Saturday, April 28, 2007
Damn Storms
After I finally recovered from last night and ventured to to the Roppongi district, the day actually turned into the best photo session I've had thus far. I got some nice urban shots and I found and awesome marble building that I probably used half a roll of film on (see picture below). When I started heading back to the subway station to head to another area of town, it started storming. And I mean full blown thunderstorm.
I made it about half-way to the Roppongi Station so I decided to slip into a restaurant to grab some food and wait it out. After the grub and a couple beers it didn't seem to be slowing down so I made a run for the station. I didn't even have a jacket let alone an umbrella. And any of you that know me well know that at the mature age of 25, I'm still semi-terrified of thunder. The lightning is cool, it's just the aftermath that sends my nerves into a craze.
I made it to the station and back to my hotel without getting too wet but now I don't know what to do with myself. As long as I refrain from doing any work during my vacation, it'll be OK.
I made it about half-way to the Roppongi Station so I decided to slip into a restaurant to grab some food and wait it out. After the grub and a couple beers it didn't seem to be slowing down so I made a run for the station. I didn't even have a jacket let alone an umbrella. And any of you that know me well know that at the mature age of 25, I'm still semi-terrified of thunder. The lightning is cool, it's just the aftermath that sends my nerves into a craze.
I made it to the station and back to my hotel without getting too wet but now I don't know what to do with myself. As long as I refrain from doing any work during my vacation, it'll be OK.
DSC00036
This is not a good representation of the building, but my 35mm shots should give it justice.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Just a cab ride away.
So I was lucky enough to catch a Chemical Brothers show last night. Apparently it was the place to be in Tokyo, if you knew about it. They posted the show just a day before. The club was three floors, the main dance floor with two floors of lounges over looking the 1st level.
I finally found the club about ten minutes after the doors opened and luckily got in line before it wrapped around the block. Apparently I was lucky to even get in. As soon as I walked in the door it was body to body through out most of the club, similar to the sardine feeling I've grown accustomed to on the Tokyo Subways.
About 30 minutes after I got there, it was like being in a mosh pit everywhere I walked, even while in line to get to the restrooms, the bar and in the spiral stairways connecting the three levels. It was almost too much, but it was the Chemical Brothers.
I made it about five hours in the club before I just couldn't take it anymore. I'm actually amazed I made it that long, I credit the red bull for this.
After I made it back to the train station, I realized that I missed the last train and would have to take a cab. No big deal, really. I didn't have much cash but the hotel previously offered to pay for my cabs and add the cost to my hotel bill without any additional surcharge. The problem was that I couldn't get a cab to pick me up.
I was standing at a taxi stand and cabs would almost pull over for me until they realized I was a Go Jin (anyone not Japanese). A couple that arrived at the taxi stand after me got a cab to pull over and offered it to me, but the driver immediately drove off when he realized what was going on.
About 10 minutes later, I struck up a conversation with a Japanese guy with good English skills also in search for a cab. I asked him if what was happening is commonplace, it is. So I put up my hood and pulled the strings as to cover up my blond hair and lowered my head while he flagged a cab for me. He told me to try to get in the cab before the driver noticed I was a Go Jin. It was very unlikely he would throw me out especially once he realized he could get a reasonably high fare out of me.
The driver didn't speak a word in English and yelled at me in Japanese once we arrived at the because he didn't understand I had to get the door guy to come outside to pay the fare. Luckily the door guy heard him from inside the sliding doors and took care of the situation. The door guy wouldn't tell me what the cabbie said but left it at, basically, that he was completely out of line.
The hotel told me to call them for a car if I get into this situation again and apologized for the ignorant Japanese people I've had to deal with. I pretty much expected something like this would happen at some point or another, I just didn't know when.
I finally found the club about ten minutes after the doors opened and luckily got in line before it wrapped around the block. Apparently I was lucky to even get in. As soon as I walked in the door it was body to body through out most of the club, similar to the sardine feeling I've grown accustomed to on the Tokyo Subways.
About 30 minutes after I got there, it was like being in a mosh pit everywhere I walked, even while in line to get to the restrooms, the bar and in the spiral stairways connecting the three levels. It was almost too much, but it was the Chemical Brothers.
I made it about five hours in the club before I just couldn't take it anymore. I'm actually amazed I made it that long, I credit the red bull for this.
After I made it back to the train station, I realized that I missed the last train and would have to take a cab. No big deal, really. I didn't have much cash but the hotel previously offered to pay for my cabs and add the cost to my hotel bill without any additional surcharge. The problem was that I couldn't get a cab to pick me up.
I was standing at a taxi stand and cabs would almost pull over for me until they realized I was a Go Jin (anyone not Japanese). A couple that arrived at the taxi stand after me got a cab to pull over and offered it to me, but the driver immediately drove off when he realized what was going on.
About 10 minutes later, I struck up a conversation with a Japanese guy with good English skills also in search for a cab. I asked him if what was happening is commonplace, it is. So I put up my hood and pulled the strings as to cover up my blond hair and lowered my head while he flagged a cab for me. He told me to try to get in the cab before the driver noticed I was a Go Jin. It was very unlikely he would throw me out especially once he realized he could get a reasonably high fare out of me.
The driver didn't speak a word in English and yelled at me in Japanese once we arrived at the because he didn't understand I had to get the door guy to come outside to pay the fare. Luckily the door guy heard him from inside the sliding doors and took care of the situation. The door guy wouldn't tell me what the cabbie said but left it at, basically, that he was completely out of line.
The hotel told me to call them for a car if I get into this situation again and apologized for the ignorant Japanese people I've had to deal with. I pretty much expected something like this would happen at some point or another, I just didn't know when.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Time out...
I'm taking what is becoming my daily afternoon break. I left the hotel about 9a.m. and probably haven't stopped walking since, with the exception of my time on the subway.
I hit another park today, Ueno Park. To the East of the park there is a huge market area spanning over many narrow streets in a basic grid. Many of the shops were selling the same stuff, mostly purses and outrageously priced sneakers. (no I didn't buy any) I did find a really neat antique shop that I may revisit to pick up some traditional Japanese stuff to bring home.
I was reluctant to visit some of the shops because I couldn't see what was on the inside and couldn't read the signs on the outside. It sucks that there is such a language barrier. Of course when I went to buy a ticket for the Tokyo National Museum they automatically spoke to me in English. Is it that obvious? ;)
The Tokyo National Museum currently has a Di Vinci exhibit that outlines his entire career in somewhat of a psychological form. It sounded really cool but it walked you through the exhibit with an audio guide that they did not offer in English. Oh well.
The rest of the museum was what interested me anyway, Japanese history through art. I couldn't take any pictures but they probably wouldn't have been that interesting anyway. That kind of stuff is only worth seeing in person as far as I'm concerned.
After I relax for a few, I'm going to head to another district and try to find the venue I'm going to tomorrow night to get an advance ticket. I'm not sure if I can handle the night life in Tokyo but I have my energy vitamins to keep me going.
The shows I'm going to tonight and tomorrow night start around 10p.m. with the headliners going on around 3 a.m. The shows wrap up around 5a.m. Luckily for me they sell iced coffee in all the vending machines as well.
I hit another park today, Ueno Park. To the East of the park there is a huge market area spanning over many narrow streets in a basic grid. Many of the shops were selling the same stuff, mostly purses and outrageously priced sneakers. (no I didn't buy any) I did find a really neat antique shop that I may revisit to pick up some traditional Japanese stuff to bring home.
I was reluctant to visit some of the shops because I couldn't see what was on the inside and couldn't read the signs on the outside. It sucks that there is such a language barrier. Of course when I went to buy a ticket for the Tokyo National Museum they automatically spoke to me in English. Is it that obvious? ;)
The Tokyo National Museum currently has a Di Vinci exhibit that outlines his entire career in somewhat of a psychological form. It sounded really cool but it walked you through the exhibit with an audio guide that they did not offer in English. Oh well.
The rest of the museum was what interested me anyway, Japanese history through art. I couldn't take any pictures but they probably wouldn't have been that interesting anyway. That kind of stuff is only worth seeing in person as far as I'm concerned.
After I relax for a few, I'm going to head to another district and try to find the venue I'm going to tomorrow night to get an advance ticket. I'm not sure if I can handle the night life in Tokyo but I have my energy vitamins to keep me going.
The shows I'm going to tonight and tomorrow night start around 10p.m. with the headliners going on around 3 a.m. The shows wrap up around 5a.m. Luckily for me they sell iced coffee in all the vending machines as well.
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