The Womb

Another week in Tokyo, another week of exciting new experiences. I think I am become less of a tourist and more of a resident. Yet, at the same time, as my hair keeps growing longer I seem to get more stares from the residents of Tokyo. It seems that my handsome good looks and flame colored hair are just too much for the old ladies to resist. But enough about me lets hear some more about ...me.

This week I was able to learn even more about my company as I was given the opportunity to ride in a garbage truck for two days, go on some sales calls, and see client's new incineration facility. During my free time I was able to go out with co-workers, finally meet up with a friend from back in the states, went to the zoo, and wilded out at one of the best clubs in Tokyo.

To begin, I first wanted to write about my experiences at work. As strange as it sounds, I now have a small obsession with the waste management field of work. Was it the ride in the garbage truck that inspired me? No. That shit was about as exciting as anyone would expect it to be. However, the truck ride did give me the opportunity to see both the front office side of the business and the 'dirty' part of the company's work. I believe that this was the effect my boss, in all his infinite wisdom, wanted to create. I now see that despite the fact that the waste management field is far from glamorous, it is still extremely financial lucrative and has the potential to do good for the environment. All of these experiences have made it more interesting to go to work and have the opportunity to learn more about the industry. Additionally, meetings with a number of clients have also planted an entrepreneurial spirit in my head. Granted I meet only the successful businessmen, but it is still very inspiring to want to run your own business, something I have never really found appealing before.

After work on Thursday I went out with a coworker to a bar named The Pink Cow. I finally got to interact with more Japanese people in a relaxed setting as well as had the opportunity to meet some people from the states. Needless to say I caught the last train at night and work was not fun the next day. On Friday night I met up with my friend Gina from Washington DC and was invited to stay at her host-parents house. This was the first house I have seen in Tokyo with a front yard and grass. And yes it was traditional Japanese architecture with paper-thin walls, but their toilet was really cool so it’s all good.

Saturday continued my fun filled weekend as Ryota, Hide, Steven, Yan (the Dutch AIESECers) and I all went to the Ueno Zoo. Though it was interesting experience to see all the animals, the highlight of that trip was when instead of taking pictures of the animals several Tokyo residents proceeded to take pictures of us. Steven has blond hair, Yan has brown, and I have red. This was the trifecta for several zoo visitors and they happily snapped away, with very little subtlety. As the night wound down we walked around Tokyo some more and saw a festival where old Japanese antiques were sold, and a parade was hosted. Regarding the parade, it seems that even here in Japan, it is an absolute must for a marching band, cheerleaders, and color guard to be present. And as in the US, the color guard is......has really nice personalities.

Sunday the Dutch and myself attended a water park, which was a noteworthy activity for two reasons. One, the lines are extremely long and the slides are less than stellar. Two, I have now been sunburned on three continents.

Sunday night was probably the craziest night of my trip thus far. My coworker, Yuko, told me that she was going to a really cool club on Sunday night (Monday is a national holiday), and I was welcome to come. Never one to turn an opportunity to wild out, I happily obliged. We left her house at around 12AM, at which point I realized I was not catching the train home. We arrived at club "Womb"(pronounced ooomb by most Japanese) and waited to get in. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The DJ was phenomenal, the facilities were fantastic, and the drinks were reasonably priced. If you have questions about how well the Japanese crowd dances please ask me in person.

And so I stayed at the club till 5 AM until the subway started to run again. It appears that 95% of the people on the subway at that hour were in the same boat as me. The "I couldn't afford a cab at a reasonable hour of night, and so I waited till 5" boat.

I will leave you with some pictures from this week.



View from the zoo.



Beautiful house surrounded by Lillis .




Parade dress.



Ryota, Hide, me, random waiter, Steve, Yan.



Tokyo is full of tiny streets.