I forgot the spelling but I can certainly remember what it means. "Enjoy this moment because this may never come again," our tour guide in Kyoto told us in his japanese accent. I believe this japanese saying. Let us savor every moment of our lives, sucking every ounce of emotion out of it. For who knows when it happens again. Perhaps it won't. So that's what I did in Japan: breathing the cold spring air, racing through the streets and subways, delighting in neon city lights, practicing the language, immersing in the strange but charming culture, relishing every tuna and salmon and sushi and maki - the pleasure that is Japanice!
We went there last February for a week. Our itinerary was tokyo, osaka, and kyoto. It was supposed to be a training but it was more like a tour and culture appreciation. Hospitable as the Japanaese are, they assigned tour guides for us, treated us to real Japanese dining, and arranged a detailed itinerary for us complete with maps and necessary information about Japan.
So I arrived in Tokyo late in the afternoon. From the hotel lobby where some Japanese briefed us wih our itinerary, I went straight to my room. Just when I opened the door, an earthquake hit Japan and it scared the hell out of me!!! I thought It was the end of the world or something like that. It lasted for more than a minute I guess. I tried to scan every corner of my brain for information on what to do during earthquakes. Will I enter the room? Will I run through the corridor? What if the ceiling fell on me? So my mind was so busy looking for answers that my body was'nt sure on what to act. I put my foot inside the room then I pull back. I extend then I retract again. I never thought I was a good cha-cha dancer til that very moment! Anyways, it finally stopped so I collected my thoughts that was scattered all over the place. I went inside my room, bent from side to side, a little exercise here and there just like what I always do, then took pictures of myself!haha. It was a good start for an exciting Japanese misadventure. I looked through the window. I could see the grandeur of the city and the reasons why this experience should be cherished.
Great Rides!
When I arrived in Tokyo, the first thing I’d noticed was that despite its being so urbanized (there were buildings, factories, stores, and other infrastructures everywhere), It was by far the cleanest city (aside from the other cities in Japan) that I have ever been! Cleaner than Singapore, and definitely more organized and exciting at the same time taking into account Zoning, Transportation System, and how the people behave themselves.
The second thing was that their traffic flow was orderly and expeditious despite the number of vehicles they have. Is it because of their road system or the variety of transport (taxis, subway trains, planes, MTR, private-owned trains for public use, buses, bullet trains they call Shinkansen, etc.)? I don’t know!
Another thing I’d observed was that their taxis are well maintained. You’d think they’re all brand new. And they got GPS on every car. You’d never get lost! And the drivers are so polite that when you get out, they get out too (at least that was what I’d observed) and bow their heads a thousand times like you were Buddha or King Nebuchadnezzar. It is a gesture of gratitude for riding his car. But, man, the fare is just way too expensive you’d have holes in your pocket. In our case, it’s for free so no worries.
Civility
I wondered why people were pushing me when I took the escalator. They were polite when I first arrived (taxi drivers bowing their heads as a sign of gratitude) but they didn’t care that I was first on the escalator. I thought maybe they’d do everything to keep away anybody that got along their way to work. I thought of them more like work-obsessed freaks that tend to forget about graciousness when trying to beat the time. Then I noticed that in Tokyo, they have this unwritten rule. If you were not in a hurry you were supposed to be on the left side, squeezing yourselves as possible to give way to people running up the stairs on the other side to go to work. No wonder they were pushing me. I was standing there on the right side, spreading my legs across the staircase, one hand on my waist, and the other extended over on to the railing like someone posing for a photo shoot
Colours of Tokyo
I wonder what’s with the subdued colours. All over Tokyo they’ve got buildings that have similar colours, subdued colours like gray, light gray, brown and others like that. I think it reflects their seriousness when it comes to work! But come night time and the city is lit up with neon lights, colours you see in candies, in Japanese magazines, and in animes on tv. They’ve got giant screens hanging on the buildings showing animated ads, pink stores selling colourful cellphones and cameras, teens wearing quirky clothes and each holding his ipod, and some colourful dishes served in the restaurant – everything delightful to the eyes.
KAMPAI!
“Kampai!” That’s the Japanese counterpart of “cheers” in the West and “sa Totong Tagumpay” of Matador. Hahaha. So with everybody holding his beer except for me (An anti-alcohol addiction. You should have seen my alcohol-influenced uncle dragging his blood-drenched wife down the street by the neck. Never really liked it since I was young) and Andri (who is a Muslim from Indonesia) who are holding our apple juice, we toast to a bountiful life. And that evening was even bountiful in the real sense of the word: sushi, grilled fish, raw salmons, barbecues, sausages, chicken, salads, tofus bathed in weird sauces, vegetables in strange colours, sea weeds that give you the creeps, misou soup with rice, wasabi, bottomless juice, deserts, tea and some stuffs you’d rather just enjoy staring at than eating. All was for free so I devoured them all! Just pretend as if you enjoy the talking while slowly bulldozing every meat that gets on your way. They’d think you’re on diet only to realize that everything that’s left is but residue! Hahaha!
Mc Donalds
We went to Kyoto on the last day of our trip. Kyoto, if you remember in your Social Studies class, was the former capital of Japan. It is an old city whose architecture and culture is preserved by the locals. A tour guide met us after we had this coffee that tasted so bland. We drove around in his fine car while giving us a brief history of Kyoto. After so many wars, Kyoto has preserved its old buildings and houses, the ones you see in Japanese movies about samurais. One thing interesting about what he told us is the one about their Mc Donalds in Kyoto. “Our Mc Donalds here is the only different in the World. What do you think is makes it different from the rest?,” he asked. It’s hard to figure out you know. You’d think maybe samurais serve their famous double cheese or maybe ladies in kimonos make their incomparable French fries or maybe you’d not see anybody when you enter until a ninja suddenly appears out of nowhere to take your orders. “No idea,” we replied. Then he pointed out that the colours of their Mc Donalds are subdued instead of the glaring red and yellow to blend with their old buildings. In fact, they were! Thanks to him we realized the distinction! Hahaha.
Sakura
It was the start of spring when we went there so Sakuras in Kyoto were starting to bud. This variety of cherry blossoms is unique to Japan. They’re everywhere: along the streets, in homes, and in Temple grounds. They are packed with pink and white flowers, so beautiful; you can’t take your eyes off them. Since this is their national tree and distinct to the country that is Japan, locals have come up with products that capture its essence. Two of them are very interesting. One is their local delicacy made of bean. It’s like a kakanin with a twist: sakura filling. The taste is exactly the fragrance of the flowers! It’s weird. Another is their sakura ice cream. It tastes the same, it’s cold, it’s pink, and it upsets your wallet.
Temples
We went to two of the most famous temples in Kyoto. The first one is the “Tempo o cli wata,” as our Japanese tour guide would say it. I was confused at first but eventually understood it. It’s a temple made of hard wood. The smell of Buddhist candles fills the air. Water is gushing out from a rock, hence the name “Temple of Clear Water”. People of all ages drink from it for good luck or for wisdom. What’s odd about this temple is that throughout history, different people have jumped off from it (it is located on top of a hill), spilling their guts down below. That is why on our trip to Kyoto, one of our hosts warned us during the first day, “...don’t Jump!”
The second one is called the golden Temple. We walked on a moss-covered path toward a lake that reflected the sunlight. Across the lake is a temple overlaid with gold!!! One thing you’d notice is that the first of three floors is not golden. According to our tour guide the Japanese believe that there is beauty in imperfection and that this imperfection would leave one always striving for excellence. Anyway, as for the gold, one of our hosts warned us during the first day, “...don’t steal!”
, a roller coaster chase , and the famous bridge fight.
