Here is a video clip of the encore, which was interrupted by an usher telling me I couldn’t film. Oops.

Ahh, sleep is priceless after days of erratic rest.

This morning, I woke to the deep bass of a giant heartbeat. I thought I was in a giant womb. The heartbeats gradually morphed into a beat, and then I heard an announcer say “How are we doing tonight? Are we going to have a party?!” Mind you, this was morning, not night, or so I thought. I rushed to the window and saw an Indian wedding party taking place in the cold parking lot.  Enjoy the videos of this surreal spectacle.

Upon my arrival, I was blown away by the sheer volume of people in the station, and when I made my way via subway to Shinjuku to find a hotel, I was even more blown away. Shinjuku station’s daily traffic is one of the highest in the world, and one has to almost fight one’s way through it. Better yet, simply go with the flow. This place makes NYC seem like a farming community.

After I did some sightseeing, I checked out Kyoto Station for some meal options. I found a place which allowed me to feed money into a slot and choose my meal by pushing a button. Then, a hostess came and seated me, and I looked around as I waited for my food. Most of the patrons were locals, but there a couple of foreigners inside. I watched carefully how the natives handled their chopsticks with their right hands and their spoons with their left as they deftly attacked the bowls of soup. When my food arrived, I managed to mimic them effectively, down to making the slurphing sounds characteristic of the eating style. However, I cant figure out how to do it without splashing my clothes with soup.

After I ate, I met Meri (a Japanese native, who is an acquaintance through my musician friend Jan Sebon), and we took the bus to the Kyoto Art Institute Student Festival, which was quite the event. There were beautiful student art works, cool bands playing, and great food. I had a blast. At 7 pm, I went to see Meri perform in an African dance performance, performed entirely by Japanese women. OK. I have seen, heard, and performed African dance and music. This was something else. I was blown away. From the first few beats of the dun-dun drums, I knew I was in for a good show. Imagine a group of attractive, young Japanese women playing African drums, while others danced skillfully to the music. Wow. There was one djembe player who could have given some of the drummer I know a run for their money, and she’s only been playing for two years! I told Meri they should seriously consider touring.

Bus ride hell. We must have been on the bus the whole day. Sightseeing is essentially worthless if you have to eat lunch in 10 minutes, and rush around in the place you are visiting. Japanese travel itineraries are somewhat unrealistic. I’m glad I extended my trip by an additional two weeks.

After we returned to Osaka, I enjoyed some “Western” style food for the first time in a week. I never thought I would enjoy a plain salad as much as I did.

Tomorrow is my birthday, and marks the passing of a phase of my trip. I will join 3 others as we cut out on our own in Kyoto, and after they leave on November 5th, I will be on my own in Japan until November 13th, when I return home. This culture is far removed from any I have experienced to date, and the language barrier makes it especially challenging. I’ve learned a couple of important phrases to aid me in my travels, but I am a far cry from being able to communicate effectively.

All in one night.

I went to a karaoke bar in this hotel (which, I might add, is a resort, on an isolated peninsula in the middle of nowhere) and we had no idea that there was a $12 surcharge per person. So our fricking bill ended up being $114 for 5 people, and only 2 of us sang. Fortunately, we got 3 video clips of us singing, which makes up for the feeling of being robbed.

This place is a trip.

Don performing Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now”

Don doing Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time”

Me doing Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild”

Drunken Japanese Karaoke Session

Drunken Brawl

A bunch of us went to get a bite. Wow. That was an embarrasing adventure in lack of communication. We somehow managed to order meals by pointing to items in the window. The food was decent. Dana, a member of our group, is a vegan, and he had some trouble getting something to eat. When he thought he ordered tofu, he got pork. Oops.

I’m going to bed now. I am wiped out.

See more pictures of the trip.

Below is a pic of Osaka Kansai Airport. Pretty cool looking. It was nice to breathe some fresh air after being crammed in a tin can for a several hours.

I’ve never quite taken a trip like this before. I usually travel alone, and I didn’t quite realize the difference until we got to the airport. Within minutes of arriving, we stormed O’Hare airport, and one attendant’s mouth dropped when she saw us march up in a regimented group. Hilarious.

Airport food sucks.

I’m going to Japan, and I will try to post stories and pix from my trip.  The hostel where I will stay after November 1st has internet access. I can’t account for anything before then, because I simply don’t know what is happening. I know that between October 25th and November 1st, I will be training at a martial arts conference, hosted by Genbukan.

I’m excited and petrified.

It was wild, it was fun, and I will likely never do it again!

Again, the video doesn’t depict me at all. When I get my images, I will post them.

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