Tokyo, Montreal, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Whenever I travel, it's usually to one of these four cities. But I've been thinking. Maybe it's time for something different. Not Hawaii or Hong Kong or New Orleans or San Francisco - all places I've already visited. I'm talking about somewhere I've never been before. Somewhere brand…
March 6, 2014: Aeroplanning your next trip? Good luck with that!
The other day, a friend of mine floated the idea of a group trip to Las Vegas. With the proposed dates over two months away, I thought I'd try to book my flight and/or hotel on points. After all, I've amassed an impressive amount on my Aeroplan program, a loyalty program that "THEORETICALLY" allows people…
November 20, 2013: Tokyo Day #15!
The old adage is true. You never truly appreciate something until it's gone. Like, say, your appetite. Or even the ability to eat something without having it transform your stomach in a raging maelstrom. At the beginning of this trip, I was on the top of the world, assuming I'd get to try anything and…
November 18, 2013: Tokyo Day #13! The Fine Art of Ramen! H.H. Giger prepares my meal at Chikuyotei! I finally pay the price!
Nobody appreciates the fine arts like I do and it should come as no surprise that there's nothing I enjoy more than hitting the local museums whenever I visit a foreign city. Such was the case yesterday when Akemi and I woke up early so that we could catch the bullet train to Yokohama and…
November 17, 2013: Tokyo Day #12! Doggy Daikanyama! Sushi Kanesaka! Dominique Bouchet!
Tokyo is a vibrant metropolis of neon lights and raucous party districts, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. work days and all night manga cafes were salarymen who have missed the last subway home can catch a few hours sleep before sunrise. It's can be chaotic and crowded... And yet, there are parts of Tokyo that…
November 16, 2013: Tokyo Day #11! Esquisse! Kushiage! Star Bar!
I have at least one revelatory dining experience every time I visit Tokyo and, on this trip, it was the dinner I had at Esquisse, Tokyo's hottest French restaurant. Located on the 9th floor of the Royal Crystal Ginza, Esquisse has only been open a year and a half but, in that short time, under…
November 15, 2013: Tokyo Day #10! Line-ups, Geek Central, and Chicken Sashimi!
If there's one thing the Japanese love, it's a line-up. And this fact was reinforced as we strolled through Ometasando yesterday where we noted not one, not two, but THREE line-ups. The first for a newly opened popcorn shop (?), the second for some other presumably new shop of indeterminate nature, and the third...for a…
November 14, 2013: Tokyo Day #9! Wherein we check out Akemi’s old neighborhood and I eat way too much. Again!
Yesterday, we took a day trip to Akemi's old stomping grounds, catching the Chiyoda line from Hibiya station to Yoyogi Uehara where we transferred to the Odakyu line and finally arrived in Seijogakuen-mae. In short, just a little easier to get there than it is to pronounce... Once we arrived the first thing we…
November 13, 2013: Tokyo Day #8! A day packed full of jam! And whisky!
Akemi: When I was a kid, I had big eyes. Like everyone in my family. Me: Why? Akemi: I'm not sure. Maybe because we eat a lot of meat. Well, just a little meat for me yesterday - but a lot of whisky. We joined Akemi's family for lunch at one of my favorite restaurants…
November 12, 2013: Tokyo Day #7! Noisy cell phones! Kamakura! Beware of Kites!
It would seem that my mother's opinion of Japan has taken a drastic u-turn after she watched the Tokyo episode of Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown. I assured her that not all - in fact, I'd venture to say very few - Japanese women choose careers as skimpily-clad performance artists in robot theater. Also, I had no…
November 11, 2013: Tokyo Day #6! My Big Fat Japanese Wedding! Well, not “mine”, but darn close.
Poor white dress shirt planning. That's what it came down to. The occasion called for a black suit, white dress shirt, and white(ish) tie and I was ready. I traveled with not one but TWO white dress shirts (I'm not an idiot after all). Of course, it didn't dawn on me until this morning that…
November 10, 2013: Tokyo Day #5! Shaky shaky! Pork and promenades! Dinner at L’Effervesence!
We sure are experiencing a lot of turbulence, I thought to myself in my sleep-addled state. Suddenly, I stopped brushing. Wait a minute. I'm in my hotel room. "Did you feel the earthquake?"asked Akemi as I stepped out of the bathroom. The national news was already reporting on the 4.0 quake, a relatively minor that,…
November 8, 2013: Tokyo Day #2! Quest for the elusive Lawsons fried chicken! The Tokyo underground! Sushi Sawada! And more!
Our Tokyo trip got off to a rainy start. But that didn't temper our enthusiasm. We were up and out at 8:30 a.m., on a quest to track down some convenience store heat lamp spicy chicken nuggets for my breakfast. We were in search of the ubiquitous Lawsons, the one stop shop for everything from…
November 7, 2013: Tokyo Day #1! Arrival! Sans Applause! Robot Girlfriend!
Hello, from the future! November 7th here in Tokyo; November 6th back home for most of you. Having advance knowledge of the day ahead, I wish I could tell you all what is in store for you but, alas, like most travelers to Asia, I had to sign a non-disclosure form while going through customs…
November 5, 2013: Things I’m most looking forward to on this Tokyo Trip!
Picked up my sister at the airport last night and was treated to this wondrous sight: And this was the surprise Akemi had waiting for my sister upon her arrival: Well, off today. We're flying Japan Airlines and will be getting in at 4:30 p.m. Tokyo time - following an 11 hour flight and 90…