Yesterday I flew back from a 10 day business trip to Japan. It was a huge success, with great results. However the end of the trip was brutal. After two long days of training at our distributor, their senior manager took us out for dinner. A small sushi place, walking distance from their office, and Tokyo station. The food was excellent, fresh, and delightful. As a long time traveler to Japan, I...
As a long week(plus) of travel comes to a close, it is often a time of reflection for me. Apart from counting down the number of nights remaining, planning the trek to the airport, and hoping I have enough clean clothes, I take a few moments to make sure that I write down my learnings. Depending on the trip, and its purpose, the definition of success can be different. As I rarely travel for Trade...
Since Saturday night was really late (for this old dog) Sunday started late. Spent the morning lounging, getting some work done, and diving into a really good H Beam Piper novel. About 1:30, my partner in crime and I headed out. His goals were: Chiyoda Park – where this group of Japanese “Greasers” (as in the movie Grease) dance and perform. See Hachiko – a statue tribute...
While I forgot to carry my phone last night (and with it, a camera) you will have to live with a text only post today. Perhaps my partner in crime will send me the snaps he took. If so, I will augment. Having had a brutally busy week at JASIS, Saturday started a bit stressful. I put my head down in the morning knowing that I had to get caught up with email, and to prepare my training for our rep...
As a day of rest, I took the hotel shuttle to Shinjuku station, and did some wandering, you know, so I wouldn’t miss the human interaction. Shinjuku station is the busiest train station in the world, handling about 4 million people a day during the week. It started well, as the shuttle bus makes quick work of the short distance. I walked around, grabbing some water, and seeing some used...
“With a purposeful grimace, and a terrible sound; He pulls the spitting high tension wires down…” Been a while since I wrote, but it is Saturday morning here in Tokyo, 23rd floor of the Hilton Tokyo, and I am reflecting on a week of work travel. I am here for a trade show (JASIS), and to train our Japanese distributors on our new product. A busy week, with a weekend to punctuate...
Monday I head to Japan for work. First a conference where our new product is being highlighted, and then some sales training. It will be my first trip to Japan since 2008, the longest I have gone since the mid 1990s without visiting (for reference, I once traveled there 3 times in one month). Will be based in Tokyo, with a few days in Chiba prefecture, and then back to the office near Tokyo...
Last Sunday, I set out on what was supposed to be a modest hike. Almost 3.5 hours later, and a ton of climbing and descending, I was back at home. Tired, sore, miserable and with crippling blisters rising on my feet. Ugh, I had gotten out of shape. After rehydrating, and a fitful sleep (you know, where you are too tired to actually rest and sleep), the lactic acid monster set in. AKA Delayed...
Since I blew out my legs riding yesterday, I decided to take it easy, and go for a hike. Ha ha ha. I printed a map for Almaden Quicksilver Park, and hit the trails. Not really sure where I was going, I just started up New Almaden trail, and then turned onto the Hacienda trail. Holy shit, it was a butt kicker. Large, wide trail, but very very steep. The first leg of the Hacienda trail is marked...
I have posted about the ridiculousness of Bicycling Magazine in the past. I do not purposefully subscribe, but instead I get a copy with my Performance Bicycle membership. Every month, this rubbish appears at my house. This month’s edition has a giant picture of a rear cassette from SRAM that has 11 speeds. Of course, you have to go to page 94 to figure out why the fuck they have this...