Hello cutie! Halloween can be absolutely adorable if you only weigh as much as three apples. On a late night run to good old 7 and i holdings this week, there was a mix and match, make your own chocolate coffin display. You could actually choose a haunted house shaped tin, too. Of course, I partook in the festivities. There's still a little time left for you to do it too!
It crushes me to write this. What should have been a happy post is instead a sad attempt to prove that I did not, in fact, forget my good friend's birthday. Somehow, out of all the mail that I have sent overseas, this had to be the one box that got lost. At least if I share this idea, one of you could try it out and allow its guaranteed happiness to be spread somewhere else in the world. All I did was find a cute bento that is almost identical to my own and fill it with a bunch of special Japanese Kit-Kats. I know this friend makes and takes her own lunch to work, so the gift would have been fun, practical, and basically, perfect. Don't act like you can't see the super cute Hello Kitty bag in the background. 
Let's get back to Japan for a bit, shall we? If you're interested in learning about one might eat for lunch (or breakfast, or dinner) if one lived in Tokyo, you might want to consult The Five Foot Eater. She's got a surprisingly big appetite for such a small girl and can give you some good tips on grub around the world (photo credit: The Five Foot Eater).
One unavoidable fashion trend that we observed all over China was the partially clothed, exposed 
male belly. To be fair, it was extremely hot and humid in August. For whatever reason, walking around completely shirtless was either unacceptable or too troublesome, so most of the men we saw had chosen to make a compromise. It did not matter whether we were in a restaurant or out in the streets, and this behavior was not confined to only one type of guy. We were greeted by midriffs young and old, fat and thin, sporty and geeky, shabby and (otherwise) well dressed. This does not happen in Japan. From what I remember of life in the Philippines, France, Spain and the US, men who are comfortable showing that much skin just remove the whole thing. Have you noticed this tendency anywhere else on Earth? Is this something you ever find yourself doing?
Wow, ok! Warm greetings from an organic food emporium in the basement of one of the city's nicer shopping venues.
Exactly what kind of injuries are treated in here?
It is hard to walk around Tiananmen Square (above , below) without feeling as though you are trampling all over the graves of dozens of people who spent their last moments
protesting political and cultural oppression. America has clearly perpetrated similar injustices on its own soil, but this is the first time I can remember visiting a place so inextricably linked (in recent memory, at least) to the crushing of innocent civilians. That this bleak plaza is such a tourist destination, and that we were contributing further to its status as such, made me feel sad and strange. Knowing that things have not exactly improved a great deal as far as freedom of information, assembly and opinion are concerned made me feel even worse. I wanted to leave immediately. The drab color scheme and uninspired pseudo art for "the people" (above right) that dominated the entire space did little to sway me. Unfortunately, we escaped this big, beige monument to government gone wild and found ourselves in yet another disappointing, yet infamous, locale. 
The Wangfujiang shopping area is full of people looking to buy, and the busy Night Market (below) is perfectly set up to exploit naive travelers. We agreed that the street food here was subpar
when compared to other places in China, or Asia in general for that matter. This alone would make have made the venue a complete waste of time, but it actually got worse. Capitalizing on the Western fetish for eating all that is exotic/grotesque in an inane quest to prove one's masculinity, stalls here provide trays and tubs full of wild items on skewers. Touting some of their wares as local delicacies seemed odd when the majority of the people eating the craziest things were white male foreigners. What's more, the labels on the more unconventional items are spelled out in big, block-lettered English. The entire entire scene took on a sorry, circus-like atmosphere wherein the animals did not fully comprehend the scope of the entertainment they were providing. Sure, we saw many Chinese patrons enjoying the nation's standard snack food, chicken feet, but none of them were crunching on scorpions or sheep's testicles.
The immense compound that served as the imperial palace of both the Ming and Qing dynasties is an obvious destination for anyone arriving in Beijing. Please brace yourself, however, for the size of the crowds rivals (and nearly trumps) the enormity of the structure. Depending on when you get there, the main entrance may or may not be guarded by a fiercesome baby in a wicker basket (above). Since we chose to stay at the cool and convenient Hotel Kapok in the Wangfujing district, we got there easily on foot. Standing in line for a ticket goes by relatively quickly, but once you enter the palace grounds, severe bottlenecks are inevitable.
The construction reminded us a lot of what we have seen in Japan and Korea. It was immediately obvious how both cultures drew from the Chinese style of architecture, 
with its emphasis on vast, stone courtyards and squat, rectangular buildings. Overall, the structure is quite spartan when compared to European royal tendencies, though the decorative trim is quite ornate. The predominant color scheme revolves around a brick red and a golden yellow, with blue and green paint used to create intricate designs on the walls ceilings (right). The designers' main concern, apart from size, appears to have been geometric perfection (above). From the hills of parks all around the city, one can see how of the buildings in the Forbidden City line up symmetrically with huge gates (below) far, far off in the distance. Many of these used to anchor the perimeter of the ancient city limits and now serve as reminders of the incredible attention to balance and proportion of those early Chinese city planners.
And now, back to our China saga for a bit...
em went from Shanghai to Beijing. We shared a four person sleeping cabin with a young French couple who appeared to be on the verge of a break up. They were on their way to the capital to catch their flight home. They were also running late, which might explain all the tension in the air. The girl was tall, thin and gorgeous. She was lively, outgoing and so excited to tell us about the three weeks they had spent doing exactly what we were hoping to do. Like us, they had essentially followed the circle plan, although they set out from the North, not the South. The guy immediately flopped into bed and did not say a word until the next morning, when he woke up and started freaking out about how the train was delayed. 
I don't think he knew that I understood him as he snapped at his lady love and grumbled about all things Chinese. He wanted to take a taxi to the airport, but she was wiser with respect to Chinese traffic and insisted on making a dash for the subway. She said goodbye to us very sweetly, whereas he downed a bowl of instant noodles and stormed out onto the platform. In typical Jake fashion, all of the drama barely registered with him. He strongly suspected that the dude had neglected to shower for the better part of their journey, however, and could not wait for them to disembark.
Pontocho is a pretty, popular area for dinner and drinks in Kyoto. The long, narrow alley maintains a rather traditional feel. Lined with charming storefronts and mysterious entrances, brief glimpses between fluttering curtains will definitely pique your interest in the hidden dining rooms that lie beyond. An aura of exclusivity and the many expensive menus on display outside might seem intimidating to newcomers. Everyone wants to sit on one of the platform patios overlooking the Kamo River, so establishments can 
basically serve and charge whatever they please. Unless you have been clued in by somebody who knows better, it might be difficult to be discerning on the fly. Persevere, though, and you are likely to not only find a seat for yourself, but also observe an apprentice geisha on her way to an engagement. With Middle Sister in tow, we spotted a maiko (舞子) hurrying by us on the path before eventually squeezing into a cute spot for a bite to eat. The best part of the night, however, came after we left the restaurant and snaked our way down to the riverbank. Bringing a bag of drinks from the conbini and sitting under the sky in the cool night air was worth the earlier struggle. The lights from the decks cast a soothing glow on the people lounging below, contrasting sharply with the frenzied street on the other side. We found ourselves literally cheering on a couple kids who decided to cross the water by jumping on top of these huge, oddly shaped cement blocks (below). The boy instigated the whole thing, urging his girlfriend not to worry about her enormous stuffed animal and take a leap of faith. While trying to climb up the other side, Romeo accidentally plunged a foot into the rushing water, but ensured that his Juliet (and her toy) were high and dry. The girl was ecstatic, jumping up and down and waving back at us, her loyal supporters.
Efish is one of my favorite places to hang out in Kyoto. Both Jake and my sister also approved. It's the kind of cozy place you can always bring somebody who wants to enjoy good food in laid back surroundings. The dim lights and view of the Kamo river entice you to linger even longer. My favorite thing the first time around was definitely the special warm salad (see menu above, right side, and ignore adorable spelling mistake). The second time, however, the walnut cake and vanilla ice cream absolutely stole the show. I wish I could eat everything on the menu, but there are too many other amazing places to eat in that city. Namely, places that serve traditional Japanese food. One must set limits. If you need a break from all the washoku (和食), however, drop in here and try the BLT. You will be back again.
This might be a no-brainer, but just in case you don't know or are still on the fence, definitely make sure you get a Japan Rail Pass before you visit Japan. Having one of these in your possession at all times ensures unlimited rides on any Japan Railways trains (except the Nozomi Shinkansen), anywhere in the country. This magical, all-access bubble will burst after either seven or fourteen days, depending upon the price you've paid. Just a couple things to keep in mind...
When special people journey to see you in Japan, there is really no justification for skipping Kyoto. So, we went back for round two in the country's cultural capital when my middle sister came to visit. For the next week, I'll be mixing in some moments from our trip with various anecdotes from the Beijing leg of our Chinese epic. To get you started, here is the Kyoto version of the Starbucks conbini drinks. You can actually find this flavor on sale all over the country. While the matcha flavor itself is not unique over here, I thought overseas readers might be interested in seeing this international variety.
Marketing can get very creative in Japan. No matter what product is being pushed, however, an emphasis is likely to be placed on how much incredible cuteness it will inevitably bring into your life. Even humble cocktails weenies may find themselves reprising the roles of those graceful synchronized swimmers in Hollywood films of old.
I fell in love with patio furniture for the first time in my life while meandering along a canal in Suzhou. That might be the lamest thing I've ever written, but really, how enchanting does copper wicker look against mossy stones? We passed by this random tea house on the waterfront and, luckily, all of the the customers were sitting inside. If I were the buyer at large for Anthropologie (Sylvia Shops Globe?), I would have definitely talked the owner into selling me the whole set.
Whether you refer to this Suzhou institution by its Chinese or Anglicized name, you will likely use only good words to describe it. The flaky fried buns they sell outside the entrance to the restaurant can be grabbed to go as you walk down the canal. Be careful, though; ours were incredibly hot! The thin sheets of waxy paper upon which they sit protect your fingers somewhat, but greedy gobblers will definitely scorch their tongues on the dense meat filling. As long as your taste buds are still functional by the time you swallow, you will be glad you carved some time out of your busy Shanghai schedule to come down here.
Thank goodness somebody put up this sign in the Humble Administrator's Garden. Upon reading it, we stopped louding immediately.
This is the most famous garden in a town renowned for its beautiful, classical gardens. Suzhou's
pride and joy is a busy confluence of thick greenery, elaborate stone latticework, zig-zagging pathways and soothing canals. We had gotten so used to ambling through the considerably more Zen atmosphere of Japanese gardens that first this place seemed a bit cluttered at first. The further in we went, though, the more we appreciated both the density and the intricacy. Within its walls, the landscape has been manipulated so as to create a space that feels far, far away from the outside world. Walking through a good garden is not nearly as pedestrian as it sounds, and this is one of those places that succeed in creating a sense of adventure. 
This might sound crazy, but our favorite part of visiting Shanghai was actually leaving the city for a day to visit the town of Suzhou. As far as international cities go, Shanghai was unexpectedly 
underwhelming. Suzhou, however, was a really nice surprise. At first, we were afraid it was going to be just like every other overcrowded, over-polluted place in China. And, at first, it was. Once we got far enough away from the train station and the main drag, though, we were stunned by its elegantly dilapidated canal culture. Like windows into a prettier, more peaceful era in Chinese history, even the mossy, crumbling buildings retained a certain charm and beauty. It also appears as though the current renovation efforts throughout Suzhou are trying to usher in modern style and convenience while maintaining a lot of the ancient Chinese feel. Each of the various elaborate gardens for which the town is famous could entertain you for hours at a time. We only had time for one, but thoroughly enjoyed poking about the intricate stone lattice work and lush greenery. More on that later. In the end, we did not want to leave, wishing we could see more gardens and spend more time sipping and snacking by the water. If we had known how much we'd like certain areas (especially the paths along Pinjiang Lu), we would have made time to spend a whole weekend wandering there.
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