From Tokyo to Kyoto under the rain!

We all went in our different rooms for the night after our late dinner… And it has been a very eventful night, at least for some of us! Call this the influence of Japan on some of us!

We started our day split into 2 groups. Some of us went to get some more rental gear while the others stayed at Starbucks… where else, really? 🙂

First step for the first crew: solve the puzzle that is packing all of our suitcases and music equipment in our 2 vans! We managed to do so with even a little extra space left…

During that time, at Starbucks, something very important was taking place. Indeed, his daily coffee dose was something very important to Alex this morning!

We then left for one last pick up at Korg’s office, where everyone found something quite interesting to play with! Want to please musicians? Let them play with instruments, they’re happier than kids in a candy store filled with toys where everything is free 😉

After endless detours, we found an access to the highway, and hit the road, heading to Kyoto! Not very long after, we stopped at a rest area, and got our fix of Japanese food! Menu: Oden, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, udon, yakisoba! For those of you who don’t know about Japanese convenience stores, the food they sell is very cheap, but delicious, and you have a wide selection of food to choose from! Not exactly healthy, but always exciting! Whenever we get there, it always becomes an adventure on which we make new discoveries. Today’s was the oden… And it got mixed opinions!

We finally made it to the temple, where we unpacked everything, tried the acoustic guitar, listened to Kosho’s father play music, and shared a meal all together! We were blessed with some home cooking, a delicious nikujaga for all of us!

Definitely, we can’t deny this is home… From the very warm welcome we received to the conversations we had, we really can’t deny this same passion that lives within each and every one of us. We are back home… and it never felt so good to be here!!!!

“Find your people, and you will find your purpose”.
A simple and short sentence. But it is when you feel at home that you truly realize how impacting it is. Because no matter where you find yourself around the world, as long as you are with people you love, you will be home. And we can definitely say that we are home!

We’re now ready to go to bed… well, almost ready 🙂

– Stephanie

We are leaving Australia, a place we never even thought we would visit one day. No matter how far from Montreal Australia is, we can definitely say that we feel at home in Australia! We just spent 2 weeks here, and it went by way too fast! 

Our last morning was spent getting our suitcases ready, and doing all the changes necessary to the guys footboards and pedals, getting them ready for Japan, as electricity is different over there!

Once finished, we got down to business! We reviewed our schedule and itinerary for Japan, and then talked about all the people we met, the memories we’ve shared, all the different moments that happened… Sef also did his daily reading. Alex soon joined him to try and teach him what something genuine, honest and soulful was… Without much success!

We decided to end our time here with a true Australian experience, after a friend’s strong recommendations! So Harry’s it was for us! The guys ordered Harry’s famous “Tiger” pie, as well as curry pie, and a hot dog de Wheels. Verdict? Delicious!!!! They all loved it! Well, except for Alex who stayed true to his healthy lifestyle on tour and had an apple instead! 

And then our driver brought us to Starbucks, the very same one we went to when we first arrived in Australia! 

We arrived at the airport a little earlier than we expected, but we didn’t have to wait long for check-in to start! 85 minutes and a lot of questions about Sef’s pedal later, we finally made it through the whole process, at least until security, where the question process started again! 

We walked all the way to our gate. For some reasons, it feels like it’s always way too far. That may be due to the weight of our backpacks, though 😉 And it’s at the airport that we met all of Australia’s classics… sheeps, kangaroos, wombats, and someone who strangely looked like Crocodile Dundee!

We met on our flight people from Japan, France, Germany, Russia, and of course, China & Australia! 

Alex and I were sitting beside one another, a few rows in front and left of everyone else. Our seats were 37A and 37C. Window for our Alex, aisle for me, just as we love it. Until there, everything is perfect, you think. Perfect but for one thing. The little TVs in front of us aren’t working! But it got taken care of very fast: we were given a magazine… Needless to say, it hasn’t been opened… 😉

After our 10 hours flight, we landed at the Beijing airport… It sure was emotional to be back here! So much happened in China for all of us! It’s crazy to think we’re back here, if only for a short transfer! And really, nothing has changed in this airport, it’s the same as it was before!

After a very long wait for international customs, and then for a completely useless security check where we needed to completely empty our back packs (and believe me, this is no easy feat!). Our gate was the furthest one, but we found midway a Starbucks! 

We then finally made it to our gate, where the circus was born once more, in grand style! We never go unnoticed, and sometimes it’s easier to understand why 😉

While this was happening, Ben and Jeff were nowhere to be found! They reappeared 10 minutes before boarding, 1 huge duty-free bag in their hands! No, it wasn’t a bag of souvenirs. It contained instant noodle soups, the same ones we used to eat all the time on our trips to China! It came as a surprise to everyone, a good one for many, and a not so good one for Matt who cannot stand spicy food! And in case you didn’t know, China is extremely popular for its spicy food – think Szechuan food 😉

A short trip to Tokyo later, we landed in yet another place that feels like home! 

We met with Momoka at the airport, as she will be part of the circus with us for that part of the tour! We then headed to our traditional airport meet&greet spot, Starbucks! 

Then came the time to load our gear in the vans! 2 of them this time, so no rest for our drivers!

A few stops for rental and hotel check in finished, we went out to get something to eat! Needless to say, Jeff was more than excited to guide us around the streets of Shinjuku! He did try to convince us to get McDonald’s, but we all wanted something more typically Japanese… and no, the mcshrimp wasn’t a good alternative 😉 Katsudon and udon time!

We also raised our glass to that section of the tour that is only beginning… a glass of delicious sake, with a velvety smoothness 😉

“We learned the biggest giants are those living inside of us, and we have learned to face them one at the time… And because we are together, we will win over them all!”

“We are back here in Japan to play music after 2 years… Let’s take what’s offered to us, and let’s make it ours… Before we can share it with others, we need to taste it… So let’s enjoy every moment!”

– Stephanie