We've been here in Japan since Sunday and I'm finally getting around to blogging it up. We've been super busy, as always. Tokyo is huge and large parts of it are lit up like a Christmas Tree. We're staying in Shinjuku with is the area around the main train station here in time. On the other side of us is Takashimaya, which is the Tokyo equivelent of Times Square. Lots of lights and shops. The food has been great. We did something we wouldn't have dared do in China, which is to...

Our time in China has finally come to an end. We finished our Customer Visits on a high note. After being told how much we are struggling to break into good favor with the Government and how key that is to being successful here, we visited the China Customs Service here in Beijing. They've developed a very sophisticated application using the client and showed it off to us. From the moment we sat down it was clear that they've got some really smart people...

Days two and three in China summary: More sun Less smog Costs are really low away from the hotel. 1 hour taxi ride: $12. Multi-course dinner in private room for 7 at former King's residence: $80. All food is "traditional chinese" in description. You will regularly encounter: random cubes of gelatinous material, deer meat, jellyfish, duck...

We're here in China visiting some customers gathering feedback and context on the problems they are facing. After a long (14.5 hour) ride here -- that thankfully went by quickly -- we had a travel recovery day and did some sight seeing. We're staying at the Grand Hyatt Beijing which is only about a mile from Tienemen Square and the Forbidden City, and is really nice. People here are very friendly and more speak English than I expected. But the air quality isn't good, as you'll see. Unfortunately Tienemen was closed for...