Hong Kong - February 2007

Hong Kong is my new favorite city.

Hong Kong is really a series of islands. Ferries, bridges and tunnels connect everything. And these islands are hilly. I kept hearing about how crowded the city was, so the amount of green space took me by surprise. From the window of our midtown hotel we could see early-risers doing their Tai Chi exercise in a beautiful botanical garden. Later we walked through the garden and admired the gorgeous plants and enjoyed the antics of the lemurs and monkeys. It’s a great pedestrian city, and if you don’t want to trek the steep street, just hop on the moving side walk, aka the world’s longest escalator, and get zipped right a long.

Britain handed Hong Kong over to China in 1997. It will operate fairly independently until 2047, then mainland China will gobble them up. (Which is ironic considering that this city’s success is due to the 1949 influx of Chinese professionals who were escaping the new Communist government.) Hong Kong is considered the most international of the Asian Pacific port/financial centers that include Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney and Shanghai. It sure was hopping.

We were in town to see our friends and residents, Patty Hudak and Matt, Carl and Nellie Kolon. We had a grand visit –we got to talk, talk, talk and the kids got to play- then we basked in the attention of our personal and knowledgeable tour guides as they whisked us to all their favorite places.

We took the famous Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour and took in the twinkling night view of the Hong Kong skyline. The ferry was founded in the 1800s and is a highly recognizable symbol of the city. As is common in Asia, they recently demolished a historical pier to make way for a land reclamation project. We’ll have to repeat all our stops in the future just to see what has been changed.

Luckily, there are a few famous establishments remaining. We had dim sum at Luk Yu Tea House. This place is old Hong Kong at its best, so we ate and drank tea while admiring the art deco atmosphere. If you go, order the bo lai and jasmine teas.

We had to work off our breakfast, so we took the ferry (of course) to Lamma Island. A half hour later, we were in a different world from the commercial area. A true artist’s community, Lamma Island prohibits automobiles and buildings over 3-stories tall. Walking paths connect the scenic sea-side villages. We ambled along, admired the ocean views and took extra time to dig in the sand at the beaches. After all this activity, we were ready to hit one of the many seafood restaurants, lined up waiting for us to peer into their outdoor tanks and select our fresh dinner. Patty expertly ordered for us, which made Eric really happy because he didn’t want to meet his fish personally.

It’s hard to believe, but the next morning we were able to eat a SECOND dim sum breakfast. I used to go to dim sum in NYC; and am happy to report that Chinatown’s steamed dumplings and egg tarts are authentically Hong Kong/Cantonese. Cantonese, a southern-Chinese dialect, is the primary language of Hong Kong, although English is widely spoken and the northern dialect of Mandarin is becoming more popular.

We then happily shopped the day away visiting street vendors. The next day, there was a grand visit, via double deck bus, to the Ocean Amusement park with yet more great vistas of the city.

The best view was yet to be had. On our final morning we took the Peak Tram, which travels up a hillside to a tower in Victoria Gap. The Peak itself, at over 1,800 feet, is the highest point on Hong Kong Island. We had a panoramic view of the city. Then the kids got to run down the hill back to our hotel. I didn’t want to leave.

Dave and I told Patty and Matt we’ve decided to retire to Hong Kong. They said they want to retire in Kyoto.

Happy travels!
Love, barbara

P.S. Alas, this was our last out-of-Japan trip. Our next adventure is to Tokyo/Kyoto where we meet the Adkisson family from Vermont. In just a few months, we start preparations to pack up and head home!!! We miss you all.

Pictures at http://photos.yahoo.com/~iverlink Folder called 1. Hong Kong 07.

Blog http://iversonjpn.blogspot.com/

Thailand - January 2007

Happy New Year!!

Hope you are all well. We were so enamored with southern Thailand and Bangkok in ‘04, we took this opportunity to go back and see the north.

We hung out a few days in Bangkok first, taking a cooking class, and enjoying the festive atmosphere. The Thais have the utmost reverence for their monarch. King Rama IX is the world’s longest reigning, living sovereign (he beats Elizabeth II by 6 years). His 60th anniversary was last month and the Thais are still celebrating. The royal color is yellow and it’s notably worn by everyone in every way.

A teacher in Bridget’s Vermont school was part of the English program at the Patumwan Thai School when it was founded ten years ago. She hooked us up with her friends and we spent a good part of the day touring the school, chatting with staff and sitting in on classes. It’s an impressive program with the students studying completely in English. They also learn Chinese, French and Japanese. We better start catching up!

We set off to the most northern province of Chiang Rai to meet our adventure travel guides and spent the next five days hiking, biking and riding motor scooters (and yes, elephants!) to amazing destinations.

The highlight for me was the last day of December. We rode a twisty mountain border road into an area dominated by the ethnic hilltribe groups. We trekked a path that went by their homes and beautifully maintained farms and ended up in middle of the town’s New Year’s festival. The Thai New Year is in April, but January 1st is a good excuse for a party. All the locals were enjoying rides made of rickety teak that looked scary to me, but our two dove in.

That night we launched a few khoom fay fire lanterns in honor of the new year. These are like mini-hot air balloons and you hold yours until it fills up enough to lift off. As it rises into the sky, you release 2006 ills, while making 2007 wishes. Wait, I’ve got it wrong. It’s the year 2550 according to the Thai calendar. Now I’m not sure exactly which year I’ll get my wish.

The next day we did more riding along the border. “Myanmar” is the name the locals prefer for the neighboring country, while English-speakers say “Burma”. A very poor country, it has suffered under military government’s infighting. Standing at the border, Thailand’s pruned and maintained areas were a sharp contrast to Myanmar’s unkempt terrain.

We spent the night at the Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet. China creeps in there too. We visited the excellent Opium Museum run by the Queen Mother’s foundation. This region of Thailand was overrun with opium fields not too long ago. Thailand eradicated the opium by giving the people incentives to reforest the area, plant tea, fruit and coffee all while preserving the northern culture. It was heartening to see such a positive outcome.

Next we found ourselves following the Laos border as we took a long-tail boat down the Mekong River. This massive river runs through seven countries (Tibet, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam). We even got to say we were officially in Laos by stopping at an island along the way. No passport necessary.

I’m missing it all already. The scenery was like nothing else and I loved finding shrines and Buddhas in unlikely spots. It was a busy time of festivals and celebration and the Thai people are so full of life.

Best wishes for 2007/2550!

Love, barbara


Pictures at http://photos.yahoo.com/~iverlink Folder called 1.ThailandDec.Jan07. If you’re interested in the school see - 2.Patumwan School-Bangkok

Blog: http://iversonjpn.blogspot.com/

End of November - 12/1/06

Greetings! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Can’t believe November has drawn to a close.

No Macy’s parade for us, but we did get helium exposure at a balloon festival earlier in the month. Only one balloon braved a rather breezy day. Our friend, Angela, was disappointed and said that in previous years more than 50 balloons would be airborne. We were happy to see one. Any excuse for us to take in the festival scene!

Dave, the kids, Ian and Stuart re-visited one of their favorite amusement parks. Mitsui Greenland specializes in roller coasters with names like The Atomic and Megaton (see why I skipped it?). The park is easy to find because there is a large (helium!) Ultraman lording over it.

The next day we explored a peninsula south of Nagasaki. We took a winding road that skimmed the edge of steep-sea-plunging- cliffs that led us to beach nirvana. Lots of beaches, some sandy, some rocky. Where were these places in the summer? The best one was a green sand beach that we got to explore and enjoy at sunset.

On the way home we found Chris’ American pizza. I know that this is not so exciting to you guys, but the Japanese are not exactly world-renowned for their cheese. They also have a fondness for corn and mayonnaise toppings that we’ve never quite embraced, so Chris’ authentic ingredient pizza was a treat. We ordered a “meat lovers”. No fish in sight.

I joined Eric’s class trip and went to a Nagasaki television studio for a live taping of a talk show. The kids sat quietly behind the hosts for a full hour. They put Eric right up front and he was a little squirmier than the rest but managed pretty well. Onward to the
Mitshibushi shipyard; they seem to own half of Nagasaki. The scale is massive. These guys are building the ocean cargo freighters. Wow.

Our wonderful friend, Aya, came from Okinawa to spend Thanksgiving weekend with us. We took her to a guest house in hot spring country (ryoken onsen) and had a grand time. Our kimono-clad hostess served us tea in our tatami room and then we changed into yukatas, trotted down to the hot spring and admired the garden from our steamy seat in the natural setting stone tub. (I know I keep writing about hot springs, but it’s one of my favorite Japanese experiences). We had a great meal in our room and had to take the traditional Thanksgiving walk. Yukata-clad foreigners clomping along in our too-small wooden sandals must’ve been a funny sight. Luckily, Aya looked great.

The next day we went to the BioPark, an interactive zoo, and particularly enjoyed the monkeys. This part of Japan specializes in pottery, so we did some shopping and stopped off for Bridget and Eric to make a cup on a pottery wheel. We caught some high school students having a fashion show of their design school projects – hand-sewn, hand-dyed kimonos. I posted a too dark photo, but hopefully the creativity and beauty shows through.

Have a wonderful December -with all the festivities, fun, craziness and joy.

Love, barbara



Pictures at http://photos.yahoo.com/~iverlink called 2006-November.


Blog http://iversonjpn.blogspot.com/

Singapore - November 2006

Happy November!

I showed up at my J-Economics class with omiyogi (the obligatory return-from-trip gift) and as my professor bit into her cookie, she said, “Singapore, eh? Not really part of Asia”. Well, yes, it is. Southeast Asia specifically. But I know what she’s getting at because a few weeks ago she announced “Japan is not Asia”. (I was waiting for the “it’s East Asia” lecture). But, noooo. Her point was that Japan and Singapore are too westernized to belong to the Asia family. Or maybe that western feeling has something to do with Singapore’s history as a British colony and the post-war American occupation of Japan. Or maybe it’s because my professor is Filipino.

The omiyogi cookies were the shape of the Singapore Merlion; the mascot of the island nation. Yes, a merlion is a lion’s head on a mermaid tail. But it works for this port city. Country. 269 square miles makes it a really small country. My favorite aspect of Singapore is that it is a true blend of cultures. We heard Chinese, Indian and Malaysian spoken. The official language is English, so the translation corner of my brain got a vacation too.

Our primary entertainment was eating. We showed up in Little India more than once. Chinatown was another good stop. But we spent most of our time at street hawker’s booths; a row of food stalls where we could pick and chose our medley of satay’s, curries, chili crab, exotic fruit drinks and something called carrot cake which was a seafood omelet minus the carrot or cake. Singapore is a spotless city, in an uptight, controlled way. Although, I have to admit, it was nice to eat at the friendly neighborhood street vendor with an “A” rating official document hanging from their booth.

I met my Vermont friend and Singapore’s newest resident, Amy Lange, for tea. What fun to meet in, um, almost-Asia. She told me about her new place in a massive apartment complex. The skyscrapers of the city give way to miles and miles of residential buildings. Envisioning a lot of poured concrete, it was great to see that the city and surrounding areas are full of parks, tropical trees and flowers.

We used the MRT subway to cover a good bit of ground and saw the local (controlled) wildlife at a bird park and a very cool night safari. Singapore is just barely north of the equator, with the temperature steady at 85 F with 85% humidity, so the critters were all tropical and beautiful. We also spent a lot of time in the pool.

Eric has blogged the trip in great detail, and my disclaimer is that Dave and I did not buy animal parts in Chinatown. http://www.ericjapaneseexperience.blogspot.com/

Big thanks to our Isahaya-friends, the Bartlett family, Ian, Angela and Stuart, for sharing their week with us in one of their favorite places.

Hope you are all well, happy and healthy,

Love, barbara


Pictures at http://photos.yahoo.com/~iverlink called 2006-Singapore.


I blog on living in Japan at http://iversonjpn.blogspot.com/

Festivals and Rice - October 2006

Hello all,

Hope you are having a fabulous Autumn ~ heard we missed some nice leaf peeping. We hiked our favorite local volcano a few weeks ago and the Japanese red maples were starting to turn. The trees and leaves were like miniature versions of our Vermont red maples.

'Tis matsuri season in Japan. Matsuris are local festivals that follow the rice harvest calendar. Last time we just watched the goings-on; this time we seem to be participating more than observing.

Eric’s school held Undoukai – a school sports festival. Eric’s team scored the most points in relay races, tug of war, ball shooting and dance to claim the school trophy for the year. At lunch time, everyone pulled out their carefully wrapped bentos. These boxed lunches are packed in lacquerware trays that contain beautifully arranged rice, fish, pickles and vegetables. The families seem to compete over who has the most elaborate bento, which means the Japanese housewife got up at some ungodly hour to assemble them.
I’m sure everyone was duly impressed by our plastic bag of smooshed peanut butter sandwiches.

The following week, Bridget and Eric both rowed in the Peron or dragon boat race festival. With twenty people to a boat, there is one person in charge of the rudder and another who rings the gong while the twenty paddlers, well, paddle in sync with the gong. That’s the idea any way. They raced out in the Omura bay and had a grand time. Bridget was part of the winning team. She was smart enough not to sit by the gong.

Last weekend was one of the largest festivals in Japan and it’s right here in Nagasaki. The 370-year old Kunchi festival celebrates the God of Nagasaki’s Suwa Shrine by parading elaborate floats depicting different points in this harbor city’s history. The Dutch and Chinese influence is represented by beautifully costumed dancers acting out stories from the past. It’s all amazing and we rewarded our wanderings by sampling the great festival food.

The mountainous Japanese islands don’t allow much space for people, never mind agriculture, and everywhere we’ve gone in Japan, we’ve marveled at how rice fields are squeezed into every possible nook and cranny. Our island of Kyushu is less populated, so rice fields are every where. Rice is planted in the Spring and the strong fibrous stalks grow to be about half a meter high and support heavy heads of rice.

We helped a family yesterday thresh their crop. They had cut the stalks a week ago, using a piece of equipment that cuts and binds the stalks together. The family had constructed pole supports to hang the rice bundles to dry. We helped lift the bundles off their supports and feed the stalks through a machine that separated the grains. It spit out the stalks and blew the grains into 20-kg bags. We loaded the bags into a truck. Later they’ll bring the bags to a clever rice vending machine that hulls, polishes and repackages the rice.

We put some of the stalks into another machine that could be walked around the field while it chopped and blew out mulch. In another field, we bundled up the stalks and loaded them on pallets. We were told that they will take them into town where they’ll be made into tatami – a Japanese mat.

In the 80s and humid, it was hot, dusty work, but we had a good time and were plied with lots of snacks and drinks at break time. We were told that they appreciated how tall we are because it’s easy for us to lift the stalks off the poles (Bridget is taller than most Japanese adults). Before we left, we gave them some syrup and told them that we were maple farmers. They had a good laugh over that. I don’t think anyone taps the miniature Japanese maple trees.

We leave on the 22nd for a week in Singapore. I hope you have a wonderful October and I’ll write more soon,

Love, barbara

Pictures at http://photos.yahoo.com/~iverlink called 2006-SeptOct.

I blog on living in Japan at http://iversonjpn.blogspot.com/