Amazing Japan: Hakone and Kyoto!

Back again to busy Shinjuku station, we purchased our Hakone Free Pass and hopped aboard the "Romance Car" direct to Hakone, a hot springs resort town nestled in the mountains near Mt. Fuji. It was raining hard when we arrived so we opted for a taxi to our ryokan, Hotel Senkei, the highlight of our stay in Japan.

We were warmly greeted, given umbrellas, and led to our private apartment. Inside, we took off our shoes and stepped up onto the beautiful tatami mats. Warm tea and Japanese sweets awaited us around the table. Our hostess then fitted us each with robes (yukatas) to wear and went over proper procedures for using the onsite hot spring spa (onsen). She asked when we would like to be served dinner, and we arranged a time to allow us to relax in our beautiful room. We slid the silk screen inner doors open and took lots of pictures!

At the requested time, our hostess returned to escort us to a private dining room, where an amazing keiseki meal awaited us! These meals were indeed the highlight of our stay here; each place setting had perhaps 20 different dishes in front, all artfully presented and amazingly good! I was proud of my children who managed to try many new and unfamiliar things. After enjoying a leisurely meal, we all tried soaking in the onsen (Mark with Adam, and me with the girls). Then kids to bed in their prepared futons, a bit of sake for us, and everyone was happy. =)

In the morning, we donned our yukatas once more and enjoyed another amazing keiseki meal for breakfast. Then back to the station to store our bags for a day of sightseeing.

The tourist circuit around Hakone is very well organized, making it easy to hop from one mode of transportation to another. We began with a charming, small train that wove its way up the mountain, making switchbacks and crossing bridges along the way. Our first stop was at the Open Air Museum, a sculpture garden filled with delightful and creative works of art. We spent several hours there, and my kids had fun at the creative play spaces onsite. After, we ate a yummy lunch at Woody's Cafe (think Toy Story!)

We continued with a cable car, then a ropeway up to Owakudani, a geologic area on the top of the mountain known for its sulpher vents. We took the short hike to an area where the vents were more visible, and there we bought some black eggs boiled onsite. Eating one is said to prolong one's life by seven years, so I just had to eat one!

Next it was down the other side of the mountain via ropeway, then onto a junk boat for a scenic trip across Lake Ashi. Normally this provides the best views of Mt. Fuji, but unfortunately due to fog and light drizzle, the mountain didn't show its face.

A bus ride in the dark took us back to the station, where we gathered our luggage and took the local train one stop back to Odawara. Here we bought our tickets for the Shinkansen to Kyoto. Indeed, this "bullet train" was fast and very smooth; though we couldn't see much out the window in the dark, we knew we were flying fast, and I marveled at the ingenuity of Japanese engineering.

Kyoto was like walking back through time, boasting a wealth of UNESCO sites to explore. We saw as much as possible in our two full days there, picking Hotel Sunline Kyoto for its close proximity to a bus stop and for its family-sized room (we all fit in one room, very rare in Asia!!). First, we visited Nijo-ji castle, displaying the opulence of the shoguns during the feudal era. I particularly liked the extensive landscaped gardens and the "nightingale floors" that squeaked to warn of intruders.

We also had fun visiting the Toei Kyoto Studio Park, where we watched a ninja show and explored the Japanese "village" used as backdrop for many samurai movies. Couldn't leave without buying Mark a ninja sword!

We completed the day in Gion Corner, wandering among houses where beautiful geisha hurried to their nightly appointments. Here we watched a cultural demonstration of various Japanese arts at Yasaka Hall, highlighting chado (the tea ceremony), koto (Japanese harp), kado (flower arrangement), gagaku (court music), kyogen (ancient comic plays), kyomai (Kyoto style dance), and bunraku (puppet play).

The next day we visited Kinkakuji, the famous Temple of the Golden Pavilion. Its image sparkling in the reflection lake was amazing to behold! After, we visited the most famous Zen rock garden in Japan, at Ryoanji temple. It was peaceful to sit quietly for awhile, meditating and soaking up the serenity.

In the late afternoon, we visited the Fushimi Inari shrine (featured in Memoirs of a Geisha), which welcomed us with its giant vermillion torii gate. Behind the main temple grounds, hundreds of smaller orange torii gates snake upwards to the top of Mt. Inari, like the ribs of a long, colorful snake. It was a mesmerizing and surreal experience to walk through them, and though we didn't make it to the top (did I mention there are hundreds?!!), this was one of my favorite shrines we visited in Japan. I just had to buy myself a miniature torii gate as a souvenir (and Christmas ornament)!

With a bit of difficulty due to lack of proper planning, we made our way to Osaka that night and to the airport in the morning. The wonderful week we spent in the Land of the Rising Sun will remain forever in our memories!

Amazing Japan: Tokyo!

Continuing our exotic travels abroad, we just returned from an exciting trip to Japan! It took all day to travel there and another to return, but the difference of only one time zone meant we enjoyed the week without jetlag. First however, we battled exhaustion as we made our way via local trains from Narita to Keio Plaza Tokyo in Shinjuku, eventually crawling into bed at 1 a.m.!

Our first three days were a whirlwind of sightseeing. First was to witness the organized frenzy of people and cars at Shibuya Crossing, as featured in Lost in Translation. While there, we posed in front of Hachiko's statue, commemorating a loyal dog who returned daily to the station for nine years to greet his master, even after his master's death. (Watch the movie, and have Kleenex ready!) From there, we rode the subways to Asakusa to visit Senso-ji temple. We posed in front of the grand entrance with the giant red lantern, then strolled leisurely down Nakamise Dori, a lovely pedestrian street lined with shops and food stalls. At the temple, we took turns telling our fortune by shaking a box until a bamboo stick with Japanese characters came out. I had to ask assistance from a local (i.e., look clueless!), and they politely helped me find the correct box to select my fortune from. The result? "It is good to start a trip." =)

We had lunch at a small yakitori place where we had difficulty ordering, but ended up with perhaps the most tender beef I've ever eaten! Afterwards we found a playground for the kids. =)

Next stop was to Harajuku, where on Sunday afternoons young people congregate for cosplay (costume play). Unfortunately we arrived too late in the day, as they had returned home. Instead, we visited Meiji Jingu shrine with its beautiful wooden torii gates. I most enjoyed the pathway to the shrine itself, leisurely strolling through pinewood forests (so peaceful!) and passing thousands of barrels of donated sake (rice wine) and French wine (made me look forward to happy hour!).

Our final stop of the day was to Tokyo Tower to admire the nighttime city lights. What a big city!!

The next day, we visited the Fukagawa Edo Museum, which recreates a centuries-old Japanese village. All three kids enjoyed imaginative role play in this interactive museum and were careful to handle items gently and to always remove their shoes before stepping onto the tatami mats.

Next, we made our way to Akihabara. After a wonderful lunch, we browsed in this area known for the latest gadgets and electronics. Here we also visited the Origami Kaikan, where we were lucky enough to meet origami sensei Mr. Kazuo Kobayashi, who dazzled us with his creations and signed my instruction book that he wrote!

On our way to Odaiba, my kids got to "drive" the train (sit in the very front seats!) We enjoyed the journey that took us across the rainbow bridge to an island known for its kid-friendly attractions, malls, restaurants, and nightlife. We unfortunately arrived too late to visit the Miraikan Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, but we found a great restaurant for dinner, wasted yen at an arcade, and rode the giant ferris wheel!

On our last full day in Tokyo, we visited DisneySea, with many unique and original attractions related to water. We spent all day exploring this large theme park, including Mediterranean Harbour, the American Waterfront, Atlantis, and Mermaid Lagoon (my kids' favorite place, as there was nothing scary there). My favorite rides included "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and "Journey to the Center of the Earth"!

Our last stop before leaving Tokyo was to the Imperial Palace East Gardens. It was drizzling, but the rain didn't stop our explorations. My favorite area was Ninomaru Garden with its stone fountains, waterfall, stepping stones, koi pond, and meticulously shaped trees.

Reflections of an American expat in Malaysia

How living in Malaysia for the past 3 years has changed me (mostly for the better!):

•          I’m a bit more superstitious, and more aware of the connotation of numbers. For the Chinese, I've learned that 4 denotes death (floors are renamed 3A), and 8 is lucky and prosperous!
•          I know that color is key when picking outfits. Yellow is royal, blues and grays are funerary, red is lucky during Chinese New Year, and bright colors are a must for celebratory occasions.
•          The “ang pau” (red envelope) is a wonderful thing; it's the any occasion, any religion, simple gift! Who doesn’t want a money-filled envelope?
•           Living so close to the equator, I was hoping to adjust to the humidity, but I’ve accepted reality by now: I’ll never “get used” to it! I'm forced to embrace sweating as part of life, though I also often find myself with little tolerance for cold. Malls are guaranteed to be freezing, but I’ll be dripping again two minutes after “escaping” outside!
•           I’m more aware of religious holidays and cultural customs. Chinese New Year festivities, Hungry Ghost Festival, Thaipusam, Depavali, Ramadan: all offer unique glimpses into the unfamiliar lives and culture of much of the world’s population. I love watching Penang “transform” with each holiday; the decorations and colors of each festival help mark the passage of time in a country with the same climate year-round.
•          The call to prayer is soothing and beautiful, daily reminding me that I’m in another world.
•          Social media is key to staying connected to my roots. Facebook and listening to NBC Nightly News podcasts help keep me “in the know”. That way, I’ll never be in doubt about what craziness Justin Berber is up to, the ever-changing weather in the States, or . . . any real world news!
•           I kinda like being the one who stands out in the crowd, known here as the “orang putih” (white person). I love to eat at places frequented by locals where few foreigners go. I figure they know best where the good food is; I’ll just follow them! In reverse, I find myself now more sensitive and welcoming to foreign visitors within the US when I’m back at home.
•          Food is good, and I love to makan! Thai, Indian, Chinese, Nyonya (Malay fusion), Japanese, Western: it’s all good; bring it on! I will eat and try almost anything, and who knew that I like it spicy?! (By the way for those that are drooling, Lonely Planet voted Penang the #1 Foodie Destination in 2014!)
•          I’m more sensitive/aware of smell. A walk around Georgetown can at the same time be both a wonderful and terrible assault on the nose! Asian spices, incense, pollution, smoke resulting from street burning, sweat, durian, delicious food, frangipani . . . need I go on?!
  *    I’ve officially given up on finding shoes here in my size. As for clothes, apparently I’m XL (or even XXL), but if it fits right, I’m not looking at the tag!
  *    Incomplete sentences are ok-lah: “no need”, “don’t have”, “don’t want”, “can, can”. My favorite Malay word is “boleh” (meaning “can”); it just communicates so much! Instead of, “Can you please deliver 6 bottles of water between 11:00-2:00?”, I’ll get water much faster with, “6 bottles, 11:00-2:00, boleh?”
  *     Typical of my generation, I crave and seek experiences over the acquisition of stuff, and I’ve definitely caught the travel bug! With enough time (and money!), few places are out of reach, and my formerly limited bucket list is getting longer every day. We’ll be working in places to go and trips to take for decades to come, though probably not as frequently!
  *     My perception of what is “far away” is much farther now. When you’ve flown across the world, a 5-hour plane flight is no big deal!
  *    Some things that used to gross me out don’t phase me anymore. Fish heads or whole fish on a plate, live frogs at the market, and buying chicken as fresh as they get (slaughtered onsite) have become the new normal. I can deftly remove heads from prawns and even can debone a chicken, though it’s much easier to ask the chicken man to do it! (I admit I did cringe the other day when my fish was cleaned and gutted while still flopping a bit.)
  *     Driving: warrants an entire topic itself! Refer to my previous post: License to Drive (Nov 2011)
  *    I miss the variety of music in the USA. I got nostalgic (and a bit homesick) the other day when eating lunch at a restaurant playing oldies! There are very few English radio stations in Malaysia, so I’m stuck listening to pop rock on a repeating 10-song cycle, varied only by the repertoire of popular religious/cultural songs played for each holiday. (I don’t even know all the words, but that “Gong xi” song really gets stuck in your head!)
  *    Missing my one-stop shopping places like HEB and Target! Having to visit 3-5 different stores to put a complete meal together, and hunt all over the island for random things like printer ink and good-quality children’s shoes, is sometimes frustrating.
  *     I’ve been brought up to follow the rules, and there are some I just can’t break, no matter how many people around me do! Examples include: leaving my trash on the table, not returning the shopping cart, and parking illegally anywhere.
  *    I’m enjoying a hiatus from marketing ads to my mailbox. Only once a year do I receive a catalogue (from Toys R’ Us). Now I only get what I actually want: expat magazines, bills, photobooks (my latest hobby!), and cards from loved ones.
  *     I’m prepared for anything! Before I leave the house, I think: Bottled water? Check. Bug spray? Check. Band-aids? Check. Wet wipes? Check. (I’m really just a walking pharmacy!)
  *     The ocean view on a clear day from my balcony just doesn’t get old! How long can I stay here?!