The weekend is almost here...

(I can start putting pictures in posts again! Woo-hoo! Here's electronics wonderland - Akihabara. Thanks for the picture Maiko!)
But no rest for me. It's been a productive week: I got my visa to Taiwan, I moved (which wasn't all that great, but at least I got it done), I went to Tokyo, and I managed to write a brief (20 page) outline of what I have done and seen with regard to emergency management in Yokosuka. It would have been much longer had I included all of the environmental stuff and other things not related to emergency management, but I didn't. I still have to go over it and find out where I need to go ask more questions. Next week, with the waterworks department I will be learning more about emergency preparations here, so I am sure I will have a lot more to add.

But I will get to that when it comes. I finish work for the day in an hour, but I have work to do tomorrow. The (Commodore) Perry Festival is on Saturday, and I have to work the reception desk at one festival, then head over to the formal reception and translate the welcoming remarks and a toast given by the chair of the Yokosuka City Council. Like I said earlier, this isn't live interpretation - it is me reading a pre-translated script of what the Chairman will say. There will be representatives there from the U.S. Embassy, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Yokosuka city government, the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces, and the U.S. Navy. I guess I am not too nervous about speaking in front of 200 important people, since I will only have to be up there for a few minutes and I just have to read what is in front of me. I am also really looking forward to having some free food and mingling with the elites. Hopefully I can get some good pics...

After the reception, there will be a parade and a fireworks show. I know I have already mentioned this, but I am pretty excited. The fireworks will be over by 8:30 P.M., which is good because I need to get home and get some sleep. Maiko is coming down tonight, and we have to be at the train station by 8:00 A.M. the next morning to go to the beach with her family. I hear we get to cut up and eat some live squid, so guess who's gonna pig out again!