- by Seth

I just had the urge to write down about our weekend in Tokyo. It hasn't been a terribly unusual or exciting weekend, but that's what makes it nice. We've been doing so many things and been so busy, that it is so nice to have a weekend to do nothing. I'd like a few more of these before we start traveling around the world again. But I don't know if we'll have them. Funny, we have nearly sixteen more months here in Asia, but I already feel like it isn't enough time to do all the exploring I'd like to do and still keep sane.

We had thought about going out to celebrate my new promotion on Friday night with Roman or going to Disney World or the health club, but we got out a little before seven and decided it was such a nice night that we didn't want to do inside to the health club. Instead we decided to take our first bus. Tara had seen on that she thought had the symbols of our home station, Naki-Meguro, on it when we were on the Ginza. So we walked as the sun was setting to Tokyo station, about a ten minute walk from work, and went to the main bus station. We found the bus stop that stopped at Meguro and Tara thought that she new how to get us home from there, even though it wasn't our normal stop. So we were a bit nervous getting on the bus, especially since we didn't know how much it would cost or the procedures or anything, but there was a big sign as you got in that asked for two hundred yen. So we paid our fair and sat down - our two large american butts barely fitting in the seat that was meant for two. As Tokyo went by and all the sights flashed through the windows, I fell asleep as Tara tried to further her Japanese by reading all the signs. About half an hour later, we ended up at Meguro Station - luckily the last stop on the bus route. We got off and Tara guessed at which way to go - she had an idea that the river was downhill so we went downhill. Sure enough, there was the river after a few false starts and stops. I sure hope the kids get Tara's sense of direction and not mine. That's another trait I could have used from Dad instead of Mom. We continued through the light drizzle and finally along the river. A good find about halfway along the journey was the Meguro Cultural Arts center. It has two nice pools, a library and other nice facilities. At that time of night on a Friday though, it was closed. We kept walking a bit and then went to explore the large lighthouse type of structure that was nearby that we can see from our balcony. We got there, but couldn't make our from the signs what the tower actually was. We did figure that they local recycling plant was nearby thought. We kept going and decided to leave the river to go to a main street. Tara recognized it as a street just the other side of the Naka-Meguro train station and led us towards home. Across the six lane highway/local road, we noticed a restaurant called something like Sam's American Place. So I made the decision, that even since there was just one person in there, we needed to go. So we did. And even though there wasn't anything there that you would probably find on any menu in Chicago, the garlic chicken was good and so was the club sandwich (american sounding, but not like any club sandwich I've ever had). We'll probably go back there if we walk that way again. So we went home and ended up in bed getting a good night's sleep.

Saturday morning's commitment was to go pick up a bookcase that Tara had purchased for about eight dollars from a 'nearby' house. AFter walking nearly fifteen minutes, we arrived at the house. All along the way, as the walk became further and further, I began questioning Tara's wisdom in this. And after I saw the bookcase - something that could we could have probably found in K'mart for about thirty bucks- I asked Tara to make a new rule that we either had a five minute radius or only buy things that she could fit in a Taxi. It took about half an hour to walk it home with both of us carrying it. It did, however, work up enough sweat that Tara said it would be ok to delay going to Disneyworld to go swimming. About half an hour later, we were swimming in the apartment's swimming pool. It was a nice day for it. A few hours of that harsh life (grin) and we were on our way to Disneyworld. Tara tried out a new train route/connection and saved us some time so that we didn't have to walk what seemed like several miles underground in Tokyo station. Rather, a quick two block walk over ground got us to the desired spot in Tokyo station quickly. We guessed at what train to take and soon were wandering the vast space of Disneyworld Tokyo. Yes, it was cozy with just us and about a billion other Japanese. I think we saw no more than about eight or ten non-Japanese in the park the whole night that night. We did, however, find the new store - the home store - and continue our spree or buying whatever strikes our whim. We are now proud owners of Pooh bear slippers for Tara, mickey mouse plates and bowls, a minnie mouse flowerpot, some mickey mouse incense and I'm sure there are a few other things I'm forgetting - like the little magnetic thermometers. Geez, I'd love to see how much they make on merchandise along. And we were rather surprised to find out that it costs about two and a half dollars to buy a disney shopping bag to carry your stuff around in. No self respecting Japanese would get these items without getting the bag to put them in. There were sooooo many of these bags, I wonder how much they just mad eon them. A nice train ride home and to bed.

Sunday was a slow morning and a day at the pool. We went to a nice Mexican restaurant in Hiroo called La Playa I think with Sue and Dave and the kids from four oh four and this evening has been a typical one - Tara falling asleep as I stay up and play on the computer or flip through channels. Since it's eleven at night, and she has just switched from her secondary bed - the cot on the living room floor, to the primary bed - the air mattress with the futon on it, I'm going to go follow her. Work tomorrow - yuck - but at least we have the vacation to Alaska to look forward to in a week and a half.

End.