Today’s project is to buy the laptop I saw the other day. Mike guides me through, and then installs all kinds of necessary programs on the thing. Considering what internet time costs at cafes and the hotel, the 28,000 yen will be money well spent. Besides, it is kind of cool having all those kanji characters on the keyboard. Also get to see a retrospective exhibition of sci-fi drawing done by a famous Japanese illustrator. Fun to see who originally did many of the Tamiya (plastic model kits) box cover art. Or how it seems that the Japanese win in all his wartime cartoons.
The Japan Times keeps me up to date on international affairs, on Doonesbury, and also gives small glimpses into Japanese politics. There’s a mention of the Japanese MP who uses a mirror to peek up under schoolgirls’ skirts. Or the article about the North Korean nuclear test, with local fortune tellers’ opinions about what will happen next. About how Japan – as a response – may want to acquire nuclear weapons herself. And about a smart little credit card sized gadget from the Sharp electronics company, which translates spoken English into spoken Japanese. Unfortunately it is not for sale yet – I’d be first in line to buy one, despite my otherwise strong principles about being at least ten years behind, when it comes to such devices.
Mike has another thing to worry about: He can’t find condoms the proper ‘western’ size over here, and decides to have an emergency supply shipped from Denmark. Guess we all have our problems….
I decide to stick around Tokyo for a few more days, as some journalist acquaintance of Crazy Pete is supposed to come and do a piece about me and the Nimbus for his motorcycle magazine. CP has been very nice to me, so being nice to him and those he knows seem like the right thing to do. Talking of Japanese magazines, most of those I have seen look like rubbish. They’re more like sales catalogues, with a bit of text in between to justify their place on the magazine racks. The chopper magazine Vibes is slightly better than most, though not by much.
Gotta get moving - this is, after all, supposed to be a motorcycle vacation.
The Japan Times keeps me up to date on international affairs, on Doonesbury, and also gives small glimpses into Japanese politics. There’s a mention of the Japanese MP who uses a mirror to peek up under schoolgirls’ skirts. Or the article about the North Korean nuclear test, with local fortune tellers’ opinions about what will happen next. About how Japan – as a response – may want to acquire nuclear weapons herself. And about a smart little credit card sized gadget from the Sharp electronics company, which translates spoken English into spoken Japanese. Unfortunately it is not for sale yet – I’d be first in line to buy one, despite my otherwise strong principles about being at least ten years behind, when it comes to such devices.
Mike has another thing to worry about: He can’t find condoms the proper ‘western’ size over here, and decides to have an emergency supply shipped from Denmark. Guess we all have our problems….
I decide to stick around Tokyo for a few more days, as some journalist acquaintance of Crazy Pete is supposed to come and do a piece about me and the Nimbus for his motorcycle magazine. CP has been very nice to me, so being nice to him and those he knows seem like the right thing to do. Talking of Japanese magazines, most of those I have seen look like rubbish. They’re more like sales catalogues, with a bit of text in between to justify their place on the magazine racks. The chopper magazine Vibes is slightly better than most, though not by much.
Gotta get moving - this is, after all, supposed to be a motorcycle vacation.
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