Navigating Tokyo 101 - Trains!

Lo and behold! Okay, I know it's too small to be seen here...but it's so complex!!!

One interesting part of traveling in Tokyo is their train system. Go here for full view

During my recent travel, I only opt for the old fashioned way - I bought tickets for single destination. You can also use their prepaid pass card such as PASMO or Suica. Works like Touch 'n Go (for Malaysian) or EZlink (for Singaporean).

I brought these small books along with me; Discovery's Tokyo Smart Guide and Berlitz's Japanese Phrase Book & Dictionary.

Discovery's Tokyo Smart Guide
Pros: Small and listed quite a few major hotspots around Japan
Cons: Doesn't have a full listing of Tokyo train system, but good enough. For this, you need to get a train map which is similar to the map above with JR line (National line) and the subway line.

Berlitz's Japanese Phrase Book
Pros: Small and semi-glossy paper printing (with color). I'm quite particular on the texture :D
Cons: Some of the phrases are a bit too long.

Tips for non Japanese travelers on Train

1. Learn a bit of Japanese. Important simple phrases to learn and to use while traveling. You can just memorize underline + bold ones:

• Ikura desuka [i-koo-rah-des-ka]: How much? (You can just say 'Ikura' for short but its a bit impolite. Most phrases will end with either desuka or dekimaska)
  
• Shibuya (or any location) doko desuka [Shibuya doh-ko-des-ka]: Where is Shibuya?
• Eego ga dekimaska [ae-go gah-dekimaska] : If you can't speak Japanese and want to ask whether they speak English, this is the phrase. Most of them will answer...sukoshi (a little).
• Memorize 1-10 in Japanese. Good for train numbers. 1, 2, 3 (ich, ni, san) is good for ordering food. Hehe.
  

2. Almost ALL train station in Tokyo has a booth. During my first 2-3 days travel, I ALWAYS consult them on the train fees before paying for it. So, ask away, but prepare for the lost in translation moments if you can't speak Japanese...AT ALL

3. Look up and be aware for the color code and train number of every train line. Eg.: Keiyo line is thin stripe line.

4. GOOGLE MAPS is your friend. Before going out the hotel, refer to this so you know how long and how much each destination will cost you.

5. If you bought wrong tickets or decided to change destination, most stops has fare adjustment machine. Use it :)

How was Japan?

"How was Japan?"

This probably the one of the most frequent asked questions I received when asked about my recent Japan trip. I wish I could pour my brains out and tell them what I've seen, ate, feel...pretty much everything.

This is Japan through my eyes. Well, some of it :)

1. DS is sizzling hot in here!
Young kids, young mother with 3 months infant, grandpa in a suit, office lady...heck, most of them have Nintendo DS in their hands. I thought PSP would be big here. Even McDonalds (spelled ma-ka-dona-roo-doh) have a DS wi-fi access and not accessible via computer nor mobile!

2. Disabled friendly city!
I think most developed city would have facilities for disabled person. I was quite amazed when I saw three blind individuals holding each others back, waiting for a train. FYI, most roads in Tokyo has a long line of dotted path for the blinds to walk on.





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3. Japan is Fashion!
It's not all bizarre and blings here, believe it or not. For them, its all the attention to details and accessories. Everything from colorful, shiny branded sneakers, mobile phone blings, sun hat, business suits, you name it!


Will I be able to see fashionable locals wearing costumes or simply a spikey haired Goku in public places?
You might find them walking aroung the fashion hub Harajuku or meido icon city, Akihabara, but rarely in train, which is their no. 1 transportation here in Japan. They could walk around Akihabara or Akiba in samurai suit on some playful occasions, but on daily basis, they are just erm, 'normal' people...like Clarke Kent. Don't be surprised, it's like they have alter egos. I've asked the locals and they told me that most of them change it in the washroom or locker room. From Superman back to CK. The least you can see on them is the trace of super-anime contact lens they're wearing. This, I found after the TGS (Tokyo Game Show) '09 event. "Girls in super bright blue eyes. Ooh, blimey!"


I found this chic group in Asakusa. They were performing some numbers at an outdoor stage, just in between the market and the temple. I've no idea how famous they are until I saw them at the screen at Shibuya city screen.

Bobbing their head and showing off some acrobatic moves (which almost reminds me of Sailormoon, they sing, "Lai lai lai lai lai lai..."


4. For hectic, rat race city, Tokyo seems to produce a lot of family man...
Having been to a similar country like Singapore, due to lifestyle and higher cost of living, I would expect that Japanese are less likely to settle down and have family. But again, I was wrong. I found a lot of them strolling around the park, zoo and museums. Even gramps spending quality time with their grand kids. Bring smiles to my face seeing young parents bringing toddlers and little kids to museums and zoo. Oh yes, and dogs too!




5. Shopping!!!
Well, if your country's exchange rate is lower than Japanese yen, then be a smart traveler and spender - only spend things you can't get in your country. For Malaysia's case, we have a lot of Japanese imported goods in Jusco and also RM5 store, Daiso.

I will talk more about expenditure traveling in Japan soon.



6. Trains, trains, trains!
Took me awhile to realize that there are two types of train system in Japan; the National line (JR aka Yamanote line) and the subway line (ie. Ginza line, Chuo line). All along, I thought its just JR lines all the way. Took me at least 2-3 days to get used to it. With the right map, some basic Japanese like "Ikura desuka?" (How much is it?) and "Shibuya doko desuka?" (Where is Shibuya?) and the power of navigating, traveling in Japan can be quite do-able. No, you don't need to have a killer geographical sense..I've bad sense of directions (when driving). Hm, I think I'm more of a pedestrian person.

Again, will open up another topic on 'Navigating in Tokyo' soon. Whoa! Too many things to explain on that :D



7. Maneki neko (Lucky Cat)? Hello Kitty? Are you kidding me? Tokyo's a DOG city!
Big, small, fluffy, short, tall...I've seen it all! I don't spot cats though...well, obviously cos you don't walk the cat. Hahahaha!

8. Japanese does not have FAT legs - those are muscles!!!
The locals here spend most of their activities if not walking, cycling from point A to another. Therefore, you don't see many overweight people in Tokyo. Well, exception for Ryogoku, the sumo city, lol! And to make it more challenging, they add with killer high heels and boots! Kudos to them, I have NO idea how they do it.


9. Killer vending machine!
Hot, cold drinks in bottles, vitamin water, milk tea, ice cream cones, cigarettes, Haagen Dazs, bowl in soup, underwear....if it fits the machine, then vending it is!

And this my friend, is my no. 2 spending items in Japan. Just can't help it! Must have Pokari Sweat! :D

10. Tokyo is NOT wi-fi-free friendly
Believe it or not, this is true. Advance or not, I think Tokyo's one tough city to get access to wi-fi, even McDonalds. My advice, get accommodations that provide free internet access. Or better, if you are on business trip or working + holiday trip like me, stay at the ones with free, unlimited internet access. If you're coming in group, I would suggest a mini router or a USB adapter. Trust me, you don't want to buy these in Japan. Go Lowyat!

Sometimes, while walking around the city, you'll get lucky if you happen to find any unlocked wi-fi access ;)

More on Japan, coming soon!

Oren's Road to Recovery...

I'm sickie!!! AaaAaaaAAAaaa...

One of my cats, Oren was diagnosed with Urolith or Bladder Stone a few days ago. This is quite common problem for cats, especially male cats. My mother brought him to vet when she discovered blood in his urine.

I adopted Oren a couple of years ago when I found him with a 'cast' on his right paw. Earlier, he was a stray with perfect 4 legs and fed him on daily basis. He has a laid-back personality and loves to get cosy, pretty much everywhere I found him. On chairs, floors...everywhere! Since his accident, he wasn't be able to use his right paw due to the tearing of his nerve. Looking back at his health history, Oren had jaundice (yellow fever) last year. Ah, yes, cats too can get Jaundice. It was a groundhog's day for me cos my 9 year old cat Belang died of this disease in 2006. Thank god, Oren recovered a few weeks later.

Watch this video to decide to adopt a cat or a kitten.


Getting A Cat:
Getting A Cat: How To Choose Between A Kitten And An Adult Cat

I wasn't around to monitor his whereabouts, food and stool routine since he stayed at my parents. Being allergic to cats myself, my fortnights visits are never without sniffles, wheezing and sneezes. But what to do, I love cats to death! One just need to adjust to it; get lint roller, restrict from holding cats close to the face and ALWAYS wash your hands afterwards. Remember it's not the fur that people allergic to, its the saliva.

Back to his current situation with Bladder Stone, since Oren only has a mild case of it (thank God), the vet prescribed him with over the counter prescriptions: antibiotics, Nefrotec (Urinary Antiseptic, Antilithic and Diuretic) and Bladder Strength chewable tablets. How can vets tell whether its a mild or severe case? Some bladder stones can be palpated (felt with the fingers) through the abdominal wall. " Failure to palpate them does not rule them out because many are too small to be detected in this manner." Pawprints and Furr.Inc

Meds, meds, meds!

Plenty of water is necessary to dilute the 'stones'.

As for his food, Oren is taking Royal Canin's Urinary SO (bought at RM65).

Just a note-to self and those who own cat(s) who suffered from IFLUTD. I opted for home care for his treatment.

Article taken at Cornell Feline Health Center, Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, New York)

Home care of cats who have suffered from lower urinary tract disease is determined by the cause, and varies depending on the cat's condition and history. Usually dietary recommendations will be made, especially if struvite formation is of concern. Current feeding recommendations for the prevention of struvite urolith formation are as follows:

1. Feed diets that promote the formation of urine that is acidic. Most commercial diets currently available meet this criteria. Avoid supplementing such diets with additional urinary acidifiers, because over-acidification can cause metabolic acidosis, impaired kidney function, and mineral imbalance.
   
2. Restrict dietary magnesium intake to 40 milligrams per 100 kilocalories if acidic urine (pH of 6.4 or less) is maintained. Again, most commercial diets meet this criteria.
   
3. Feed small meals on a frequent basis or feed free-choice dry foods.
   
4. Provide clean, fresh water at all times.
   
5. Provide an adequate number of litter boxes (usually one more than the number of cats in the household), and keep them clean.

Japan Commercials in my head...

As a foreigner in Japan, one can't help but to see Japan's TV commercial as the most interesting program to watch on TV. Luckily when I came back to Malaysia, thank to the wonderful YouTube, I get to watch it over, and over again, to re-live back the 'lost in translation' moments :D

These are some of the ones that keep chiming in my head..



Aflac's Maneki Neko Cat and Duck commercial



Shiseido's Cosmetic Commercial feat. Yoko Maki



Gatsby Facial Wash commercial feat. Takuya Kimura

A Glimpse of Tokyo

Tokyo city view taken from Roppongi Hills

This breathtaking view was taken a few days ago. I will update more about my journey in Tokyo. I'm still struggling to finish up some work in between.

For me, Tokyo Tower reminds me of a Japanese comedy romance, Over Time. I still remember every lyrics to the soundtrack and how the whole feeling and vibe about this drama makes me all...sentimental and erm, girly.

When Disney meets Marvel...

Blimey, Disney is buying Marvel for $4 billion!!!

Others might see it as an apocalypse when Hannah Montana and squeaky Mickey Mouse clashes in to the world of grimy Wolverine and web swinging Spidey!

Just my 2 cents, Marvel is excellent on print, but on screen? Not so much.

Let's do a wee bit of review shall we?

Erm, well..first of all, exhibit A: Jem, a Marvel production cartoon series. Ok, not a good example but its still from Marvel.


Exhibit B: X-Men 90's animated series. It's old school with awesome characters and storyline, but animation wise, nothing compares to Disney's.


Exhibit C: Don't get me talking about this one for Fantastic Four. I like my anime on Japanese cartoons, not otherwise.




Exhibit D: Now. Wolverine and the X-Men. I watched the first 5 episodes of this and its definitely an improved version of the 90's series. But some fans dislike this series cos of the storyline changes with Wolverine being in the spotlight and the so-called leader instead of Cyclops.

It's just a matter of time till some big animation house come to rescue Mr Stan Lee. Thankfully, I'm kinda glad its Disney. Marvel has the substance but lack of tools and technology to make it big on animated screen.

Why am I being so positive about this? Of course, this is purely because I have seen a miracle. A miracle from Mr Walt Disney himself transforming one famous artist's masterpiece to life. And in Mr Disney's language, is his power to animate.

Presenting, Destino. A collaboration work of Salvador Dali, world class Surrealist and Walt E. Disney, well...you know who he is :). I'll talk further about my trip to Salvador Dali's NGV exhibition soon.

How to keep in touch while traveling in Japan?

SIM cards 'collection' from countries I often travel to. For Singapore I'm using Starhub (cheaper rates), XL for Indonesia and 3 for Australia.

Like the previous post, this one has also been sent via email to my fellow friends who will be traveling to Japan with me. Of course I have to edit some details to avoid confusion. Having worked with telecommunication companies, I feel obliged to inform them with some of my findings in this area.

Feel free to comment/advise on this article since these are just what I've researched so far.

How can one keep in touch while traveling to Japan? Can I use my mobile phone in Japan? Can I rent prepaid SIM card in Japan? Are there any alternatives?

Japan network is quite different from our country since they are using CDMA (now W-CDMA) and we are using GSM. However those who have a 3G enabled mobile phones (with functions to switch to dual mode/UMTS) are able to roam in Japan ie. Nokia N82.

Here are a few options;

1) International roaming using your 3G mobile phones
Just my 2 cents and opinion traveling in general, international roaming is VERY messy especially when you're on postpaid or if you're using Celcom cos they don't limit making/receive calls, data, etc. Balik rumah, check bill, boleh pengsan! (Come back home, check phone bills and faint) I've experienced paying about RM2k in several occasions for inter'l roaming, so for 5-day travel, just use public phone to say your hellos.

Below is how charges work for Celcom users;

Making calls in Japan and different country: RM 3.50 per minute
Making calls from Japan to Malaysia: RM 8.80 per minute
For discount (roam saver) dial *120* (country code and phone no) + # : RM 2.50 per minute
Send SMS: RM 2 per sms

This is based from my conversation with Celcom careline, for more detailed, verified info, please dial 1111 (for Celcom users) or here

I am not sure how charges work on Maxis, Digi, U-Mobile, etc though.

2) 3G phone rental in Japan
A few operators/phone rentals co. in Japan are offering this service; Vodafone, NTT Docomo, Softbank, PuPuRu. I'm not sure about another operator, KDDI. It seems they only offer fixed line? (telephone)

3) Rent prepaid SIM card
In my opinion, this is a better choice only to those who wants to keep in touch with people around Japan. Travelers often use this to keep in touch with their travel partners and in several occasions make international calls/sms to family and friends back home but it also depends on the operator's charge fee. Softbank provides 3G SIM card rental.


CONCLUSIONS
Again, for 5 days travel, in my opinion, there are other cheaper FREE = better alternative.

1) Keep in touch with family and friends using public telephone to notify safe landing or updates.
2) Skype/email/sms via internet using hotel's free internet wifi. Those who'll be bringing laptop or wifi/wlan enabled mobile phone, you're in luck. Most accomodation in Japan offer high speed internet and also computers for browsing.

If all fails, there's always google :D