im - 9/15/2005 01:43:00 PM

"I'm growin' up quicker and handlin' my liquor, and, yeah..." -The Dandy Warhols Just got back from a trade show in Tokyo, Japan. Lately, it seems, we've been travelling the world to deliver into the hands of the unsuspecting public the Surly way o' life, even though that itself is a bit nebulous. I did wear my GeneO signature model orange jumpsuit and Boondocks USA hat for a 'photo op', and I ate things from which others recoil, such as pig teat, raw horse meat, and, I was told, "possibly squid entrails." Oh goody. I also found that although some local people will go out over lunch and get lit, almost no one will take even one swig of Glenmorangie 10 year old at the show itself (they're 'working'), but to be fair that may have been due to the fact that it was scotch. Also at the dealer show we attended was Steve Crandall from FBM bmx outta New Yawk, who had the funniest line of the whole trip (and that's saying a lot). We went out to get some lunch and Steve, snapping photo after photo and still giddy with lack of sleep and the excitement of being in Japan for the first time, said "And you know what else? I love asian women and this country is FULL of them!" And how. The important thing is that my camera batteries finally crapped out this morning so I cannot post any pictures, which is o.k. as it would seem a bit too much like watching your great aunt Olga's slideshow of her trip to Cancun ("this is a Mexican delicacy called a Taco Platter"). Things I saw in Japan: >A stencil on a wall that said "Fuck Smoker" and had a cigarette in one of those circles with a line through it. >Not 10 minutes later I spied a sticker on a motorcycle that said "Yes Smoker" and had a cigarette in a circle without the line through it. >Saw a messenger in the streets of Tokyo riding a Dave gray steamroller with bullhorns. Went by too quick to get a photo. >A hat- the single ugliest hat of all time- that said "Super Sexier Than You." I did not buy it. >A shirt that said "Tropical Summer of the Funky." I did buy it. I also bought one that said "In the blossom of sunshine power." Makes me want to do an Surly engrish shirt too. I'm thinking "Let's long the haul trucker if it's a happy time juicy sensation." That makes sense. >There are vending machines everywhere. On one, there was the usual selection window showing off the vitamin drinks and iced coffees, and also a small poster showing pictures of people leading active lives. One guy was on a bike in city traffic. Closer inspection revealed the bike to be a Steamroller in the old brown color. Yup, photos are in the camera cuz dat's how i roll dat. Faux shizzle. One thing I do have a photo of is the new Surly socks we just got in. 2 designs, 3 foot sizes per design. All tall (Nerdlinger height). Yes, we're still doing the all black ones with the Surly logo at the ankle. But for those of you who like to be a bit less of a billboard for advertising (like me), we did these. They're part Merino wool/part nylon like our others, but the Surly logo is at the toe, and early tests indicate that even when wearing those 'apres race' sandals with the big strap across them, the logo is still invisible. Yay! I'll have some at Interbike to show off and sell. -----