My legs hurt.  So does my knee, that’s decided to act up again.  Standing all day didn’t help – standing at the booth, standing outside at the tea stand, standing at the reception in the evening.  At least there was enough interest in our products to warrant the standing.  Tomorrow it’s just me at the booth, so it’ll be hardcore Japanese immersion – with a bunch of engineers and scientists.  I’ve already bought four half-liter bottles of soda water to keep me going without too many trips outside to the tea booth.  It’s hot and sticky in the hall with so many exhibitors and visitors – the tea stand ladies already know me as the guy who drinks three cups back to back.  Miss Shimizu made it through the day with nothing but a half-liter bottle of tea, which I finished before the exhibition had started.  I added seven cups on top of that and still felt a little dry all day. 

In the evening we were invited to a reception that Nagase Integrex sponsored at the hotel I’m at.  All exhibitors came and after an introduction by President Nagase, a film about Nagase Integrex, and a drinking speech by one of the exhibitors, we could finally raise our glasses with a rousing “Kanpai!” and dig in to the spread – from sashimi to deep-fried chicken to pineapples.  Midway through there was another speech introducing a Japanese special brandy that is aged in a disused railway tunnel near Fukuoka.  It burns like crazy, but tastes ok when mixed with oolong tea.  At the end there was yet another speech thanking for the reception and also encouraging everyone to do their very best the next two days.  There was no non-alcoholic drink served all evening, except for the minuscule oolong tea bottles, so I snuck up during the reception and took a good swig from my fizzy water. 

That’s it for now.  Pray for my knee.  Thanks.