I've decided I will skip ahead to the reception and tell you some about traditional Scottish dancing, variously spelled Ceilidh, Ceillidh and Ceilidgh.

If your thighs and calves don't ache to high heaven the next day (and possibly the day after that) you weren't really dancing in the traditional Scottish fashion. Leastaways you're weren't doing it ENOUGH. The steps of the various dances are simple and repetitive so they are easy to learn. Generally it is a combination of steps and slides and kicks and claps and spins that go in a pattern for 4 to 16 counts, and then it is all repeated again. What makes it interesting is that the band gradually increases the tempo so by the end of the song you are flying. It is done in partners or small groups, and every 4-16 counts (sometimes in the middle of the dance step) you swap partners or groups, so you are constantly moving about and seeing new faces. Some of the dances are done as reels in lines, spinning with a person in the line and then with your partner and so on down the line. Mostly it is fast, it is loud, it makes you dizzy and it is LOTS of fun. When in doubt, spin.

I found this great URL here: that really explains the dances well. Highland (or Canadian) barn dance was one of my favorites, but we danced it by switching partners as we back away. The reels were fun too, as was the one that is danced in groups of six, where you swap out three people each rotation.

The reception was in the Paisley town hall, a huge neoclassical building that had been gutted in the Regency period so the ballroom we were in had the gorgeous fancy ceiling common during that time. After dinner (more on that later - scrumptious) they cleared away the tables so there was just some around the edges, leaving plenty of room for dancing. The band came in (fiddle, guitar, accordian, drums and others), set up at the end of the hall on the stage and we were off! They would call out the dance at the begining of each song, list off the steps and occasionally give more in depth instruction if it was an uncommon dance or one the band was making up. It was so much fun. A lot of us there knew nothing about this style of dancing, but there were enough that did and it was easy enough to learn that soon everyone had joined in. Quite a fair number of men in the traditional kilt of course, all sporting their personal clan tartan. Not the wrap around style but a formal kilt, with a tailored kilt from the knees to the waist, and then a tailcoat up top, with a black waistcoat, white dress shirt, black tie and smart square silver button at the cuff, the shoulder and on the cropped square tails. The buttons had the Lion of Scotland on them. Don't forget the long dagger in the sock. And the black soft leather shoes that lace up the calf. Excellent way of dressing - should be more widely adopted.

Everyone was eager to dance, mostly, and those who knew asked those who didn't and sometimes neither partner knew the dance but everyone caught on as time went on. It moved so fast that I had to concentrate every second or I would miss the bit where we switch or my turn to spin or something. I had the best time though! I had to doff my hat and shoes and stockings, as did some others - it took that much to keep up. It was one big happy room full of hot sweaty tired energized laughing people.

I'll tell you more about the ceremony itself, the beautiful bride (my friend Michelle) and her new husband Gareth later.

Much too late now. Must sleep. Tokyo is great. So compact. No setback limits on the houses really - you can reach out the window and touch your next door neighbor. And we went to Shibuya, a part of Tokyo today, and we were on the train for 1 1/2 hours! And we never left Tokyo! We just went form the western edge to the center! At Shibuya it looked like Times Square and Picadilly Circus rolled into one - so many neon signs and bright flashing jumbotrons and lit up signs. Huge buildings. But, like everywhere, they have McDonalds and Starbucks. You cannot escape! Played Pachinko Slot and did pretty well, and went to a traditional Japanese restarant where you step up into the restaurant and then every party gets their own screened in area, where the seats are bench style with cushions, flush with the floor, but the table is in a recessed area so you still sit like at a western table, with your legs beneath it. But the waiter crouches down at the door to your screnned in room to take your order because his floor is the same as your seat. Does that make sense? Anyway, yummy food. Great time. More later.

So sleepy! Too late! Don't even try to guess how late it is.