Visiting the Yuyuan Garden of Shanghai

Another stop on our weekend tour was of the Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai. I will be honest and admit that I'm not much of a nature girl, and parks don't usually thrill me...but this one was pretty good. The architecture and landscaping seemed was very obviously traditional Chinese style and an interesting break from the busy market right outside it's doors. It was pretty cold while we were there, but on a nice day, I'm sure it's even better!

More information can be found at: http://www.chinahighlights.com/shanghai/attraction/yuyuan-garden.htm

Hello China: Visit the Jade Buddha Temple

During my short week in Shanghai, I am determined to take in some of the sights - I don't want to spend my entire trip here in an office. Over the weekend, my favorite Singaporean travel buddy and I visited several key places in attempt to see the highlights of Japan.

One of our first stops was to the Jade Buddha Temple. The temple was quite a bit larger than I expected when entering, and had tons of Buddha statues and places for worship. There were tons of tourists and locals there...a definite see in Shanghai.

For more information, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_Buddha_Temple

Last Day of Working in Japan....Look at my "office"

One of the first things that people generally ask me about the differences between working here in Japan as opposed to the U.S. On my last working day at the headquarters of a large and famous Japanese company, I snapped a picture of my workplace. There are so many differences in the working culture, but one of the most pronounced is captured in this picture.

In the US, I always worked in a private office. I know that I've been quite fortunate in that regard, but even for those who don't work in offices, most office workers have a cube...with some walls and some privacy. We also usually have personal phone lines and operate quite independently.

The reverse is true in Japan...the office space is one big office...there is little personal space...and absolutely no barriers between you and the next person. There is a communal telephone line, and generally the youngest or least senior person in the group is responsible for answering the phone and directing the calls toward the other members in the team.

It would be easy to say that one system is good while another is bad, but it's more important, I think to realize the merits of both systems...interesting!

It's Almost Sakura Season

It's fairly common knowledge that I LOVE pink!! So, whenever I mention to someone that my assignment is over this week, they always say that I'm leaving just before Sakura...or cherry blossom season. I will miss the big blooming near Tokyo, but as part of my last weekend's day trip, my friends and I traveled to Kawazu, a place near the sea where the Sakura come out earlier. In Kawazu, it was actually the end of Kawazu's Sakura season...but seeing so many of the blooms was a great way to end my experiences here in Japan...beautiful!

Ichigo in Izu...it's Strawberry Season!

I love strawberries!! For my last weekend in Japan, my friends and I took a day trip to nearby Izu. There, we visited a strawberry farm and took the opportunity to see a different environment, outside of Tokyo. It was refreshing, and for about $20, we paid to sample and enjoy all the strawberries we could eat. Who knew there were so many different types of strawberries? Yummy!!

The Masked Bandits

One of the first peculiar things that I noticed upon arriving in Japan is the people wearing masks. On the trains, in the streets, in the office...you see people wearing these masks. Instead of asking someone and risking seeming silly...I assumed that they were for protection against pollution. But, a few weeks later I concluded that pollution couldn't be the reason so I asked. The masks are what people wear when they're sick - to protect themselves and others from passing on the coughing, sneezing and other similar symptoms....
Apparently, I wasn't the only one surprised and confused by the abundance of masks...my mother also asked about them when she came for a visit. I wore my mask to work yesterday, not because I was sick, but because I wanted to try it out. And can I just say that they are as uncomfortable as they look...lol

Toilets in Japan: Take 3

This is my final week in Tokyo...my assignment actually ends on Thursday. I'll be traveling to China for a week before my return to the U.S. Of course, I'm excited to get back home, but I'm also really going to miss so much about living and working in Tokyo.

I've made some really great times, expanded my horizons...and encountered so many interesting things. One of this first and silliest posts I made in my blog was about toilets. So, I guess I'm returning to my roots a bit with this post.

This is an interesting toilet, in that, it's connected to a faucet. So, when you flush this toilet water comes out the faucet simultaneously... I know that it's not dirty water or anything, but the fact that the water comes out of the faucet at the exact time you're flushing seems more than a little strange to me. Convenient, yes...but it's still hard to get the idea of out your head that you're not washing your hands with dirty water...lol