The hotel @ Tokyo Dome - is 4 a few days my temporary home

Dear readers,

This is penultimate trip as a Gold card holder, and it started in the best possible way. Upgraded to seat 1A on the long haul overnight flight. Great start!!! with NRJ as my final destination I would like to share a few refllections about a country that I really like. Most of them thanks to the locals that live here that took care of me during my first day. Thanks A&M!!!

LIMITED COMMUNICATION - BUT SUPER SERVICE
I find it difficult to travel around with English at the only language, but even though it is hard to communicate verbally, tehre is always a service minded smile where ever you go. On the bus from the airport, that left on time and took me all the way to the hotel. When entering the H&M Store. When ordering from the picture menu. An everthing done without the left hand coming in the second wave to collect the tip

STARBUCKS IN EVERY CORNER - AND THE COPYCAT NEXT BY
During my down town stroll today I did se easily 20 Starbucks so coffea on te go must be a real hit. in the local convenience store thtere was another firend with the circular green logo and a similar name, and oustide the coffea shops with a blue round logo but the picture copied.

ABSOLUTELY CLEAN EVERYWHERE - AND NOT A DUSTBIN ANYWHERE
I bought a cup of coffea and went walking with my friends and started to look for a dustbin after 30 minutes. Still walking with it 1 hour later I realized that there are no waste baskets in the street corners and that people talke care of their own waste. fantastic! apparently the result of a campaign long ago.

A HIGH TECH COUNTRY - WITH LOW TECH TAXIS
Most cities have their unique cabs established as the Taxis, e.g. London, New York, Mexico City. But with even the old London cabs being upgraded the local Crown branded cabs look really low tech. Style similar to the russian Volga cars. Colours in an odd selection. Huge mirrors above the front wheels. The most techie feature is the driver manageable opening and closing of the rear doors

AKIHABARA LOOSING ITS TOUCH
Everytinme since I came hirst first I have visited the Electric Town, Akihabara. First time I was amazed by the huge selection and cheap prices. Last time the prices where up a bit but this time the selection was thin as well, and several stores under renovation. And me looking forward to all kinds of tuff to my home network...

AND MEALS AND PLATES BEEING DOWNSIZED A BIT
My day finished at a local "Picture menued" restaurant. Being allergic it is alway a challenge to stick to a ritten menue if you do not understand even the letters. So I went for a safe bet, a restaurant with pictures on the menue. 7 dishes marketed on an A4 sized menue. made my order and then got it served, and your gueess is correct the size of the plate was the size on the picture in 1:1 correlation. Ordering two was agood choice.

TODAYS COMPLIMENTs TO SO SO PERFORMERS
* He did not have all the buttons in the shirt/jacket
* He didn't check in all the way
* He was as sharp as a marble ball

All the best to the next