Good byes and hellos.

Sayonara Nippon. :(

Sawatdee Khrab Bangkok & Koh Phangan!

Schedule for next few weeks

7 days in Japan to do mad shopping, packing, bonnenkai'ing (end of year parties) and soubetsukai'ing (good bye parties)

9 days in Thailand to go to Bangkok, Koh Samui, and Koh Phangan

2 days in Japan to do last minute gifts, visit favorite places, and say goodbye

4 days in Winston-Salem, NC to visit family, friends and drop off presents

2 days in New York City to visit friends, celebrate my 26th birthday

Jan. 6th - return to Philadelphia for work and officially repatriate back to USA

Let the race begin.

French music, Japanese McDonalds, American healthcare

This morning, I had a crazy dream in which I was held at gun point twice while with my friends. Not sure what caused me to dream such silly stuff, but I woke up at 6am terrified.

I couldn't sleep anymore and decided to get a head start on my day and study some Japanese at a McDonald's near my work. After some intense vocabulary practice, it dawned on me how surreal the environment was -- eating 'American' breakfast (sidebar: only McDonald's was open this early so that's why I went), looking up and being surrounded by Japanese salarymen and school kids, and on top, the sweetest French cafe music blanketed the entire scene. Aaah, only in Tokyo...

On another note, I have to subscribe to my health benefits by today and it is so frustrating to have to decide whether or not I will get sick or not for 2008. I have to plan whether or not I will go see the doctor, the dentist, the optometrist, or do any type of other health-related check-ups. The dental, medical, and health reimbursement accounts are all very nice to have but after watching the movie Sicko, it's ridiculous that I have to play fortune teller to my own health. I guess since I'm young now, I don't have to worry as much but it's a little bit ridiculous to have to guess if I will be sick or not. Damn insurance companies behind this scandal!

Hello and Goodbye Hong Kong!

This is the 7th time I've come to Hong Kong (including my birth period) and even though I know what to expect when I come here, I still lose myself under the hustle and frantic rush. I visited a newly opened gay bar, Volume which was pretty packed after midnight, and met a couple of interesting locals (courtesy of Wynne's introduction to her gay friend). It is always fascinating to find out how the gay community thrives in different regions of the world.

I am glad I got a chance to see the friends from college, my family, and the place again. I wonder if I could really live here again as a working boy - I guess I will find out soon after I complete a few interviews in the upcoming months.

Things I missed about HK (not necessarily in this order)
- food with immensely packed flavor
- shopping
- direct and colorful speech (in Cantonese)
- familiar friendly faces
- talking on the phone in the subway while underground and traveling
- stores open late

Things I could have lived without in HK
- 80% humidity in 32 degrees C heat
- water dripping on my head from air conditioners overhead
- conversations that revolve around food and $$$

This time around, I noticed that every street corner I turned to, always had some Japanese influence. If it wasn't the three sushi or sukiyaki restaurants lined up, it will be the Japanese clothing brands or actress. In my pictures to be posted later, you will see all the crazy influences from Japan in HK. Perhaps now, I just have a Japanese eye..

Ahh...I will miss you HK...again.

Hurricane's a'coming (or Typhoon)

Who wants to go surfing?

Copied from email received from US Embassy today--

Weather sources report that Typhoon Fitow (also known as Typhoon 10w) will make landfall in the Tokyo area around 7:00 p.m. Thursday. Winds up of 58 miles per hour with gusts up to 81 miles per hour are expected, along with heavy rains. Coastal areas may be dangerous due to heavy waves and flooding. There may also be delays in the mass transportation systems.

For the latest information about Typhoon Fitow, see Japan's Meteorological Agency's web site at http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html and the NOAA National Weather Service for Japan's web site at http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/JP_cc.html.

For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau of
Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Public Announcements, Travel Warnings, and health-information resources can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States, or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

The U.S. Embassy Tokyo is located at 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 107-8420. If you are planning on visiting the embassy, you may wish to call ahead to American Citizen Services at 03-3224-5000. In case of emergency, you may contact American Citizens Services at this number at any time.

Wii soreness

Today, I now know what old age feels like. I played Wii tennis this past weekend. It was fun and I played doubles with some younger folks. Of course, I held my ground, with about a 2 - 1 win-lose streak. Any case, today, I woke up in immense pain. I felt like my whole upper body was grounded meat. I couldn't enjoy my hip hop class as much and had to get a massage at my gym after class.

This is the first time I've experienced muscle pain from playing Wii. :-(

Lost in Japan (things)

The great thing about Japan so far (this post belongs under the 'Why I love Japan') is that I've noticed people have this ingrained sense of belonging-ness that they very much respect. Some examples I've noticed are

- the people you work with are like family (belonging to a group)
- receiving a gift that once belonged to someone deserves the utmost gratitude

But the thing that makes me really excited to live in Japan is this one....

- things that don't belong to you should be returned to its owner

There has been three times I've lost my essentials and they have all been returned to me after a couple of days! This past weekend, after nomihodai (all you can drink) party to welcome our new colleagues, I found myself wandering around Roppongi, drinking more tequila, shopping in Don Quixote, eating at Almonds, and singing Karaoke until 4am. Sadly, I had left my lifeline keitai (mobile phone) in some Karaoke bar that I didn't know how to get back to. But the next day, my coworker told me where we went and sure enough, it was there at the front desk wrapped in a luxurious plastic bag!

Prior this past incident, I've lost my camera on the ski slopes in Nagano with all my pictures. It was a small Canon click-and-shoot, and worth a few hundred dollars, but after 3 days laster, it was returned to the Lost and Found!

Last year, after a crazy night of dancing at Arty Farty, I must have left my wallet sitting on the counter after ordering drinks for everyone. It still had about $200 dollars still inside when I left the club without it. The next day, I went back and everything was in tact, money, ID, and even my Suica card!

Aah, is it just luck? Or are Japanese morals wonderful?!