Land Of The Rising Sun

Posted Sep 3, 2006 by Chris Chmura

Updated Sep 3, 2006 at 05:27 PM

Yeah, 4:00 a.m. rising sun!!!!
Breakfast doesn’t start until 6:30 a.m.
...We’ll be first in line.

Right now we’re watching the morning news.
There’s a typhoon offshore, but it’ll apparently breeze by.
No tropical rush to Home Depot and Publix here.

Overnight we heard very little from the nearby airport, despite our close proximity to a lengthy runway for large planes.
The view was amazing, and made for some photo fun.

After rush hour ends—whenever that is—we’ll be on our way into the city.
And, guess what, I need to charge the battery for our camera.
The charger is here and power is available.
But, I forgot the plug.
Ugh!

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On-Time Arrival

Posted Sep 3, 2006 by Chris Chmura

Updated Sep 3, 2006 at 05:15 PM

It’s tomorrow—and another tomorrow is almost here.
We crossed the international dateline a few hours ago, touched down in Tokyo a few minutes ahead of schedule, and are here at the Hilton hotel near Narita airport.

Nicole is overjoyed to discover terry cloth robes and Kimonos. The water in the bathroom is freezing—a refreshing feeling after 6,000 miles of dehydration.

Here’s a synopsis of the 12.5 hour flight:

We had seats 1J and 1K in the nose of a Northwest Airlines 747-400.
The pilots, who are above us on the upper deck, are actually situated behind us.

The business class seat reclines flat. It’s not horizontal, but flat at 170 or so degrees.

A 10.4” screen is, by far, the best part. It offers dozens of on-demand movies and a massive music selection with a programmable jukebox function. There are also interactive maps to follow the flight and zoom to learn about the cities below.

Watching the maps was more entertaining than the stuff Hollywood had to offer today. I did give in and watch “The Day After Tomorrow.”

How uplifting, eh?

Three meals were served. I slept through one of them.
We have photos in the Snap photo gallery.

Dinner:
Nuts, cocktails to start. (We chose champagne)
Salad, bread and butter.
Shrimp appetizer.
Salmon, Beef, Curry Chicken, or a Japanese meal. (We chose beef and fish).
Cheese and crackers, with fruit.
Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, served in a edible chocolate-dipped waffle bowl.

Mid-Flight snack:
Cheese pizza or a Japanese cup of noodles.
…Nicole says it was nothing noteworthy, and it wasn’t worth waking me.

At Any Time:
A basket of snacks, including bananas, Tolberone, and some salty stuff.

Arrival Meal:
Spinach and cheese omelet or cereal.
Raisin bagel or croissant.
Fruit plate.

Jeremy Woody was our flight attendant, and the service he offered was excellent. We were nice, he was nice, and that made the flight a pleasure.

Our flight route from Minneapolis to Tokyo took us north into Canada, over Alaska (where we peered at Mt. McKinley’s peek), across the north Pacific, over part of Russia and south toward Japan.

The Great Circle website plots our approximate path, which was also displayed on a projector screen immediately ahead of our seats and inside the personal video system. Again, this was the best part of the flight.

After the plane landed we park outside the terminal near a cargo area. Trucks brought stairs to the side of the plane. Awaiting buses whisked us to immigration, which required only 10 minutes.

I was surprised because another Northwest 747 had come in just minutes before we did. What I learned, however, is that many passengers on both flights were connecting to other international destinations, and that meant they were processed at a different checkpoint.

From there we wandered into the bustling main airport hallway and out to the shuttle bus stop. Because Nicole is with me, it arrived right away. Had I been alone I would have just missed it, requiring a 30 minutes way, and then it would have blown a tire… in the rain.

Thankfully, we arrived at the hotel and were checked in within 6 or 7 minutes.

It’s 13 hours ahead here—and we’re trying to stay awake long enough to get a good night’s sleep. The clock and the odds are against us.

Tomorrow we head into the Metropolis—destined for the Conrad Hotel. Getting there will require an hour long train ride and at least two subway lines. We’ll wait until Tokyo’s crushing rush hour has ended before venturing in.

Thankfully, our previous trip provides a little preparation for this meandering subway system and the over abundance of confusing signage.

PS—I broke down and bought the Internet access, 42 Yen a minute—about $.50 a minute. Hopefully it won’t take too long to post this thing. Oh—and Nicole is now asleep, so much for staying up late.

 

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Long, But Welcome Layover

Posted Sep 2, 2006 by Chris Chmura

Updated Sep 2, 2006 at 02:52 PM

Right after we boarded the flight from Tampa to Minneapolis, my wife ordered a cup of cranberry juice. Its position on a Northwest Airlines napkin looked suspiciously like a Japanese flag.

It’s a sign. Of what? I have no idea. I got a B in psychology. Wait, I didn’t take psychology!

Shortly after takeoff we were entitled to a beautiful tour of Pinellas County. Several sites in St. Pete were easily visible, including some showers offshore.

Breakfast was a pleasant surprise. Have a look here.

On the menu: A cheddar omelet, two sausage links, breakfast potatoes, a fruit plate (Cantaloupe, a strawberry, kiwi, and a slice of pineapple), a muffin, and a cup of tea with Bailey’s Irish Cream.

After that grease and sugar fest, I appropriately fell asleep against the window of seat 1A— snoozing all the way to the land of 10,000 lakes.

I only saw three.

Landing was on-time, unlike some other recent landings in the news.

Our business class tickets grant us access to the Northwest WorldClub, where we pondered how to waste a five hour layover. (Yes, there is an open bar, but that’s for killing time later.)

We learned there were free lockers for our bags, a surprise that unshackled us, freeing us to roam the halls of the airport or beyond.

Once our belongings were securely locked away, we aimed for outdoors. We hopped on the city’s spotless light rail system ($1.50 for 2.5 hours of rides) destined for the Mall of America.

Countryside or Citrus Park this is not.

This place is massive, with an amusement park in the middle—climate controlled no less. Malls aren’t my particular brand of vodka, but this one was interesting to see. (Actually, I was here in 2003 during a business trip, but only briefly. There were so many people I left within minutes of arriving.)

We walked the stores with a unique constraint: No place to put anything new. Our bags were already checked, so if we bought anything we’d have to stuff it in my backpack or Nicole’s books bag thing.

Our return to the airport was, thankfully, empty handed.

No spending in a mall? How un-American of us.

Now I sip a vodka tonic while writng this entrie. If the speeeling is somewheat strange, i blame Pieerrrree Smirnoffffff. He’s an international traveler’s best friend.

If the pictures are out of focus that’s completely my fault. I’m an amateur.

Talk to you from Tokyo… Synonara, Suitcase Stories.

 

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Tampa To Tokyo

Posted Sep 2, 2006 by Chris Chmura

Updated Sep 2, 2006 at 02:54 PM

We’ve begun our journey to Japan.
And, so long as free internet access permits, we’ll be posting photos in TBO’s new photo sharing arena, Snap.
Here’s a link to our image gallery.
...Enjoy, but be prepared for amateur photogrpahy 101.

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Pet Cetera: Veterinarians Say 2 Cats Are Better Than 1

Posted Sep 1, 2006 by Kristen Levine

Updated Sep 1, 2006 at 07:32 PM

Cats are social creatures, not solitary types, as many believe.

That’s the consensus of veterinarians across the country, according to a “Cat-Panion” survey conducted last year by Harris Interactive.

The survey, commissioned by the makers of Arm & Hammer products, asked 174 veterinarians about the social interactions of domestic cats

Eighty percent of the veterinarians surveyed agreed that cats are social by nature and prefer the company of other cats rather than a solitary life.

Beyond that, most veterinarians believe social isolation may contribute to many behavior problems associated with cats.

The National Council on Pet Population also has some interesting statistics about “only cats” that are left alone all day.

They have brains that weigh up to 25 percent less than cats with feline companionship.

The council also reported that “lone cats” are more likely to exhibit behavioral problems. Symptoms of feline separation anxiety syndrome, a common behavioral issue, can include inappropriate elimination, destructiveness and aggression.

Like humans, cats need stimulation throughout the day. When left alone, like lonely people, they experience anxiety and depression.

Seven out of 10 vets agreed that cats living in a household with a feline companion lead healthier, happier lives.

“Two cats are just as easy as one,” Stefanie Schwartz, a veterinary behaviorist, said in a news release issued for the survey. “Not only will they keep each other company, but owning two cats will provide a happier living environment for both cats and their owner.”

Veterinarians aren’t the only ones who see the benefit of cats living with feline companions. Nearly half of those owning cats already have two or more cats.

Cats with bad behaviors are often helped by the introduction of another cat into the household, more than half of the veterinarians responding to the survey said.

Unfortunately, some one-cat owners decided to give up their pet when they couldn’t solve bad behaviors that may be caused by loneliness, Schwartz said.

“It’s a sad cycle,” Schwartz said in the news release. “Shelters are being overrun with cats returned because of behavior issues - problems that could have been remedied by adding a second cat to the home. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could empty the shelters by having every person who currently owns one cat adopt a second cat?”

If you’re looking for a second cat to add to your home, check Critter Calendar for a feline adoption event this weekend.

CRITTER CALENDAR
FELINE ADOPTION: Cats and kittens will be available for adoption today through Monday at the Felines Are Family exhibit at Florida’s Largest Home Show at the Tampa Convention Center, 333 S. Franklin St. Adoption counselors will be available to talk to visitors about choosing the right cat for your family. Groups attending include the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, SPCA Tampa Bay, Cat Call and Big Cat Rescue. Learn about low-cost spaying and neutering from the Animal Coalition of Tampa. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and Monday. Admission to the home show is $8 ($7 for ages 55 and older; free for children with an adult). Call (813) 677-6925 or go online to www .bighomeshow.com. (Disclosure: Florida’s Largest Home Show is a client of Kristen Levine’s company, Fetching Communications.)

COMMUNITY HARVEST: Columbia restaurant in the Bay area will take part in its annual Community Harvest during September. Dine at any Columbia and select Humane Society of Tampa Bay as the beneficiary to receive 5 percent of your bill. Go to http://www.humanesocietytampabay .org or call (813) 876-7138.

DOG WASH: Florida Voices for Animals will benefit from a dog wash from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 9 at Nature’s Harvest Market, 1021 N. MacDill Ave., Tampa. Call (727) 237-6223 or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

FIRST AID SEMINAR: SPCA Tampa Bay will host a free first-aid and pet CPR seminar from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at 9099 130th Ave. N., Largo. To register, call (727) 586-3591 or go to http://www.spcatampabay.org.

MICROCHIP CLINIC: The Humane Society of Tampa Bay will host a pet microchip clinic from noon to 2 p.m. Sept. 9 at its Hyde Park satellite adoption center, 1623 Snow Ave., Tampa. The cost is $15 (cash only). Proceeds benefit the society. Pets should be on a leash or in a carrier. Go to http://www.humanesocietytampabay.orgor call (813) 876-7138.

ADOPTIONS: Lost Angels Animal Rescue, a nonprofit organization that supports no-kill shelters, will host dog adoptions from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 9 at Petco, 13127 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa. Go to http://www.lostangelsanimalrescue.orgor call (813) 514-0595.

ANIMALS IN ART: SPCA Tampa Bay will present the exhibit “Animals in Art” from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 9 and noon to 5 p.m. Sept. 10 at Artists Gallery Royale, 200 Second Ave. N., St. Petersburg. There will be food and spirits, artists demonstrations, art auctions, sidewalk sales and more. On Sept. 10, meet SPCA animal mascots and enjoy children’s games and entertainment. Call (727) 586-3591 or go online to www .spcatampabay.org.

SIGNS OF A LONELY CAT
OVERGROOMING: If your cat pulls hair or cleans himself excessively that may be a sign that he needs more attention.

SPRAYING OR SQUATTING: Strategic marking of urine or stool may signal the effect your absence on your cat’s sense of well-being.

EXCESSIVE VOCALIZATION: Your cat may show its unhappiness with loud, insistent sounds.

DESTRUCTIVENESS: Cats may damage items, or move them, to keep themselves busy while you’re away.

AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR: Your cat may be aggressive towards you when you’re leaving your house.

Write to pet-lifestyle expert Kristen Levine at Fetching Communications, P.O. Box 222, Tarpon Springs, Fl. 34688; fax at (727) 934-6451 or e-mail Kristen @fetchingcommunications.com

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