My search for sushi in Tokyo

Japan, "Land of the Rising Sun". I casually looked out the porthole of the 747 and saw the majestic peak of Mt. Fuji poking out through the clouds. It was was a Kodak moment, but I was without my camera. I have longed to walk her cities and discover her beauty. Now, I was here for a fourteen hour lay over. The plane touched down at 8:40pm and I began my quest for sushi. Anyone who knows me knows I am a lover of the fishy delicacy. What better experience than to eat sushi at it's place of origin? When I arrived in Narita airport I was faced with a disappointing reality: Tokyo was 1.5 hrs away by train, I only had $150 left from my trip to China, and I couldn't read Japanese Kanji.

So, I could play it safe, and stay in airport for 14 hours and take my flight home. There would be no chance of me getting lost and running out of money. But there also would be no chance of adventure. My second choice would be to take a cab and visit the local town, Narita. Only, I found out that it's a small, lazy town that mainly shuts down at night. Little chance of finding sushi this late. The final and most daring choice would be to risk the train ride into Tokyo, hoping to find someone who knows English to give me directions and help me get back before I go broke. Ummm, which one would I choose?

So, I'm at the train station and looking at the map. Its all in Japanese so I have to make an educated guess as to the location of the Tokyo stop. There was an ATM-style ticket machine in Japanese. I used Google a lot here. So out pops my ticket - 1280 yen - and I have 12 minutes to catch the final train to Tokyo. Am I at the right stop? Did I buy the correct ticket? Nobody knows English! How nerve wrecking. And exciting! OK, so I'm on the train now. It's about 10:20pm. I have my laptop with me in case I run into a Starbucks, because I desperately need to get online. The one thing about the people of Japan I see immediately is how work oriented they are. In contrast to the Chinese, who dress mostly casual, the Japanese who board the train are all dressed in black or dark blue suits. Dozens of them. Men and Women. Coming home from work. I pass through fifteen or so cities before reaching Tokyo. Suits get on and suits get off. Japan is the land of the white collar worker. But this is nothing compared to what I see upon arriving in Tokyo Station.

I get off at Tokyo Station and it's underground like a subway. By now it's about midnight, but it could have been mid-day. Everyone is running! People running this way and that, the place was awash with sprinting Asians in suits. What a sight to behold. So, I'm trying to find an appropriate exit, dodging Asians (sorry, no pics), and all the while trying not to laugh at this spectacle. Finally, I locate a way out and I find myself in the middle of downtown Tokyo. It's night in the city, and taxis are everywhere. It's not like I expect. Downtown Tokyo is not alive at night, like New York or Seoul. It's rather quiet with some 24 hour 7/11 stores open and a few stragglers on the streets. Yes, they have 7/11 here. Every couple of blocks or so, I see a small bar open. When I say small, I mean a pub that seats 6 people including the bartender! Then there is the omnipresent McDonald's. It stays open perpetually here, serving up burgers Japanese style.

I walk past the Imperial Palace. It's closed of course, but the guards are still there. I find a strange place where you can rent a room to play video games or to read comic books or watch videos. They couldn't speak English, so I moved on. I walk past restaurants that display their menus by means of props in the window... bowls and plates with the food in it along with the price so that all could see what the cook was making. Very interesting. I pass a sushi bar. Unfortunately it's closed. I walk for miles, finally resting my tired feet at a McDonald's. It is two in the morning and young people are here typing on their computers and talking. That can only mean one thing: Internet access! Callouses on my feet, sore shoulders from my laptop bag, and sushi-less, but I was online. I spend the night there, updating my blog, reading e-mail and chatting with associates I met in China.

The sun rises early in Japan - about 5:15 and soon I am back on the streets in the morning light. If I was disappointed with Tokyo at night, it certainly awoke my expectations now. This is the Tokyo I recognize from the travel channel. I stroll through the residential neighborhood with my camera and already the suits are out, walking and biking to work. None of them give me even a glance. They must be surprised to see me, but they never let it on. I am invisible. On my way back to the train station I pass shops that seem impossibly small, twelve foot wide grocery markets, and vending machines too numerous to count. Somehow I get lost and I drift into a drug store for directions. Still noone speaks English. Finally, I make it back to Tokyo Station. This time it is full for the morning rush and I have no idea how to get back. There are so many trains and so many routes! I remember the name of the train I traveled the night before and get in line at their ticket counter. Of course, noone speaks English, but they recognize Narita Airport. Shortly, I am on an express train back to Narita...2800 yen.

I make it back with time to spare. With extra yen in my pocket, I go to the food court to see if I can spend it. Past the gift shop...through the bookstore... past McDonald's... until, finally, at the end of the hall, a sushi bar. So I spend my last bit of yen on sushi.......at the airport. And remember the story I related about the nameless gentlemen who taught me the chopsticks? Well, we met again on our flight home. His name is Ted. His little girl is now married. And I have closure to my adventures in the Orient.

Doing Business in China

Doing business in China is a lot like receiving a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna' get. Visiting factories in person is important. Often things are not what they seem. The Chinese are not yet innovators. They are a nation of laborers, not thinkers. They copy, not design. Not to paint the whole nation with a broad brush, but they are behind industry-wise. They have been a closed nation for a very long time. They have not yet learned the lessons that can only be learned through experience in the world marketplace. I observed quality issues in some cases. QC is very important when the bulk of your production is hand labor. And in this lies the strength and the achilles heel of the Chinese industry. All these cheap, young hands to make things with, but also the level of human error that comes along with it. The West has long ago gone to automation to solve quality problems.

So, about the copies. That is what everyone is interested in, right? Copies of everything abound. Some are so good, only very skilled eyes can detect. Some become evident over time. But you can buy quality originals here - after all this is where many of them are made. You just need to be in contact with people who have worked in or for the manufacturers. And for some, if the copy is almost exactly as the original, it is of little consequence anyways.

The Chinese are having problems, like us, in communication. They still are trying to find the profitable way to market their services. Our ways are confusing to them. There is a large gap in understanding one another, but in the cases I have experienced, they are willing and seem anxious to participate in Capitalism, or whatever concept they have of it. Mr. Wang, a glassmaker I am in contact with seems to be studying the magic art of "smoozing". He has brown nosed me from the time we met until the moment I left Shenzhen. I allowed him to help me around the city when I wanted assistance, but I would not accept his offers of wining and dining to get my business (and believe you me I could've used a decent meal). In my opinion, this is not an admirable practice of American business. I do not want to encourage this in the Chinese. Much depends on getting the details right. It is there where I have had the greatest challenge at the factories. Subtle details are sometimes lost as we massacre each other's native tongue in efforts to communicate. With dialects and semantics all jumbled together, it takes time and effort to make sense of each other and the little things sometimes fall into the cracks.

So while there is definitely profit to be had in China, It has to be mined. I hope to have more time in the future to better understand and appreciate their system. They are growing and maturing and are destined to make the same mistakes we are making here in the West. Disregarding human labor welfare, raping natural resources and ruining the environment cannot go on without consequences. There will be a sad reckoning. Four days of doing business has made me no expert on China. I see things from a pinhole camera. But what I've seen, I have enjoyed and I hope to continue to do business with this great people.

Hong Kong awaits...

The city was calling. I awoke at the crack of dawn, eager to drill for HK's pleasures. A delightful breakfast was had in the dining room, the best meal I've enjoyed in China. The cuisine was a mix of east and west and I enjoyed both. Kimchi and poached eggs on the same plate. Jasmine tea. Hash browns. Note to self: Eat at hotel. The people strolling in were from different parts of Asia. I had fun watching their pecualiarities. Almost as much fun as I had consuming food that didn't threaten my intestines to mutiny. It was a good start to the day.

My first thoughts as I stepped off the shuttle bus into the heart of Hong Kong, was "WOW". And then, "Oh". Hong Kong is much more westernized than the rest of China, but this also makes it less interesting to me. There is all the shopping y0u and your mother could ever want. There is luxury: Louis Vuitton, Prada, Armami... everyone showed up to play. Also it seems that every third person is a tailor in Hong Kong. I was constantly harrased by someone wanting to make a custom suit for me. There are skyscrapers for days and they are set off by the beautiful mountain landscape. The city seems new and clean. There are more foreigners here, but I find it strange that in all my time in China, I have yet to find anyone who looks like me. Still I can't help but feel like I am just in a larger, cleaner version of Manhattan or Chicago or Los Angeles. I much prefer the less refined simplicity of mainland China. To be fair, I've had little time to explore beyond the touristy city center. There is so much more for me to see here, it is unwise to pass judgment.

So I did my business, collected cards, exchanged pleasantries, and off I went to catch my plane. My adventures were over in China.

My First Impressions of Hong Kong.

I'm riding the train to Hong Kong. Hong Kong is off the coast of mainland China. The train is not like the train ride from Guangzhou. It is more like the subway in New York, except much cleaner. Clean like an airport. It is late and I am dog tired. I can see glimpses of Hong Kong outside the windows, but only moments. The stops go by, and the Chinese get on and off. At least I can understand now where I am going, everything is in English as well as Chinese. I transfer twice before I get to my destination stop. From there it is a short taxi ride to the Panda Hotel. My welcoming committee to Hong Kong is Fred. Fred is the Roly-Poly taxi driver who is bubbling with words and thoughts. He is the epitome of how Hong Kong is different from mainland China. While the proud people of the mainland are silent and stoic, Fred is full of life and animation. He cracks jokes, tells anecdotes, and makes exaggerated expressions. I cannot believe he is related to the Chinese in Guangzhou.

It is apparent that Hong Kong culture has a different history than the rest of China. The automobiles are right hand drive and they drive on the left side of roads, hinting of roots as a British colony. They are gregarious and more comfortable with foreigners. They embrace western lifestyles. They drive very civil, unlike the kamikaze style in Shenzhen, and most noticeable of all is the air. The smell of China is absent from this place. All this I could percieve within my first 15 minutes of being here. I only wish I had more time to spend with these people but alas, I will leave on the plane tomorrow afternoon.

I arrive at the Panda too soon. I did not get to hear the end of Fred's story. How I miss communication! The hotel lobby is what I have come to expect from Asian architects, but my room is stark. I have to pay for the internet. I have to call for an ironing board and iron. It's the details that are missing. Still the cost is very economical. I could not get this for the same price in the States. Room + internet costs are $460 HKD.

I can't wait to explore, but I'm so tired and I still have some last minute business to perform, so my spelunking will have to wait until the morning. I don't even bother to look out my window. It is approaching the final hour of my stay in China and I have yet to have an enjoyable meal. This fact will not change tonight. Tonight I will sleep.

Trying the Food Again

One of the frustrating things about this trip is being unable to find local food that is palatable. Everything looks so inedible to me. I stumbled upon a market similar to the Eastern Market in Detroit. It has the usual fruits and veggies...but also some interesting extras. See if you can recognize these things.






There's a restaurant nearby, so I try to give it one last try. I enter and they quickly get the young girl who knows English. I ask her to recommend something from the menu. She points and says, "very good!". I am encouraged, so I order. There is also beer. Oh good, at least something familiar is on the table. I lift one forkful of the food, fill my mouth and then I pray my strongest prayer. God listens to my supplication and I do not throw the stuff up. I look up and there is a line of onlookers 7 or 8 strong hovering over my table. I smile and give the thumbs up. I shove another piece down my throat and immediately chase it with beer. This time I was almost forsaken by the Lord. This was not going to be easy. I had eaten only three pieces and there were six left. I quickly deflect attention off myself by grabbing my camera. It is at this point that I am beginning to realize that the Chinese, particularly the males are not enamored with getting their picture taken. So pointing the camera at them has the effect of scattering the crowd. I take this opportunity to gather myself, ask for the check from the waitress, pay and leave gracefully. We wave goodbye as I leave, and I swear, I 'aint never coming back. I am running now, and they can keep their strange looking fish and their ducks and geese hanging in the window. They can keep their nasty tasting, weird looking fruit, their cow faces, and their smell of China. I'm going to McDonalds!

Paydirt!

I should be in Hong Kong. Something tells me Shenzhen has more to reveal to me. Perhaps I am still overcome by last night, but I really like this city. It is raining a drenching rain and this promises to spoil my exploring, but with umbrella in hand I once again set out to test my mettle in China. This time I cannot get the taxi driver to take me where I wish. I cannot say the words right. Ida, wrote them down for me to speak at the right time. Gwan-ji-bay. Wherever the driver dropped me, it wasn't the largest shopping center in Shenzhen. So now I'm doing what I do best: Walking. My walking shows me some of the beauty of Shenzhen, paved walkways, expertly pruned and trained trees, lovers walking hand in hand in the rain. Finally my feet and shoulders were weary from the load. I was lost. I give up and flag another cab. Gwan-ji-bay. Yes, he replies. Off, we recklessly speed to the shopping center. Nothing could prepare me for the enormity of it. Building upon building of shopping. Inside each building is floor upon floor of individual booths filled with Chinese peddling their wares. Think Gibraltar trade center on super steroids. Each store filled with a thousand vendors and dozens of buildings. I was in a candy store. Panasonic, Sony, Nokia, Canon, Apple, all the major electronic brands were represented and all the minor ones too. The effect was absolutely overwhelming. So overwhelming that at no time did I remember to lift my camera to capture it on film! I am so stupid. I could not believe the deals. It seems that, once again, I was a special target and every carpetbagger with a laptop came to me to offer their special deal. I am getting so tired of this.

There is no way I can cover a fraction of this area. I will definitely have to come back. And when I got tired walking and gawking, there was my Starbucks, making things better again. Yes, my precious, yes. There are unbelievable deals to be had in China.

Shenzhen. At Night

Exhaustion set in on my third day. I was supposed to go to Hong Kong in the afternoon, but I guess those sleepless nights finally caught up with me. So I had no choice but to stay in Shenzhen another night. I had already checked out of the luxurious Huaan hotel so I set off to find another. I needed to save some money because I was running over budget. I found the Hubei down the street. The room was small, spartan but efficient. I didn't care. I just wanted the bed. Those 6 hours I slept there were the most I have slept in a night since I arrived in China. The mosquitoes woke me up at midnight. And then another type of bug bit me. It was time to go creepin'. So at 12 o'clock at night I leave my room and enter Shenzhen. Shenzhen is very active at night. Street vendors are still cooking foods, youngsters, even teenagers were out enjoying the cool air. McDonald's is open 24 hours in Shenzhen and it was half full. I'm not interested in McDonald's or any of the activity along the main drag. I am interested in what was behind it. There are so many back alleys and byways here, one could get lost in the maze. I decided to try and get lost in one.

There are many stories and pictures about the poverty in China and I can tell you that most of them are not exaggerated. There are miles and miles of high rise apartments as far as the eye can see. The high-rises in Shenzhen remind me of the ones on the Florida coast, if they were neglected for 50 years. The dogs and cats are skeletons. And the smell of China is strong. But the spirit of China is also strong and these people are proud. I will not take pictures of the squalor I see. I have too much respect for these people. There is garbage in the streets just off the main road. As I walk along, I try to reconcile the beauty I see in so many places in the city with this. It is sad, but interesting. As I walk along, people call out to me. Woman giggle. The Chinese are more open at night.

I pass a friendly lady cooking stir fry. I decide to give the local cuisine another try. More vegetables. A group of youngsters in the next bench seat share their beer and laughs with me. They offer to toast. I let them. It is the rare communication we can have between us. A man comes out of the shadows to shake my hand and smile. As I return to my room, it is 2:15 a.m. and for a moment, I feel like a part of China.