Greetings from Tokyo

I am here in Tokyo and I am in awe of the incredible city. I took these photos from my hotel room.

I arrived after a long flight from San Francisco, California. Ten hours in the air and about 12 hours on the plane after it was all said and done. My legs were numb, my head was pounding, and my ears were ringing, but that did not stop me from soaking up every moment from the moment I stepped off the plane. We have been going not stop since we arrived and I have not had any time until now to blog. It is currently 9:00P.M. Wednesday 11 June in Tokyo and 7:00AM in Memphis. Wednesday is virtually over here and just getting started on the other side of the earth.

The Bus Ride from Narita Airport to Hotel

I have attended several meetings, visited a few tourist attractions the coolest so far being the government building called the Diet Building. No, that is not where Jenny Craig's headquarters are located. The Diet building is where the Parliament, the Japanese government, meets to make laws and other important government decisions. It was very simple and smelled a little moldy. We were standing outside taking pictures when a man who said he was a member of Parliament asked me how the elections are going in America. I told him "So far, so good. The country is very excited for the outcome and looking for a positive change."
He replied, "Yes! We are also excited for a change!" I guess he is not a fan of President Bush either. He shook my hand and we took this picture. Behind us is the Diet Building.

Me with Kousuke Ito (member of Japan's House of Representatives)

We also went to an outdoor market where I bought a few gifts for family members and took some cool pictures of the Buddhist temples located in the area.

If you want to see more picture of my trip so far click on the slide show on the right. Tomorrow we have a lot on the agenda. It starts with an amazing breakfast buffet on the top floor of the hotel, overlooking the entire city of Tokyo. Then, we will listen to a man named Manabu Fukuda discuss Japan's economy. Later will will hear from a couple of Diet members, one from the House of Representatives and one from the House of Councillors. I wish I had more time to write. I have so much I want to say, but I am so tired I can barely see the computer screen. I will write more tomorrow! Sayonara!