'Gomen....ah! Vitamin Ga! VITAMIN GA!!!' by Rob
Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 11:18 AM

The saga continues!!!

Day 4-The day dawned rainy and cold. Well, I thought, at least we'll be inside for most of it today. Around the Apt. at Kalins, I found various notes indicating how to get to the train station, where I needed to go, where breakfast was, and a small one indicating for me to take a little umbrella under it. EVERYONE uses umbrellas in Tokyo. Armed with the knowledge and the 'Kasa', I headed out to the Shinjuku station. Alone.

I took the first train to my connecting station...but then ran into a bit of a problem. Getting a bit turned around I made sure to double check my notes, but still couldn't find the line I needed. I approached the clerk at the booth (everywhere at the turnstiles in japanese stations) and managed to ask where I needed to go in order to get to my destination , in japanese. We haggled on directions and then I set off ,confident of the way. It was when I was heading up the escalator to the train platform that I was unexpectedly tapped on the shoulder by a japanese man in glasses wearing a mask (you know the kind to keep OTHERS from getting sick, it was the sicky season). After apologizing to me, he flashed his badge accompanied by the word 'Keisatsu' *which means Police*. A bit shocked at first...I then realised that things shouldn't be any different just because I'm in another country. I complied, and after he determined that I spoke some Japanese, we went over to the wall where they (he was accopmanied by another plain-clothes officer, a female) asked me various questions and searched my bag. After intently staring at my vitamins, the female officer asked me a question I couldn't understand. After asking her to repeat it, I was still lost. Finaly in english she says 'Passport?'...now THAT I could understand...apparently they were asking where I was from. After looking at my passport and apparently marveling at the fact that I was American, they apologized for wasting my time *another thing you'll never see American police do* and sent me on my way, but not before I got confirmation that I was on the wrong platform. After getting the right number from them, I hurried to my proper one and took the train to Kichijoji to meet with Colt and his friend John.

Arriving at the very wet Kichijoji station and getting together with them after a call on the public phone *another thing they still have over there* we headed out into Yayogi park, where we zig zaged our way through to the Ghibli Museum. Words cannot describe how awsome this place realy is. The whole thing looks like a water color painting and the interior truly resembles a Miyazaki film. From the stained glass windows depicting various movie scenes, to the ceiling fan in the main hall that looks to be made of airplane wings, this museum is amazing. We wandered around marveling at the architechture, the exhibits....the ability to touch things on the displays...everything was amazing. A giant cat-bus room for the kids, a picturesque view of Pazus village from out of one of the bathroom windows, a rooftop garden with the giant robot warrior from Laputa and a keystone from the castle and metal spiral staircases everywhere. I could go on for pages about how amazing this place was. We saw our short film (about a water spider) and then headed up to 'Mama Auitos', the gift shop on the third floor *themed after the bandits from Porco Rosso*.

Feeding frenzy is the term I'd use. I managed to fight for some pins and the book about the Museum to take home, so I could show others about the inside of this miraculous place and struggled my way out to safety, away from the merchandise pirahnas.

We left the museum after much over-the-shoulder looking back and headed out to get some food. On our way there we encountered a shrine that showed us where the 'Triforce' from Zelda comes from. After posing for some shots, we went to a place called 'CoCos' *no relation to Raohs horse* and ate a filling dinner/lunch and had an all you can drink-bar. Melon soda is QUITE tasty...despite the horrid memories tainting it. We met with Kalin after saying goodbye to John and the three of us headed out to Shinjukus Government offices *them twin tower style buldings you see in anime all the time* to check out the observation deck near the top at the 45th floor. Unlike Tokyo Tower, these were free and we just missed the sun setting over the cityscape. We could however see Mt. Fuji from there and a dazzling Shinjuku syline. Oh...did I mention that it was my birthday at this point? In all the confusion I'd nearly forgotten myself. So Kalin and Colt took me to a place called 'Lock Up'. A themed bar that takes up the entire floor of a bulding, where the hostess dresses in a vinyl min-skirt and the waiters/waitresses have prison stipe uniforms. After getting 'cuffed' by our beautiful hostess and being led to our 'cell', we downed drinks themed on mad scientist dreams. Into our second hour the lights went out...and the monsters appeared. After the Min-skirt patroll dispatched of them, they brought sparkling cake for us...which was yummy!

We closed out the night hitting up Print club for Kalin (we were allowed in since we were accompanied by a female....what the hell!?) where we posed, decorated and obcenely distorted pictures of us in many entertaining ways. Back to kalins...for saturday would be a busy day indeed.....

Hurry Argo! There are only 215 days left to save the Earth!!

Neo-VAder III

'Don't know human fad word? Buxom means sexy.' 'Mmmmmmm.' by Kara
Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 9:49 AM

Two of my ways to work are now blocked up by pointless 'construction' -- i.e. one that's been there for the past couple years with next to no progress, and one that started this morning that ... isn't actually construction. More like they laid out a few cones, put up a sign indicating that there would be construction, and then didn't even attempt to fake any.

Fortunately, all roads lead to work, but the next closest one doubles the commute time and involves something of a slingshot around the middle of town. My commute is still shorter than it was, but I didn't move closer to work to have the city pretend to be productive at me.

Nothing to be gained by bitching, I know. Just saying.

It's March, and I heard it's gonna get warmer this weekend. Like, up to 70. Can't damn wait. I like some cold weather, sure, and it was nice to get snow, but it wasn't nice to get ice and power flickers. I should just be thankful that it waited 'til two weeks after Katsucon.

More travelogues of a Co-Writer shortly, so I'm gonna end shortly. On a related note, I finally found my Engrand trip sketchbook. May have to clean it up and fill in a few blanks, though. But somehow it managed to disappear into my stuff and not be found 'til after the move. How I managed that is beyond me.

If you have been, go go go!

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