Monday, September 10, 2001. 8:05 pm.
Mike and I are at a Sizzler restaurant. Mike is having steak and lobster, while I am savoring a slightly dry piece of grilled swordfish. A group of waitresses are singing “Happy Birthday” to an embarrassed guest while clapping out of rhythm. It’s a normal scene in an average restaurant.
Except, of course, for the fact that I’m in Tokyo.
Sticking with safe culinary options, Mike selected the Sizzler within the Tokyo Dome Hotel. While I am open to cuisine from many different cultures, Mike doesn’t like Japanese cooking. He doesn’t eat fish, eliminating most of the options offered by this island nation. I’m not very hungry, but I do need some solid food to settle my stomach.
Mike and I touched down in Tokyo at 1:10 pm local time. Our plane flight was uneventful, with the exception of the weather. Turns out there’s a typhoon parked off the east coast of Japan. This swirling weather event stood between our Delta MD-11 and land. Twenty minutes of circling combined with several bumpy descents culminated in the landing of our silver bird.
Bumpy weather doesn’t normally bother me, but this day was different. I didn’t get sick, but the mix of atmospheric agitation and sub-standard airline food made me feel queasy when we pulled up to the gate. As long as I lay off the caffeine, I should be okay.
Since I didn’t sleep on the flight, I’m trying to stay awake till the Tokyo clock says it’s bedtime. I’m on hour 25 of sleeplessness, stretching my waking hours to the absolute last minute. I have a 1:00 pm meeting with NEC, and being awake is highly recommended. I should be able to acclimate to the time change, since I have avoided naps and caffeine.
I close the curtains, blocking out the giant red and white neon sign. A mammoth SANYO strobes in the night, creating brief moments of artificial daylight. Four more hours till Tuesday. “It’s not Monday evening”, my brain says, “it’s Tuesday morning.”
Shit, the doorbell is ringing. The local rep decided to drop by. Let’s see if he’s here to mess with my sleep schedule.
Leave a Reply