Tokyo Japan - 60 and sunny

Hard to not like today - 60 and sunny.  And everyone was out.....you realize how many people really live here when they get out and fill the streets and parks on the weekend.

Tokyo Japan - shaking 20 stories up OH MY!

I went through an earthquake 20 stories up in Tokyo today.  I thought the neighbors were banging things around and then my room started banging around and shaking and it was all very real very fast.
And then the speakers came on to tell me the building was earthquake proof and I was safe right where I was - it was kind of interesting that someone brought me to my room yesterday and made a point to show me the exits incase of an earthquake or other emergency.....glad I paid attention.
After things settled down I wandered out to my next meeting.  No one seemed to worked up about the whole thing so I figured it wasn't much of a big deal.  Then I got to the lobby and realized the whole room was standing around the edges and watching the three "mega" chandeliers swaying back and forth.....10 minutes or so after all the action stopped.
I thought better of hanging around there and wandered off to my next event.  There I came to learn that this was a good sized earthquake and everyone here was paying attention - don't see these everyday.  And after the big one last year.....a big one could mean some real damage and fear in this world.
Not sure what the balance of the trip will bring but so far an adventure in every city.

Tokyo Japan - not sure I have been here on a sunny day

I don't recall ever being in Tokyo on a sunny day.
I woke up this morning and the sun was bright.  I opened the window and it was clear and bright and Mount Fuji was a clear as it could possibly be.  I wasn't aware it was that close - always grey and gloomy when I have been here before.
Great weather for December - and sunny too!

Beijing China - Traffic, night lights and a bit of Christmas

I always have a great view of the traffic from the hotel I stay at - and I have yet to be disappointed.  There is always amazing amounts of vehicles moving around.
I arrived after mid-night on a Sunday, aka Monday, and we hit a traffic jam in to the center city at 1 something in the morning.
And there is always something interesting to wander and see during the day but at night everything lights up and glows - so many ways to make buildings stand out at night here - and then all the cheap lights everywhere else to just get your attention.
And despite the lack of Christmas as a culture, there are signs and decorations throughout the city - why not take advantage of that and then jump in to Chinese New Year as well - do it twice!

Beijing China - How many ways can you have TOFU

Beautiful sunny days this trip to Beijing - but also colder than normal with huge winter winds out of the north.
Went out to dinner for a "unique" experience - and that it was.  It was a "zen buddha" place - a very special place.  You come here for great celebrations, etc - we even had some monks running around at some of the family celebrations going on.
It is very stark but very chic at the same time.  And located in one of the "hot neighborhoods" of Beijing.
The whole menu is vegetarian.  Not a problem for me.  One nice feature of Asia restaurants is that they have pictures of all the food - so you can see what you are getting.
Now I knew from the start that it was all vegetarian.  When you look at the menu and read the translations almost every dish sounded like it had meat in it - and the pictures supported that.
Everything was made with some form of tofu that we don't have in the USA - my visual and experience with tofu is cubes or big blobs of white stuff.....not that way in China.
We had a table full of dishes - almost all contained a "tofu" reproduced meat.  It all looked like the real thing.  We had thin slices that you were sure were meat, chicken style chunks, etc - it was actually amazing.  And tasty as well.
Certainly something I won't forget.