Original Tokyo shopping district
February 8, 2010Taito-ku shopping area is about 20 blocks by about 10 blocks. It’s one of the original parts of the city and full of traditional wares for sale.
Many of the people in the crowd, especially older people were in traditional clothing.
We stumbled upon a popular temple. Outside was a large pit burning incense. People [...]
Older residential areas in Tokyo
February 8, 2010The museums were closed today but the weather was nice so we wandered. The first part of the day brought us to an older residential neighborhood, Ishiwara.
Sumo tournament
February 7, 2010The Sumo Tournament was 5 hours long!
One on one, winner stays till the next round it went. At the end a young wrestler upset the reigning champ. And pillows all flew to the stage from the box seats. We thought they were unhappy, but they throw the cushions at the [...]
Conveyor belt sushi
February 6, 2010I’m told these restaurants are common here. A conveyor belt runs by each table and you take off the plates of sushi that you want.
There is a touch pad at the table for special orders. Special orders come out in red bowls and your screen flashes when it reaches your table.
After dinner you [...]
Lucky Honda Shopping Trip
February 6, 2010We’re out in the burbs and the cousin took us shopping. Lucky Honda is like a Super Walmart plus Lowes plus a huge craft store, all put together then doubled.
The grocery section had an amazing fish selection. The dry goods section had everything you could ever need except clothing.
Tokyo Day 3
February 6, 2010Quiet day today, too cold and too windy to walk to far. We’re off in the burbs at the Airbase till Monday morning.
We had a snack at the Japanese equivalent of Friendlies this morning. On the tables in all the restaurants is a buzzer. The waitress leaves you alone unless you press the [...]
BMI, BodyFat, Calorie, Weight Loss Calculator for iPhones
February 5, 2010Why do you weight what you weight?
One day I went to bed skinny, the next I woke up fat, well maybe not quite that fast, I’d had to go out and purchase larger jeans every six months. But not once did it occur to me that I was gaining weight. It was like [...]
Tokyo Day 2 afternoon
February 5, 2010This afternoon we tried lunch, we had to point at the photos, they didn’t speak English and we didn’t speak Japanese, but the food was great.
We wandered over to the gadget district, the signs and buildings were fascinating, the gadgets not so much. Every where there are young men hawking like carnies and young [...]
Tokyo Day 2
February 4, 2010It really feels like Boston or NYC here, lots of pedestrians, people on bikes, very little auto traffic for a city so large.
We found the restaurant district, they look wonderful, sorry we had breakfast at the hotel, we know where to go for the rest of the trip.
Very few smokers, and no one carrying coffee. [...]
Tokyo day 1
February 4, 2010The 13 hour flight in the cattle section wasn’t too bad because it wasn’t very crowded, concerned about all the sick people on the plane, hope I didn’t catch anything.
The cab ride was like something from a movie, fast, in and out of traffic, several cars we cleared with only inches to spare. And [...]
Tobacco plants change pollinators to ditch worms
February 3, 2010Sure, the hawkmoth does a good job of pollinating the plant, Nicotiana attenuata, which grows in the Western United States and flowers at night. But the hawkmoth has this annoying habit of leaving behind its eggs, which develop into caterpillars that like nothing better than to eat the plant.
So N. attenuata strikes back in a [...]
The fountain of youth lies in exercise
February 2, 2010Do you know what shape your shape is in?
I didn’t.
I thought I was in great shape, and I was writing this app to help others find out where they stood.
I came home from the library loaded with books, I spent weeks downloading and reading medical papers. I wanted an overall measure of [...]
