Yokosuka...pronounced, Yo-koh-skuh...

Well, it's Monday morning and time to head ot Yokosuka. I pack up, check out, and head for the train station. Nice...no English to tell you what platform to be on. Is this place for real? So, I ask a dude, "Do you speak English?" His reply, "A little." Well, his English was about 10 times as good as that of Anthony (you know who you are). I don't know why, but the answer is always "no" or "a little"...no matter how fluent one may be. Regardless, he directs me and I'm all set. I get on the train with my gigantic suitcase, small duffle bag and backpack. I stand by the door at first and then move to the middle of the car to take a seat when one opens up. It's at the very next stop that two things happen. 1) I realize that, if my name were Tom (I've changed names to protect the guilty), I would both be in heaven and headed for jail and, 2) that there is no way for me to get this gigantic bag past all of these 13 year old girls in plaid skirts and white shirts before the doors close at my stop. Honestly, I didn't think of number 2 until I had chuckled to myself for a few minutes over number 1. And, of course, thought how my other ethnic friend...not Tony, for those of you who know these people...might enjoy it as well.

Luckily, these schoolgirls were getting off at my stop. No, it was lucky because they cleared out so I could get my gear off the train. Try to keep it clean! I made it to the hotel, checked my baggage (it was only about 8am) and waited for Miyako, our office manager, to come and get me. While I was waiting, I checked out the gift shop in the hotel. Not the most standard of gift shops, I have to say. There seemed to be about 20 different kinds of c-rations, dried foods, bad meal, whatever you would call them. A box...and a heavy box...labelled "New England Clam Chowder". Never seen that one dry. There was also "famous" Yokosuka curry. Okey dokey. I don't get it, but I guess eating out of a box is cool. One c-ration was called "Aegis". I think that's a rocket or something. It had no English writing on it other than the name. I wonder what happens when you put it in the microwave.

When I checked into my room, they didn't have any single rooms left so I got an upgrade. It was actually pretty nice. Even though it was very old...there were stains on the sofa, etc...it was very modern. Modern fixtures, modern lighting, etc. Much better than the low class room I had at the previous place in Shinagawa.

Yokosuka turns out to be more populated and nicer than I expected. Miyako and her 2 daughters and the other lady in our office, Mica, joined me at the shopping mall across the street from my hotel for a sushi dinner. Sushi a' la conveyor belt. Even the conveyor sushi is good. This place rocks. I then did some shopping for gifts for the people that matter...if you actually matter and don't get a gift from this trip, don't be offended, just accept the writing on the wall. These stores are ridiculous. It's like Kroger, Best Buy, Sears, Target, and Nordstrom all rolled into one.

I don't know if I mentioned it, but I'm sort of on a quest to have noodles. When I left our office today, I saw a place called "Ramen"-something. Nice...that's my lunch tomorrow. Well, tomorrow came and went and the damn place was closed. Closed the first and third Tuesday of every month. Are you kidding? Well, f--- it. I walked a few blocks checking things out and then found a little place that appeared to have udon noodles. Indeed, they had curry udon. Yellow curry, pork, and udon noodles. It was fantastic. I didn't eat the pork, it was all fat, but the dish was fabulous. You'll be surprised to find that it took about 30 minutes to order because no one in the place spoke English.

Off to my next destination...