I know all too well that my mom and Joe are early risers. In fact, there was one particular incident that will forever live in infamy. While visiting Farmington during my freshman year in college I pulled into the driveway late one night (or early depending on perspective). I saw Joe making coffee through the front window..."NOOOOO!" I had narrowly escaped this confrontation on the previous two nights, but I finally pushed it too far...my luck had run out.
I sat in my car for a second to come up with a strategy for my next move. The way I saw it, I had two options. 1) I could walk in, admit defeat, apologize for being so late, and walk to my room with my tail between my legs OR 2) I could walk in, casually say hello, and walk back to my room before anything further could be discussed. Admitting defeat seemed far less appealing so I opted for the casual/quick approach.
As I strolled through the front door I saw Joe kicking back on a cup of joe in the kitchen. I stole a quick glance his way and noticed a smirk on his face. I think he was enjoying this. Still smiling he said "Good morning!" in an almost sing song tone. The set up was too perfect, I had to respond in kind. I turned in the direction of my room and responded "Good night!" and went straight to bed. Now every time we discuss staying up late, Joe cheerfully reminds me of that incident. Well played, sir. :)
For day three of the Walker & Grenawalt's Japanese experience we hit up Tokyo early. We caught the 7:50 rapid train to Tokyo, which just so happens to be one of the busiest trains of the day. I was pleased to let everyone experience the sardine-like feeling as an endless flow of commuters packed the train. Once we were in Tokyo, we energized with Starbucks and went to our first destination: Shibuya.
Our next stop was the Tokyo Tower. A huge bonus to visiting the Tower is taking a gander at the Zojoji Temple on the way.
We happened to pop our heads in the temple just as a Buddhist ceremony was starting. I didn't think anybody had witnessed any eastern religious worshiping so we sat and watched for a little bit.
The visibility was astounding! The endless sea of urban development made the group speechless. We could even see Mt. Fuji in the distance.
Ginza is considered one of the most luxurious shopping districts in the world. After eating lunch at a Korean restaurant the men instinctively gave the women their respective spending allowances, set a meeting time, and hung out in the 4-story Apple store.
The girls had a great time shopping. I know Katie Jean especially enjoyed some fashion inspiration for her dress making business, KT Jean Designs. People were starting to get tired so we hopped on the Tsukuba Express and headed back to the Ninomiya House.
Well, I can't tell you exactly what time we finally made it to bed, but I'm 57% sure it was before Joe woke up for his morning coffee.
The next day was a good 'ol fashioned Thanksgiving. More to come! Whooohooo!
-Seth
I sat in my car for a second to come up with a strategy for my next move. The way I saw it, I had two options. 1) I could walk in, admit defeat, apologize for being so late, and walk to my room with my tail between my legs OR 2) I could walk in, casually say hello, and walk back to my room before anything further could be discussed. Admitting defeat seemed far less appealing so I opted for the casual/quick approach.
As I strolled through the front door I saw Joe kicking back on a cup of joe in the kitchen. I stole a quick glance his way and noticed a smirk on his face. I think he was enjoying this. Still smiling he said "Good morning!" in an almost sing song tone. The set up was too perfect, I had to respond in kind. I turned in the direction of my room and responded "Good night!" and went straight to bed. Now every time we discuss staying up late, Joe cheerfully reminds me of that incident. Well played, sir. :)
For day three of the Walker & Grenawalt's Japanese experience we hit up Tokyo early. We caught the 7:50 rapid train to Tokyo, which just so happens to be one of the busiest trains of the day. I was pleased to let everyone experience the sardine-like feeling as an endless flow of commuters packed the train. Once we were in Tokyo, we energized with Starbucks and went to our first destination: Shibuya.
Shibuya- Busiest intersection in the world, quarky shops, Hachiko statue
Mom and Joe standing outside of a Pachinko store (Japanese gambling).
Standing in the "world's busiest intersection".
Once the travel plans for mom and Joe were set in stone, I asked my mother what she would like to do here. Out of everything that Japan had to offer, her first response was to "...visit the Hachiko statue!" in Shibuya. Hachiko was a dog that waited for his owner at Shibuya station everyday. "Hachi" is famous for waiting for his master (who died at work) at the station everyday for 9 years. He is an icon in Japan and his stuffed body is on display in the National Science Museum of Japan. Mom and Joe's interest was peaked by the recent movie that came out with Richard Gere. You can watch the movie trailer by clicking here.
Zojoji Temple and Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Tower never looked so good.
Jonce standing on the lookout window. Kid tested, mother dis-approved.
Ginza- High class shopping looking
My mother has always had a difficult time expressing her emotions.
The girls had a great time shopping. I know Katie Jean especially enjoyed some fashion inspiration for her dress making business, KT Jean Designs. People were starting to get tired so we hopped on the Tsukuba Express and headed back to the Ninomiya House.
Late night shenanigans
Our "more experienced" party members went to bed fairly early; Tokyo has a way of taking it out of you. However, us young-folk (Haines family included) decided to cut lose and go to karaoke. I won't go into detail about the events that may or may not have transpired. I will simply provide a single photo that sums it up pretty well...
Well, I can't tell you exactly what time we finally made it to bed, but I'm 57% sure it was before Joe woke up for his morning coffee.
The next day was a good 'ol fashioned Thanksgiving. More to come! Whooohooo!
-Seth
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