I am vicariously excited about the rad prizes (and the rest of the fair) and the non-verbal performance! Also the blueberry muffins, really.

The non-verbal performance was fun! It's been running since 2012 so it is like the local Blue Man.

It had all the stuff that made you cringe if you weren't in RenFaire or a theater kid. It had mime, juggling, magic, break dancing and audience participation. (Fortunately I was in the balcony, so beyond the reach of such shenanigans.)

Beautiful post apocalyptic steampunk doll factory setting, with four "robodroids" (color coded dudes with the aforementioned skills) who "do the robot" as they try to maintain their falling apart factory. Then there's a doll (a girl!). And she comes to life. And when she interacts with the robo-dudes they get zapped with color coded electricity, and joyfully display their skillsets.

It's not really plot driven.

It's a total spectacle with fantastic laser generated light effects which bring the set to life, and music, dancing, and (not particularly funny) physical comedy. The individual performers were all very expert and the integrated light and sound design was superb.

One disquieting thing was that before the show started and at a few key dramatic moments in the story, it went completely pitch black. I have never noticed the lack of lit exit signs and running lights before in my life. It was claustrophobic being completely immersed in darkness.

Anyway, a good 90 minute distraction. I talked to Matilda on the phone after. She's been doing homework all weekend learning her various Japanese alphabets. Her host mom took her to the kendo tournament banquet and she met a lot of teens and they wanted to practice their English on her. They said she should take up Kendo because it's just like baseball, but you swing vertically instead of horizontally.

Her classes this week start at Noon, so I'm actually going to see her this morning before I leave for the airport.

I had a dream about Jacqueline last night.

It’s the first time when I’ve dreamed about her where we interacted or talked.

She was crying like Sophie in Howl’s Moving Castle when she was falling through time and space. She kept wiping the tears away but she wasn’t so sad.

She felt so present to me and I said “How can you be here?! How can this be real?!”

She said, “I don’t know.” We were very tender with each other, kissing and touching faces.

Then she heard Matilda from inside the Japanese house. And she went in to check on her.

And I said, “Come back soon.” And she turned to me and said, “ I will.” I was afraid I wouldn’t see her again when she went inside.

Then she crossed through the door and - pop - I woke up.

It made me so happy to see her.

That is lovely, David.

At my gate in Osaka ready to board

Flight 3006 to Tokyo
Then Flight 58 to SFO
On JAL

Weirdly I leave at 5:20pm on 2/3 and arrive on the morning of 2/3.

Super extra long Monday

Safe travels David.

Safe travels David

Thanks! I’m at my gate in Tokyo. Only a ten hour flight coming home.

I left a small bag of souvenirs at security by mistake but I’m hoping Japanese efficiency can round it up.

Travel safely, David. It's just too late for me to suggest, since you've had owls and otters that next you should seek out octopi?

It's been fun catching up with everybody. I share the heart-clenchy dread at each day's news, which I'm studiously avoiding. My reaction reminds me of the Deep Impact movie, "NOW what?" And my opinion on a certain gentleman named after a melon is that he isn't elected, he isn't even a citizen, he's got no right nor business running his pudgy sticky fingers through our financial and other business. He has no plans to emigrate permanently, he's an undesirable immigrant and should be deported. To where? I can think of a few dot-sized uninhabited islands completely out of satellite phone range that would do very well.

As punishment for my uncharitable thoughts, I fell down my back stairs last week, landed on my tailbone, and have been hobbling and complaining and unhappy ever since. My advice? Don't do that.

Made it to London more or less successfully and I’m settled in after a good nights sleep.

Despite not actually drinking very much in the much-maligned (by me) but very nice United club, I still managed to leave my bag of chargers behind. Just a handful of chargers, and maybe a pen or two, nothing of value, but I quite like the bag that it was in so I’m hoping they’ll still have it on my return. I was able to borrow an adapter from the front desk at the hotel so all good on that front. (Also, the club was giving apology truffles from Vosges and premium drink upgrade coupons. So I’m guessing they must hear about it from people who are actually rather than fake upset.)

Got a few hours of sleep on the plane and headed into the city via two trains and an Uber boat water taxi that let me out right at the Globe and a block and a half from my hotel. It was sunny out and the boat ride was so nice that I wasn’t paying attention and missed my stop and had to get off and take it back the other way. Not sorry about it and I might do that again today if the sun comes out.

The hotel is down a couple of those little narrow alleys and surrounded by buildings on all sides but it’s clean and modern. Despite being on the top floor, the window in my room looked out on a building about 10 yards away and was quite cave-like. I asked very nicely if there might be something a little more open since I’m here for a full week. Once I clarified that my concern was more the light than the view (see above re alleys) the manager came back with a list of five rooms he had yet to assign since it was right before official check in time and walked me around to each one so I could pick. So now happily ensconced in a second floor room with windows on two sides and much more natural light.

By the time all this was settled, I wanted nothing more than to crash and take a nap, but I made myself get up and go out and wander around the neighborhood. I found the Borough Market which has apparently been an established food and vending market since the 1200s and was quite delightful and also entirely overwhelming given my jet-lagged state. So I ended up not actually getting any of the hundreds of marvelous food options. It’s closed today, but I may swing back over again later in the week.

I finally did stop and get dinner in a pub, taking advantage of it being Sunday night to get the traditional roast beef dinner with Yorkshire pudding. Reminded me of Sunday dinners at my Nana’s house growing up.

By that point my the world was kind of swimming - I was right by the wharf, but I am genuinely not sure if I was picking up on motion or if it was just pure exhaustion - and I felt like I’d been walking for hours, so back to the hotel where I read some more of Cymbeline and crashed out.

[Checks phone: 16000 steps. Yeah ok.]

Today I need to get some work done and then may venture out to Harrods and then some sightseeing. And a pedicure if I can track one down.

ETA: Cymbeline is shaping up to be quite delightful. Plots upon plots. And the *shade* people are throwing at one another. I’m expecting it to be flat-out hilarious in production.

It’s also quite brief. I’m midway through the second act and debating whether I want to read the third or let it unfold at the theater. I will probably finish it just to catch the dialogue though.

tldr: I’m here! Fed, rested, and looking forward to some sightseeing and theater. Also, go boat taxi, choose boat taxi.