So we traveled to Osaka, arriving there just after midnight, and sent out search parties to find a karaoke place. We managed to find a place just as the station was getting ready to close. And over the next four hours we sang English songs, Japanese songs, even Chinese songs. I had some nasty pharyngitis, so my voice was deteriorating to the point where all I could manage was the really low part of Barbie Girl—and I must say I sounded pretty sketchy.

Later that morning when we stumbled out into the sunlight my voice was really creepy, and I was really tired. I took the first shinkansen back to Kyoto to sleep for a few hours.