In My Defense - Maybe the Last Word On Eating Blowfish...

I have received no small amount of grief from a few of you for sampling blow fish in China a few weeks back due to the potential danger of paralysis and death.  Well today, my wife (among the grief givers...) sent me the following link along with the comment "Interesting Article".

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/27/travel/travel-resolutions/index.html


I agree the article was interesting, and I believe this supports my position.  Trying blow fish falls pretty neatly within "Resolution #7 - Do at least one thing that scares you while you are on the road".  Eating potentially deadly food is scary to be sure, but statistically speaking your odds are much greater of dying an unexpected death from any number of everyday activities (driving a car, bicycling, living in Chicago...all of which I have done, enjoyed, and survived thus far) than eating an improperly prepared puffer fish.  Life is dangerous!  If you don't take a few chances, you will miss out on a lot.

'nuff said on this subject I think...

So That's What Was Wrong With My Blowfish...

I told my American/Japanese colleague Hugo about my experience eating blowfish in China.  Hugo asked how it had been prepared.  When I told him it was served more or less whole in a broth, he scoffed.  "Blowfish sashimi is the only way to eat this fish, and it is amazing!"  He then added "...if it doesn't kill you!"  Hugo, aware of the risks has eaten this many times but insists on only eating from a certain restaurant where he knows the chef underwent the proper training.  Maybe next time...

Economy Comfort My A$$!

If you have flown much at all, I am sure you have done this yourself.  You board the aircraft, take your seat, and at once start scanning the people still coming down the aisle, your fellow passengers, wondering who will be your neighbor for the next few hours.  I realize of course that my watching will not in any way affect the outcome, but I can't help doing this.  Why?  Well I often say, and I believe this, that every flight that both takes off and lands is a good flight.  "Good", however is a relative measure.  A few bumps, a little delay, a defective video screen, none of these really matter; in fact they are more or less the norm.  But who you are sitting next to can mean the difference between a pleasant journey and  the kind of trip that makes you think evil thoughts!  And the longer the flight, the more vile the thoughts become. 

Who are these bad neighbors?  They are many and varied, but they can be categorized. 

• "The Talker".  The man or woman who thinks I really care to hear about their grandchildren, their job, or their views on politics.  You might think this is the worst of all, and they are annoying to be sure, but can easily be drowned out with an iPod and by completely ignoring them with closed eyes for a few minutes - the densest of them eventually get the picture.
• "The Newsie".  The guy who insists on reading the Financial Times front to back with elbows spread beyond the confines of the armrest.  I am a pretty easy going guy, but a few elbow jabs to the ribs will make me downright territorial. 
• "The Brat".  The only thing worse than having little Trevor or Brittney sitting next to you is having them behind you, practicing punting or ballet steps on the back of your seat.  There is no good way to complain about this one, no defense.  You will be looked on as the bad guy.
• "Perfume Lady".  The worst of the worst.  Perfume should be banned on aircraft, period.  The TSA can sniff out explosives, I am sure technology exists to detect a copious application of "Eau de Nasty".  No defense against this one either, you have to breathe.

So where am I going with this?  On Wednesday I boarded my flight from Tokyo to Minneapolis, took my aisle seat, and began my scan.  "He looks OK. She looks like no problem.  Woman with infant?  Whew, she passed by..."  and on and on.   Then I saw her!  Five foot ten, 350 pounds, so wide she brushed the seats on both sides of the aisle as she waddled towards me.  "Please no, please no, not this one!" I thought silently.  But as fate would have it, she had the middle seat next to me.

Now I realize that I carry a quite a few extra pounds myself, but I do fit within the confines of an airline coach seat.  Not this woman.  She had to wedge her girth between the armrests so tight that both rests creaked as they splayed outward.  Her flab enveloped the armrest, and her right arm protruded well past.  Pressed against the aisle armrest, pushed to the right so I could not even sit straight, nowhere else to go, there was no way to avoid physical contact...FOR ELEVEN HOURS!  I thought I could just find another seat, and after takeoff I looked, but the flight was completely full.  I resigned myself to my fate.  I sat perched like an hour hand pointing at one o'clock for the remainder of the flight.

I thought of asking her "Are you planning to pay me for the 10% of my seat which you are occupying?"   I didn't.  I suppose I am too polite for that.  There was nothing to be gained by embarrassing her.  And in hind sight she was not rude.  She did not try to start a conversation.  And best of all, she was not wearing perfume!  But I did pay for a seat, not 90% of a seat.  A person that large should pay for a space large enough to contain them, either 2 coach seats or one in first class.

...but in the end the flight landed, so I guess that makes it OK.

A Trip to the Shanghai Museum

I had a free weekend in Shanghai a couple of weeks ago, and since it seems like all I ever do is work when I come to this city, I decided to see some sights.  The highlight of the day was a walk through the Shanghai Museum which houses 5000 years of Chinese art and artifacts; everything from jade and coins to furniture and ceramics.  It is free, but go early as the line to enter gets very long.  

The Shanghai Museum on Peoples Square

It seems like much of Chinese art is intended to scare the crap out of someone.  A couple of my favorite pieces are below

The sign next to this piece did not say what it represents, but judging by the horns and evil expression, I am going with "Imperial Tax Collector"

"Just don't feed me anything weird!" My Wife's First Asian Adventure

For our twenty-fifth anniversary, I promised my wife a trip, a vacation somewhere distant and unusual.  Having some experience in the "distant and unusual" places department, I had a few possible destinations in mind, but really Hong Kong was my first and final choice. 

I chose Hong Kong for several reasons. 

1. Ease - Traveling to Hong Kong does not require a visa.  While technically part of China, Hong Kong is independently governed and has its own immigration policies.  Plus the local train system is easy to navigate, takes you everywhere you need to go, and you can ride all day for $6.
2. Language - Roughly one-third of Hong Kong residents speak some english - a big help in this part of the world
3. Food - Kong Kong is a truly global city and has great restaurants - if you want food choices that are not Chinese, you will have no problem finding them here
4. Shopping - From shopping malls which litterally go for blocks to crowded outdoor markets, many options to choose from
5. Scenery - There is no more beautiful skyline in the world than Hong Kong, day or night. 

We had five days together on the ground, and we managed to hit most of the things we wanted to see.  Here are some highlights:

The "Big Buddha" and monestary on Lantau Island - reached via cable car...

Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island

The Star Ferry - an ancient fleet of boats which cross Victoria Harbor between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.  Costs a whopping $0.35 and gives a great view of the city

The Ladies Market and the Temple Street Night Market

The "Supermarket"

A great light show at night

More to come...

Lights-Out on the Shinkansen

On Friday, Hugo and I had to travel to Shizuoka which required riding three separate trains, one of which was the Shinkansen, better know as the "Bullet Train".  Japan built the first bullet train in the 1960's, and today it's many lines serve as a principle means of transport between many cities.  In a word, "Wow!"  Super fast, quiet, smooth and comfortable, this is a great way to travel,  See the video link below taken as we passed Mt. Fuji at 170 mph.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwnwJecFw9M&feature=g-crec-u

On the return trip, we were approaching the station at Yokohama when the train suddenly went dark and we coasted slowly to a stop.  We sat in darkness for a few minutes when I asked Hugo if this was normal.  "No, this never happens", he said.  An announcement come shortly over the PA which Hugo translated for me.  A major earthquake had occurred and the train system was shut down as a precaution.  We sat in complete darkness except for some emergency lighting near the car exit for 15 more minutes during which we found news on the earthquake, a 7.3 magnitude "aftershock" from the massive 9.0 quake last year which damaged the Fukushima nuke plant had occurred off shore.  Buildings in Tokyo swayed violently, tsunami warnings were issued, but no serious damage was apparent.  Had we not been on the moving train, we surely would have felt this.  A few minutes later the lights came on, the train proceded on tis way, and 20 minutes later we emerged at Tokyo Station where everything was normal - just another day in Japan...

In the wake of last year's earthquake, my company's Tokyo office has updated their emergency planning.  The office now stocks 2 days worth of water and food, plus has blankets and a heat source to accomodate the entire staff.  Senior Managers are required to carry satelite phones at all times - the cell phone system completely crashed during the 3/11 quake.  All of this is necessary as during the 3/11 quake, the Tokyo train system shut down and many people were stranded for days.  These measures are apparently common practice now for Japanese businesses.

One more picture from Mt. Fuji

If You Wanted to Bring Japan to a Standstill...

...all you would need to do is make every crosswalk sign read "Don't Walk"

Love the hat!

To get from my hotel in Tachikawa, Tokyo to my company's office takes around 15 minutes on foot.  It's a pleasant walk; many shops and restaurants along the way, narrow streets and mostly 2 and 3 story older buildings.  One of the first things you notice here is how little car traffic there is.  This seems really odd in such a huge city, but most people commute via the city's vast train system. 

While walking to the office yesterday morning, I came to an intersection between two small side streets where the traffic light was red and the "Don't Walk" sign was illuminated.  Several other people were at the same crossing.  I looked left and right, ahead and behind and there was not a single moving vehicle in sight anywhere, yet everyone stood motionless.  The other side of the road was no more than 20 feet away, no possible danger of being run down, yet nobody moved.  Once the light changed, everyone crossed.  At the next intersection, the same thing happened.

When I arrived at the office, I related this story to Hugo, my contact here who grew up in America but has lived in Tokyo for the past 18 years.  He smiled in recognition of my bewilderment.  "All you have to remember...", he told me, "...is that the Japanese follow rules. If a rule is set down, nearly everyone will obey it." 

After watching the behavior of the people in Tokyo for a couple of days now, I can see Hugo's point.  Peolpe here seem exceptionally well behaved, respectful, polite, and mannerly.  the Japanese form orderly lines, give up seats to the elderly, and only smoke in designated smoking areas which appear to be few even in open spaces.  Absolutely no one talks on their cell phones on buses and trains.  After a week in Shanghai, what a contrast!

Ten Things I Hate About China

I guess I had to do a "Top Ten List" eventually...  After spending a considerable amount of time here over the past six years, I feel I know the place well enough to comment on some of the things in China I find most discomforting as a westerner.  These are in no particular order.

Water - Don't even think about drinking from a tap or eating anything raw that may have touched water at some point in the past.  If you feel like living on the edge, you can try brushing your teeth with tap water.  Dangerous bacteria aside, there is no telling what the water here contains.  I'm not even sure I trust the bottled water...

Air - Some days, the air quality in places like Shanghai and Wuxi where I travel often can only be described as mind-blowingly nasty.  I can't recall how many cloudless days I have seen here where the sky was some color other than blue. 

Spitting - All manner of people do this.  Walking along a crowded sidewalk, and hearing from behind a deep, nasty, from down around the ankles throat-clearing sound, followed by the inevitable "thoooop" of a wad of spit being ejected, all I can think of is "I hope his or her aim is good and I hope they are not aiming for me!"

Drivers - I have written a lot about Chinese drivers over the years.  They range from criminally discourteous to downright dangerous.   Strangely though, after six years of traveling in China I am starting to just accept the chaos that is Chinese road travel.  Or maybe after visiting India, the Chinese don't seem so bad by comparison...

Queues - This is a bit of a misnomer in China - queues in the sense of people forming an orderly line really don't exist here.  Chinese line up the same way they drive, or maybe it's the other way around

Smoking - China is full of smokers, and provincial governments subsidize tobacco to keep the tax revenue from tobacco purchases flowing.  A pack of cigarettes generally runs 10 RMB, about $1.50.   Restaurants, bars, hotel lobbies - smoking is permitted almost everywhere.  I don't need to start smoking again, I just need to spend more time in China to get my daily nicotine ration.

Bone Fragments - Meat dishes in China are nearly always cooked "bone-in" and then hacked into bite-sized pieces with a cleaver before serving.  Inevitably, small shrapnel of bone winds up in your food, especially with poultry.  Chew at your own risk!

Cell Phone Service - Just because you have a signal doesn't mean you have service.  Just because you have service doesn't mean your data connection will work. I regularly go from 5 bars on the signal meter to zero and back again in the space of a few minutes without moving.   Calls to the outside world from Shanghai normally require 5 or 6 tries, and sometimes I just give up.  In Shenzhen, the email on my iPhone will be useless for 2 or 3 days at a time, and then without changing a thing I will get 3 days worth of backed-up messages. 

Internet - Apart from the annoyance of frequent interruptions, China polices its Internet usage carefully and to that end, many sites like YouTube and Blogger are blocked entirely.  Do a Google search on a taboo subject and you will find you have lost all Internet connectivity for a day or two.  Without the use of a proxy server through work, I would be largely unproductive here

Toilets - Squat toilets are appauling and flush toilets don't work properly (except at the Nan Hai hotel as previously noted). 

Ten Things I Love About China

Just in case you thought my view of China was all bad, it's not.  In fact, I really like traveling here.  Here is some of the good stuff - again in no particular order...

Chopsticks - At first, using chopsticks was a source of anxiety for me in China - I just knew I was being watched every time I dropped food on my lap.  However, since my chopstick skills have improved, I have to admit that they make some things actually easier to eat.  It is much harder to pick up a piece of lettuce from a salad with a fork.  Sticky rice is nearly impossible to eat with a spoon, but it's a breeze with chopsticks.  I suppose these are perfectly adapted for Chinese food where most everything is served in bite-sized pieces

Taxis - Cabs in China are plentiful and cheap.  Most rides cost less than $5 if you are not going too far.  So long as you can communicate where you are going and so long as the driver uses the meter, there is no easier way to get around

Security - During my six years of travel here, I have never felt the least bit threatened while walking about in Shanghai and Shenzhen, even at night.  I don't go out of my way to test this, but I have been far off the beaten path many times without incident.  My local colleagues confirm that incidents of people getting mugged are extremely rare

Roads - Please note I mean the roads themselves - not the overall driving experience.  The Chinese government has invested heavily in roads, and if you removed the Chinese drivers, you would have some of the safest roads in the world.  The highways are smooth,  in good repair, feature long sweeping turns, continuous guard rails on both sides, and they have hedges or other dividers separating travelers going opposite directions to prevent being blinded by oncoming headlights.  Chinese highways have the feel of the German Autobahns

Soup - Chinese soups kick ass!  They are some of the best I have had anywhere.

Skylines - China's cities have very modern skylines, most of the taller buildings being 15 years old or less and full of ornamentation and bling.  Just look at the photo below.  Enough said

Shanghai at night!

Haggling - I'll admit it, I love to haggle and the Chinese are very worthy adversaries.  Hagging here is a way of life.  Where else can you negotiate the price of beer with a bartender!

Duck - You haven't tried duck until you've had it in China.  Eating Beijing duck served with dark sauce and tiny crepes is a life changing experience

Foot Massage - Nowhere else does this art exist, and nowhere else in the world can you legally pay to have a sixteen year-old girl beat the crap out of you.  See the posting from a few years ago for a full description

Hotels - You get a lot more hotel room for your money in many Chinese cities. Marble bathrooms, walk in showers, and king sized beds are the norm, and most cost around $120 a night in places like Shanghai.  I've paid more than that for a room in a crappy Holiday Inn in the US where you cant even get warm food.