Destination Tokyo

Blog entry 23rd of February 2009

Tokyo

I am in Tokyo. We arrived on the 18th but my Internet connection at the hotel has been a bit limited, so therefore I have not gotten a chance to write a blog entry before now.

The flight was comfortable, and the movie and game selection on the plane was nice. Finnair from Oslo to Tokyo via Helsinki. I am on this two-week tour (and a little holiday…) to Asia together with my mum and little sister. I really like having them with me, it is so nice to experience all of this together with my family. We did have a little incident on the first flight from Oslo to Helsinki though. Our jackets were in the overhead compartments and when we arrived in Helsinki my mother’s coat was completely soaked on one side! It turned out our neighbour had a bottle of water, one of these with sports cap, outside his bag and it was leaking. The compartment was full of water… The coat was almost dry when we arrived in Tokyo (thanks to a lovely stewardess!). But that was really all the drama, and I would say that was quite little.

Tokyo is so full of people! 33 million inhabitants (we are 4.5 million in the whole of Norway!) and the main city centre is huge. Our hotel is located in Musashino, about 15min by train to the nearest part of the centre, Shinjuku. At the left side you see me in Shinjuku and on the right side in Asakusa.

The city is so clean! And most places there are not allowed to smoke on the streets, they have their own small painted squares on the streets were you can smoke. You should have your phone on silent mode and not talk in your phone while you are on the train or the subway, and the line and queue system everywhere is remarkable! I also love the way they greet eachother, with all the bowing and give things with two hands. There is just something with the respect they give and show one another.


The people from the Musashino Cultural Foundation is so nice, especially Mr Wada, and the concert on the 20th were so much fun! It was sold out and such a lovely audience. I played with a great organist, Naomi Matsui, and my first concert in Tokyo was a great experience.
The two last days has been spent as tourists, taking a lot of pictures and trying to see as much of Tokyo as possible.

Tonight we are leaving for Hanoi, so right now I will finish my practising and then do some last packing. It is 30 degrees Celsius in Vietnam, so I think I will try to work a little bit on my tan (which at this moment is non-existing…).
You will hear from me when I arrive in Hanoi!
Sayonara, Tine ☺

Destination Belfast

Blog entry 29th of January 2009

Some people have already asked me when I will write a new blog entry. I am greatly surprised that someone has already discovered this blog, and of course I now want to update as regularly as possible. So, here goes.

I am back at Heathrow, this time terminal 1. I left Tromsø too early this morning (flight departing 6:50) and I am on my way to Belfast. My breakfast was eaten on my flight from Tromsø to Oslo, my early-lunch from Oslo to Heathrow, and who knows, there might be a little bit of eating on the last flight for Belfast. We do that a lot; eat on flights. Sometimes the flight attendants run through the plane and almost throws the little snack at you, along with a cup of coffee or tee, and some minutes later they hurry past you again and tries to throw your food in the trash before you have even eaten it. And then the plane lands. The flight may not have taken much longer time than you use on the bus every morning to work, but you have to eat. Flying and eating is somewhat connected. I wonder who decided that?

Ooo, have to go to the gate, my mother is calling my name. Will write more when I arrive in Belfast.

Hilton Hotel, Belfast:
So here I am. It is a bit late in the evening here now, and I have just practised in a conference room at the hotel. Trumpet is not always so popular with the other guests (especially in this hotel I would imagine, I can practically hear what my neighbours are talking about!), and there is almost always a possibility of finding another room at the hotel to play in. The people at the reception here at the Hilton in Belfast are extremely nice, and I got a room right away where I could play as loud as I wanted! But I must admit I am a bit tired, I always get so sleepy after a long day of travelling.
You will hear from me soon! So stay tuned…