The Saga Continues

I Love my brother to death. But if he stays out here much longer, I just may see that day a little sooner than anticipated! We have been going hard every night. Endulging in Adult Beverageness and soaking in as much as possible.


The beauty of Tokyo is it just doesn't stop. There's always a place to hang and always some people ready to get wild for the night. Whether that entails only 4 people in a club and a DJ to ourselves, or wall to wall folks, there is no shortage of opportunity to be out til sunrise.


In contrast to life in America, when you catch the train here at 5am you don't find winos passed out drunk on the seats, but rather suited up salary men. It's truly a phenomenon. There are 2 waves of alcoholism which present themselves on the train. The 1st being "Last Train." This ranges from anywhere between 11:45-12:30 depending on one's destination. It is very common to see trains packed to the brim and many a salaryman in rare form. The 2nd wave is "1st Train" which usually starts off around 4:30-5:00. This one is guaranteed to be entertaining! Japanese, being as humble and mild mannered as they are, certainly come out of their shells at 5AM and this is always a sight to behold. For me it's quite refreshing, because it reminds a lot of New York in terms of volume and absurdity. A shy New York that is!

Interestingly enough, nightlife is catered to the train schedule. So there are places that are targetted toward last train, and other events for 1st train. Staff transport also plays a role, hence, many a restaurant does not hesitate to PUT YOU OUT in order for them to wrap up business and get all the employees a chance to get out in time to catch their trains'.



Being the die-hard baseball fan that my brother is, we headed out to Roppongi last night to catch the All-Star Game on tape delay. Afterward, we sat out on a staircase sipping Chu-hi's and overseeing the games of the street as they played themselves out right before our eyes. I tried to convince the hookers walking by that my brother was in dier need of a "Massaji!" But he just never seemed to cooperate.


Needless to say, by the time we awoke this morning, neither of us had much energy or ambition to do anything. However, with Bub's days slowly winding down, I tried to light a fire and get us up and out at around 5:30. The move was forced. And it flowed as such for the next 2 hours as we dragged our feet through Shibuya.


But just when the night had seemed it was all going to waste, a glimmer of hope presented itself. Some friends of mine mentioned a festival jumping off in Iidabashi. We maintained our groggy state until we knew were nearing the grounds. Magically, we both took that breath of cleansing, where everything within said, "Alright, we're gonna give this one last shot.... ALIVE!" And just like that, we pepped up. Convo got lively. And so did the environment surrounding us.

Both of us had "Wow!" on repeat for the next 10 minutes as we made our way toward Yasukuni Shrine. There were endless lanterns, and steam filled food stands wafting a myriad of aromas on both sides of the walkway. There were some of the typical American staples of a festival, i.e. Cotton Candy, and Candy Apples. However, their version of candy apples were miniature. But such is the way in Japan. As for the rest of the vendors, they were, shall I say, Exotic. Fish on a stick getting cooked by hot coals. Some waffle balls thing, that smelled delicious. You could catch your own goldfish with a flimsy net that you were only allowed to use until it broke. And an array of other entertaining sights that each captivated both my brother and I time and time again.





As we neared the center of the grounds, there was a pavilion of sorts. Round in shape, with a statue's foundation shooting up the middle of it. A group of Japanese people were dancing around the pavilion as music played. This was accompanied by some well adorned people who poured their hearts into a traditional drum. There was one drum and approximately 8 drummers. Each drummer rotated mid song without missing a beat. It was a thing of beauty. This was without question the most authentic Japanese feeling I've experienced since coming here. The majority of women wore kimonos and the dance was a seemingly simple combination of gestures, claps and steps which flowed ever so pleasantly. Bubba studied their movements and later confessed to be prepping himself to join the outer g of group of people who were circling aound the pavilion. It was such a culturally beautiful sight to see people of all ages swaying around and very light heartedly moving together to traditional sounds. Bubba and I simultaneously acknowledged how happy we were that we dragged ourselves outta the house.

Eventually, we made our way up to the actual shrine. It was an impressive sight for sure. But the magnitude of the festival and setting gained significance when 2 japanese girls stopped to explain the history behind the shrine. It is a WWII Memorial. The place where the top generals who perished in the war are either burried or at least commemorated. We also learned that the countless lanterns were in memory of each person who passed. It was powerful. Especially when I compare it with the anticlimactic exercises we have in America to commemorate our fallen heroes. Needless to say, this left quite an impression. One I'll savor for as long as I can.

And day by day, I continue to discover more about this majestic country. I must confess, having my brother here to share it with me has not only fueled the entire journey, but also ignited a passion to see and do more with my time here. "That's what friends are fooooooor!"

Love

Kyoto: Day 2

After putting in some good mileage on foot yesterday, and getting my previous sleep on a bus, to say I was delighted to lay down in that bed may be the understatement of the year. It was crazy. As I laid down I heard a mysterious "Ahhhhh" resound through the room. I looked at my brother and asked him..."Did you say that?" He said, "Nah, Dogg..That was your back!" Indeed it was.
The hotel rang us at 11:00, "Leave now Negroes," was the loose translation of what they said. But, as you know, my Japanese is a work in progress. It's actually been pretty interesting for me to have my brother visitting. I had not realized just how much Japanese I'd picked up until I found myself translating the brief gestures and inuendo's I could make out. The greatest dynamic I've become aware of is how comfortable I've become in a situation where a person is rattling off high speed sentences which make absolutely no sense to me whatsoever, yet I'm still attempting to pull a word or two out of it to (at the very least,) give a good guess at what he's trying to convey. This as opposed to my initial mindstate, which was "What the hell is this guy saying to me?" On repeat, from beginning to end of sentences.

After breakfast, if you call it that at 11:30 AM. (Which I do) We headed off to c. This was the one that had the most hype surrounding it, so we were both real intrigued to see what it amounted to in actuality. Let it be known, it did not disappoint, by any means. Set in the middle of a pond, the entire temple is made of GOLD! It is stoic. And the setting was tranquil to boot, creating just the right setting and mindset to take in the majestic feel of the place.

Unfortunately, guests are not allowed inside, but from the brochures we could see there is a pool on the 3rd floor of the temple. The layout of which appeared to have a real Divine feel to it. Wish we could have gone in, but I certainly understand why they keep the parade of tourists out of such pristine territory.

From Kinka (Gold) to Ginkakuji, the Silver temple. As we entered, we were handed an apology that stated, the temple is currently under construction. Yet we still had to pay to get in, so I was like, "Yo, there better be something in here worth seeing!" And let me tell you, the temple wan afterthought at this place.

By now we'd seen so many temples and shrines, it was gonna take something extraordinary to make an impression. And initially, when we walked up on the construction site, it was very anti-climactic. No silver in sight. And just the shell of a temple really. HOWEVER, as we continued along the path, we were guided through some truly sanctified grounds. The 1st of which was the sand, zen garden. Bubba had been longing to see one and he'd said so just moments before we entered, so we both smiled when we caught a glimpse of that one.

As I close my eyes, I revisit this very distinct feeling that emanated from the land. It's extremely difficult to bring this to words. Primarily because the feeling itself was unprecedented. But also, even the greatest of superlatives seem to fall short in terms of describing this. Attention to detail seemed to illuminate the entire setting. Yet, somehow amidst the "Wow factor" I found a great sense of peace. It struck me on a chord that resonated just right.

As the path continued, that energy continued to rise, as we stepped into higher and higher elevations. Soon offering a view from above the temple, and even greater, the city. Bubba and I spent a nice little while up there and just sponged the view. No talking, just breathing and acknowledging that we were really living these moments. As movie-esque as it all felt, we were really standing right there breathing that air. It was special. To say the least.
And thank God/Buddha it was! Cause when we left there, we ran into some tough luck! The next move was to check out a village which was old school and real traditional. A friend of mine from Kyoto, who was meeting us there, called me and told me we would not be allowed to enter because village entry requires a reservation. "Jenkies!"

With a look of despair, I looked at Bubba and said.."That's alright! I didn't wanna see that anyway!!" And just like that we were off to see a castle. That's the beauty of Kyoto, there are over 1,500 temples and shrines there, so you don't have time to get caught up feeling sorry for yourself. You gotta keep it moving and get as much in as you can...(if you're in that mindset.) Well, I guess we should've shifted gears a little earlier, cause by the time we got to the castle, it was closed. UNBELIEVABLE.

And just like any troopers, who set out on a spiritual journey and got denied twice, we decided it was time to DRINK!! Bub had found a nice restaurant up on a hillside which had a view that was ridiculous. It was there that the Sake began to flow, and the spirits got to getting lively! As is always the case, when I'm in a place where the scenery is moving, I can't help but wish my mother is there to share it with me. This was no different. But based on the prices on that menu, it was probably best she didn't make it!!

All in all, Kyoto definitely lived up to the hype. It's a place I hope to visit again, early and often. From the good natured people, to the refreshing natural scenery, Kyoto provided a much needed shift in gears. That being said, there's so much to take in there, that it feels like our 2 day adventure was merely the tip of the iceburg. I am truly appreciative of having the opportunity to actually feel that place. And I will be doing my best to preserve that image and feeling that I connect with when I close my eyes...and return to Ginkakuji.

Bless

The Japan I've been longing to see..KYOTO!

My brother just flew in from DC the other day. He arrived with 2 goals. See a Tokyo Giants game...and see Kyoto. 3 days into his stay...we've fought half the battle. (G.I. Joooooe) But doing so is much easier said than done.

We left from Shinjuku station on the "Night Bus" at midnight. I was bright eyed and bushy tailed for the first 20 minutes. Proclaiming, "I'm not the least bit tired." As I had taken a nice lil 20 minute nap on the train, just 2 hours prior. Those proved to be famous last words, as I passed out something serious. Not awakening until 7AM as we'd just entered Kyoto City Limits. I swore I slept lightly, until my brother informed me we stopped 4 times as opposed to the 2 I'd remembered.

As our bus neared Kyoto station, we got a glimpse of the incredible sights to come. There was a HUGE temple to our right, that stretched for at least 3 blocks. It was enormous. I had no idea temples could reach such size. This crushed all previous expectations as I prepared myself to be blown away by the rich history that is Kyoto.

Traveling with Bub (Greg,) is always a treat. He's the type to research the hell out of every nook and crany of the city, then map out a plan of action. For those of you that know me, you know that is quite a contrast to my approach to any and everything in life, let alone traveling. But to his credit, researchers discover things like the 2000 yen (that$20) unlimited 2-day subway and bus pass. Not to mention, the rankings of each temple and shrine according to tourists' revenue. I busted his chops about the latter, but by the 3rd temple, I was like..."What's this one ranked? What's this one ranked!?!"

After a Japanese portioned breakfast. (So small I had to order 2.) We headed straight for Higashi Honganji Temple the one we'd seen from the bus. Although under construction, it did not disappoint whatsoever. As I said, Massive. However, the amazing part was, the construction that was going on. It turns out, it was to build a retractable roof over the entire temple. I've heard of stadiums with this feature..but a Temple?!? Impressive.

From there we hopped on the subway and made our way to Jujo station where a little walk guided us to Fushimi Inari Shrine which was full of bright orange gates. They were any and everywhere. Most of which had divine looking kanji on them, which frustrated both of us, because we had no idea what they said. It's an interesting dichotomy to be simultaneously Wowwed by a relic, while acknowledging only half it's significance can be percieved on account of illiteracy. Still gorgeous, nonetheless.

As we were making our way out of the temple, we crossed paths with a Turtle (Go Terps!) This may have been an omen of sorts as Buddha was attempting to tell us to move slowly and don't rush. Unfortunately, only hindsight would provide such vision.

When we left the temple we strolled back down to the main drag with plans to catch the bus. Enroute, we came across some school kids who looked to be on their "School Trip."

In Japan, most Middle School aged kids take a 2-3 day trip where they go to Kyoto and or Nara and go see the Temples and Shrines and such. They stay in nice hotels, and from what my older students share with me, it's one of the more memorable trips of their lives.

This being my 1st trip outside of Tokyo since my arrival 8 months ago, I finally got a glimpse of the dynamics I'd expected upon departure from the States. I don't know if they were just small town kids, or if even in the rest of the metropolitan areas in Japan there's not really that many black people. But these kids were oooooing and aaaahhhing all day. Stopping taking pictures with me. Testing their English, asking all kinds of questions...it was too cute. Bub was cracking up the entire time.... and I just sponged it up, like "Hey...I'll be a Star for a day. Why Not?!?"

When we arrived at the bus stop, we actually saw the bus we wanted pull away just as it was in sight. This put us in a predicament, as we now had 30 minutes before the next bus would come. Our choices were, wait, or venture off on foot and soak in more sights along the way.

The map showed a couple more temples not too far away, so we opted for the latter. Remember the turtle? Yeah...well, we scurried off. But our map but a bit vague. Hence, we walked..and we walked...and we walked...right on by BOTH temples and didn't even know it. Well that is UNTIL, we both gave each other that look and said.."DAMN! I'm exhausted!" Of course, I'd been the beneficiary of all Bubba's hard work and preparation. But all that walking in the heat, gave me a serious case of amnesia as I had no choice but to question his abilities as a navigator! For the record, I was that guy....talking all types of trash, but not once considering taking the map and attempting to get our bearings!! But that's what little brother's are for. Bicker and Bitch. Be a downright nuisance. But not help!!

Eventually, we staggered into the next cluster of temples and shrines. Just when we appeared to be on our last legs, we entered Sanjusangendo Temple. Talk about a rebirth! From the outside, it looked like all the rest. Perhaps a little on the long side, but still nothing overly impressive. Unlike the others, when we entered, they requested that we remove our shoes immediately. As we began walking in Bub said, I think you're gonna like this, this is the one that has....just as I turned the corner he said 1,001 Kannan Statues.... A-MAZING! My entire state of being shifted immediately. This was the first time I felt as if I was in the presence of something greater. Each statue has it's own individual style. And some of the more formidable deities stood before them. All of this was tied together by one enormous (I believe it was) Buddha who sat in the middle. I wish I had photos to share, but pictures were not allowed. Even that was a blessing, because this place had such a strong feeling to it, that picture taking would have disrupted the energy entirely. I can tell you now, at the end of Day 1, that was my favorite so far.

From there, we went in and out of about 4 more temples. Taking it in and snapping away photo after photo. And eventually, we made our way to the #4 ranked temple in Kyoto, Kyomizu-dera Temple. The setting alone, separated this from the others. All the previous temples were pretty much in neighborhoods. But this one was atop a hill, overlooking the entire city. Not to mention a (dare I say) beautiful graveyard, which led Bub to ask..."Is it OK to take a picture of a Graveyard?"

"Yyyyeah, if not, I'm sure you'll figure it out by the time you wake up tomorrow morning!"

Not only were the structures ornate but their color schemes caught my eye more than any of the other temples had. There was also the LOVE STONES! This one lit up Bubba's life! Appartently, if you can walk from one stone to the other with your eyes closed, you will receive the blessings of Love from Buddha and good karma will surround that area of your life. He made it! Perhaps I offered a lil guidance, but isn't that often the case with Love. The cool part was, everyone in the vicinity was cheering for whoever was attempting to walk the walk. So when they touched all the school kids and even grown folks in the area shouted out, "Heeeeeyy!" It was fun.

We checked out a couple more spots before hunger kicked in. I'd received a tip, to try the udon in Kyoto cause it's apparently different than that of Tokyo. I don't really remember the Tokyo taste too tough, but the one I had today was Deee-licious. And Bub was happy with his eel, so the sometimes difficult task of finding a place to eat in a foreign city, worked out just right for us this round.

As we left the restaurant, we got an unexpected treat. 5 Geisha's walked by, captivating the attention of all in the vicinity. There was one main girl who was telling them what to do, when to stop and let people take pictures and such. She looked at me, smiled and winked, then asked me for my number. I said, "Sorry Love, I don't do the whole Geisha thing, I'm into girls with booties and breast! But my brother here's pretty hard up!!" No dice..and we kept it moving!! :)

The only disappointment of the day came as we took a rather extended bus ride across the city to get to Kinkakuji Temple. This, the only one I had starred on my list as all of my students proclaimed its' excellence. It is also #1 in Bub's rankings. As the anticipation rose with each nearing footstep, we got slain in our tracks by the security guard at the front gate. "Clos-ee." We're closed. Just wasn't meant to be. However, we now know exactly where tomorrow will begin!

Can't wait!

Also visited: Ryozen Museum of History, Kodaiji Temple, Maruyama Park, Yasaka Shrine, and Gion Corner (Geisha Headquarters!)

The Last Hurrah

With only one full day left in Paris, I rose with quite the dilemma on my plate. Go spend the day exploring around one of the most historic cities on Earth, or go watch the conclusion of the tournament. Being the diplomat that I am, I decided to stop by the tournament for a little bit before venturing off to soak in more of the sights.

By the time we arrived, the stands were filling up. There was a good sized line to get in as well. I walked over to where we were the previous day, and there was not a seat in sight. At the last second, one opened up, but we were a party of two. Ever so Magically, the 2nd seat became available, as a man offered his seat to us so we could stay together. (and who says the French are all assholes?)

It didn't take but 5 minutes to realize we lucked out! Every single seat was taken, and security was on their jobs, not letting anyone linger in any area not designated to do so. And from the looks of things, Quai 54's security had been in the gym much more than we had, preparing for this one. It was about this time that Emma and I looked at each other and gave that look of surrender as we both acknowledged, we were in this for the long haul. There would be no sightseeing today.That being said, this tournament better deliver some history of it's own.

And Quai 54 did not disappoint. The team we lost to ended up making it to the final 4 before being eliminated by the eventual champ. There was definitely some strong ball being played. What separated the successful teams from not was height. The best teams ran with shooting guards who were 6'6", 6'7". And had a full arsenal on the perimeter and post.

We, (Japan) got a lot of love throughout the day. Not only did the MC, "Mokobe" give us multiple shout outs throughout the day, but everyone affiliated with the tournament was genuinely intrigued about our squad and what's going on with the basketball scene out here in Japan. It felt like this was a mutually beneficial exchange, as Quai 54 was excited about reaching further into the global sphere. All the while we were pretty happy for obvious reasons.

The tournament itself is an incredibly entertaining event. Basketball often times taking a side to halftime shows and fan games that captured everyones' attention. My personal favorite was a kids dance-off, where they brought out youngins who looked to be ages 6-10, and had them request a song and then do their thing, right there at center court. You should have seen these kids... they'd sound all shy and bashful when they were on the mic. But when the music dropped!!! Oh My Goooodness! They got so serious wit it. You couldn't tell them they were not in a Beyonce video. Not only was it cute, but it was a nice touch that complemented the sometimes barbaric efforts on the basketball court with a sense of humanity and culture.

However, the highlight of the day had to be just before the last semifinal game. People who could see over the stands started go crazy. Creating a buzz that carried throughout the stadium. The music dropped, and outta nowhere came LUDACRIS!!! It was nuts! Everybody was leaping up and down off the top of the bleachers as he played "Stand Up...Stand Up!!" And just when we thought it could get no better, out stepped....USHER!! Everyone was in disbelief! The two of them lit it up.

It was crazy though, cause after the show, when there was still a buzz in the crowd, the MC started saying..."Yeah Japan! Yeah Japan!! Is Quai 54 for real? Or What!? What do you think of Quai 54 now?!!" All I could muster was, "Woooww!! This is the truth!"

The championship game ended up being NY (Sean Bell All-Stars) VS. France (La Fusion) under the lights at Porte du Choisy. In the 1st half, NY's point gaurd Kareem "Best Kept Secret" Reid (former Arkansas PG) single handedly kept his squad in contention. In the previous games he appeared to be lethargic and often times disinterested. But that all made perfect sense once he unleashed the lion on these boys from France. But the bigs from France kept finishing on their end. Leaving it at about a 5 point game at half.

The 2nd half was all France, as they found their touch from the outside, burrying 3 after 3 after 3. Kareim Reid hit a couple in the beginning, but they eventually wore him down. The final score was something like a 20 point game, maybe worse. But my French friend confirmed, their roster was so talented that no French Club could afford to have all of them on one team. Needless to say, they were the creme de la creme. But we'll be back next year, with a lil something extra wit us, this go round!!

That night finished off in the perfect fashion. A long-time friend of mine, Native, whom I met out in Egypt, came through and we made our way down to Chatelet to grab a bite and catch up on old times. It didn't take us but 30 minutes before we dove to the depths of humanity.

Native is without question the most talented artist I know personally. With a wide range of influences which he's accumulated as he's globetrotted, his work has always had a great deal of depth to it. It turns out, Paris has been real good to him, he'll be heading to the Motherland in a few months to complete a few murals for on a stadium being sponsored by France's famous footballer Thierry Henry. But from what I gather, that's just the tip of the iceburg on his path.

Anyhow, I've always known Native to be a true intellectual. The type of guy to dap you up and appear to be so hood on the street, but then you catch a glimpse of his library and you realize this dude is a Genius. That being said, I never miss an opportunity to pick at his brain.

We discussed a good deal of topics, ranging from the inevitability of death and how we've come to define this stage in life we're in right now. Coupled with the Artist's Mind and the importance of utilizing the time we have. I'm never one to recount specifics which is a shame cause the brotha dropped jewels all night long.

However, the grandest of topics we touched on was Existentialism. The question arose, which came 1st Existence or Essence. I'm a mystic, so I was heavily on the essence side, but when he got to breaking down his perspective I was like SHIIIIT! Don't even tell me these are all definitions humans created in attempt to give purpose to their lives. It seemed as if every attempt I made to justify my perspective, (that we are all-knowing and one with Creation/Creator before being incarnated) got slain quickly by the simple statement, "But you had to exist for that to happen." It was intriguing and scary to say the least. But that's why I love building with good people. And Native is certainly that.

And just like that, the 1st light of day made its' way to the sky. This the backdrop to Notre Dame. It was a quick trip, with a myriad of emotions, but Paris certainly left its' imprint on my soul. I can only hope to return again...SOON!
~Bless~

~Gameday~

After all this travel and preparation, the last thing we needed was confusion surrounding our game. But please believe, that's exactly what we had, right up to the last second. The night before, the 1st word was we'd be playing at 4. There were all types of beautiful explanations offered and it seemed like we were being placed in a prime position, in terms of visibility, on account of our groundbreaking participation in the tournament.

That changed to a very alarming 11AM start as we left the meeting the night before. But this changed AGAIN to "You need to arrive at 11, but won't play til the 4th or 5th game."

As it turned out, we started to get loose at about halftime of the 4th game...that's when we discovered we were actually playing in the 6TH GAME! For all my athletes out there, you know what it's like getting into your zone, mentally preparing to go to battle and locking in that focus. Needless to say, it was quite frustrating to have to ease up on the throttle and return to a degree of normalcy for the next hour. This after sitting in the sun for the last 7.

But it was what it was, and none of that had any relevance when the jump ball went up (at 7:30). The team we were matched up against was from France. It was clear from the start that our lack of size was going to be a factor. Either a plus (if we could outrun them) or a minus if we could not defend the post. I told the guys, don't stress, your 1st shot will probably bounce of the top of the backboard somewhere because of nerves, but we'll settle in and find our rhythm eventually.

We'd spoken the night before about establishing ourselves in the first 3-5 minutes to wipe clear any doubts that may be there. True to form, we did set the tone for the game, unfortunately for us, it was BRICK-CITY. We were getting great looks. Penetrating and dishing. Finding the open man. Taking the same shots we'd been hitting for the last 2 months. But this go round, none of us could connect. 3 minutes in, we were down 9-0.

After Matsu hit our 1st jumper, ST heated up, burrying 3 3-pointers to bring us as close as 5 at one point. But in the 2nd half, a few defensive lapses and continued poor shooting did us in. I ended up 1-4 from the free-throw line. And in a classic case of self-fulfilling prophecy, my 1st free-throw hit the backboard so hard, I saw a few people duck behind the glass!!

Free-throw shooting also did us in as this (so-called) rough tournament was officiated a lot tighter than any of us had expected. We ended up losing by about 15. It sucked. After all the wworkouts and energy we put in to get there, to have it all come to a screeching halt was quite the disappointment. I think what made it most frustrating is we didn't play a good game. Had we had a good showing and still lost, then so be it. But to not play to our potential when the spotlight's on,really sucked. But Cest La Vie...

For all of us involved it was a great learning experience in both life and basketball. As a team we got solid confirmation of what we'd already suspected....we were short and it cost us. Again, we could have won games with that roster, but our margin for error was slim to none without the bigs to crash the boards and defend.

On a personal note, it was a great experience for me to go out and compete against a roster full of professionals and still hold my own. Someone mentioned I had the talent to play in the B league in Paris, which came as a pleasant surprise, but a move I don't forsee coming to fruition anytime soon. For the time being I've got my hands joyously full here in Tokyo!

AFter the game we were all starving, but Jason decided we needed to go the Eiffel Tower straight away because there was no telling where everyone would be tomorrow. A rationale I respected 100%. At 9:55 I discovered that the grocery store was closing at 10, thus giving rise to the windsprint of my life! I will make it!! And I did just that..jogging up at 9:59, where I received a not so warm welcome from security who forbid me from entering the store. I begged and pleaded with the man, but to no avail. I smiled and gave him one of the "Thank You's" That translated to "Fuck You very much!" and kept it moving.

As I headed toward the train station, I saw the fellas and put in my request with Jason to grab some food real quick. Access denied. He was dead set on getting there as soon as possible. I bit the bullet on this one...not the least bit happy about the situation, but still being understanding of his vision and commitment to us throughout the process.

Once inside the turnstalls, a light shone from heaven and a choir sang out..."Aaaaaaaaahhh" God himself manifested right before my eyes...in the form of...a vending machine! YESSS! Atsushi, Emma and I all stopped to get snacks to tide us over for the journey. When we walked down to the platform... the team was gone!

UNBELIEVABLE! What could this possibly accomplish? We all still need to meet at the tower, so what are they just gonna wait for us at the station? Why couldn't they just wait for us there so we could all go together? No big deal, we'll see em in a second.

We got to the station and there was no sign of them anywhere. Forever optimistic, I said, "Come on, we'll just walk to the Tower, I'm sure we'll find em over there."

To make a long story short, we got there, and looked at every single tourist in the face all to no avail, as they were nowhere in sight. And there we were, at the Eiffel Tower, the most anticipated moment of my whole trip and none of us could stop and appreciate it the way we wanted because there was an underlying sense of urgency/disbelief/frustration with the way things had unfolded. We snapped a few pictures, searched high and low before resigning to the fact that we were not going to find them.

By now we were so hungry, it didn't even matter anymore. So we ended up hunting down a restaurant where we could finally sit down and feast. I must say, it worked out pretty well because Atsushi used to live in LA, so his English is on point. And he's a hilarious dude, so we ended up laughing the night away over pizza and some drinks.

As we were eating, I glanced to the left...did a double take...and shouted.."NO WAY!...NO WAAAAAAAY!!" Standing there across the street from us, were friends Emma made at our hotel a couple days before who were from Oakland. A father who looked to be in his mid 50's accompanied by his 2 sons, both of them cuties. They joined us and we all shifted to a kiddieland frequency, which was just what the doctor ordered after such a grueling night.

We later caught up with the team as they were heading to the station, and they told us we were the lucky ones, cause they were all hungry and in no mood to be sightseeing!! God works in mysterious ways!!

True to life, we've got those good days and bad days. But it's better to have them in Paris than at home!!
Bless

Day 2: Soakin in the Sights

After lots of Pain Au Chocolat, we were off to the gym to get our last run in before the tournament. We took the subway to an undisclosed destination where I started to do my typical, "I'm not sitting here on this corner looking stupid, waiting for a ride. I'm in Paris!" And without saying a word to anyone, I started walking towards a bridge off in the distance. Just as I started to creep up on it, I turned back, and everyone was waiving me back...our ride had arrived.

My instincts were solid though. As we drove across the bridge, my jaw dropped...there was a breathtaking biew of the Eiffel Tower just 20 paces away from where I'd stopped. I gave everyone that look like, "See!"

At the gym we got a nice lil prep for the tourney as 2 monsterous brothas were playing for the other squad. One was about 6'8" the other 6'"5 with hops like none other. We banged with em, sometimes successfully others, not so much. But all in all it created a nice momentum prior to the big day.

Turns out, Jason offered a roster spot to the 6'5" guy. This created a buzz amongst us as a very serious void was on the brink of being filled. We stayed after and talked strategy and such and really generated a good feeling about our mindset and preparation for the game.

Well, an hour later, that move was axed and we were back with our original 6.5, with Jason standing in as an emergency role player. No problem Mon!

From practice we headed off to Champs Elysees, Paris' most famous street. We stepped off the train, looked up the street and all of us reached for our cameras immediately!

This...was to the left----->

<----This was to the right And everything in between was gorgeous too. Holla at me if you'd like the link to all the pix.. I'll gladly pass em on. The fun part of this whole adventure was taking it all in with the fellas. Up til now, everyone had been pretty reserved...(well, except when we got the J's) But this time everyone was bright-eyed and child-like. Snapping pictures, Hootin, Hollerin and making every noise in between!! This with the Japanese versions to match! Once again, the Eiffel Tower managed to sneak up on us. In the matter of just one turn, there she was...in all her splendor. We set up shop and took it all in for a good while. Truly humbled by the moment.

Not long after, I ditched the fellas. I had a date with a hottie. A timeless Love of mine, that dates back centuries. It had been awhile since we'd connected, so I had to lose them in order to give her her due. When our eyes met, my heart dropped. and my adrenaline flowed as she worked her magic on me the same way she'd done to many men before me. Mona...You Sexy Bitch you! I see you watching me no matter where I go. I know what your eyes are saying. I remember. Meet me outside of Ancient Sculptures at 10 o'clock. We've got some lost time to make up for!

She didn't say anything. But she didn't have to. She was feeling me... I could feel it!

From her we strolled through the Louvre (which is an absolutely enormous museum for those who don't know) to find Venus de Milo. Hooker! See that's my I roll with Mona, she knows how to keep a brotha guessing. Venus on the other hand all her chestesses hanging out for the world to see. Beautiful though, I must say. It's a bit overwhelming to take in so much in such a short period of time.

Perhaps that is why Jason's phone rang. And 3 minutes later we were all scurrying out of the Louvre to make it to a last second meeting back at the Quai 54 park.

If there were any feelings of disappointment at having to leave tourism heaven, those were quickly erased as soon as we got our official Quai 54 jerseys. Jordan brand, with headbands and socks to boot. It was so refreshing to receive 1st class treatment. Quai 54 definitely does a great job of taking care of its' participants.

This was also the 1st time we got to size up the competition. Key word in that sentence SIZE. There was some Gorilla Monsoon lookin brotha out there. Chiseled like Vin Deisel, but 6'9' to go with it. No fear up in here, but just a recognition that we've got to come like some real warriors to pull off some victories.

Absolutely starving, we closed out the night at an all you can eat Chinese restaurant. That's when the question was posed. 3 seconds left, down by 1, who's taking the shot? Atsushi got 2 votes, ST 2, my vote was with Mitsui (the boy's got ice in his veins) and that was that. Back to the cozy confines of the Etap hotel.

Oh...it was there, that we had our final team meeting. Settled on our starting 5. And discussed areas of focus for Saturday's game. Everyone seemed to be on the same page and it was nice to sit down and discuss our approach. However, in hindsight, that was a meeting we should've had 3 weeks ago. One of many lessons learned in this, the 1st go round as The "Rising Suns."
Hopefully not our last!