National Aeronautics and Space Administration

I’m getting cleaned now – one thing that is definitely the same in America and Japan is the attention to cleanliness. Everyone works very hard to keep me free of dust and dirt and stuff. They wear special hooded suits, plus shoe covers, masks, and gloves. The Americans call them “bunny suits.” It’s always a little freaky to see everyone dressed like this. They look sort of like aliens, and it’s hard to tell everyone apart when they’re covered up like that.

I’ve recovered a bit from my long trip. Here’s a map of where I am in Japan. I flew into Tokyo, and then took another truck to Niihama. I’m now at Sumitoma Heavy Industrys (SHI for short) where the neon dewar is waiting.

They piled me in with all that dry ice for the trip, and now we have to wait around for it to melt. OK, OK, I know it doesn’t really melt – it “sublimates” ! It’s neat to watch it shrink away into nothing but vapors. Reminds me of Halloween.

So I’m warming up slowly but surely. I should have packed shorts! The team hopes that I’ll be back to room temperature tomorrow, so they can start checking me out and getting me ready for the next step.

OK, now I’m messed up. I don’t know what day it is! We crossed the international date line, and we gain a day?

My first international flight … and I didn’t even get to fly first class! I was hoping for an in-flight movie and some peanuts, but no such luck. Just me and my dry ice. But I did have more time to practice my Japanese. I’ll look really slick when I show off to my new friends.

I wonder what Japan will be like. I’ve heard so much, like people take their shoes off when they enter a building. I guess I’m in luck since I don’t wear shoes. And the food is totally different – they eat with chopsticks instead of forks. I’m a little freaked out by the idea of sushi (raw fish!!!), but everyone says its cool.

It was really foggy flying into Tokyo’s Narita Airport. We circled for a while, but when our fuel was getting low, the pilot made a bee line for the Haneda airport nearby. He refueled and then we flew back.

Since I was the first in, I thought I’d be the last one out. But they popped open the nose of the plane, and I was first out! FIFO – cool! And there were my Japanese hosts to greet me! Omeni kakarete ureshii desu!

I should have slept more on the plane. I’m tired, but there’s so much to do. Can I have a nap?