Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Finally in Indonesia


I've actually been here for a week. But high speed internet in Jakarta is somewhat non-existent...and thus its kinda hard to babble. But I've been enjoying my time here with big sis and fam.

So i'll still write for the meantime, internet permitting :) We are off to Bali this Thursday!

Monday, August 10, 2009

Japanese Fashion - from the traditional to the eccentric





Gay or Japanese?




Unless you're Japanese, you really don't have an excuse to wear a man purse.

Red light doesn't mean green!


If the light is red but it takes 5 steps to cross the street (and not mention no cars around), you better believe they will wait until that walking man turns green. They are much more civilized than that. They're not part of the 3rd world...they're not in (insert your local city).

My endorsed drink for the day is...


CALPIS! This is one of my personal favorite drinks in Tokyo (actually, you can buy them in the States too.... but they just changed the name from Calpis to Calpico...don't know why). Anyway, when in Tokyo, try it!

Extinct Geishas?

Rumor has it Geishas and um, ninjas too... are apparently fading away in Tokyo. Bummer!

Open air Sauna




Tokyo in late July. Looks like typhoon season... in my shirt.

Tokyo is budget friendly!



If all you do is eat, sight see, and stay in a hostel... then you don't have anything to worry about if you are trying to do Tokyo on a budget.

You can find a hostel around $20/night (I stayed at Oak Hostel near the Ueno station)
You can find a good meal for 450-800 yen (around $4.50 to $8)... or if you want to go super cheap, you can go to any convenience store (7/11 or Sunkus and the likes) and get a bento box lunch or sandwich for around $3. NOT BAD!

Japanese tourists in... Japan




It's like they majored in Photography with a minor in Tourism.

Super Kawaii Clean



Tokyo is by far the cleanest city I've ever been (be in Singapore later). Though the funny thing is that it is really hard to find trash cans on the streets as I often find myself walking around with my trash for hours until I finally find a disposal. Regardless, the city is spotless. The Japanese (err, Asians in general... so a disclaimer to those who are looking for Asian roommates) take their shoes off at home. But walking around Tokyo, it looks they even walk without their shoes off outside.

When in the Metro...

you're either on your cell (the same kind of flip phone every Japanese people have) texting/playing games/or watching anime or on your Nintendo DS. Talking to each other is overrated.
































LOOK... FREE BIKES!!


























When you can trust your own people, you wouldn't feel the need to chain your bike to the ground. Hmm....must be nice.

Japanese men are not short.... anymore















Despite popular belief in the States that Japanese (men in particular) are short, I am proud to confirm on behalf of my Asian brothers :) that is no longer true. The newer generation are much taller. Actually, it seemed like the average height of this newer generation are taller than the Westerners. So... capsule hotels or Japanese sleeping inside of drawers (watch Kramer on Seinfeld convert his apartment to a hotel because he has a few drawers...) may be going out of style.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Last day in Japan town




Sunday, August 2nd 2009

This is my last day in Tokyo. Before I left, David and I went for breakfast for the last time in Asakusa. Seriously cannot believe how time went by so fast.

My cousin, who I haven’t seen since I was little shorty, picked me up from the hostel and spent the remaining day with her and her family. I had such a great time with her and it was so great to catch up after not seeing each other for so long. I also met her kids who are half Japanese (they look more full Japanese, I cannot see a hint of Filipino in them)! Anyway, we had a nice lunch in Asakusa again and later in the evening had sushi in one of the local restaurants in Chiba (a nearby city just outside of Tokyo). I’ve been eating mainly noodles the whole entire week I’ve been in Tokyo so I was definitely pumped to finally eat sushi from the motherland of all sushi’s. And it was TRÉS BON! VERY VERY GOOD! The sushi’s definitely taste better here… though not sure if that’s all psychological (of being in Japan and therefore it has to taste better) or not. In either case, they were amazing! Plus the ambiance may have done a part of that amazing experience. We ate dinner by sitting on a matt with a short table – vintage Japanese style!


So this is it for Japan. I’ll keep you posted on my rest of my time here in Asia. Leaving for a 7hr flight to Singapore tomorrow…then later off to another 1h30 flight Singapore to Jakarta!

Sayonara and Arigato Gozaimashita!

Saturday, August 1, 2009




Saturday, August 1

It’s Saturday already? Seriously, didn’t I just leave Chicago? It’s hard to imagine that I only have two days left here in Tokyo (actually, it’s really one because tomorrow I’ll be spending the whole day with my cousin outside of Tokyo). Time is sprinting and I’m just crawling.

Since I’ve arrived, I’ve been searching for the older side of Tokyo…away from the modern and crazy side of it. I think I’ve given up on spotting a geisha (I’ve learned that you see more of them in Kyoto, and not in Tokyo). Sure there are random women wearing kimonos with the thong sandals and all, but its not quite the same effect as wearing a full blown geisha attire with the make up and all that hair accessories. Sadly, that’s still the image of Japan the US advertises (check the cover of lonely planet of Japan).

I was advised to go to Yanaka cemetery to see an “older Tokyo.” Besides the cemetery, there were plenty of houses with traditional Japanese architecture and temples. Funny story… I went into one of the temples and it had a sign that said “No Shoes” just on the outside by the entrance. But next to the sign was this stand where I thought you leave your shoes. But since there was nobody around me, I didn’t really have anybody to ask questions. So I went in and took pictures inside (Big giant Buddha in the middle and vintage Japanese interior)… only for a guy to come out of nowhere and ask me to step out as the place was private. Hmm, no wonder I was the only person there…but then again that sign “no shoes” would only make you naturally think that it is OK to go in once the shoes are off…right? And then to make things even more awkward, there were a group of old Japanese people waiting outside taking pictures (with the peace signs and all) by my shoes…and they were laughing. They told me that I was not supposed to leave my shoes by that stand as that is the place where you “make offerings” or put money in. I’m pretty sure they were laughing for a good couple minutes…which really seemed like an eternity. All I wanted to do then was put my shoes on, bow at them, and run away.

Then later that night I went to the infamous Harajuku area of Tokyo where the kids look like they dressed or put make up on in the dark. But it’s cool. I love how off-beat and modern they look…it’s not something I’m used to seeing. And finally it hit me in the metro that Japanese men wear man purses. A man purse on the shoulder while they play their Nintendo DS.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Gundam and Shibuya




Friday, July 31 2009

So I got a message from a facebook friend to go to Odaiba and look for this transformer looking statue (aka Gundam – looking him up). To be honest, I’m not really into the anime/transformer/video games or basically any Japanese animation that’s become such a rage here in Japan. Anyway, I saw the link that she sent me and it looked pretty cool. It was this gigantesque Transformer looking statue standing tall over Tokyo. So Dah-veed (David) and I decided to check it out (to our surprise though, there was no humidity the moment we stepped out of the hostel! It felt so great that my shirt was dry all day long!)

Finally, we arrived to the site where is installed. But to be honest, although impressive in itself of its size, there was not much to do other than stare at it. Literally, we took some shots and left immediately. I’m not sure it was worth the money to go there, as Daiba was pretty far from our hostel location. But after Gundam, I immediately went to search for the largest fish market in the world, Tsukiji. When I got there, I expected to see a gazillion humongous fish lined up. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived, they were nowhere in sight. I think I may have gotten there too late because Tsukiji fish market is a tourist spot, but I was the only one walking around.

Then later that night, David accompanied me again to Shibuya where you see the biggest cross street in the world! I don’t know where these people come from, but literally, it seems like a gazillion Japanese come out of nowhere and start waiting in the intersection in every turn. It was definitely quite a show… I don’t think I’ve ever been more entertained than watching a bunch of people cross a street.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Open air Sauna




Thursday, July 30 2009

I love Tokyo!

Well, except for the humidity. I seriously can’t think of a place that I’ve been to that has the same intensity of humidity as Tokyo… and by that I’m comparing it to the likes of Egypt, the Philippines, and summer in Chicago. Spots of sweat starts visibly forming in my shirt within a few minutes of being outside. I may sweat a lot (or some even say I have sweating problems – I do, afterall, start sweating the moment I smell spicy food 5 feet away), but the only other place sweat starts dripping from my skin that instantaneously is in a sauna.

Anyway, I still can’t complain. Sweating problems in Tokyo sounds like a champagne problem, considering that I’d rather be sweating in Tokyo town than being stuck in middle America.

With that said, I’m definitely starting to get used to the metro system here in Tokyo. It’s really no biggy as long as you are used to any other metro system (in other words, if you can connect point A to point B, then you should be fine). Perhaps the only difference is with the Japanese system compared to others (western Europe in particular) is that you pay for every stop. They do not have a system here where you can get a pass for the whole day and go around as much as you want. In hindsight, this is probably where Tokyo gets expensive. If I want to go around the city as much as I want, the price adds up every time I use the metro.

The touristy things I checked off today are the Imperial palace and the garden. It was quite….OK. I’m not sure I can say I was blown away by it… but I suppose it’s still worth a trip. Then after I came back to the hostel to take my midday shower, I explored Shinjuku later that night. This was the first night I truly see Tokyo at night… and this is when I can truly say I was blown away by it. For me at least, the lights in Tokyo are more spectacular than Las Vegas at night …maybe because it doesn’t feel tacky?

Then I stumbled upon the “red light district” of Tokyo where I was approached by numerous guys and gals asking if I needed a massage (and um, and sex on the side…). I got approached so many times I thought it’d be funny if I capture it on film…and I did. Those suckers didn’t know I already have my video cam on when they approached me…so you can watch the video yourself ☺

Anyway, lights out. I’m off to bed.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Konichiwa Tokyo!










































Tuesday, July 28th

Alright….I’m here.

The overall journey from Chicago to Tokyo in itself was a pleasant one… smooth flight and great service (I flew ANA for the first time – their in-flight entertainment is great! They have so much variety to choose from in your own personal screen that they make a four hour flight from San Diego to Chicago by United seem like an eternal torture). And to top it off, my luggage was waiting for me with open arms once I passed customs! I didn’t had to wait in the conveyor belt for it to arrive, which was a nice change for those who are familiar with my luggage not physically arriving at the same time with me to places ☺ . And I guess the cherry on top would be that I didn’t have much of a jet lag as I was expecting, considering that I was in the plane for 13 hours (by the way, I didn’t see the sky turn dark that whole flight! I was pretty much under daylight for 21 hours straight. I work up at 6:30 am to catch my flight, took off from Chicago at 10:50 a.m., arrived in Tokyo around 2 p.m., plus 4 more hours of daylight. You do the math).

As some of you know my affinity with French culture (some say borderline obsession…but that’s going off topic), the very first people that I met in Japan were… French (eh, ironic). But I wasn’t even trying looking for them like a needle in a haystack as I would do back in America (kidding…sorta). They just kinda…came? These couple who were sitting with me on the Kensei line train from Narita airport to downtown Tokyo were speaking French, and then naturally(?), of course…we started talking. Then when I arrived in the hostel, it turned out two of my roommates were – yup, you guessed it – were French too! (by the way, the people who know me well are probably thinking that I staged this “random” encounters..hahaha. I can sense them shaking their head and giggling as they read that part).

Besides that, it was still kind of hard to fathom that I finally arrived in Tokyo. It was still kinda hard to form my first impression when I was so tired. I got my stuff settled, showered, and walked around the neighborhood where my hostel was located. Then later that night, the three of us (francophones :) went out to a local bar (haha, well, so much for it being local considering the only Japanese people that were there were the people working there. They have an international guess base apparently).