Happy Birthday Manjit

Nigara Falls Ontario and Happy Birthday to Manjit

Does It Matter?

The sign to the toilet at the moutain top in Yamanashi. It explains that the women's toilet has great view and the men's toilet has ordinary view.

Go Fishing

Dad and Ilan at the sea... I think this picture is so cooooooool

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This is my first Chinese New Year at home after leaving Taiwan when I was 17 years old. I decided to do all things we used to do when we were kid. So I planned this fishing trip with my dad. Mankit tagged along and volunteered to drive.

That wasn't exactly the very good day to fish, the sky was grey and it was drizzling. The rain flew horrizontally and we didn't catch anything but a small crab. The crab was carrying loads of eggs in her stomach, we dropped her back to the sea to raise children.

Ilan was very excited and kept sniffing my lunch box. I fed him the left over bait, the frozen raw shrimps. My dad was worried that Ilan might get sick but I insisted that's the delicious sasimi. Oh well, I must be hungry myself.

Yamanashi Onsen

Yukata fitting... before we drank up all beer and wine we brought. Mai and I sent out to the famous Onsen village in Yamanashi.

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Mai's friend is the Japanese hotel's daughter, the hotel has more than 100 years of history and she is the 4th generation. Because of the different management style between she and her mother, she decided to get married to flee away from the business. Oh well, that is a solution.

Mai's other friend told us her disastrous dating experience. The guy brought her to the raman place on their first date. She paid for herself by placing an one thousand yen bill in the tray and walked out the store to wait for her date. He didn't give back the changes. What's more, he thinks she should pay for his part of his parking fee since he is going to give her a lift to the train station. Wow, there must be a reason for him being single at his age and I think it is so unusual to see a Japanese man who doesn't care about losing face. So I asked Mai's friend for his phone number but she thought I was joking.

When telling my mom this story, she looked at me with unbelieving face "It's so obvious that the guy is doing all those to disgust your friend so she won't even think about calling him again". "You girls are really too naive".

Japanese Custome

Getting ready for the heavy dose of alcohol, Mike was in the state of extreme ecstacy.


Akiko-san is trying to show me how the big fish looks like, I am very impressed.



Still the most sober one among the group at 2 am in the morning. Akiko-san later bit me at my shoulder and I don't know why?

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I was very curious how Japanese man pee in man's room. Well, you know, girls think it is very embarassing to make sound when peeing, they have to flush the toilet or play some flushing music to cover the sound, how about guys? What should you do when your male boss walks into man's room while you are doing your business? Do you pretend you are concentrating so hard at your thing that you cannot say hi? Or you just casually turn your head and nod?

I was told that it is ok to make sound when releasing yourself in men's room. I get upset a little and determine not to play with the toilet flush when I pee in Japan. Hey, this is double standard.

Anyways, Japanese people are so trained to be nice to others. It is the most unbearable guilt to burden others. You see people nod at your when entering the lift, bow when leaving the lift. The direction they bow is carefully calculated, it is toward the corner of the opening door so her/his pereferential eye sight covers the people remaining in the lift. She/he is not directly sending the bow at you but you can feel the action (so that you don't feel obliged to reply). The last person would press the Close button and withdraw her/his hand swiftly before the door shuts.

Around 2 or 3 years ago, Tokyo area starts the custom to flash the hazard light 3 times to show the driver's gratitute toward the fellow drivers who give ways to the former. It is almost as cute as the smilies in MSN, non-verbal, nearly comical yet easy to understand. My friend said he gets quite annoyed if the driver he gave favor to forgets to do that. I think people might abuse this custom thinking it is OK to take advantage of other drivers as long as I show my appreciation? However, this doesn't worry Tokyo drivers, they are just too concerned about others to commit such a crime.

I don't like Manila

I had heard bad stories about a traveler being strained in Manila airport. Every officers asked him for bribe and he lost his boarding pass when taking a nap. Not a problem to have a replacement, if he could afford to pay the fee...

That's really not a big deal, I said to myself. The hotel is going to pick me up, I don't think I need to withdraw any pesos for this 3 day trip in Manila. The airport is old and seems like it hasn't be properly renovated after Phillipine's hay days in the 70s. No big deal. I hoped on the limo and went straight to the Manila Pennisula.

There is actually no high way connecting the airport with the city. The road was not even, the car went pass quite slumy areas until we were at the heart of the financial district. 15 minutes ride costs me 1400 peso, which is around 30 bucks. Wow, this is close to the Manhattan taxi fare from LaGuardia. The hotel is very nice, what surprised me was the limo had to go through a security check at the gate. After dropping me off, my handbag and luggage were searched again. There are around 3 security guards, 5 valet parking guys and 4 bellboys standing around the entrance to the lobby. It seems like they don't have anything more interesting to do.

I was going to meet with Kate Porter at the breakfast loundge before going to the bank. 2 days in a row, Kate and I both asked for coffee and I have got the lousy filter coffee when Kate is getting the fresh brew straight from the expresso machine. I was really getting annoyed the second day and asked the waiter why I am getting different coffee? I pushed away the filter coffee and said please bring me the fresh coffee. Is Manila Peninsula training their staff not to serve fresh coffee to orientals because they don't know how to appreciate it?

Everything is about peso. My hotel room costs twice as much as in Kuala Lumpur but what I feel is insult. Not until I checked out, did I realise that breakfast was not included. This is again not clearly stated when I checked in, or Manila Peninsula think it is the right way to do business?

I was informed that there is a "departure tax" imposing on any traveler leaving Manila airport. But I was really disgusted by this country and couldn't want to run my credit card to withdraw cash. I asked the hotel to settle the tax for me. There is a small fee associated with it, that's fine with me as long as I don't need to go out to the cash machine where lots of people hanging around aimlessly. The taxi is arranged, I walked straight to the taxi and got to the airport, again, with Manhattan taxi fare.

The airport is definitely chaotic. It is not well lit, there are things stuffed in every stackable place. There are security guards wearing no uniforms but a badge in different size and age. The queue is moving like snail crawl but no airport personelle seemed to mind. There are large group of oversea workers trapped in one corner in the airport, I have no idea what are they waiting for, but everyone has a very huge luggage. The check-in line moved as slowly as any other line. The funny thing is that there are 2 large weight scales blocking the real entrance of the check-in queue, as if the situation is not chaotic enough. The JAL people need to weight every passenger's check-in luggage. Oh, that is because there is no scale in the check-in counter. Gee....

After 1 hour wait and I've checked in and you cannot imagine what type of ecstatic state I was in. I went to the counter to show the officer that I have paid my airport tax, he was scratching his head really hard. Oh, no, no, no, the hotel charged me for the fee but they are supposed to give me the cash advance so to pay for the tax. The idiot at the check out didn't give me the money! I was almost bursting into tear in front of the officer, thinking that I might miss my flight and I have to spend one more night in this country?

They let me call the hotel, who has realised their mistake and said that they can give me the money through their representative office. But that's in the arrival level! Panicking, I ran across the queue toward the only exit of the departure level. The floor was so nicely cleaned that my boots' heel skipped and my left ankle sprained. I didn't realise how bad it was, trying to stand up with only one thought that my flight is leaving in 30 minutes, but my left ankle was so wounded that it couldn't stand the pressure. I fell again, really hard this time. I limped through my journey back to Tokyo with tears. I don't want to go back to Manila.

Hiroko

It is not easy to write about Hiroko. She is just not a typical Japanese woman all around. She is amazingly beautiful. She is stout yet delicate. Angular jaw line with very feminine compoisition of eyes and nose. Timeless hairstyle, which is straight long hair to lowerback length. Broad shoulder and definitely not slim body build however shows a sort of gracefulness because of her elegant demeanor. She never wears fancy outfits, but you feel comfortable and at ease when having her around. She is so square, steady and trustworthy. I guess she is at her late 40's and one of the few very very confident women I have met. Perhaps her confidence comes from the fact that she is not seeking anyone's aproval. And this, I believe, is what she was born with.

In a society with sheep syndrom (if everyone has a Louise Vutton bag, I have to have one), Hiroko's survival is an oddity. She never tries to pretend who she is not. She is the one I can let go my pee and make it as loud as possible and when she is in the bathroom with me. Of course, she knows what to say and what to give so to show politeness to others but you always feel the sincerity. There is no excessive wordings to hide shyness or exaggerate the gratitue, she is always herself. When she says something, she means it. Although her English is not fluent, I can sort of move along her way of thinking pretty good.

Working very hard and very smart, she sometimes lives inside her own world. When in California, I think Hiroko heard Susie banging on the keyboard and swearing "F*ck Me!". She then came to me and asked "What difference is f*ck you and f*ck me?". I was like... "Um... it depends who is on the top...". Hiroko continued, still very puzzled, "but technical impossible".

Po Bronson

I am reading Po Bronson's "What should I do with my life". He's interviewed with more than 900 people and composed this book with real stories. Uh... I always hate those self-help or spiritual books, however, this book has caught my attention perhaps because I am genuinely gossipy, I want to peep into other people's life (in the name of inspiration). I never understand why people can trust those so called motivational leader or buy the ticket to the enpower-yourself seminar.

There were 2 types of job wranglers in his book. One of them worked her way through the boom, made her mark, changed the world and jump because she feels there is nothing more to do. The other one is purely hopping around because she doesn't really know what she is after. It is darn easy to be after the prestigeous job, big name and good salary. In fact, Po has given this type a nick name "phi beta slacker". This is really scary, this is exactly me!

On my way to Manila, which I have heard so many horrible stories about the airport and the country.

Sexy Version of Dancing Queen

I love Hiroko.

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I was invited to join Tokyo office's consultant's day in the hot spring resort Hakone. The osen has 5 different bath pools, Hiroko grabbed the small window of time before the Karaoke (if you are in Japan long enough, you know that party is incompleted without a Karaoke) and 16 course dinner, gave me the orientation.

We quickly changed into the hotel kimono, ran to the osen (hot spring). Undressed, put away the kimono in basket, rinsed our feet, showered (hot spring ettieque), dipped into the indoor hot spring for 2 minutes, then moved outdoor to the second osen with banboo fence. The air was chilly, but you felt alright as long as you bury your body under the 45C water and the moonlight. Haaaaaaaaaaaah... is the only sound I can make.

Hiroko then got out and walked down the hill, oh, there are another 2 osens, the water temperature is higher, we spent 3 minute each, just like a kid go lose in a candy shop, we were so keen to try every osen with different view of the mountain. Anyways, our after-dinner dip didn't last very long because we didn't want to delay the Karaoke party.

Not everyone was there but we started singing anyways. ABBA's dancing queen was ordered and the MTV was totally unmatching the song. It was showing naked girls all along! Difficult to get over the shock and embarassment, everyone was half giggling and singing. When Akiko arrived, we suggested her to sing the dancing queen and some one keenly ordered the song for her. However, she finished the whole song with straight face!

P.S. it is very difficult to get hyperactive without over exposing your flesh in hotel kimono. I was sooooooooooo embarassed.

Who is going to Inspect Your Room

Fuji mountain from Hakone. After 3 transfers and 4 different transportation, I finally arrived in the place where I can see the mountain. All tourists came the same way, I somehow felt very paranoid and tired. Isn't this supposed to be relaxing?

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For some strange reasons, I keep my living space tidy as if some one would come and inspect my room without notifying me. I scrapped my bath tub, meticulously clean the stove and mop the floor every day despite the fact I am as tired as a dog after work. I just cannot bear the thought that someone might come to my apartment when I am not around. My principle is to hide the trace of a living human being has been in this space.

Before departing for a business trip, I shut down electricity and gas, remove the garbage, make sure there is not shred of smell left in the kitchen and bathroom apart from the heavy chlorine scent. Dispose all foods (that was usually carefully calculated, little is wasted) from the fridge. Painstakingly go over my wardrobe, everything has to be folded neatly as if no one has ever lived here. You cannot tell who I am from my flat, there are definitely no personalities. The only thing that might give it away was the books I am reading.

In hotel room things are not getting any better, when I leave the room, everthing is stowed or hidden, yes, no one is staying in this room tonight. I just cannot truely relax. Those places are not my permenant to me, I always feel I am on the go any minute.

Mai Tai Dinner

Meeting up with Mai last time in Tokyo....



Meeting Mai this time in Tokyo... Mai can drink. Our usual drinking program is like this, start with 2 pints of larger, fellow by 2 small bottles of sake and then Shuijiu to end. I had little problem finding my way back to the hotel.

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I was reading an very interesting article http://www.jref.com/culture/misconceptions_prejudices.shtml , written by a Kaijin (foreigner) living in Japan for ages. The homogeneous society, heavily indoctrinated by the uniformed education system, have quite a few misconception and prejudices about westerners according to the article. Such as Kaijings are all american and Japan is a very small country. The author has given quite a powerful arguement indicating that Japan is actually not a small country compare to most European countries. Some other issues such as Japanese do not know that 1st Jan is not the traditional New Year until late 19th centry an so on. I think the author is a too critical, you can produce similar arguement with any other countries in the world (or in the universities, ha ha).

One thing that the article has indicated is the lack of critical thinking training in the education system, or the society requires every one to conform, rather than being skeptical. Well, I guess that is one of the survival principles. You do have to pay the price to be different, only those with strong nerves and determination can do. Why not being lazy?

However, there is no doubt that Japanese culture has very strong influence. The advance economic has bred the super neat, convenient environment. Perhaps that's the obvious way of life to pursuit?