Japan 31 Jul - 10 Aug

Yeah, am back from my holiday to Hokkaido & Tokyo. My first trip to Japan and it was a last minute arranged trip (what's new?) and just glad we made it. :)

I've been plunged back to the realities of working life too quickly and been busy ever since. Didn't have (and still don't) the mood to blog and organising the pics are taking way too much time. Just too physically and mentally lethargic right now.

Realised the pics I took didn't do the place justice ... but anyhow ... some pics here to capture the moments ...




These are some of my key takeaways of Japan ...

1. Children are very well-behaved! These tykes do not make it a habit to run around, scream like their lungs are going to burst, behave rudely to one another and act like spoilt prince and princesses. They behave themselves in public and independent and best of all, they seem to have respect for their elders. As my friend commented, they seem to retain their childhood (tong1 zhen1). Yes indeed. If kids in SG can be so well-behaved, don't think they would repulse me this much.
   
   
2. Place is clean. Their toilets are CLEAN. Its always dry, not reeking of urine, toilet seats are clean and they have toilet seat covers in most of their toilets. Not to mention their toilets that can play a tune to mask the noises one make while answering the call of nature, cleaning after you etc. Its so common its the de facto in any toilet that we visit. So much so the guide was SOO shocked and surprised when we told her no, SG has no such facilities. She thought it was something we would have equipped ourselves with long ago. Ah bummer to us.


3. Eco-friendly. In addition to being clean, they have good civic responsibility towards the environment. You don't often spot litter in Hokkaido. There are few (if any) trashbins along the streets and according to the guide, their kids are taught in school to bring a trashbag with them whenever they leave the house so that they can keep all the rubbish in the bag. They would only dispose of the rubbish when they are home, and they would SORT through the garbage and separate into different categories (they have gone so fine grained as to separate the bottles from the caps etc.). When I see trashbins, its always separated into 2 (combustibles, non-combustibles) or 4 sections (magazines/newspapers, PET bottles, others etc.). Its amazing how eco-friendly they are.
   


4. They walk a lot. The subway stations can be huge. Switching between trains can mean a very long walk including climbs up flights of stairs (and no, they don't pair every staircase with an escalator. They climb. Period)

Oh, and what's with Jap women ?? Why are they all so slender and petite ?? Even the many mothers that I see with babies/toddlers in prams still managed to maintain a very good figure. My friend's theory was that the fat ones stayed at home and wouldn't be out shopping or strolling in the crowded areas :P True. I'm seldom seen at Orchard. haha

Now back to the reality of life ...