What I Think Of Japan

Hmmm......... time really flies. I've already been back in Malaysia for a week now. The past week has been really hectic, what with having to do a lot of catch-up workwise, and also having to sort out the souvenirs.

Overall it was a really great trip that I had in Japan, thanks to my niece Ange. Without her, I wouldn't be having some of the most tasty food around Kobe, and also won't even be able to catch a ride on their trains ! EVERYTHING is in Japanese, EVERYONE speaks Japanese ONLY. It's like I suddenly became an illiterate person !

Most are over polite, speaking to me in Japanese even AFTER I have spoken to them in English, saying that "I'm sorry, but I don't understand Japanese". They will nod their heads, then continue their level best to try and explain to me about something. And they REALLY like to queue. Whether it's for paying, boarding train, washroom, food, check-in, traffic lights, they will queue. As you know, we Malaysians seldom do that, so it was a bit odd.

When the Japanese drivers reach a traffic light junction at night, they will turn down the lights so that it is not glaring for on-coming motorists or people crossing the road, which seems like a good idea. What I find odd is that when you are on the escalator in Kansai, you have to stand on the RIGHT and walk on the LEFT. And yes, ONLY in Kansai.

People there are very "stick-like" because most of them are thin. Can't even buy clothes there. Nothing fits. All for those thin Jap girls. And they really pile on the makeup before leaving the house. Even those 60-80 year olds are dressed to kill and had on makeup, and they looked better than me !

Another funny thing is that most of the tables, chairs, washing basin and even their toilet bowls are so LOW. Initially, I thought the one in Ange's house was meant for kids ! But the weird thing was, the bathtub was darn tall ! Almost had trouble climbing in, with a darn small space for the bathroom. I wonder how old folks are going to climb into that bathtub.

It's a nice country, because it is reeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaallllllllyyyyyyyyyy CLEAN. And everyone is environment-friendly, with plenty of rubbish bins at the train stations that sorts plastic bottles from normal rubbish. Also, although there are no rubbish bins anywhere on the road, people there do not simple throw rubbish on the road. Instead, they will take the rubbish home to throw.

They are also disabled-people friendly, having many amenities for the blind and the lame in most places, and they allow guide dogs to accompany the blind people, even into shopping malls. And yes, they really love their dogs. They have many shops selling clothes and toys for their dogs. Some of these clothes, collars, doggy bags (to keep pooches in), toys and even dog bowls are more expensive than the clothes or shoes Ange buys for herself !

Their standard of living is so much better than us in Malaysia, which is why they can afford nice stuff. Their 100 yen shop sells quality goods, and with the salary that they are earning, Japanese can really live comfortably, unlike us Malaysians.

When I was there, it was really cold and had low humidity, thus although having to wear the multitude layers of clothes were cumbersome, at least while Ange prodded me with a stick to climb stairs, hills, wait for buses / trains, walk a few miles, I didn't really sweat. Hehe... okok... I'll admit it, she didn't prod me with a stick. The only problem is food and drinks also become cold very fast, thus one meal at home may require the microwave to be used at least 5 times !

Another thing I like is that there are no mosquitoes or flies or cockroaches or lizards. And the crisps, biscuits or popcorn that we open to consume stays crispy for days ! Being able to sit in the living room with no mosquitoes using me as blood bank and not having to switch on the aircond to feel cold was great.

My only regret was that the sakuras only bloomed AFTER I left ! I only managed to see ONE single tree with sakura blooming, in Himeji castle. Sigh...... but then again, when the sakuras bloom, it means that the weather has turned warm, so I'd be sweating like mad. Well, win some, lose some.

I really went to quite a number of places during my visit there. Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Nara and of course, USJ. Although my poor back and legs were "complaining" so much, in the end, I still managed to accomplish quite a fair bit. Ange had to adjust her "walking speed" to accomodate me, but hehe.... old oledi ma.... watodo......

Anyway, it was a fruitful trip for me, and I really enjoyed eating ALL the delicious food ! Korean BBQ, Cheese Fondue, Ton-Katsu, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, parfait, haagan daz, custard bun, and not forgetting, their really really really really delicious puddings ! Hehehe... never liked the pudding in Malaysia, but those in Japan, YUMMY ! Even those cheaper ones sold in the convenience stores were sooooooooooo nice ! And of course the nice souvenirs I got for MYSELF to remind me of this Japan trip lar.........