Some observations about Tokyo...

The city is quite clean, from the streets themselves to all vehicles, including the fuel trucks that are so horribly filthy in the USA. The Cherry Blossoms were absolutely beautiful both in the dailight and above their careully lit street lights, which pointed up into the trees! The architecture is quite interesting with many large buildings appearing to be quite modern and creative. The transportation system is quite efficient and the drivers very courteous. I contrast the motorcycle drivers, for instance with Sao Paolo and they actually appear to be concerned with their own safety here. I am at Narito airport and found the check-in, security and customs to be quite efficient. The United International Club is quite nice. People in general were most eager to please and serve, the food was good, the room was clean and modern. We did not meet at the hotel, but as I mentioned below, at the Abbott offices. My only dissapointment is that the Japanese seem to like to keep the room temperature at what seemed to me to be at least 75 degrees. Most signage and announcements seem to be both in Japanese and English, which was quite comforting.

Most comforting however, is that I will be home in my own county, in my own home, bed and with Lynn in about 16 hours.

This was posting number 50, and I hope you have enjoyed my journal about the last month. It has been fun creating this journal and appreciate your allowing me to share this experience with you in this medium.

Happy blogging and a blessed Easter to all of you.

GrandBob

I am in the home stretch

Workshop went well yesterday. On my feet all morning, 10 minute hikes to and from the meeting, and from our dinner, did not do my heel any good. I will try to drink lots of water today, but feel tight all over.

My addional trips to Istanbul and Frankfurt for late April are not going to work logistically, but I will meet my guys in Chicago as an extension to a trip I have planned the first week of May. Frankly, that is fine, as I have missed being home with my first wife.

I depart today (Friday) on a 400 PM flight and arrive today (Friday) in Denver at 230 PM.
Go figure!

I am doing fine, however I think all of this travel and lack of sleep is taking its toll. I have not slept well the last two nights (without Ambien.) So I will take one on the plane this evening and when I go to bed in Colorado.

No, I did not

No I did not make it to a Kareoke bar - thank God!

Yes, I did

I went out for dinner with about 20 of the Abbott people. We went to a traditional Japanese restaurant, where we took off our shoes as I sat on this little bitty pillow on a hard bench with my legs down in this very shallow hole (my legs fell asleep) and sat for two hours eating some of the most creative "food" I have ever experienced. Some of it was good; like the fried squid, some was tolerable; like the whole fish (tasted like a whole perch,) some was OK; like the raw fish, horse, shrimp and scallops, and some was horrible, like the raw fish guts. I'll spare you any more details. I just had a couple of Tums and am looking forward to getting some sleep.

I learned the following:

ITADKEMASU means "Let's eat !"
and
HENKO KANRI means "Operating change".

I am open to change, but somewhere there has to be a limit!

A quick report on my day with the Asians

Spent the day with some very bright folks from China, Korea, Japan, and Australlia. One of the fellows went to Cornell. His boss, who is in charge of all Asia Pacific, asked me to come in to his office for a one-on-one meeting. He needs help, and wanted me to give him some advice. I had just met him. (I gave him several options.... a.k.a. SNL)

I am on my way to dinner with these folks, so I can't report any more right now. We had about a mile walk to their office, to lunch back to their office and back to the hotel. By my count that is 4 miles. My heel is not doing well. A couple of Tylenol, a change of shoes and a taxi to dinner and I better be OK. The good news is that I am to be on my feet all morning.

Sayonara.

Business activities...

I have intentionally not mentioned too much about business on this blog site, but I will report the following.

I have been working on my analysis, observations and recommendations report. My boss likes my work so far. Today I spent most of the day fine tuning that report.

The folks I am working with had called on one of their internal resources to help them with this project. She was too busy to help so she referred them to my company, as we had trained her in Change Management. She called my boss today and reported that at an international leadership meeting last week, my guys were very complimentary of her suggestion to bring us in. They were using the right terminology and doing the right stuff with their management in the meetings last week. My boss wrote me and told me I am making an impact.

My boss spoke last week with Abbott in California. They had called her saying they were hearing good things about what I was doing in their international areas and wanted to talk with her about some additional work. I assumed it was Abbot USA. No, it was Abbott corporate, three levels up from where I am working. They want to start some corporate projects in the next coulple of months and I will probably be assigned those as well!

Feels good!

Another test of my adaptability

For those of you who have created blogs, (and I guess the rest of you) there are some screens on the computer that prompt you to create a new posting, edit previous postings, save your new one as a draft, publish it, add a photograph etc.

When I was in Brazil, I noticed that these instructions were in Portugese, but I managed to figure it out. Here in Japan, the instructions look something like this:
投稿オプション
or this
ショートカット: Ctrl を次のキーと同時に押します: B = 太字, I = 斜体, S = 公開, D = 下書き 詳細

So you think I can't learn how to change?

So here's one for the books...

Last night, I wanted to eat at a little place in the hotel that specializes in charcoal grilling. It was full, so I went there tonight. I did not want a terribly big or filling dinner, so I ordered the Terriyaki Sirloin. I ordered a tuna starter (assuming it would be grilled) and a side of rice. The waiter came back to my table and asked "How would you like your celery stick?"

Now, in the USA I have had the following:

• Celery sticks with my buffalo wings which are dipped in blue cheese or ranch dressing
• I recall Molly used to make "ants on a log" with peanut butter and raisins
• My mom used to stuff celery sticks with cream cheese
• I used to dip vegetables in a sour cream and Lipton onion soup mix

I was sure that none of the above were what they offered, so I thought about the possible options:

• Last night the vegetables were boiled, so maybe he wants to know if I want my celery sticks boiled?
• Maybe they'll grill them on a little table sized hibachi grill (like a pu pu platter)
• Perhaps they serve them with a wasabe mustard?
• Is there some other way celery sticks would be prepared in Japan? I did not think that I had ordered celery sticks, but after last night's dinner with so many surprise courses, I was not sure.

The waiter must have seen that I was perplexed. He repeated "How would you like your celery stick?" Then he added, "Medium rare, rare, or..." I said "Oh, medium rare, of course!"

The tuna came raw with some lettuce, nuts and some kind of sauce. I was then served one of the best sirloin steaks I have ever eaten - medium rare! Sirloin steak!

For those of you who can not read Japanese

I had some suggestions that for those of you who could not read the map of the area near my hotel and the office I will visit tomorrow, since it was in Japanese, I should include a English version of that map. So here you go...

Odaiba Ferris Wheel

I guess I am a pretty good judge of size (as far as ferris wheels go...)

The Odaiba Ferris Wheel is the largest one in the world with a diameter of 100 meters and a height of 115 meters above ground. It is the symbol of the Palette Town. A fantastic panorama from the slowly revolving wheel includes an entire view of Tokyo Tower and a broad view of the Tokyo Metropolitan. The whole of Tokyo Bay can also be seen, with the hilight of the rife being the magnificent Rainbow Bridge, which is regarded as the symbol and pride of Tokyo Bay. Rainbow Bridge lights in the evening and with a little imagination, appears just like a huge rainbow stretching across the bay, with the cars like shooting stars dashing through the rainbow. The Ferris Wheel itself also lights up in the evening, and by iteslf is a very pretty sight.

Some initial thoughts about Tokyo

I was asked my many what route we'd fly, and sho'nuff, we followed the west coast north after we took off, flew close to Alaska near the Bearing Sea, and down the western edge of the Pacific Ocean.

I found the airport to be very clean and modern; even efficient, until it came to the one-hour wait for customs. People were orderly and patient, even in the hot humidity. I guess, when you have a couple of jumbo jets come in, your queueing systems are stressed.

I did not know they drove on the wrong side of the car/street in Tokyo. I was also surprised at how efficient their highway systems are. As we neared the hotel, we were on an elevated highway most of the time. We drove past Disneyland Tokyo and one of the largest ferris wheels I have ever seen. Looked like a hundred 6-person gondolas hanging off of it.

Dinner was their Tempura dinner. It must have been 8 courses. Fish, vegetables, sushi, raw fish, some kind of vinegar-soaked stuff, tempura shrimp, temupra fish, tempura vegetables, clear soup. I can neither recall them nor tell you what I ate (I have no idea!) It was good, and I slept well.

I was feeling a bit stuffy, so I took a contac gel, vitamin C, my red yeast rice, my omega fish oil and an Ambien and I slept pretty well, considering the time change. I feel good now. The clock on the wall says 730 AM, computer says 4:30 PM. I am going to go get some breakfast and come back to the room to work, in case I can find the NCAA game on TV, which I doubt.

More later.

Safe in Tokyo

I am here. Long day. Turns out there are 9 hours time difference. I saw blossoms on the trees, but very brown grass on the 90 minute bus ride, after staning in line for customs for an hour, and for 20 minutes waiting for the bus. My heel has been bothering me today and I plan to rest it tomorrow. Off for supper and then to bed. It is 2:50 AM in Denver, but dinner time here. Room, doorways, chairs, bathroom all very tiny here. Riding on the upper level of the plan was kind of fun. Watched Blood Diamonds and Casino Royal on the way and finished another book.

I'll write more tomorrow, when I am a bit more cohesive. Just wanted to let you know I am here safe.