Today was what I would consider a typically untypical day.

This morning I started with a little sweat up in our apartment gym. I don’t turn on the air so it gets hot enough that I barely have to move on the machine before I have a full body sweat going on and my mind feels like I am actually working out. Then I biked to TAC (Tokyo American Club) to take my Pilates class. I had agreed to meet Nghi for lunch and a shopping trip to Ogawamachi after class. She is finally joining a tennis group and needs to get her racquet and tennis stuff. Ogawamachi is known as the sporting goods district in Tokyo and I was curious to go. Our rendezvous is in front of Hugo Boss in Roppongi Hills and after a few back and forth texts, we also decided to bike it there. I felt like Nghi kept trying to give me ”an out” by suggesting the subway, but the more I had to insist I could bike it, the more I got the feeling Nghi thought I was an old lady. Anyhow, I wasn’t about to let some 29-year-old put me in the old people seats on the train just yet. I just put my big girl panties on and made up my mind to do it. Don’t get me wrong, when I Google Mapped the journey, I did have second and third thoughts, but hell, you only live once.

Victoria Store

I am so glad I decided to check out Tokyo’s Sports town. It is really just sport store after sport store and the prices are way better than what you would find in other places. Just as a FYI, for all of Chase’s baseball gear, we ended up going to Iidabashi to a store called Baseman. I did notice there was a Mizuno store just a few doors down in Ogawamachi. As we walked around we also noticed a bunch of book stores. It seemed kind of strange to see the sporty stores next to a bunch of hip book shops, but it made for a fun walkabout for Nghi and myself.

Need a raquet?

Up & Down Sports Stores

After Nghi and I finished our shopping, I asked her if she would be interested in hitting the Food Show in Shibuya. I had promised Cliff and Chase if I had the time, I would get some shrimp tempura to go with the soba I was making for dinner tonight. As always, Nghi was game so we hopped on our bikes and headed that way. Nghi did suggest instead of biking the entire way, stopping at Roppongi Hills Crossing and jumping on a bus. I said let’s wing it.

So we are en route to the Shibuya Station Food Show and somewhere along Roppongi Dori (a very long, busy, hilly street) I lost Nghi. I was the one following her and at the beginning of yet another uphill turn I saw her jump off her bike and start walking it. I was sweating and feeling victorious as I passed her tired ass up that street still sitting on my old lady ass.

We finally got to the bus stop, and being the kind and thoughtful friend I am I suggested we take the bus for the rest of the way.

No Sweat!

Let me dissect this picture for you. Obviously Nghi is from SouthEast Asia because she doesn’t seem to care about covering her skin. I on the other hand have “turned Japanese” and am sporting the basics of all female bikers:

• Cap/Hat/Sometimes LARGE visor
• UV gloves for hands
• UV sleeves for arms
• Signature handkerchief
• Backpack
• Water Bottle
• Evian face spray
• Sunbrella
• Fan

I guess when you don’t have a roof over your head or a backseat to carry stuff you become your own pack mule. It’s so interesting how a whole day can pass just getting a racquet and 6 pieces of shrimp, but that’s living in Tokyo. Just another day in the life.

Until next time…