Thank You for Smoking

In Shinjuku, tomorrow Shizuoka. This shitty laptop is on its dying legs. Went to Dubliners for a couple of pints. Didn't know anybody and nobody knew me. I wasn't surprised by this. It's always a bit disappointing, though-- going to a bar and not seeing anybody you know. Of course my buddy and co-worker Mike came later, after raiding the music shops for their prog and Norwegian jazz albums.

After Singapore/Malaysia, etc. Shinjuku just seems like a crowded Miyazaki, with a lot more shops, bars, restaurants, and bigger buildings and generally a lot more going on. Er, whatever... It might be fun if I were 20 or 30 years younger. I've got a nice 35th-floor view from my hotel, but no camera good enough to capture it.

A sure sign that I've passed some sort of landmark in my life (although I'll be damned if I know exactly what that landmark is): this is what I'm thinking about:


Had a very nice dinner at a Turkish restaurant this evening. It was a first for me. There was an amusing moment when I asked if it was OK to smoke...