As described by Joe earlier in the blog, our next day was a complete contrast to the previous. This was the first time we had been back together since we had been collected by our hosts, and we were in high spirits as we travelled into Tokyo . What an amazing city. Its simply massive both in all directions. I expected to be impressed but this was way beyond what I had imagined. In true style of our Japanese hosts, we were taken to the top floor of the Imperial Hotel (the oldest hotel in Tokyo) for lunch. Eating a gourmet meal in a panoramic restaurant with the towering city in the background. We felt like royalty and savored every moment. The next place on our whistle stop tour was to the Tsukiji fish market where Angela made friends with an unfortunate tuna. The variety of fresh fish and shellfish on offer was amazing, on a truly massive scale. Our final stop before leaving was the Senso-ji Temple and local markets of Asakusa.
On the way back, Cheema Reeda assured us that we could now relax and look forward to a farewell party when we returned, with no prospect of having to do a presentation. In any case, after a day sightseeing we didn't have our notes or powerpoint kit. We also asked our translator to hold off on the exchanging of club banners until the following day as we hadn't brought any with us. With this reassurance, we relaxed looking forward to a quiet evening. The Japanese are very good at surprises and like to keep you on your toes. As we arrived, Saty explained that we had to do a quick presentation, totally in Japanese and no sooner as we had sat down then they produced their club banners to exchange! Fortunately our grasp of the Japanese language is such now that this was a doddle ... .... Following this meal, they wheeled in the karaoke. Again I don't think we would have survived the public vote. At the end of this meal we were ushered into a separate room and were treated to a second party, and entertained by Geisha's, singing and dancing. Another experience few tourists would get to see. As the saki flowed, David started jamming with the Geisha's on their guitars and Angela, joined in with the dancing. I decided that staying put on the floor was the safest place to be!
On the way back, Cheema Reeda assured us that we could now relax and look forward to a farewell party when we returned, with no prospect of having to do a presentation. In any case, after a day sightseeing we didn't have our notes or powerpoint kit. We also asked our translator to hold off on the exchanging of club banners until the following day as we hadn't brought any with us. With this reassurance, we relaxed looking forward to a quiet evening. The Japanese are very good at surprises and like to keep you on your toes. As we arrived, Saty explained that we had to do a quick presentation, totally in Japanese and no sooner as we had sat down then they produced their club banners to exchange! Fortunately our grasp of the Japanese language is such now that this was a doddle ... .... Following this meal, they wheeled in the karaoke. Again I don't think we would have survived the public vote. At the end of this meal we were ushered into a separate room and were treated to a second party, and entertained by Geisha's, singing and dancing. Another experience few tourists would get to see. As the saki flowed, David started jamming with the Geisha's on their guitars and Angela, joined in with the dancing. I decided that staying put on the floor was the safest place to be!
