June 1, 2007 - Hong Kong

We have been here for three days now. Arrived on Wednesday, took the Airport Express train which is the most convenient way to get to and from the airport, within 24 minutes were arrived in Kowloon and took the K3 free shuttle bus to our hostel.

Our hostel is in the middle of Nathan road next to the Holiday Inn Golden Mile hotel. It is located in the Mirador Mansion - really a ratty looking building with lots of guest houses and apartments. The owner of the guest house did a "bait and switch" tactic with its customers. Since we booked for the $14.95 twin bed room with bathroom we were shown the room before we signed up. It's their way of selling us the more expensive room, about $6 more per person/night. Well, it's only a place to crash and at least it has its own airconditioning which is what we need at this moment.

The weather here in Hong Kong is just like Manila, very hot and muggy. On our first night here we went to the promenade to watch the permanent light show surrounding the harbor. This was the place where you can feel some kind of breeze albeit warm. The promenade stretches the entire harbor overlooking Hong Kong Island. The show was spectacular.

The next morning we went to the China Travel Service located just across from our hostel. Very convenient and there wasn't a very long line. TIPS: go early, bring cash or credit card (charges 3% more), and 1 Passport photo. When filling out form make sure to avoid putting "church worker" or employed by a church in the employment and employer because they might not allow you to get a visa. Fortunately for me I was already granted one previously so they didn't question it. We got our visas at 5:30 p.m. the same day. Paid about $300 for a double entry for Peter and myself.

I had a sinus migraine that afternoon due to the humid weather and the rain approaching. Peter too had some minor headache. Adjusting to the weather took time. We only went to Hong Kong Island to check out food areas which was so hard to find without a guidebook to let you know where things are.

Here in HK you definitely need a guide and meandering will just cause you to go hungry - especially in the culinary capital of the world.

Peter and I had succumbed to eating a McDonald's because we didn't know where to eat, and if we found a place everything was in Chinese, no translation whatsoever. It will really be ironic if we went hungry in a place like HK.

This morning we went to the Peak, where I am posting right now at a Cafe (where it's free usage for patrons). We bought out guide, finally, and now feel more confident that we can eat some good Chinese food while here.

BTW, it is a bit hard to post where we are so I might have to post every time I find a place like this. So please bear with me.

Peter and I are find now. We will be going down to Causeway Bay for lunch so I'll try to find an Internet cafe later.

Tuesday evening, May 29, 2007 - Seoul

The weather changed this morning. We woke up late because of our late night conversations with our fellow hostellers. Clouds covered the entire city and slight rain drizzled over us on our way to Myeongdong.

Myeongdong was pretty busy with side street vendors selling clothes, bags and other stuff. It was not ideal to go shopping at this time because most of the products were covered in plastic to protect them from rain. So we went to Insadong to get my souvenir Korean rice bowl with cover. Returned to the hostel just before evening and took a much deserved nap. It kind of caught with us after days of sleeping late and waking up early.

What is really interesting and amazing is that just when we left Kyoto the weather was predicted to be rainy. Same thing happened in Tokyo and now in Seoul! We have been blessed with good weather during our visits to these three countries. We hope that this will continue to be our reality throughout this trip.

Tomorrow we leave early in the morning to catch the Airport Limousine bus to Incheon Airport. This hostel is truly has the best location because it's so near the subway and the bus stops and, now we find out, quite near to catch the Airport bus. How fortunate and how wonderful!

During our 5 day visit here we had the culinary experience to try Korean food. On day 1 we try the Samgyeobsal (three-layered fat) grilled right in front of us. On day 2 we had the Samgyetang (chicken stuffed with rice in ginseng broth) and Dolsot Bibimbap (rice with assorted veggies served on a hot bowl). On day 3 we had Bulgogi (strips of marinated beef cooked on a hot plate). On day 4 we had what they call the Military Soup (the one with spam and hotdog with saimin noodles cooked in kimchi broth). On day 5 we had Galbi (huge beef rib about 3 inches wide and about 13-15 inches long, one per person, grilled on the table).

As with all the dishes served in the restaurants the meal is accompanied by 4-5 or more bowls of sides (about 3 are kimchi veggies with/out meat). The chopsticks and soup spoon are made of stainless steel and are flat not rounded. It took us awhile to get used to it but we managed. Cold water is also served to keep us cool while eating spicy food.

One time Peter felt his head sweat after eating the kimchi soup. It WAS hot!!! I was surprised myself that I managed to eat and enjoy the dish - am not quite a fan of too spicy food.

Anyway, our whole visit here was indeed a wonderful surprise and an enjoyable experience. Our new friends here at the hostel has made our stay very comfortable and fun. We will definitely miss them and hope to see them again in our future hostelling trips.

So this will probably be my last post from Seoul. Anyeong Haseyo!

Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - Seoul

Last night after I posted on this blog the "family" here at the Golden Pond Guesthouse had a wonderful time exchanging travel stories. One group (Tim, the lady owner, Jeff, Stu and Paul) were in the kitchen drinking some local beer and talking story; another group (Peter, myself, Baggish Kumar from Britain traveling for 11 months now and Clara a Swede whom he met while on his travels) were exchanging travel experiences.

Baggish was relating to us what had happened to them on their trip to Mongolia where they camped in this pristine lakeside area only to be attacked and stoned by locals. Baggish got hit by a couple of rocks fortunately not knocking him out completely. They managed to escape and return to the city and come to Seoul to relate this frightening experience.

Later on that night Tim, our american friend leaving the next morning, was so wasted that he was totally out of it, tried to pack his stuff and kept on losing things like his toiletry kit and his key to the padlock of the safe where his documents were. Meanwhile the rest of us, in addition to the newcomers, Lisa (Canadian Chinese) and Eric (Vietnamese American), and Hac Zhou from Guangzhou, joined our conversations. It was a wonderful exchange of stories and it really felt like an Ohana was being formed among these young hostellers. (Peter and I were the oldest in the group but wasn't too obvious since we looked young like them. <>)

We have learned a lot of different perspectives in traveling around the world and also how others perceive things about certain people. What was interesting that some of us were actually in the same hostel as the other in previous trips and just didn't meet until this time.

This hostel is small which is perfect for interactions like these. For sure we will all remember this time we spent here in Seoul.

~~~
This morning we are doing housekeeping stuff like laundry and such before we leave early morning on Wednesday. The place we haven't visited yet is Myeongdong district so we're simply going to enjoy and relax today. Will write about this later.

Monday, May 28, 2007 - Seoul

Went to the Korean Traditional Hanok Village within the Seoul city area. Spent the whole morning there just taking our time going from one area to the other and sitting under the shade of a tree and just enjoying the spectacular view. It is so convenient to get to this place because the subway station exit is just a few yards from the entrance.

For lunch we went to the University belt in Sinchon and Ehwa Women's University. Stumbled into this local place that offers Korean noodle soup. No one could speak English but we dared to try their fare. The server gave us what he thought we'd like - kimchi noodle soup with spam and hotdog! Ha, ha, ha.... Both Peter and I thought just because we spoke English we didn't like to try local stuff. Anyway, the soup was cooked on the table, saimin noodles added when the broth boiled, lots of side dishes were served with the food (sometimes about 6 different sides in bowls). The spam and hotdog turned out to be really, really delicious! And because he thought that we were disappointed he gave us free soda. This experience was indeed something to remember because we were the only non-locals who didn't speak any Korean word.

Tip: Learn the word for "Thank You", "Good Morning/Good Evening/Good Day", and the best phrase to know, "That was a good meal." This latter phrase I learned well, "an-joo chal mogo summnida!" It made the server's day, I think!

After lunch we went to COEX (Convention Center and Trade Center area), a huge mall where food courts offering mostly Korean food abound.

Later we went back to Dongdaemun to sit near the Cheonggyechun water way which was transformed into a long walkway with stairs and benches to sit on. About an hour later we returned to the hostel to rest after such a long day out of doors.

Our hostel mates: Tim (American), Jeff (American), Paul (Australian) and Stu (British), along with the proprietess were drinking and talking story in the small kitchen right in front of our bedroom door. We joined in the conversations and the picture taking. Tim is all red in the face, drunk and ready to drop before his early morning flight out to Israel - he's on an RTW tour for 6 weeks. As of this writing, they just begun another round of drinks!

Sunday, May 27, 2007 - Seoul

Took the Palace tour this morning. It was just Peter and myself in the tour bus for the 10 a.m. schedule. We simply sat through the whole tour and got off at the last stop which was the main palace of Gyeongbukgung. It's the biggest palace where the royal family used to live. The backdrop of the palace was the two mountains which is pretty good feng shui.

The recurring theme for our day is serendipity and perfect timing.

When we went to the Palace we thought we'd check it out first then come back later for the changing of the guards ceremony, or skip it when we can't return. Well, to our surprise after we bought our tickets to enter the palace the announcement came that the ceremony was about to take place in just a few minutes. So, we were right smack dab in the front middle row. Perfect place, perfect time.

Next we went to Insadong where we walked through the streets full of vendors selling food, souvenirs, ceramics, etc. Right when we reached the end of the street some performers were dancing then when we walked back to the middle another set of performers started coming our way.

When we returned back to Daehangno area where we are staying there was a huge event taking place in the main road. The Seoul University students held a major concert with singing, dancing and stage performances. Again, we were in the right place at the right time.

We watched for awhile before having some "street food" dinner: Peter had the sundae (spicy sausage) in a bun with peanut sauce and other condiments for only $2.50, while I had the grilled ika (squid) for only $2. We took our time eating and sitting with the locals near the exit no. 4 of the subway. Then when stood up to go back to the hostel these guys in a "green tea" bottle costume were beginning their dance routines. They were so hilarious that Peter and I really laughed so hard, one of the bottle guys approached Peter to go dance with him (while some were already dancing with the other bottle guys), then later while I was videotaping their routine one of the rushed to me and shoved his face into the camera. (Will hope to put this on youtube.com)

Anyway, it really is amazing that all these things happened when we simply showed up. Perfect place, perfect timing.

~~~
Comments:

1. In Daehangno area the people leave their trash all over the place - no trash bins are provided in the streets, even in the subway stations (only in the Seoul station and the toilets).
2. The young women here can dress elegantly on certain days but on the normal days they dress casually - unlike in Japan where they are always well-dressed.
3. Street food is particularly the local favorite - that's why Koreans love the Philippines.
4. Their singing style are pretty much like the Filipino pop music.

Comments:

1. Koreans seem to enjoy life more than the Japanese.
2. Young Koreans congregate in many areas here in the city and they let loose and just be.
3. Koreans are the Spanish here in Northeast Asia like the Filipinos to Southeast Asia- really expressive, noisy (love to talk a lot), hangs out late at night every day of the week.
4. Seoul is such a huge city, about a quarter of the population in South Korea live here, yet it is quite orderly.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

It's a weekend here in Seoul and it seems that almost everyone is out and about in town. The subways were full but not packed. The streets were bustling with all the people checking out stores and shops.

Peter and I went to find the place to get the Seoul City Pass, first went to the main Seoul Station only to find out we needed to go to the Seoul City Bus tour counter in Gwanghwamun. Got the 2-day unlimited city bus tour which includes 20-rides for the bus or subway.

We decided to just take the Downtown tour since we were already there. The card pass is so convenient because even if you put the card in your wallet or bag and contact it on the T-Money thingy it can be scanned. The tour took us through all of downtown, we stopped in just a few of the interesting places like Yongsen (where you can buy cheap electronic stuff), Itaewon (tourist and foreign friendly place due to the military base and residence nearby), and the Nam Sam Tower (great view of the city).

We took our time visiting these various places and just caught the next bus when we're done. We decided to take the night tour also and it was such a wonderful and worthwhile experience. This route took us south of the city passing through half a dozen bridges along the Hangang river. We also stopped by the Nam Sam Tower (again!) for only 20 minutes BUT it was truly the most wonderful experience here in Seoul so far. People, local and tourist alike, were there enjoying the specatular view of the city and of the Tower. For us the city tours were the best of all the countries we've visited in the past. (Well we haven't tried the one in Paris - it might prove to be something awesome too!)

Tonight we had street food dinner - "sundae" (Korean spicy sausage), fried sweet potato sticks (like french fries) and for dessert we had an ice cream and saw Red Mango where we had fruit yogurt ice cream. YUM!

It was a wonderful and interesting day. We surely enjoyed our day. It wasn't stressful at all but rather it was a very enjoyable sightseeing day!

Friday, May 25, 2007 - Seoul, South Korea
Woke up way too early this morning to leave the hostel and to catch the Keisei Skyliner to Narita. We could have taken the 6:30 trip but were not too sure if we'd get to Ueno station before then. Anyway, to be early is better than to be late.

The Skyliner took us to Narita in 56 minutes. Gray clouds covered the sky and rain pelted on to the windows. We were thankful that the weather stayed really good during our entire stay in Japan.

At the Narita Airport we went through check-in, immigration and inspection pretty quickly. Had some time for brunch near the gate - wanted to use all of our yen before going to Seoul, we only had less then 300 yen left at least.

The flight to Seoul took only 2 hours. It was quick and uneventful. Great weather and cool temperatures (64 degrees F/18 degrees C) greeted us at the Inchon Airport. Went through immigration and customs without a hitch, and found our way to the airport railway which took us to Gimpo Airport then transferring to Line 1 to Seoul Station then to Line 5 to Dangdaemun then finally Line 4 to Hyewah station. It took us awhile to find the exit 4 of this station (we got out of the wrong one). Turns out the exit 4 was right smack dab in the middle of where the young people hang out to have their barbecued meats on a stick.

Our hostel is located very near this busy area. Just a few minutes walk and you are already in the middle of the Daehangno shopping area. This is where we found our first authentic Korean dinner of three layered fat with lots of side dishes of assorted kimchi and vegetables - for only $19. We also found this nice cafe that sits on one of the busy corners of the street which is perfect for people watching.

Comments

1. The Japanese really like order and cleanliness. The Koreans are much more like the Filipinos who love chaos, noise and mess.
2. The Japanese are too serious. The Koreans very hang loose.
3. The Japanese can be called on for help. The Koreans are very solicitous and will help you when they know you need it.
4. The Japanese trains are narrow and clean. The Korean trains are wide and sparkling clean (at least the ones that we've ridden so far).

Friday, May 25, 5:05 a.m.
We are on our way to Seoul this morning. Still have time to post quickly before we leave for the subway station on to the Kesei Line skyliner express to Narita.

Our last day here in Tokyo was spent visiting districts we missed the past two days to the other. Our Toei-Tokyo Metro line one-day pass card was thoroughly used. Districts we visited: Shinjuku, Roppongi, Harajuku, Shiodome, etc.

We found out that most of the young people hang out in Harajuku, a pedestrian mall full of stalls selling clothes, food, etc. This was where we had our italian dinner, which was really light yet delicious and cheap!

I will post more on this and some comments when we are in Seoul. For now I can just say that we have seen so much of Tokyo that we find this place interesting and worth visiting again, especially the other cities and towns throughout the country.

Sayonara from Japan!

Wednesday, May 23 - Tokyo, Japan

I woke up at around 4:30 a.m. - because I thought my alarm didn't work and because the sky outside was already bright. Peter and I got ready by 5 a.m. so we can go to the Tsukiji Fish Market and watch the fishermen auction their catch of the day to the buyers. We walked to the nearby Asakusa Station for the Ginza line only to find out the gate was still closed. Fortunately there was this local lady on her bike who saw us check the map and the times she told us there was another gate across the street from where we were.

We bought the one-day ticket for all the tokyo metro lines (not the toei lines). I found it easier to just use one subway network for our sightseeing although we had to use one toei line because it was the nearest station from where we were. A different ticket is used and when you transfer you will need to put the toei ticket on top of the metro ticket when you insert it on the machine and the metro/day pass ticket will be returned.

Once in the station we found our way down to Tsukiji, walked to where the markets were only to find out they were closed. One local japanese we met said they were closed 2 wednesdays a month and on weekends and holidays - this was THAT wednesday. Shucks! Even the stores surrounding the market were closed only a few were open for those unfortunate tourists like us.

At Tsukiji Market the fishermen bring their catch to the market at around midnight where they prepare them for sale early in the morning. Then the buyers come and bid on the fish. The yelling and bidding heard in this place is probably incredibly loud like the Stock Exchange in NY. We could only imagine how crowded it must be with the sellers, buyers and tourists wanting to be part of the action. This morning everything was clean, quiet and empty. The opposite of what it's supposed to be like.

We left the area a bit disappointed but not for long, as we turned the corner we found a Hongaji (sister of the one in Kyoto). As we entered and sat (separately, Peter near the middle with the locals and I on the back side for the softer chair), the bell rang signaling the start of their service. Once again our timing was perfect (they only do the service at 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.). We stayed for a half hour observing their rituals and listening to their chants. It really is a good experience, quite different from what we Christians do. I stole a few shots and recorded a minute of the chant using my camera - I hope I won't get bad karma for this.

We left the Tsukiji area to the nearby Ginza just to check out the expensive stores they boast of having. No activity at the time we arrived because the locals were still on their way to work.

Next we went to the Maranouchi district for the Imperial Palace grounds. The garden area is a vast land full of trees, grassy areas and benches surrounded by a moat. We walked to the statue of a local hero, Kusunoki Masashige. Sat there at one of the shady benches, found the vending machine that sells the ice cream wafer sandwhich (like the one I had about 23 yrs ago) - it's a lot smaller now and they have more choices. Then we walked to the Sakurada-mon gate then to the famous Nijubashi bridge.

On our way to the Tokyo station which is located east of the imperial palace we stopped by the park where Peter took a short nap on one of the cool cement benches while I read and planned about our route for the day.

We explored the Maranouchi building which boasts of good restaurants - turns out there were only a few choices, we got some interesting bread and dessert from the grocery which we ate later. At the Tokyo station, a bricked building erected in 1914 but restored in 1946, stood to the east of the palace. This station is old compared to the modern Kyoto station. There were a few shops underground and the floor plan was not easy to understand. Nevertheless, we found our way to the Metro Ginza line then transfered to the Hibiya line - destination: Tokyo Tower.

Tokyo (broadcasting) tower built in 1528 is 333 meters tall. Looks so much like the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The fee for the different levels get more expensive the higher you go so we opted to skip out on that and just ventured down to the nearby park to have our snack. At that park we saw a group of preschool children with pink hats and their 3 teachers. They were told to run around the grounds until they got tired. The kids were so cute and had their own personalities, Peter and I were analysing them as they ran in front of us. We were attracted to the littlest girl called Misa (we heard them call her to get her to start falling in line). She was different from the rest, she would run with focus then later get distracted by the water in the canal. She'd get some leaves and other things to throw into the water and watch it float away. Provided us with great entertainment and laughter.

Noticed that when an adult needed to scold a child they would take them to the side away from others and talk to them. Also when the child falls to the ground they simply urge them to stand up and ignore them when they cry.

After our snack and entertainment in the Park we meandered our way to the nearby Toei station (the metro station was quite far) for the Shibuya district. This is where all the working class japanese and the teenagers hang out. Some movies would show this area especially where everyone crosses the 5-street intersection. It is like Cubao in the Manila or Times Square in NY.

We tried to find a place to have lunch around the area, and we did! This small restaurant is a short order place. You purchase your order on a vending machine, pressing the button for your choice and a ticket will come out. You give this to the person in front of the bar you'll be sitting and your order will be given to you in no time. I had the regular plate japanese curry with rice and miso soup for only 350 yen and Peter got this pork with stuff on rice and miso soup for 500 yen. This was very popular among the locals because it was quick and cheap!

Meandering the nearby streets gave us a glimpse of what the regular folk do during lunch time. We wanted some cold soda to drink and we found it in a nearby vending machine (we refuse to go into a McDonald's or a Starbucks for this). We also got some dessert crepes and sat in a small area in the middle of the street. Met a couple from Sicily (she's English and he's Italian), gave us good tips in looking for antiques here in Japan and tips in Beijing.

We went back to the hostel to shower, cool off, and nap before going out later that night.

By 8 p.m. we found ourselves in Ameyoko shopping promenade. Vendors line the pedestrian street with a variety of goods from clothes, dried fish to food and snacks. We bought cheap unagi (eel) for our dinner for only 800 yen - they wanted us to get the last one too for 1000 yen for both but it was too much for us. We walked south but decided to take the subway down to Akihabara, the electric city. Found lots of anime stores in the area and some electronic stores. Bought musubi rice to go with our unagi.

Returned to Asakusa to look for a park to have our dinner but everything was dark so we went to the hostel and ate at the 4th floor kitchen/dining room. We didn't go out anymore because it was already late and we were tired from a whole day of walking.

Perspective of Peter

Come Think of It There Are More Crows Nowadays

continued my conversation with casilda on the japanese and their future. what's ironic is that the traits that make them such world beaters in industry are exactly the same traits that get is getting them in trouble. they make such great products because they keep on trying to improve on something. this is true for all their products and their habits. they really go overboard when they adopt an idea or a thing. take tea drinking for example. what would have been a simple exchange and sharing of tea between host and guest has become a highly ritualized thing. or when they learn to adopt a technological process they work it until the thing is almost perfect.

the problem is that their system of adopting something and creating rigid formulas around it to keep from any deviation also kills creativity and initiative. this system called "kata" works really well to transmit information and practices without any changes far into the future. BUT it also prevents them from reacting quickly to exogenous, fluid events. take the kobe earthquake for example. the damage from fires from the gas lines was worse because no one had the initiative to turn off the the gas. they had to do major consultations with everyone involved to start doing anything.

another thing is that they have this "don't change what isn't broke" mentality. therefore they need to be really pushed from outside to make any improvements in their system. this worked really well when there were no foreigners in japan. but nowadays no one can keep the outside from coming in anymore. maybe only north korea, the hermit kingdom, has been successful but eventually even they will have to join the world.

ironically, the japanese might be rich as a nation, but its people are unhappy, stressed, and are no longer replacing their aged. what's the point when their kids will grow up to be neurotic and be just another wage slave to the system. they have very little organized outlet for their frustrations. compare that to the hawaiians who lived under 9 months of strict taboo/kapu behavior and but enjoyed 3 months of official break from it during their makahiki season.

another irony is that usually when someone has a lot of savings one feels good because he can spend it on desirable and enjoyable things. the japanese are one of the highest savers in the world. but they are still unhappy. why? they can't really spend it the way they might want because they don't want to raise the disapproval of their friends and neighbors. ostentatious wealth is looked down upon.

especially wealth that came suddenly like the rags to riches stories of a few of its entrepreneurs, are frowned on. unlike in some countries like the u.s. or china where rich entrepreneurs are lionized and become celebrities, in japan the establishment does all it can to bring them down. that's why it's very hard for anyone who is dissatisfied with being a corporate or government drone from striking out on his own. you get blacklisted when you start, and you can never go back, and if you do succeed the big boys try to bring you down. it's a lose lose situation for those who might want a different path in life.

and if you do leave japan for any length of time and then come back, they think of you as an alien. you might have learned to break your mental thought processes that made you a mindless drone in japan with no opinions, but when you come back from abroad you suddenly find yourself thinking like one again. it's very hard to break ingrained, hardwired thought processes. it is a scientific fact that repeated thoughts and habits are actually reflected in the physical brain by stronger neuron connections in the specific part of the brain dealing with that thought or action.

can the japanese actually just ignore what's happening to themselves demographically and socially and just go merrily along? they could if they are willing to give up being a superpower and have a simpler lifestyle, with decaying infrastructure and a population subservient to outsiders. but the powers that be in japan will never let that happen. thus they will do all they can to reverse these trends.

they also have a much larger fear and that is the growing power and dynamism of china, their old enemy. the japanese are in a state of fright because of what's happening right across the pond and the consequences for them. but what's worse is that they can't seem to do anything about it. so they can't ignore the problems internally and externally. they are in between a rock and a hard place.

one morning i asked casilda if the crows that scream us awake every morning have always done that. she said yeah they have, but come to think of it, "since i arrived 18 years ago they have gotten a lot louder, and there's more of them now. they seem to have crowded out the smaller birds too. i don't hear the smaller ones in the morning now like i used to."

hmmm... more numerous and louder crows, signifying death, decay, doom.

how appropriate i thought...

Tokyo, Japan

Peter and I arrived in Tokyo a little bit after 1 p.m. Dad Dan accompanied us to the Shinkansen terminal and tracks. He bought an admission ticket so that he could enter the terminal to see us off.

The Nozomi shinkansen is the superexpress bullet train which took us to Tokyo in 2 hours and some minutes (compared to the 7 hours by bus). At the Tokyo station we checked with the information booth and got directions to get to Asakusa. Our shinkansen ticket was also used for our transfer to the JR Yamanote Line to Kanda station for a transfer to the Tokyo Metro Ginza line (which was about 400 meters away). We crossed the Sumidagawa to get to our hostel which was only a few minutes walk east.

The hostel is one of three here in the area. We got our key to our private room (shared bathroom) and took some time to relax and get a cold shower - it was a bit warm in the city. We went out a little bit later to explore the Asakusa neighborhood.

We have decided to just follow our instincts when we tour this city so that we will not feel too stressed trying to fit in every sightseeing place in our three days here in Tokyo.

We meandered through the streets of Asakusa and found our way to the Kaminarimon dori (street) and the Sensoji Temple area. From the Kaminarimon gate the entire street was lined with stalls selling japanese treats and souvenirs - from samurai swords, kimonas, chopsticks to the usual key chains.

We took our time going around from side street to side street following where the local people go. This helped us find a great local sushi (conveyer belt) place, everyone except for the two of us were locals - which was an incredible experience. The sushi makers and the servers were pretty noisy that added to the ambience. The color-coded plates had interesting choices which we've never seen or tasted before. We tried the raw octopus, the herring roe, the fatty tuna, this soft thing which tasted like urchin, and others. All fresh and delicious! And the price was very reasonable for the exotic sushi.

We walked around the area some more because it wasn't yet dark (and Peter didn't want to return early to the hostel, they might think we're a couple of "old" people), so we walked to the Asahi building which was next to this building with a golden turd on top. Yeah, you read right! This gold turd-shaped structure can be seen in the area. We just don't know what it really is and I've seen one review name it as such. There we found this nice little cafe where we could people-watch. Very near to our hostel. It was a good find.

This idea of not following any daily itinerary is better than having one. We are opening ourselves to serendipitious experiences and interesting adventures.

Monday -
This is our last full day here in Kyoto. Dad Dan, Peter and I left early this morning to catch the 10 a.m. tour of the Imperial Palace. We went to the office to apply for a permit to enter the place - no entrance fee needed. By 10 a.m. we went inside walked directly to the waiting room where we watched a short introduction of the tour being given. This 50-minute to an hour tour took us around the palace grounds but not inside the buildings. There were several huge buildings which used to the be residence of the Emperor and his family for more than 200 years until the Shogun too power and moved the Imperial palace to Tokyo. It was after the Edo period when the Emperor was able to retake the palace in Tokyo.

After the tour we took the subway at Imadegawa station (very near Dad Dan's residence) to go to Toji Temple in the south to see the biggest flea market here in Kyoto. There are several flea markets all over the city but they are not held at the same time. This one at the Toji temple is held only on the 21st of each month. We got off at Kujo Station and walked about 4 blocks west.

A huge pagoda next to the temple is what we saw first followed by the vendor stalls on the front sidewalk and the tons of stalls within the temple walls. I think the temple occupies the entire block because there were just so many stalls that it was really overwhelming at first.

Peter and I walked around while Dad Dan sat down in a shaded area. We saw some interesting antiques and old Japanese paraphernalia like this military outfit worn during the Edo period complete with helmet and fast mask. Peter was so interested in it that he wanted to know its history and authenticity. Fortunately, a friend of Dad Dan, Goto-san was there. He helped interpret what the seller was saying nad tried to get a good price for it. Well, the price was too steep, around $3500, that Peter decided to just think about it (meaning, no way, jose!). Although it really looked authentic. Oh well, next time.

The three of us walked around to find a place to have lunch. We saw one place where assorted food were boiled or steamed. It looked interesting so we decided to go inside. Well, we thought we knew how to order, instead we let the woman choose for us. There were three plates with a piece of potato, tofu, seaweed cake, lotus root, and others I'm not familiar with. The price was expensive for what we thought was a cheap meal, we spent about $28 including drinks. It felt like we were cheated but from my research they say that the Japanese people will not overcharge anyone for even the smallest thing. Well, Peter asked Auntie Casilda and she assured us that that was the correct price.

Aside from that lunch, we found some interesting dessert items which we tried: pancakes filled with adzuki bean/custard/garbanzo bean and a sticky rice on a stick.

As for our souvenirs we only bought chopsticks with our names etched on it. We thought it was a good find.

By 2:30 p.m. we walked to the nearest bus station to get back to Kyoto Station where we stayed and meandered around while Dad Dan went back home to rest. Peter and I walked to the top of the station on both sides and had great views of the city. We also had some ice cream and soda snack so that we could sit down and relax before going back out for another walking tour.

At the Kyoto Station the Isetan department store occupied most of the west portion. We passed through the department store down to the Porta where we walked through the underground passageway to get to Nanajo street. We wanted to see the garden a block away from the Honganji temple, unfortunately when we got there it was already closed. So, we walked to the nearest subway station, at Gojo, to get back to Imadegawa and back home.

Tonight we will be having dinner at a nearby Thai restaurant. It really is a great thing that we are centrally located: just across the street is Doshisha University and adjacent to that is the Imperial Palace and there are so many restaurants around the area as well as a central point for buses and subway connections.

We hope to visit Kyoto again in the near future and to stay longer, maybe 3 weeks to a month. It sure is an interesting place to visit: for the history, the culture and the food!!!

~~~
Just came back from our dinner at the Thai restaurant. We ordered the fried bream fish with tamaraind sauce, fried chicken (karaage) with tamarind sauce, red curry with tofu and sauteed veggies, and for dessert: sweet basil seed with nata de coco / kaong and soy milk dumplings (tasted like palitaw) in coconut sauce. The food was very good especially the fish and the chicken. All in all it was a very satisfying meal.

After my post I will start packing for our trip to Tokyo tomorrow. Will tell you all about our shinkansen (bullet train) experience once we get settled at our hostel in Tokyo.

Sayonara from Kyoto!

Sunday -
We attended the Karasuma Kyoku, a small Japanese UCC church led by the Uebayashi family, located east of the Kamo River. The service was in Nihongo so Peter and I didn't understand all of it, especially the message. Although some of the hymns used that morning were familiar and had anglisized syllables we could read along with, some were in hiragana or katakana.

The pastor led introductions of each person present at the end of the worship serive and then we were asked to give a brief introduction of ourselves. Among the 17 or 18 people, 6 were Filipinos, 1 from Myanmar, 1 from China, 1 from Brazil (Japanese), and the rest Japanese. The foreigners who attend this church are students at Kyoto University taking their doctorate or master's degrees. They stumbled upon this little church and were attracted to the openness and the hospitality of the Uebayashi famiy.

After church we took the bus and transfered to a slow train going to Arashiyama. This day the Mifune Matsuri was held there in the Oi river. There were many Japanese and tourists surrounding the river on three sides (one side from the bridge). This event was a re-enactment of the times when the royalty would spend the early summer or late spring time in the river on boat singing and reading poetry while the commoners would look from the water's edge. It was such a spectacle that we simply took lots of pictures of the "royalty" and some geishas perfoming in some of the boats.

It was also an experience in snacking: as we got out of the train station in Arashiyama Peter already wanted to try this soy milk drink, next we saw a crepe station and got two (one sweet with mochi and chocolate, and the other with ham and egg), then as we turned into the street parallel the river we bought a plate of 8 takoyaki (squid balls) which was, as I mentioned before, piping hot and delicious! When the festivities died down we walked around the Arashiyama neighborhood, found a small cafe where we could have tea with sweets and coffee, and also use their toilet.

Just before we went back into town we checked out the nearby temples and shrines. Soon we were back in town and in the Izumiya shopping center where Auntie Casilda went to buy some stuff for our dinner. Dad Dan, Peter and I were left at the floor where they had a foot massager - it felt sooooo good after the walking we had that morning. We met her downstairs by the front entrance later.

Our dinner, yes we still ate after all the eating we did in Arashiyama, was a type of hot pot dinner where in the center of the table is a pot with boiling broth which we filled with assorted seafood, chicken, veggies and mushrooms. It was so good, so healthy, and really hit the spot (it was perfect for a very cold night!).

Saturday -

Dad Dan, Peter and I went to Kyoto Station, south of where they live, to get our train tickets for Tokyo and also to see this modern building. We took bus No. 59 which turned out to be the wrong bus because this bus was supposed to take us to the Nishi-jin Textile place which we opted not to do. The bus stop nearest the Kyoto Station was about 4 blocks away.

We walked the rest of the way and saw the huge Honganji temple a block before the Kyoto tower and station. We walked in and slowly worked our way to the temple. I went ahead, took my shoes off and entered the building. The temple had tatami mat flooring and visitors to the temple (mostly Japanese) sat on the floor facing the shrine. Peter and Dad Dan came in a few minutes later just in time to witness a Buddhist ceremony for remembering the dead. We were the only non-Buddhist foreigners there, at least for the most part (a few others came in towards the end).

The ceremony was about 10-15 minutes long. Began with the monks' entrance followed by the chanting and calling of loved ones' names. It was truly serendipitous that we were there at the right time. Again, synchronicity at work!

We left the temple just at the right time when the rain stopped. The weather turned from warm to chilly - which is pretty much what has happened these past few days. At least this time I was ready with an umbrella.

Next, we walked towards Kyoto Station passing through the "Porta" - underground subway passage with lots of shops and restaurants. Found a french boulangerie where we got some interesting pastries and bread. Right across we saw the takoyaki (squid balls) stand. Peter and I immediately ordered one plate of 8 pieces with egg salad topping and bonito flakes. These takoyaki balls are made of batter filled with squid and other veggies, quickly cooked in specialized containers and turned over and over to brown the outside while the inside is moist and hot! I was so excited to try it that I forgot to blow on it. My mouth burned on my first bite! It was extremely hot and I think my palate got scalded. But that didn't stop me from trying it. And it was worth it! Yum!!!

After our takoyaki fix we went to the Shinkansen ticket office for tuesday. We are now reserved for the Nozomi (fastest bullet train) to Tokyo.

We met Auntie Casilda at the Kyoto Granvia Hotel before we went to the Kyoto Tower for a great 360 degree view of the city. After the tower Dad Dan went back home to get more jackets for us because the weather was so unpredictably cold and windy. The rest of us took the bus to Nishiki Market.

At Nishiki Market, we walked the clean and sterile passageways which are lined with assorted food stalls - fish, candies, rice cakes, pickled food, etc. Peter and I were walking and were trying out all the interesting food we liked. Loved the berry/black vinegar ice cream. The green tea ice cream was a bit bitter. The mochi with lotus root was good as well as the shrimp and onion patty. It really was a food experience!

We returned to the house via the bus, to make use of our 500 yen bus ticket (need to at least ride the bus 3 times to make it worth it. One bus ticket cost 220 yen).

It was a long, tiring, yet interesting day. Our feet and legs were sore after a whole day of walking. Well, it's actually a good introduction to all the walking we will do in China.

Peter's Perspective:
Day 1 continued

Two Options for the Japanese


dinner convo continued with the observation by an expert friend of casilda's:

the incontrovertible fact is that the japanese are getting older and the younger ones are not matching the rate of attrition, somewhere around 300 thousand a year. by 2050 or earlier, what was once 120 million will be down to 80 million mostly aging people. therefore:

Option 1: they don't do a thing and watch their population dwindle.

Option 2: they bring in new blood from other countries like south east asia, or china or korea.

i believe just by superficial knowledge of the japanese that they will never ever choose option 2. these people i believe would rather commit national seppuku rather than dilute their precious japanese blood with chinese or korean genes. there's also the superiority thing. then of course the idea that the once conquered peoples will exact demographic revenge on their one time oppressors.

therefore i believe that sometime in the future, some old japanese guy or most likely, a lady, will turn off the lights and bid everyone "sayonara" then jump off the cliff.

a couple days later though i thought there might be some other options albeit wild and totally off the wall. one obvious one of course is that the young ones who leave the country to spend time in foreign lands and learn foreign ways will come back and effect a change. this of course will never happen as the establishment institutions, and social and cultural dictates are just too well entrenched for any sort of unorganized takeover by the youth. then because of a lack of better things to think about, i came up with some really wild options.

wild option 1:
all young people under 25 leave the country. any new ones being born in the next 25 years is shipped out to live in foreign lands. when everyone who is left behind in japan has finally died off, all the foreign born and expatriated japanese come back home. then they create a new culture free of the incredible strictures of the previous japanese culture. they can take what's best, and dump what was most restrictive, thus inaugurating a new world culture in japan.

wild option 2:
ship all young people to mars or the moon. the japanese are perfectly hardwired for such tough and restrictive endeavours as colonizing a place. they can live with very little resources, can handle, nay, enjoy cramped conditions, and can repeat the same jobs and information transference, with hardly any deviation, over and over again even 20 generations into the future.

so yeah, this option should be on the table. meanwhile, they can bequeath the japanese islands to the filipinos, a people who they brutally conquered but who bear them no ill will nor are they hatching vengeful plans like i'm sure the chinese and koreans are doing. don't believe me? heck even with all the forced prostitution the japanese extracted from the philippines, thousands of filipina women stream into japan today to work there in the world's oldest institution without being forced into it. see? it's a win win for everyone.

Peter's Perspective:

Day 1 Continued

Bento Boxes

riding the taxi for our 2 hour trip to neighboring kyoto from osaka. huge buildings, huge infrastructure, third largest metropolis area in the country, it's only 5pm but where are the people? i see the vehicles in the freeway. but looking out, everyone is missing! i guess they're all inside. maybe japanese don't go out of buildings often? if this was manila, or some other developing country people would be all over the place. not here.

feeling of sheer size and excess of the built up environment continues as we drive thru the freeways and past the inward curving walls of sound baffles in the freeway that go on for miles and miles. but wait! i spot green! the weeds and vines have grown thru the the concrete and around the metal of the baffles and freeway dividers. nature, life, is clawing, creeping, squeezing its way thru this impenetrable fortress of concrete and metal. hmmm, could it be reasserting itself somehow?? more questions, more hypothesizing.

the evening convo with dad and manang casilda brings some light into the situation. casilda has been living and working here for 18 years. an outsider with an insider's knowledge. the perfect person to have an objective view but also one who can easily mingle with the locals as one of them. or at least as close as the natives will allow. we'll have to mine her with info. and ask the right questions.

evening dinner was sushi in nice little bento boxes with little compartments. suddenly i saw these bento boxes morph into the huge buildings that the japanese have built. and inside these giant boxes were the japanese people, happily ensconced in their little compartments, each in their place, each perfectly circumscribed with no room for growth or spilling over into the next box, just like a delectable piece of ahi sushi. that's why i never saw anybody outside. maybe they were afraid some huge chopsticks might come thru the clouds from some hungry god or gods and eat them.

Peter's Perspective
Day 1. The City of Lights Just Doesn't Compare

at the barnes and noble bookstore in honolulu, chanced upon a terrific book of satellite photos of the earth. turned upon the night time images of earth and saw all the lights. was amazed at the brightest most concentrated patch of white light in the planet. none other than the left coast of the japanese islands. paris, the so called "city of lights" or any other metro area in the world just doesn't compare. how appropo i thought as we prepared to leave for the airport to journey to the land of the rising sun and the islands of lights.

First Impressions: Overbuilt and Bento Boxes

as we swooped into the coast and into view of the osaka metropolis the sight elicited immediate one word responses from my mind: overbuilt, it's trantor!, natural coastlines are gone!! for those not steeped in asimovian science fiction, trantor is the homeworld of the galactic empire where every square inch of the planet had been paved over by concrete or metal and all living systems had become artificial and regulated, like one giant city in a bubble. huge revetments of concrete crisscrossed the coastline as if they had been anticipating a huge tsunami would be coming. no naturally shaped curving coastlines could be seen. all were straight or perfectly angled and concreted. a geometrist's version of heaven on earth.

kansai airport is another crowning example of technology and human will over nature. an artificial island built up right out of the ocean a few miles from the mainland. then there was the awe inspiring airport terminal. awesome in the sense of its excess that is. for a person like me who has spent a lot of research and time trying to learn to design human artifacts, like buildings and everyday items, out of very little materials and with the emphasis on sustainability and cultural, and geographical sensitivity, kansai air terminal demolishes those principles with gusto.

i mean do you really need a whole lot of 2 feet diameter metal posts holding up a thin walled and thin roofed structure? each supporting pole is further buttressed on its side by another pole leaning into it from the outside. and each pole and butress system is adjacent to another set just a mere 15 to 20 feet away. the amount of energy needed to extract these materials from the earth, and turn them into these posts must have been huge. this is just one example. there are many more but one must see it for himself.

suffice it to say, kansai airport is a perfect example of man defying nature, and excess wealth wasted on grandiose monuments to power and sheer will.

I have been used to hearing roosters "cock-a-doodle-do-ing" in Maui every morning, although the sound is quite far and faint. Here it is now the season of the crows and their chirp is a loud "caw-caw" (a cross between a goose's "honk" and a duck's "quack"). The past couple of mornings I was awakened by the sound but this morning they "caw-ed" even louder than before. It's really interesting how many crows are here in the city. (Peter will comment about this later.)

This evening we had a Japanese cultural experience at the Gion corner in Downtown Kyoto. Dad Dan and Auntie Casilda treated us to the 50-minute cultural show which featured brief performances of the Tea Ceremony, Koto music, Ikebana, Gagaku (court music), Kyogen (ancient comic play), Kyomai (Kyoto Style dance performed by a Geisha and/or a Maiko), and Bunraku (puppet play). This show is like the typical Hawaiian luau except that everything is short and sweet, and the tea ceremony was an additional expense for those interested in it. It is actually good to see this show as an introductory experience to Japanese culture.

Dad Dan and Auntie Casilda were out in the lobby waiting for us when the show finished. We all walked along the streets of Gion looking for a place to have dinner. It was at Tendan Yakiniku where we decided to dine. We ordered the "healthy" set: three-choice meats and two side vegetables. Thought we ordered the "ladies set" but it turns out we needed to order two for this, or something. Instead we ordered another "healthy" set, an assorted seafood plate, and beef soup. The meats and seafood really cooked fast, and because of the marinade the grill had to be changed so that cooking won't be uneven.

We left the restaurant fully sated.

To walk off the calories we walked along Pontocho street, a narrow alley that is filled with restaurants that only open in the afternoon until late at night. The restaurants facing the Kamo river opens the yuka (outdoor dining) around this time of the year until the end of summer. As we walked it began to drizzle then turned into rain. We immediately turned back and found a taxi to bring us back home. It was perfect timing because as soon as we entered the house it started to pour harder. We'll try a night stroll along Pontocho and the Shijo and Shanjo bridges along the Kamo river for another day.

~~~
Toilets: Public toilets can be found all over town. Japanese-style (squat) and Western-style toilets are available but toilet paper are not always available. Private shops/restaurant toilets also offer both styles complete with toilet paper. The one at Tendan restaurant even had a heated toilet seat and options for a wash spray and dry, I think that's what the picture on the bottons were.

Taxi: The back door of the taxi opens and closes by itself so there's no need to do that when you enter and exit the cab.

Here are my first impressions:

1. Everything is clean - airport, freeways, streets, etc. (even without trash bins along the streets you will not see any piece of trash lying on the road/street)
2. They overdo packaging - the sushi dinner we had last night was so pretty I didn't want to take a piece because it will ruin it, the shoyu that came with the sushi were in this small plastic fishes with red covers, the snacks are wrapped origami-style, the Coke we bought was in this aluminum bottle.
3. Recycling is not common - with the pretty styrofoam and plastic bento boxes, and assorted drink containers the Japanese do not recycle but everything and anything is incinerated. Really sad!
4. Japanese love their small cars - everywhere I looked I'd see these cute little compact cars by Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi. Daihatsu, Suzuki, Honda, and even Mercedes.
5. Vending machines everywhere, even in the narrow alleys and streets around the city.
6. Street names are common for the main roads but not for the smaller streets.
7. We have to get used to cars driving on the left side of the road.
8. Dryers are not common in every household. That's why we see more people hanging their laundry out in the porch.
9. The toilet flusher has two choices: pulled towards you and up is for larger capacity. pushed back is for smaller capacity.
10. Above the toilet tank a faucet is situated in the middle which turns on when you flush the toilet, the water can be used to wash your hands after using the toilet and it simply flows directly into the toilet tank. Pretty interesting thing! I'll post the picture later.

Peter will write his impressions of Japan later tonight. (Update 05-19-07: He's still compiling his information before writing a long commentary about the Japanese)

~~~

This morning Dad Dan took us inside Doshisha University, to the oldest Protestant church in Japan (not being used for regular services only for weddings and conferences), to the cafeteria where we can get cheap and good food, to the Family Mart where we got Bus tickets, then to the Imperial Palace grounds where he left us on our own because he had a class to teach at 1 p.m.

We walked through the palace grounds (where we saw school kids eating their bento lunch) then out into the streets just meandering our way around the city. Along the way we found this hole in the wall place which sells bentos. They had a display case of the food on their menu. All we did was point to what we wanted and paid for our order. I chose the tempura bento while Peter got this assorted meat and fish bento.

The only place we can eat was at a park. So we walked along the main road and found a map near a bus stop and saw a park about two blocks from where we were. The park was small and clean. One guy was sleeping on the bench for his lunch break, a few young adults were having their lunch and some were just hanging out, an old man was practicing his bocci and Peter and I found a nice shaded bench to eat our lunch. It was a nice and quiet place to eat. The only thing missing at this park was the trash bin. Nada! We had to lug around our trash until we found one at a Temple we accidentally saw along the smaller streets of Kyoto.

Kyoto is a very old city and was once the Imperial capital of Japan. There are so many Temples and Shrines. From our walk this morning we passed by almost half a dozen of them. Some not even mentioned in the maps we had. We realize after our experience in Venice that simply "purposely" getting lost in the place can bring surprising and interesting discoveries.

After about 4+ hours of walking we went back home to get some rest before heading back out after Dad Dan returns from his class. We probably will go to the Gion corner to check out the geishas and the maikos (apprentice geisha) and walk along the river which I learned is a great place to stroll at night.

We learned a very good tip from this American we met while on the plane to Madrid in 2003: To avoid jet lag, sleep only when it is at least 10 p.m. local time. This really helps beating jet lag. So last night we stayed up until past 10 p.m. and this morning we woke up at the regular hour of 7 a.m.

Crows were crowing early in the morning which woke me up. Turns out it is crow season here in Kyoto. They are huge and you will hear and see them flying from tree to tree.

This morning Auntie Casilda prepared assorted fruit, yoghurt, omelette, her famous "biko" and banana bread. Everything was really good, especially the "biko!" This will tide me over for the next four hours or so, unless there's something delicious and interesting along our tour of the city. We just have to remember: No eating while walking!

Greetings from Kyoto!

On Monday Peter and I were invited to a college graduation party for Nikka, one of our young adults at MCC. She received her BA degree in Business Administration from Chaminade University that night, to celebrate her family hosted a dinner party at Dave and Buster's in the Ward Center. Friends and family gathered on this auspicious night to celebrate Nikka's accomplishments. The food was great and the entertainment very interesting. We left at half past midnight.

On Tuesday Peter spent most of the day in his company's office to sign documents and do errands before we left for our NEA vacation. I, on the other hand, drove all over the place checking out different stores along the way. Picked up Peter for a late afternoon lunch before dropping him off at the Aloha Tower for their company's 20th anniversary dinner at Gordon Biersch. I didn't join them, instead, I spent that time watching a movie at the Ward Cinema. Just couldn't believe the regular price for a movie ticket - $9.25! It's really expensive. If I know that the Restaurant Row cinemas had more interesting movies like Bridge to Terabithia and The Last Mimzy for only $1, I would have gone there instead! Shucks!

The timing was perfect when I finished watching the movie Peter's party ended. I picked him up and drove back to Waikele to pack for our trip the next day.

On Wednesday we left a little after 7 a.m. and arrived at the airport too early to check-in for our 12:40 p.m. flight. We waited about an hour and a half before checking in and having brunch inside the airport. The flight to Osaka/Kansai Airport was pretty comfortable. Peter and I didn't feel to anxious during the flight, in fact, we were able to read the books we brought with us.

We arrived at Kansai airport at 4:42 p.m. Went through the quarantine, passport control, baggage claim and customs without any problems. The MK Taxi driver, holding up a sign with our name on it, waited for us at the exit. The MK Taxi is a High Ace van which shuttles passengers to Kyoto. We paid 3500 yen per person. Sat at the seats right behind the driver. About almost two hours driving through the freeway we arrived in Kyoto City. Transferred to a local taxi which took us to where Dad Dan and Auntie Casilda live. We thought the driver was lost because we ended up in a narrow street near a small restaurant. The driver spoke in Japanese and we didn't understand what he was saying. He had a map of the address but wasn't too sure if the street was the correct one. It turns out that that restaurant place was where they live - on the 2nd floor.

Dad Dan came out to meet us and brought us up to their pretty spaciouse apartment - an unusual size for a regular Japanese apartment. We were able to relax and settle down before Auntie Casilda returned after a class at Doshisha University. We had a sushi dinner (really fresh and good!) and fruit dessert.

We were thankful that we got here safe and sound.

Today we experienced further the amazing synchronicities when we needed parking. Cars would leave just as we arrive providing us with the perfect space. Even here at Kinko's near the University, just as we entered a car left. It is just incredible once you open yourself to these kinds of synchronicities just how much possibilities the Universe or Spirit will open up for you.

So try it. When you are approaching a parking lot, thank the Universe or Spirit for that specific space and just trust it will come and be opened for you. It sure works!!!

On Mother's Day we attended the worship service at Moanalua Community Church. But before service began we drove around our old neighborhood in Salt Lake and Moanalua. Again, many new stores and changes in the neighborhood. Even around the Church. It really looks so different: Gone is the former Manse/Parsonage now turned into a parking lot. Gone is the old shopping center now transformed into a modern mall with lots of restaurants and stores like Ruby Tuesday, Koa Pancake House (where we shared an omelette/pancake plate, again!), Jamba juice, etc.

The service began at 10:30 a.m. with the Praise Band leading the Praise singing. Misa, the pianist Peter and I helped choose to replace me in '98, is still there and has been loyal to the Church. A couple of military personnel, who are part of the military band, has stepped up to help with the music ministry of the Church, which I believe has been a godsend and a blessing. The new minister, Dr. Andrea, has a good connection to the military through her husband who himself is a minister at Fort Shafter. And, the children of the Church have grown in number and have been given wonderful opportunities to be part of the worship experience.

After the service our friends planned to have Mother's Day lunch at the Tradewinds Club restaurant inside Hickam Air Force Base for the 12:30 p.m. seating. We were invited as guests of the Agbalog family (thanks, Lynne and Sonny!). There were about 30 people in our group and we occupied an entire row of tables. The buffet set up had so much variety of food choices: cook-to-order omelette station and waffle station, prime rib/leg of lamb/ham carving station, dessert station, salad station, breakfast/assorted meats and potatoes station.

I had some from each of the stations and took my time eating what I got. It turned out I only went once and tried some of the ones I didn't get from someone who did. Everything was good and very filling. Fortunately I wasn't overly stuffed (like a turkey, LOL).

We had a picture taking session at the lobby before we all went on our own way. (I'll need to remember to ask Richard to send me copies of the pictures.)

Peter and I went Downtown after lunch to watch Spider Man III. We knew it would be busy and the parking lot full but because we now visualize and thank the Universe for a parking space we always find parking at the right time and in the right place. (This is the 2nd confirmed experience we had since the previous day!) Then we bought our tickets for the 3:30 p.m. show (it was already 3:40 p.m.) and as we got into the Theater the trailers were still being shown and we found great seats at the center and just as we sat down the movie began. Synchronicity at work!

After the long movie we drove back to Waikele for a get together of friends at Lynne and Sonny's. There were lots of pupus and other food set at the table. It was like our lunch buffet was continued at their place. The fellowship and the conversations, as always, were fun and interesting. We sure are thankful that we can be part of this every now and then.

Our other friends left around 9:30 p.m. (because they had kids that had school the next day). Lynne, Sonny, Peter and I continued to talk story until a little past midnight when we started to feel sleepy and exhausted after a whole day's acitivity.

Peter and I have now begun our vacation here in Honolulu. We arrived on Friday morning via Aloha Airlines. We were able to catch an earlier flight out which was perfect.

At the airport we boarded the Alamo rental shuttle to get our car for the next four days. I got us a very good deal from Costco for a compact car with a minimum stay of 4 days for only $84.34 (compared to Travelocity and Orbitz's quote of $150). Since this was a very cheap deal we were given the oldest car in the lot, a Chevy two door sedan. Had a lot of miles on it as well as scratches and dents. We didn't complain but was thankful we got a good cheap rental.

Our first stop was brunch at our favorite local place, The Original Pancake House in Dillingham. The wait didn't take long but they were, as always, very busy. We were informed that Mother's Day would be even worse. Peter and I had the R&D omelette with 3-stack pancakes, a side of toast and 1/2 a papaya. It was a smart move for us to order one type of food and shared it. Anyway the portions are big enough for two. We were happy with our choice and left fully satisfied.

Next stop was a cruise around town or so we hoped. While on the road a nice couple driving alongside us alerted us to a flat on the left rear tire. Fortunately we were just nearing Nimitz to turn left instead we decided to return it to Alamo. Driving along Nimitz about a block from Alamo the "check engine" light turned on. The car was a lemon, Peter said. We returned the car and got an upgrade for free. A very good sign that this vacation/trip is going to be a great experience.

After getting a brand new silver Saturn Ion, we cruised through Downtown to Waikiki to Kapiolani park and back. There were lots of changes from the last visit we had in October: More buildings were erected, more shops and restaurants opened and more improvements happening all over town. What stayed the same was the volume of traffic in the streets even during the weekend and the amount of construction being done on the main roads.

We wanted to check out the Filipino Barrio Fiesta at Kapiolani Park but there were just too many cars and not one empty parking space available. It looked much bigger that before - from what we saw as we drove by.

On our return to the Downtown area we decided to walk around the Ward Cinema and Ward Center. We wanted to see Spider Man III but we had a party to attend to at 5 p.m. Instead we walked around the shops and found a place to have a snack, Beard Papa - a japanese crispy cream puff franchise. This is now crossed off my list of places to try in Japan. The puff pastry was good, not too sweet or soggy. Tried all the four flavors: vanilla, caramel, chocolate and strawberry.

We also spent some time at Borders before heading back to Waikele at Lynne and Sonny's place, who have been so gracious and hospitable, opening their beautiful home to us.

By 5:30 p.m. we went to Graham's pool party - the son of our good friends Gabby and Carla. He turned 10 yrs. old. There were about 27 of his friends from school, soccer team and Church. All the kids had so much fun swimming and playing with each other, while the adults were busy talking story with one another. The sumptuous food was catered by Golden Coin, a local Filipino fast food restaurant. Yum! We closed the party at 8 p.m. and helped Gabby and Carla clean-up before heading home.