Thunder Rabbit's bits

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Wearing a black tanktop

http://goo.gl/maps/DMp92

Lin chose to stay at home partially because Sabina wanted to go to a bug museum, er house, er shop in Nakano called Mushisha.  We found a *different* bug shop on the same street, which was easier to find; I expect it's trying to get foot traffic of people who can't find Mushisha.

Sabina was all excited and begged me to let her buy one, but I was like, "you won't be able to take it to the US," and she's like, "well, will you take care of it for me after I leave?"

"I'm pretty sure Lin wouldn't..."

"It's really easy to take care of; they just eat jelly!"

Most of the bugs had little bug jello shots in their cages.  I guess that's what bugs are into these days.

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Before that, we went back to the B1 level stage and saw some really sweet instruments, costumes, and amazing music performed by a gamelan from Bali.  (I think it's a gamelan, and not a group called Gamelan.)  Basically all the instruments were percussion, most of which were brass(?), either like xylophones or bells of various sizes from small bowls to gongs.  Wow I want to get a CD of the music!

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Before that, we went to the top of the Metropolitan Government building in Shinjuku to the 45th floor observatory of the North tower.  Sabina was like, "the city just goes forever!"

"yep"

She enjoyed the crazy stuff being sold in the souvenir shop, and I was like, "but wait look at *these*," and showed her the shinkansen-shaped chopsticks.  i really wanted to buy some, but couldn't bear to spend that much on plastic sticks.  She, being in vacation mode, was like, "these are so coool!!" and bought them.   Nice.

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Before that, we saw some guys dressed like dragon-deer-bamboos, and carrying drums.  Going to see them led us to a stage on the B1 level next to the street.  We watched them perform, and then saw some really cool shaky wooden instruments being played.  I volunteered to play one of them when it was time for audience participation.  Fun times!

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Before that, we took the train from Kawasaki to Shinjuku.

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Before that, we were at home trying to figure out Sabina's schedule while Tariq and I worked on getting our app finished and submitted.  Turns out one must turn off png compression.  WTF would they make compression be on by default?  I sure as heck didn't turn it on manually.

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Lin and I had great fun yesterday with Sabina, including:

1) Sabina repeatedly saying, "that's so cooolll!" as she found another cool bug/insect/arthropod/critter walking among the wet leaves in Meiji-Jingu

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2) Finding funny Engrish in the shoe shop where Sabina tried on some green sandals.

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3) Lunch, which featured food and Francois

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4) Totally taking a nap on a hammock-bench thing on the top floor of a new building in Omote-Sando.  I really enjoyed this and wish we had some photos... The building is on the interesection of Omote-Sando-Dori and Meiji-Dori opposite the Condomania building.  Go to the top, following the small green arrows marked with three green pine trees and number of meters remaining to our destination.  Greeted with coffee shops, outdoor stools leashed to the ground around a bar surrounding a glass skylite, down through which I couldn't see anything because the glass seemed cloudy and I didn't try to hard, we could look through the rooftop trees out over edge of the building through the glass to keep us on the building.

We found three adjacent stools around the bar, but as soon as we were sitting down, Lin noticed a hammock bench was available behind us.  It has a view through the glass, on which I could see the reflection of a building behind our building.  I planted myself in the middle of the bench so I could be between Lin and Sabina, and we Lin promptly fell asleep.  Sabina and I talked a bit about how people's musculature twitches, er I mean fasciculation while falling asleep.

I said to Sabina, "I really love this one," where "this one" meant Lin, but I didn't want to wake her up by saying her name.

Sabina was like, "Lin?"

"yeah"

"Yeah, it's really nice to see how much you two love each other."

5) The Pink Cow!  Lin went home, and Sabina and I went to The Pink Cow for the Mooooooving Party, as The Pink Cow is moving from Shibuya to Roppongi!   Lensei was on keyboard with his amazing skillz freestyling with the cow jammers (Jon and Jin??) on drums and bass guitar, with their amazing skillz.

Saw Roy, Peter (who will be performing this Tuesday night at Double Tall Cafe' in Shibuya), Leslie, who I got to massage and who showed me pictures of her 7mo baby Annalise, Traci, looking genki and sexy in her wedding dress (marrying the Roppongi Pink Cow), DJ Miki, who I probably haven't seen in the longest time.

Great to see "David Whitaker (lovemademusic)" and his wife perform a few songs..  man, such power! and such passion! I want to buy an album of his stuff.

Marcellus performed some poetry, three different ones including "Jazz Man" I think.

JJ Vicars was on as we left; I gave him a pat on the knee as he was playing and in no position to hug!!

Koko took the same elevator as me yesterday; I hadn't seen her in a couple weeks, so I was like, "HI!"