Journal lingqi's Journal: June 19th, 2003 8
June 19th, 2003 (6:30pm)
It might make me seem that I like to complain, but damn it's expensive to ship stuff in Japan. I shipped a box out to the US today - 2.23kg - which would make that less that 5 measly pounds, the cost was a seisure-causing 4,700 yen. God forbid if I wanted to send books or something.
Now, this is the fastest method available at the post office, which is via EMS. However, the catch is that if you want to go slow, it is even more expensive, around five to six thousand yen for the same box. The word "proctology" flashes across my mind when I recapitulate the scene.
Yesterday we took some customers out to Danya (æs-ã), which is a restaurant in tatebayashi. The restaurant had a very nice looking garden, and the interior decoration is top-notch. The surprising thing is how affordable the prices were for the dishes - nine people racked up a bill under 30,000 yen, which does not happen very often in japan, as far as my experience go (especially, I might add, when entertaining customers).
The ironic thing, though, was that amongst all of the food that was given, what I remember the best was its french (excuse me, freedom) fries. I mean, they had _really_ good fries. They were crunchy to the last minute, and had a detectable, but not at all overwhelming flavor from the spices powdered onto the fries before they are cooked. The rest of the food was very good also, but I have to say, I really miss the fries... No matter though, we are all going back (not with customers this time) this friday (tomorrow).
Currently there is a typhoon hovering around japan, and has been making it way from the south side of japan northwards for about the last two days (and will be for the foreseeable near-future). For that reason, the weather for the last two days had a continuous "calm-before-the-storm" feeling. It's very strange when something that's supposed to be fleetin sticks around for quite a while; you almost cannot help but feel like saying "go away already!"
I was going to yap more about asakusa, but didn't finish last time. Near Asakusa (the temple / shopping street) area, there is a black building with a yellow / gold thingy on top. It looks like rather thin and elongated bottle-gourd, which would be "ç"ç®(ããããYã")" in japanese and "è'èS¦" in chinese, and possibly "ÎsÎÎÎÎÏÎα μÏÎÏ...ÎαÎÎÏZν" in greek and "Flaschenkürbis" in german. Supposedly the place is designed by some french guy for Asahi beverages (yes the beer company). I never learned the significance of the gold gourd, though.
Across from the river from the gourd building, you can take a ferry boat (I really should say tour boat) down the river toward various destinations. We headed toward ãSååææoeå...åoe' (odaiba seaside park). The boat ride is interesting to a degree. there are about a dozen and half bridges between asakusa and the park, and the entire job of the tour guide, it seems, is to elaborate on the said bridges. Well, okay not entirely, he also talks about a very tall apartment building (47 stories or thereabouts?) along the river, and how a 20 level condo will run you a cool million dollars or so - I didn't catch the price for the higher levels, though I'd imagine the views out of them would be stunning. When an earthquake hits, i am sure the cleanup for the violently shaken room on top is stunning too, but that's another story altogether.
The Yankee japanese player, Maturi(?), is reported to own a condo in the said building. Upon hearing this news, the passengers of the entire ship collectively waved enthusiastically. I think Maturi is in the US right now doing his thing, but I guess you can't let a stupid thing like that stop you from making a fool of yourself to the residents of a high-priced apartment complex.
The most famous of the bridges in the tour was the rainbow bridge. Unfortunately I have no idea why it's famous, nor any idea why they call it the rainbow bridge (it is completely white, in contrast to the showa bridge (æå'OEæ©), which is actually pained rainbow colors. Nontheless, it was famous and hence everyone on the ship took some pictures of it.
In the Odaiba park, there is a statue of liberty (painted copper-rust-green too) standing, looking toward the bay. This is the second or third lady-liberty I have seen in Japan so far, which is, with all due respect, very strange. My co-worker (who is the reason why we took the trip - his first visit to Japan) has yet to see the US one, but already seen two in Japan, I can't even think of an approporiate comment to that...
"unko" biru (Score:1)
Too kind (Score:1)
There are also the "unki" which are the potted shrubs trimmed into spiral kuso-shapes.
I sent my U.S. tax return via EMS and according to their tracking website, it still hasn't arrived. I've got to call the embassy today and find out what's the story.
Re:Too kind (Score:1)
but to be honest, from the first minute i saw it i thought "gourd" instead of "turd," so maybe i am not as corrupt as i thought i was.
i was thinking - there is a Tokyo IRS office, I wonder if you can send your taxes there directly.
Re:Too kind (Score:1)
The tax office is in the Embassy, just walk past the line of people waiting to get into the consulate and go up the stairs and past the Marine. Someone will be there to help you.
I need to call them today, now that I am reminded.
Re:Too kind (Score:1)
and I would have had a chance to go back and use fedex by then...
I am thinking of utilizing fedex / UPS many times to send empty boxes around, as a treatment for the shock i am recieving here with the expensive post fees.
Asahi, Asakusa River (Score:4, Informative)
Pictures: here [ruvolo.net] and here [ruvolo.net].
The Asahi building is meant to represent a torch blowing in the wind. I think it is best known as the poop building though.
We took the ferry from downtown to Asakusa as part of a Hatobus english-language tour. Some pics from the ferry:
Sato building [ruvolo.net].. I found this interesting because its an insurnce company that has a pink elephant as a logo/mascot. I've always associates pink elephants with visions from people who do too many drugs.. so insure at your own risk.
Large [ruvolo.net] dykes [ruvolo.net] like these can be found all over Japan's waterways. Flood management must be amazingly complex (but possible!) since all of the river's I've seen have these dykes and huge berms parallel to the rivers for their entire length.
Mid-sized [ruvolo.net] ships [ruvolo.net] are docked at random places along the river, with a lof of small fishing vessels at the market that borders the river.
Some [ruvolo.net] buildings [ruvolo.net] that [ruvolo.net] have a distinctly asian style. Billboards on top of apartment buildings, tall skinny apartment buildings with external stairways. They certainly wouldn't be widely acceptable in the US.
Bridge. [ruvolo.net] Bridge. [ruvolo.net] Bridge. [ruvolo.net]
The most interesting thing I found about the boat trip was the many many homeless people camped out along the waterfront. These had to be the most industrious homeless people I've ever seen, creating tent-like enclosures with plastic tarps and lumber. This is very unlike US homeless people who if are lucky have a cardboard box.. and California homeless people who can bear the elements.
BTW, the name of the Yankees player is Hideki Matsui.
-molo
Re:Asahi, Asakusa River (Score:1)
but i think you are right about some of the homeless. Their homes of cardboard box and the such seems no less roomy than my cramped apartment sometimes. Certainly more homely than the capsule hotels, i am sure!
Hideki Matsui is unbelieveably popular here. Last I checked he wasn't *that* great of a baseball player. I think they are all happy just because he's japanese. Can't blame them, I suppose
Re:Asahi, Asakusa River (Score:2)
Matsui had a good start to the season. He had a couple homers within the first couple weeks of play. After that he wasn't doing so well and his average dropped into the low 200s. Now he's been doing a lot better, getting more hits. His average is up into the 280 range. However, he hasn't been putting it out of the park too often, with only 6 HRs on the season.
I havn't been able to keep up very well with Yankees ball since we're on the west coast and all. I saw a game-of-the-week on