Leaving Tokyo, April 2014

    Was that Superman, faster than a speeding bullet? No, it was the Bullet Train passing the station. 

     Foot baths on street corners-how civilized is this?

     Good coffee everywhere, and, Lavazza in the shop. 

     So much art available. Paintings, sculptures, much I know nothing about-Manga + Anime. 

    Little Bo Peep girls walking down the street.   Boys in hostess clubs look so feminine. Plenty of places available for is ladies. 

     There is piped in sound everywhere, ex: birds chirping at train platforms, music in the streets, when one sits on a toilet. Makes a sound of water running, however, it confused my body-made it stop, not go. So my timing is off. 

     Yes, white gloves are worn by many. Did not get pushed into the metro. 

   Money is never, creased, torn, dirty, wrinkled, always like new. 

    Even elders have toys hanging from their bags and even on their walkers. 

     My experience was full of amazing sights and experiences. The tour was full on. One fantasizes about staying at a Ryokan. Yes, I did sleep on the floor more than not, got better at getting up as the days went on. 

   The temples! Gold. The gardens: Zen itself. The shrines: beauty personified. People: graciousness,  squared. Countryside: serene.

   I took an Ikebana class and made a beautiful arrangement. Saw part of Mt. Fuji. Lucky me. Could not see Sumo wrestling. Bad luck. 

   Hakone has a Lalique Museum that knocked my socks off. Who could have known that? It even had rooms that were imported from France, made in glass!

  Did I mention cherry blossoms? Got to see them in the mountains. A blessing. 

    I felt sad to leave Japan. It got better each day. 

    Now I am in a Hawaii, surrounded by Japanese. Ironic. 

Tokyo, Japan April 2014

  Tears came to me as I sit in the park in Nara during Golden Festival Week

 in Japan.  I heard singing when I entered the Botanical garden, I followed the music. Next to my seat is a lady in full Kimono and an elderly gentleman is reciting poetry on the stage set over a pond in the Botanical garden.  It is a program of entertainment, singing, dancing, martial arts.  How lucky is my life! Now, the TAIKO DRUMS! Primal, muscles rippling, much ceremony, love it. 

- Drinks in cans available up and down all streets. Many different coffees in the street machines and in the ever popular 7-11. There is available hot or cold in the vending machines. Sadly, I did not see the used panty machine. Probably I. The little street we were told foreigners could not go.  Also, ramped up coffee ones, and, the energy drinks, many, are advertised in TV by very sensual women with a come on approach. 

    Women only metro cars during commute time as the men are too grabby. 

   Myanmar has more public information in English than here. Was explained that for the upcoming Olympics in 2020, this is being addressed. 

   It's cold and wet out, thought I would go back to little tatami mat/futon room, however, was sent to the Idemitsu Museum of Arts, by helpful lady at the information center,  as they are open late this day. A lady at the entrance gave me a ticket. Another lucky day. Very good show on Japanese painting. Many decades and genres. There is a sitting room that looks out over the palace grounds and free tea.

   I spent  the morning trying to find friend Mari's hotel and then had lunch with her before she flew back to Shanghai. And she bought me delicious local meal called: Okonomiyaki. 

    And, wonders, my metro line is just outside. 

     No trash cans.

     No trash. 

     Flower pots in street corner and in front of shops. 

    Clean, clean, clean. 

     NO graffiti. 

     Taxi drivers wear black suit with hat, white gloves, seats are lace covered. 

     Train conductor bowed as he exited the carriage. So nice to be acknowledged. 

   Using Google Maps gave me many long walks around Tokyo trying to locate my destination. And, I got to manage my bags up and down many flights of stairs. 

   On to the next destination. 

 

Seoul, Korea - April 2014

     After 3 flights and hours of layovers, I fell into a bed about 2:30, I was out. I arrived at 6:30AM, I knew no checking on until 14:00 and knew I was far too tired to deal with roaming a city. I was last off the plane, why hurry? The airport advertised it was #1, what did they have for me? I had a lovely coffee, twice. The best Jr. Whopper ever. I might have been full of rice. But, considering, my week long toilet problems, I doubt I was full of anything. Got money, had a little nap watching a modern dance program on TV. Walked the length, several times. Gathered all the tourist info I could get my hands on. Went to medical center for the mysterious rash up one side of my body. Why not check it out. For about $50, I saw Dr. and  got medicine. Still unknown. There is a cinema in the complex, that is cool. Not the right time for me. Darn. Left airport about noon. Train, metro and short walk I was at hotel. Easy. Still not check in. Time to eat then, tried to get Korean BBQ, nope, got schnitzel. Did have lots of chimchi and pickled things. 

   Am at the theatre to see production of: Cookin' Nanta. Comedy cooking show guaranteed there will no language barrier.

    Men's ties have dangling metal charm at the tip.

    Metro has videos showing how they clean the cars, tunnels and how to use the emergency fire helmets provided in the station, and, how to open the doors. 

    People showing smoking Cigarettes are blocked out in TV.

Cambodia March 2014

• Big pink pig upside down on the back of motorbike, legs flailing. 

• Eating green crunchy lotus seeds out of the pod. 

• Amok is a local dish. It is a bit curry style with coconut. Very tasty, and, I like the word. 

• As this is a diamond country, the Buddhas are encrusted.  

• The worst part is Pol Pots Killing Field. There are many more, all around the country. AND, all are documented, like Hitlers group. 

• The best part is Angkor Wat. Now that place has a MOAT. Largest religious structure ever built, think on that one. 

• AA meeting right around the corner from the hotel, and, on a free night. Cool.

• The Phnom Phen palace has a Disney feeling in the public areas between buildings, could not call the space a garden, only in respect that it is full of very large plant pots. 

• Kompong Thom is the temple with the really big heads facing all four directions. My favorite. 

• Splendid extensive carvings on temples, so beautiful and intricate.

• Pyramid temples as well.

• Sticky rice cooked on bamboo pieces at road side.

• Plenty of linghams and noni sculptures.

• Karaoke on bus.

• Tall, hollow brick towers at temples.

• Locals told me I danced like one of them, still got it!

• Should not forget the bugs: so many to have for snacks. Tarantulas, black beetles, tiny frogs, cicadas-live or fried, many more. No, I did not partake. 

Train ride in China Feb. 2014

   China is full of Chinese. I don't know where the foreigners are, not where I am. Have seen maybe 4 since I got to China. 

   The train 30+ hour train from Shanghai to Kunming was hell, like a very bad movie. Because of the passport mess, I could not make it earlier to get a bed. And many days in the future for one because of the New Year and Spring Festival. Chinese trains are the busiest in the world. Heard the term-hard seat? Boy howdy, it was.  No table to lean on, arm rests or any thing else I think of as having with a train seat. All faced each other, no leg room nor much space to share foot space. They do sell standing room, and, many people were. So inventive in finding a bit of space to rest. Children were put behind the corridor doors on top of luggage. Others sat on theirs in front of the sinks and one man laid across the sinks. So many children, lots of crying and screaming. No toys were seen, they entertained themselves. Only one snorer, humm. Not a C-PAP to be seen. Movies going on individual players, train music, mobile phones that MUST be shouted into, loud voices are normal. Oh, one must not forget the coughing and gagging. I did research on this phenomenon in China, it is not physical to Chinese, only cultural. I think it rids one of 'evil'. Won't do that again. 

Shanghai Feb. 2014

     Häagen Daz ice cream parlors pack containers to go in a frozen food bag like we used to get at the supermarket and with a little bag of dry ice. Clever. 

     Left over from World Expo 2010 is the Saudi pavilion. It houses the largest IMAX screen on earth. You are on a moving sidewalk that puts you in the center of the film, showing scenes from Saudi Arabia. A treat for the scences. 

   The Chinese pavilion is now an art museum and it is massive. The building is built like bright red Lincoln Logs in an upside down pyramid style. Beautiful. 

    I stayed in his area as this is where my friends live. Just walked in the very cold rain with two days in the museums. 

     My friends went with me to spend the day in Hangzhou. West Lake is up in the top of places to see in China. It was so cold and gloomy that it really got missed out for us. Then my ticket for the stored luggage disappeared. Never to be seen again.  Thank Clod that my friends were there to speak Chinese, I shudder to think of those consequences, I was catching a train.