Noetsu 2 and Tokyo 1!
On Friday morning I was up bright and early (which is dead easy when you have jumped 14h ahead, staying awake in the afternoon is much harder) and had a very nice Japanese breakfast. I do like them, bowl of meso soup, some rice, some kind of pickle to go in the rice, a slice or two of fish, some vegetables (that I cannot identify) and usually some kind of seaweed dish or something I found out was called Kumpf (phoentic spelling) which is like shredded cabbage but black and with sesame seeds in it. Quite filling and very healthy.
So off I went to Noetsu with Wada-san and encountered the first corporate setting where I had to change my shoes. Off came my shoes and on went the poorly fitting slippers. Now I know why all my Japanese colleagues do not pick their feet up when they walk. It is because they are used to wearing stupid slippers which come off your feet at the first opportunity. So in we went and I had a few introductions. Then I gave my presentation, but this time they were sensible and said only 1 hour (they must have heard from the YRC guys about how long I could talk for). Half way through the talk my boss arrived (he had arrived in Tokyo the previous afternoon, gone to his home in Yokohama and then arrived in Noetsu at 10am - massochistic travel arrangements or what?) Anyway everything went well. For lunch we went to a small room at the side of what I think was a company cafeteria (but I'm not sure). It was very nice (whatever it was) and all I remember is that I wanted something other than what I was given!
Six hours after I first went to the Noetsu plant off we went on the Shinkansen back to Tokyo! This time it was myself Wada-san and my boss. We chatted quite a lot during the trip and my boss bought us beer during the trip and some munchies. The munchies were some kind of spicey chilli rice cake about the size of peanuts. Not too pleasant, but perfect for beer! Anyway I found out that my boss believes in after work drinking and socialising which must make working in the US very difficult for him unless of course he goes out with the Japanese guys, but I don't think they do that.
Anyway, finally we arrived back in Tokyo and Wada-san escorted me to my final business hotel. A much larger room than ever before with a full Queen size bed (as opposed to super single) and a 21st floor view of Shinagawa. After a shower I went out to try and find some food.
There were plenty of places, but none that really caught my eye until I found a small sushi bar that was about 8 feet wide. In I walked and asked if they spoke English. No...but I managed to order a beer. They gave me a menu which showed 3 set meals. Hang on I'm in a sishi bar with authentic G Fresh guys preparing sushi! I want to order it by the piece! A guy next to me offered to help and said I should try the egg...thank you but I want to try something I cannot get in the US. He shrugged and left me to it. Next came a picture menu. So I ordered some anago (sea water eel) and OMG it was good! The one guy who was preparing it kept smiling soo broadly his eyes would dissapear. I nursed my drink and ordered a few other pieces and then I heard someone speaking English. Now I understand why people who don't speak English so well gather in groups in the US - it's so they can speak to people. So I started chatting to this guy who was from Kent but worked for Reebok in IT. He also had a friend with him who was Japanese and spoke perfect English. It was fun, but I don't remember much more than them both smoking which I thought was gross.
About in the middle of our conversation this woman next to me asked me if I was English. OK she probably wants to practice her English I thought (my friend Rob had warned me about this). No such like, she could barely speak English. But with my limited Japanese and her extremely limited Japanese and the electronic translator we managed to understand about 50% of what we were saying. I found out she was a cosmetician (visiting on business) who used to be a stewardess for ANA. She kept spraying this stuff into her water and I asked her what it was. Apparently it was a revitaliser that was supposed to remove the cholorine in the water and help the complexion. Oh boy - not the brightest chick in the world! Here she is, into outer beauty, worrying about Cl in water and smoking! She kept telling me she could not believe that I was a Dr and kept saying she was impressed and thought I had a big brain. She equally did not believe me when I told her I was into scuba, the gym and kempo karate. It was very funny and also hard work, because we didn't have a clue what the other was going on about. She actually sent me an email when I got back telling me she had returned to her own country and that she had a good time and dood with me! Finally I got back to my hotel around 11pm and then slept ready for my trip to see Rob!
So off I went to Noetsu with Wada-san and encountered the first corporate setting where I had to change my shoes. Off came my shoes and on went the poorly fitting slippers. Now I know why all my Japanese colleagues do not pick their feet up when they walk. It is because they are used to wearing stupid slippers which come off your feet at the first opportunity. So in we went and I had a few introductions. Then I gave my presentation, but this time they were sensible and said only 1 hour (they must have heard from the YRC guys about how long I could talk for). Half way through the talk my boss arrived (he had arrived in Tokyo the previous afternoon, gone to his home in Yokohama and then arrived in Noetsu at 10am - massochistic travel arrangements or what?) Anyway everything went well. For lunch we went to a small room at the side of what I think was a company cafeteria (but I'm not sure). It was very nice (whatever it was) and all I remember is that I wanted something other than what I was given!
Six hours after I first went to the Noetsu plant off we went on the Shinkansen back to Tokyo! This time it was myself Wada-san and my boss. We chatted quite a lot during the trip and my boss bought us beer during the trip and some munchies. The munchies were some kind of spicey chilli rice cake about the size of peanuts. Not too pleasant, but perfect for beer! Anyway I found out that my boss believes in after work drinking and socialising which must make working in the US very difficult for him unless of course he goes out with the Japanese guys, but I don't think they do that.
Anyway, finally we arrived back in Tokyo and Wada-san escorted me to my final business hotel. A much larger room than ever before with a full Queen size bed (as opposed to super single) and a 21st floor view of Shinagawa. After a shower I went out to try and find some food.
There were plenty of places, but none that really caught my eye until I found a small sushi bar that was about 8 feet wide. In I walked and asked if they spoke English. No...but I managed to order a beer. They gave me a menu which showed 3 set meals. Hang on I'm in a sishi bar with authentic G Fresh guys preparing sushi! I want to order it by the piece! A guy next to me offered to help and said I should try the egg...thank you but I want to try something I cannot get in the US. He shrugged and left me to it. Next came a picture menu. So I ordered some anago (sea water eel) and OMG it was good! The one guy who was preparing it kept smiling soo broadly his eyes would dissapear. I nursed my drink and ordered a few other pieces and then I heard someone speaking English. Now I understand why people who don't speak English so well gather in groups in the US - it's so they can speak to people. So I started chatting to this guy who was from Kent but worked for Reebok in IT. He also had a friend with him who was Japanese and spoke perfect English. It was fun, but I don't remember much more than them both smoking which I thought was gross.
About in the middle of our conversation this woman next to me asked me if I was English. OK she probably wants to practice her English I thought (my friend Rob had warned me about this). No such like, she could barely speak English. But with my limited Japanese and her extremely limited Japanese and the electronic translator we managed to understand about 50% of what we were saying. I found out she was a cosmetician (visiting on business) who used to be a stewardess for ANA. She kept spraying this stuff into her water and I asked her what it was. Apparently it was a revitaliser that was supposed to remove the cholorine in the water and help the complexion. Oh boy - not the brightest chick in the world! Here she is, into outer beauty, worrying about Cl in water and smoking! She kept telling me she could not believe that I was a Dr and kept saying she was impressed and thought I had a big brain. She equally did not believe me when I told her I was into scuba, the gym and kempo karate. It was very funny and also hard work, because we didn't have a clue what the other was going on about. She actually sent me an email when I got back telling me she had returned to her own country and that she had a good time and dood with me! Finally I got back to my hotel around 11pm and then slept ready for my trip to see Rob!