10. That Canadians are liked by most people
9. That Celebrities do have it rough
8. That being Caucasian in an Asian Country is a little like being a celebrity
7. Vending Machines should be everywhere in all countries. Not limited to drinks either!
6. That North Americans in any service industry that gets tipped have it easy. To tip is an insult in Japan and Korea
5. Chopsticks - Japan so easy and regular. Korea flat metal and easy once you get use to them.
4. Rice - eat all in Japan or you insult the host. Don't eat all in Korea or you haven't had enough to eat
3. Japanese people have a large addiction to fuzzy mickey mouse ears and hats.
2. Ontario really is the center of the universe...well according to Koreans. Koreans like to talk about Ontario. Japanese like to talk about the Mountains.
1. Calpis
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
my trip!
I have returned from my trip not the same as I left. I feel that I have changed. I feel like I have grown. I am guessing that all trips should make you feel this way. You learn new things on new adventures whether they are great international trips or road trips across this great nation of ours or if you fly in a plane for hours or travel in a car for days. I feel that all journeys are important and are indeed moments of growth are within them.
I feel I have come back stronger then what I left. I have learned that I can be alone. I can eat by myself, I can tour a city by myself, and I can enjoy Disneyland alone. I am okay alone! I feel stronger because of it! I feel whole.
God lead me on this trip. Every aspect of me going on this trip was easy. I had more money then I need to be able to go. Every time I turned around I was getting money in the mail from pension pay outs or some other thing. God wanted me to go. I wanted to go. I needed to go.
I feel now that I can go anywhere and do anything. Once you have mastered 2 things I feel like you can travel anywhere. First, the point and order (this is really key in Asia, they are fans of pictures on there menus). You need no language connection if you can point to what you want. Always look for the picture menus. Second and equally as important is Charades. If you can mime it they will eventually know what you are looking, asking, telling them about. This is really useful in the case of a search of a washroom (toilet).
There are some things that I feel that one should know languge wise when travelling...Hello and thank you. When you are a tourist being polite Canadian is what you want to be. I felt that I never learned these 2 things in Korea and I wish I knew them.
So, you know when you are doing something that is going to be a great adventure but you really don't realize it. The ah ha Epiphany moment, (thank you charles!) that you have at any moment on an adventure or journey. I had a couple, first one would be when I first got to Tokyo and I am following the direction that my little hotel has give to get there. I have taken the limo bus to another hotel. I get a cab with the automatic door and a driver with a hat and white gloves. As I hand over the address to my hotel. This is where I need to explain addresses in Japan. First of all I should say I never knew this till later in my trip. Addresses in Japan are for a general area not to a direct location. Like one might say that my address could be 1013-7-10, Huntington hills, Calgary. Yup, very descriptive. So, I was in a taxi where the driver punch's the address in to the GPS and comes up with the route that the GPS gives it to get to my hotel. Well, GPS does not know about buildings and other things that get in the way of the most direct routes in Japan. I am in the taxi where the driver gets lost and somewhat confused by the directions the GPS has given him. He starts what I think of as swearing in Japanese. Me not knowing any Japanese at all and not understanding what he is say. I can tell by the tone of voice and his body languge that this is not a good situation for him. There are 3 things that are going through my mind at this point in time. First, This guy is wishing that this white person didn't get into his taxi to begin with. Second, I have no way of helping him at all and lastly and the factly the most important thing..."Wholy sh$t I am in Japan and what the hell was I thinking that I could do this all by myself. I don't know the languge. I don't know anyone.what am I doing here." The driver did turn around when we got to a gate that we could not go through and did get me there safe and sound. I was ever so releved to see the outside of the hotel that I had seen in pictures!
My second one is much more personal. The whole trip was the ah ha I can do this by myself. I can travel and figure things out by myself. If I needed to I can do it. I could live in a foreign country and enjoy it even. Or at least know enough to get by.
I feel I have come back stronger then what I left. I have learned that I can be alone. I can eat by myself, I can tour a city by myself, and I can enjoy Disneyland alone. I am okay alone! I feel stronger because of it! I feel whole.
God lead me on this trip. Every aspect of me going on this trip was easy. I had more money then I need to be able to go. Every time I turned around I was getting money in the mail from pension pay outs or some other thing. God wanted me to go. I wanted to go. I needed to go.
I feel now that I can go anywhere and do anything. Once you have mastered 2 things I feel like you can travel anywhere. First, the point and order (this is really key in Asia, they are fans of pictures on there menus). You need no language connection if you can point to what you want. Always look for the picture menus. Second and equally as important is Charades. If you can mime it they will eventually know what you are looking, asking, telling them about. This is really useful in the case of a search of a washroom (toilet).
There are some things that I feel that one should know languge wise when travelling...Hello and thank you. When you are a tourist being polite Canadian is what you want to be. I felt that I never learned these 2 things in Korea and I wish I knew them.
So, you know when you are doing something that is going to be a great adventure but you really don't realize it. The ah ha Epiphany moment, (thank you charles!) that you have at any moment on an adventure or journey. I had a couple, first one would be when I first got to Tokyo and I am following the direction that my little hotel has give to get there. I have taken the limo bus to another hotel. I get a cab with the automatic door and a driver with a hat and white gloves. As I hand over the address to my hotel. This is where I need to explain addresses in Japan. First of all I should say I never knew this till later in my trip. Addresses in Japan are for a general area not to a direct location. Like one might say that my address could be 1013-7-10, Huntington hills, Calgary. Yup, very descriptive. So, I was in a taxi where the driver punch's the address in to the GPS and comes up with the route that the GPS gives it to get to my hotel. Well, GPS does not know about buildings and other things that get in the way of the most direct routes in Japan. I am in the taxi where the driver gets lost and somewhat confused by the directions the GPS has given him. He starts what I think of as swearing in Japanese. Me not knowing any Japanese at all and not understanding what he is say. I can tell by the tone of voice and his body languge that this is not a good situation for him. There are 3 things that are going through my mind at this point in time. First, This guy is wishing that this white person didn't get into his taxi to begin with. Second, I have no way of helping him at all and lastly and the factly the most important thing..."Wholy sh$t I am in Japan and what the hell was I thinking that I could do this all by myself. I don't know the languge. I don't know anyone.what am I doing here." The driver did turn around when we got to a gate that we could not go through and did get me there safe and sound. I was ever so releved to see the outside of the hotel that I had seen in pictures!
My second one is much more personal. The whole trip was the ah ha I can do this by myself. I can travel and figure things out by myself. If I needed to I can do it. I could live in a foreign country and enjoy it even. Or at least know enough to get by.
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