Middle-Class Japan

Reading a blog which describes the taxi drivers in Taipei now mostly are polite and well-educated. This worries the blogger, only during the recession, over qualified taxi drivers are seen. When in Taiwan in May, I was shocked to learn the news that south Korea passed the legislation to allow Taiwanese earning Korean Wan. Is Taiwan going to be another philippine, which the most famous export is its labour?

Tokyo taxi drivers are usually in their 50s, dressed in suits and maticulously white gloves. Equiped with GPS and automated doors, Tokyo taxi ride experience is only parallable by London black cab (it took London black cab drivers 3 year apprenticeship to acquire a license). They are firece drivers, never let the stereotype Japanese characteristics fool you, they are merciless and roam around town like F1 car racing drivers.

Japan is proud of its large portion of middle class. Middle class is not only limited to the white collar but also includes labourous workers. Artisans are found in every area, from cake baking to kimono making. Farmers or fishmen are especially well taken care of by the government in attempt to secure votes. The living standards is not drasically different between janitors and office workers, who rush to crowded trains every morning, slurp ramen for lunch and go to Izakaya with mates after work. This structure is the anchor of a stable society. However, as a part of this society, individual is less prompted to challenge or change a built-in and ready-made system (too comfortable to feel the need, yeah, something is missing but cannot quite tell what it is).

Japanese middle class need to have certain type of cars, wardrobe, houses and wives. Is it an attempt to be accepted by others so individual can feel secured?

Loose, undisplined and unorganised Taiwan v.s. Rigid, displined and organised Japan

Whenever being a guest in my Japanese friends' house, I am always amazed by the wonderful breakfast. The rice is hot and miso soup is definitely hearty. Together with some pickled veggie or dried fish. The eggs were always cooked in the most presentable shape, just like those plastic sample outside of Japanese restaurants. In Irene's house, the julian-cut potatos and carrots were wrapped inside bacon, pan-fried until crispy. The salad were placed in the nice bows, radish and carrots were thinly slices into one uniform size. The mother in law and Irene were busy in the kitchen when I was sleeping sound upstair!

I felt very embarrassed thinking about my cooking the night before, my cucumber salad were made of roughtly sliced red onion (the thickness varies). Thank God that Irene dealt with the cucumbers. The mazzarella cheese + tomato slices were totally unpresentable (they come out in different shapes and sizes)! Come to think about it, we Taipei kids were rarely raised in a full-time housewife home. Our foods were as not presentable as our mothers' cooking.

Most of my friends' mothers work and most of my friends carried keys to their homes. I was the lucky few exceptions since my home is also my father's factory and company. My mother is the receptionist, factory worker, chef and cleaner. I never carried keys until moving to Canada. Only very few of my friends enjoyed the freshly prepared breakfast, frequently cooked by grand parents. Large portion of us bought breakfast from the street vendors or bakery shops. Our lunch boxes were made of leftovers from dinner the night before.

Is this the reason why Taiwanese are loose and sloppy because the environment we grew up was not refined? The duties of family members were not rigidly defined? In Japanese version of family, the mother manages finance, father earns the bread and kids study. But in Taiwanese version of family, both parents are busy making money, mother is also looking after the finance (but she is also the bread earner, the viewpoints are very different), sometimes the kids cook, clean and take care of the old after school.

A mother is the soul and spirit of a household. She sets the tone of a family and defines direction of kids' education. In Japanese culture, the mother is supposed to devoted herself to her family by cleaning the house, cooking fresh breakfastm creating a neat, clean, perfect environments for future pillars of a society. Yet the concept of women should stay home remains the mainstream thinking.

Nagoya is Famous for its Chicken

Um... I am OK with fish but don't really want to eat them. I prefer watching them.
__________________________________________________

I was talking to my colleagues at lunch asking why Japanese would not have more babies, replied there is no enough infrastructure to care for babies. In many East Asian countries that household help is common, women continue working after having kids. Even in US the nursary would take babies as young as 6-month old.

Those mentioned above are not possible in Japanese society. It is unthinkable for a Japanese family to have live-in outsider or kids need to be at least 3 years old to be sent to the daycare center. Japanese housewives (strictly speaking, a wife is also considered an outsider) were forced to stay home to care for the young, the old and clean.

Women were driven out of salary earning world yet there is no one wants to have babies. Who is going to support the old people?

Fugitive and Outlaw

When I was a high school kid, I was reading Zhang Da Chuan (張大春)'s book about the outlaw gang living in the mountain yet close to the city and farm in northen China. Their survival depends on looting the villiage and pass-by travellers. They are originally farmers. But farming cannot meet their end's need becasue of draught or wars or heavy tax. They are fugitives in some ways. I fell in love with those rustic, awkwardly simple, countrified and blunt language and their humurous attitute toward the bitterly harsh condition of life.

(Um... Beijing is somehow like that, but living in the city is another matter). The people were not educated, all they know is to rob or obtain wealth by threatening of violence. The group is bounded together by being honest and fair within a group. They nickname "going to the prison" as "going to school", in which those felons would learn the meaning of life (or a better skill to rob).

Just got another book, 我和我的土匪奶奶, setting in the similar era (from the time Chin dynasty collapsed before communist took over China). A female looter picked up a dying baby in one of her trip outsite their base, the little kid was raised into a leader of the gangsters. It is really too bad that I cannot translate the funny bits and pieces of this book into English. Not only you would have to read Chinese but you would also need to have enough sence of humor to appreciate the beauty of how Chinese survived in such an envrionment.

I did feel sad as I turn a page, "I am one more page closer to the end of the book :-((".

Japanese Client

The regitration hall in Taipei. Irene was as thin as a piece of paper.

_______________________________________

I am in the love hate relationship with my Japanese client in Tokyo. Working in Tokyo is always like taking a vacation. Unlike my other clients, who wants to make sure they are making the most bang of their money. Japanese clients are very relax. With my Malaysia clients, my presence in the project room was maticulously timed. The project manager would pop in the project room from time to time to see if I am slacking (that's rarely the case, they usually throw me more than I can chew). Some even asked for a meeting on daily basis so she can monitor my progress (in her own words, she wants to provide assistance and didn't want me to waste time investigating solution if getting stuck).

Things are so different in Tokyo. They wouldn't want me to attend meetings, my Tokyo colleagues would go to the meeting and come back with clients' requirements. I am basically free to do whatever I want while waiting before a confirmed specification can be signed off (which is never the case, Japanese clients never want to sign off anything).

That is the bad thing about working for Japanese. In Japanese clients' mind, there is never an end to a project, no one dares to declare a projectd is finished. In Japanese term, "Customer is God". We dutifully work out whatever they wish to have. Of course we would like to go extra mile to show our good wills, however, I do feel that we are being too nice and going too far. The side effect of this is usually a lengthy and overly engineered structure. When the consultant has gone or the clients' risk officier has left the position, the system would normally be abandoned.

I was told this is Japanese way, a project definition document is only used as reference. The clients like to put things into our mouth (you or your sales person promised this last time we talked) and, therefore, we have to deliver although it is not included in the contract.

Definitely not a healthy way of running a project (no guarantee to meet the deadline and budgt)yet Japanese clients seem OK to bear the extra cost.

The Matter of Pretty Face

Christine's baby is so cute!

____________________________________

/

I have read that one employer once said to the journalist that he likes to hire beautiful people because they are usually much more confident. This brings out a lot of good quality of themselves and the people they work with. Also, performing well in your job doesn't guarantee you a promotion, being likable does.

/

I have seen a lot of pretty girls when growing up (XiaoHo is the only pretty boy I have seen so far, something is very wrong with Taiwanese guy). All girls I grew up with had their prettiness. Some had the best skin and long limbs, some had beautiful facial figure and slim body. However luck I have, I have really got nothing to boast about. My teenage era was the dark period of my life. Not particularly good looking in anyway yet I was so atheletic that my bodybuild was never delicate and slim, which was not very marketable among boys. Self-esteem was very low because I've got no secret admirers.

/

Anyways, I do agree that pretty people are usually more confident and fun. They are popular and always the teacher's favorite. Some of them are cruel in making fun of less-pretty people. I was too sensitive to be made fun of, so I worked out my way of being popular (by simply being myself, maybe). Some are really beautiful but refused to admit the power brought by their appearance. Some skillfully used it in a way that you don't find it offensive (or being taken advantage of, ha!).

/

Somehow I gradually accept the fact that I am not pretty. I think, as you age, the personality charm plays a higher hand. Not becacuse of your appearance deteriorate but your characteristics become more pronounced. It is a real disaster to see uninteresting beautiful women (nevertheless men are always fine with them).

Tough Consultant

I just met the most unhelpful consultant in our organisation. She is in this business for very long time and her principle is never being nice and friendly to client/colleagues. For example, god forbid that I asked her if she knows under what project we should book our time in, she would say "Why you ask me? You should ask the project manager." When clients asked her for help, she would say "I've told you to do it this way, things went wrong because you didn't follow my instruction". She is very tough in never compromising, never giving in to clients pleads or requests. She doesn't care if clients complain about her, the experienced treasury consultant is always in demand. However, she is good in pushing the project forward and meeting the deadline (somehow she pressures clients to sign off), I cannot deny it. She is good at her job.

But working with her is definitely not a pleasant experience. Every time she says no, my anger just climbs one level higher (especially the no was said to my direction).

In fact, she meant good and what she was doing was terribly politically correct. But her delivery is just bloody awful. Do you have to behave like a spider (so everyone wants to smash you) in order to push a project forward?

Something is missing from Irene's Wedding

I forgot to mention a very interesting thing happened in Irene’s engagement lunch banquet. We had 3 tables for relatives and friends. Of course Aoki’s family shared the table with Irene’s family.
Midway through, Aoki, Aoki’s sister and mum left the table quietly without saying any word. I was so entertained but couldn’t quite figure out what’s going on. When they left, everyone else continued eating and chatting, as if nothing has happened. I asked the Taiwanese friends what’s going on, he replied this is the Taiwanese custom in engagement banquet.

He explained further, the groom’s family is taking a big advantage of taking the daughter away from the bride’s family. Also, traditionally the engagement party was funded by the bride’s family. It would be really too much for the groom’s family to finish all the food on the table. Thus, as the symbolic apology, they have quietly leave the table when the fish dish comes (PS1), and leave some red envelops under the tea cup.


PS1. Generally, the banquet dishes starts with some cold cuts, then soup, fried veggies, meat, some sort of strews, fish, noodles/rice and desert.

Christin's Baby and I

Both of us were so scared.

Movie Director

A producer’s job is to put different teams together to work out a shooting plan. What is the job of a movie director? A movie director is a story teller. He/she decides how you are going to understand a story. Depending on his/her mood, Romeo and Juliet's tragedy can be presented as a comedy. That is such an unparallel power, I think this power is even more interesting than the mysterious force (some firmly believe) that draws the evolution plans of human beings (PS1).

I am very impressed with subtle and complex matters a movie director has to consider when creating a scene, a segment of story and orchestra the complete movie. For example, one of the movies she was involved is about the story of the Brothel house in ShangHai in Chin Dynasty (PS2). To re-create the room the girl lived at that time, she said, “What can be seen, can be touched doesn’t tell you the personality of the dweller. But the invisible does”. I start to think what people would make out of me when seeing my empty home in Beijing.

A lot of her works show quite a few ties with Japanese culture (She published her first novel when she was 18 years old. I haven’t been the No. 1 fan of her novels but I read regardless). Nevertheless, one scene she described was in a small village in Hokkaido, where the annual film festival takes place. There is a mamasan who is running her own bar. She was a talent artist and originally wanted to go to the art university in another city when she was young. However, she decided to keep her father accompany and work in a small local firm when her mother passed away.

The mamasan described in early days, old men often brought young men the hostess bar, so the young guys can learn how men interact with women. However, no one is doing it now, the young male generation is weak and unmanly. I cannot help but think, wow, this is really an very important training that a young man should acquire. Without it, most men don’t really know how to treat women right. The rare few who do know the tricks are already spoiled.

PS1. I had lunch with a colleague, in which I started my favorite conversation topic recently, how human being and bacteria evolve together. My colleague then turned a straight face saying if I feel there is a plan for us to become what we are today? I said no, and it doesn’t bother me if the start of life is a complete accident. Can someone tell me why I should be worried?

PS2. The brothel house in ShangHai was patronized by wealthy business men. At that time, people got married really early, so sex is not the real thing they sold but romance. The brothel house was where those wealthy men seeking love. The girls were raised like ladies from good families. Their personalities were not twisted too much that they did have feel for men. The patrons had to work hard to win the ladies heart. They teamed up like a family, where parties were usually thrown in the brothel house. Probably it is very similar to the French nobles’ hangout, the prestigious ladies’ saloon in 18th Century France.

Nail Saloon

Um.. The last time I wore my pearl neckless and ear rings. After dying my hair brown, the elegant assessories strangely fail to do me any good.
_______________________________________

Since I am going to leave for Kuala Lumpur the very next day, I was really anxious to visit the nail saloon as soon as I landed in Beijing. My finger nails have grown too long and the surface is not smooth. Cuticles make the finger nails look filthy, no matter how frequent you wash your hands. I normally don't do any colour, just pure cleaning up and polishing the nail surface with special wax.

The girls in nail saloons are very young and cheerful. They chat with you about trivial matters such as make up, fashion and what type of nail shapes you should have (when they are not trying to sell you another service). This type of human touch is kinda lacking in my daily life.

The saloon I go has a lot of female patrons who work as hostesses (don't raise your eye brow, there are quite a few male customers). They are very interesting to look at while some one is fixing your nails (you cannot even read since both your hands are occupied). I don't see northen Chinese beauties in my working environment, the nail saloon is the perfect place to have a good look of them. They have whiter complexion and taller, excellent skin condition and laugh loudly. You rarely see the southern Chinese women's sensitivity in them. Cool! To the girls, it is normal to spend a couple hundred RMB to have the premium treatment (the average working class make around a couple thousand RMB monthly).

Occassionally some middle age women would turned up as well, could be the mamasan who manages the girls. They often dress very well to their age. But you can tell what type of business they are running just by looking at them. It is very hard to translated into English, but in Chinese we say that they smell of wind and dust. Definitely not the flowers growing up in the green house.

Why is SEX Fun?

What's wrong with sandals with socks? It is very comfy!
_______________________________

I was reading Jared Diamond's "Why is SEX fun", guess he was doing research on more interesting topics before the prize winning book of "gun, steel and roses", also the "collapse". A couple of very interesting points he has raised in this research (that I remembered). Collapse itself is an very interesting book, Jared has so many facts to state, yet he refused to impose his conclusion on the readers. In a way, it is not as satisfying for an impatient person like me. Why can you not give me a theory, an hypothesis, I can tell you straight away whether I like it or not.

The book is trying to answer the question why Human Beings can make love all year round (also, around the clock), where other mammals only do it once or twice a year. In other words, why is it fun to do? He is trying to explain this from evolution's point of view. Because human females don't make the ovulating detectable, human male would have no idea when is the best time to have sexaul intercourse with the female in order to increase the chance of hitting a jackpot. Thus, those who think sex is fun spread their genes more efficiently. "Sex is fun" is coded in our gene!

The other interesting point is why human females having manopause if our biggest drive to live is to spread our genes. Some would argued that humans nowaday live longer to reach manopause. However, there are animals that can be productive if extending their life span in the controlled environment. The theory is that the most capable gathers were actually those women who live passed the manopause. They bared no responsibility in raising kids yet they were very experienced in where to get food. The grandmom helped her children to raise children, which largely enhance the human survival and decrease the infant mortality rate.

Another point about the looking powerful man hunter in the tribe, he is not actually feeding his family (if relying on his meanger, unstable hunting gain, most of his family is going to starve to death. Never mention that the successful hunter also has to share his pray with the whole villiage in order to secure allies and turn enemies into friends). The main source of foods is coming from women's gathering fruits and wheats. Then you want to ask, why is man to hunt if there is no actual benefit to raise his family? The answer is very simple, he needs to be the big brother of the tride so he can get sex to reproduce himself. I am just wondering why women tend to pay attention to this type of guy? Hunting well yet not able to raise a family? Does that guarantee a super sperm and super human race? I think vanity is also encoded in our genes.

Irene's Wedding (The End)

OK, so the engagement and registration were both done on Thursday. The Friday is supposed to be the easy day, right? Nay! Wrong answer. The banquet is the most complicated time, where both Irene and Aoki are going to be examined by 200 people or more. How seatings are arranged, how guests were entertained, how parents faces are taken care of were all daunting tasks. Of course Irene would have helping hands, but has she organised the event to the expected standard? That explained why Irene didn't sleep nor eat for a week.

The wedding photos were framed and put near the entrance of the banquet hall. There were flowers everywhere. The band was hired to play some nice music, and the master of ceremony introduced everyone walking into the hall (so that guests can be sure that they are in the right place?), the bride's maids and best men walked first to the stage, then Aoki alone, then Irene with her dad. Everyone took turns to give a speech, things like the girl is so nice and well-suit to Aoki's family. The groom has the bright future so he is the best fit to the bride, blah, blah, blah.

I feel all these were done for Irene's parents. I mean, the old generation is too lazy to think of any other way to make a wedding more meaningful. If everyone is doing it that way, we better do it exactly the same way. Of course, the married couple would not think of any other alternative suppose that's the only way to please the parents. A wedding is supposed to be serious yet fun. But not the fun like having a group of noisy drunk Japanese dancing on the stage (Aoki's colleagues, I am sure they are not like this when attending a wedding in Japan) and the band singing pop songs (the loud speakers were blasting so loud that no one can really talk). There were a lot of Irene's father's customers. The master of ceremony had to announce that some Japanese company's president has telegraphed the congrats.

Of course I understand a father's dream is to marry his daughter openly. However, is it really adding any value to his business or Irene's well being? Nevertheless, all the best to my best friend.

(The End)

Trip to HuaLian

Visiting Claire in HuaLian last week. I haven't cooked for almost 4 months, finally got a chance to have the kitchen for my own. I don't like to cook in my parents'. The kitchen is my mom's territory, things have to be done in certain ways. I made steaks with onion and black paper sauce, fried rice noodles (but Claire picked aside the nicely julian-cut veggies). A huge pot of beef stew (so she can eat them after I leave) and pork bone soup with Chinese medicine. How nice, I like to cook for my friends.

It is still so hard to believe that Claire has become a mother, the way she takes care of her son is just like how she deals with any other events in life. She is very confident and methodogical. Once the rythm is caught and routine is set, nothing is difficult to achieve.

大前研一 Ohmae Kenichi

Kevin gave me the Chinese version of Ohmae Kenichi's "The M shaped distribution society". I wasn't really shocked by the problematic Japanese government inefficiency or how budget was determined by the amount spent in previous year. Those crazy stuff were described in "Dogs and Demons". But the way Ohmae analysed wealth distribution demographically draws my attention.

He explains, 65% of the wealth in Japan was controlled by people aged more 65. The old people like the accompany of their young, which breeds the parasite generation. There is nothing really worth fighting for suppose the young can always be supported by their parents. The divoiced daughter with her kids are welcomed home. Wow! I never thought about this living structure, however, it does explains a lot of things. I believe similar changes is happening in Taiwan. The young generations is fighting so hard to earn a meanger wage, barely able to pay for the rent, while 50% of the graduates cannot find entry level job.

At the same time, you have got the multi-million dollar (USD) homes being sold out so quickly in Taipei. There are lots of people vacationing aboard or within Taiwan, what is going on? Is Taiwan going to become another Philippine (Southern Korea approved the importation of Taiwanese labors)? Where has all the wealth gone? What is the young people have to do to regain the control of wealth?

A couple of very interesting points Ohmae raises are regarding Japanese consumer's obsession and prejudice about goods and services. Take mad cow disease for example, there were lower percentage of cows being infected in US compared to Japan. However, US beef was ban completely for a period while consumers were not told of the danger of consuming Japanese beef.

Taiwan made furniture almost took over the whole world market but are not sold to Japan. Because Japan would refuse the whole collection of goods if small inperfection is found. To furniture makers, selling to Japan is too risky. However, US might still buy it off and negotiates a discount. That's why Japanese consumers would not be able to buy anything cheap.

Everything made in Japan is so strongly sought after, that the clam growers have to purchase the clams from North Korea and scattered them into the seaside in Japan. They were harvest after a week, and was shipped to all over Japan labeled as produced in Japan.

Narita Airport

Every time I arrive or depart from Narita Airport, I cannot help but wonder why is there a light rail service connecting 2 terminals, which was merely 200 meters apart. Passengers were forced to spend another 2 or 3 minutes waiting, shovel themselves (and the luggage) in, which takes 1.5 minute, the train journey is about 20 seconds and then disembark the train, which takes another 1.5 minute if you are unlucky.

Supposing using a moving walkway or simply making passenger walk between terminals, it might only take 2.5 minutes? What is the logic to build the expensive 200-meter railway and 2 trains? Is it so that Narita airport can space the people arriving in the immigration control? What if all aircrafts arrive in the main terminal? The expensive light rail just doesn't justify its existence.

Irene's wedding (3)

XiaoHo was doing number 2. Few days ago, he was trying to get YeeYee's toy car. YeeYee was few months yonger and lives next door. XiaoHo was so angry that YeeYee won't give him the car so he gave YeeYee a good slap. We pulled them apart and told XiaoHo he can never hit any one again. Couple days later, we finally pursuade YeeYee to come around to play and promised XiaoHo cannot hit him ever. Everything was so nice, my mom was cooking lunch and I was reading the newspaper while the 2 kids were playing.

Out of blue we heard the door slamming and obviously locked. We then heard YeeYee crying very hard. XiaoHo has locked up himself and YeeYee so he can beat him up without interruption.
________________________________________________________

Although we all knew the farewell is not like Irene is not going to see her family forever, Irene and her mom were both crying so hard. However, we were all very amazed that Irene's make up was holding firm. We then went to the hotel, I was instructed to open the car door for Irene, she shall not touch anything before entering Aoki's pseudo home. Those 2 got off the car and the diligent bride's maid had to carry the 6 item presents in a big wooden box following them. I managed not to trip over my gown, so proud of myself.

Finally everything was done, we only need to go to the registration office to finish the official document. Emily and I were the 2 witnesses. While the notary explaining the rights and obligations of the marriage, Emily had to translate it to Japanese for Aoki. The document was amended to indicate the ceremony was conducted in Mandarin and being translated. I guess the notary service has to get it clear so to avoid trouble if Aoki doesn't understand what document he is signing.

(to be continued)

Irene's wedding (2)

Christine, Annie and myself. Hard to believe those two were already mothers to a 6-month old and one year old.

Finally taking the bride's maid dress off. There were 2 red line encarved below my breasts down to my waist, connecting to another red mark around my waist. The dress was so tight, trying hard to squeeze the meat up to my chest, also preventing from falling off.

_________________________________________________________

The very next day, I woke up together with Irene’s mom. She was very nervous and can only thought of the issue that there will be a lot of people coming to the house, she needs to prepare some breakfast. I accompanied her to the convenient store to get some milk and bread, reassured her that no one will get hungry. I then went up stair to check out Irene. She was dressed in a red traditional Chinese long dress. The make up artist is setting her hair. Very elegant and pretty, more beautiful than most movie stars. Emily came to help me put on my make up. My hair is really helpless, so she gave up. Aoki and his family came as scheduled, Irene, Emily and I had to stay in the room. There was a match-maker who speaks Japanese and Mandarin. He introduced Aoki (and his family) to Irene’s family and Irene’s family to Aoki’s. Then Irene had to come out, holding the tea tray serving tea to Aoki’s mom, sister and niece. Because this is supposed to be the first time Aoki and Irene met, Irene had to behave like she is very shy. After serving tea, Irene had to retrieve to the room, of course, Emily and I came back in with her. Of course, we kept our ears open for any conversation going in the living room.

A lucky woman is also very important role that I had to explain. This middle age lady has to be married with kids, preferably with grand children. It would be even better if her parents in law are still alive. We called this lady a “five complete lady”. She basically has to instruct the bride what to do during the ceremony. The “five-complete” lady is Irene’s aunt. She knocked on the door, indicating Aoki’s family has finished their tea.

After Aoki’s family drank up the tea, Irene came up with the tea tray to kneeling down in front of them to collect the empty tea cup with red envelop in it. This indicates Aoki’s family has accepted Irene as the daughter-in-law to be. Irene then retrieved to the room, waiting for the time to exchange the rings.

The time was calculated according to Irene and Aoki’s date of birth. They have to finish the ring exchange before 9am and Irene has to leave the house, before 9:45am. The ring exchange was done alright, pictures were taken. Irene then retrieved to the room and getting dressed in the western white dress (yes, the one we took back last night). Everything was running according to scheduled then we realized that we have left the white head cover in the hotel room!!! We have got only less than 45 minutes, Irene’s dad has to cover her up with the white head cover at 9:40am and then she has to walk out the door before 9:45!!

Getting the head cover from the hotel room is out of the question, we called the wedding photo company hoping they can send us another one yet it is too early no one answer the phone. The make up artist rang up her students living nearby. Yes, she’s got one heady. She is going to put the head cover on the cab and the cab will come around right away. We were panicking like ants in a wok. What if the head cover couldn’t arrive before 9:30? What can we do? Using a white bedspread instead? Luckily, after 20 minutes nail-biting wait, the taxi arrived with the head cover. The ceremony can go on and Irene can now leave the house now.

Aoki and Irene walked out the door without looking back (that is forbidden). She boarded the car and drop a fan from the car, which symbolized that she has dropped bad habbits behind (leave them to her sisters, ha ha ha). The tradition requires Irene's family's male member (not the dad) to pour a bucket of water while the car drives off. This is to symbolize that a married daughter is like the bucket of water pouring out of door, which can never be collected back. However, nowaday not many Taiwanese people do it since a daughter is always welcomed home, even if she is divoiced with kids.

(to be continued)

Irene's wedding (1)

My micky mouse hair style was done with 2 hair curlers. Irene was drafting her speech while the make up artist fixing her hair. We were in the bathroom in the hotel, ha!

____________________________________________

I was the bride’s maid in Irene’s wedding. Well, Emily was also brides maid but Irene said I was the “accompanied to marriage”. It is the direct translation of a Chinese phrase. This is used to describe all items that are following the bride to the groom’s family, including furniture, cooking wares in the ancient time. Irene made me go to the hair saloon with her and Emily. She doesn’t trust my choice of hair dresser. She then made me go to the beauty parlor, the masseuer spent 30 minutes sanded through my body to remove the dead skin and spend another 2 and half hours massaged my body. This is not the type of relaxing oil massage. She was pushing, squeezing, kneading on my pressure points and lymphatic system. It was so painful that I had to bite into the towel to stop myself from screaming. However, my joins and limbs became amazingly light after the pain subsided.

I then went to meet with Irene in the wedding photo shop. The wedding photo shop in Taiwan extends their business by providing the beautiful bridal gowns for rent (they are used in banquet). My fitting was done in 5 minutes, then Irene’s turn. Irene was losing a lot of weight, she needed to alter her wedding dress again since her waist is smaller. I think she hasn’t been eating or sleeping for a least a week (she is not yet the skeleton like those anorexia). To pursuit perfection, we spent almost 2 hours in the shop waiting for the tailor to finish up and another fitting. We then moved the 3 suit cases with the bridal gowns and bride’s maid’s dresses.

We went back to the hotel Aoki and his family are staying, moving the stacks of Chinese cakes from the car. Those cakes needed to be handed over to Irene’s family tomorrow, we are using the hotel as Aoki’s symbolic home. We again borrowed Grace’s black Mecedeze, with which Aoki will drive to Irene’s house tomorrow. After moving the huge box of Chinese cakes from Irene’s car, painting and sweating in the confided space filled with fume, we realized we only need to transfer the cakes from Irene’s car to Grace’s car, instead of moving them to the hotel room. However, Grace’s car key was left in the hotel room. So I suggested leave the cakes in the parking lot, and asking the valet parking guy to watch it for us. We moved the 2 suit cases (with bridal dresses) and other stuff to the hotel room, which includes a huge wooden box covered with red paper, definitely too many shopping bags that both of us can handle, and the flower buaquet. In the hotel room, we need to arrange the newly purchase items into the red box. The items include shoes, one-piece dress, belt, handbag, stockings and scarf. This is called as 6-item present from groom to bride. Irene also prepared her 6-item present for Aoki. They are going to exchange this during the engagement ceremony tomorrow.

I don’t really remember what was taking us so long, by the time we went to the parking lot, the cardboard box of cakes was gone!! We were running around in the parking lot like mad women, finally some one told us our cakes was moved to upstairs since the valet parking guy was off at 10pm. We called the front desk, they had no idea where the cakes were moved to but they promised to look for it. We waited for about 45 minutes but no answer (I utilized the time by decorating Grace’s car with the ribbons). Out of desperation, we saw a manager-like man coming down the stair well with a notepad on hand, he must be on his checking route for the night. I pointed him to Irene, who immediately ran over, hurriedly explained our situation “Without the cakes, the engagement is off!!” The manager calmed her down by asking what her name is, he then promised us again he is going to look for it personally. We waited for another 30 minutes, thinking about all the possible solutions if the cakes were not found. There is no viable solution, Taiwanese bride’s family weights the cakes more than anything! It resembles the groom’s family’s determination to get a girl into their family. The quantity and quality of cakes are both valued (although Irene ordered the cakes herself). The cakes will then be distributed to relatives and friends at the wedding.

The manager finally came. He’s been running obviously, sweat coming down from his forehead like small streams. The cakes were found, the valet parking guy thinks he is really smart, he moved the cakes to the banquet hall that was reserved for tomorrow night. The manager then transported the huge box of cakes to the parking lot.

After the trauma, we were ready to pick up Emily (who dozed off in front of TV) and drove back to Irene’s house. We arrived around midnight yet we had to wake up at 5:30 to prepare for the engagement ceremony. Without any food and alcohol (I secretly smuggled a bottle of Glenfindich in my bag, hopping to do a small hen’s night party). But I was too tired even to unpack, I fell asleep immediately. Irene, Emily, Irene’s mom and I shared a king size bed, I picked the middle position and it was said that I snored like a pig after 30 seconds.

(To be continued)

There is something about XiaoHo

Grace and my mom taught XiaoHo the difference between girl and boy at very early age. To be honest, I really don’t know how they do it. Nevertheless, XiaoHo knows that women don’t have penis but men do and, obviously, he is a boy.

One day, while XiaoHo was taking a shower, XiaoHo said to Grace that he would like to become a girl. But he was very troubled by the fact that he has a penis. Grace said “Mommy gave it to you, you have to carry it whether you like it or not”.

XiaoHo replied “I want to give it back to you”. Without hesitation, he reached down and tried to detach his penis. The unsuccessful attempt annoyed him so much “But I cannot get it off me”.


_____________________________-

When we traveled to the southern Taiwan, we went pass an old town. Seeing tricycles running on the street, Grace sang the famous Taiwanese Nursery rhyme to XiaoHo

Tricycle runs quickly
Carrying an old lady
Fare is fifty cents only
Paid a new dollar bill crispy
What a strange old lady

XiaoHo asked “Where is the old lady?” Grace replied “If you keep being naughty, I will become an old lady very soon”. XiaoHo paused for a while then said “The tricycle is going to take you away”.

Trip to Kenting

Ur..., I am really working.

Ken's Wedding

I think I need to buy another dress for attending weddings in the future.
______________________________________




Ken is my ex’s cousin. For some strange reason, we kept running into each other. We first met in San Francisco. We met up in New York when he visited the big apple. He moved to London couple of years before I do, and Beijing. I swear I was not stalking him but he is really good in keeping touch with old friends. He would throw me a call once in a while.

In order to make my way to his wedding, I begged the project coordinator to put me on the project in Kuala Lumpur, so that I can easily fly to Singapore. Hey, why not? Thang also flew in from London. The banquet was like the Londoner re-union. It was also nice to see my ex’s parents and sister. Very well connected in Singapore and Indonesia, people in this huge family hang out to each other. After the banquet, Londoner friends and the family all went to night club.

Non-stop supplies of Champagne and sake swamp the tables. We then all went to eat the famous Hannan Chicken Rice. The rice is cooked with the juice coming out while cooking chicken, very well done. The chicken itself is also very tender, even the breast meat is juicy.

I had a very good chat with one of the uncles. He seemed to like me a lot, always standing next to me. I didn’t pay attention when he put his hands around my waist. After the food, it was raining really hard. He offered to drop me off in my hotel and accidentally drop his hand on my thigh in the cab. Oh well, I casually cross my leg and his hand fell off, conversation continued. I thanked him for the ride and ran to the hotel lobby.

Special Treatment of Smoke

I think I am getting tanned, no idea how, I spent most of my time at work

_______________________________________

My manager went to TianJin for a presales meeting and checked into a local hotel. The front desk staff asked him if he smokes, he said no. The girl then said "Oh, we then need to do some anti-smoke treatment to your room".

"Anti-smoke treatment?", my manager with great suspicision, thinking it is another trick to put a chargable service on the bill.

"Oh, we need to take away the ashtray".

Difficult Client

Uncle Walton cooked me the curry chicken and the fish belly stew when I was in Hong Kong. Uncle Walton, his wife, my mom and I went to a small tea house at the hill top. We also picked the fresh beans and lettuce in the farm nearby.


My mom reheated the chicken curry and threw in those fresh veggies, our lunch looked so colorful!
________________________________________



I arrived in the client in KL on Monday only to realize the static data is not completed. To make it worse, the consulant who works on the static data was on vacation and she took the build machine with her.

Being penny counting, the client got very upset that they have to pay for my expense while I cannot do my job. I also felt pretty bad that I knew nothing about the project until I came. However, I was scheduled to come to KL next week. Because there are 2 national holidays in that week, thus, our project manager swapped the time with my Tokyo client. I was panicking telling the client I think I cannot do any work except going through the requirements with front and risk officers in a workshop. However, the project plan has only allocated 1 day for workshop, we cannot kill the rest of the week by extending the workshop. Also, there is only 14.5 days allocated for me in phase I.

The client is very tight in their budget, their project manager kept asking why I am here and I couldn't give him a satisfactory answer. The worse is yet to happen,, we cannot seem to contact our project manager, who has devised this schedule.

Being grilled by their project manager (he kept interrupting our conversation with comments like “didn’t we talk about this with xxx? There is really a problem with your internal communication”, I still have to conduct the workshop with the front, risk officers. I did my best to keep calm and being as honest as I can. I want to find a solution.

At the end of the day, I said to him, suppose you think it is impossible for me to work on your report at my demo database, I need 1 day from you to draft up the specifications. I will then ask our company to absorb my expense on Wednesday, and I will then take Thursday and Friday off. He didn’t seem happy but accept it as an option.

I then went back, trying hard to call our project manager. I finally got to him yet he explained that I would have to work on the demo database and then transfer my work from the demo database to the client’s at end of May. I am skeptical that the client will buy into this. Yet he was determined this is the plan and the client have no other choice but to take it. All parties agreed to have a conference call the next day.

I was so very nervous, got up and then did some work, and ran to the office to give our project manager a call before the conference call. He sounded all confident that his plans will work. However, after we have appeared so not professional, I really see no reason why it is going to succeed.

During the conference call, again the complaints flew off from the client’s project manager. The bank’s treasurer is also in the room. Our project manager attacked the client with 2 points. One, Joey is on site this week because you are being cheap not willing to have her next week. Second, suppose you wouldn’t want Joey this week, we will have no other time for you (indeed, my schedule has been booked until mid June).

I tried to easy the tension, promising that I can go about do the work at the demo database and guaranteeing the reports can be delivered on time. Our company (that’s I) should and will absorb any extra time needed for the migration. In explaining “We really wanted to help you save money, although there are additional work needed to be done, we are willing to do it” Gee… This is the only way we can save us some face?

Party with Noriko

Party Queen Noriko and I, the picture was taken last year after a belly dancing lesson.
____________________________________



We had a girls night out on Friday. It was Akiko's birthday so we took her to a Champaign place in Ebisu. Honestly, I am not much of a champaign person, I prefer beer to the delicate bubbles(they all taste like fizzy white wine to me). No guy in the office seemed to want to join us, perhaps they are embarrassed to be the only man in the group.

But we later went to a Kyushu restaurant, featuring everything about horse and cow. We had raw horse meat, served like sasimi and beef stomach hotpot (nabe). Going so well with beer. Tomo asked Hiroko what type of dog she has, Hiroko answered "In Katagana, it is 'NaNa'" (the dog's name). For some reason, all Japanese ladies crack up. They should know that is the so typical of Hiroko.

Noriko then dragged me to the night clubing area in Rippongi. She is completely wild everytime she partys. In addition, she is so attractive that I had to drive away many guys away from the half-drunk Noriko. I kept an eye on her while talking to people in a very crowded bar.

People who come to the bar are looking for some sort of fix, I think. We are all suffering from attention-deficit? I had very nice conversation with 2 guys, who are also in Tokyo for business. I don't believe a single word they say, not because they look insincere but this is a pub. Everyone could come and bluff and then disappear. Having fun is top on the list, making friends is not.

There was a white guy dressed in suit, kept following us (or rather Noriko) after I decided it is time to take Noriko away from this group of hungry wolves. His stories are very good, a lawyer interviewing with some famous investment banks, stories about his mom and sister, the recently burglary happened in his New Jesey home... Blah blah blah... It is very entertaining. Noriko cannot careless about his stories, she is just attention hungry, while I kept asking questions and drew more information out of the kid "How did you afford Harvard law school?", "Where do you live in New Jesey?" and so on. Whether it is true or not has nothing to do with me, but it is still quite fun to have a free entertainment while waiting for cabs.

Traumatised by One-Way Ticket

The Tokyo office manager explained me that the travel agent refused to issue me an one-way ticket from Tokyo to Kuala Lumpur because

1. I might be blocked in Narita airport by Japanese immigration officer - It is definitely ridiculous. Japanese immigration officer only wants to make sure that you have the ticket leaving Japan, not the ticket coming back to Japan.

2. The Malaysia immigration might refuse my entry because I can show no proof of leaving the country. - What? You can easily go to Singapore by train, by bus within 3 hours. Says who you need to fly out of Kuala Lumpur to another country? In addition, I have never been questioned how I am going to leave Kuala Lumpur in my half dozen times of visiting. I am granded the 90-day visitor's VISA on landing.

3. The airline might refused me boarding the air plane because there is a chance Malaysia goverment could refuse my entry - It is highly impossible however, I have explained them that I will purchase a ticket to leave the country if that's the case, they still refuse to issue me the ticket.

I spent half an hour explaining to the brain-damaged travel agent with the best of my patience. She could only reply me "this is written in the hand book, I cannot sell you the one-way ticket but you can buy a round trip ticket".

Hand-Carry Luggage

Do you want a piece of me?

______________________________

Security check at all international flights are serious about liquids in bottles. After my losing luggage experience, I don’t want to place the responsibility of delivering my luggage to other’s hand. I decided to try my luck with the security staff.

In Auckland airport, before going to the passport control, a lady asked me to weight my roller, which is 10 kg, way beyond the 7 kg limit. However, who cares? Suppose the airline doesn’t pick on me, it is not your call to not allow me board. I was trying to be nice and it was really too early in the morning. I took out the books I bought along the way, all my toiletries. The roller finally weighted around 8 kg and she was OK.

As I was stuffing the books and bottles into my handbag, she said that I am not allowed to carry them to the plane. I ignored her demand, tried to explain it is impossible for me to leave them in Auckland as I have no relatives or home here. We stood silent for seconds, I was trying to figure out a way to get out of this place but my brain wasn’t really functioning at that point of the time. I have no brain power to figure out the dim and mystery world her plankton-size brain inhabits.

She demanded me to put everything on the scale, the third time. I dutifully followed her instruction slowly, but showing no intention to leave anything behind. She got angry and told me stop telling her how to do her job. I knew I was breaching the regulation but I don’t want to let the airline company to have a chance to mess around with my luggage again because I don’t want to miss my connection flight to Beijing.

As people coming in piling up the queue, she had to let me go (because my stuff was still on the scale, she accused me of holding other people). Her fat face and small eyes were filled with the hatred. She cursed “You will be surprised”.

The second challenger is at the security gate. They let go my hand bag and roller, however, pick on my toiletries sealed in plastic bag. The containers might be big, however, the liquid inside was certainly less than 100 ml. The old security officer said that he had to throw away my face wash foam. Fine, I let him. He almost wanted to throw away my contact lens solution, but I quickly recalled that is exempted. So I saved one bottle. As for my lotion, I fetched the small toner sample and pour the liquid to my hand and applied them generously on my face. The officer was so annoyed because he wants to get back to work. I then slowly squeeze the face lotion into the toner bottle. Not leaving a single drop. The officer was like “you might have a day to do that but I have other work to do”. What else can I do? It is your business if you are not happy.

After all these hassles, I finally got the precious right to get closer to the gate. I was a very angry with a burning face. These security measures are only inconveniencing travelers, they didn’t find out the nail files in my cosmetic bag, the sharp tweezers that could easily turn into a weapon and the lighter in my pocket. I think these rigid security regulations would easily turn an ordinary citizen into a terrorist.

Trip to ShangHaiGuan

This section of the great wall was built across a lake.

__________________________________________

My other title is the chief entertainment officer in Beijing office, thus, I was given the job of planning an outing in spring. We finally found the weekend when every one is in Beijing, which is the past weekend.

We took the train to ShangHaiGuan, the direct translation is the Mountain-Sea Passage, which is the eastern starting point of the great wall. The English equivalent should be New Castle suppose mirroring Hadrian’s wall with the great wall.

Along the railway track, we saw lots of soil buns between the farmlands and the track. I was told those are the tombs of the locals. I was so surprised of its simplicity. Each of them looks like the miniature sand dune you can spot near any construction site. If not because it is the season of ancestor tomb visiting season, thus, each of them has some colorful paper stripes under a stone, you can hardly tell it is a tomb. It is also astonishing to observe the number of the soil dune. Oh well, I guess my anthropology study friends should have a lot to write if they were there with me.

Checked into the hotel, we walked around this seaside town. The air quality was definitely better. The great wall divides the small city into half. You can see the section that hasn’t been “renovated”, the 10 meters high walls were built with grey bricks, which were sealed together with sticky rice glue. It is so hard to believe they were like 2000 years old, wow!

I hate the way they renovate historical site, they basically hire the poor farmer and instruct them to chisel away the old bricks so they can put on the brand new bricks, freshly made from the local supplier.

Regardless, there are still a lot to be seen. We hired the car (and the driver) to go to the section of great wall where it crosses a lake. The part of great wall is not very well-known and we had the whole park to ourselves. The mountain area in this part of China has very poor soil composition. Basically nothing can be grown out of it except from the peach and plum trees. The wall winds down the hill top to the lake yet goes up again to another mountain. The hills are pretty steep, it is really beyond my imagination how the wall was constructed 2000 years ago.

Standing on top of the wall on the hill top, looking out to the no-tree mountain far away with sun setting, this very much reminds me of my trip to Hadrian’s wall few years back. However, it certainly doesn’t rain as much as in Northern England.

Auckland Presales

Knowing it is so easy for airline to mess around transferring check-in luggage, plus the 8-hour lag I had to wait in Sydney for the connecting flight to Auckland, I requested to pick up my check-in luggage at Sydney. As luck would have it, my flight from ShangHai to Sydney was delayed by 5 hours. I quickly went to the transfer counter in Sydney requesting them to pick up my luggage from the belt to my Quanta flight to Auckland.

I have got the promise, the delivery of my luggage was depending on the mercy of the efficiency of the Sydney airport crew. After arriving at Auckland after 34 hours of traveling, Quanta managed to lose my luggage. Almost burst into tears, the luggage department assured me that my bag was on the next flight to Auckland. Fine, I then wait for another 2 hours for it to turn up. I kept encouraging myself, things can get worse. 2 hours wait is certainly better than turning up in front of the clients in jeans tomorrow.

Finally arrived in the hotel at 2 am, I need to get up early to meet with the presales team at 7am since I have missed out the internal meeting on the very day.

The presales team seems to work together for a very long while, a strange bundle. I cannot tell that they are really that into their jobs or this is just a typical way of talking among colleagues. At any point of the day, their conversation is 100% about the clients, the software, and their wild speculation of possible clients’ perception about their presentation, or even to themselves personally. The level of their paranoid is like a teenage girl dreaming about her prom date.

They made fun of the clients, prying into their personal lives and laughed out loud about the how young the IT head’s second wife is (I am very impressed with their information gathering effort). While seeing the clients, they wore another face but giggling to themselves occasionally. During the presentation, 3 of them who worked together laughed a great deal while the clients, our sales and I stood completely silent. I really couldn’t understand what’s so funny and felt a bit embarrassed.

The presentation to my standard is not very professional. The presales woman is trying to hide the fact that there are actually 2 separate systems we are trying to sell them. However, when the clients asked why the valuations are done separately, she wasn’t giving a explanation but a spin. Even sweet and innocent I could sense something is fishy.

I can feel the presale woman doesn’t like me. She seems to be the center of this work force (she laughed the most loudly, chunked out ill-tasted jokes one after another). However, I turned up and more or less took away the spot light from her. I am younger and my make-up is lighter. I spoke conservatively and I don’t blindly laugh at the clients’ remark.

She ignored me after my debut in front of the client. She wouldn’t talk to me at all on the dinning table or in the meeting room. She only talked to her long-term comrades. At the end of our presentation, she asked me to build a report to show certain functionality. I did it in the background and indicated it can be shown now. She was urged by another colleague to check out my work. She came around reluctantly and had a quick look and instructed me to demo it to the client.

Half way through the demo, the client pointed out my report is missing a very crucial element. She then quickly joined at the clients’ side, questioning whether it can be done. Interesting, she didn’t think that way before asking me to do the demo.

One of this team seemed very keen to convince me to relocate to their office (because I seemed to be the only one who knows the risk stuff, should be useful to her work). “To work with them on daily basis?” I ask myself “I would rather quit” is the answer.

Before Going to New Zealand

There are days where everything looks just alright and BOOM, something happens which mercilessly ruins your day. Beijing is getting warm and I am leaving for Auckland in the evening.

I cycled to the office. I am getting more and more painstakingly meticulous about managing my finance (almost like how I manage my toilet). I realize that my premium account actually charge me very high service charge if the minimum balance cannot be met.

The first thing I did was to transfer money to my uncle’s account and withdrew everything that’s left. Banking with foreign bank in China is really pointless. The foreign banks cannot issue credit cards, cannot provide the ATM service, either can they help you pay bills. They are also not allowed to sell any RMB investment products. I banked with them really is to experience the premium account service, you know, personal banking assistance and separate waiting room, and of course, money wiring is free of charge.

Getting no really benefit other than the free wiring, plus being charged for a fee. I decided to close it, then went back to the office, went home to pick up my luggage and taxied to the airport. Unfortunately, my phone rang saying that my fund transfer request was wrongly entered. The lady who called was the one who helped me filled up the form earlier the day.

I got a bit upset and angry, implying this should be her responsibility. She came back really quick saying that I have reviewed the signed the slip. OK, fine, we have to figure out solution, pointing fingers doesn’t help.

Although it turns out that I can do this transfer online, however, I was still upset. This is just like having the chopsticks placing on the dinning table being not parallel or perpendicular to the table edge. You can certainly eat with them the way they are but it is just not pleasant.

The Summer Palace

I went to hang out with my brother’s friend and her daughter in the summer palace on Sunday. Her daughter is totally not like her. My brother’s friend is an elegant, soft-spoken, long-leg lady. However, her daughter’s is almost like a mixture of a little boy and an 80-year old woman.

She resembles her dad, no doubt. What irritates me is her expressionless face and dead-fish eyes. She talks the whole lot deal but repeatedly talking about the same thing or idea. If you deliberately ignore her, she would nudge your arm with the back of her hand lightly, repeatedly and persistently, exactly like how old women do.

Very energetic yet not smart enough to entertain herself, she was running around with other kids. I was saying to myself, oh yeah, perhaps she is very good with making friends. Later I realized the boy was chasing after her only because she had hit him earlier.

The Foodie Heaven

Yummy roast pork belly dish (Mankit went there again with my mom's friend and took the picture)

____________________________________

Foods in Hong Kong is certainly better. However, you need to know where to look. After meeting up with mom in the airport, we took the bus to the city center. While transfering in MongKok subway station, my mom asked me if I am hungry. Not really hungry since I carefully ate every single bite of my meal in the flight (my first meal of the day) but knowing my own mother, I nodded.

She bought me a drink (PS1) and made me wait at the corner at a crowded street. I was so bored because I finished my drink in one or two gulps. As I was counting how many people are crossing the street, she turned back from nowhere with 2 boxes. And we rushed home to enjoy the meals.

The roast pig belly was the famous dish in this local restaurant (永合隆). It seems like every one in KowLong knows about it. The box with the meat has got the hole on top, to let out the steam because the pork was just freshly out of the oven. If the steam is trapped in the box, the skin is going to be soggy. The skin was so perfectly crispy, while the meat is tender and fully of flavor. I almost wonder if I am eating a roast duck.

Perfect match with the Thai rice (PS2).

PS1. The drink was the specialty of Hong Kong. Cantonese thinks we need to constantly replenish our body and rebalance the ying and yang. Thus, the soft drink stores are very popular in Hong Kong. I was drinking the cold sweetened soup of some strange plant's root. It is supposed to cool down my liver.

PS2. It is very interesting that Hong Kong only import Thai fragrant rice. Very different from the rice in Taiwan, Taiwan rice is closer to Japanese rice, short grain and sticky. The Thai rice smell always make me think of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Project Housing

I took 2 days off and flew to Hong Kong to meet with Mom. It has been ages since we hung out together in Hong Kong. It was a very pleasant memories after I grew up. I hated to go to Hong Kong every summer when I was a kid, those were the time my palates and wallet were not fully developed. Oh well, I wasn't too much of the shopping type (I prefer collecting financial products) but there are still a lot to see. The smell of Thai fragrant rice and steamed fish in the highly dense neighborhood is still one of my fondest childhood memories.

We stayed in the uncle Tomas's flat in LokFu, which is the government housing (project in New York state?). I guess that's the part of Hong Kong tourists won't see. The concentration of human beings living in a unit square feet is amazing. Hong Kong government really did the wonder of the world. Most of the apartment buildings have about 35 floors. Every floor has about 8 units. Every unit is about 500 square feet. Not quite impressive, however, imagine there are around 100 such buildings concentrated around one subway station?

Hong Kong government designs these type of housing with standardised models, models for the wall, models for the door, models for the drainange. Basically each floors were built exactly the same way to save cost. Of course, they are all made in Mainland China, then shipped to Hong Kong for the final assembly. You can easily be lost among these 100 identical buildings with identical smell of food and bleach.

There are shops, restaurants, supermarkets and traditional markets in the bottom floors, which are all interlinked. Of course, the subway station. There are endless people moving about the stair well, lifts, shops... I felt a bit suffocated. The stress of living in such an environment is beyond my imagination.

This flat is owned by uncle Tomas. Flats in this apartment complex were sold in discount to people who used to live in the government rental project. My mom's family (my grandmom, 3 uncles and my mom) used to live in the rental property, 250 square feet with only one sink. The sink is used for veggie washing and teeth brushing. The bathroom is about 16 square feet, it has one squater toilet in the middle. We need to cover it with a wooden board when taking a shower. However, it was such a new and fun idea to do that when visiting my grandmom in Hong Kong when I was a kid.

Although it still sounds terribly stressed, Uncle Tomas' flat now is considered pretty cool in Hong Kong. Of course, most people move out as soon as they can afford a non-government housing.

Beijing Bicycle

The spring finally came to Beijing, it was warm enough to cycle around again in Beijing. Amazingly my bicycle survived the winter, and was still locked up in the bycicle parking area. I think I have writen too much about the negative part of Beijing, I should give myself some positive energy boost.

Riding bicycle is so much fun. I feel so at ease when cycling around, inspite of the dust, polluted air and fume. There are filthy looking labour workers having a small bicycle service stall in every corner. My rear tire, paddle on the left and basket fixation were replaced in different stalls, since they broke down when I went around the city.

Those filthy looking labour workers might be farmers in the rural country side, they came to the big city for any chance that could make some money. They often don't have a proper place to live, not to mention the luxury of taking a shower. When needing help pumping up my tires, I only need to pretend I am so clumsy in finding where the valve is, they often offered helping hands.

Being Lazy or What?

They are eating hot pot without me... :-(

_______________________________________

I am sometimes thinking why is there so many small things that makes me feel angry. I mean, seeing the unprofessionalism always piss me off. I was flying with Air China to Tokyo last weekend, and being upgraded to the first class. The food was served in separate ceramic plates as other airlines do. However, the quality of food is so low that you really want to believe the hostess just replate them out of doggie bag.

The appetizer consists of a wedge of omelet, some mixed preserved veggie and salmon fish. How bad could that be? Believe me, it is just that bad. The chief made the Japanese style tamago yaki, however, putting in too much sugar. The mixed veggie are pure Chinese style, pungent with chilly oil and sesame oil fragrance, obviously doesn't go very well with the delicate smell of omelet. The dish came with the chicken stew sitting right next to the rice. Being microwaved, the rice in the bottom turned soggy. The ceramic didn't help, I completely lost my appetite. Every bit of the food tells you that this chief and this airline don't care what their customers are putting into their month. They are trying to copy what western style of first class service is, but are never too worried if they just got 50% right. That pisses me off.

Why cannot Air China think of a more innovative way to carry out the first class service? For example, serving food in separate plate individually already kills the true spirit of Chinese food (Chinese food needs to be served hot so to air the aroma of grease). If there is a way to serve food hot and let the wonderful smell stimulates passengers' appetite? Of course, while devicing a way to keep it safe? Those ideas might be too far from what they are now. But what they can do is to find some dishes that don't taste too awful after being baked in the oven for long, or even just separate the rice with a wax paper.

I believe they can have a lot of wonderful ideas though I am not very confident in their execution. But why is no one blowing the whistle, telling them what they consider the first class service has actually a lot of room for improvement?

Chinese Ghost Stories

When in London, I was hanging out with the anthropology study researchers from East Asia Study in LSE. One of the researchers has been dedicating her life into those girls who die before getting married. This book caught my attention naturally, it analyzes the ghost stories from Ming and Chin dynasties, trying to figure out how Chinese view death, after-life and how to make peace with it. It is pretty common feeling toward the dead, sarrow and fear. Feeling sad for the loss of the descease and fear of what it may become.

If the person died of an unnatural cause, the "Hun"(魂) will not rest until the mistake is corrected. For example, the murdurer is caught. The "Hun" is the backbond of ghosts. Also, there is another case where the "Hun" has died, but the "Po"(魄) remains. This creates monsters crawling out of the grave. Their hair and nails grow, they need to drink fresh animals' blood to survive, however, they don't recognise their families nor understand their lifes before death.

Chinese respect the dead family members yet are afraid of being haunted. That explains the ghost marriage. The parents would try to marry the pass-away daughter to a young man, dead or alive. Becasuse they fear the ghost of the daughter would come back and haunt them.

Xiamen

We had a presale meeting with a bank in Xiamen, I was dragged along with my manager for support and backup. But I think his true intention is to let me gain some presales experience and practice my Mandarin speaking in public.

I do struggle when speaking Mandarin in a formal setting, I constantly fumble around my brain to look for the accurate phase to use. I think if I talk in the way I feel comfortable (the way I talk to my parents), I might either sound like a rebelious adolescent or a 6 year old.
_____________________________________________

My first time in Xiamen, arriving at night, the taxi drivers drove as if he is in a Formula car racing. Wow, that brings back so much nice memories. The local dialet is Hokkian, which is largely spoken in Taiwan. The Hokkian infused Mandarin is very easily identified. The "F" and the "R" sounds are never clear defined.

We went out for a late night snack, picked some fresh river shrimps and small razor shell clams. The shrimps were boiled to just cooked. Soy sauce with some minced garlic is the only dressing. Delicious. The small razor shell clams were quickly fried with scalion and chilly slices, mixed with soy sauce and rice wine. Yummy. I always wonder why we cannot enjoy foods like this in Northen China.

It is winter in Xiamen yet warm enough that smell the osmenthus moves around in the night. Xiamen is very nice and clean, less dust and filthy looking labour workers on the streets. Perhaps that's because it has less construction sites than Beijing.

The Ape in the Office

I am re-reading "the ape in the office"again, the Chinese version. I find that the translation is just simply lousy. Some of the passages are hard to understand because the logic wasn't translated precisely. The cause and consequence pair doesn't link with each other. Nevertheless, this is my only accesss.

In a part of the book, it describes how the ape in the high position usually demonstrates relax gesture among group while the lower-rank ape behave timidly. This can be observed in meeting room as well, the boss would come to the meeting, taking off the jacket and sit down with unapologetic face if being late. Some pick their noses or scratch behinds at ease.

In Tokyo airport today, I suspect my one of the fellow passengers, dress in suit, glued his snot on the plants next to the railing of the automatic walkway. (Or he is just touching the plant for fun?) Was he trying to show who is the boss?

How to become a Politician

This is the sequal of Go Fishing. The weather is really not very good...

_________________________________________

At Beijing project, the manager from our client's side is really a strange character. Actually, "manager" is not an accurate description of his position. In the China government environments, there is a strict managerial hieriachy. He is quiet high up.

He is the source of our stress most of the time. He visits the project room from time to time, roaming around and complaining about the product. He would pick up someone likc our project manager or lead consultant to scold, however, not from a contructive point of view, but only to release his anxiety. His complaints are mostly coming from shallow observation, he's not learned anything about the project since the project started a year ago. He is also not techincal enough to give meaningful advise. People under him started to avoid eye contact with him in the project room as well.

He thinks he should have writen the whole system by his team, rather than getting it from a vendor. What makes him most furious is that the decision was not made by him. It was repeatedly evaluated and tested (in other locations) for over 6 years, and the headquarter project was approved by managers above him.

I keep wondering why this type of character could survive this environment filled with people who have excelled the politican games (this is Beijing, afterall). I thought his character is what the communist party would admire. He is basically ignorant (thus consequently loud and scornful because of his insecurity) and full of unjustified confidence. But which managers could endure the face slapping unlimitedly supplied by their subordinates? His managers must be more intellengent than that? The only reasonable explanation is that he will be the scapegoat if project fails. But he is not seeing this coming himself? Hard to believe.

The Animals that don't Know How to Laugh

My brother claimed where the arrow pointing is the baby's penis. I am very skeptical about it...

______________________________________________

Remember in my earlier post I have described how those public transportation workers never smile and are always harsh when serving people?

I have found the answer in this incident. I was trying to recharge my subway card in the station so waiting in a queue. There was only one guy before me. As he spoke to the lady, another man (filthy looking labour worker) came from the side, reached in the window waving a 5 yuan bill asking for a luggage ticket. The lady gave him the change and ticket, of course, the transaction with the man before me was cut off.

The man turned furious, he yelled at the lady behind the window, questioning if she knows there is a queue. She protested, however, his voice was so loud that I cannot hear her. He is not getting the answer he wanted (what did he want, anyways?), he started fisting the window repeatedly and heavely, of course, at the same time, shouting. After a few minutes of violence, he left with anger. The lady behind the desk returned to her normal long face in a fraction of minute, asking me, "what do you want?"

Snow in Beijing

Coming back from Tokyo last weekend, Beijing was raining so hard and freezing cold. The moist turned into snow the next day. It was very spring-like before. Coming back from a-month long trip, my flat smelled awful because all the windows were locked.

I started to scrubb the toilet, shower area. Kneeling on the floor and wipe clean every inch of the kitchen area. Down almost a bottle of bleach in every drainage. Shut the bathroom sink, leave the used tea leaves on top of the drainage cover, I also tried the used coffee powder. Nothing seems to work. I went to buy the strong air refreshener and odour obsorber, let's hope it is going to work today.

Coming to the office and complaining this to my Beijing colleagues, he explained that is because the drainage pipe was old and the valve was damaged. Also, the heating only worse the rotten egg smell in a confined environment. No one really know what to do with it.

I was actually living in the very expensive apartment, which has 24-hour doorman, bright and airy hallway, well-managed communal area. Most of the residence are foreigners or wealthy locals. All these give me a very good sense of security. My new flat is in between the real local (no lift, nothing is managed) and super upscale residences. There are lifts, with survalliance camera. The doorman sometimes disappears, definitely not 24 hours. And he doesn't care who is in or out of the building. My neighbours are very native. Once getting out of this apartment complex, there are lots of filthy-looking labour workers.

I worry about my personal security when coming home late from work , I worry about getting breakins. I am slightly getting more relax about my new flat now (apart from the funny odour), though I still carry my valuables with me at all time. I sleep fully dressed, also sleep right next to my passport and wallet. I check windows twice before taking a shower or going to bed.

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

________________________________

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.

__________________________________________

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?

__________________________________________

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.