Hello Tokyo!

Today was just another Monday. I got up, tired from Springing Forward, went to work, then FLEW TO JAPAN!!

It's nearly 10PM Tuesday night here in Tokyo (~6AM Tuesday morning in Seattle). I sit in my hotel room looking out on the Tokyo skyline and the incredible Tokyo Tower. Our friends from Japan take air safety seriously as I've never seen more red flashing lights atop buildings anywhere in the world. Amazing.

I landed ~4:30PM here this afternoon, made my way through the most polite customs officials EVER, then enjoyed a 1.5 hour bus ride through the ins & outs of this amazing city. So far, it's an odd cross between NYC and SanFrancisco, though with a lot more script I can neither read nor understand. I have seen plenty of comforts from home, however, including 7-11s and am/pms. Good to know in case I get a late night corn dog craving!

I met my Australian partner, the GM of our Asia Pacific region, tonight and he took me to an incredible hole-in-the-wall, sweat-on-your-brow ramen joint* somewhere not too far from here through a maze of underground shops and passageways. I will never find it again. I retire having successfully accomplished my mission of staying awake until 10PM. At this point, the exhaustion is even overwhelming the spice in my belly!

I will tell you this, Avid Reader. As I sat at the airport today, I realized that I was boarding an airplane (previously "airport" for those keeping score at home) for Japan. Yes, THAT Japan. The one in Asia. The one I told Yoko Farley years ago that I longed to see. And I realized I was going as if it was no big deal. And then I quickly snapped out of it. I'm in Asia. I'M IN FULL-ON ASIA!

Awesome.

*updated entry... I discovered both the name and location of the ramen joint! Kazuki Ramen, described in my handy guide book as... "Steam rises above chrome as you sit on your stool at the counter and watch the calm ramen cooks methodically moving that line of customers along the wall and back out the door, as they'll do all night. When your massive, well-balanced bowl arrives, be stingy with extra condiments. Propriety demands you take no more than 20 minutes to eat."