Not much longer now...
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Hello you lot,
I showed Toshiko-san the translations that Simon had tried to do for things like; "I would like to buy a Phone card" but she said that it translated as "Phone card, I have purchase yes?" And that was about the only one that made any sense at all! Poor old Reza has to go about 2.5 hours on a bullet train to a customer in Osaka to work through the night. Don't fancy that very much. That night, I went down to Wing shopping centre at Shinagawa to see if I could buy a belt, as I am getting fed up with my trousers falling down. I found some, but they were the equivalent of GBP30 each. And I`m not paying that for a belt I could get in the UK for GBP10! I decided that my trousers can fall down for another 3 weeks for that price. Tuesday; I posted my sisters Birthday card that Toshiko-san had translated into Japanese for me. I thought it was funny when she asked me my sisters age. But she needed to know because, how you address her depend on if she is older or younger then you! Reza came into the office around lunch time, but you could see that he was whacked out from staying up all night at the customers and went home. He said that when he had to do this on Wednesday night he isn't coming into the office on Thursday. I don't blame him at all.
We had to go to Kondo for 14:00 so had to take another Taxi. We got there early so had lunch at a noodle place and had a very nice meal for 990Y (GBP4.95). Must make a note to go there again next time we visit Kondo. There was so much food I couldn't eat it all. The Noodles were hand made fresh every morning, or so the waitress who spoke perfect English told us. They were the big ones that look like earthworms. They do taste good. The visit to Kondo that afternoon went very well. It is nice to know that we have solved someone's problems. We took the Subway back and Reza made friends with a little girl he met on the platform while waiting for the train. Her name was Mika. I think he like talking to young kids because their Japanese is simpler to understand. After work I cycled south to the Tamagawa, well past Shinagawa. It's a real pity that the Japanese don't do Daylight Saving in the summer, because it would give me much more time to cycle in the evening in the light. It is totally dark by 7 and I have to cycle back down roads that I don't know, sometime in pitch blackness, because they don't always have street lights. Founds some nice parks with some people still left over from Hanami in them. Ah! So is that how people become tramps here. They just don't recover from Hanami. Thursday; except for some good feedback from Kondo, quite quiet. Reza didn't come in because of his second all night stint at the customer in Osaka this week. Louise phoned me in the afternoon to see if I could take her some boxes and stuff so that she could move out of Kevin's place but I cant really help her, as I cant Legally drive on my UK Driver License here in Japan and the others are not keen to give her any boxes because they don't know her.
It hadn't taken that long to cross the bridge so I went south afterwards and ended up going as far as the Tamagawa, which marks the end of Tokyo and the beginning of Yokohama. I can now say that I have been to the North, East and South edges of Tokyo but I doubt that I will get to the West side as it is miles away and only finishes at the foothills of Mount Fuji.
We decided to go on to a club afterwards and as we passed Bikey-san. Matthew took the piss out of it! Calling Bikey-san a "Mama-Chari" or Mothers Bike! All because it was shopping bike, not an off-roader or something more macho! At least Shoko was nicer about it and told me that she had one just like it herself. I explained that because I was only going to be here for 10 weeks, I didn't want to buy an expensive bike and the shopping basket on the front is very useful! The only thing that I think, Bikey-san is missing, are a couple more gears. Matt tried to make up for it saying that I must be super fit if I have cycled over 500miles on that Mama-Chari! But it didn't ring true. And then he borrowed 10,000Yen off me!
After midnight the music got really good, they played "Blue Monday" and "Call Me." I had another dance with another woman and was really getting into it when Margaret said that they were going for Tea. We went back to her place that is in Mita and not too far from my new place. After chilling out for a while, I it was time to walk back home. Margaret is not very good with maps and things and the only thing she could tell me was that from her bathroom window she could see the Tokyo tower. Me and another bloke who lived in Meguro left around two. He showed me the way to the Route 1 and I was able to find my way home from there.
Then I went to Ito Yokado to get the weekly shopping. A girl there was giving out free samples of Haagen Dazs Ice-cream and I tried some. It was very nice, not like the last thing I tasted at a Ito Yokado! and I even bought a small tub. She was very pleased about this and bowed to me saying Ari-gato! Maybe she gets paid commission? After having my Egg and Bacon Sandwich for lunch I cycled down to the Tamagawa but via the Meguro Dori. I passed a "Mini Shop" where you could only buy Classic Austin Mini Cars. Then next door, was a Ferrari garage. I think the logic goes, after buying your Ferrari you buy a Mini with the change! I liked cycling along the Tamagawa but my legs started to hurt. I think it was from all that dancing I did the night before. When I got home I went out on the balcony with a drink and listened to Radio 2 to see night fall, but I fell asleep because I was so tired and when I woke up it was dark. Only two more weeks to go... Cheers me dears. Paul Fincher.
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Monday was pretty quiet really.
I went out at lunch time to take some pictures of the journey that my brother,
Simon, needs to take from JR Tokyo Station to the Takaracho Subway Station to make a kind of virtual tour. It might sound a bit OTT, but you try and find your way around a town that doesn't have
many road signs. And the few that there are are all in squiggles! It was a nice day and I enjoyed the ride.
Wednesday; we went to SKY Perfect TV
in the morning by taxi and even though it was only about 5 or six miles, it took over half an hour, cost 8000Y and the driver had to phone the customer to find out how to get there!
And the Taxi drivers have to do the equivalent to the London Cabbies Knowledge.
What would it be like if they didn't?
Friday; we went to Fuji TV. Even if it is only about 6Km from the office straight over the Rainbow Bridge it took about 20 mins. I could have cycled there quicker! The Fuji TV building is unmissable it has a big globe in the middle of it. I don't know why, but it does make it look fantastic. It is on reclaimed land called Odaiba near the Defensive Island in Tokyo Harbour. Reza told me that a lot of Japanese think that the whole project was a waste of money but how else are you going to get extra land to build on in Tokyo?
On Saturday I decided to see if I could cross the Rainbow Bridge to get to the Fuji TV Building in Odaiba. I found the pedestrian entrance and went up to a little hut with a man inside it to see if I needed to buy a ticket or something. I think I startled him by saying
"sim-ma-sen" he almost fell of his chair that he was leaning back on. The man was So pleased that someone had asked him for some information and gave me a couple of leaflets, but I didn't have to pay. You have to go into what looks like a office block but all there is inside are two lifts that take you to the 7th floor. The lifts have windows and you can look out over Tokyo Harbour as you ascend to the footway.
The walk its self was great 
That night was Margaret's Sayonara party at the Pink Cow. It was an eat all you can for 2500Y place. The food was nice, if a bit buffet in nature (but how else could you do it?) and even the curry wasn't too bad! Now that is saying something, considering how bad normal Japanese curry is! Loads of people turned up and it was a good party. I took a few pictures but none of them were much good except the group one. 
We went to a club called Xanadu and at first, I found the music a bit crap, but because it was Margaret's leaving do, I stayed.
I was glad that I did, because after about half an hour the music changed and Shoko and I had a dance. It was great fun, I liked dancing with her. It was just a pity that she had to go early to get the last train home.
Sunday was very boring indeed. I did some washing then got the Subway to Omotesando to collect Bikey-san from out side the Pink Cow. Cycling back only took me about 20 minutes. I seem to
know my way around Tokyo quite well now.