November 3, 2007

Tokyo (JAPAN)

Tennis with my Professor and Watching Arsenal/ManUnited at Footnik

After yet another long week, Kumagai san had to wake me up this morning for a late breakfast of "sunny-side up" eggs, melted cheese over tomatoes, bread, bacon, orange juice, and several cups of coffee. We would be heading off in different directions for the day as she had a college reunion to attend, and I had a 12:00 tennis appointment with the head of the Mechanical Engineering Department, Okuma san.

Although I am not much of a tennis player, I am unstoppable at ping-pong (impressive, I know), and I am in fairly good shape. So, it was with some embarrassment that I stepped out on the court, paired with my 53 year old professor, and was dealt a severe beating by two men well into their 60s. Fortunately, they were happy to beat a young man and took great pleasure in doing so. This probably worked to my advantage as both are emeritus professors at other universities in Tokyo, and one is even in charge of the entire research arm of Japan's space division. I played continuously for two hours, losing most sets in the process, before a new group of people arrived and the fun began all over again. In all, I was introduced to seven or eight different 'high ranking professors and academicians' from around Tokyo, and everyone insisted I come back for more next Saturday. This is an opportunity I can hardly refuse to pass up, and I am indebted to my professor for taking me under his wing in this regard.

By the time I got home it was late in the afternoon and I had to forgo my plans to attend a an Industrial Design exhibit in a trendy section of Tokyo. Instead, I threw on a pair of sweats and took to the streets for a long run that left me shattered. I suppose losing at tennis must have left me in the mood for putting myself through a gauntlet, but more likely is the pleasure I get out of racing through downtown Tokyo. Safety goes out the window as I storm across bustling streets and jump railings without so much as breaking my stride. As usual, I followed up my run with a trip to the public baths, which are only a 15 minute walk from the house, and are the ideal way to relax tired muscles.

At 7pm I met a Japanese friend, Dice-K, and a Hong Kong friend, Eric, for dinner near Osaki station. I settled on a rice bowl with diced chicken on top, and I even went so far as to adopt the Japanese custom of cracking open a raw egg to mix in with the rice. Afterward, it was a ten minute walk to a sports bar called Footnik where I watched the much-hyped Arsenal vs. Manchester United match. The game lived up to expectations with Arsenal twice equalizing goals from United, and the second came in the heart-wrenching period of extra time.

There were people standing on the tables screaming at the top of the lungs, and although I was high-fiving everyone around like a giddy kid, I had to refrain from going over the top because Kumagai san stopped by for the final ten minutes of the match. She brought with her an old college friend who lives in Kyushu, which is one of the southernmost islands in Japan. The woman's husband, currently an architect, was a former goalkeeper, so we had plenty to talk about and a good time watching the match. Anyway, she left me with an open invitation to visit her home, and it is an opportunity I hope to make the most of when my studies at Tokyo Tech come to a close.