Macbook Air

Okay despite what I said before, I had a look at lunch time today at the Macbook Air and I am quite impressed… I went to Bic Camera in Yurakucho and it’s a good idea to go there during the week at lunch time because it is not as crowded as at other times (or maybe because it is approaching GW and everyone is off?).  Anyway, I could spend 10 minutes playing with the said article and I am pretty sure I am going to get internal credit approval for laying out the wad of cash for it.  But, because I am flying to Singapore soon I am going to buy it there so I can at least claim back the GST on exiting Singapore.  That way I can watch movies on it while in Bali, surf the net (the hotel has a wireless internet network) and so forth, and then of course use it on the plane back.  I have to wait a long time in Singapore airport on the way back so I need to be able to do something!! My tablet pc is still in the shop and anyway, I particularly like the metal casing of the Macbook after my disaster with the Tablet PC.  Though, the Macbook is not as light as you think it might be… it will in any case make a big difference to my overall baggage weight while travelling.  I will buy the Superdrive with it, of course.   I am also thinking of setting up Sugar Synch to try it while travelling…. what a gadget geek!

Monday night gourmet date

Monday night was pretty good.  Because Tuesday was a public holiday, I planned a nice dinner for S and me at a 1 star Michelin restaurant called “Signature” at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Nihombashi.   Unfortunately, S was stuck at the office and so I had to wait 2 hours!!! I spent the time at the bar, drinking a couple of beers then graduating to a nice 14 yo Oban single malt whiskey that I finished in time for her arrival.  We ordered dinner with 5 minutes to spare before the kitchen closed.  Wow, what a dinner!! The views are incredible – our table was right up against the window so you felt like you were in space while you ate.  Its a delightful restaurant with very nice decor and excellent service who speak very good English.  We had Chef’s Menu (“Moment”) at ￥１４，０００ each, plus a bottle of Petaluma Cabernet Sauvignon 2001, so the total bill was pretty high… but, we enjoyed chatting on our first proper date. We had been out before (nightclubbing and lunch) but this was the first 1 to 1 meeting. 

After dinnner we went to A971, a bar in Tokyo Midtown that is frequented by gaijin males looking to pick up Japanese girls looking to pick up gaijin males, but despite that reputation its a nice bar and upstairs is very comfortable. We went upstairs and shared a booth style table and drank some Hibiki whiskey, which surprised me because I didnt think she drank whiskey… anyway after that, we went to my current favourite whiskey bar called “Cask” which is down the hill from Roppongi Station towards Akasaka and not far from Tokyo Midtown actually.  There we had VERY expensive whiskey – 19 yo Oban, which has a wonderful smokey peaty flavour that repays in volumes the ￥５０００ you have to spend to get a glass! Anyway, at around 3.30am we said good night, with me kissing S on the cheek and hugging her, which probably surprised her Japanese sensibilities more than they disappointed my Western ones…  Date number 2 might be this weekend before I fly off to Bali…