...I really think so.

Kris: Well, it’s day four and we finally have a breather to work on the blog. Yayyyyyyy! The team has an excellent guide Satsuki. We’ve posted a picture of the five of them. Aw, aren’t they cute! The best thing about Satsuki is, well, just about everything! The mentors think she is adorable and really want to smuggle her back in our suitcases. The question is, will the ACS reimburse us for the over the weight fee??? Hum, perhaps we should let her stay…

JL: We had the opportunity to get to know her better during the Opening Ceremony and Welcome Lunch. The ceremony featured a number of speeches, an authentic traditional Japanese Lion dance (Shishimai), as well as introductions of all of the participating countries. We were also honored to have the opportunity to dine with his Imperial Highness, Prince Akishino, and her Imperial Highness, Princess Akishino. It was a really fantastic time. The lunch was also our first true introduction to Japanese cuisine.

Kris: As you know, fish is a large part of the Japanese diet. And, while I like sushi (A LOT) I am less adventurous about eating other forms of fish and things I would not label as fish (e.g., octopus or squid). However, when one isn’t in Rome one doesn’t do what the Romans do. So, I’ve been sampling the fish selections. Let me tell you, in my opinion octopus are better left at predicting the outcome of soccer matches (Paul, next time root for the US!!) and squid are pretty gross. I really admire those people who can eat them. But the food provided to the mentors has been pretty awesome overall. Especially the coffee. And, no, I haven’t made it over to Starbucks yet even though it’s just around the corner. We took a break from the group dinners and ventured out to a Spanish-style bar. In this case, the language barrier proved to be overwhelming when we accidentally ordered a pizza with squid ink as the main ingredient. Once again, I have to say in my humble (and not always adventurous) opinion, squid in all its parts is gross.

JL: And the coffee has come in quite handy. We have had our first two Jury Meetings: one to discuss the practical exam and one for the theoretical. The first one started at 8 pm and lasted for well over five hours…When it took that long to discuss only three tasks, all of us were apprehensive about the theoretical meeting, however, it only lasted 4 hours. During the lab inspection (see pictures) and our evaluations of the exam, we feel really impressed by the work of the Japanese scientific committee and are confident that the guys will do well.

Kris: This is my first experience at the IChO, so I didn’t really know what was expected during “translation.” I mean, how hard can it be to translate English into English? As it turns out, it wasn’t too painful at all. And, we are able to spend some time getting to know some of the other teams. Can I just tell you that the Australian team, along with being excellent chemists, seem to be gifted graphic artists. Who knew?? In all it was actually a lot of fun! Once we were finished with our translation we distributed a portion of the gifts we brought for the other teams. I think the pocket periodic tables were the biggest hit so far. I just hope we have enough for all the wonderful Japanese student helpers that really make the competition run smoothly.

JL: I have been to the IChO a few times before, and it has been great to have a chance to see old friends from all over the world, as well as make some new ones. Today we got to go with some of them for an excursion into Tokyo. We visited our friends, their Imperial Highnesses, at the Imperial Palace. There was a beautiful garden with elegantly sculpted trees. Then we visited a Temple in another part of Tokyo. After some shopping in a street market, we had a traditional Japanese “box” lunch. Our free time was short lived though as the discussion about the theoretical exam began…

Kris: While we’ve been slaving away at the OVTA, the team has been taking it easy. They have already had an excursion to Tokyo (where we think they visited the Tokyo Tower: think Eiffel Tower with a TV antenna on top) and to Kamakura (a city in Japan with an abundance of temples and shrines). I’m sure the team has appreciated the new perspectives gained during these excursions. Unfortunately, all fun and games must eventually come to an end; the team completed what had to have been a grueling 5 hour practical exam yesterday. I guess it’s only fair it took us 5+ hours during the jury session.

JL: Speaking of the number 5, we’ve been doing our best to try and learn the language. It has gone better for some of us than others…Theoretically we can all count to 99, order water, and say “thank you.” Hopefully our vocabulary will continue to increase during the rest of our stay in Japan. Kris, aka the crafty one, has been trying her hand at origami, though I haven’t seen any of the results. In all seriousness though, it has been a really eye-opening cultural experience, and the Japanese, both those preparing the IChO and those we have met when venturing out, have been fantastic hosts. It is really a joy to experience the country.

Kris: Oh, and Nathan, a squid could totally take a turkey!

JL: Anyway, we have to get to work translating the theoretical exam, but we have been eating our apricots and will do our best to update with a bit more regularity.

Signing off from Chiba, Kris and JL