus ticket for Toru and tasty beverages for me and Ami.

Back in to Kawasaki Station train lines (ugh; why did we exit if we were just going to go back in??) and onto the Tokaido Line to Shinbashi, and then the something to something else and then to something else and finally to Shin-Toyosu, which is nearly the far end of the Yurikamome Line, the sign for which I photographed and emailed to Yurika.

Somewhere during all that, we took the Hibiya Line from one station to another (Ginza was involved) and I checked the time. "Wow; I could have left my station nearly an hour after I met you guys in Hirama. ... But then I wouldn't have gotten to spend this time chillin' with you."

Once we got off the trains in Tsukiji, on the way walking to wherever we went, we saw a pretty big temple and a bridge that begged me to climb it.

We ate two types of yakisoba (fried noodles), and four types of monja, which is cooked in a way similar to okonomiyaki, but is a lot messier (both generally have shredded vegetables. But the liquid parts are different. Monja is like water with flour in it. Okonomiyaki is like flour with water in it.)

I enjoyed getting to see Ami's family in a non-television-infested environment, which, blessedly, was also a non-smoking restaurant. My table featured two griddles and 6 people. Ami on my left, Hitomi (from Kagoshima) across from her, Toru's girlfriend across from me, Toru next to her, and Toru's father across from him (on my right).

At the very end, Ami's father asked Ami if my schedule would permit me to join them for a river cruise.

I had heard of the cruise. Andrew (Dru Daddy G) went on it back 4 years ago. Starts near the golden turd on the Asahi building and goes a bit down the river and back up (or vice versa).

I didn't really have the option to say "no" eloquently, but I just left it up to fate. Could an extra seat be arranged for me on the boat?

Yes, it could. So we headed out together.

Back to the Yurikamome Line and out at __________ Station.

Walked to Symphony Cruising Restaurant, and I soon realized this was *not* Dru Daddy's cruise.

すごくなつかしいいい for PB, as we waited in the lobby area, watching the ship outside. I enjoyed being just a passenger, and in no way responsible for other passengers beyond just human to human interaction.

"Wow. Here I am. Walking up the gangplank, back onto my ship, and into my golden past and a future dream. Here I am, walking down the steps and through the portal. There's the same crew uniform style... how wonderful, and there's the other side of the ship"

errrkekerkekkrkkkdkkddkkkktt!

needle shredding off the record. "This isn't Topaz!! How narrow is this ship????"

The Symphony Moderna is one of the two ships used by Symphony Tokyo Bay Cruise lines. And even though it isn't TSS The Topaz, we had a hella good time.

And that wasn't the end of the night! Afterward we went to a crazy Japanese onsen place with "traditional" Japanese shops and games and stuff. Not sure how realistic it was, but certainly unlike any onsen I had previously visited.

No pics, though.

At the end of the onsen adventure, I totally thanked Ami's dad as he was leaving with his parentals (they drove instead of walking to train stations, etc). He gave a very stoic Japanese response of just like blowing it off. Not sure what it would take to actually thank him.

Huge thanks to Ami, though as we took the train back (after falling asleep on the bus) and went briefly to Maruetsu for foodage, and then bye to everyone who remained in our group. (Hitomi, Yuta, Toru, Ami and her mom)

So tired. bedtime