Yea yea

Mets lost.. I don't want to talk about it.

LET'S GO METS!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so excited they just won today's game. On to Game 7!!! I am able to keep up with night games at work by watching play-by-play online on Mets.com but it's a little delayed. Better than nothing. I am sooooo jealous now that my brother is going to Game 7. I had the opportunity to buy post season tix because I bought a 6-Pack this year. I accidently chose Game 7 instead of 6 but it was better seats - Mez seats. If they win, it will be an experience of a lifetime.... Oh WOW! My brother just went online and got World Series TIX!!!! I am freaking out now. I'll get to go. They have to win!! This is too much anxiety for me. 20 years agao the last time they won the WS, I was a kid in love with the Mets -- we are so close now I might have an ulcer.

On a lighter note, I've been reading Cliff Floydd and David Wright's blog, though David hasn't written in it recently. Man, that guy is cute. See adorable pic below. So young. He was talking about how he was a Met fan when he was a kid and how he remembers the 2000 WS before he was in major leagues. I realized he was just 18 in 2000. I remember being in the bars watching the subway series after work. Though I do prefer to block that out of my memory. I named my Mets teddy bear Davey after David Wright. :)

Another earthquake

Yesterday morning there was another earthquake which actually woke me up! It was around 6:40am and I woke up and felt my bed shaking. I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or imagining it but I freaked out and got up into the doorway. I suppose I overreacted, it was about the same level of earthquake as the other one I experienced last time in the office. Enough to feel if you are indoors but you probably wouldn't notice if you were outside. I'm surprised it woke me up though. I did look it up online confirming there was one and some people at dinner later mentioned it also so I definitely wasn't imagining things. I have to admit the whole earthquake thing freaks me out a little. I need to get or make myself an emergency kit just in case.

So Saturday I was psyched to find the Mets game on TV in the morning. They lost the game though. Afterwards I went to the Edo-Tokyo museum. It was pretty cool, they have recreations of the Edo period in intricate models. Pics below don't do it justice. These elaborately created models have binoculars next to the displays where you can examine the scene. When looking at it through binoculars it gives you this really cool feel of being "in" the scene and a great sense of what life might have been like back then. Very educational exhibits and got me learning and thinking about the history and growth of Tokyo. Very enlightening cultural experience. See, I do expand beyond partying at Feria and watching Grey's Anatomy - hehe. On a serious note, there was this whole section about the WWII bombings by America and the destruction it caused. That was pretty uncomfortable and depressing. Did you know they killed some of the animals at the Tokyo zoo because they were afraid that bombings might free some of the animals who would then get loose in the city? Very sad.



Went to a nice group dinner with a bunch of Lauren and Sarah's friends. It was a fun dinner but I had a horrible headache so that ruined it for me. We went to Karaoke afterwards and I was going to go home because my head hurt so bad and then I started to feel nauseous for some reason but I went anyway and felt better after some ginger ale. Karoake was fun, my first karaoke in Tokyo. For those of you not familiar, it's the sit in a room with friends type of karaoke. In Tokyo (or maybe just this place?) it's all you can drink. Sang a bunch of usual group fun songs for 2 hours. Then not surprisingly they wanted to go to Feria again! I dodged out and went home. I stuck to my word and did not go there yet again.

Feeling sorta homesick but I really don't know if it's because I know I am going home soon. Maybe I wouldn't even think about home otherwise but I am sooo looking forward visiting NY. Top items on my list of things to eat: Pizza, bagels, mac & cheese or anything cheese, a huge Amercian beef burger, steak, mash potatoes, mexican, takeout Chinese. Mmmmmm.... I suppose I am looking forward to seeing Kenn, my family and my friends too. ;)

My shows

So I am so excited - I bought a season pass on itunes for Lost and Grey's Anatomy. I was pretty upset that I would be missing my 2 favorite shows when I moved to Japan. Some of you may be saying, why buy Lost when you can watch episodes for free on abc.com but guess what -- you cannot watch those internationally. Yes $35 may seem like a lot but it is sooooo worth it to me. I am a happy camper :) Yes, I am a TV junkie, sue me. Monday night I discovered the ability to purchase and download and new episodes are downloadable throughout the season after they air. Of course on Monday I had to watch every single one I missed so far - the Lost premiere (man, that show is good) and all 3 new Grey's (man, the guys on that show are hot).

So now I have something to watch on weekends. When I come home to visit soon, I will also be bringing back seasons 1 and 2 of Grey's, seasons of Buffy (thanks to a coworker who shall remain unnamed), and as many movies as my brother can burn for me. Hehe. That should last me huh? Well, one rainy (or bad hangover) weekend can probably kill those off pretty quick. Just to keep people feeling sorry for me, you will not believe what I resorted to watching the other day: Junior! Now if you cannot remember what movie this is please go to imdb.com right now and look it up. It's the 1994 Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito movie where Arnold impregnates himself and carries the baby full term. Uh huh. Exactly.

Though every once in awhile I find a gem. Today I got caught up in watching Gattaca which I've never seen before. I thought it was actually a pretty good movie. If it wasn't, then someone must please tell me that I am totally losing my taste in film and TV... Every once in awhile I catch old episodes of Lost, Six Feet Under, American Idol, The OC, or Dawson's Creek - not bad. Oh and Knight Rider!! Gotta love Kit - ha!

Asakusa - Senso-Ji Shrine

Sunday I checked out another neighborhood - Asakusa. The Senso-Ji shrine is there. And also a whole lot of people :) There is a whole shopping row of little booths/shops selling souvenirs and rice crackers and things leading up to the shrine. I like visiting shrines. There is definitely something spiritual about them despite all the tourists. One of the pics below is of a painting on the shrine ceiling.




Here is the fortune I got at the shrine. You pay 100 yen and shake this container of sticks until one comes out. The stick has a number on it and then you match it up to the corresponding drawer with that number and take out a fortune. The English is pretty funny to read, see if you can make sense of it...



I was walking around and saw this shop - an actual official Monchichi shop! Do you guys remember Monchichis?? Now that's a blast from the past.

Asakusa is also known for good tempura so I roamed around trying to find a restaurant for some. Finally found one and ordered a plate of assorted tempura (fish, shrimp and veggies). It was good but I realized eating a whole plate of tempura isn't exactly easy on the stomach. Ha.

I uploaded more photos to my Kodak Gallery link if you're interested.

Ramen

Museum didn't happen yesterday. I ran some errands and walked around the neighborhood a bit. I stopped in a music store and listened to some CDs, I actually bought a CD! I don't think I've bought a CD in over 5 years.

I know I said I would not got back to Feria again soon but I did. I mean what are my choices? Stay home, go out by myself, or go where other people want to go. I am definitely getting old. I get tired now just after a few hours of being out. We had ramen afterwards though. Yummy. Went to this ramen shop where you buy tickets for the ramen and stuff that you want in it from a vending machine. Then you go in and sit at like these single mini booth things (like partitions) and you go at it. Another funny new unique experience for me. :) I had ramen with pork, scallions and a boiled egg.

Love this sign

Here's my first spotting of a strange and interesting English sign in Japan. I took this pic with my camera phone. Guess where I saw this:



It's in multiple language too. This sign was in a public restroom in an office building/mall! The ladies room is the place where police men patrol? Huh? :)
I thought it was kinda funny and waited for everyone to leave to take the pic but some lady walked in and probably was wondering why I had my camera phone out in the bathroom... oh well

Yesterday I was wearing this bright blue button down shirt and walking to work I felt like people were staring at me. Even though I am asian, I often feel like people look at me because I definitely don't look Japanese. I was also thinking, maybe the brightness of my shirt was a little too much for Japan. When I finally got to a seat in the subway car, I looked down and notice that a button in the middle of my shirt was undone! Oops, guess that explained the stares. How embarrassing.

Last night I met up with Sarah and Sophia for a couple drinks and some light food. On my way home, among all the hustle and bustle of people in the street was a guy laying on the ground, passed out, next to his puke, IN THE RAIN! He was sort of off to the side next a building but still. Everyone was just passing him by like it was normal. And to be honest in this area (well a lot of places in Tokyo actually) it is kinda of normal to see drunk people passed out everywhere late night or early morning. Mostly on stoops, park benches, subway stairs.. but many times just in the middle of the street. No one bothers these people, but on the flip side no one checks on them either. Hope that guy in his puke in the rain was ok. I guess it's what you could expect from a culture where social and business drinking is common and also everyone being asian, there's a high incidence of alcohol intolerance.

It's a three day weekend for me. I'm staying in tonight, it's super windy and rainy out (typhoon i think). Think I'm hitting up a museum tomorrow - Salvador Dali exhibit, going out with Sophia and some friends she has in town tomorrow night, and there was talk of dim sum and maybe getting out of the city for some nature.

I am Blog-Ng

Hahaha... I've decided to change the name of my blog. I crack myself up.

I have learned that my own fiance does not regularly read my blog. His excuse is that we talk everyday so he's updated on what's going on with me. In my opinion he is missing out on little details, things I notice, and funny antics. His loss. I'm going to see how long it takes him to read this post and comment. If you know Kenn, ask him when he met Albert Einstein. hehe...



In yesterday's post: "I've noticed a high incidence of bow-legged people here. I wonder if I'm just imagining that." -- well my friend PC sent me this pic (which he actually got off of Sophia's blog):



Apparently I am not imagining it because I also did some online investigating and read references to possibly 70-80% of the Japanese population being bow legged. Mostly women. A lot of theories include wearing kimono shoes, the way they sit as children, it's just in the genes, etc. Interesting. I am very curious about this now.



So I dropped my computer the other day by accident and the #5 key fell off. It still works if you press the little plastic thing that's there but gonna have to get that fixed. The key itself didn't break but there are a few small pieces to it...Oops.

Japan is made up of over 6000 islands

I've been here long enough to finally start to miss home a little. I wouldn't say I'm homesick but when I think about it, the thought of being in NY seems so comfortable. I'm constantly trying to understand, learn, behave appropriately, and search. It would be nice to just "be" sometimes.

Bills: Today I paid my cell phone bill at a convenience store. That is how bills are commonly paid here. Pretty convenient huh? Get your sandwich, juice, and pay your bills all at once.

Food: Did I mention the curry here is delicious? I've had curry and rice 2 days in a row for lunch. Last night I ate pre-packaged sushi for dinner that I bought at a convenience store. It was surprisingly good. I think even better than some I've had at an actual restaurant.

Fashion: I see a lot of skirts worn with leggings on women. Socks that fit with your toes seems to be common also. You know, like a glove for your feet...

Misc: I've noticed a high incidence of bow-legged people here. I wonder if I'm just imagining that.

The elevator got so packed this morning, the overload sign turned on and people had to get out at the next floor. If you have claustrophobia, Tokyo is not for you.

Lazy weekend

I've been slacking on the blog posts again. First to clarify, this is my personal blog and anything I post here may be true, fiction or opinion. I do realize people get fired for posting about work related things in blogs but I choose to express my thoughts here for better or for worse. Besides, I don't think I said anything harmful. And I certainly didn't name any names or even mention my company name. Despite my gripes, I am loving my work. It's keeping me interested and constantly learning.

It was definitely a lazy weekend for me. After 7 weeks of sensory overload it was soooo nice to just lay around at home like a normal person. I do want to make the most of my time in Japan but I can't be on the go all the time. I have plenty more weeks and months to explore, it was time to just live like anyone in Tokyo would and stay home and veg. I organized my apartment a little but mostly slept and relaxed. I did go out for some drinks with Lauren and Sarah again on Saturday night though. We were going to keep it low key but ended up at Feria yet again. No more! I refuse to go back there for at least a few weeks. It really is getting old.

Next weekend is another 3-day weekend here, we have Monday off. It's Sports Day. I have no idea what that means. Maybe I'll go look it up... ok here you go:

Second Monday of October (national holiday)
Health and Sports Day (taiiku no hi):
On that day 1964, the Olympic games of Tokyo were opened.

Work woes

So for the most part, I'd say work is going pretty well. I feel very lucky that I have been given this opportunity. It's very rare I think to have a chance like this. To be sent to another country (a cool one at that!) at no real additional financial expense to me personally. Also for a short period of time with no strings attached or committment beyond a year. Besides the personal experience and gain, from a career standpoint it's a great move for me. To do more sales and business development. To train others and share my knowledge in online research. To learn about business in a new region. To virtually build a new market for our products in the new region....

At the very basic level, I am doing much less day to day operational work and much more strategic work. It's a change of pace which is so nice when you kind of get stuck in the rut of the same day to day work. I am also learning the challenges of doing business in Asia, doing business in Japan specifically, the differences in the online market out here, product pricing, sales technique, and a whole lot of other things.

There are many challenges of course. One I've mentioned already is doing business in Japanese. There is certainly a language barrier and it makes things very difficult when there is a need for translation. I'm also responsible for work in all of Asia Pacific which means it's hard to really get a hold of any one market (though I am concentrating on Japan). Operationally things are still a bit hairy. I am working with the larger company which acquired my company which means we are trying to fit or teach our processes into theirs. Sometimes it really is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. They are also a much bigger research company so in my opinion, they move so much slower and have more bureaucracy than a smaller company does. That just doesn't work well in the fast-paced online world in my humble opinion.

So the work woe today is that I feel frustrated that I am limited in what I can accomplish given the circumstances. I am working hard and trying to succeed and do well and sell more and make money. The problem is, I don't think they are capable of executing as quickly as I would like. There is a lot of talk and desire for business to pick up and for client interest to grow but realistically someone will have to manage and execute these projects and give clients quality work. I am not confident that they're equipped fully for this yet. I am doing everything I can to help with the project management and client contact and even operational work (which technically I am not responsible for). But I am only here for one year. The time will go by quickly and they will need to learn how to manage these things once I am gone. I also feel bad because one girl here who is a native Japanese speaker gets stuck doing all the translations which I am sure is not glamorous work. Today she was complaining to her boss about it and I can't help but feel bad for her because she has plenty of more important work to do here. I almost wish they could just hire a translator for these things.

So I am not quite sure what I should do, I feel a little stuck. If I continue to push business through and develop clients, my fear is that more work will come in that they can't handle or will handle with poorer quality that it should be. If I don't continue to do what I'm here to do, it's just a waste of my time and company $$.

Well, nice ranting. I'm sure this post was more for my chance to complain than for anyone's reading pleasure. :)

Sometimes I forget

It's so easy to get into a routine and I sometimes forget I am in Tokyo! Being here just over 6 weeks now, I can mindlessly commute to and from work just like I used to in NY. Without thinking, I walk my usual route to the subway station, dodge people, take out my subway pass and stand on the platform exactly where I know the doors will open where I want to get out. The funny thing is also that everything is in Japanese, the announcements and all but I don't even notice it anymore. Even when I am in the office and people are talking on the phone in Japanese, I just tune it all out. It's like background noise to me because I don't understand it so it's just sound. I'm also really used to the fact that most everyone is Asian. I don't even notice that anymore when I walk around. Every once in awhile like last night when I was commuting home, it will hit me. I am in Tokyo! A whole other city in a whole other part of the world....

Another good weekend

Friday night I went to Sarah's birthday party (I met Sarah through Sophia). We went to a really good french restaurant and then to Feria yet again - that's the same club/lounge I've been to 3 times now but it's Sarah's favorite place. I have to start going somewhere new. It's a fun place but getting sick of it. It was also super crowded to the point of annoying but we had fun anyway.

Saturday I met up with Gen again (girl I know from church I used to go to in HS) and Serena's husband. Serena is another girl I knew from back then and her husband Justin was in town for an interview. They may be moving to Tokyo in January. Would be fun to have more familiar people around to hang out with. Anyway, we went to this World Expo thing, it was at a convention center with booths representing different countries trying to get people to travel there. That's how much the Japanese like to travel I guess, they have a whole convention advertising places to go. Gen's friend was in a performance there so that's why we went to it. They had music/dance performances from different countries and her friend was in the one for Jamaica. Afterwards we went to dinner in Shinjuku.

Sunday I met up with my coworker Yuki (she's the one in the middle). She invited me out with some friends of hers that were in town and we went to Yokohama. We ate at Chinatown (which is one of the biggest in the world) and walked by the port/harbor and then over to this mini amusement park area. We rode a couple of their small roller coasters and the giant ferris wheel (kinda like the London eye). It was a goregeous day today, perfect weather. It was really nice walking around today.

A good work week

It's been a fast 4 day work week with tomorrow already being Friday for me. I've also kept myself busy and interested by working on some presentations and gathering information on the online advertising markets in Asia. Had a few good meetings this week also. My meeting today was in Japanese again. It went well but the conversation was so frustrating. Answering client questions about research methodology is already sometimes challenging but having to first understand the interpretation of the question and then responding back which in turn gets translated just doesn't seem efficient at all. This is why it is always best to know the language in the country in which you are doing business in. In this case, we're doing the best we can since I don't think anyone at my company speaks Japanese. Translation is also happening through coworkers which is hard because 1. they are not trained translaters and 2. I feel like there are things I say that I want them to translate but they don't. If I had a real translator that would not be any better because the technical terms for online advertising and explanation of some things really takes at least a little understanding of it. It's not straight translation of words or phrases. All in all we are making a lot of progress and seeing a lot more interest in business than we projected at this point in the year.

Food update. What have I been eating lately? I haven't been cooking much this week. Tokyo has so many "quick food" options like ramen, precooked meals, seaweed wrapped rice balls, etc that it makes eating simple if you want something fast. 2 day example of my diet: Yesterday I had cereal for breakfast (home), curry and naan for lunch (restaurant), and peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner (home - thank you DL ppl for sending me the PB - probably Debbi/Michelle/Rachel). Today I had a late breakfast after a client meeting (egg sandwich), small premade salad for lunch (it had potato and egg in it), and precooked noodles and rice ball (bought on the way home). Not very exciting I know.

Think I'm going to crack open a Kirin now and unwind.

Calling all movies

So I am desperate for something to watch in English. As I mentioned my options right now are:
- CNN or BBC News
- Discovery, History or Animal Channels(but all boring shows, none of the good stuff)
- 5-6 random channels with old TV shows or old movies

Last night I actually watched "When a Man Loves a Woman" with Meg Ryan as an alcoholic. And "Ladder 49" with Joaquin Phoenix as a fireman. Ouch, was I desperate or what?

I have not only completed watching every episode of my Sex and the City series collection but I've watched every deleted scene, interview and bonus extra.

I am happy when I find a Felicity episode on or if I am really lucky an old episode of Lost.

I've considered watching Simpsons or Friends in Japanese.

I know I should move on to reading books but I can't help but be a TV bum.

So here is my desperate call for movies... if you have some spare time or spare movies, please feel free to mail me some dvds. I'm not asking for originals, burned copies are fine. :) I'll watch action, drama, comedy, romance, cartoons, foreign with english subtitles, copies of TV episodes - basically anything in English.

My mailing address should in the farewell email I sent with all my contact info. If you need it again, email me and I'll forward it.

Thanks!

Mori Art Museum

I forgot to mention that when I was in Ginza on Saturday I stopped in the Sony building to check out the showroom. There were some really cool laptops and awesome flat screen high def TVs.

Cloudy and gloomy today and I thought it was going to rain so I didn't take a day trip anywhere. Decided to walk over to Roppongi Hills again and check out the Mori Art Museum. Same building where I saw the Pixar exhibit the weekend I first got here. They have rotating exhibits so this time there were paintings and sculptures from The Cleveland Museum of Art's Monet to Picasso collection. Very nice. There are also other galleries so I saw a BMW Heritage exhibit that had vintage BMWs. Gorgeous pieces of machinery. And I stumbled into some weird exhibit that had some handbag theme and was all these random pictures, short films, and things. I didn't get it. Also in that building is the Tokyo City View. Panoramic views of the city from the 52nd floor. Though it was cloudy, it did get bright enough to see decent views. After awhile I got dizzy looking out those floor to city windows. I ended my afternoon excursion eating at a conveyor belt sushi place.

Btw, if you have my Kodak gallery link, I uploaded this weekend's new pics.

Lost in Translation

Went out with Sophia and some of her friends last night. Went to a restaurant/bar/lounge in Shibuya where one of Sophia's friends plays piano. It was on the 15th floor and had a pretty cool view. I love the views in Tokyo because it just seems like endless buildings that go on forever. After a bunch of cosmos I went with 2 of Soph's friends to some party. Not a private party but like a place rented out that had DJs and a cover charge. Felt like an old school NY party. It was pretty cool, decent house music and nice checking out that scene in Tokyo. When we first got there these 4 guys did some break dance routine thing. So random that they just had this whole routine they did in the middle of the party.

So today was a sleep in, movie day. I had a big mac meal at McDonald's today. It actually did taste the same as big macs in the States. Then I did a little food shopping and I finished watching the entire DVD series of Sex and the City. I also borrowed 2 movies from the movie library. They have a limited library of DVDs in downstairs. A whole lot of old movies, movies I've already seen, and movies I am not interested in. I watched the second Bridget Jones Diary movie and Lost in Translation. I've seen Lost in Translation before but it was really cool watching it now that I am in Tokyo. It made me realize, wow, I really am living in Tokyo. That's pretty cool!

Ginza and Imperial Palace Gardens

Today I went to Ginza, another shopping neighborhood like 5th Avenue in NY. High end shops, department stores and they close one of the main streets on the weekends for pedestrians.

A short walk from Ginza is the Imperial Palace. The only day of the year you can visit the palace itself is New Year's day but you can visit the gardens. Very pretty, supposed to be even prettier when the cherry blossoms bloom.

Thought people would like to see the squat type toilets they have in Japan. Most public places also have western toilets but you will see these in public restrooms, authentic Japanese restaurants and outside of Tokyo.

Blog is down

For some reason my blog link is not working but I can create a post. Maybe it will be back up later.

And I know, I haven't posted in a few days. Nothing too interesting to report. Pretty much just work all week. Had a few client meetings which were held partly in English, partly in Japanese. It will be interesting getting used to doing business like this. Meetings were good. My biggest concern about doing business in Japan is getting Yahoo Japan to be willing to work with us. They really dominate the online market here, you can't imagine how much. They have something like 80% reach!

I had dinner with Gen, girl from the church I used to go to in HS, my brother put me in touch with her. She's lived here for 4 years or so. Also went to a jazz bar in the Hyatt near my apt last night with Lauren and Sarah. Good jazz and drinks but was super expensive.

It's a long weekend this weekend, we have off on Monday. I didn't even realize it until the office manager sent an email reminding people. I don't have any plans but I am thinking of taking a day trip somewhere.

It's finally getting cooler here. Really nice today, upper 70s. Might get a little hot again for a week or two then stay cool.

It's 7:20 on a Friday, I am still at work but should just go home. What am I doing here?

Happy Birthday Kenn!

It's Kenn's birthday today--- Wish him a happy one...
He doesn't look a day over 25!! He won't let me put his pic up on my blog so I'll respect his wishes. :P He definitely does NOT look his age - lucky man.


Ever since I sent my pics (if you haven't gotten the link from me, just ask), I have gotten sooo many comments that my apt looks nice or looks really clean. It's definitely really comfy. It's like an extended stay hotel or full service apt. Plus I don't have clutter because I don't have much stuff and haven't been here very long. Here are some pics of items those from home sent or gave me. Just wanted to let you know I look at these every day. Miss you all!





So here are some more cultural tidbits I've been taking notice of:
-Despite the cleanliness here, Japanese do not mind sharing food at all. No qualms about putting a fork or spoon into someone else's meal or cake for a taste.
-Service industry is really polite and VERY helpful (for basic requests). Taxi drivers and hotel staff are often uber polite to the point it makes you uncomfortable. They are in a constant state of "Sorrys" and "Thank yous".
-You have to get used to people asking your age or about your personal life, it's completely common even among coworkers.
-The side ponytail on women is common here

Btw, I think I have finally mastered the moving walkways!