Sushi in Kingwood

Yesterday David and I went to the Thai Curry and Sushi Bar in Kingwood to eat lunch. It was pretty good. I would rank it just below the kaitenzushi in 鶴見　where I used to work in terms of quality. It was Americanized a bit and wasn't Tokyo style. Not that I am snooty or biased or anything. I asked the chef in Japanese if he was Japanese. He responded in Japanese that he was Chinese - neat huh? The rest of the wait staff was speaking in Chinese so I should have figured it out. Anyway, it is recommended. They give you a big bowl of edamame and the mizo soup was fair...

V = 7352

New Electronics

My children were starting to catch up with me in terms of what their cell phones could do so I picked up this new i-mate Pocket PC with Windows so I can take a picture, post it to my blog, and view it. Of course I can also create an Excel spreadsheet or a Word file as needed.

This cell phone has more power than my first PC by a significant amount. That PC had 32 k of memory (16k RAM and 16k ROM) and when I first got it I used a tape recorder for storage until I could afford a floppy disk drive. And it didn't even have a built in camera or ability to access the internet. I shall not tell tales of punched paper tape or IBM paper cards. Or learning to use a slide rule...

How is the Camp?

The camp is OK. As you can tell from the photo, the interior decorator was not a woman. The sheets and towels get changed twice a week and the air conditioner works good. I have my own bathroom, living room with TV, microwave, refrigerator, and office.

The canteen has both Japanese and European food. The Japanese food isn't too bad but there are some not quite right things. Like, the miso soup has wakame and potatoes in it. OK though. We get hamour tempura (grouper) instead of anago. But I like it.

The vegetables are really good and the fruit isn't too bad. Deserts are not the specialty of the chef which is probably a good thing for me. The weather is over 40 deg. C now in Doha.

Road Hazards

There are a number of road hazards here. As in most places, but maybe more so here, the number one hazard is other drivers. There are also sandstorms (on the day after I took this picture I had to slow down considerably because of visibility and there is dust in the air in this picture as well).

And then there are the camels. Camels are a lot like moose in Alaska. A lot of weight up high on spindly legs - just right to come crashing into the passenger compartment if you hit one. So far I am avoiding them. You see them from time to time. Today I saw a big lizard. Other than that, not much moving...

I am getting settled in but having to work some long hours. My shipment came in from Japan today so soon I'll have the rest of my clothes, stereo, massage chair, tea pots, and television. I don't know why I got that television. There is already one here so I don't really need it. Oh well. Better having surplus corruption than not having what you need...

How did I get from Tokyo to Here?

This is my villa in Doha in the late evening. Parked in front is my Volkswagon 4wd SUV. Pretty cool (except that it is 40 deg C and about to climb to 50 every day). It is 4 bedrooms, 4 and a half baths, a living room, kitchen, dining room, and utility room. I don't need the space - it is way too much.

I will probably move out to the camp - I have reserved a one bedroom with office out there. They also have a swimming pool, gym, tennis courts, and Japanese food. I will probably keep this place or a place in Doha though. I have to be there one day a week and there are always the weekends. Maybe even visitors!

Last week I went and spent the day with the laborers. Their life is much different than mine. At lunch we were given a metal tray and food was dished upon it. No fork or spoon - you eat with your hands and using the bread in the traditional style. The food wasn't bad though and there were more than enough calories for me - I didn't eat it all. It seemed pretty healthy too. I ate on the Indian side and it seemed pretty spicy to me but the workers didn't think it had enough curry. Each worker had to carry his own cup or bottle in for water.

The accomodation for laborers is pretty sparse compared to what I've gotten used to. It can be a hard life for some. Be grateful for an education and the opportunity for more.

Last Day in Yokohama

Here is the group photo on my last day in Japan. My going away gift was a man's yukata and geta - traditional Japanese daily wear and wooden shoes. I haven't tried the yukatta on yet but it is very pretty. I was assured the shoes were large, but my feet are XL by Japanese standards.

I am in Doha now and all is fine. The weather is plenty warm and the sun is out. I'll start writing about that (I miss Japan but will try not and make that the topic of my postings).