Year of the Rat

Ohayo!

Hey - I just felt an earthquake. The ground wobbled back and forth a bit. Stefan (who is currently visiting from Toronto) felt it too so I know it was real. Cool!

In Japan they don't really celebrate Chinese New Year, but they do seem to observe the animal zodiac. They take some liberties though- instead of rats on everything (cards, fabrics, posters) there are also cute mice and gerbils.

Hakone

While Ross's Dad was here in early January we went on a day trip to the Hakone region. It allegedly offers stupendous views of Mt. Fuji but we were not able to enjoy this aspect of the region as we were enveloped in cloud for most of the day. But it was still fun. We completed the classic "Hakone circuit", characterized by its insane variety of modes of transportation.

We took the train from Tokyo (the trip took around an hour and a half). Then we switched to the Tozan mountain railway. This is allegedly the world's steepest train line. The bends are so sharp that there are three switchbacks where the train goes forward into a siding and then reverses out to continue its ascent. At the Tozan railway terminus we switched to a funicular that took us further up the mountain. After the funicular we transferred to the cable car "Hakone Ropeway", which is apparently Japan's longest cable car route (4.3 km). This is where we really entered cloud.

Halfway along the cable car route we got out (at a proper station) to walk through Owakudani, an area with smelly sulphur hot springs. We bought some eggs that had been boiled in the hot spring. The sulphur turned their shells black. There was a large gift shop selling many souvenirs featuring Hello Kitty dressed as a black egg.

After the cable car ride we hopped on a boat done up as a Spanish galleon to cross Lake Ashinoko (which on clear days offers a stunning view of Mt. Fuji reflected in the lake). Then we caught a bus back to the station to catch the train back to Tokyo. In summary: train - steep mountain train - funicular - cable car - Spanish galleon - bus - train.

Work

I have been having lots of fun visiting our operators. While my colleagues have to deal with the sometimes cranky maintenance management personnel, I get to hang out with the cool pilots and flight operations engineering dudes. I visited an airline which has ONE plane. The airport on their island was built just for this ONE plane. Apparently this island does not get many foreign visitors (it is one of the less-developed parts of Japan) so my visit caused a small sensation (or at least I felt that way because of all the attention). In addition to meeting with the pilots and going on some observation flights, I had the chance to have a hot spring bath at my traditional Japanese hotel and to visit a temple with the Chief Pilot in his cool Mini (apparently there are three Minis on the island and they are all for racing).

Snow

It has snowed here in Tokyo a couple of times over the past few weeks. Last Sunday it snowed big, heavy wet snow all day. There was deep slush on the ground. We stayed local, shuffling between our brunch place, the Tokyo National Museum of Photography and the Ebisu Beer Museum, which are all thankfully within a three-minute walk of our apartment.

As it hardly ever snows, there is no sanding or salting of the streets. Instead, the buses and trucks put chains on their tires!

Other Things that Happened in January and early February

Our apartment building put on a traditional rice-cake (moshi) making display. The concierge said they like to have something special every year "for the children and the foreigners". I had the chance to pound the rice with the big mallet. Woo hoo!

Ross and I visited Namjatown, a food themepark in a mall. It was pretty weird. Highlights included the "Gyoza Stadium" where there were many stalls selling the best of Japan's Chinese-style dumplings. Then we went to "Ice Cream City" where I had a "sea salt and vanilla" soft serve cone while Ross had a crepe with some kind of black sesame component.

There were various other attractions in Namjatown. I visisted "Hell's Toilet", which is like a haunted house except you sit on a (non-functioning) toilet wearing headphones listening to what is presumably a ghost story (it was in Japanese). At various times little jets of air would blow on me and scary things would pop down in front. Even though I had no idea what the story was about it was quite effective. Next time we go I want to do the "Pig-riding shooting game".

Yesterday we went to see a table tennis tournament. It featured Japan's Top 12 players (men and women). It was a revelation. I had no idea that table tennis could be so athletic and serious.

Over the next few weeks I have to travel a bit for work and Ross and I get to go to Hong Kong for a few days to get our Japanese visas (!). Then I'll be back in Toronto for the first two weeks of March. Hopefully I will see many of you!

(I ate some of this octopus. It was fully dead but still freaky.)

These characters are called "Kapibarasan". We love them.

Happy New Year!

Ohayo!

I AM AN AUNT! My nephew is called Ruben. He lives in Vancouver. He is small and pink.

In December we had our SECOND visitors! Ross's sister and her husband came to visit. There was lots of shopping and eating and of course, karaoke. Good times.

Christmas was a bit of a strange non-event. After all the build up (decorations, trees, "Christmas illumination" displays, carols, salespeople wearing Santa hats or reindeer antlers), Christmas was basically just a regular day and then IMMEDIATELY on the 26th all the decorations came down. Then the New Year decorations went up: modest bouquets of pine and bamboo and oranges.

On December 27th my colleagues and I were invited to join one of our operators on their traditional end of year visit to the JCAB (Japanese Civil Aviation Board). The idea is to ask for continued good relations in the coming year and to forget the troubles that happened in the previous year (which would be very convenient for us). It turned out we crashed the most amazing office party I have ever seen. At the regional office there were foods from all over Japan. Mini gas burners had been set up to grill meat. There were pots of fish soup and huge plates of sashimi, scallops and raw oysters. There was wine, beer and sake. It was right in their office so there were desks with piles of paper all around. Nobody spoke much English so it was all a bit bewildering for me. But I think it went well (someone commented that we were very brave to visit, and that Boeing and Airbus have never visited the end of year party!).

During the week of the New Year holiday (when many restaurants and bars were closed- for the whole week!) Ross and I did some sightseeing. We went up the Mori Tower at Roppongi Hills to visit the contemporary art gallery and to see the 53rd floor view of Tokyo. We also went to a town on the coast south of Tokyo called Kamakura. We visited some temples and shrines and saw a big Buddha statue. There were MANY people there as it is a New Year tradition to visit temples and shrines. Happily this meant that there were many street food stalls so I was able to enjoy tako yaki (octopus balls). Then we watched the surfers and kite fliers at the beach and had dinner at a Hawaiian burger restaurant.

On New Year's Eve Ross and I enjoyed dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant (one of the few that were open) and then at midnight went to check out the local shrine action. There were around 20 people milling about our small local shrine (conveniently located next to a 24-hour Denny's) and then at midnight someone started banging a drum. Then everyone lined up to ring the temple bell. The drum was cool but the bell was a bit tinny and disappointing. But the net effect was quite charming.

Twice in the past month we have visited notable pet-friendly restaurants. The first was dog-friendly The Great Burger in Harajuku. There were water bowls for dogs at the front door and a nice bulldog wearing a Santa hat on a bar stool. The ladies in the booth behind us had a collection of tiny dogs wearing nice clothes. The dogs were carried out in a combination of fancy bags and a stroller.

The second place was a RABBIT-friendly cafe in Kamakura. We were the only customers without a rabbit. In addition to eating pancakes branded with a little picture of a rabbit, we could buy rabbit things and watch the resident rabbit. It was very nice.

Now we have our THIRD visitor (if you count Allie and Ben as one), Ross's father. He has just completed his teaching season in northern China and is currently enjoying the creature comforts of Tokyo (deep bath, unlimited hot water, good bakeries, mild weather).

Tokyo Mystery #1: The Moss Scooter

Since we arrived at the beginning of October, there has been an abandoned scooter outside the Westin hotel next door. It seems to have been tagged but has not moved for months. There is even moss growing on the seat. Whose scooter is it? Why is it still there? Why is there moss growing on the seat? I don't know.

Christmas is Coming

Ohayo!

It has been a busy month. FUN, but busy.

We didn't have a very spectacular fall colour show, but there were some nice trees in the National Park for Nature Study, which is a 50 acre natural park, only a 10 minute walk from our place! (well, the top end is only a five minute walk, but we have to walk around to the bottom part to get in).

A few weeks ago we had OUR FIRST VISITOR! It was Kyla, from France (originally from Canada, but currently studying in France). Along with her wide-eyed wonderment and energetic curiosity, Kyla brought delicious French cheeses and wine. Unfortunately I had to go to a conference in Osaka for a few days, so I missed out on half of her visit, but Ross stepped up to the plate and played host. We had lots of fun during the time we were together. There was lots of shopping, noodle-eating, karaoke, visits to robot and automated car displays, and a failed attempt to visit the fish market at 4:30 a.m. (it was closed for the holiday Friday- AUGHHHHH!), and of course a visit to Cats LiviN.

Cats LiviN is a place where you pay 8 bucks to go into a bunch of rooms that are set up to look like a house- a house with 20 cats! The cats wander around or sleep and sometimes they deign to play with you. But in general they are extremely aloof. None of them responded to my patting. I suppose it has to be that way to avoid masses of scratched and bitten children. I took many flash photos until I noticed the "no flash photography" sign. Nobody ever said anything! Japanese people are SO polite. I love them.

After I returned from Osaka there was a nice reception at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo to celebrate "Bombardier's increased presence in Japan" due to the opening of the Bombardier Spares Depot at Narita and the continued existence of our Regional Support Office (where I work). It was a very nice function and I had good chats with many of our customers. The catering was awesome. There was a cool ice sculpture (a big block with "BOMBARDIER" carved on the INSIDE) and waiters were walking around serving ryes and cokes and Canadian wine!

The next week Ross and I went to Seoul. I took part in a visit to our customer airline there. I had to work every day, but we had an afternoon to visit my favourite part of Seoul where we enjoyed such attractions as the Seoul Museum of Chicken Art, the Owl Museum, and my favourite reflexology foot path. We had some really good Korean barbeque during our visit (I chewed very carefully). In Korea knives are not used to cut food at the table. They use scissors, which is kind of weird but seems to work well.

Ross and I also had a couple of really nice meals with the airline guys. One night we went to an amazing fish place where we had all kinds of sushi and sashimi. The highlight was octopus so freshly chopped that the tentacles were still moving! I did not know that this was a feature of the octopus, but apparently they wriggle around for some time after they are chopped up. The plate was a seething mass of tentacles. It was hard to pick the pieces up, as they would stick to the plate with their little suction cup thingies. One almost got away! I ate a few small pieces and chewed them very quickly so that none of the suckers would stick to the inside of my mouth. I really hope that octopi have small, primitive brains.






Another night we went out with a larger group to a restaurant specializing in deer meat. We had a three-course meal. First we started with "deer sashimi" (a pile of raw deer meat; it was delicious!). Next we had "deer bulgogi" which was also very nice. We finished off with "deer shabu shabu". As with all Korean food, it was claimed that deer meat is very "good for health". It seems that every Korean food is either "good for health" or "good for men's stamina". I have even heard that kimchee "cleans your blood".

After the trip to Osaka, a whirlwind few days at home, and then over a week in Korea, I am so happy to be "home" in Tokyo. I am now preparing for Christmas. While it is quite mild (highs of 11 to 14 degrees) it is easy to feel Christmassy as there are Christmas decorations everywhere and all the stores are playing (nice) Christmas music. The Christmas lights are quite spectacular. At Ebisu Garden Place (the shopping and entertainment complex next to us), the big "Christmas Illumination" display is centred on a giant Baccarat crystal chandelier. It is hanging in a glassed-in gazebo type thing and at night there are always a billion people taking photos of it. You can't really tell from the photo, but it is HUGE.

We are having a little Christmas party next weekend (you are all invited) and after that we will be looking forward to receiving Ross's sister and her husband as our guests over Christmas! I have booked Christmas dinner at a nice French restaurant in Shibuya. We know the piano player there. Hopefully (for our sake, not hers) the 25th will be her night to work.

In the meantime, Mike the singer/simulator instructor is in town and we are looking forward to some more good times with him!

The First Month and a Bit

Ohayooo everyone!

It seems that I gave most people the impression that I would be making blog entries weekly (probably from titling the first entry “The First Week”). I was thinking it would be more of a monthly thing.

Things have been busy over the past month. In mid-October I went on a little business trip with my colleagues Anthony and Bertram to visit some of our operators here.

We went to Nagasaki, Kagoshima and Okinawa. On this trip, I:

• was charmed by our small, island-hopping operators who are proud to be flying our planes.


• inadvertently ate whale (INADVERTENTLY! I was told before I ate it that it was “some kind of fish”).


• choked (for real!) on a piece of steak at a Teppanyaki restaurant, obliging Bertram to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre on me (for real!)
  

After that I was very excited to head back to Toronto to see everyone and to retrieve some more of our personal effects. It was a bit of a whirlwind visit but I managed to see ALMOST everybody and to stock up on the few things that are difficult to find in Tokyo (Mitchum deodorant, clothes that fit me, etc.).

I returned to Tokyo to find things in good order. Ross had achieved some significant technological advancements in the apartment, and had become an expert on the offerings of the food hall level of our Mitsukoshi department store (prepared salads and pasta, “Kono Pizza”, which makes pizza in the form of a cone, discount sushi at the end of the day, “Tokyo Soup Stock”, with its many varieties of delicious soups, etc.)

WORK

Work is good. My visit to Toronto helped me to connect with my new “team” and gave me a better sense of direction. It was a bit strange staying at the Holiday Inn at Yorkdale Mall for two weeks, but it proved to be an excellent location for hobnobbing, as all the customers (most of whom were in town for the same event I was) were there.

During my second week in Toronto I was pleased to get in quite a bit of flying, ranging from production testing to flying our corporate shuttle to (and from) Montreal. It will be quite strange to not be flying regularly, as my new position is pretty much a “desk job”. Hopefully I can sneak into the simulator now and then, or maybe I can find a realistic flight simulator in an entertainment arcade somewhere. Ross can play that bongo drum game while I keep my chops up.

HOME

Thanks to Ross’s diligence and ingenuity, our home Internet service has been upgraded to proper Tokyo standards. Now the VOIP phone is working quite well, so you are able to call us at our old Toronto number (but please keep the time difference in mind!). Other than the discovery that occasionally the delivered breakfast buns are pre-injected with a pat of butter, there is not much else new on the home front.

ENTERTAINMENT


We have been THOROUGHLY enjoying the local restaurants. We went to an awesome little Mexican place that makes great (but small and expensive) margaritas and fish tacos etc. It is on the third floor of a small and irregularly shaped building that somehow houses five restaurants/bars. The Mexican restaurant apparently also has “tepee seating” on the roof top terrace. We were able to glimpse the tepee from a nearby building, but it remains a bit mysterious. We’ll check it out next time.

A major discovery is a nice “Californian” restaurant nearby that serves weekend brunch, including Eggs Benedict. The coffee is at the usual Tokyo coffee prices- 5 bucks for a cup! (the same as the wine!) I don’t know why coffee is so expensive here, but I am adjusting my consumption habits accordingly.

On weekends we continue to explore different areas of the city. On one of our recent excursions we went to Asakasa, an area evocative of “Old Tokyo” with a big temple, Senso-ji, and lots of old fashioned shops.

Nearby is Kappabashi, the area with many restaurant supply stores. We resisted buying any plastic display food, opting instead for a proper chef’s knife (not that we are proper chefs, but whatever). Another happy discovery was a Mister Donut, which unfortunately doesn’t seem to be as common in Tokyo as in other parts of Japan. Our favourite is the “pon de ring”, a pleasingly knobby ring of moist, chewy deliciousness.

This past week my Toronto colleagues Ben and Manny were in town. It was exciting to have the number of people we know in Tokyo temporarily increase by 50%! We had a DELICIOUS Teppanyaki meal. I chewed very carefully. This weekend it is a bit rainy, so I think our pursuits will be indoors. There is a vast and architecturally significant entertainment and shopping complex called Roppongi Hills that I have been meaning to get to. I think we'll check it out.