There's No Place Like Home

There have been tons of stories from all sorts of places, and it's been great! I've seen and felt and learned. But now Im looking forward to starting a new chapter in a place called home.

Horn OK Please!!!

"Horn OK Please", Mumbai, India

It's amazing how there is organization in something seemingly chaotic to an outsider. The noise, the crowds, the clutter... It's got its own character, thats for sure!

Last night, as I was heading home from a stressful day at work I came up with an idea. People who have worked in India for a month or so must have a high tolerance for stress. *Just a thought*

You see, I planned to take a nap on the way home to re-energize before finishing up some work in the hotel. But WOW, there was definitely no sleeping for me! My driver drove like he was being chased by a dragon along a slippery and deadly slope! He swerved left and right and jumped through potholes! He sped right behind trucks just to come to an abrupt stop 2 inches away from the bumper! A few times, I actually thought he ran through some people! I was almost relieved when I reached over for the seat belt only to find out that it didn't have a buckle! Something so normal to a local felt like a near death experience to me!

Typical Indian Auto

Then there are the obstacles. Tons of motorcycles popping out of nowhere, unsuspected items on the road -- like fences, or holes, or people, or cows! You've got the autos and buses overflowing with people, crossroads with no stoplights... What a ride!

Cows on the road!

On top of this, every 2 seconds he would honk his horn as if there were some emergency. It was completely normal, and even encouraged! Most trucks have a sign painted in their rear saying "Horn OK Please" (as it is in Mumbai) or "Sound Horn" (as it is in Kerala). I could not understand why at first... but I think I get it now. It's sort of a way you to tell the other vehicles that you are there. I think drivers rely on the horns over thier side mirrors. In a crazy way, it works. To me though, it will take a long long time to get used to.

"Sound Horn" at Fort Cochin, Kerala

Now I understand foreigners freak out with Manila's drivers! This though, is a whole other level.

Im Going Singapore Airlines...

I usually fly PAL cuz of convenience. This time though, I was flying to Kerala and there was limited airline choices. So, I chose Singapore Airlines instead. It's been awhile since I've flown SQ and I'd almost forgotten how preferable it is!

For one, the planes are newer and better! Even in economy, the seats seem larger than usual! There are more options for reclining and is by far more comfortable than other airplanes Ive rode.

The comfy SQ economy

Second, each economy seat has its own TV! Unlike the PAL TV it is not touch screen, but its a small price to pay for the 20++ movie options and over music choices! The movies are pretty new and updated! There we at least 2 movie options I really really wanted to see!

Movie time! Watched Time Traveller's Wife :)

Listening to my pesonal playlist

Third, the food iwas great! I think it's probably the best economy food Ive ever had. Plane food usually sux, but this was food I would actually order from a restaurant! They served baked fish with potatoes and veggies, a green apple salad and a simple corn pudding dessert. It was delightful! They even gave you a menu to choose from! Thay usually only happens in business class!

The SQ Menu

My food before it was wiped out!

Last but not least, the service is the best Ive ever had! Ive been to one too many airplanes where they pretend not to hear the call button or see you only to find them chit-chatting with their colleagues and eating the leftover desserts! (*ARGH... airline pet peeve!) The sterwards and stewardesses are alert and always in the move. If you ask for a drink or a blanket or anything at all, they get to it right away! They always respond when called. Although they'renot very friendly, they serve you right.

So... if not for the miles I am trying to accumulate, I'd choose to fly Singapore Airlines.

Despite the comforts... Flying always tires me.

The Cancer Cage

Goodbye Hotel Hatchobori

Besides the 360 degrees survelience cameras and lurking sea creature, in some way I am going to miss Hotel Hatchobori.

3 Things I miss about Hotel Hatchobori:

1. At around 3pm everyday, they would call us for "refereshmento"!!! I must say the snacks we not always great, but sometimes they were not bad! Plus, it took a good 30 minutes of doing nothing from our day.

2. The new office in Toyocho looks exactly like how I imagined it to look like. Dull with white kitchen lights and stiff. Its far from comfortable, and it makes an already long day seem WAY TOO LONG. Well, at least you no longer have to take off your shoes!

3. Smoking seems to be such a part of Japan culture, especially the to the working class! Every hour or so, our team goes for what we call "KEWKEI" or break time. When we used to work in Hatchobori, we'd go downstairs to the open air smoking area. It was a good opportunity to step out and get some air, even if you didn't smoke. Now at Toyocho, the smoking area is in an enclosed killer box - the CANCER CAGE (see picture)! You go in there, you go out smelling like you just survived a burning building!

In tribute to Hotel Hatchobori... here's a song my officemates put together...

Hotel Hatchobori
Aaron Moore with thanks to Adam Mcguiness
Sing to the Eagles, Hotel California

On a dark Tokyo Subway
Warm small of the Mochi, risin up through the air
Up ahead in the distance I saw a Dennys sign
My nerdsack grew heavy, and my sight grew dim
I had to work for the day

There she stood in the doorway, I heard the tofu man
Then I was thinking to myself, they could be real or they could be fake
Then I took off my shoes, and showed me the working room
There were voices down the corridor….
Thought I heard them say……

Welcome to the Hotel Hatchobori
Such a horrible place
Such a boring place
Plenty of lectures at the Hotel Hatchobori
Any time of year
Any time of year
Get your lectures here

Her mind is sadistically twisted, she got the sensei wagon
She got a lot of pretty pretty girls she calls we call tea ladies
How the meet in Cronos
Some lecture to remember, some lecture to forget…
How they meet in the 6th floor, some day to remember
Some day to forget

So I called up Mooraka-san, please bring me my meji
She said we haven’t had that chocolate here, since Myron arrived
And still those voices are calling from faaaarrr awayyyy
Wake you up in the middle of the night…..
Just to hear them sayyy

Welcome to the Hotel Hatchobori
Such a horrible place
Such a horrible place
Such a nice spread sheet
Theyre living it up at the Hotel Hatchobori
What a dread surprise
What a dread surprise
Takashita-san bring your alibis……

Cameras on the ceiling, refreshmento at 3
And she said, you lack fundmental understanding, your not as smart as me
And in the sea creatures lair
They are all afraid of the beast
They stab it with their steely emails
But they just CANT LEAVE THE BEAST

Last thing I remember, I was running for the door, had to catch the7:30 flight, back to the place I was before…..Relax said Kogoe-san…..we are programmed to Receive…
YOU CAN TAKE YOUR SHOES ANY TIME YOU LIKE……
BUT YOU CAN NEVER LEAVE.

Subway Stampede!

Today Typhoon Melor (I think thats what its called) hit Japan. Strangely enough, its the first time I saw bright sunny skies and no rain since I got here 4 days ago!!! Weird, right??? But the winds were quite strong, at least for Tokyo standards. For Philippine standards, it was nothing.

Just as most "Acts of God" in Tokyo, the first that was affected was the Metro. A long queue that lasted about 20-30 minutes awaited me just as I hit the Tozai Line Kayabacho station. It may sound like no big deal to most people (especially my fellow Filipinos), but in Tokyo... its headline news.

During rush hour, I would estimate a train arriving every 5 minutes (sometimes less?) with each cart fully packed. Now imagine 30 minutes worth of people all rushing to get to work... CRAZY!!! It was the first time I experienced it THIS bad.

It all began when the train arrived and the doors opened. Pushing... shoving... I had to cling on to my belongings for dear life. One slip of the cellphone from my fingers, it would be lost (FOREVER!! hahaha). So there I was trying to make my way into the train cart. Being inexperienced, I was unintentionally pushed to the outskirts of the stampede. NOPE, stubborn me, I was getting in that train. That was when I felt that close-to-panic feeling. With all the pushing and shoving, I got jammed between the mob and the train door, face forward, lungs crushed out of air... holding on to my cellphone with dear life while the heavy laptop bag that was slung over my shoulder was being tugged away from me. it was pretty crazy! With 3/4 of my body in the train and my other body parts still sticking out, I was close to hopping out. Just then, 4 train conductors came and started literally pushing and packing us in the train just to close the doors!!! Once I was in and able to breathe again... I pulled out the cellphone I was still clinging on to, turned it back on (cuz it somehow got switched off during the fit), and took a shot.

What an experience...

So... next time we read the Japan headlines: "Trains stopped due to...", do not take it lightly.

Chicken Heart for the soul...

When I got back to Tokyo, the handy 7-11 store across the corner of my apartment was GONE! You see as a Gaijin, 7-11 can come in really handy.

TOP 3 reasons why I need 7-11:
3 - Prepaid cards for my Softbank phone. Then again you can get this in any convenient store.
2 - Precooked food for the lazy chef. Again, its not hard to find elsewhere.
1 - This is my top 1 reason. Most ATMs dont accept cards from foreign banks. But all 7-11 ATMs do!!!

Not all was lost though. Not far down I found another 7-11.

Anyway... Im babbling...

My point, that 7-11 store was replaced by a Tori (chicken) restaurant. Ive been wanting to try it out but never got the chance to (as is always the case with restos close by your home). This trip, my colleagues and I finally passed by. Tried CHICKEN HEART yakitori for the first time! Texture was tough but meat was juicy. I'd say its a cross between dark meat chicken and liver. Not my fave but not bad at all. :)

*Picture of Chicken Heart Yakitori
** With phone cams, you rarely get a good shot, but you more often than not get the shot.

My Overall Rating of the Resto: 3 out of 5
Taste: 4/5 (a little on the salty side, but I like salty. definitely tastey though.)
Portion Size: 2/5 (really really small portions. Only dishes that were ok with quantity was the tsukune (chicken meatball, yakitori style) and rice dishes (bento style))
Environment: 4/5 (new and clean especially for a yakitori place. nothing impressive though)
Service: 4/5 (not bad but not execptional either)
Price: 1/5 (too expensive for yakitori, especially considering the portion size)

Restaurant: Gosh, I wish I knew the name... Tori Restaurant 2 blocks between the Ningyocho Station (exit beside AM/PM) and Bureau Ningyocho Nihombashi.

Back in Tokyo! Yoroshiko Onegaishimasu!

After postponing my flight 2 times (due to "Acts of God"... yup! The typhoon Ondoy, aka Ketsana left me stranded in the second floor of my own home for almost a week), I have finally made it to my second home.

I rode Philippine Airlines and was pleasantly surprised to see that they have upgraded some of their planes! Now, not only business class passengers get their own personal TV! YUP, if you're lucky enough, you get the same feature with fiesta class! Not only can you choose your own movies on demand, they also feature games such as Bejeweled, Tetris, etc... (Long gone are those free deck of cards!). There's also radio stations and a number of good CDs you can choose from. You can even create your own playlist. Pretty cool, huh? I dont recall Singapore Airlines having this in economy? Hmmmm... :)

The plane to look for is a Boeing 747-400. 4 hours can go by so quickly... :)




P.S. The practical application of "Yoroshiko Onegaishimasu"

The first few days of this trip has been meeting new co-workers. Thank goodness I brought a new set of business cards. Man do they go fast. A typical business introduction goes like this...

1. There is fumbling (each party awkwardly fumbles for their business card, sometimes it takes so long that Im just standing there waiting...)
2. The awkward stance (you and the person being introduced stand face to face for a few seconds)
3. The speech (he/she introduces himself while holding his/her business card facing you and with two finders of each hand, you dont have to understand it. Basically they say where they are from and their name. Most business cards have an English translation anyway.)
4. The bow (self-eplanatory)
5. The do over (I do the exact same thing he/she did. If Im brave, I try it in Japanese -- "Watashi wa Hahn Regina des". Although I havent been brave this trip yet)
6. And... the final words (this is when they and/or you say either, "Hajimemashte" - "Nice to meet you" or... "Yoroshiko Onegaishimasu" - "Please be nice to me", honestly... I find this statement a little strange, dont you think? Who says "Please be nice to me" after an introduction? Another one of those Japanese things I dont think I'll ever get.)

Yes Tokyo, I am back... Yoroshiko Onegaishimasu.