see you next time

OK, so it's departure time eventually. In a few hours I will jump on a plane (two, in fact) and will arrive in hometown somewhat like 20 hours later. The weather today is awful, rainy, windy, overcast, just what is needed to say hello...

The past couple of days have not been particularly noticeable. I spent a good part of thursday in the lab with mr. Sato. He was very good in showing me all the sequence of operations in the clean room and in the microscopy lab, I think I gave him a couple of interesting suggestions. To summarize, the scientific part of the trip has been great: I met a few very interesting people, attended two workshops, arranged a short-term program for the new student, wrote two projects, finished writing two papers, and more.

Then I went for some sightseeing and shopping for presents. Yesterday I spent a good half of the day in Roppongi, including the fantastic National Art Center, probably one of the most fantastic pieces of architecture of the past decade. Then the Tokyo Midtown and again the Mori Tower. I ended my Tokyo meanderings with a last stroll at the National Museum in Ueno park and the Ameyayocho market.

I had an interesting farewell conversation with the thin man, mr. Yamada, who made a complex calculation, pushed a quantity of buttons on a display, made a couple of blind phone calls, to announce me that I had to pay the astounding sum of 234 Yen (euro 1,86) for the telephone in my room. Then, we went on talking about cameras (he spotted my FA), he is a Nikon lover too, and was happy to spend a few minutes talking about film photography.

Before leaving, I wish to drop here a few funny videos about some not-to-miss Japanese TV shows (there are too many indeed):

The Hole in the Wall (a.k.a. The Human Tetris)

The Terrible Punishment Show

Playing the Wii-Fit with a maid in a Maid-café

and a few videos from stippy.com, a funny website run by gaijiin living in Japan since so many years, that they may know some aspects of Japan even better than many Japanese:

Why people don't wear bicycle helments, in this well-organized country?

Magic hands, every train station has one

Zebra crossings, the only case in which Japanese like to break rules

The (angry) bicycle valets, they are everywhere

The mysterious orange balls, the safest (?) device against thiefs


Bye bye :))