Sorry for the lack of updates. I got busy, then had some internet issues before I left, so I didn’t have time to update the blog and let you know I would be in China. Right now, I am in Beijing. (More on that later.)
I have taken a lot of pictures, so check back for that. I’ll be back in Japan in a couple days.
This isn’t a new link, and even the author admits it is probably an oversimplification, but it is an interesting point. What is the difference between the typical way that Japanese people and Chinese people approach problems?
James Fallows (November 27, 2007) - "The" way vs "a" way (Japan v China dept):
With usual caveats against sweeping generalization, what this made me think was: Japan is all about the way of doing things. Practice, ritual, perfectionism, as much fanatical attention to the process as to the result. China is all about finding a way to do things. Improvisation, little interest in rules, putting up with whatever is necessary to attain the result.
Yes, I think it is a generalization, but it does ring true to some extent. Interesting.
(Via A Whole Lotta Nothing.)
One of the last vestiges of the British Empire, Hong Kong, was returned to Chinese rule ten years ago today. Funny, I found out that today is the anniversary when I went to look up something on Wikipedia just now, but I was thinking about Hong Kong earlier today. I wonder if I remembered the date subconsciously…? Nah, just a coincidence, I’m sure. At any rate, as you probably recall, I took a trip there last summer. It was a nice place. I’d really like to go again sometime.
I wrote a couple articles about my trip last August:
And I also have a Flickr Photoset:
One year ago today, I was in Beijing, China. I went to attend my friend’s wedding in Harbin, and before that, I stayed a few days in Beijing. I arrived on the evening of the 29th, so the 30th was the beginning of my tour.
I took a bus tour, which included:
My friend Stew has written a brilliant article describing his experiences with public transit in China.
It made me think about the train system in Japan. I rarely ride the bus in Japan, but I ride trains every day. Some people have asked me if the trains in Japan are like the ones in the US (I guess they mean Amtrak?) In a word, NO! For one thing, especially in Tokyo, there are tons of them, and they are generally punctual. They are efficient, but often crowded.
When I made a comment on his site about how the trains in Tokyo are the best, I hope I didn’t sound like I was gloating. There are many things that annoy me here, but I just really like the train system. Whenever I leave Japan, I miss it. On the other hand, maybe it is a good thing I like the trains, since I waste spend so much time on them! 
I want to write more about this, but I really need to get some rest. In the meantime, enjoy his article. I took the picture above at Minami Furuya Station (南古谷駅), last Saturday, when I went to get my computer. That bus was waiting right outside the exit.
Here’s the link to his article again, in case you missed it at the beginning of the article.
I mentioned the other day that I had found pictures from last year that I never uploaded. That includes a bunch of China pictures! So in honor of my readers in China, here is a sample of what is to come.
I took this picture in the Forbidden City, in Beijing, China, on May 1, 2006. I can’t describe how incredible it was to retrace the steps of ancient Emperors and Empresses.
Stay tuned for more pictures. I have over 200 pictures ready to upload, but i want to run through them again and weed out a couple that didn’t turn out well. And I have to tag them and get the up on the site…but I should have them up by the end of the week.
(That is my Forest Gump impersonation of the day….Can you dig it?) 
Last weekend, I took another impromptu trip to Beijing. It was a three-day weekend, and I wanted to see some of my friends. We went to a restaurant that serves food from Xinjiang (新疆), which literally means, “New Frontier.” Xianjiang is a large province on the western edge of China. The food is very delicious and and a bit spicy.
I also went to another World Heritage Site, The Summer Palace (颐和园), in Beijing. I stayed in a hotel that was like an apartment. Everything looked new. It even had a small kitchen and washing machine! It was really nice, comfortable, and inexpensive!
It is always nice to get away and see something new. This has definitely been a year of short trips and varied experiences, both in Japan and in other countries. I have been working hard, but also having fun. Unfortunately, I didn’t take my camera this time! If you want to learn more, check out these Wikipedia pages:
Xinjiang: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xinjiang
The Summer Palace: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Palace
Beijing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing
By the way, I took Air China and I was very happy with the service. I left early for my flight, but for various reasons, I was late getting ticketed. One of the attendants ran with me and helped me get on the flight. Then, on the way back, I flew Business Class. (It was like First Class.) It was very comfortable and the service was great.
I went to Harbin, China on May 3, 2006, for my friend’s wedding.
What can I say about Harbin? I was really impressed. It has a great deal of Russian influence, as well as Korean. The city and the people are very vibrant and interesting!
I took a night train from Beijing. My time in Harbin was short, but I have many good memories. If I ever get the chance, I would love to go back.
In case you haven’t seen this photo, I took it at the Great Wall, in China, on 4/30/2006. Click on the picture to go to my Flickr site…
Update: I forgot to mention: if you do click on the photo and go to my Flickr page, right above the picture, there is a link that says “All Sizes,” with a magnifying glass icon to the left of it. Click on that, and you can see a larger version of this picture.
