Thursday was a busy and long day - in the morning a visit to Seikei high school and university, and in the evening a party in Shinjuku with my old Furui Lab (NTT) members. 
Seikei is a rather famous private school in Tokyo (just here in Kichijoji) where Maria spent a year as an exchange student 25 years ago. Its also where John has taught for the last 20+ years. So we went off to meet him at 10am and received an inside tour of the school (and to a lessser extent the University - the junior high school, senior high school, and university are all next to one another and occupy a huge tract of land by Tokyo standards). The school is carrying out massive building works, and while it was end of year "holidays", many students were still at school - come in to practice with their various clubs. Anyway we toured the various facilities including the gym where Maria first practiced Kendo. As the final act we visited the new university library, built at some incredible expense, including a robot retrieval (of books) system, and looking like some
vision of the future.
After lunch in Kichijoji with John we dropped by and visited Mari; getting to see her conducting a class with some of her students (a rather informal thing in a large room in her home). Mari had a doctor's appointment (an alergy) so we headed in early for the Shinjuku party.
An hour to kill in Shinjuku we wandered thr precincts of the Eki - which are absolutely huge. Not only did we see literally dozens of entrances to the station, we saw the life/energy of the city, and strange sights such as over a 100 people lined up outside a Krispy Kreme donuts shop.
Then it was time for the lab party. I'd been so looking forward to seeing all the friends I'd made at work - Matsui-san, Minami-san, Mori-kun and of course Sadaoki. The party was held in an up-market Italian restaurant in the basement of a posh hotel near the station. While seeing everyone was great the party was too short and the environment too formal - such that I didn't get to spend anywhere enough time with everyone.
The party finished by 9:30, but perhaps the most interesting thing for the readers might be the 2 drunken salarymen at the table next to us. Both in their 50s and fairly afluent looking, one was very loud throughout the meal, with the other nodding drunken
agreement. By the time we were leaving the nodder was vomiting on his plate, and as we were taking a group photo outside they were helped out of the restaurant with a little more frce than necessary...and off they stumbled to the station, the loud one reprimanding the nodder.
So it was goodbye to everyone (hopefully not for another 11 years!) at various locations till we were at the ticket buying station with Matsui-san (who we were travelling back to Kichijoji with). Its times and places like 10pm on a normal/average Thursday night in Shinjuku that make me realise what was energy and power this country still has - people virtually wall-to-wall, all rushing somewhere.
Back in Kichijoji it was another late night walk home for us - 11pm by the time we were in. Interestingly, no one said they were cold, despite the usual low temperature (it was 10 degrees in the house when we got in) - perhaps after 1 week we are adjusting to these winter level temperatures. Unfortunately they're forcast to continue for another week.
Seikei is a rather famous private school in Tokyo (just here in Kichijoji) where Maria spent a year as an exchange student 25 years ago. Its also where John has taught for the last 20+ years. So we went off to meet him at 10am and received an inside tour of the school (and to a lessser extent the University - the junior high school, senior high school, and university are all next to one another and occupy a huge tract of land by Tokyo standards). The school is carrying out massive building works, and while it was end of year "holidays", many students were still at school - come in to practice with their various clubs. Anyway we toured the various facilities including the gym where Maria first practiced Kendo. As the final act we visited the new university library, built at some incredible expense, including a robot retrieval (of books) system, and looking like some
vision of the future.After lunch in Kichijoji with John we dropped by and visited Mari; getting to see her conducting a class with some of her students (a rather informal thing in a large room in her home). Mari had a doctor's appointment (an alergy) so we headed in early for the Shinjuku party.
An hour to kill in Shinjuku we wandered thr precincts of the Eki - which are absolutely huge. Not only did we see literally dozens of entrances to the station, we saw the life/energy of the city, and strange sights such as over a 100 people lined up outside a Krispy Kreme donuts shop.
Then it was time for the lab party. I'd been so looking forward to seeing all the friends I'd made at work - Matsui-san, Minami-san, Mori-kun and of course Sadaoki. The party was held in an up-market Italian restaurant in the basement of a posh hotel near the station. While seeing everyone was great the party was too short and the environment too formal - such that I didn't get to spend anywhere enough time with everyone.
The party finished by 9:30, but perhaps the most interesting thing for the readers might be the 2 drunken salarymen at the table next to us. Both in their 50s and fairly afluent looking, one was very loud throughout the meal, with the other nodding drunken
agreement. By the time we were leaving the nodder was vomiting on his plate, and as we were taking a group photo outside they were helped out of the restaurant with a little more frce than necessary...and off they stumbled to the station, the loud one reprimanding the nodder.So it was goodbye to everyone (hopefully not for another 11 years!) at various locations till we were at the ticket buying station with Matsui-san (who we were travelling back to Kichijoji with). Its times and places like 10pm on a normal/average Thursday night in Shinjuku that make me realise what was energy and power this country still has - people virtually wall-to-wall, all rushing somewhere.
Back in Kichijoji it was another late night walk home for us - 11pm by the time we were in. Interestingly, no one said they were cold, despite the usual low temperature (it was 10 degrees in the house when we got in) - perhaps after 1 week we are adjusting to these winter level temperatures. Unfortunately they're forcast to continue for another week.
3 comments:
The kids look so cold and a little bored sitting on that railing, where are all these pple ur talking about, did you get them to clear away for the pic?
Hi guys, We have enjoyed the journey to date. We think of you often, a lovely 25 today and a sleep in. Public holiday tomorrow so another sleep in.
Take care the Quinlans
As to the Shinjuku photo of the kids...thats a little back street in front of a minor entrance to the station, and it just happened no one was there - inside the station and around the major exits its wall-to-wall people.
Thanks for the g'day Jane, here (Sunday afternoon) its cold and clear with a freezing cold wind that seems to go right through you.
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