We’ve been welcomed with big smiles from all at the Embassy, and those Japanese absolutely love our hot dogs. Hottie stood proudly at the Embassy having arrived on time and intact awaiting Soren, Hot Dog Agent and me, Fanny the Hot Dog Girl. We’d travelled all the way to the Far East to team up again to serve some Danish coziness and happy times.
Hotto Doggo o doozo
The evening before the COP15 Cycling Tour the Danish ambassador Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin hosted a pre-event for invited VIP’s. Hottie and Team had the honour to serve hot dogs for free to support the orphanage in China. I had my debut in Japanese and amazingly the Japanese guests understood me! My tongue grappled with the unfamiliar words, ending it smoothly with the words Hotto Doggo o doozo "Please, have a hot dog". Over the next couple of hours Tulip sausages and Paaskebroed rolls were handed out and the many prominent guests queued up curiously, wondering about the project.
First stage - Tokyo
On the morning of May 23rd the cycling tour started. Both the Danish ambassador and the former environmental minister of Japan got pedalling. While all the gathered participants headed off, Søren Hot Dog Agent and I went to get Hottie ready for the big day’s event in the centre of Tokyo. The area was full of tents and exhibitions providing info about the Danish cycling culture with special Danish bike designers Christiana Bikes taking centre stage. Even before the midday start time there was already a long impatient line in front of Hottie. The smell of the hot dogs had wafted through the air and the excited Japanese began to get watery mouths without knowing quite what to expect. For most of them it was the first time they were going to bite in a juicy Danish hot dog with all.
Hotto doggo o zenbu
The hot dog race began and the hot dogs flew out of Hottie at the speed of lightning. Soon the line was so long that security had to be called to take control. I guess that’s the Japanese Way! The line of people looked like a never-ending snake and one time Søren Hot Dog Agent counted seventy-three hungry people. Hottie was over-excited. What an incredible success in the center of Tokyo, Japan. Who would have thought it?! I couldn’t see the end of the line and the result was 350 hot dogs in just four hours. At the end we had to stop people from queueing up. The afternoon gave me time enough to practice saying "a hot dog with all" in Japanese… "hotto doggo o zenbu". People waited amazingly patiently in the line, smiling, interested and curious. Displaying more of the Japanese Way! Even when the ambassador went on stage with the 23 mayors from Tokyo, many still stood in line to get a hot dog. The mayors handed over supporting declarations for the Danish politicians to have for the UN Climate meeting in Copenhagen in December.
Successful debut
Everywhere we go the tour is met by the Japanese Way and we there is an enormous amount of helpfulness everywhere we go. Hottie is being safely transported by local drivers and if ever we need any help it’s guaranteed to be right in front of us. Whether it’s is in the metro finding our way about or at the event area needing water for the sausages. Its truly wonderful to be a Hot Dog Girl in Japan.
We have had a very exciting and successful debut in Tokyo. With more than one thousand visitors in the event area. Over 450 hot dogs have been served and two charity boxes are completely full.
My hope is to collect $2500 US – the money we still need to build the orphanage in China. Tomorrow, Monday, Hottie travels to stage three of the cycling tour in Fukushima, and the Hot Dog Team follows in her wake.
Hottie and the Hot Dog Team can already tell stories about juicy hot dogs, big smiles and huge successes to date in the land of the rising sun, ………….’the Japanese Way’. Yet there is more to come….
If you want to see more pictures from Japan just click on the picture above - Enjoy..!
"Bai Bai" – "Goodbye."
Hottie in Japan is supported by the following:
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