Evelyn Waugh

7 Aug 2010 - One of my favorite books is Evelyn's Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, and probably most people from my generation will remember the fabulous BBC TV series. But long before travel-writing descended into what seems the work of cynical comedians, Waugh already excelled in the genre. I enjoyed his book Labels, about a cruise on the Mediterranean Sea, but there are also other books like Remote People, 92 Days and Waugh in Abyssinia. Although Waugh was being accused of racism, it seems that he was forgiven because of his humor, satire and wit about his countries' doing in Africa. I read that some of Waugh travel-writing is now being re-published in the book When The Going was Good. The book is published by penguin, and hopefully available in the better bookshops in Hong Kong

Hiroshima 6 AUG 1945

6 Aug 2010 - A few weeks ago I was in Hiroshima. Today it is 65 years ago that the atomic bomb was dropped on the city, killing more than 140,000 people. Over 70,000 perished a few days later as a result of the Nagasaki attack. People all over the world will (hopefully) remember this moment that defined the dawn of the atomic era and the end of World War II. Surprisingly, it is only for the first time that an US Government official will join the events on site in Hiroshima. When walking around in the city it is difficult to see that everything was completely destroyed, as Hiroshima has been completely rebuilt. In one of the new sparkling shopping centers I spotted a Starbucks' and decided to grab a coffee. Not so much because I wanted my coffee-shot, but because there is such great symbolic value in the fact that one of the American symbols of modern time is now present in the city that only 65 years ago was destroyed by its Government's forces. I enjoyed my coffee - no bitter taste this time. Please remember this day - never again.

Kopi Luwak

6 Aug 2010 -Those who know me a bit better know that I love my coffee, but I would probably have a hesitation with kopi luwak, which comes from the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The area is also the home of a civet like animals, called the luwak (see picture). These little mammals live in the trees and one of their favorite foods is the red coffee cherry. They eat these cherries - bean and all - and the substance is fermented in their stomachs. The bean finishes its journey through the digestive system and out it comes. These beans are then collected from the forest floor, cleaned, roasted and ground into the most delicious coffee (they say). I cannot help but think of the circumstances that led to the first cup of kopi luwak - because who roasted the little civets poo and made coffee out of it? 

Great Picture (11)

6 Aug 2010 - Hong Kong is famous for its skyline over Victoria Harbor, and I really love the landscape of skyscrapers, double-deck trams and neon. But what is little less known is that nature is never far away. Sadly, many Hong Kong people shy away from nature or, worse, simply do not care about it. This picture was taken from The Peak on Hong Kong island. Can you imagine this is just 10 minutes away from one of the most dense, dynamic urban jungles in the world?

Sandwich Generation

5 Aug 2010 - The "sandwich generation" is the generation caught between competing demands of caring both for their parents and children. Hong Kong's "sandwich generation" are feeling the most financial pressure from taking care of their parents and children among those group accross Asia, research by the Economist Intelligence Unit has found. A report written by the EIU says 53%  of Hong Kong's "sandwich generation" said they were struggling to cope with the financial burden, compared to 45% on the mainland and 42% in Taiwan. South Korea scored 26% and Singapore only 21%. The study estimated that about 1,5 million people in Hong Kong - or 27% of the 5.5 million people in the working-age population - belong to the group. It said that school fees are a considerable burden even on those in the middle and high income groups. So, being sandwiched between kids and parents: blessing or burden?

Happy Holiday

5 Aug 2010 - Eurotunnel is investigating after passengers were taken from the UK to France and back again without being able to get off the train. The incident happened when seven vehicles were left on the train on Saturday, because staff forgot to offload one of the wagons. The error happened after a fuel spill left one of the wagons empty. Staff in Calais, who unloaded the front cars, did not realize there were more cars behind the empty wagon. Train crew realized what had happened when the train was already on its return journey, but it was too late and nothing could have been done for the unfortunate holiday makers. They were given a refund and a free ticket for the next trip with Eurostar. Not sure if they will ever use the train services again though ...

Jenny Evans is Late

4 Aug 2010 - Complaints about a UK television advertisement by Marie Stopes International have been rejected by the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The ad triggered 1,054 complaints, saying that the campaign on unplanned pregnancy was misleading, offensive and harmful.  Viewers complained that it promoted abortion, offended their religious beliefs, and was sexist for implying that pregnancy was solely a woman's responsibility. The ASA did not agree and pointed out that abortion was never mentioned or advocated in the ad. Marie Stopes took a similar line and explained that the campaign was aimed to draw attention to an advice line for women concerned about a missed period or unplanned pregnancy. It also said it received an "overwhelmingly positive" response from the public during the campaign, and - most important - significantly more calls were received on the advice line.

Digital Wave

4 Aug 2010 - A digital revolution is overthrowing China's traditional reading habits. The total value of digital publications - on the internet, mobile phones, e-books and computer based reading software - overtook that of traditional print publications on the mainland for the first time last year, according to a report by the General Administration of Press and Publication. At the same time, a recent nation wide survey found that nearly a quarter of the more than 20,000 people it surveyed, aged between 18 and 70, now read primarily in digital forms. Note, that 50% of those under 29 read digital content. One of the casualties is a well known bookshop in Guangzhou, Joint Publishing (HK), which announced it would shut its flagship store, citing high rent, a lack of customers and changing reading habits. Sadly, it is also one of the few bookstores in the mainland with a wide collection of foreign books.

Celery

4 Aug. 2010 - This may not rock your world, but I just found out that celery has so called "negative calories", that is eating it burns more energy than the vegetable contains. Now how about that? Unfortunately, I am not too keen on celery. When raw, the high-fibre vegetable has a bright, fresh and distinctive crunch, but strong taste. When cooked, the flovor becomes milder and the texture softer. Celery maybe goes best into a Waldorf salad, because the flavor mixes well with the slices of apple, halved grapes, walnuts and raisins. It can be delicious, especially if the mayonnaise is lightened by mixing in some yoghurt. One could even add slices of poaches chicken.

HK Flasher?

3 Aug 2010 - Life in Hong Kong is always full of surprises. The SCMP published an article on Saturday about a married businessman (note: his full name was provided, but let's leave it out here) who did not think anyone was watching when he stripped naked in his car and photographed his genitals adorned with a hairband and plastic clips. But a neighbor did spot him, called the police and the poor man ended up in court charged with indecency. He pleaded guilty, but sentencing was adjourned. "I am not a flasher" he said. I cannot help but feeling sympathetic for the guy - and is there anything we can do about spying neighbors?

Cheese Fair

3 Aug 2010 - Think "cheese" and one would not automatically think "England". However, these days one of the biggest cheese fairs in Europe takes place in Nantwich, Chesshire. Everywhere you look it is Brie, Gouda, Stilton, Gruyere and Cheddar. Teams of stern, white-coated judges make their way through this array - fingering, touching, sniffing and of course tasting each sample. Behind the stalls, the producers anxiously look on. Here, cheese is a very serious business indeed. In total more than 3,000 entrants from 24 countries have submitted their products for inspection. Moreover, on the first day of the fair more than 30,000 enthusiastic Britons attended the fair. Gone are the days that a slice of cheddar is good for a sandwich, people now have great culinary expectations and talk a complicated gastronomic language. The word 'cheese revolution' comes to mind and could England lead the way?

Pet Gardens

2 Aug. 2010 - Hong Kong folks love their dogs. But in a city with more than 7 million people, it is not always easy to find space where the doggies can roam freely. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has now embarked on a plan to set up urban spaces with pet accessibility, known as pet gardens. Nineteen pet gardens have been established so far, in places ranging from Victoria Park to Tung Chung North park. More pet-friendly places are likely to follow. The pet owners are required to maintain the hygiene and cleanliness of the places, and so far this works well. They are also expected to take good care of their dogs and not allow them to foul indiscriminately, run wild, attack or cause a nuisance to others. So it is good news, but maybe not such good news for the dogs, because although they have their own gardens, they are asked to behave like Hong Kong tai-tai's.

Xu Bing

2 Aug 2010 - Yesterday I learned about the amazing work of Chinese artist Xu Bing. Born in Chongqing in 1955, Xu grew up in Beijing. At the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1975 he was sent to the countryside. Xu invented about 4,000 characters and hand carved them into wooden blocks. He then prints them on scrolls, creating an illusion of ancient Chinese art, but in fact using variations of the western alphabet. Please have a look at the attached work FEAR NOT and try to discover the words, and the signature of the artist on the right. Xu aims to demonstrate how the meaning of written text can easily be manipulated and challenges preconceptions of written art. Great artist!

World Heritage Site

1 Aug 2010 - World culture body UNESCO has decided to place the picturesque canals of Amsterdam on the world's heritage list. The UNESCO world heritage label is often sought after by countries as it boosts tourism and brings in money, but others oppose the label as they feel their homes will be changed into open-air museums with bus-loads of tourists for twelve months per year. UNESCO chose a number of new sites, also in Iran, China, Australia and other countries, in their meeting in Brazil. They also updated their list with endangered beauty spots, and added Florida's Everglades and Madagascar's tropical forests to the 31 sites already on the list. Earlier controversy arose, as the Galapagos islands were removed from that same list, while experts warned that it is far too early to declare the islands free from external threats, including overfishing. 

Broke on Beans

1 Aug. 2010 - Imagine being in Beijing with about RMB 50 (approx. USD 7) - what could you buy? Believe it or not, but you can just buy a cup of coffee. Beijing tops a recently published list of Asian cities with the 20 most expensive cups of coffee. Tokyo, Hong Kong, Taipei and Seoul are also high on the list (more than USD 5). Urbanization and the arrival of chains like Starbucks have helped to open the market for coffee drinkers, but prices are still relatively high as consumption per capita is still relatively low. It is expected that China will follow Japan, where the first Starbucks was opened in 2001, but has now more than 10,000 coffee shops all over the country.  Coffee is more widely available in Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, where Dutch and French settlers introduced the drink much earlier.

Sora Aoi

1 Aug 2010 - Aoi Sola (aka Sora Aoi) is a Japanese AV girl (that is adult video girl) famous for her large breasts. A few months ago Ms. Sola started twittering and her tweets were picked up by netizens in mainland China. They caused an immediate sensation. Many mainland men and boys tried - and succeeded - to access the blocked Twitter website. The number of messages on Ms. Sola's Twitter account using simplified Chinese characters - and thus from the mainland - left many observers puzzled as people so openly managed to "scale the wall". Ms. Sola was also taken by surprise and reportedly has committed to learn Chinese as her newly found name and fame sells, and one never wants to miss an opportunity. She also made her first trip to China, which caused another stir on the internet. Now all of this is not so relevant, but recently Ms. Sola was nicknamed "the mother of China's internet freedom". Now how is that for a Japanese porn star? One wonders what the leadership in Beijing thinks of all of this?

Quote of the Day (18)

1 Aug 2010 - A friend of mine posted this on his Facebook page. I like the quote: "You see things as they are and ask: why? I dream things that never were and ask: why not?".

Ritz Carlton Hong Kong

31 July 2010 - First there was the Park Hyatt in Shanghai and next the opening of the Armani Hotel in Dubai, but Hong Kong will soon also have its hotel rooms in the sky. The Ritz-Carlton is about to re-open in the city in December this year and has selected the top floors of the newly built International Commerce Center as its home. The Ritz-Carlton will occupy the 102nd - 118th floors with magnificent views over Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong island and Kowloon. The gym and the pool (see picture) will be on the highest floor, and the spa will be two floors lower. The rates for the rooms have not been announced yet, but most likely you and I will only be able to dream of dreaming in the sky. However, an Observation Deck is planned for on the 100th floor, so Joe the Plumber and other avarage Hong Kong folks will also be able to enjoy the views.

Great Picture (10)

31 July 2010 - Remember that famous picture of the green-eyed girl from Afghanistan in The National Geographic? The eyes are the mirror of the soul, so I wonder what goes on in the mind of this beautiful girl from South Sudan. Her eyes are just unbelievable. The picture was taken by one of our dear doctors, Rey Anicete. It turns out that many doctors are actually gifted photographers too.

UFOs in China

30 July 2010 - The image of an UFO that shut down the airport of the eastern city of Hangzhou for nearly an hour earlier this month was identified as a descending plane, according to Chinese officials. Hangzhou residents took pictures of the flying object, which showed a hovering object bathed in golden light and exhibiting a comet-like tail. However, one researcher did not rule out that the object, which did not show on radar but was spotted in the skies, was extraterrestrial, citing lack of evidence. Hangzhou airport authorities simply commented that the airport was shut down for security measures. US experts said that the incident might have been the launch of a Chinese ballistic missile. The Hangzhou incident comes after a string of recent UFO sightings in the mainland. Eight days after the Hangzhou sighting another UFO was reported in the sky over Chongqing. So better be careful, as the aliens may already be among us.

Add Oil

29 July 2010 - The Gulf of Mexico, Dalian and now Hong Kong: the pristine beaches of Repulse Bay have been polluted by a thick, smelly oil slick. One official described the slick as "rainbow colored oil-sheen". The authorities of the local Environmental Protection Department have - in all their wisdom - come out with a statement that the oil does not originate from land, but have otherwise drawn a blank. Thanks very much for their helpful contribution (... ). The beach on Hong Kong island was closed yesterday for a clean-up, and it was not clear if the beach would remain closed for the weekend or not. One Marine Department official said it was probably fuel oil and samples were being collected to determine the properties of the oil. However, he also acknowledged that finding the source of the oil was probably slim. Hundred of container ships and tankers pass south of Hong Kong on a daily basis. What frustrates me is that nothing can be done about this.

Flower Power

29 July 2010 - A robber in New York came up with a disarming way to pull off his latest bank heist, approaching the teller's window with a large bouquet of flowers and handling over a hold-up note. The charm offensive did not work and the thief has been arrested. A security camera showed the suspect standing at the teller's window holding the bouquet wile handing over the note, which reportedly read: "Give me all your hundreds, fifties, don't be a hero". The man fled the scene after the teller handed over USD 440. This was the second known bank heist by the suspect, who last week robbed a different New York bank armed with a potted houseplant.

Long Live Andorra!

29 July 2010 - I learned that life-expectancy in the tiny principality of Andorra, tucked away in the Pyrenees mountains between Spain and France, is the longest in the world with 83,5 years. It must be all that fresh mountain air, because Andorra is located at 1996m. It is also a sporty places: skiing in winter, and hiking and cyclng in the summer. The place is a shoppers' heaven, because with more than 2,000 shops there is one shop for every 40 inhabitants. Food is fantastic too: river trout, blackberries from the forest and roasted pork. Maybe most important is the fact that Andorra has not been at war for more than 700 years! In short, this place sounds like paradise and one wonders why we do not hear more about it? I checked Lonely Planet and there is a warning, because greed and uncontrolled development risk having a negative impact on the place. So better hurry to Andorra y'all!

Culture is Back

28 July 2010 - After decades of following the motto "to get rich is glorious", people in China's Guangdong province are starting to focus on culture. Last weekend, top leaders met to approve a guideline for promoting Cantonese culture. Guangdong is proud of itself as a land of opportunities. It was the first province to open up to foreign investors, and in the last three decades it developed rapidly into the factory of the world. The pragmatic attitude of Guangdong people gave them a reputation as being street-smart, competitive, adaptive and indifferent to politics or ideological debates. But people increasingly start to realize that something got lost on the way. In the 1980s and up to the 1990s Guangdong served as the center of China's popular culture, but now people have to travel to Beijing for their dose of culture. The guideline says that by 2020 Guangdong's culture industry should become one of the pillars of its economy. Will Guangdong be possible to turn the tide?

Great Picture (9)

28 July 2010 - This picture by Elmer van der Marel (Parool) comes together with my next blog about bamboo scaffolding in Hong Kong. I enjoy observing the castles of bamboo that are put up in the Hong Kong construction industry. But as mentioned, bamboo is not widely used elsewhere. This picture - of the renovation of the Maritime Museum in Amsterdam - shows an amazing amount of steel and iron. Beautiful picture, but bamboo would have been better.

Bamboo Scaffolding

28 July 2010 - Come to Hong Kong and you will see dazzling structures of bamboo scaffolding. Using bamboo in the construction industry is probably a Hong Kong only (maybe in the mainland too) and one wonders why the material is not used elsewhere. It is an eco-friendly and cost-efficient material, and it is strong and durable enough to carry the weight of the builders, who can climb like monkeys up and down the structures. Unlike metal scaffolding, bamboo can also be cut and tailor-made to suit any contour of a structure.It takes very little time to build up and can easily be transported to new sites, where it can be used over again. Needless to say that the bamboo needs to have been completely dried out and be free of any cracks or rot. Bamboo rocks.

Welcome to Hong Kong

27 July 2010 - I like to pick up a subject that seems to be widely reported during my holidays in Japan: Horrible Hong Kong tour guides giving mainland tourists a poor treatment. Last week there was another incident of shouting and abuse, but a clever tourists filmed the whole incident and put it on the internet. Consequently, the incident is making headlines, including in China. One wonders why these tourists are putting up with such foul behavior, but it is also typical that mainland tourists are still treated as backward peasants in Hong Kong. It would go a bit too far to call this racism. It could probably best be labeled as class snobbery, which is a bit ironic too, as most mainlanders coming to Hong Kong are far wealthier than most Hong Kongers. It seems Hong Kong mentality is a bit backward here.

More than a Moustache

27 July 2010 - The moustache is no mere facial adornment in Turkey - its style carries potent political implications. Last week Huseyin Celik, the deputy chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party said in a televised interview that "... newly created professional soldiers to fight Kurdish rebels would not be types with moustaches with down turned ends". His remarks angered the opposition and questions were asked whether the new forces would instead have almond-shaped moustaches, referring to the small and trimmed classic moustaches that is favored by the Turkish Islamists. There is also a third moustache leaving its imprint on Turkish politics: a full grown one drooping over the upper lip - a bit Nietzshean - which is recognized as the sign of a leftist.

Paul the Octopus

26 July 2010 - So far I avoided the topic of Paul the oracle octopus, but here we go. The story of Paul will be made into a Chinese film scheduled to hit the big screens soon. It was reported that Paul - who was allegedly caught in English waters but now living in a German aquarium - will be played by a Chinese octopus instead. Although the Chinese national team failed again to reach the World Cup Finals, the country was gripped by World Cup fever, and was completely enamoured with Paul, who arguably became the biggest star of the tournament. Shanghai Expo organizers have issued a special Paul's stamp. One word of caution though, it is not known if the movie will pass the mainland's notorious censors.

Quote of the Day (17)

26 July 2010 - "Honi soit qui mal y pense" is what my father used to say, but I did not really understand the full meaning of that mysterious line. Only now I learned that this is French phrase attributed to King Edward III of England more than six centuries ago that more or less translates as "shame will be to whom who thinks evil of it". After King Edward III said it, the phrase became the motto of the English chivalric Order of the Garter. The motto also hung in Hong Kong's Legislative Council chamber until the handover in 1997.

Pizza Man

25 July 2010 - A laid-off paramedic who turned to delivering pizzas to make ends meet has been credited with saving the life of a man who had a heart attack just as the pizza was delivered. Christopher Wuebben, 22, was delivering a pizza last week to the Denver home of George Linn, when he heard the man's wife screaming for help. Wuebben told the woman that he was trained in resuscitation and knew what to do. He put Linn on the floor and brought him back to life before the fire department showed up. Linn was taken to hospital where he was listed in serious condition. It is not known if Wuebben was tipped for his heroic efforts. The pizza got cold.

Great Picture (8)

 

25 July 2010 - After vuvuzula and octopus, there is another word dictating the headlines this summer: oil spill. We hear a lot about the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, but less so about the oil slick close to Dalian in China following a pipeline explosion at the port of Xingang. About 1,500 tons of crude oil leaked into the sea; the biggest oil spill ever reported in China. Authorities mobilized thousands of civilians to help with the clean-up This worker carries a bag of toxic oil sludge along the polluted beach. The picture comes from AP.

Rolling Stones

25 July 2010 - Bad news. Dutch media reports that time has finally caught up with the most famous and fabulous rock 'n roll band ever: the Rolling Stones. The Dutch newspaper Telegraaf (not always the most reliable source of information) reports that The Rolling Stones have decided to call it quits after their planned concert tour in 2012. Drummer Charlie Watts has reached the respectable age of 70 years, and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are both 66 years. The guys said they want to end at their peak. Most fans would agree that they are a bit beyond their peak, but no matter what they are still the greatest rock 'n roll 'n band on the planet and will be dearly missed. The band sold worldwide more than 200 million records and we are still counting. Satisfaction at last?

Siu Ling-tsz

25 July 2010 - I read a short interview with housewife / kitchen princess Siu Ling-tsz. She publishes a free monthly magazine Zhu Fan Zai ("cooking" in Cantonese), which can be picked up at G.O.D. Mrs. Siu feels that cooking is indispensable for a family, because it helps maintain good family relationships. So far so good. But she goes on to say that, to her opinion, a wife needs to understand her husband's appetite, as it is a crucial part of maintaining a happy marriage. She also says she wants her husband's approval, so she cooks many dishes until they reach a state of perfection. She sees herself as a role-model (?) and has some further advice for Hong Kong housewives, as she recommends to abandon sugar, salt and soy sauce, but become more adventurous with malt sugar, sour plum and citron honey. Maybe Mrs. Siu should also be a bit more adventurous in her conservative opinions?

Ms. Anderson

24 July 2010 - To be honest, Pamela Anderson is about the last person I ever thought I would write about on this blog. But I read that Ms. Anderson has turned into a bit of an animal protection activist, which got her into trouble. The attached picture / advertisement was banned in her native Canada for being too raunchy and sexist. Ms. Anderson took the picture for PETA, an animal-rights activist group, to raise awareness about the brutal ways the meat industry (ab) turns animals into pork chops, rump steak or deep-fried chicken wings. Ms. Anderson, a vegetarian, is proving that all animals have the same parts and is encouraging people to ditch meat. The problem is that - based on this picture - I am sure some fans would want to put their teeth into those legs.

MacDiabetes

24 July 2010 - The growing popularity of Western junk food is fueling a diabetes boom across Southeast Asia, including in Japan and Hong Kong, There is a whole range of Japanese fast-food chains available, of which Japanese Mos Burger is probably the most popular. Australian researchers warned. Studies found about 11% of men and 12% of women in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City had type 2 diabetes without knowing it. In recent years western-style fast-food restaurants have sprung up everywhere in the city. The researchers said that similar results were reported in Thailand, and they feel comfortable to extrapolate similar conclusions for Malaysia, Singapore and Cambodia. Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the diseases, is caused by high levels of fat and sugar in the diet and a lack of exercise. It can lead to heart disease, vision loss, limb amputation and kidney failure. It is a bit cynical that the disease has picked up in this part of the world, as hunger and poverty are also still rampant.

English Please!

24 July 2010 - It may sound a bit odd, but one of the things that makes traveling in Japan so thrilling is that not many people speak English. As a solo traveler you are out there on your own, but you have all those friendly, helpful and incredibly polite Japanese people willing to help a hand. They even walk with you all the way to show you when you lost. English is picking up though - in Tokyo and Kyoto I met quite some people with some limited English. So how about this from China? A new five-year plan (what is it with these five-year plans?) will require Beijing civil servants aged under 40 who hold university degrees to learn at 1,000 English sentences. The Beijing News reports that the move is designed to help the capital become a world-class city. Now it would be helpful if people actually understood what those sentences mean?

Great Picture (7)

23 July 2010 - The eastern part of the USA is in the grip of a punishing heatwave, with temperatures 38 degrees celsius in some cities. In Manhattan people were splashing in the fountains, and residents coolled down in the spray of open fire hydrants. The BBC website (http://www.bbc.co.uk/) had some great pictures - I selected this one.

An Eye on You

.23 July 2010 - American sculptor Tony Tasset has an eye for art. He constructed a sculpture of eye - his own eye - and put it on display in a park in Chicago. I am still mesmerizing the fantastic Hakone Open Air Museum, and this may fit well on site. Tasset put quite some time and effort in his work. After building the giant sphere from 24 pieces of fiber glass, he primed the peeper; coated it off with white paint; and added hundred of veins, a detailed blue iris and a black pupil. Tasset says he makes art for average Joes and art-loving "intellectuals", and he adds that art should be fun! I like that idea. Tasset''s eye will remain on display til 31 October. Gone in a blink.

Japan (30) - Whole Lotta Bowing

22 July 2010 - A few months ago President Barack Obama was criticized at home for bowing for President Hu Jintao of China. However, bowing is a formal way of greeting in some Asian countries - notably in Japan. Although at first glance it may seem simple enough, the bow - together with its implications - is actually quite complicated. The depth of the bow and the number of seconds devoted to performing it, as well as the total number of bows, depend on who you are to whom you are bowing, and how they are bowing back. In addition to bowing in greeting, the Japanese also bow upon departing and to express gratitude. The train conductor in the Shinkansen bullet train for example, bows every time when he enters and leaves the carriage. That is a lot of bowing. The proper form of a bow is to bend from the waist with a straight back and to keep your arms at your sides. However, I was told that if you are a foreigner, a simple nod of the head is enough. But as this is my last blog from Japan, I bow deep ... domo arigatoo. I am bowing out.

Japan (29) - Hakone Open-Air Museum

21 July 2010 - The last trip of this holiday was another highlight: a visit to the open-air museum in Hakone. Set in the dramatic landscape of Hakone, this museum was opened in 1969 as the first open-air museum in Japan. The museum is now the permanent home of about 120 works by well-known modern and contemporary sculptors (Giacoma, Moore, Dubuffet, Willem de Kooning, Miro, et cetera).. There are also 6 exhibition halls, including a hall dedicated to the fabulous Picasso. The dramatic mountains as backdrop of modern art work very well, and it must be even more beautiful in autumn, with the changing color of the leaves. I really l.o.v.e.d. this museum (think Kroller-Moller in Holland, or Louisiana in Copenhagen, but better) and do not understand why it is not more famous? It is a wonderful end of this great trip through Japan.

Japan (28) - Ginza

21 July 2010 - Ginza is the swankiest and most expensive shopping area in all Japan. When the country opened to foreign trade in the 1860s, following two centuries of self-imposed isolation, it was here that Western imports and adopted Western architecture were first displayed. Today, Ginza is a labyrinth of department stores, boutiques, exclusive restaurants, galleries and hotels. The funkiest shop of all is probably the only Abercrombie & Fitch shop in Asia, with countless floors of (sometimes half naked) multi-ethnic male models selling jeans, polos and t-shirts. Most of the big European high fashion brands are available in Ginza too - and it seems they are all trying to have the coolest and most spectacular building to promote the uniqueness of their brand. Unfortunately some building turn out rather ugly, but this pink building is kinda cool.

Japan (27) - Baseball Rules

20 July 2010 - I am staying close to the Tokyo Dome. One of the things that surprises me about Japan is that baseball is everywhere. The Japanese are crazy about the game, as if they invented it. Everywhere boys and young men are throwing a ball, and the railway tracks are lined with baseball field after baseball field. Actually, the game was only introduced to Japan in 1873, but now its probably sport number one (after Sumo wrestling of course, but that's a different category). Not more than four foreigners can make the team here, but there has been an exodus of top Japanese players to the American baseball league. People now watch the American games and I heard that the television ratings for Japanese games  have fallen. Baseball is perceived as the ultimate team sport, and as in other aspects of life,. it is the group, the team, that counts.

Japan (26) - Shinkansen

20 Japan 2010 - My travel through Japan is slowly coming to an end and today I will return to Tokyo. I will travel with the Shinkansen Bullet train - one of the miracles of Japan. With a front car that resembles a space rocket, the Shinkansen flies with a maximum speed of 300kmph through the countryside on its own special trackes. It is super-dooper efficient and comfortable, and the Shinkansen is always - I mean always - on time. I will make use of the Tokaido - Sanyo Shinkansen, which runs from Tokyo to Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Hiroshima and Fukuoka in the South. Trains run every 10 minutes or so, that it is almost like catching the local metro. Everything seems small in Japan for a big guy like me, but the best news is that there is plenty of leg room and that the seats can decline. Many passengers take a nap, as it is peaceful and quiet; mobile phones are not allowed (same on all trains in Japan). Can't we import this rule in Hong Kong?

Japan (25) - Nara

19 July 2010 - In the beginnings of Japanese history, the nation's capital was moved to a new site each time a new emperor came to the throne. In 710, however, the first permanent Japanese capital was set up at Nara. Less than a century onwards it moved to Kyoto, where it remained for more than 1,000 years. What's imported about those 74 years, is that they witnessed the birth of Japan's arts, crafts and literature, as Nara imported everything from religion to art and architecture from China. The premier attraction is the Todaji Temple and its Great Buddha. The Temple is in Nara Park, a beautiful place with grassy lawns, trees and ponds, and more than 1,000 deer, which are considered divine messengers and therefore allowed to roam freely. The deer are however not that divine anymore, because they are quite keen to snatch the "deer cookies" from your hand.

Japan (24) - Rock Garden

19 July 2010 - The Ryonji Temple in Kyoto has the most famous Japanese rock garden in the country. The garden was laid out at the end of the 15th century by the Zen monk Tokuho Zenketsu. The garden measures 25 meters from east to west and 10 meters from south to north. The rectangular Zen garden is completely different from the gorgeous gardens of the nobles constructed in the Middle Ages. No trees are to be seen: only fifteen rocks and white gravel are used in the garden. It is up to each visitor to find out to himself what this unique garden signifies. The walls are made of clay boiled in oil. As time went by, the peculiar design was made of itself by the oil that seeped out. The longer you gaze at it, the more varied your imagination becomes. The rock garden surrounded by low earthen walls may be thought of as the quintessence of Zen art.

Japan (23) - Hello Kitty

19 July 2010 - She is everywhere, and yet I have not written about her yet ... Hello Kitty. Without any doubt this is Japan's favorite character, and it seems almost every tourist shop sells Hello Kitty dolls, t-shirts, pencils, stickers and one zillion other gadgets. Kitty was developed by Yuko Shimuzo of the Japanese company Sanrio in 1975, The 'Hello Kitty' trademark now earns worldwide annually more than USD one billion, also through its two officially licensed theme-parks Harmonyland and Sanrio Puroland (both in Japan). The Dutch artist Dick Bruna (wie kent hem niet?) has claimed that 'Hello Kitty' is a copy of Miffy (Nijntje), but he never took Sanrio, Shimuzo or Kitty to court. There is also a darker side to Hello Kitty. I was told that in 1999 a brutal murder took place in Hong Kong, named the Hello Kitty Murder. The popular name of the murder derives from the fact that the murderer inserted his victims head into a Hello Kitty doll after decapitating her. You won't find it in Hollywood ...

Japan (22) - Zen

18 July 2010 - Founded in India in the 6th century B.C. Buddhism came to Japan in the 6th century A.D. via China and Korea. By the end of the 6th century Buddhism had gained such popularity that Buddhism was declared the state religion. Probably the Buddhist sect best known in the West is Zen Buddhism. Considered the most Japanese form of Buddhism, Zen is the practice of meditation and a strictly disciplined lifestyle to rid oneself of desire so that one can achieve enlightenment. There are no rites in Zen Buddhism, no dogmas, no theological conceptions of divinity; you do not analyze rationally, but are supposed to know things intuitively. The strict and simple lifestyle of Zen appealed greatly to Japan's samurai warrior class, and many Japan's arts, including the tea ceremony, arose from the practice of Zen.

Japan (21) - Temple of the Golden Pavilion

18 July 2010 - One of Kyoto's best known monuments is Kinkakuji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion). The Temple was originally constructed in the 1390s as a retirement villa for one of the shogun leaders and features a three-story pavilion covered in gold leaf with a roof topped by a bronze phoenix. Apparently, the retired general lived in shameless luxury while the rest of the nation suffered from famine, earthquakes and the plague. Still, the Golden Pavilion shimmers against the blue sky, its reflection captured in the waters of a calm pond. However, the pavilion is not the original: in 1950 a disturbed student monk burned Kinkakuji to the ground. The story is told by author Mishima Yukio in his famous novel. The tepmple was rebuilt in 1955 and in 1987 it was recovered in gold leaf, five times thicker that the original coating. You almost sunglasses.

Japan (20) - Kyoto

18 July 2010 - Kyoto is the ultimate destination of this trip. It is the historically most significant town in Japan, and was spared from the bombs of World War II. Although Kyoto is now a modern town, there are parts where time stood still and images of yesterday are plentiful. You have to develop an eye for the details: a woman selling tofu on the corner of the street, a couple sitting in front of a gnarled bonsai or a man sweeping the tatami mat in his open-fronted shop. Sadly, there are also thousands of tourists here, so it is sometimes difficult to "feel" the environment. Kyoto is home of 20 of Japan's national treasures and has an incredible 1,700 Buddhist temples and 300  Most are made of wood, and they have been destroyed through the years by man, fire and earthquakes, but have always been rebuilt. Kyoto is a great city to explore on foot, soaking in the beauty of the atmosphere..

Japan (19) - Vending Machines

17 July 2010 - One of the things that always surprise me in Japan is the number of vending machines in the country. They seem to be everywhere: in stations, in the hotel, on the streets and in the back streets. Most machines accept bills and give back change, and I have already met a few machines that talked to me. In Japanese - so that did not help. Lots of things can be bought from the machines: coffee (cold and hot), soft drinks, snacks, candy, but also flowers, umbrella's and batteries. Amazingly, cigarettes are also sold practically everywhere, and I read that until recently beer and rice wine was also sold in the machines, but underage drinking got out of control (it seems Japanese do not mind underage smoking?). I also read there are vending machines that are blank by day, but light up at night: selling pornographic comics. I would love to find one!

Japan (18) - Kyoichi Tsuzuki

17 July 2010 - I did not only visit the Peace Memorial Park area in Hiroshima, but also visited the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), which had an exhibition of Kyoichi Tsuzuki on display. Tsusuki is modern Japanese artist who casts a fresh eye over the state of Japan today, and shows what is on display in Japan's streets around us. The stars of the exhibition are the anonymous Japanese street people and - and that's another point - people who are not in the cultural spotlights. I copied the following quote from Tsuzuki which explains what his work is about : "What is it about the creative purity of these individuals, who would never in a million years imagine themselves to be artists, that we find so much more uplifting, both visually and spiritually, than the "artworks" hanging in galleries? Why is it things that ought not to be "art" appear infinitely more artistic?" I enjoyed the exhibition, because Japans' streets are indeed the cultural frontline, which is one of the reasons why it is so much fun being here.