The Wayfarer Blog

I took this at the Meiji Shrine, in Tokyo. Angela and I witnessed this procession. At the end of their walk, they bowed just as I took this picture.

You can see my Meiji Shrine Photoset here.

Halloween came and went before I realized it. I realized around 9pm what day it was. It just isn’t a big deal in Japan at all. It was never much a big deal in my house growing up, so I don’t miss it, at all.

If you haven’t seen this, here is a picture of Kinkakuji (金閣寺), in Kyoto. It is a world heritage site. It was originally built in 1397, was burned down and rebuilt several times (most recently in 1950 by a mentally disturbed monk).

This is supposedly the most popular tourist attraction in Kyoto. It was truly a beautiful place. If you want to learn more about Kinkakuji, check out the Wikipedia article here. (As always, you can click on the photo to see it on my Flick page…)

I helped Angela get her luggage on the train to the airport, and barely got off before the doors closed. We had a leisurely last morning–perhaps a bit too leisurely–since we barely finished in time. We went out to lunch and then had to rush back to my apartment to get her luggage and get her to Shinjuku to catch her train.

Now, she is back on her way home. I remember walking back home, thinking how strange it was to be back to “normal,” whatever that means.

Of course, what we call “normal” is just what we have already accepted as our reality. Anything new or contrary to that is “strange.” But living in a place like this, I have had to challenge my views of what is normal and what is not. We all do. It is still difficult to reconcile at times, as we all experience in our own ways.

I remember in high school, one of my karate instructors used to recommend books for me to read. Some of the books were “deeper” than others, but all of them gave me a new perspective. I remember now that he introduced me to books by Dan Millman, a former gymnastics champion and martial artist, who has written many self-help books, most notably, “The Way of the Peaceful Warrior.” Although his books were interesting to me at the time, this is not a plug for Mr. Millman; in fact, I hadn’t thought about him for a long time. But I do remember one quote that he wrote, which stuck with me: “There are no ordinary moments.”

Every day, every moment, we are faced with new challenges and opportunities. We usually do not see them that way, unless there is some “special” reason, such as an emergency, an illness, or a major milestone in our life.

Another way to express this is with a four-Chinese character idiom:
一期一会。 (In Japanese, it is read, “Ichi Go Ichi Eh”.) It is often translated as, “One encounter, one chance.” The first (and third) character, 一, means “1.” The second, 期, means “period; session; term.” The fourth character, 会, means “to meet.” (Interestingly enough, in Chinese, it also means “to be able to do something.”) So we could also understand this as “Each time is unique and it will never be repeated again, so do not waste it.” (Chinese characters are deep and they contain a lot of meaning. It is often difficult to translate them elegantly.)

In other words, every day is our one and only chance to encounter this exact set of challenges and opportunities. Our life is made up of nothing more than these “ordinary” moments.

As the memory of my sister’s visit fades into the past, I might forget the daily events and the details of what did, and where we went, but those memories will be a part of my life. And as I return to my “ordinary” life, I will face something entirely new.

I eagerly face the next “ordinary moment.”

While we were in our hotel in Kyoto, I wrote this post, and I meant to edit and publish it, but I got too tired, so I gave up. Now that we are back in Tokyo, I will post it. Here is what I wrote on 10/9/06, at around 11pm:

(Post title: “On the Road…(Reporting Live from Kyoto)”

Well, we aren’t really “On the Road,” we have been traveling by Bullet Train, but “On the Rail,” just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Anyway, we have been having an interesting trip.

First, we went to Hiroshima. Our first impressions on Friday night were rather lukewarm, but that was colored by the fact that we were tired and we had some trouble finding a place to stay. (More on that later).

The next day, we went to Miyajima and the A-Bomb Dome/Museum. That’s two World Heritage Sites in one day! Then we got up this morning (Monday, 10 /9) and went back to take a few daylight pictures of the Dome. Then we headed for Himeji Castle, another World Heritage Site, and arguably the best Feudal Castle in Japan. I had been there a year and a half ago, but last time I didn’t have a good camera. Now, we are in Kyoto.

It is a bit late, and I am completely exhausted. I will write more and post some pictures later. Angela has also taken some great pictures. It wasn’t hard to take good pictures, because the places we have visited are incredible.

That’s all for now.

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.

Ok, I am a bit late with my report on my trip to Hong Kong, but better late than never, right?

As I wrote before, it was a last-minute trip, with little planning. But it turned out to be a fun trip, though I was really too tired and it was way too short. Anyway, I got in on Wednesday, 8/16, at around 7:30pm.

When I got to the airport, I exchanged some money. Then I went to the counter next door and got a hotel room. Because it was peak season and it was a last minute booking, my choices were somewhat limited. My friends recommended that I try to stay in Causeway Bay, but there was a problem. I could book one night in Causeway Bay for less money, but then I would have to worry about the next night’s accomodations. On the other hand, they could guarantee a hotel for all three nights in Wan Chai, which was one stop closer to the airport, but more expensive. I ended up taking the hotel in Wan Chai, which was a great choice. I had a stable base of operations for the rest of my trip.

The other thing I did at the airport was get an Octopus card, which is a magnetic pass that you can use on the trains, ferries, and busses. It is a lot like the “Suica” card that I use to ride JR (Japan Railway) trains in Japan. Just like the Suica, you can charge the card and then pass it over a sensor when you enter or leave a ticket gate. And you can also use it to buy food and drinks in some shops, but I didn’t do that in Hong Kong.

The express train ride from the airport was very fast and comfortable. I went to Central Station, then I transferred to a train that would take me to Wan Chai, which is where my hotel was. The train stations were very big, like airports. In Tokyo, some stations are large like that; especially the subway lines. You might have to walk half a mile to get to another subway line. But I rarely have to do that. I kept thinking what a pain it would be if you were late to work and had to run (something I know a thing or two about!!!)

The announcements were in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English, so there was NO trouble getting around. And the train system is much simpler than Tokyo’s, so I caught on right away. You definitely don’t need to speak a word of Chinese to make it in Hong Kong. In fact, they assume you can’t. Just like in Japan, the trains were fast, safe, and convenient.

After i checked into my hotel, I walked around a bit and took a couple night pictures.

The next morning, I got up and went to Tsim Sha Tsui, which was only a couple stops away. (Unlike in Tokyo, which is very spread out, most of the places I went to were maybe 5-10 minutes away by train.) You can see many pictures of that area on my photo page. There is a ferry, which I took on my second day, and some museums, a beautiful harbor, and the Hong Kong version of the Hollywood Walk of Stars. (They call it “The Avenue of Stars.”) Many stars you have heard of, like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Bruce Lee, Michelle Yeoh, and Sammo Hung have stars; there are also many you might not know, like Brigette Lin, or Kwan Tak Hing, who starred in about a hundred of movies over several decades.

Then i went back to Wan Chai, and walked around the area near my hotel. It was very hot, so I went back to my room and showered and took a nap. I didn’t want to sleep, but I really had no choice. I needed it!

After I woke up, I went to Central Station and then I eventually made my way to Victoria Peak, which is the highest point on Hong Kong Island. I took a tram to the top. It was crowded, so I had to stand in the middle, in the area that flexed like an accordian (just like those long buses in Seattle!) The funny thing is, it was so steep, I had to hold on for dear life–not only was I bobbing up and down, but I felt like I was in danger of sliding back! But I made it. I rode up next to an older Japanese couple. I didn’t say anything, but I couldn’t help but overhear their conversation. Not to worry. They were just making comments about the view. But when I heard them talking about what they saw, I looked in the direction. The lady seemed to notice it, but I don’t think she realized I understood what they were saying.
It was already very dark when we got to the top. The view was outstanding.

I couldn’t resist the call of the Haagen-Daz shop; it had been a while since I had Green Tea ice cream! I walked around for a while, and I enjoyed the view. Eventually, I made my way back to the line to go back down the mountain. This time i was the first person on the tram and I got a seat!

The next morning, I got up and went to Causeway Bay. I decided to sleep in a bit and not push myself so hard. I realized I wasn’t going to come close to seeing everything I wanted to see. I made a rough plan to see a couple temples and ride the ferry. But mostly, I just wandered around all day, seeing what I could, getting lost, and discovering unexpected delights. This whole trip was basically unplanned and disorganized, but there was something relaxing and fun about that. I went with no expectations or commitments. Unlike most days, I was completely free of schedules, tight deadlines, and obligations. I think I could have seen more if I had been more strict, but I really didn’t need to see more. It was just nice to live in the moment.

I saw mountains, skyscrapers, waterfront views, shopping malls, traditional Chinese markets, temples, parks, antique shops, restaurants, and people from all over the world, speaking a dozen languages. I even walked through a supermarket and laughed when I saw all the Japanese and American products!

One funny memory was when I decided to stop at a Ben and Jerry’s shop in one of the malls and have some ice cream. (ok, I know this sounds terrible, but I really don’t eat ice cream all that often! But hey, I was on vacation..and I have never seen Ben and Jerry’s in Japan, so why not…?) Anyway, I ordered a “medium” cup. Living in Japan, I have gotten used to really small sizes. Even a “large” is usually more like a kid’s meal size in the US. So the clerk said I could choose two flavors. And when she handed it to me, my eyes got really big and I actually said “Wow!” in a loud voice, involuntarily! It was HUGE! I guess you had to be there, but it was funny to me. It really made me think about serving sizes and what is “enough” to eat.

The prices in Hong Kong are comparable, and in many cases, more expensive than what I am used to in Tokyo. This is, after all, one of the main gateways to China and one of the busiest ports in the world. This century will truly be a renaissance for China. And the Chinese economic engine is on overdrive! Just like on the mainland, I could feel a definite feeling of optimism. They love to do business, and business is booming…

Overall, the trip was fun and worth it. Would I go again? Absolutely. And I probably will. Next time, I will have dim sum in Hong Kong–one of those things I’ve always wanted to do, but didn’t manage to do this time.

(Note: Most computers can read Japanese and Chinese characters, even if their owners can’t. If yours can’t, you can either ignore it or download the fonts. Please ask me if you have any questions…)

So I didn’t take any wild trips last weekend. And that was the right decision. But I did take a few walks. And on Sunday, I went back to Nishi Ogikubo, where I used to live when I first came to Japan.

Nishiogikubi is written 西荻窪 in Japanese. “Nishi” (西) means “west”. Now I live in Ogikubo (荻窪) which is just one stop to the east. I went and had sushi at a “kaiten zushi” (回転寿司）shop and I walked around for a while. “kaiten” (回転）means “to turn” or “to revolve” and
“zushi” means “sushi” (寿司)…and everyone knows what that is. (Update: I posted this before I left for work this morning, but since I was in a hurry, I forgot to finish what I was saying. Kaiten Zushi is a style of sushi restaurant, where you sit at a bar and they put small plates with sushi on a kind of conveyor belt that goes around the bar (like a model train). You pick up the dishes you want, and you can also order from one of the sushi chefs. When you finish, they count your plates and you pay.
I just put up a pic of the station. I only took a couple pics that day. I mostly just wanted to go walk around. It was great. Ogikubo, where I live now, is one stop closer to the center of Tokyo and it is very convenient and nice. But Nishi Ogikubo has a lot of great little restaurants and shops. It is like a small town. And many of the shopkeepers near my old apartment used to greet me and talk about the weather.

Whenever I go there, I say, “ああ、懐かしい。。。”　(”Ah, natsukashii…”), which means, (”Ah, this sure brings back memories…”)
The best thing about taking pictures is that I can show you a little bit of what my world looks like. And I can also look back and remember, too. Thanks for your stopping by.

By the way, I just recently changed to using Flickr to host my pictures. I still am trying to decide how to organize my pictures in these sets. So things will change around as I add pics and try to make them more manageable. Feel free to tell me if you have any problems or suggestions.

All of my pictures are accessible here on this site, but you can also see them on Flickr, by going here: http:/www.flickr.com/photos/abuckingham