Japan
Yeah I know this color is annoying. But since I got lazy and didn't want to make a Japanese flag I figured I'd just go with the war color! Anyways getting back to the story, I went to Japan on a work trip in May of 2001 to do some grunion hatching demonstrations at the Tokai University Aquarium. It's a really cool aquarium down in shimizu. It was started up thru an invitation by Dr. Nishi, he contacted my boss and my boss wanted me to go! You would not believe how scared I was going down there because 1, I don't speak any japanese (I speak more spanish and of course am fluent in Ebonics), and 2. I've never traveled on a trip alone, especially to a different country! But I loved it there, I have never been so comfortable around people I didn't know. I made new friends and saw some really cool things, the best was all the fast cars around me. And the best part was I didn't get jumped by the Yakuza and didn't disgrace the Okamoto Family Name! I'm hoping to head back really soon.
Dr. Hioki, Dr. Nishi, Dr. Okamoto (yeah I wish), and Dr. Kubota, these were the heads of different divisions at the Aquarium.
Me and Tsujimura san, he threw a party for me at his house one night.
There is no way I could have survived without Komiya san, she translated all the english/japanese for me and brought me coca cola every day (I'm not a big fan of beer or tea)
Tsujimura san's mighty WRX, it has like 280 hp or some insane number like that. He told me I could drive it but I was too scared I might crash it, he also had a Acura Integra Type R at one time.
Mr. Nakajima, Me, Mr. Shibata, And Dr. Nishi at dinner. Dr. Nishi tried to make me eat sea cucumber but thank goodness it was out of season! I ate all kinds of neat stuff in Japan like sea urchin, chicken gizzards, raw abalone, raw egg, and other things. I loved the fresh sashimi!
The staff at the aquarium wear yellow blazers when they do presentations, I wore suits most of the days and man was it hot and humid sometimes! Behind me is Tsujimura sans WRX.
My welcome party with some of the staff, I had so much fun that night and I got to play sony playstation 2/grand turismo before anyone in the United States! Yeah believe that, Japan has all of the cool toys!
My goodbye dinner in Japan. Sure there are lots of cute girls in Japan but unfortunately none of them wanted to marry me and live a life of poverty in the United States!