zonk
I just got back from dinner at a faaaabulous but highly expensive restaurant for friend Kim's birthday. Pasta was eaten, choco-banana daquiris imbibed, photos taken... and so on and so forth. Following that, we went to Karaoke in the Kabukicho at a top-notch karaoke-kan (by that I mean, cheap rate & quality room) where we somehow got over an hour and a half for one hour's charge. Then we did the usual, which is to walk around Kabukicho proper (where the pimps and hos, yakuza, transvestive, drunk Japanese students, Kogaru and Centa-Guys hang out) with silly props and generally confuse the shit out of people. Here's a tip to enhance your OWN experience, if you ever go. When the idiotic hulking black guys soliciting for clubs or izakayas yell at you "Hey, baby!" It's great fun to yell back, "Hey Papa, I'm NOT your baby!" and then run away with your arms flailing wildly. It always makes them wonder why they were stupid enough to catcall a weirdo like you anyway.

I also got up at 5AM this morning, after a night of restless and halucinatory "sleep" to wander around in the fish-gutty depths of Tsukiji market. As it turns out, I'd never actually been into the market itself, just around the outside. I always figured the warehouse was closed to pedestrians but that's where the "pit" of Tsukiji is. Despite that I'd heard the wholesale auction was "closed to the public," we were able to witness the tail end. I took an *obscene* amount of pictures. Most of them probably suck, as usual, but I know there are a few great shots in there for the Tsukiji album. [Note that Inner City photo albums have been linked in the sidebar. ]

Then I taught English for two hours and managed to stay awake, somehow, even though the Starbucks caffiene did little to help my delirium. Fifty bucks is good motivation. Ran some errands, did some laundry and made a failed attempt at a nap.

I'm tired. So I'm going to bed.

I'm sorry to be lame. There are things that I really want to write about, such as the whole Japanese idea of "meiwaku" and the "inconvenience" cause by the three hostages, etc, etc. But tomorrow is a busy day too and I have more important things to do in my "computer time," like putting together that freaking portfolio.

Tomorrow, host mom and I are making traditional pottery in Asakusabashi. Hopefully the rain will hold off long enough for us to visit Senso-ji and see the very big/famous festival there this weekend. I'm going to shop around Asakusa for obi/ties for the yukata I bought and perhaps jet over to kappabashi and get some more plates for Justin and I.

What a ridiculously busy, outrageously "Japanese" weekend.