Please welcome guest blogger Alisastair from Chasinganoodle.com
“If I was to punch that rich looking guy, would he sue me?” That was the question I put to my brother whilst we were walking around our Onsen Hotel in Kotohira, Japan. His response was quick: “No, he’d probably apologize for walking into your fist.”
It’s funny, but it does actually make an interesting point about how friendly Japanese people are. My brother is right – the man would probably stand there and apologize and bow profusely. To get him to stop bowing, I’d probably have to punch him again… harder… somewhere in the chest cavity… with some knuckle dusters…
At times it seemed quite bizarre to me, as a Westerner (oh no, I used *that* word). Walk in or out of a hotel, restaurant, shop or cafe and you will find the staff thanking you, bowing, smiling – sincerely happy to see you (but not glad to see you leave). Yes, it’s nice but come on – I should be thanking you for my nice meal or service or for allowing me to look around your lovely shop. I feel like giving them a violent shake – no, not a liquid refreshment made of milk. What does a violent milkshake look like anyway, for goodness sake? Is it served with a machete instead of a straw?
Anyway, back to my point – what a difference this kind of service makes from the brand outlets in the UK, where they serve you in a shop, mumble the price, wipe their nose on their sleeve (well, at least it’s not your sleeve) and then stare at you as if to say “go on then, I’ve done my bit, you can put it in a bag yourself.” I want to be served my spinach doughnuts with a smile, not with a snarl and a fart from Mr ASBO.
Now, onto another point about service. When you’re out somewhere (a bit of a non-specific statement, I know) and a Japanese person goes above and beyond for you (like cleaning your windscreen in the petrol station), they don’t expect a tip for it. It’s all part of the service. Go to give the man a tip and he wont know what to do with it.
Question: when is green not green, but actually blue? Hint: It’s nothing to do with a convention of color blind frogs. Answer: At Japanese road crossings and street lights. Yes, despite the light being as green as a moldy apple jelly baby sitting on a plate of cress in Cafe Vert (note to self: don’t go there for the ‘dish of the day!’) , the light is blue blue and it’s a blue man, not a green one.
Whilst on the subject of the green (or blue) man, I found it highly entertaining to watch Japanese people at crossings. In Japan, the ‘stop, look, listen’ rule has been replaced with ‘stop…. stare at blue man…. hope….’ Despite the fact that a car hasn’t been spotted in either direction for months, they stand there… waiting for the blue man and the inevitable muzac (probably the tune of The Proclaimers ‘I Would Walk 500 Miles… But There’s A Red Man Stopping Me’). I was told that it is considered shameful to cross when the red man is showing. So, people wait… and wait… and then suddenly one man thinks ‘sod it, I’m going to be late for my chiropodist’ and goes to cross. Like wildebeest waiting to cross a crocodile-infested river; once one goes, suddenly they all go. It’s obviously less shameful to cross on the red man once someone else has done it. There’s comfort in being shamed as a group… just ask the UK X-Factor singing duo ‘John and Edward’.
On to Japanese women now (about time too!). One thing I admire greatly about Japanese women is their effort in wearing short skirts and shorts in any weather. Amazing…. ok, enough admiring!
Oh, and whilst it comes to the opposite sex, I found out that in Japanese, the words for ‘hot’ and ‘thick’ are the same. As are ‘tall’ and ‘expensive’. So, next time you hear your Japanese friend saying that she has met a tall, hot man… you might want to think twice before seeking an introduction and asking if they have any similar friends.
So, why do such a high percentage of men find Japanese women so attractive (apart from the way that they dress?). Well, I have a theory, and it’s all about pupil dilation. It has been scientifically proven that people become more attractive when their pupils dilate – it’s a sign that someone is attracted to you (or that someone is incredibly drunk). With Japanese women, their eyes tend to be very dark, which makes it seem as if their pupils are dilated (or they’re hammered!). So, if you’re not gazing at their legs, you’re gazing into their eyes. Well, that’s what I find, anyway. I mean, check out the image below. Her eyes…. are amazing.
This article was written by Alastair Hazell and comes from his humorous, observational blog Chasing a Noodle. The original version of this article can be found .
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Please welcome guest blogger Eileen from
Floridaweddingdestinations.com
Although not a native Floridian, I have lived in the Daytona Beach area for almost 30 years. Florida has so many fantastic destinations, rich in both beauty and history. One of my favorite Florida getaways is Key West. We have been there many times, and last year we decided to dodge the obligatory family Thanksgiving ritual for an impromptu three night getaway in paradise. Lying at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys, Key West is a seven hour drive from where we live near Daytona, but, upon arrival, I always feel like I am a million miles from home. Describing the charm that is bestowed upon visitors of Key West could never do it justice, the Caribbean flavor, breathtaking beauty, and laid back lifestyle simply must be experienced to be appreciated.
While visiting Key West, we always stay at the Island City House, which is conveniently located in the historic district. Although considered a bed and breakfast, it is very family friendly and the queen suite is perfect for my husband and I and our two youngest kids. The grounds are full of magnificent old Florida foliage and an immaculate and inviting pool. Huge porches full of wicker were accommodating large families that were meeting up for the holidays.
Unsure of where we would have our Thanksgiving dinner, we decided to try something different and went on a sunset Thanksgiving dinner cruise on the Halie and Matthew, a 110 foot schooner. What an amazing experience that was! My husband and daughter got to assist in pulling the sails up, and later we went down below to the beautiful wood galley and enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving dinner catered by the Hard Rock café.
The thing I love most about Key West is, you need no agenda to have a wonderful time, it just seems to happen. On the other hand, there is so much to do!!! Activities abound in Key West, and include world class fishing, sunset sails, snorkeling, parasailing, shopping, world class dining, museums, and exciting and festive nightlife. Pedestrian friendly, it is not unusual to park your car during a visit to the historic area of Key West, and not have to use it again until it’s time to leave. Be sure take a walk down Duval Street during your visit, and don’t forget to include a trip to Mallory Square, the center of Key West’s historic waterfront, to experience the famous Key West sunset celebration.
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Please welcome guest blogger Leng from Globe-nomads.com
Thinking of renting a car to explore the areas where public transport doesn’t go? After driving in UK for about 10 months now, I would like to share with you some tips which can possibly spare you from some unexpected surprises when sharing the road with others.
1. Be aware of the road condition
Honestly I can’t decide if the city roads or the country roads are worst. Country roads are narrow with an occasional pothole but the road surface is often consistent and less traffic is always better. City roads, especially in Greater London, give you the feeling that they are built piecemeal. The road surface can be good for some 50 meters then become bad unexpectedly. The primary cause is due to road works. Road works are all the rage nowadays in London. Every day when you drive you can be ensured of encountering at least a road work. They just seem to like digging up the roads and then covering it up again. Obviously they didn’t do a good job or there will not be so many pot holes. Sometimes the contractors just leave the road works uncompleted over a weekend causing massive obstruction in traffic. What gives? In spring after the snow thawed out, the roads can be filled with pot holes and you find yourself whizzing left and right in a bid to avoid them. There are also numerous speed bumps in residential areas and sometimes on a short stretch of road you can find several, prompting you to ask, are so many necessary?
2. Roundabouts are massively popular
When I first started driving in UK, I was a bit disorientated by the roundabouts. There are just too many! Uncontrolled junctions are clearly not favoured here, so get ready for your dose of roundabouts. If you don’t remember the rules, in a country where people drive on the left side of the road, we give way to traffic on our right in a roundabout. As you can imagine, contention can arise if all the traffic arrive at about the same time in a small roundabout. Not very safe in my opinion and some drivers can get confused. The American system of using “STOP” is safer in my experience. However, the good thing about a roundabout is if you happen to be in a heavy stream of traffic with nobody to give way to, you don’t need to stop at all.
3. Signage
Navigating the streets in UK can sometimes be very frustrating. Why? Road Signs bearing street names are very rarely placed in prominent places. The majority of them are placed waist level, which are often blocked by parked cars. However the parking signs or the no loading signs are everywhere! My advice is to use a GPS navigator or what they call a Sat Nav in UK. A second point to note is that road names are also mostly painted on the road surface at the larger roundabouts as a guide to which lanes to use. However, such road names are difficult to spot in situations where traffic is bumper to bumper. In addition, a road may have more than 1 name. For example, the “North Circular Road” can also be referred to as “A406” and you will usually find “A406” painted on the road surface.
4. Flashing and other road behavior
In my home country Singapore when other drivers flash at you using high beams, they are warning you or are expressing their anger. It may happen when you filter into their lanes unexpectedly or if you are driving too slowly. Here in the UK drivers usually flash as a sign of thanks or they are signaling their intention to give way. The majority of drivers are polite especially in the countryside but they may also like to drive at a slow pace. They give way to others and they also expect that you give way to them. Therefore, it is most advisable to give way when they signal for a lane change.
5. Be wary of speed limit guides
Having lived in California for a year and drove extensively in the countryside, I would automatically add 10mph to a speed limit guide as I knew they tend to be overly conservative. However here in the UK, the speed guides can be very confusing. Sometimes they may be unnecessary slow, but sometimes it will be foolish to follow them unless you have the driving reflexes of F1 driver Lewis Hamilton and a 4WD car that grips the road like glue. I was once driving in the Lake District and the indicated speed limit is 50mph. However, even with my limited experience driving narrow country roads I knew the speed limit was not to be trusted so I was ready to slow down. It couldn’t be a moment sooner as I drove right into a sharp bend which was hidden by the winding road. If I had driven at 50, I would no doubt find myself at the bottom of a gorge.
We are travelers from Singapore and we aim to bring you first person reviews of accommodation that we stayed and places that we visited. Come travel with us as we embark on our journey through Europe!
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Today’s Guest Blogger Una Ragazza lives in New York. Together with a group of female Asian expatriates spread across three continents, she manages www.eatshopplaylove.com, a blog that tells tales about eating, shopping, playing and loving well. A native of Singapore, she shares her list of 10 things to do for a first-time visitor to the Asian island.
10. Ride the MRT to get from the country’s east end to its west end
Singapore subway or metro system is aptly called the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) as it efficiently transports about two million people around the country on a daily basis. For an affordable US$2, one can embark on a one-hour tourist ride that conveniently whisks you off from the airport on the eastern end of the diamond-shaped island to the western coast, gliding smoothly past highways, public housing estates, food markets and shopping complexes. The scene on the MRT is also a real cultural treat: hear the local accent (Singlish), check out the local hipster fashion and observe kiddie behavior in a very crowded space. You’d be amazed how similar and different things are from back home.
9. Eat the very good seafood in Newton Circus
If I could somehow transport myself back home to Singapore for a meal and have only time to visit one place, it will likely be Newton Circus. From delectable sambal stingray and oyster omelet to prawn noodles and fish ball soup, this place can inflict a food orgy on an adventurous seafood lover. Bring plenty of napkins.
8. Walk the underground mall in Orchard Road
With year-round temperatures of 80-95 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity rates in the 90s, ducking into the never-ending row of air-conditioned Orchard Road shopping malls is a respite. A great experience is to walk, shop and eat your way through the subterranean malls linking Orchard Road MRT to Somerset MRT and then Dhoby Ghaut MRT. Emerge at the other end in your fresh and dry clothes, ready to conquer the cluster of museums within easy walking distance.
7. Crash a beach wedding in Sentosa
Sentosa, the island-playground that is a hop, skip and a jump from the city, is a great way to get away from the hustle and bustle of the mainland. On a weekend evening, make your way to the beaches close to the resort hotels and get in the action with the locals celebrating wedding nuptials on the toasty beach.
6. Drink plenty of coffee and stay up for the Night Safari
The award-winning Night Safari is a one-of-a-kind experience. As a country which has pulled itself from third-world to first-world status within two generations, Singapore is known for creating plenty of firsts and other superlatives: the world’s best seaport, the world’s best airport, the world’s best airline, the world’s largest artificial waterfall… The action at the world’s first wildlife park for nocturnal animals starts late, so load up on the Starbucks to enjoy a ride into Africa on the equator.
5. Ride a bike in Pulau Ubin
When I was growing up, Pulau Ubin was seen as the backwaters of Singapore, with nary to offer beyond mosquitoes. The only people I knew who visited the island were foolhardy adventure seekers: boy scouts! Nowadays, Ubin’s image has received a face lift: people see it as a cool alternative to Sentosa — more rustic, less crowded. Bring lots of Deet because the mosquito problem has not gone away.
4. Catch a morning assembly at a primary school
Whenever I ask my friends in America if they sing the national anthem other than during sports games, I usually get blank stares. I often respond with my own look of surprise, since singing the national anthem and reciting the pledge is part and parcel of every school-going kid between the ages of 5 and 18 in Singapore: we do it every morning before the start of the first lesson. The sight of several hundred little tikes singing in earnest and in unison should be quite an eye-opener for those who are not used to such discipline and linguistic capabilities (the Singapore anthem is in the Malay language, which makes up about 15 percent of the population; the other main races include Chinese and Indian).
3. Buy a sari in Little India
About one in ten Singaporeans is Indian, so it is only apt that there is a thriving Little India that feels authentic enough for me to have outfitted myself with two saris here. For those who are less familiar with the Indian costume, the sari comes with a choli — a tiny shirt that is meant to squeeze every bit of fat out onto your belly. It is considered sexy to have a belly when wearing the sari. Nasi biryani before a visit to the tailor, anyone?
2. Visit the brewery of one of Asia’s best beers, Tiger Beer
For a young country of under 200 years old, Singapore has a rather respectable beer. So much so that when I visited Cambodia and Vietnam recently, tourist vendors were selling T-shirts with the logo of the Singapore beer all over town. Beer drinks would appreciate this beer trivia: decades before the popular US beer slogan, “It’s Miller Time” was known, the “It’s Time for a Tiger” slogan inspired a book by the British author of A Clockwork Orange.
1. Get to Changi Airport 5 hours before departure!
You heard it right — check in with a few hours of spare time at the airport that provides arguably the world’s best retail experience. With more than 300 shopping and dining establishments spread over three terminals, as well as a full-size tourist information center, beauty salon, music bar and lounge, spa, nature trail and hotel, there is frankly plenty for Tom Hanks to do if he ever were to get stuck here for a while.
So there you go — try the above when you make it down to the Lion City. Don’t forget to leave the chewing gum at home.
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Please welcome guest blogger Jen from Unseennyc.blogspot.com
When you think of parks and main attractions in NYC, you think of Central Park and the American Museum of Natural History, the Central Park Zoo, the Guggenheim, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Right? But what about the other 4 boroughs? I have a blog, Unseen NYC, where I have tried to focus on the other 4 boroughs equally, because I have found that all of my tour books about NYC have 1 chapter on the outer boroughs, and the rest of the book is all about Manhattan. Not that I don’t like Manhattan, but I live in Brooklyn, and in numbers, there are more people here (2,465,000) than in Manhattan (1,537,000). It makes sense to have somewhere to go that has stuff about the 5 boroughs in more equal numbers. So that is what I have been trying to do.
Central Park is well known for the Central Park Zoo, which is nice, a little on the smaller side, but great for a afternoon trip and located on the east side of the park, between 64th and 66th Streets. The penguins were my favorite part, and the Snow Leopards were pretty nice too. They have a petting zoo across 65th Street that the younger kids love, and older ones too, even though it might be uncool. This Central Park website is a good one for checking out all of the playgrounds in the park. You can always find one and hang out and have the kids play for the afternoon. Here is the Delacourte Clock located between the zoo and petting zoo.
But most of the tourists who converge to Manhattan forget about the other 4 boroughs, and I have a few museums and attractions all in or near parks from each borough that are must sees.
Let’s start off in Brooklyn. The biggest borough population wise with 2,465,000 as of the 2000 Census. All in the Prospect Park area there is the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, the Prospect Park Zoo, and the Brooklyn Public Library. The park itself is wonderful, a playground on the west side, fun for the kids!! Still in Brooklyn, Coney Island is another awesome day, a beach, a boardwalk, Nathan’s, the NY Aquarium, a ball park, and a really cool ride on the Cyclone Roller Coaster.
Up in Queens, biggest borough in size at 109 square miles, there are a few to see, too. The New York Hall of Science is located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, along with the Queens Botanical Gardens, Queens Museum of Art, and the Queens Zoo. If anyone has seen Men in Black they will recognize this. This is the Unisphere and in the background the Observation Tower of the New York State Pavilion from the World’s Fair.
On to the Bronx, and the biggest park there is the Van Cortlandt Park. What it lacks in attractions around it, it makes up for in the park itself. There are hiking trails, tennis courts, four playgrounds, and the country’s oldest golf course. This is one of the entrances:
Still in the Bronx, there is the Bronx Park, home to the Bronx Zoo, and the Bronx Botanical Gardens.
I have saved Staten Island for last, not because it is the worst, but it is a different kind of animal. There is more car traffic there and a lot less in the way of pedestrians, so things are a little more spread out. In St. George, across from the ferry terminal is the courthouse and Borough Hall. Behind that are the St. George Public Library and the St. George Theatre. Also in the area is The Staten Island Museum, and the Richmond County Bank Ballpark, which is home for the Staten Island Yankees. In order to get to Staten Island, you would need to take the ferry from Manhattan:
All in all, New York City is not just Midtown, but the other boroughs as well. When you visit, you should check them out, wander out of midtown Manhattan for a change of scenery.
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