Land of the Rising Sun

Harajuku, Tokyo.

Approaching my two week stay in Japan, I must say that, like nearly all places I've been so far, I have had an incredible time.  I'm particularly happy because I have had the opportunity to see a couple different friends in Japan since being here.  So far, I've spent the majority of my time in Tokyo.  I'm not going to write a whole lot at the moment, but I will mention a couple things that have stuck out so far.

1.  To generalize, Japanese people are extremely polite and friendly.  I'm amazed time and time again by how helpful everyone is.  One of my first times riding around on the trains in Tokyo I realized that I was on the wrong line.  Using the 3-4 pages of Japanese phrases in the back of my travel book I was able to fumble the words "excuse me" and "where is X?" out of my mouth.  Almost instantaneously after asking one person on the train, a group of people descended upon me, each offering up their assistance with their varied levels of English proficiency. 



My first Bento box.  Delicious

 2.  Japanese toilets are amazing.  You've probably seen pictures, or even heard about the toilets that come with all the bells and whistles, BUT until you get to use one, you have no idea what you are missing out on!  Heated seats (useful during winter), built in air fresheners, and a water facet like device on top of the tank.  I've even encountered a toilet where the lid automatically goes up once it detects motion.  Somehow, I need to figure out how to get one of these toilets back home.

3.  To generalize (again), Japanese people are dedicated in anything and everything that they do.  I went to the grocery store one day and I observed a man "directing" traffic near the entrance to the parking lot.  I say "directing" because in reality, he didn't need to be there.  Clearly, people could have figured out how to avoid pedestrians and other cars without him.  Despite the pointlessness of his position and the fact that he was wearing a long sleeved uniform in 33 degrees C heat, he did his job with a seriousness and dedication that I'm not sure I can quite describe.  What I can describe is the lack of a look of frustration, tiredness, and just over all feeling of dismay in disliking his job.  Upon watching him, every movement he made, every expression made it seem as if this job was the most important thing and that it was his duty to serve the people as best as he could.  I was stunned.  For a job like this, I would expect most people to do it with no enthusiasm, no care, and a huge sense of apathy.  This is just one of a million examples I could run through.  My favorite thing in relation to this subject is walking into stores.  When you walk into a 7-eleven for example, one worker will shout out "welcome" to you, and a milisecond after that all the other workers will shout out "welcome" as well, even if they are hidden behind a row of goods stocking the bottom level of a shelf.  If one didn't know better, you might think that they were sounding off an alarm that a white-redheaded foreigner had entered the place.  Haha, as you leave, the alarm goes off again, only this time they are saying "goodbye."

A scene from Nikko and the burial
site of Tokugawa Ieyasu
(important historical ruler of Japan)

4.  Japan is a mixture of the old and the new.  I got a real sense of this when I went from walking around the electronic district (akihabara) in Tokyo where I got to play with all of Sony's newest toys and inventions, to hopping on the train next to some sumo wrestlers.  Ok, so maybe this isn't the greatest example of "old vs. new", but I suppose I'm trying to portray the idea that for all of Japan's modernity and seemingly "western" style, there is still a very distinct element that makes Japan, Japan.  No where else have I viewed people bow to each other with such respect and normality.  It is a part of Japan.  Something you don't really see anywhere else. 

I have much more to write about Japan and what I've been up to, but I need to keep this one short for the time being.  My actual main goal of this post was to make sure and pin up September's Speedo Picture before the month ended!  If you've seen my photos on facebook, you've already seen this one.  It is an oldie, but goodie. 

September:  Great Wall of China

Post-Post

I just discovered the "caption" button to add to pictures.  So of course, I had
to add one on a photo that doesn't really need it.

Greetings from within the Silk/Iron Curtain! I'm currently writing this on Sept. 11, but since the Chinese government blocks youtube, facebook, and common blog websites (like the one I use), I'm writing this now with the intention of posting it later. All of this being said, let's get to it shall we?

I've been in Beijing for almost a week now. Where to begin? I've pretty much seen and done the major highlights - Forbidden City, Tiananmen Sqaure, Summer Palace, Lama Temple, Temple of Heaven, Night Markets, and of course, the Great Wall. The Great Wall was by far my favorite and most spectacular. It was everything that I hoped it would be and more. I actually got to hike around on it for about 3 hours. Quite pleasant. The most interesting part, in my opinion, was looking along the horizon and seeing it snake along the ridge for as far as you could see. Also of interest, in the distance (where you weren't allowed to walk) you could see the wall in its more "natural" state of being (hadn't been repaired or reconstructed). Trees and plants were practically growing through and on top of the entire thing.



One of many special items to eat
 at the night market.  yummy!

As for other things in Beijing....let's talk about squatter toilets (somehow I always manage to relate something in posts to bathroom/bodily functions). I don't know if you've ever used one, but a tip to potential future users (especially males), make sure to move your wallet to your front pocket before attempting to use it. Believe me or not, this sort of accident didn't actually happen to me, it happened to a friend of mine I met at the hostel. Haha, whether you choose to believe me or not is up to you, because I know how "friend of mine" sounds. In all honesty, as much as I'm up for trying and wanting to do new things, I haven't had the courage to use the squatter toilet yet. I intended to, but lately I've had some travel sickness issues (no more details needed). Using a squatter toilet would be weird enough, but doing it while not on the most normal of circumstances, well forget it. Maybe my last day here I can make something happen, but I'm not holding my breath.

By the way, did I mention I'm famous? At least that's how I've felt in going to many of the tourist places here. At Tiananmen Square for example, I had several people (families, kids, couples) come up to me and ask to get a picture with me. At first I was a little weirded out, but eventually I kind of went with it and took some pictures myself. All these people asking to get pictures with me were more than likely other Chinese people from outside of the big city. A white foreigner, let alone with red hair, is not something they see all that often. According to a friend I've made who has been living in Beijing for the last 7 years, my face is probably on a dozen different mantels now. Haha. The weirder thing was when I walked around with a shirt tucked under my hat to protect the back of my neck from the sun, people were literally pointing, taking pictures, and laughing with their friends. This too, attracted several people in getting a picture with me. I just smiled and went along, but I never thought something so simple could seem so weird.

Another new favorite topic of mine, mistranslations. These can come in several different forms, but my two personal favorites that I've seen in Beijing are technically correct...they just don't sound right. My newest favorite T-shirt (a very common one) reads, "I *heart* (the symbol) BJ." Of course, BJ is short for Beijing, but for nearly any English speaker, you can't help but laugh at how well such an abbreviation works out. 2nd correct, yet odd translation, is found on several menus - "Beef with Rape" Now, rapeseed, also referred to as "rape", is indeed a real thing (I checked up just to make sure), but seeing as I had barely heard of it, let alone never seen it on a menu (which I admit, may simply be a part of my own ignorance), one can't help but think of this as a mistake. After piecing it all together (that it was referring to rapeseed and that it was a legit thing), I remember thinking, "wow, rape isn't what it used to be." Never thought I'd hear myself think that. But now that I think about it a little more, which word usage do you think came first? Rape (in reference to the seed), or rape (as the crime)? Anyone who can figure out the history of these words and if they were at all related in some fashion or another at one point gets major bonus points and maybe even a little Red book, or if it's your sort of thing, an "I *heart* BJ" shirt. Seriously though, I will send a gift to the first person who is able to solve this life-mystery for me. I did a little research on my own, so I have my own theory, but I want to see if anyone comes up with the same answer.

At the Temple of Heaven -
trying out to be
Hu Jintao's new dancer.

Aside from the fun of languages, I did get to ride one of the fastest trains in the world a couple days ago. I took a day trip to Tianjin, a city on the coast, east of Beijing. The ride takes about 30 mins and tops out at a speed of around 330 km/h. Pretty impressive. Not a whole lot to see or do in Tianjin, I mainly went to see the country side a bit while riding the incredibly fast train.

What else was I going to say? Oh I know. Back to the subject of the Great Wall. While walking around it, one can't help but think about how ludicrous a 1,000 km length wall really is. I suppose in theory it would deter a person or two from crossing, but if someone REALLY wanted to get over it, it probably wouldn't be all that difficult. 1,000 km. You would have to have sooooo many people standing watch to cover that distance, and then they'd have to be diligently watching at all times. Do you think that really happened? Of course not. As insane as the wall is, I had to wonder, who's more insane though, the people that spent years and years and years and years building it, repairing it, etc., or us, for trying to build something similar along the Mexican border? Hahaha. I'm not trying to get political on you here, so I apologize if this last statement offended you. I understand the reasoning behind our "wall", I'm just saying, when thinking about the Great Wall of China, you can't help but think about our own "wall" in our country. No matter which side of the "wall" you stand on (see what I did there?!), you have to admit, there is an interesting parallel between our modern day wall and the Great Wall of China.

Ok, enough tip-toeing around potential political issues. Let's wrap this up with a quick update on the "list" of things I was supposed to do while travelling around the world. So far, these are the items I've completed....

Got A Byron Bay T-shirt (for Byron)

Went to the top of Victoria Peak

Tried Dim Sum in Hong Kong

Tried Kangaroo, but not Kangaroo tail - does that count?

Tried some crazy, local food

Some items I've failed to complete...
 
Throw a boomerang at someone
 
Find out what "fire and ice" was in HK
 
Visit Steve Irwin's grave


When in Rome/Beijing



 

Does anyone have anything else to add? Sleep on it and let me know. By the time I post this, I will be in Japan. I arrive(d) Sept. 14th in Tokyo, and will be in Japan until Oct. 21st. Long time. Who's ready for sushi?

6 out of 7

                                                             Bruce Lee at Avenue of the Stars

I've reached Hong Kong and that means I've officially made it to 6 out 7 continents of the world. After almost one week of being here I can honestly say that Hong Kong continues to impress me one way or another each day. A small area that is highly populated. Yet, for all the people and lack of space, HK runs with amazing efficiency and is one of the cleaner cities I've ever seen, especially when you take in the number of people that live here.


Since the place is so small and easy to access, it took me only about 2-4 days to cross off the major things on my list. Victoria Peak, Ferry across the Harbor, Avenue of the Stars, walked in and around several large bank buildings, jade market, night market, various parks, Big Buddha on Lantau Island, Po Lin Monastery, yatta, yatta, yatta. You get the idea. One of the more interesting things they have in HK now is a light show every night at 8. The show consists of select buildings on both Hong Kong Island and Kowloon that flash lights in particular patterns and some have lazers on top shooting into the night sky, all synchronized with music. According to a couple different sources, that may or may not be credible, the show costs a million dollars (HK dollar, US dollar, I'm not sure which) each night. The show lasts for about 15 mins. and to be honest with myself and HK, it's not all that impressive. While I sat and watched the show, I couldn't help but think I was at Disneyland. It was actually kind of sad.

View of HK Island from Kowloon


In other news, I officially surfed on my first couch with couchsurfing.org. I'm not sure if all of you who read this are aware of the site, but it's a social networking thing that allows travellers to meet up with like-minded travellers. You can either offer up your couch for a traveller where you let people stay for free and help them navigate around the area, or you can surf couches while travelling. My first surfing experience went extremely well and it looks like I will be doing it again very soon in Beijing. Of course, this time around, I stayed with a girl close to my age and, as a bonus, was fairly cute too.

I surfed for 4 days and then moved so as not to over stay my welcome. I took up residence in a hostel in the infamous "Chung King Mansion." This place deserves a quick explanation because in my mind, it is one of a kind. The Chung King Mansion is a fairly old building in Hong Kong that is very diverse in its purpose and people. On the bottom 3 or 4 floors of the building, you literally have your classic organized Black Market type shops. Cell phones, toys, clothes, food, whatever. The remaining 14 odd floors above are essentially guesthouses or hostels. Probably doesn't sound all that crazy, but imagine yourself walking in a market while people from all different corners (mainly India, Africa, and other areas of the Middle East) of the world beg you to come into their shops. You're caring a large pack so obviously you are coming to one of the hostels. Several people approach and claim they have the cleanest and best deal HK has to offer. You are being attacked. You just want to find the elevator to "Block A" and find the hostel you booked. Haha, the hostels in themselves are fairly amusing. One of the tiniest places I've stayed in, most of the rooms at Chung King Mansion do not actually have a window for outside light. It's like a dungeon of small rooms that have space for one (which is actually an upside because then you don't have to share). The bathrooms are even more entertaining. The bathroom literally comprises a space that allows you to sit on the toilet, stand up, take one step forward and wash your hands in the sink on the right, and then step out. Pretty small. However, the catch is that this space is also your shower. There's a water heater on the wall with a shower-hose. Essentially, you can s**t, shower, and shave, all at the same time. Incredible. I've been told that this bathroom arrangement is actually quite common throughout a lot of Asia. Shows how much I knew.

As of right now, I'm actually spending my time on Lamma Island ( a 30 or 60 min. ferry ride from HK Island). The place is gorgeous and not as frequently travelled by tourists. With a beach and walking trails around the island, it's the perfect get away from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong. As beautiful as the landscape and alley-way like paths that snake through the houses is, there is also one thing here that sticks out like a sore thumb. A giant coal plant with 3 huge towers. The irony of the situation is somewhat amusing, but also sad in way. I suppose we all have to get energy somehow. Your interesting lesson for the day, in WWII, Japan occupied Lamma Island. Before leaving, they let loose a variety of venomous snakes on the island. I've done some hiking around the island, but let's just say I've restricted it to daylight hours.

Well this has become quite the novel. My apologies. I'm gearing up to go to Beijing very soon (Sunday, the 5th) so don't be surprised if I have to write you another long entry explaining all the new and cool things I will see there. Before I go, I have to say one more thing. My amusing story for the day. The topic: shirts with statements. I myself have never really been interested in t-shirts with statements (i.e. "I'm with stupid -->" ), but in HK, they seem to be fairly common. I don't know if it's the fashion or trend, but a lot of people have these type of shirts with English statements written on them. Some are not that far out, some don't make any sense, some don't seem to be translated correctly, and then there are those that....well....speak for themselves. The shirt I am referring to was worn by a middle-aged woman who looked like your everyday person. In bold, capital letters, her shirt read, "WILL F*** FOR COKE" I about died laughing. Clearly this person had no idea what they were wearing. I attempted to chase her down and snag a photo without her knowing, but it was in the middle of the metro and I lost her in the throng of people. As astounding as the shirt was, I really feel the situation begs a couple questions. 1) Where the heck did she even find a shirt like that? 2) Who, in their right mind, designed it? 3) Did that designer really think they'd make any money off the shirt? 4) If so, did they?

Alright, this is quite enough for now. I'll write again from Beijing. Stay tuned.

Lantau Island:  Bikes, bikes, bikes