Tokyo Bay Cruise, and Home to Canada

After finishing work for the summer, I went with a bunch of coworkers on a Tokyo Bay Cruise. This is great fun and I wonder why I haven't done it before now. You go down to the harbour and buy a ticket for the 2-hour cruise, which is all-you-can-drink. (Wheeeee!) The cruise attracts mostly college-students and people in their 20's, and many Japanese people tend to dress up in their yukata (colourful summer-weight robes) and sandals. It makes for a very fun atmosphere.

There were about 10 of us, and of that number, 5 or 6 of us wore Japanese-style clothes. (I didn't, because when I dug out my jimbei - a kind of casual, summery shirt with short pants - it was hopelessly wrinkled and needed to be washed.) We made a funny group because a number of us are really tall. I'm about 6'4" but my coworkers Rob and Matt are even taller than me! And then there are a couple guys around 6'. So when we were all standing together, we made quite a group, and attracted a lot of stares (and friendly smiles).

The cruise just sort of goes out into Tokyo Bay, floats around for a while, and then turns around and comes back. Tokyo is very pretty at night, although my photos (taken with my crappy iPhone camera) don't really convey that very well.

That orange thing-y is actually Tokyo Tower.

A bit after the Tokyo Bay Cruise, (or perhaps it was before, I don't recall) I went for a picnic beside a river outside of Tokyo with my friend Tyler and some of his Japanese friends. It was quite enjoyable to splash around a bit in the river. I didn't actually dive in, but some people did! Here I am goofing around with Tyler ...

Before long, it was time to go back to Canada. This time, I flew into Toronto and then directly on to Moncton. My flight to Toronto was delayed, and I was worried I would miss the last flight to Moncton, but it all worked out in the end.

It was great to be back, although to be honest, I do feel a bit out-of-sorts when I am home. It is hard to explain why, exactly, except to say that after 6 years away, everything is rather unfamiliar. And at the same time, there is something weird about one's sense of time. Although I have been away for a year, it feels like it has only been a few months. Japan and Canada seem like different worlds, and time flows at different speeds in each of them, somehow ...

Anyway, going back to New Brunswick is my summer ritual, and is something I have done almost every summer since I was a little kid. It was great to be back to the cottage and to see everyone enjoying themselves. David and his kids love oysters, although I don't partake.


Although it's very small, the cottage is always full of friends and family. It is amazing to see the kids getting bigger every year.


We celebrated cousin Kate's, and her daughter Lily's, birthdays...



Rob had us over to his cottage for a lobstravaganza...




Before I got to NB, I heard that the weather was lousy, but it seemed to clear up around the time I got there. Coincidence? I think not.




Rob had some flippers, snorkels, and masks, and I learned how to dive for quahaugs. You have to look for 2 little breathing holes, and then dig down quickly before they have a chance to dig themselves in deeper. I was quite successful, I think!

What am I supposed to do with these things now?

All too soon, it was the end of August and time to go back to Ontario.