Wednesday, January 27, 2010

New video up!

I finally finished my 1st video in Japan! It's quite short and of slightly bad quality (I'm still playing around with my settings) but it documents my first couple weeks in Japan, including Tokyo orientation and arriving in Yamaguchi. Enjoy! :)

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Goodbye Chiang Mai...Hello Bangkok! (2 of 2)

The funny story behind this picture is that we didn't know this couple AT ALL. It turned out that their Thailand vacation almost perfectly matched up with ours. We saw them at the airport leaving and returning to Japan and at the Chiang Mai Sunday Market. What a small world!

It was around 8pm and we had just boarded the double-decker bus for Bangkok. The chairs were small, my feet couldn’t touch the ground, and a funky aroma circulated the bus. I was just about to fall asleep when suddenly…music from a popular Thai boy band concert began blasting through the speakers. I grabbed my ipod, put it on max volume, and continued my attempt to sleep. No luck. After what seemed like an eternity, I found myself in a semi-deep sleep. Just 1 hour later (AHH!) I was awakened by what appeared to be 2 Thai military men dressed in uniform. The bus had stopped and was being “searched” for fugitives, terrorists, and illegal immigrants (or so I think). Everything checked out and I found myself in the same predicament I had been in 1 hour earlier. We eventually reached a truck stop and were given 15 min to get food and use the bathroom.

Sweet! A bathroom! I thought to myself. I entered a stall and noticed the jug of water and cup next to the squatting toilet. My past experiences in the Philippines reminded me that that was used to flush the toilet; however, there was no toilet paper. I moved to the next stall and again saw that there was no toilet paper. Huh?…OOOOH. I realized there was no chance on finding any toilet paper. Eww. I looked on the ground and noticed a black necklace. Someone must have lost this. I went in for a closer look and realized that it was actually a mass of dead bugs lining the floor. AHHHH!!!! I did my business and dashed right out of there. We were at the bus stop from hell.

Hours and hours later, we arrived at Bangkok. 5am. I vowed, after coming off that bus, that I would NEVER take a night bus in Thailand ever again. A taxi took us to our hostel, Lub d Bangkok—an amazing hostel in the heart of Bangkok. The staff was nice enough to let us shower and use the internets, even though check-in wasn’t until 2pm. We left our stuff at the hostel and went out to explore Bangkok. There was a marketplace full of activity. We walked past food vendors, massage parlors (both the good kind and the dirty kind), temples, and hotels. We settled on eating a small breakfast back at the hostel and embarked on our spa day mission.

Sipping some interesting-tasting tea after our relaxing day at the spa.

Did I mention it was Rachel’s 23rd birthday!? We went to a spa far away from our hostel and I had a 3-hour massage (1 hour foot massage, 1 hour shoulder/back massage, and 1 hour body scrub) for about $40! I felt so relaxed that I fell asleep during my 1-hour foot massage. (The lady said I was snoring!) Our bodies were nice and relaxed, our skin smooth as a brand-new Tupperware…what better way to continue the day than lunch at Cabbages and Condoms! Yes, there is a restaurant in the outskirts of Bangkok dedicated to promoting safe sex. Mannequins sporting clothes made out of condoms greet you as you enter. There was a Christmas tree adorned with condom ornaments and the gift shop had all sorts of condom paraphernalia. We ordered so much food! I had an amazing Thai noodle dish (which would later be ranked #2 on my top favorite meals in Thailand list) and a whole bunch more, which sadly was left uneaten. (Thanks for the recommendation Cyndi! It was SO worth it!)

Drinks all around at Cabbages and Condoms!

After lunch, we explored Bangkok a bit more, visiting a Muslim (?) temple nearby the hostel and completing the spa day by getting our nails done at a massage parlor. (Apparently it was the “dirty” kind because we saw a group of 3 men follow some girls upstairs and never saw them again. Gross.) Dinner was at a fancy Italian restaurant across of the highlight of the night: Bed Supperclub. This club was where the party was at in Bangkok. It had a very contemporary/sheik feel to it, what with the changing color lamps, white architecture, and BEDS aligning the walls. A sign outside read, “No drugs, No weapons, No sex.” :) We danced the night away (even though we were the only ones dancing in the beginning). Eventually, everyone joined in and it was a night to remember. We even met 2 Australians…girls of course…who were also there just to party and have a good time.

Me looking blue while sitting on a bed in Bed Supperclub.

Our 2 Australian friends who also live by the motto: "Dance like no one's watching."

We found ourselves waking up to the last day of our Thailand adventure. It had gone by way too fast. The excitement and fun from the night before had persuaded us to sleep in, so it was nearing lunchtime when we woke up. We checked out of our room and went to an amazing Thai restaurant nearby called Taling Pling. I had green Thai curry (#3 on my list) and some delicious ice cream-filled cream puffs. (Note: Meal #1 would be the Kao Soi I had in Chiang Mai for breakfast!) We then embarked on a tour of the amazing architecture of River City, Bangkok via…you guessed it…ferry boat. We all know how seasick I get…even when I go surfing…but this ride was actually fine on my stomach. We saw the Sleeping Buddha, a whole bunch of temples, and shopping areas. Sadly, the palace of the king of Thailand was already closed, so we just sailed past it. It looked amazing even against the gloomy, gray cloud backdrop.

A pretty Thai temple that looks like it's on fire (with gold that is).

I wasn't feeling so hot in the middle of the day. So I sat under a tree and hung out with this little guy. He had the right idea ;)

This was our cool ride through River City. Looks like a storm is brewing!!!

We needed to be at the airport by 11pm, so we decided to squeeze in our final Thai meal. The destination: a restaurant called Le Lys, which got wonderful reviews in all the tour books. We began our walk passing through a street lined with strip clubs and ping-pong shows. (I’ll let you figure out what ping-pong shows are.) That’s when it started. First the lightening. Then the thunder. Then thousands of gallons of rain water fell from the sky! We commandeered a little 7-11 on the corner as our haven. Unfortunately, we only had one umbrella between the two of us. Rach went out in the chaos to find another one, as our 7-11 was without an umbrella supply. Rach came back unsuccessful so I tried my hand at it. I found a 7-11 and was faced with the same problem. Using my thrifty shopping skills, I came upon a bag of rubbish bags. Just as I was about to hand the guy my money, Rach came rushing in with 2 ponchos! I bought them anyway and proceeded to make rubbish bag shoes to complete the outfit. We were set and ready to find Le Lys!

Poncho: check. Trash bag shoes: Check. Style: check.

We walked. And walked. Over bridges, down streets, around puddles, and through backroads. The sun had gone down and all hope seemed lost. After about 45 min of walking in search of the restaurant that was supposedly only 15 min away, we were saved by a nice high school student who spoke amazing English. He took us to the street we had been originally and that’s when it appeared: the sign that said Le Lys had MOVED and the whereabouts of its new location. I was tired. I was hungry. I was…drenched—not with rain (cuz let’s face it, my poncho/rubbish bag shoe outfit ROCKED) but with SWEAT. But there was no question about it…we needed to find this place. Le Lys had become the Holy Grail.

We took a cab (a good thing, because it would have taken well over an hour to walk to!) and had an AMAZING and SPECTACULAR last meal at Le Lys. It was a cute yet elegant restaurant owned by a Frenchman. The outside patio had a bookshelf lined with books, a bar counter, and mellow music playing in the background. I had a fried rice type dish that was delicious. We laughed and joked about the adventure that was Le Lys. It was a great ending to an amazing vacation in Thailand :)

WE FOUND IT!!! HAZAH!!!

Oh Lord why did we come back here?! It's FREEZING!!!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Goodbye Osaka...hello THAILAND!!! (1 of 2)

Fri, Jan 1, 2010 – Thurs, Jan 7, 2010


Rachel and Me w/our flowers that received upon arrival in Thailand.

With the smell of Kansai-style okonomiyaki still on my sleeve, I found myself on a 2.5 hour Shinkansen ride to Fukuoka. I made my way to the Hakata Green Hotel and met with my amazing travel buddy, Rachel. (I met Rachel at Tokyo orientation in August and we immediately clicked. She’s a JET in Hagi, Yamaguchi…far away on the west coast of the Guch.) We toured the streets of Fukuoka that afternoon and noticed that NOTHING was open. Finally it came to our attention that it was Jan 1, oshogatsu…New Years Day. It’s like the Christmas Day of Hawaii. The Superbowl Sunday of America. The Tour de France of…France? After aimless walking, we headed back to our hotel and picked up some food from the neighboring market.


5 hours and 1 chicken bento later…it happened.


No sleep for me…as I was awakened every hour with a pain in my stomach, matched with a trip to the toilet. (This would be the only time on our trip that I would have food poisoning, despite the spicy foods and lower health codes in Thailand. Go Japan!)

We woke up bright and early the next morning and headed for Fukuoka Airport. We stuffed all our winter clothes into a locker there and got set for our departure. 6 hours, 1 junk movie, 2 hours of Bejeweled, and 1 connecting flight later, we were met with beautiful and warm weather in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We didn’t need a jacket! No boots or socks required! Only T-shirts and shorts!!! A MIRACLE HAD HAPPENED! :)

Mama, Me, Rachel, and Top hanging out in the lobby.

The sun had already begun to set, and we found our way to our hostel, Bed and Terrace Guesthouse Chiang Mai. It’s a cozy little hostel in the heart of Chiang Mai and managed by the sweetest family (“Mama” and her son Top helped us in every way they could.) The location was great too…being only a 5 min walk to the infamous Night Bazaar. (We even paid the extra $3 a night and got the SUPERIOR twin private ensuite. I know…I’m fancy.) We had dinner at this restaurant called John’s Place. That’s when I had my first Thai meal (I had never had Thai food before in my life!) It was called Pad Thai, a combination of stir-fried noodles, chicken, egg, and a whole bunch of other stuff. I also had a side of roti (unleavened flatbread). Hard as a rock, but DELICIOUS!

Rach and Me about to partake in some delicious tropical drinks.

Thumbs up for Thai food!!!

We then headed for the Night Bazaar, Chiang Mai’s most AMAZING shopping square, full of street vendors ready to bargain prices with you. There were all kinds of goods, from silk ties and T-shirts to fake Tiff&Co and Gucci bags. After conquering only 1 side of the bazaar, we called it a night and headed back for the hostel.

Me, Suwan, and Rach enjoying the warmth and relaxation of Chiang Mai.

On Sun (1/3), we were chauffeured around by Mama’s cousin, Suwan. He was the sweetest man ever, and would call us his “Japanese daughters.” Suwan used to be a Thai boxer, but hung up his boxing gloves to become a private driver. He took us to meet the Longneck tribe of Chiang Mai. When we got there, we were asked to pay 500 baht (36 baht = 100 yen = about $1.11) to see them. Thinking they were playing us as fools, we left to find Suwan and asked for his opinion. It turns out that that really was the admission to get in, and we did the walk of shame to the village.

It really was like walking into an episode of National Geographic. There were huts stretched out amongst the trees and foliage. Each hut was maintained by a tribe member and filled with handmade goods such as silk scarves, jewelry, and toys. I found the situation to be quite sad. Long ago, this tribe was capable of caring for themselves and living off of sufficient resources, while preserving their sacred customs and rituals. Now, it seemed as though they were on show for the public, relying on tourist to buy their goods and take their pictures. I don’t judge them for doing so, as I understand how the world has changed, in both financial and ecological fields. I, too, can empathize with them, being from Hawaii—one of the top locations for tourism.

I learned that the brass rings they wear actually distort the growth of their collarbones and collapse the vertebrae, making it appear as though their necks are unnaturally long.

This lady wanted us to buy these hats...but we opted not to :P

We said our goodbyes and then headed for the next prominent activity in Thailand: elephant riding. At Maesa Elephant Camp, we got the chance to ride an elephant for 30 min through the Thai forests. It was an amazing experience. Once we began to descend down the mountain, Rachel’s water bottle dropped on the ground. The elephant was so smart that it picked it up with its trunk and proceeded to hand it to his trainer. He threw it into the trees, as it was covered in elephant poop.

Our elephant was the coolest one in the park. He was strong. He was cool. And he was quite the showman :)

The elephants looked happy and healthy (as much as captive elephants can be), and we even watched them take baths in the river during lunchtime. Then there was a talent show put on by the elephants, which included their painting, dancing, kazoo-ing, and soccer playing skills.

We left for a lunch buffet (200 baht = about $5!) at a nearby tiger park. I felt sorry for the tigers because they looked drugged up and just walked around like zombies as tourist took pictures with them. Yeah, easy to look cocky when the tiger you’re with is all drugged up, I thought to myself as I ate my DELICIOUS Thai food.

My favorite Thai food EVER...ladies and gentlemen, the amazing Kao Soi.

That night we hit up the Sunday market and the Night Bazaar (yet again!), returning to our hostel with bags full of souvenirs and goods. We jumped on a tuk-tuk (open-air moped-like vehicle) and had a crazy ride back…I think our driver was trying to show-off ;)

The next morning, we met up with Suwan who took us on a tour of…I’m not kidding about this…the sweatshops of Chiang Mai. We saw everything from fake purse shops and silk clothes to big paper umbrellas and woodcarvings. It felt weird having salespeople follow me around and being constantly barraded with questions like “Do you like that one?” and “How much will you pay?” It was funny when we went to the silk sweatshop because they took us on a tour of the silk-making process. We saw the entire lifecycle of a silkworm, from larvae to cocoons. I asked, “What happens to the silkworm when you need its cocoon for the silk?” The reply: “We boil them in water.” My response, “But won’t that kil…oh, I see. So they go into their cocoons and never see the light of day ever again. How sad.”

This man paints umbrellas for a living. I'd say he's quite good at his craft. I hope it doesn't rain.

After the long day of shopping, we took Suwan to another Thai buffet and engaged in good conversation over delicious food. Then we proceeded to a beautiful golden temple high in the mountains of Chiang Mai. Finally, the time had come to say goodbye to Suwan, who had become more of a father (maybe uncle?) to us. He surprised us with some small souvenirs to take home. I was really touched by his generosity because, given his circumstances, he could have used that money to take care of his family. I learned that everyone in the area loves Suwan because of his generous and caring nature. We went got some breakfast at a small eatery near the hostel and then visited the Night Bazaar ONE LAST TIME so I could grab some last minute souvenirs, said our final goodbyes to Mama and Top, and then left for Bangkok. Little did I know that I was in for the bus ride of my life…

Ooo a golden temple! Sweet.

We decided to fly around a bit before getting on the night bus ;)


Next on Tiff Goes to Thailand: The Soviet Union Bus Stop; Clubbing with Couches; Don’t Wake the Buddha; and Storms & Trash Bag Shoes: The Search for Le Lys.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Tiff's Christmas/New Year Adventure: The Osaka Chronicles

My world has opened up since coming to Japan. Through the JET Program, I have been given the opportunity to travel all across Japan and Asia. Here are the accounts of my Christmas and New Years adventures...



I was sadly found at my desk, starring off into space with no actual "work" to do, on Christmas day. Once 4:30 struck, I was overcome by a sudden sense of excitement and energy. I knew that my long-awaited vacation had finally arrived.

My fake Christmas tree stood 3 feet high and was adorned with Totoros :)

On Saturday night (12/26) at about 11pm, I caught the night bus from Iwakuni station to Osaka station (about $70). I kicked off my shoes and proceeded to fall into a deep sleep. 7 hours later, I was awakened by my bus driver telling me that we had already passed my stop. I thought to myself, 'well why didn't you wake me up?' I was still a bit groggy...but then it hit me...where the heck was I?! I missed my stop!? Did I go all the way to TOKYO!? I started to freak out. Luckily, a couple other people had missed their stops too AND we were just at another station in Osaka. phew.

I finally managed to meet up with my friend Travis, a cool Hawaii JET in Uwajima, Shikoku. After getting off at the wrong station and wandering the streets of Osaka in search of our hostel (easy to think you're going the right way when the landmark you're looking for is a 7-11), we finally managed to find Guesthouse U-en, our cozy hostel for the trip. I was then given the privilege of meeting my uncle, Benji, and his daughter Remi, who both live in Kobe. We went to an all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu restaurant for lunch, and then went on to tour the temples of Kobe. THANK YOU SO MUCH UNCLE BENJI AND REMI! I HAD SUCH A WONDERFUL TIME!

Me and Travis outside of Guesthouse U-en.


Remi, Uncle Benji, and me at the Granvia Hotel in Osaka Station.

I then met the rest of our traveling group: Matt, a Hawaii JET in Fukuoka, his friend Anthony, and Anthony's sister Asia. That night we went to a karaoke place where $15 got you an hour of karaoke, all-you-can-drink alcohol, and all-you-can-eat ice cream! AMAZING! And thus began the adventures of Osaka...

Travis, Matt, and Anthony showing off their muscles at our mochi cooking class :P


Asia and me...the 2 girls in the group gotta represent!

The next day (12/28), we met Travis' Japanese friends in Kyoto. They had gone to Hawaii for a school-exchange type trip and met Travis there. They were a super friendly and spunky group of girls. They took us to a famous temple/shrine first and then we went to a small sweets shop where we learned how to make fancy Japanese desserts. There's a lot of techniques and tools used to make these little things! A lot harder than it looks...


Our wonderful Kyoto mochi cooking group!

It's like a mini Oscar the Grouch in mochi form.


My sensei who apparently liked my style of cooking...we be cool ;)

That night we went to a fancy izakaya and ate the night away! THANK YOU ERIKA, MIWA, RUIKO, AND YUKA FOR AN AWESOME TIME!!!

On Tues (12/29), Travis, Asia, and I decided to conquer Universal Studios Osaka for an all-day all-night extravaganza! We got there at around 10am only to find the front of the lot crowded full of people. After about 30min of line hopping, we got our tickets and embarked for heaven. My parents had taken us to Universal Studios in California when I was 10 years old, when my memory cells were still learning to walk, so I was super excited to experience the rides as a "grown up". We paid the extra $45 to get the express pass, which lets you go in the express lane of the 7 most popular lines, cutting the waiting time down by half. (A very good investment if you plan on going to USJ during peak tourist times.) The rides were awesome! I felt like a kid again :) We saw Spiderman kick butt in The Amazing Spiderman 3D Adventure, drove the DeLorean in Back to the Future, met Jaws, rode a crazy rollercoaster (which lasted for about 20 sec), watched the Terminator battle enormous 3D robots, got drenched after being attacked by dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, and then dried off during the presentation of Backdraft. Everything was in Japanese, but it was so much fun! I also used this opportunity to eat as much American food as I could...including a slice of potato-curry pizza, some spaghetti, and a cheeseburger. So bad but so worth it ;)

I be rollin' w/my Ford Explorer, complete with night vision goggles on the front seat!


I bought a Snoopy beanie at USJ. The ears keep your head really warm. Philippe had his first sake shot that night!

That night we met up with some other Fukuoka JETs in Dotonbori for some drinks. We headed back for the hostel and hung out in the lobby with some cool cats from France, Philippe and Simone, late into the night. Good company, good fun ;)

Me, Philippe, Simone, and Asia hanging out and playing some BS.

Wed (12/30) came around, and I found myself gazing into a huge tank filled with fish, mantas, and 2 ENORMOUS WHALE SHARKS! We were at the Osaka Kaiyukan Aquarium. I love aquariums, I always have ever since I was little. There's something about them that just calms me. This aquarium is gigantic, and has you spiraling downwards around this huge tank, with different exhibits on the opposite side. I saw sea otters, dolphins, spider crabs, capybaras, and so much more! I even bought a little souvenier whale shark to take home :)

Oh c'mon, how can you NOT dig the super saiyan haircut and the fluffy eyebrows!?


WHALE SHARKS are big.


I overheard a little Japanese boy asking his dad whether these crabs were tasty! Oh Japanese and their seafood...aquariums must make them hungry!

Travis and I rode the enormous ferris wheel nextdoor to the aquarium. I wanted to jump and rock the car...but I was vetoed. It was probably a good thing that we didn't because that ferris wheel was REALLY high up. It did give us a nice view of Osaka though!


1000s of feet above the ground...let's rock the car!

That night I met up with my friend Sunny and his friend Hiro for an incredible dinner. Sunny is a Canadian JET in Oita, and Hiro is mad cool ;) We had a 7+ course Japanese meal and all-you-can-drink. Uh-oh. After who knows how many cups of sake, we proceeded to a nearby arcade where we spent altogether approximately $25 trying to win a little capybara from a crane machine. It's quite a feat when you have sake circulating in your veins! The quest proved successful, and now the little capybara sits on my speakers at home. THANK YOU SUNNY AND HIRO! I HAD AN AMAZING TIME!

Hiroumi is the BEST crane machine engineer in all of OSAKA! Thank you for my capybara Hiro!!!


I met Sunny at Tokyo orientation, and we've been friends ever since :)

New Years Eve day (12/31) had finally come. In the daytime, Asia, Travis, and I went shopping in Amerikamura. Then I met up with some friends, including Rachael, a JET in Shikoku. We had the BEST Osaka okonomiyaki at a restaurant near Ueda station. I had always wanted to try Osaka-style okonomiyaki, and I had finally gotten my chance. (Hiroshima-style consists of layers of noodles, batter, egg, toppings, etc. whereas Osaka-style is a mixture of ingredients that are then baked in a pancake form.) We then met up with some other Shikoku JETs at the sweets museum and talked the night away. I found myself outside of Universal Studios Osaka once again, with a drink in my hand, looking up at the night sky, and counting down the final seconds of 2009. The promised firework show consisted of 3 small aerials that lasted about 10 sec in total. Can't beat the Hawaii firework shows that try to destroy anything within a mile radius!


Apparently a Spiderman gang decided to grace the streets of USJ on New Years Eve!


AMAZING!

My Osaka adventure came to a close the following morning (1/1). I quietly packed up my stuff, said goodbye to the Osaka crew, said my parting words with the hostel front desk man, Ryo (super chill guy who speaks amazing English..and French..and German...), and caught the Shinkansen from Osaka to HAKATA in FUKUOKA! There was no time to rest or even to think...my Thailand adventure was about to begin!

My final moments with Ryo :(


Next time on Tiff's Christmas/New Years Adventure:
Bartering: Mindgames of the Thai, Touring the sweatshops of Chiang Mai, What not to do when riding an elephant, Kao Soi: Heaven in a bowl.