For those of you who enjoy this foreign delicacy (and even for those who have not yet had the pleasure), this instructional video on sushi is one of the most informative lessons I’ve enjoyed on the subject. In this video, you will learn some very useful points of etiquette, including how to enter the sushi-ya, […]

I’m surprised I haven’t written anything about Google Earth yet, but I’ve only had a chance in the past two weeks to really play with some of the features. If your computer can support it, I strongly suggest you take the time to download and play with it. One of its coolest features is the […]

Well, as ususal, it was a long trip, but I’m back home. Sarah seems to be relieved to see me, and the kids remember who I am. It amazes me how much Micah has grown. He’s a little man now, and he’s too ticklish. I’ll be going back to work tomorrow for a security presentation, […]

Well, I’m ready to come home. I’ve been here for a little over a month, and that’s quite long enough, thank you. The transition from exciting to mundate didn’t happen as quickly as I thought it would, but it did happen. It’s not that I’m tired of Tokyo… far from it! I’m just tired of […]

misc/800px_Fugu_in_TankWell, after being here almost a month, I’ve experienced a new first. Myself and two other guys from work decided to participate in a Fugu dinner. For those of you who are unaware, fugu (フグ – Japanese for blowfish) has a reputation for being a potentially fatal meal. The liver and intestines of the blowfish […]

JapanJune2005/IMG_0873A long day today… I had plans to go try Fuji, but I discovered that the mountain doesn’t open until July. Then, I thought I would head down to Kyoto, but found out late last night that it would cost me something like $300 round trip just for the train tickets, if I had just […]

At 1:16 this morning, I noticed that the room seemed to be shaking. It was like I was bouncing my legs, but I wasn’t. Weird… I thought maybe I broke my chair (again), but it didn’t want to stop. Then I remembered I was Japan, and what I felt was probably an earthquake.

So, I’m watching MTV Japan over here, and this band, Fire Ball, comes on, and I’m entranced. It’s got an urban reggae sound, but it’s all Japanese. Anyway, I bought the album when I was in Ikebukuro yesterday, and I ripped a few samples for you all to hear. Track 2 – 999rulaz (953k) Track […]

What a long day… I wanted to try something new in the city, so I tried googling for Tokyo, and found the Tokyo City Guide, which had articles on some sections of town I hadn’t been to yet. I saw they had a page on Ikebukuro, so I thought I’d give it a try. Like […]

misc/quentin3For lunch today, I stopped at the Kua’aina burger restaurant in Omote-Sando. It’s a Hawaian burger joint, and it was pretty good. I found out later that they have a “set lunch” (a combo meal) that was cheaper than buying the fries and drink seperately. I was very impressed, especially since humburgers are a rare […]

Just for your information, raman shops serve their noodles hot. Very hot. I forget every time, and every time I burn my mouth. I did find a good place in Yotsuya that served a wonderful meal (and new for me!) Along with the excellent udon noodles, I got a small bowl of what I would […]

JapanJune2005/IMG_0845A coworker here coined an accurate description of Tokyo, when he said that this city lives in the alleys. For every main street, there are a dozen little alleys, barely wide enough to get a car through (and sometimes not even that). I headed down to Asakusa (pronounced a-sock-sa) for the first time on this […]

I love iced green tea, uncorrupted by added sugar. It has a sweetness that perhaps only white tea could possibly beat. Sadly, Americans are addicted to sugar products like Coca-cola, so it’s impossible to get bottled unsweetened green tea. In Japan, any convenience store will have at least a half-dozen brands of green tea, all […]