Tokyo Return, Day 2 - National Science Museum

Ishii-san had called me when he arrived on Monday evening, and we agreed to meet for breakfast at 7:30 AM. So why am I running around like crazy, yanking clothes from the suitcases at 7:28 AM?

Because I overslept, that's why.....

I had the curtains open (an early sunrise is a very good way to wake me up), and I vaguely recall half-waking, looking at the clock and realizing that I could sleep for at least another hour (sunrise is around 5:00 AM - that's what no Daylight Savings Time does), so I did...and then some.

Oh well, I manage to get showered and dressed and downstairs by about 7:40 or so, so it wasn't too bad. We enjoy our breakfast and talk about our morning schedule. Ishii isn't sure how long it will take to get to the National Science Museum, our morning gathering place, but I assure him that, even with a transfer from subway to train, it shouldn't take more than 40 minutes or so.

We agree to meet in the lobby at 8:45, and I head back upstairs to (sort of) put things to right. Then we make the trip out to the science museum. Our meeting this morning is a presentation about the museum and its collections (it is the equivalent of the Natural History Museum portion of the Smithsonian), and a shorter presentation about ways to collect bugs.

Ed Jones is not at the meeting; he has been dealing with some health issues and is in the hospital, but he talks with us via cell phone and answers a few questions that come up. We all send wishes for his speedy recovery.

The latter topic always seems a bit redundant with science-based teachers, but in recent years, museums that specialize in science training have discovered that while kids seem to instinctively know how to catch a bug in a net, adults don't retain that knowledge very well. The presentation offers some good tips for attracting different kinds of bugs, both in nets and in traps designed for specific insect types.

After the presentation, we are invited to view the rest of the museum and have free time until our farewell dinner tonight. Both Ishii and I have seen the museum before; Ishii wants to go to Akihabara to look for a specific kind of radio, and I decide to go along just to look at what's available.

Akihabara Electric Town is a collection of shops with electronics of all types - every camera known to the modern world, both new and used, any portable form of music player that one can buy, even individual parts (I walked through a building with a series of small booths selling transistors, capacitors, diodes...anything one might need to build or repair anything electronic). If it uses electricity, one can buy it here.

Most of the shops advertise that they are "Duty-Free" - most of the time that means that they can supply the necessary paperwork to ensure that you do not pay extra taxes if you hold a foreign passport. These shops can often offer an international warranty (on new products) as well, which is an advantage on some items. The prices, though, are usually list (sometimes a bit lower, occasionally higher), and one is expected to bargain it down, something that I have never been very good at. As a result, I prefer to do most of my electronics shopping in Shinjuku, where list prices also prevail, but extras are often thrown in, making for (I think) a better overall deal. Also, if you are looking for the latest technology, the shops in Shinjuku seem to be a bit more consistent in keeping things in stock.

(As an example, I bought my new camera on Monday in Shinjuku; the store was down to two in stock - one, after I bought mine - but expected to get more within a day or two. The same camera was shown at several stores in Electric Town, but had 'Out of Stock' stickers in most places and list price or a little bit higher in the one or two shops that actually had it.)

Ah well, enough of that - plenty of people have gotten great deals in Akihabara, and that's good; others do better in Shinjuku. Shopping is an individual thing; you have to figure out what works best for you, then follow that plan.

I decide to head back for the hotel, to finish posting XOOPS reports (actually to get the pictures uploaded and then post the reports), and try to make some sense out of the mess that is my suitcases and stuff. I stop at the post office and buy another box - I've got to ship some of this home.....

My afternoon is spent completely repacking. After much thought, I figure out what can be shipped and what should go into a suitcase and succeed in getting most of it into the correct places. I will need to take one of my cases downstairs and check its weight, but they feel about right, so I think I will make it.

Our gathering in the evening is fun. There are all kinds of drinks and many different foods; this is more of a buffet rather than a sit down dinner, and people mingle and talk. The American teachers present MTP staffers with flowers (for the women) and small carved cups (for the men). I have a set of cups for the Jones, but those will have to be delivered later.

After the main party, a large group decide to do one more round of karaoke, at the bar across the street from the hotel. Karaoke is very much a Japanese entertainment venue (in fact, it originated here), but it is done differently that it is in the U.S. Instead of having everyone in one giant room, the Japanese have small group rooms, each with a large screen TV, music system, and lighting effects that work with whatever music is selected. One nice thing about this setup is that you don't have to feel embarrassed about getting up and singing in front of strangers; it's only your friends and drinking buddies that hear your voice, good or bad. The evening is great fun.

Then it's time to head back to the hotel. Even though it's late here, I get online and find my family available for a short IM chat. My daughter informs me that she still needs a pair of tan jazz shoes (for some reason, they weren't ordered with the rest of the stuff for danceline). Hmmm, sounds like Mom-the-keeper-of-the-schedule is back in full-time business early.

I sigh, and tell her to get me brand name, color and size. Fortunately, our favorite dance accessories place is online and available 24/7 (Dance Distributors - they do a great job of keeping large shoe sizes in stock, important if you're a nearly 6-foot-tall female dancer), so she sends me the link to the shoes she wants, calls the coach to verify color (did you know that you can order three different shades of "tan" these days?), and I place the order. They are in stock and should be there by the time I get home, so she will have them for danceline camp.

Amazing...simply amazing. It's midnight in Japan, mid-morning in the U.S., my daughter can tell me via Yahoo IM that she needs dance shoes and I can order them on the spot. Quite a world we live in, these days; what did we ever do before the 'Net?

Bedtime - I'm exhausted.