Zach awry in Japan

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15 August 2007 Birthday Cruise

 

So the picture a few days ago was from a cruise that we took along the lake on Genbo’s birthday. The Michigan is a huge paddleboat staffed mostly by Americans, from Michigan I presume, as there is some sort of sister state or city relationship that I can never be bothered to remember. It was nice until Japanese culture intruded and then it was excruciating.

 

First Genbo got a treat on the way there, for we were lucky enough to capture one of the rare Thomas cars, which he loves and goes bat*&^% over.

 

Here is a photo of the boat itself.

 

People greeting us playing As the Saints Come Marching In. This was pretty nice. Little did I know it presaged something much worse.

 

View of our condo from out on the lake.

 

Genbo was mesmerized by the paddle.

 

Zoe had fun, too, at least as much as her tiny brain is capable of.

Unfortunately, after about the first half hour or so of the 90 minute journey they began a Disney-esque stage show with much hyper-active screaming and cavorting about, very typical of Japanese culture which dictates that everything must be 100% joyful-happy-lucky all the time and preferably in the loudest, most invasive and annoying manner possible. They thoughtfully piped the inane show through the entire boat so there was nowhere to escape.

Here they are trying to make Genbo accept something for his birthday, and he is showing the good sense of trying to avoid the entire spectacle.