I Think I'm Turning Japanese I spent the last five days and six nights in Japan covering Tokyo Game Show. It was a pretty cool trip. Like any tradeshow, it was a pretty grueling experience. There were more than a few hours when I felt online reporting was really stupid. As far as tradeshows go, it was probably the second easiest it has ever been for me. The last show I covered, I had one of the most amazing people I've ever met taking care of me. This time around I had two really great friends as my support system. It was pretty cool wandering around Tokyo with Justin and Jon. Having Justin work on my PC every night as I caught an hour of sleep was comforting. It was almost like he was watching over me, and I knew he'd wake me up so I could start cranking out my drivel. As usual, Jon kept things really lighthearted and fun. Those guys are awesome. Tokyo is a really interesting place. Some of the efficiencies are rad. There was this curry house with a menu and vending machine outside. You'd select your dish and put your money in the vending machine. It would then give you a ticket and you'd present it to the chef. Minutes later he'd plop your food in front of you. It was great not riding in cars for a week. Taking the subways and trains really reminded me of life in New York. Relying on public transportation really works for me. I'll miss all the cool sodas in Japan. There are vending machines everywhere. Life Partner was the funniest beverage of the trip. My new discovery was this Asahi honeydew-flavored cream soda. Naturally, I downed a ton of Suntory CC Lemon. That stuff rules. After not traveling for a few weeks, I forgot how much I enjoy the road. I have a few trips in October -- both business and personal. I've been getting in a groove in Irvine, playing volleyball and tennis as well as working out with Steve. Although that's been good, being on the road helps keep my mind occupied. Potentially I have trips to London, New York, Las Vegas, Redmond, Minneapolis, and San Francisco. I'm sure I'll have plenty of stupid stories to tell.