Thsi morning we tried to catch an early train to Camp Zama, but there was a delay. We spent the next 2 and a half hours on crowded trains. Because of the delays, every train was crowded beyond belief. I was contorted, my arm was smashed, and I was elbowed numerous times in the face and chest. On one train, there were children being nearly crushed. They were crying out. Asking for translation later, we found out they were crying that they could not breathe. It was the most crowded train I have ever been on, and I realized that trying to stay on the edge near the seats is the wrong move. Your body has more give, so they push you over. At one point, my hands were up on the train wall, I was straddling some old man's knees and stepping on his feet. I was using all my strength to stay upright, as my body was being pushed to the left. It was more stressful than rush hour traffic. This was more personal. We found out later that the delay was caused by another train suicide. I also found out that if you commit suicide in front of the train, your family is financially responsible for time lost and damages caused. Talk about a selfish way to go.

Tonight it is storming in Shinjuku. Rain, thunder, lightning. The clear plastic umbrellas are out in force. I rallied for shabu shabu for dinner, but we were unable to find the place the hotel recommended. A restaurant hawker tried to help us find it, but when we still could not, we went to the restaurant he was hawking. They had one type of shabu shabu. Lettuce shabu shabu. It came with what looked like an entire head of lettuce, some enoki mushrooms, pork, leeks and tofu. The liquid was an actual broth. It was interesting to say the least. It turned out fairly well. The lettuce tastes like spinach when cooked in the broth, and the broth was tasty. We also ordered some meat sticks and garlic steak. The meat sticks were too rich for my blood. It was supposed to be some sort of chicken part, but it tasted like pork fat. I had one niblet from one, and was satisfied. We topped it with some king crab pieces. Grilled. It was surprisingly good. they serve it with a vinegar based dipping sauce. The grilled crab made the shell easy to crack, and it was fresh. All in all, quite a satisfying meal. I don't know if I will ever run into lettuce shabu shabu again. When we left the place, it was pouring. The same hawker was there at the exit, and he let me use his umbrella to cross the street to the hotel. Randy took it back, as he and Steve were obligated to meet with a client to drink. Poor guys. We are all so tired, and that client wanted to drink. Luckily I have to leave Shinjuku at 530 am to finish the Camp Zama inspection, so sleeping early is requisite.

I am looking forward to falling asleep to the sound of thunder and the intermittent flashes of lightning. Somehow, the inclement weather makes Tokyo seem that much more real. It is comforting. At least the rain is keeping the weather cool. Honolulu in the nineties??!?! Can I detour home to Alaska?