Bikes and a Feast

We had the conference banquete tonight, and decided to ride some bikes. Most people here ride just simple commuter bikes, all of which look about the same. Apparently bike theft is not a thing; i havnt seen a single U-Lock or bike rack.

This is the most common bike lock, it just goes where a rear brake is.  You use a little tab key to lock and unlock it. When locked it just formes a flimsy ring around the rear wheel.

This is the other lock type. It just puts a little bar through the front spokes. Also super flimsy.

Once your bike is licked with either flimsy option A or super flimsy option B, you just leave it on the street.

To be cool you need a kick stand like this one. There are normal kickstands, but only a few. Almost everyone rides the exact same bike.

Coolness also requires a sweet basket on front. Needless to say, i have both.

Everyone has this sort of light. You flip it onto the wheel at night.

They use a different valve here. Its almost the same diameter as  presta.

The different valve uses this pump attachment. It just clamps on.

No one wears a helmet, and back lights are not a thing here. There is no signaling of turns. The sidewalks a really skinny, and you just fly down them and ring your bell at anyone in front of you. You can ride in the busy streets, but there isn't a bike lane. You just ride in the gutter, which you share with parked cars. People all the time riding the wrong way in the gutter on the busy streets. Many of the sidewalks have railings between them and the road, so you can't just bail. Its like the wild west. I was following this girl across town today, and this guy came up the wrong way (we were in the street gutter) and the two of them played chicken like badasses. Neither one slowed down, and neither one would move. At the last minute she swerved out of his way. All of this on the side of a supper busy street. An this stuff happens all the time. Its really  a good time. The girl i was following had earbuds in, biking in heals, one hand on the handlebars.

A bell is very important. 

So thats the biking experience. We got to the conference banquete just fine.

The restaurant had a cool garden with a stream running through it.

Also water fountains.

and Koi!!!

Another picture....

the cool stream. 

The first course was a bunch of sushi. There was salmon, eel, tuna, shrimp. Those are crab legs on the left. Also some squid, and various tofu based things.  The white coffe filter things are for boiling the raw meat on the right. They light a fire under it, and you toss in a bunch of veggies. When its boiling, you stir the meat in for a sec, then dunk it in the brown stuff in the lower right. And its delicious. Also miso soup. And some sort of fried fish. Lots of food.

They folded crains under all the glasses. 

Geisha!

My prof on the left, and his wife on the right.