Japanisms

After living in Japan for a year, Edwin is very used to the quirky, cute and strange things that make Japan Japan. I spent most of our 12 days there repeating the phrase "I've never seen anything like this before - this must be only in Japan!"
Some of my favourite "Japanisms" include:
- the bathrooms: heated seats on the toilets that also wash you (front and back) with nice warm water; speakers in the women's public toilets that make a flushing sound so that you don't have to be embarassed when you splash; and hand dryers that mean business (so powerful your hands are really dry in about 5 seconds)
- the vending machines: about 20 kinds of hot and cold coffee, tea, cocoa, soup, fries, and chicken nuggets are available in machines that are never more than a 1 minute walk from wherever you are in Japan. Beer and sake are also available, but you have to have a special card which indicates you are of age to purchase alcohol.
- the use of English: strange use of English everywhere - my favourite is a sign for a lingerie shop stating: "honeymoon night - beautiful night, romantic night, memorial night."
- really thoughtful and clever things like: plastic sheaths for your umbrella that are free in front of most department stores, free sonic eyeglass washing stations in front of optometrists, free reading glasses for use at the post office, and mirrors at the top of the overhead bins of the Japanese airlines, so you can see if you've left anything behind.
- at restaurants ordering your food by pointing at the plastic facsimile, or by going to a vending machine, inserting your money, and placing your own order. A ticket is printed which you then hand to a waitress who brings you your food when it is ready.
- American celebrities endorsing Japanese products - Cameron Diaz and Brad Pitt appearing in posters and television ads for a mobile phone company; Tommy Lee Jones appearing very haggard on many coffee vending machines, for "Boss" coffee
- smoking is allowed almost everywhere, and people bring their own "portable ashtrays".
- an infatuation with Audry Hepburn - photos of her appear in advertisements
- guide strips on all sidewalks, subways, and in shopping malls for blind people to walk along
- individually packaged everything from vegetables to candies to teaspoons
- endless bowing and politeness of the people
- internet cafes that people seem to live at - booths with sofas, televisions, and computers - drinks, toothbrushes and toothpaste are all included in the price.
- the precision of JR Rail - you can literally set your watch by the departure and arrival times of the trains without fail.
- trying to balance your backpack on your back as you take off your shoes and put on the slippers provided by hostels and guesthouses. Most also have a separate pair of slippers that are left in the toilet room and are not to be taken out of the toilet room.
- everything cute! Trinkets on mobile phones, hanging off purses and bags, bows and ribbons in girls' hair. Same thing applies for their dogs - small dogs with ribbons and bows, mostly being carried by their owners on the street.
- people handing out free tissues on street corners.
- good luck charms at temples for everything from success in school to health to "traffic safety".
- clothing and cars in all shades of black, white, silver and beige

Location: Beijing, China

Whirlwind Japan Part 2

On February 17, another Shinkansen ride put us into Kyoto, the city famous for geishas, temples and shrines. For the next 3 days, we went to 12 different temples and shrines, all of them were different and all special for us. It's hard to pick favorites, but some of the highlights included: the hundreds of brilliant orange tori gates at Fushimi Inari; the gorgeous gardens at Heian Shrine; the bride and groom who were posing for photographs at Shimigamo; the creaky floorboards at Nijo Castle which were meant to sound like nightingales and warn the shogun's bodyguards of any potential spies or assasins; the zen rock garden at Ryoangi, the Golden Pavillion and its reflection on Mirror Pond at Kinkakuji; and the plum and cherry blossoms at Kitano Tenmangu.

The rituals at the shrines were especially interesting - upon entering each shrine, we washed our hands and drank a little water from the washing well to purify ourselves. Prayers or wishes were made by making a deep bow, clapping twice, making your wish, and then making one more deep bow before throwing a few coins into the wooden slats of the offering box. Ema prayers are small pieces of wood, colorfully painted with prayers and symbols and left at the temple. Omikuji goodluck slips of paper are ties by the hundreds to trees and railings around the shrine - they predict a bad fortune, but are left at the shrine in case the deity can reduce or change what is predicted.

In the evening we went to Gion and were lucky enough to spot one geisha arriving at a teahouse by taxi. Dressed in a lovely orange flower - patterned kimono, and in full makeup and hair, she was beautiful, but a little bit teetery walking in her tall slippers. During the day we also saw maiko, young geisha apprentices.

We then went to Osaka, where we had planned on spending one night at a "love hotel". Somewhat infamous in Japan, these hotels are meant to provide some privacy for couples wishing to have some fun, away from the often multi-generation family homes where only a paper wall may separate rooms. During the day, they can be rented by the hour (a "rest"), but after 10:00 pm, they may be rented for the night (a "stay"). Discretion is key, so upon entering the lobby, visitors see a large lit up board, with pictures of available rooms and their themes/amenities lit up. When we had decided on our "Black Room", we pushed a button, which darkened the picture, and the lady behind the curtained reception desk took our money, and gave us our key. We made our way upstairs, and couldn't stop laughing when we entered our room. From the strange sparkly gold shower stool to the flickering electric candles, to the red and black walls and floor to the adult entertainment channels (but with the nudity mostly blanked out - this is Japan!), to the condoms on the headboard, this room was definitely meant for love. But, the funniest/craziest thing in the room was the black leather bondage chair, complete with velcro arm bands and chains - oh my!

The next morning we went to Osaka Castle and strolled around the beautiful plum gardens, which seem to have started blooming a bit early this year. We then made our way out to the Miyabyashi family's home, near the airport. Jacqui is a friend of Edwin's since childhood, and she now lives in Osaka with her husband Takeshi and two sons Noah and Tyler. We spent a fun night with them, and she drove us to the airport the next morning for our 10:00 am flight to Beijing on February 21st.

We boarded our flight and waited 2 hours on the tarmac waiting for fog to clear in Beijing. Finally we took off, but after about 1 3/4 hours of flying, somewhere just west of Korea, we were informed that all flights in and out of Beijing were cancelled, and we were returning to Osaka. Upon landing, we didn't really know what was going to happen, but after a bit of "discussion", ANA (All Nippon Airways) did pay for a hotel for us near to the airport. The onboard service had been excellent while we were waiting and during the flight, but we were told different things by different ground staff when we landed. Two people told us that ANA couldn't be held responsible for weather cancellations, and two people told us that ANA would of course pay for our hotel. I think perhaps letting them know we were on our honeymoon helped in the end and we stayed in a very nice hotel where we were able to take our last bath and shower in an onsen. We also were able to visit with Jacqui and Takeshi again, and the next day we flew to Beijing with no problems.

Location: Beijing, China

Whirlwind Japan Part 1

Leaving Auckland on February 9 was very tough. After 2 months in New Zealand, we had so many memories - new experiences, new friendships, and old relationships rekindled (and oh yes, a wedding, too!) We left Mum and Dad, cousins Albert, Gary and Jason, and friends Bryce and Michelle late in the night on the 8th of February, bound for Beijing, via Singapore.

When we first started planning our year long journey, Japan did not feature into our plans at all. But, after learning that we could attend the Yuki-Matsuri Ice and Snow Festival in Sapporo, and that we would be able to book our flights to and from China using points, we decided to go for it. We overnighted in Beijing, and then flew to Sapporo, via Tokyo, where we landed to discover lots and lots of snow! We spent 2 days at the festival, taking in all the snow and ice sculptures, and dance and drumming performances. It was incredible to see how large and intricate some of the sculptures were, some complete with coloured lights and a sound show. On our third day in Sapporo, we went to a beautiful onsen, called Hoheikyo. It was magical, sitting in a steaming pool of spring water, seeing the steam rise off the 39 degree (C) water, looking out over the snow-covered mountains, while surrounded by snow. I had a "scurf removal" treatment, and was disgusted by the amount of dead skin (scurf) that was scrubbed off my body - yuck!

Arriving in Tokyo by shinkansen (bullet train) was fantastic, as the ticker board in our car let us know that we were travelling at 285 km/h. And it felt like that pace continued while in Tokyo. It:s hard to describe the city, with millions of people bustling about, shopping, commuting, eating, bowing to each other and to us endlessly. We visit a small haven from the craziness at the Sensoji temple, where we watched the worshippers burning incense, and leaving their Omikuji good luck slips of paper tied to the trees surrounding the temple, just in case the deity of the temple would be able to change or reduce any bad fortunes that have been predicted for the person. We visited the iconic busy intersection of Shibuya Station, and gawked at all the neon of Shinjinku. At the Sony building we saw the new up and coming electronics that are available (some only in Japan), and at the electronics shops we were able to play with amazing cameras and new computers.

On our second morning in Tokyo, we woke up early to go to the Tsukiji fish market, where we stared at all the weird and wonderful things for sale - octopus, shell fish, squid (complete with ink), huge tuna, lobster and prawns, and yes, whale meat. We paid a visit to the Imperial Palace, the residence of the Emperor of Japan, and wandered around central Tokyo until our 11:45 pm departure for Hiroshima.

Hiroshima is beautiful, shocking, and inspiring all at once. The A-Bomb Dome stands as a crumbling reminder of the destructive power of a nuclear bomb, and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is filled with horrific artifacts and photos of the city and its people after the bomb was dropped. The Children:s Peace Monument is wonderful, with several large kiosks filled with paper cranes, which have been brought to the City of Hiroshima from all around the world in memory of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who contracted leukemia after exposure to the radiation from the bomb. She believed that if she folded 1000 paper cranes, she would be granted a wish, and her wish was not for her own recovery, but for peace in the world.

Location: Kyoto, Japan

The Great New Zealand Outdoors

After our Canadian family returned home, we continued our travels around New Zealand. Our first stop was to Raglan, the childhood home of Edwin's Dad, on the west coast of the North Island. Raglan is a beautiful little beach town, where we played on the beach with Sophia and Leina, building black, iron-sand sandcastles. We also paid a visit to Granny's old house, and the site where her ashes were spread, near a creek in the lush woods.

Edwin and I continued on to the South Island, for a three-day kayaking trip around the Abel Tasman National Park. We had perfect weather and calm seas for our 3 days of kayaking. We camped two nights at kayak only access campsites. The first, Observation Bay was great - not too many sand flies, and a beautiful view out to the sea. The second was called Mosquito Bay, and we should have considered ourselves fairly warned. But, it also should have been called Possum Bay - when I got up in the middle of the night to look for the outhouse/longdrop, I was greeted along the pay by 3 sets of red eyes looking at me (daring me) to pass them in the trees. It was a tough call, but ultimately my bladder beat my fear, and I ran as quickly as I could back to the safety of the tent.

Our next stop on the South Island was Nelson Lakes, and a long (24km) walk around Rotoiti Lake. The scenery was beautiful - the lake was surrounded by steep mountains, and we saw black swans, and huge eels in the lake. We then returned to the North Island for a visit with Sara, a friend of Edwin's, who is now an Officer for the Department of Conservation on Kapati Island. Kapati is one of New Zealand's oldest nature reserves, and after years of possum, rat and stoat eradication, the island is now home to thousands of birds - kaka, kiwi, hihi, tui, little blue penguins, weka, and takahe. We spent the day with Sara, filling feeders for the hihi, climbing the steep hillside of the islands.

From Kapati, we went to Turangi, and did the Tongariro Crossing one-day trek. Although the weather was pretty bad in the morning, with cloud, rain, and winds up to 55 km/h, we still were able to have clear views to the Emerald Lakes and Red Crater. Our last week in New Zealand has been spent with family and friends, and preparing for the next leg of our journey - Japan and China.

Location: Auckland, New Zealand