Posts Tagged ‘Tokyo’

I realize that I have been posting a TON lately about Asia due to my recent trip.  Unfortunately, I begin this post with my previous sentence because I just want to acknowledge that fact, but do nothing to change it.

Anyway, one of the first things that people ask me when they talk to me about the trip is, “Is it really different?”  Well, yes.  It is very different.  It’s different because there is an abundance of Asians, they speak a different language and they have a different sense of humor (and commercial style on TV).  And, you know, the food is different.

I could really continue on, but I think that when you really boil it down to the very core, however - a city is really just like any other city in the world (or so I think and heard).  People basically go about their day-to-day routine.  Usually this means commuting to work, working, then sometimes taking a moment to relax with friends whether at a bar, karaoke place or going home to veg in front of the television.  Of course, I do realize that it doesn’t apply to tourists there for a vacation or foreigner taking a bit of funemployment.

Regardless of the similarities and differences, there are a few things that I started to see after I returned to the US that I really wish we’d learn to adopt here from Asia…and I’m not just talking about the abundance of video games and anime (which would be sch-weeeeet).

I’m sure, dear reader, that you’re wondering what sorts of things I’m referring to. Well, I’m glad you asked.  Okay, I was going to write it anyway, and I’d like to think that somebody out there is interested…especially when it’s in list form!

1. Cleanliness EVERYWHERE

Everybody I talked to who went to Japan raved about how clean the city is, and I remember wondering: just exactly how clean could a city be?  The answer is very, very, VERY clean.  Everything seems to look the same at first glance, until you start to take a closer look.  I don’t recall seeing tons of garbage, spilled drinks and graffiti on the subway - in fact, I don’t think I saw any at all.  This evening’s MUNI ride, on the other hand, was filled with shady spots on the seats and litter all over the place.  Oh, and you know that rancid city smell of sewage and fecal matter?  Nope - I don’t remember smelling that in Tokyo at ALL.  Even the convenience store bathrooms were sparkling clean.  I could have dropped my purse and jacket on the floor, danced on it and felt okay about it.

2. Night markets

I had always heard so much about night markets before, but it didn’t live up to the actual thing.  And I’ve come to realize that night markets are AWESOME.  They’re always bustling - every night - and filled with food and shopping.  It’s like a boardwalk carnival every. Single. Night.  What better place for street cart vendors to share their wares or to have a cheap date?

3. Seven-story arcades

Sure, there are bars, lounges, karaokes, clubs.  But arcades in Japan are downtown office building sized monstrosities of awesomeness.  There’s every type of game you can imagine, machines to get try your hand at nabbing toys, fancy picture booths and different floors for adults to gamble…and play more video games.  I don’t think I need to delve into it in further detail to explain how great this would be.

4. Hot drinks in vending machines

This probably doesn’t really apply to people in places with perpetual hot weather, but for places that have Jack Frost gnawing at their nose more than nipping at it, hot drinks in vending machines are a great on-the-go bit of warm happiness.  Of course, this would NOT be as enjoyable if people don’t adopt #1 above … cleanliness.  Apparently, in Japan, it’s rude to eat and walk at the same time.  Why?  Because you’d most likely be tossing your trash somewhere it doesn’t belong.

5. Convenient stores that are actually convenient

Everywhere you go it seems that there is a form of 7-11 lurking around the corner.  Whereas the 7-11 here in the US is mostly a place to buy snacks for a road trip, use the disease infested bathroom or get gas, the 7-11 in Japan has everything you actually need.  You can send out letters, packages (imagine no more disgruntled postal workers and ridiculous lines), get money, buy tasty food and also purchase tickets.  Yup, tickets.  We purchased our tickets to the Ghibli museum at the Lawson’s, another convenience store chain.  Convenience stores that are convenient.  Who knew?

Of course, there is still a whole slew of other things that I would LOVE for the US to adopt here - but then, a good portion of that is specific foods.

I think I’d be one happy clam if we just start with these five.  Someone help spread the word to the right people, thanks!

It’s hard to believe that I was still in Asia just less than a week ago. While I was waiting for my plane, I hammered out a few initial thoughts from my trip. Of course, due to the whirlwind of activity from coming back and combatting jetlag, I didn’t really have much opportunity to post anything.

Oh well. Luckily, this is my own repository for whatever I want to do so I can be as late as I want.

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This is it – the end of the long anticipated visit to Taipei and Tokyo, two very different and special cities that reside in my heart. Taipei for the connection to personal family history and my second language and Tokyo for the connection to my personal interests and voluntarily learned language.

When I reflect back on my first initial expectations and hopes for this trip, they were really quite simple. Eat a lot in Taiwan, take pictures, go to the night market. For Tokyo, I wanted to visit an onsen, see the fish market and take in the city lights. It was quite easy to match my fairly narrow-minded and short sighted expectations; and what I really found in each of these cities was so much more.

These past weeks also really made me think about how much my family loves me. My mom, aunts and uncles and cousins all made this wonderful trip happen. Because they love me and know how much it means to me, they went out of their way to provide me an experience that I know will carry with me throughout my life. Beyond just taking some pretty photos and buying souvenirs, I feel that I have a lot to think about regarding my future and Asia.

Gogo took us around for three weeks, tirelessly encouraging us to dig deeper and not just skim the surface. Figure out where we’re going, understand why these places are important – and most of all, he made sure that we had a good time.

My first experience with Asia was actually very unique. Instead of merely visiting, I spent a whole four months in Bejing and traveling around China as a part of a study abroad program. All I had to do was to focus on learning the language, and I stressed about nothing else. I was able to travel around to different places around the country, and it really made me appreciate everything that I have in the States. I also had the priceless opportunity to meet my mother’s older sister and other sides of my family in Xian.

Although that time was amazing and I feel that I learned a lot (unfortunately, not as much Chinese as I really would have liked) I know that a part of me never really wanted to live in China. The whole environment was, for lack of a better word: uncivilized. People spat in the streets without regard, the roads were clogged with vehicles that did not obey the rules at all (each time I crossed the street was quite a stressful endeavor) and people were just impolite. There is no concept of queuing at ALL.

Despite all of these complaints, a part of me still seemed to hopefully nudge me about the idea of working abroad. I contemplated this in Houston when I couldn’t find a direction to head, and I realized that working abroad appealed to me because there is nothing else that you can do to take yourself more out of your comfort zone than living in a different country. You see so much more, meet so many more people and learn more about yourself.

All of these considerations seemed to hit me on this trip. As Gogo said: “Let it all sink in.” Do I want to live in Asia? Could I really do it? In a strange way, when I stepped off the plane in Taipei and Tokyo, I didn’t feel too out of place. In Taipei especially, I could understand everybody. In Tokyo, I was content with listening to people talk and trying to remember as much as I could (sadly, I don’t remember much). All that aside, I found myself wistfully thinking about how amazing it would be to be completely fluent in Chinese (reading and writing) and Japanese.

Why would it be amazing? For me, it would be because I don’t want to be a person of one country, I want to be a person of multiple countries. Communication is my livelihood, and it is also how I make friends and build my relationships with people. I want to be able to continue building bridges, and I want to be a well-rounded person. As my grandmother wrote in her note to Gogo before she passed away: Become a person that is useful to the East and the West.

Yes, I was born in America and it has given me so many opportunities…but I am still a person who has roots in the East. Asia shaped my family, who in turn shaped me. For that, I am grateful, and I want to do more than merely make a living, save for retirement and then forget everything else in the past.

So what are my next steps? It feels daunting, for sure, but I think that the first thing I want to do is to start seriously learning Chinese again.

I don’t want the motivation in me from this trip snuff out from the daily comforts of routine. I want to push myself, and look for opportunities to do more in the future. Does this mean one day moving to Asia? Maybe - I hope so.

But one step at a time.

Although a lot of people probably think I’ve been gone for ages (and it’s true, this trip has been quite a good amount of time) for me, I feel as though it’s whipping by in an instant. Not only did Taipei pass by in a blur, but I’ve already finished almost half of my time here in Tokyo.

Tokyo. A small part of me still can’t grasp the fact that I’m actually here.

Every time I visit a new place, a whole slew of emotions mixes in together in a hodgepodge of confusion. I’m overwhelmed, excited, nervous, happy and hopeful all at the same time. I still remember the first times that I visited cities like Washington DC, New Orleans, San Francisco, New York, Toronto, Beijing and many other places. Each of these cities are so wonderfully different, and a visit just doesn’t seem close to doing it justice.

Although it’s not true for EVERY city, there are quite a few places that made me think to myself, “Wow…I really wish I could live here.”

I know that some people immediately think, “Well sure, of course you think you want to live there. You’re vacationing and doing nothing but having fun. It’s not like that in real life.” And to that, I respond: You’re absolutely right.

I think that when my heart instinctively says, “Wow, I want to live here,” it’s because I know that there is so much more a certain place can offer me that a few days just won’t be able to come close to delivering. I want to know what it is like to walk down the street to work. I want to be able to carve my own special memories and life in that wonderful place. I’d like to know first hand how people live, and I know that each time it will change me.

A long time ago I compared cities to different types of people.  Dallas is like family, Toronto is a fun friend, and New York is the popular person in the crowd that you hope to one day get to hang out with.  Perhaps with Tokyo and Taipei, they are people I know that I love!

Tokyo and Taipei tug quite a few strings of my heart for a number of reasons. Taipei because of the personal sentiment that exists there — it’s where my mom grew up, my grandfather and grandmother took care of their family, and I’m able to speak the language. With Japan, it’s just inexplicable. The second I sat on the train and started to watch the lights of the city whirl by, I felt like I fell in love at first sight.

Since these past few days have been jam packed, I hope to do a detailed recap of my trip later on. But for now, each of these days has been full of walking, window shopping, and eating. At first glance, I thought Japan was quite similar to the other Asian countries that I visited. Man, I could not be more wrong.

First of all, people did not exaggerate how CLEAN everything is. Everything. I’m amazed that I don’t wrinkle my nose at strange city smells, and my week long allergy attack in Taipei cleared up as soon as I walked around Tokyo. And the bathrooms at the convenience stores? Probably 10x cleaner than my own bathroom. Oh, and all the bathrooms come with a heated toilet seat.

Another thing I noticed is the people. As superficial as it sounds, I’ll go ahead and just say it: people in Japan are a lot better looking. Maybe it’s because the girls know how to put on makeup, or maybe it’s just the initial shock of it all. Either way…wow. Additionally, everybody seems very polite. Sure, they might not be the most friendly, but they are definitely quite cordial. Other than this one cash register guy who told me to hurry up as I fumbled with the change, it’s been quite pleasant.

The first night was mainly around the Asakusa area, where we roamed around and saw the Sensoji Temple at night. We later visited it during the day when it was packed, and I’m definitely glad I had a chance to see it when it was calm and peaceful. The next day was full of walking, which included shopping at Harujuku, a stop to see Hachiko at Shibuya, and browsing at Shinjuku. As a bonus, we also did a quick walk around Roppongi, the “Little West” of Japan.

Today was also a fantastic day. We first started it out by moving our things from Ando Ryokan (more on that later) to Toyoko Inn, and luckily happened to walk by the Bandai building. We took in some sights including the Asahi building, and then finally Asakusa during the day. I had my first experience scraping and eating Okonomiyaki, and afterward we walked off the calories at Ueno Park and Tokyo Daigaku. The busy day was topped off with a successful trip to Akihabara, which was like a jam packed CES — all day, all the time. I successfully piloted a Gundam, and then ate an AMAZING unagi dinner. It was all wrapped up nicely with some time to snack with family and reflect.

Tomorrow is another big day, including the GHIBLI MUSEUM!

Although the few days I have spent here doesn’t even BEGIN to scratch the surface, I hope that the small voice in my head nudging me to come back again (for a visit, or even better, a longer extended amount of time) will not be drowned out by the day-to-day life back at home in the US.

Until then, it’s time to sleep and look forward to the next day!