Almost spring in Tokyo
Departing from Chicago this morning, a 747-400 had its nose pressed up against the lounge window. This one was departing shortly for Hong Kong but mine took me home to Tokyo.
Near State & Grand underground at Grand Station on the Red Line.
Sent from my fabulous iPhone.
The company with whom I am contracted with (United Airlines) was kind enough to provide me with a brand new notebook computer this week. Awww, thanks guys. Out goes the old wood-burning IBM and in comes the Dell.
After weeks of rain and cold weather, today was almost springlike and a hint of things to come. But winter isn't ready to give up so easily. We expect rain and cold weather to return tomorrow. The change was noticeable in the clouds at sunset tonight.
Woody has been home since Wednesday morning and his condition continues to improve day by day. He needs to continue but diminish his steroid medication until next week. Since the medicine is bitter, we keep a tube that goes through his nose into his stomach. He has an appointment with the vet on Wednesday for a check up and we hope both the tube and the collar can be removed at that time. In the meantime, his appetite has returned with a vengeance and we need to feed him every six hours or so. Yes, even at 2 AM.
We are overjoyed to have Woody home. Tonight's feeding was the usual routine. The collar around his neck hampers his access to the food so we have to give the dish a 'lift' for him.
Tonight we celebrated my wife's 29th birthday (again). Our plans for a short vacation to Kyoto this week were dashed when one of our cats, Woody, became ill at the end of January. After almost six weeks of surgery, hospital stays, false hopes and more stress than we could imagine... his condition improved last weekend and he came home on Wednesday. As Yoshiko exclaimed tonight at dinner, the best birthday gift she could ask for.
Woody needs to continue a diminishing dose of steroids over the next week before his feeding tube and collar can be removed. But he has been a trooper through it all and has been sleeping like the dead since coming home. I can almost feel his relaxation and comfort in being home again.
Thanks to everyone for their support and encouragement over the past six weeks.
This morning I flew home from Shanghai to Tokyo. On almost of my previous business trips to Shanghai, I have traveled on the Maglev train between Pudong and the Pudong International Airport. With a top speed of 431 kph, it covers the 30 km distance in about eight minutes. However, the Pudong station is quite inconvenient since it is at least 20 minutes by taxi to subway to the business district of central Pudong. But what a ride.
Since I had an early flight this morning, I took a train around 7:45 am. Before 9 AM and after 5 PM, the maximum speed of the train is reduced to 300 kph. It is noticeably slower than the experience of 430 kph, which the train only sustains for two minutes of the journey, but a fun early morning experience.
In my experience, there is only one faster method of transportation in Shanghai than the Maglev train. The taxi drivers. Driving in Shanghai is an art form in itself.
If you are like me and a subscriber to Apple's Mobile Me service, you received an email from Apple this week. Apple says it has been working hard on getting MobileMe up to spec. And if you are like me, you have been less than impressed with the service since it's launch last year. It is obvious through free subscription extensions and numerous emails that Apple is concerned the product isn't what they promised and future subscription revenue is at stake. What is preventing Apple from getting it right?