Seattle (again)

This year I headed to Seattle again for TI5.

I wasn't going to do any posts for this trip, since
a) I've been there before
and
b) I'd be spending most of my time watching Dota

however, more than one person asked if I was going to blog this trip, so either people like reading my ramblings accompanied by pictures of food, or it's the only casual banter they have; in any case, I'll do a post or two, potentially copy pasting last year's efforts.

Anyway, Rob gave me a lift to the airport (another early morning flight so I repeated my trick of staying at the airport) and on the way we stopped at a dimly lit bar that served burgers (Mr. Scruffy's I believe)

A bacon cheeseburger. Serviceable.

Rob had wings, I tried one.

Pulled Pork Taco. Commits not only the grievous sin of having a soft shell,
but also the even worse sin of not mentioning that on the menu.

Poutine.

After that I stayed in a room more or less identical to the one from last year. I worried much less about both missing my flight and getting dysentery and so was able to get some sleep.

I think I had been asleep for nearly an hour when the fire alarm woke me, and I threw on sufficient clothes that gave a good balance between burning to death inside versus freezing to death outside, and piled downstairs with everyone to discover, well... You know those signs that say "close the door when you shower. The steam can set off the smoke detectors"? Apparently they mean it.

I went back to sleep, woke up the next morning, and headed across to catch my plane.

I got around to watching American Sniper myself this flight, I enjoyed it, but stand by my previous summation of the plot.

Other stuff that I watched both on the way there and back:
Kingsman, Jupiter Rising, Age of Ultron, Inherent Vice, both recent Sherlock Holmes films, Run all night, and probably some other stuff that escapes my memory right now...

Not wanting to also turn this into a movie review site, I will simply say, on a scale of 0 to "Worth watching if you're trapped on a plane for over 14 hours" I give each of these films a 5.

Home again

Stuff I ate - 東京 edition (part five)

Vending machine ice creams

 The pickle pringles are pretty good, the naporitan ones, less so.

 Final breakfast hot dog and matcha latte

 Final 24 hour Sushi

 pretty much all fatty tuna

 Sakura ice cream

Those frothy noodles I mentioned earlier. Not good, like someone made 2 minute noodles and then added guinness. I threw half of them away.

 Airport hamburger

 lunchtime hot dog

 and lobster bisque

 The nine varieties of Kit-kat I brought back.

Elephant Mask, Elephant Beret

Back to Tokyo for one last time before flying out.

I had memorised the Kanji for a couple of places that I went to frequently, to make it easier to get around. (Some of the smaller stations don't have english maps, and even in the larger ones it beats having to look for the english map)

This I did by coming up with an associated image for each Kanji

So Tokyo

東京

became "Elephant in a mask, elephant wearing a beret", or Elephant mask, elephant beret for short.

and Shinjuku

新宿

became "Lamppost Monster, Karaoke Robot"

So, back in Shinjuku for a day or so, I did a bunch of souvenir shopping, ate at my favourite 24 hour Sushi restaurant a couple of times, and then caught the bus to the airport (the NEX doesn't currently stop at the new terminal 3, which is where Jetstar has been banished to).

European models show off the latest in farmer's clothing.

a stand selling banana themed toys

at least I assume they're toys

the duck mascot for the kitchenware district

sushi restaurant at the airport.

Stuff I've eaten - Niigata edition

5 alcoholic drinks.
A highball, 1% alcohol lemon water, mostly mango flavoured,
pineapple (the best of the lost), and grapefruit

Amerikan BBQ

Foamy instant noodles.
I purchased these in Niigata, but didn't eat them until much later.

Orangina - fizzy orange drink with pulp.

breakfast at the hotel

Bisque!

Lunch at the local fishmarket

Chocolate coated puffed rice

White chocolates filled with either blue cheese, or gouda.

iced tea

not a very good cappuccino

Niigata

I caught the Tori shinkansen to Niigata

there was some fairlt cold mountainous regions that we passed through

but eventually I arrived at the station and a line of icons led me towards all the delicious things they had to eat.

The hotel was spartan but no worse than hotels that were twice the price in Tokyo.

The main drag near the station

Bandai rainbow building

inside

The rainbow tower that gives it, it's name. It was shut.

The river at night

Well known brightly lit landmark Bandai bridge.

The cherry blossoms were still in good shape here

It was pretty dismal weather wise while I was there

To get back to Tokyo I caught a Toki Max

16 carriages of double decker Shinkansen awsomeness

Although really it's two 8s with the nose cones removed joined together

Now Kiss!

And so we went through the ice and snow, trees and coats, and back to Tokyo.