Spending the night drinking in Aoyama and dancing in Shibuya until morning with Deny and friends, 6 hours after landing in Narita.<\/p>\n
Yoshida-san at Albatross, casually wishing me a welcome back, asking how I’m doing, as if it had not been two years since the last time I sat there ordering a drink.<\/p>\n
Soon-to-be-official-geisha Hako-chan, demonstrating her shamisen skills at a tiny Shibuya izakaia, before going on a drunken quest for some old Pink Floyd albums at nearby Tower records.<\/p>\n
Sheer serendipity and Saeko’s MBA program being located 6 floors down from my lab in the same Jimbocho building.<\/p>\n
Drinking our asses off with Yi, Jun & co.<\/a>, enjoying Kaikan Hotel’s Beer Garden<\/i>‘s “All you can drink” formula until the very last minute (and the last dozen hastily ordered pints).<\/p>\n Tokyo clubbing. Receiving a freshly removed pair of lacy underwear adorned with the wearer’s phone number. Having never asked for it in the first place.<\/p>\n Birthday bash, party favours and AI talks at Tracey<\/a>‘s.<\/p>\n Sangria with K-chan, seating at a waterside caf\u00e9, watching blinking city lights and Chuo train sparks reflecting in the canal’s water.<\/p>\n Sunny BBQ on the grass and cool crowd at Martine’s<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nBeers and Jim<\/a>‘s crazy tales from the wild streets of Kabukicho. Finishing with the most palate-scorchingly spicy nepalese curry I have ever tasted (prematurely murdered tastebuds haven’t quite recovered since).<\/p>\n