Does this look familiar for All Japanese Visitors?

First Gate

Second Gate

The grand finale...

Mom's Email

Pretty flowers in the forest near Nikko
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I like to read my mom's email. She scribbles strokes on the hand writing recognition pad and picks correct Chinese characters one after another (She doesn't know spelling and tone labels, 4 years of schooling in Hong Kong back in the old time didn't have those). Her writing style is yet classic and elegant. She doesn't read much. With limited education, I always wonder where she's got it from. Perhaps that has something to do with her love of Cantonese opera. Her wordings were minimal and classic. Some every-day langague is nicely blended in. Here is her letter to me today (sorry for those who cannot read Chinese)
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阿坤：是否 3 号返台。廖金猪除了耳朶像廖文傑，其他臉旦極像你小時模樣，很可愛啊！名字可能採用廖宥權，文傑花多天時日來研究生辰八字筆劃等，佷煩及無聊的新爸。媽等你回函，會接你機。 媽媽
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Akihabara

In the maid cafe, the young girl dressed in victoria maid dress is feeding a guy spagetti. The guy is looking very contained, having conversation with the maid (I cannot see how the maid carries out the talk, I only see her back). I cannot help but think what is going to happen to the cute girl when she grows to an age that she can no longer work at this role. She might get married and raise kids for a man. What is going to happen to the Otaku (geek, nerd in Japanese)? He is probably still hanging around in the maid's cafe in Akihabara in 10 years.

Officially Leaving Beijing

I finally see the panda in real life, but in Tokyo.
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I packed up my two suitcases. In one, I have my favorite duvet, pure cottern pillow and summer blanket. I shipped it to Canton province where Uncle Thomas' factory is (to avoid the tedious custom clearance, after all, GuangChou is only one hour train ride away from Hong Kong). The other has the clothes, shoes and all my kitchenware from my collage years, which I gave to the girl from the dry cleaner downstair. After getting the deposit back, I carried one roller with my summer clothes and everyday-must-have items to the airport. I left Beijing for good.

My feelings toward Beijing is complicated. I have read so much about the city, about the foods, about the culture and the people. The language to me is not foreign, only sounds different. I have met many modest, polite, hardworking people. However, I feel tensed and uneasy constantly.

I get very paranoid about washing my hands, even when I am in my own apartment. Of course, people on the street spit around makes me nervous. I am very weary about any physical contact with my fellow passengers in the train, taxi drivers or waitrons. The dirt-filled air quality certainly doesn't help. No matter how often I clean, I still feel the stench and dirt all over my living space. I don't have the obssessive compulsary disorder, but I am developing it.

I dislike the newspaper although I am OK with simplified Chinese (still eyesore to me, seeing them like seeing a person without an arm or leg, sympahty and sadness follows). The news only reports great stories, what annoys me the most is that people read them. The ambience is suffocating, I think the only open air space is how to get rich soon. The only good thing is it is so cheap to buy books. However, the Chinese comtemporary writers don't have much interesting things to write about. They seem unable to get out of great culture revolution. Novels that set in the modern China are not entertaining. Perhaps I just cannot fit myself into the stories (the characters seem unrealistic), just like how I cannot fit into the modern Beijing life.

Strolling down the pub streets, pubs are filled with low quality alcohol (beer rarely chilled enough) and mediocre singers. The music are so loud that my ear drums hurt. Where is the innovative thinking? Pubs should cater different stages of life, we only see the simple version of it. Of course, pubs are not the originated from Beijing. This is just one of Beijing's attempts to be cool. However, this attempt has no root in Beijing culture. Defintiely lost.

I believe Beijing can do better given some time, it is not yet finding the right balance between old Beijing and modern Beijing, between old residents and immigrants, between communism and capitalism, between Chinese and Western. My general feeling is that Beijing at this stage is lacking the cultural confidence. Beijing is ashame of the old flat housing (hu-tong), in fact, I think Beijing's charm lies in them. But without the confidence, they are destroyed, flattened, in the name of modernisation... It will really take time before Beijing is inhabitable.

Reading Lolita in Tehran

Azar Nafisi is an English literature professor living in Tehran. Iranian government was (is still now?) so Islamic extreme totalitarian. Dissendents were arrested and executed without obvious reasons, women were abused perhaps because they are the easiest target to abuse, in the name of God. Women can be stoned to death if she is suspected to commit adultry. Women cannot sit in the certain part of the coffee shop without a male companion. A man can married a woman for 10 minutes then divoice her (prositution mutant?). Women have to dress like a walking gabbage bag otherwise men would be aroused.

The legal reading material is from the Iranian religion leader, who explains various enquiries regarding religious legitimate issues. One question raised is "if a man have sex with a chicken, is the chicken can be consumed as food later?". The reply goes "You are forbidden to consume your own chicken, but you can consume your neighbor's".

Isn't religion trying to provide the stability over human's fear about uncertainties? It is beyound me how it provides extremists a tool to create fear. I am only glad this monothesim has not been implemented across all the globe.

Integrity and Survival

I always know that my father has a rather loose sense of rightness. I guess because of his background, he tends to believe it doesn't hurt anyone to tell a lie, default on debt or bribe the kid/government officials. I used to think that is very naughty and interesting. After all, this is not very traditional way a father sets examples for his children. And I feel cool, I have been lucky that I don't need to do those in my life to achieve something so far. Yet that gives me an alternative, an option to think out of the box in an evil way.

His intentions are good and trivial, such as to avoid paying the traffic law violation fine or stopped XiaoHo from crying (because XoxoHo wouldn't let YeeYee have his toy, my father intervened and promised XiaoHo a brand new toy). My dad was generous in giving money away to his relatives, perhaps he is expecting others should also do the same to him. Nevertheless, I was terrified by the thought that we are in debt but it doesn't bother my father at all.

On the contrary, my mother is always educating us (stress training for girls) to be fair and square. Especially money-related matters. She grew up poor, experienced cold treatment in her childhood. I remember she told us never to sit at someone's desk in the office. If something is missing, the person seemed at the desk would be the first suspect.

I am trying my best to be fair and squre, of course, the force from dark side makes me tipsy sometimes. Observing my father, I come to realise integrity is an ultimate survival skill, yet the easiest to carry out. Perhaps people from war time, the most twisted, ugly history of human beings would think otherwise.

Donna's Wedding (2)

My friend insisted that I should disguise her identity.

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Stanley and Donna obviously didn't mind playing the games like that, they were also having great fun, while everyone is entertained. Emily, Irene and I were chatting and drinking in the nice quiet room, completely a separately world. More people are coming into the room, more alcohol and Stanley had to come in to the toilet in the room to puke. Donna came in and dragged Stanley out to greet more guests. She sat down and started to tear. She is under a lot of pressure because her business was obnoxiously underminded by her father's long term partner. He filed lawsuit against her company and factory and obviously bought his way through the Chinese legal system. Donna was almost arrested by the China policemen. She spent a whole day being interrogated by the police before coming back to Taiwan for her own wedding. After crying for a while, we dried her face and she went out to greet more guests and down more alcohol. This is the most crazy wedding I have ever attended. Of course, Donna is quite special.

It is already 2 am in the morning, Irene is the destinated driver (thus, didn't drink any alcohol) had spent the whole day accompanying Donna. It is too challenging for her to drive us home then go to her own place, so she decided to lodge in one of the most famous love hotel in Taipei. 3 young ladies checked into the love hotel, and we were all so exhausted that we didn't spend time to explore anything before crashing into bed. I was trapped in the middle and it is not the best position in bed because you cannot adjust the blanket without affecting the other two girls at each side. Nevertheless, we were all too tired.

Only in the morning we realised the door to the bathroom is transparent, a couple of condoms near the bed lamp. Also a very sinister-looking massage chair. Oh well, you can pretty much guess what are every parts for just looking at it. We then press every button and had great laugh. The Sunday morning in the love hotel!

XiaoHo is Needy

XiaoHo turned very needy recently, the book says that the 3 years old start to realise what is lonely and often fight hard to assert his/her right. Today is his first day to school, Grace was heart broken. The conversation goes like:

XiaoHo: You gave birth to me, you have the responsbility to keep me accompany.
Grace: But what if Mom needs to go to work?
XiaoHo: You can take me with you, like what you did before I was born (Grace told XiaoHo she used to go to work while he is in her tummy).

Donna's Wedding (1)

I felt that I almost become the professional bridesmaid. Anyhow, I sneaked a weekend back to Taipei to attend Donna's wedding. I arrived on 2 am in the morning on Saturday, hung out with my mom a bit then went straight to the hotel where the banquet takes place. Irene and Emily were already in the hotel room with Donna, they were busy putting up make up and told me to go change. I didn't have dress so I just picked some long dress which I bought 12 years ago. Irene and Emily's faces sank, asking if you have anything else. Oh well, Emily said "don't worry, let's fix your face first". While she was putting on makeup on me, Irene brought back a bag and threw me a dress with matching necklace and handbag. She has no confidence in me and had prepared for the worse. But I had to borrow the nude bras from Emily, who had to go without. (Nude bras are really cool, two piece of soft plastic that could firmly stick to the breasts, you then have to buckle the middle to create the cleavage, yay!).

Anyhow, that was a good laugh for the bride, Irene and Emily. Donna comes from a wealthy family, herself is also very capable. Two master degrees from Boston university, running a couple of companies in ShangHai and ShengYang while being a lecturer in Taipei Technology Univerisity. I really don't know how she manages her time but she's doing just fine.

The dinner is uneventful, the foods are good, the service is great. The real party started in the hotel room after the banquet. We went back to the room and help Donna to undress (and collect her expensive necklaces, bracelets and earings). The reason we had to do it is because 1. Donna has got very drunk because she basically drank her way through each table with real alcohol. PS1. With around 50 tables, I think she had had at least 4 bottles of wine in her. PS2 2. She has put on all really expensive diamonds, one of her bracelets dropped a couple of time PS3. She is a real drinker as usual, the air got hot and noisy outside. She changed into the brilliant red dress and walked steadily for another round of alcohol drinking in the suite, where Donna's high school classmates with their hudsband were around. Peggy (We knew Donna via Peggy), Donna and couple of other girls were all making loud noise and device naughty games to play on Donna and her husband Stanley.

Emily, Irene and I don't know the crowd outside very much, so we folded away the heavy bride's dresses, make room for ourselves then started to play the "Photo-Me". Hey, why not? We dress and make up so nicely, let's take pictures for each other! Emily was really out of line, she instructed us to narrow our eyes, or curl our lips. She was like, like, the Adult Video director. But we had a lot of fun. She said she is going to post the picture on the internet with a black stripe cross over our eyes. Ha ha ha ha ha...

I went out to the happily noisyliving room. They are playing another game. They blindfolded Stanley, told him to carry a bottle of water between his legs and made him stand at the far end of the living room. And Donna was sitting in the couch carrying a glass between her leg. She had to command Stanley to go over all obstacles in the living room to her and sqreeze the water out of the bottle to the glass between her leg, of course, no hands. One condition is that Donna has to give her commands in sexy tone. Oh well, they all seem to have great fun.

After getting a bottle of Champaign and a 2 glasses, I withdrew to the room.

PS1. Most banquet places would substitute grade juice for wine for the newly wed when the newly wed go around the banquet hall to drink with each table

PS2. Donna is not an ordinary woman. She drank her share and she drank with her friends. Stanley went to drink with his friends. This is very unusual, most couple visit tables together.

PS3. Another Taiwanese wedding custom, the bride needs to put on every piece of expense jewelry to show off.

One intereting marriage custom

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Another very interesting custom in Taiwanese (maybe Chinese) wedding, at the engagement ceremony, the bride eats the dried dimocarpus longan fruit (it is a kind of fruit shown in the picture, the interior is very similar to eyes because the meat is transparent and the seed is black). The idea is that after the bride eats the longan fruits, which symbolise the groom's eyes. He will not lay his eyesight on other women. Yet I have heard the groom tends to lose the ability to read maps.

Malay Culture

Having lunch with the client from the bank in Kuala Lumpur, where most of the employees are Malay. Hajib covered, the women are actually in power in the bank. The risk officier is a male, he took all of us out for lunch to celebrate closing down the Risk Office issues. One of the young ladies was my favorite, she works hard and is very keen to learn. She is going to get married next year, I was so curious how muslin couple get to know each other and fall in love.

She was rather shy, I asked how you met your future husband? "In school", "Damn, I need to go back to school. What do you do when dating, going to movies and dinning?", "Yes". Oh, I guess school is really good for meeting people. The risk officer objected "You can still meet people at work". "But non of them are available". He winked at me, "Not in Malaysia, men can marry 4 wives under islamic law". Wow, but I guess it is very hard to do because the religion says that only if the man can love the 4 women equally and provide for them.

Also, in Malay culture, the parents don't wish to live with their oldest son. That is so interesting. The elders live with their youngest daughters. Of course she can get married, but the husband moves in to live with her. She continues taking care of her parents. I think, this arrangement is excellent. Men tend to have less issues with mother in law, they are happy as long as they are fed properly. I am not sure if what happens if the oldest son falls in love with the youngest daughter from another family.

My Mom's Hong Kong Escape

Brown hair me, I have a big acne on my forehead. I am staying in Impiana KLCC, my favorite hotel in Kuala Lumpur. It is resonably priced, no nonsense business hotel with modern, clean-cut decor. The most important of all, the free in-room internet access. I am clumsy when giving tips (never am able to figure out what is the proper time and proper amount to give), thus, I don't tip at all. I think the hotel bell boys know me by now, they simply ignore me when checking in or out.
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My mom went to Hong Kong to attend her cousin's daughter's wedding. Her stay was extended because of some financial matters. Her friends were either working during the day or going out of town. She was so bored that she literally shopped her way around on her own.

She bought the Buzz Light Year bedsheet for XiaoHo (he is crazy about Buzz Light Year, He would even shout "To Infinity and Beyound" then jump off the sofa). She bought coffee maker for my uncle's flat although my uncle doesn't drink coffee at all. She bought several kilo of dried sea cucumber and scallops for her friends. She even bought a brand new suitcase to bring back her collection.

She was so delighted to have me around. But when we ran out of gossips and were too full to eat any more foods, she thought about one of her great finds in the shopping mall near by. She found a young lady in the travel agent company in the mall who looks, she claims, exactly like auntie Feng (Jennifer and Sandy's mom) when she was young. We were strolling outside of the travel agent company, figuring out the best execuse to have a converation with the lady.

Two of us were like stalkers, peeping through the glass wall trying to find the young lady. "There she is, the one sitting next to the wall". I showed my agreement and thought, Gee, we were really too bored.

XiaoHo's Joking Talent

XiaoHo has the very ability to crack us up. A few months ago, we were eating dinner together and XiaoHo suddenly made a remark "Benny So-and-So stepped onto dog shit in the playground". We were all surprised because no one seems to know who this Benny Boy is. XiaoHo continued "But he didn't wear shoes".