The Homecoming Part 1

Very soon I'll be back in India and Japan will fade into the memories of the days gone by. Overall I can say that this has been a mixed bag. I've missed my family, my church and friends. And the work on most days wasn't exciting. But there have been some things that I've liked and some that I'll miss in when I am back in India.

1. The first one without a doubt is Shinkansen (or the Bullet Train) - It is an engineering marvel. Just the fact that you're sitting in a vehicle that's moving at 300kph on land is amazing. I had a great desire to sit in the cockpit and see how it feels when everything seems to be coming at you at that speed, well may be later. You can check out the video that I had recorded at Nishi Akashi (Kawasaki Headquarters). I am really sorry that when Arvind came to Tokyo I couldn't take him on a trip in Shinkansen.

2. Mt. Fuji Trek - I took about 15 hrs to climb on top of Mt. Fuji last summer. From the foot to the peak Mt. Fuji is about 3700 mts. And I started trekking from Station 5, which is about 2300 mts. I know, I took too long to reach the top but the crater of a volcano is one of the coolest things to see. Japanese don't climb Fuji to see the crater rather they climb Fuji to see the sunrise at 3700 mts. For me, it wasn't great.
(Regret - I wish I could've seen some lava flowing or at least some toxic smoke coming out of the crater.)

3. Sushi and Wasabi- Yup the lethal combination of raw fish and the stingiest spice of the world. If you haven't eaten Sushi till now, take my word you've really missed something. And Sushi bars are amazing, I mean for all those of you who know and have heard about JIT systems or The Toyota Way, a Sushi Bar is the epitome of all the principles that are being taught in the institutions and are being practiced by organisations all over the globe.

4. Fireworks - If you ignore the journey to and the return back from the place where these firework festivals take place and a million people who come to the show, the fireworks are are a treat to the eye. You can check out the link and see a few pics of the fireworks but it's no where close to what I'm talking about.

5. Konami - Swimming and gyming were the reasons I had joined the club but I've made some really good Japanese friends there. Most people think that Japanese are introvert people and mind there own business. Yes, that's true but what's also true is that these people are really loving, friendly and helpful. I won't say they are funny because I don't get their sense of humor.

It's a bit late now, rest later...