Japan Retraction

It's hard when your living abroad in any country, dealing with the language, culture and sometimes very challenging views. I now know in hindsight that maybe I should have taken a break from Japan at some point as having time away I appreciate Japan so much more. It's hard when there is no where to escape from the constant foreigness being part of your everyday life as there is only so long you can hide away in your rooms watching DVDs. Even though I love Japan, it's true that distance makes the heart grow fonder. I feel some of my blogs have been a little harsh because of this, and although I feel they all express my true thoughts and feelings I also want to express that these might be sometimes typed in the heat of the moment. This blog has also been a good therapy for me, either gathering my thoughts of venting my emotions. I feel if I had stayed another year or two, the experience would have been much richer, having had more time to study now my job experience has grown and take more time to 'live' Japan. It wasn't an easy decision to leave Japan and if I was younger, then it would have been a no brainer to stay another year, it just so happened that my situations at the moment sway more towards returning home. The first year is always most difficult and this year has had it ups and downs, but I don't regret doing it for a moment. 

Plane 7 – Osaka to Okinawa

JAPAN! OKINAWA! If I wasn't in serious need of sleep I would be doing cartwheels. I love you Japan with your order and politeness and hygiene. Zzzzz.

Plane 5 and 6 – Ho Chi Minh to Korea to Osaka

One word, tired. And next flight to follow...

Vietnam - Dam Sen Water Park

This water park in the middle of Ho Chi Minh is amazing, with slides galore, wave machines and even a moat that flows around in a circle transporting you calming online on a rubber ring. Vietnamese people here are soooo nice too. From the young to the old, they are here to have fun, smile and get wet.

Vietnam and Cambodia - Strange Fruit

One thing is for sure that South-East Asia has some of the strangest looking fruit on the planet; be it the ones you know like dragon fruit, star fruit papaya, mangos and pineapples, to the oddities of some smelly and uncommon items.

Durian fruit (Or Sau Rieng) is one of the smelliest foods on the planet and it something akin to rotting flesh. It smells so bad that hotels ban you taking it inside and is considered some what of a delicacy. I had wanted to try it since I travelled through Malaysia, almost 11 years ago (Am I really that old now?!), so I decided to take the plunge. I wish I hadn't, as the taste is as bad as the smell and I couldn't even swallow it.

I have no idea what this fruit was called, but the inside resembled a sweet lichee. Quite pleasant for a fruit.

Looking half-way between an artichoke and an armed large berry (On the right of the photo), little clue is given to the sweetness inside, other than the give-way name of 'Custard Apple'.

And there were many more besides, including Polemo, Star Apples, Rambutan, Longan and Jackfruit.  Not really a fruit, but we also tried Lotus seeds. Check out the video to see how to eat:

Cambodian - How Many People Can You Fit on a Motorbike?

Five apparently.

And much more beside. Vietnamese and Cambodian people have a knack for being able to stack, balance, strap and fix great loads to their their little mopeds; from large flower arrangements, to boxes, fridges, fishing baskets and lanterns. I even saw one carrying the largest pile of dead chickens in a large bate-ball of fowl and feathers hanging limp of the back of the bike.

The also tow trailers to make tuk-tuks and carry larger produce.

At first its really shocking, but then you are almost overcome with awe and impressed at how their skill in balancing such loads. It's a skill. 

Cambodia - Threading a Bus Through the Eye of a Needle

The bus ride from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh (Cambodias Capital) was some what of a white knuckle ride thanks to a lead-footed 'Giant Ibis' bus driver. It seems in both Cambodia and Vietnam that the bigger you are, the more right of way you have. It seems the only rule, but an important one. A person must give way to everything, where as a bike must give way to buses, cars and lorries. The shiny new Giant Ibis tourist bus seems to be at the top of this food chain, bullying, honking and pushing everything else out the way, making cars and motorbikes pull to the dirt on the side of the road and I figured we spend 50% of our time on the wrong side of the road. Sat in the front seat, Maki and I had a, well, front seat to this motorway-madness and there were so many times I thought “He can't seriously be over taking, can he?!?” But lorries coming the other way were no hinderance for this driver. The closest call actually came thanks to a cow! As we over took a lorry, a wondering cow and its calf decided this was a good time to cross. The brakes slammed on and the cows stood like a deer in the headlights only at the last second a look of terror filled their faces and bolted out the way, barely missing the bus by the hide of ones arse. And we have to board our bus back to Ho Chi Minh tomorrow. Wish us luck!

Cambodia - Angkor Wat and Siem Reap

The historic temple epicentre of Cambodia lyes around Siem Reap with the crowning jewel of Angkor Wat, a vast temple structure, originally Buddhist, then Hindu and then just a palace. With a large moat, walls, corridors inscribed with a pictorial story book and imposing towers, it's quite a sight. And during Khmer New Year the Cambodians mingle with the tourist in its grounds making its quite a busy looking place.

But there are many lesser know temples around Angkor Wat with varying degrees of repair, destruction and natural encroachment. I actually found the overgrown buildings more interesting, with trees tearing through stone structures and roots bursting from walls, twisting and hugging the buildings, almost making them look part of the building and the building part of the nature. Truly a once in a lifetime sight and worth the ridiculous amount of travelling to get here.

Vietnam to Cambodia

An 8 hour bus ride was needed to get across to Cambodia, which we only now know was during Khmer New Year, making moving around and buying stuff even more challenging. We expect a boring an uneventful trip, but with a strange boarder crossing, a stop off at a hospital to treat one of our fellow passengers who appeared to be having some kind of fit and a sudden realisation that at some point our bus had driven onto a river ferry with people selling dead frogs in baskets, it was anything but boring.

The step to Cambodia showed a vast difference in buildings with Cambodians seeming to all live in Shanty town style houses, in an ad-hoc 'shed on stilts' aesthetic. The next few day will be interesting.  

Plane 4 – Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh

Jetstar Pacific, you suck. Over an hour late, but not surprised this time. Sigh.

Vietnam - Hoi An – Cooking Course and Suits

Hoi An is a beautiful place midway up Vietnam, a seaside / port town with a historic charm unlike anywhere I've seen in Vietnam. The buildings seem to have been beautifully restored, but at a cost of tourism with every building either being a restaurant, tailors, bar, souvenir shop or museum.

We decided to undertake a cookery course which was very informative and also gave us the chance to make 4 dishes (And eat them).

And for $95 for a tailored suit, I couldn't really pass up the chance to have one made for myself.  

Vietnam – Water Puppetry

Vietnamese Water Puppetry was surprisingly entertaining, with good levels of humour and interest, fun for all the family. However, it is driving me crazy trying to work out how they do it. The puppets weave and pass each other too much!!!

Vietnam – Night Train

We thought it might be interesting to take a night train from Hanoi to Da Nang and maybe more reliable than Jetstar Pacific! But what is the last thing you want to see on your top bunk as you bed down for a 14 hour journey? Well, I saw a cockroach. Killed it, but had some messed up insect related dreams that night!

 

Vietnamese Furniture

I'm not kidding, all they seem to use is plastic kids chairs mini tables plastic tables. All the real furniture is for the tourists. You want to eat real Vietnamese food, you gotta sit on kiddies chairs.

Vietnam - Hanoi Museum of Ethnology

OMG!

Vietnam - On The Streets

Everything in Vietnam is done on the streets. They eat, they sleep, they chat, they drink, they even have their nose hair trimmed on the streets. And when. They aren't on the streets they're on their scooters.

Plane 3 - Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi

Jetstar make Ryanair look like airline of the year! Our flight was 9:30, but cancelled so moved to 11:10. This was also cancelled and we were moved to 12:30. Somehow we were moved off this flight even though it was still flying at 12:30, we were moved to the 16:10 flight! There was also a 13:15 flight so I demanded we be put on this. We did get put on this, but it was also delayed about 40 minutes. It took all day, but made it to Hanoi in Northern Vietnam.

Hanoi seems so much more friendly than Ho Chi Minh, but just as intense.

The Vietnam Odyssey - Ho Chi Minh

So, I know this blog is about "Our Man In Japan", but I felt it important to tell you how going somewhere else has altered my view of Japan. Having lived there for so long, I had forgotten how the rest of the world can be, a little too close to see the forest for the bamboo.

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh around midnight, tired and broken, thrown into a world of utter chaos, and it only got worse! I can not think I have come across a more insane, dirty, rude, vulgar, pestered city in my life. People compete and harass for your money and cons and scams lurk around each corner. A westerner to a Vietnamese person is like a walking ATM, and something you must try and extract as much money out of as possible, but maintaining a level of rudeness and condemnation I personally wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

It makes me reflect on some of the more negative points I'd made about Japan and consider them in a new light. Maybe all I needed was a rest from Japan, to return as in love with it as I arrived. I know some stay longer than year, but its not a short time.

I miss the kindness of Japanese people, their willingness to help and guide a foreigner in need. I miss their order, their hygiene and their upfront pricing system that is the same for everyone (foreigner or native). Sometimes, to realise what you've got, you must experience what life is like with out it. "All is forgiven my Japanese friends" I think to myself as I narrowly avoid being hit by another motorbike.

Plane 2 - Seoul to Ho Chi Minh

It's not the same plane, honest.

Plane 1 - Osaka to Seoul

Goodbye Japan. See you again in three weeks.

The Maiko and the Samurai

Makiko and me did a bit of dress-up in Kyoto as a Maiko and a Samurai. It was rather a unreal experience and it just felt rather fraudulent as we are neither. But Maki seemed to really love it. She also had the chance to go out on the streets too to which there was great attention from many tourists trying to get a photo with her. For me, I felt she was a different of beauty nut it was too odd and she didn't look like my wife. But still had a good experience.

Blossom by Night

By Bike

It's the only way to see Kyoto on a sunny day. Especially with the beautiful blossom out in full bloom. Amazing timing to finish our time in Japan.

I will miss...

In many ways I will miss my life in Japan. I will miss the people who have moved mountains to make me part of their community and help in my way through this strange land. I will miss the food, too much to mention and I'm sure you know from my many posts on food how much I'll miss it. I will miss the children, their 'genki' like attitude to life, their smiles and playing games with them, not to mention how unbelievably cute they all are! I will miss the mountains, the trees, the lakes and rivers; the beaches, the old towns and the cities. I will miss the sun and blue sky and the snow in winter. I will miss the blossom in spring and the red leaves in autumn. I will miss vending machines and convenience stores. I will miss being the tallest person in most crowds. I will miss being special and unique. I will miss the cute girls checking me out (Lets face it, it doesnt happen in London). I will miss onsen and adventures. I will miss the joy of actually being able to read something in Japanese. I will miss those random moments when I have no idea what the hell is going on. I will miss teaching, though I look forward to get back to design. I will miss a lot about Japan and although I'll get to come back at some point, it won't be the same.

I will miss Japan.

Day 1 - Nomadic Life

Goodbye Shoo. Goodbye job. Leaving our almost empty flat still left me with feelings like I'm not really going anywhere. It makes me fearful that after I leave this will feel like a bizarre, year long dream. A mere fantasy. It also made me think of all the great things I've done this year, but also the things I wish I'd done or the things I wish I'd done differently. Living in Japan requires a huge learning curve and some trial and error. Maybe with this experience, the second year would have been better, but also maybe the novelty of small town life might wear off. I didn't want to have regrets, but they now seemed to cloud my mind. But the next phase of my life has begun...

It's the beginning of our month long, nomadic life before boarding our plane back to England and I'm starting off tired. I feel so confused about where I am and what I'm meant to be doing. Having no job, no flat, no ties (for the next month at least) should be liberating, but where do you start? I feel I've lost a little purpose, other than seeing stuff and finding somewhere to eat. I'm hoping I will soon begin to unwind and relax into the groove of being on a months vacation as one should. In some ways it's a bit like a working vacation being an ALT so many things won't be so different.

At the Station

Only women are allowed out on this train.