On home soil - Claremont Landscape Garden, Esher, Surrey

It is nice to be home, and to enjoy a glorious summer with my loved one.

What better to experience the summer by being outdoors. So we went to visit the Claremont Landscape Gardens at Esher, Surrey. It is described as a royal garden and once a playground for princesses. But it was not the royal connection we went for, we wanted to be outdoors, to enjoy the sunshine and the fresh air, but to be away from the crowds. I've found that since returning from Japan, I have had to re-accustome myself to the deafening noise of the crowds e.g. in a crowded restaurant, and to close my ears to the incessant commands of parents telling their children not to do this and not to do that.

The man made lake, a centre piece of the garden

The man made amphitheater overlooking the lake

It was the first time that I came across a landscape amphitheater: the physical texture, human scale, visual detail, and beauty all work together to produce an engaging atmosphere. At the top of the amphitheater, there was a bench which a family had taken possession of, with a pram, food, etc. all laid out; they had simply appropriated it for the day. 

The thatched cottage

What tickled my fancy were the play things laid out for children inside the thatched cottage: from playing cards to a wooden train layout, costumes and hats to children's riding horse toys. Growing up as a child in Hong Kong, I had no access to such an array of toys, and for a while I tried to imagine the make belief world of children donning the costumes and the hats.

Children's playground

 

Walkway made from tree trunks

When I saw these levelled pieces of tree trunks, I could not help myself stepping onto them and walking along them. Since seeing an osteopath who has been treating me for imbalance due to the tightening up of my thorax, I have been able to experience the joy of being able to stand on one foot without toppling over.

Japan & China - One last look

This was probably my last visit to Beijing and Yokohama for some time. 

The heat in Beijing was so intense, I didn't want to venture out at all. Some of the daily routines proved to be deterrents: taxis without air conditioning in 35C heat, taxi drivers adding to the discomfort by smoking in the vehicle, difficulty in getting a taxi without a mobile app, and the general traffic congestion. On the rare occasion I walked next door to the Global Trade Centre to the Bank of China ATM to withdraw some money, within 10 minutes I had a headache from the sun despite wearing a hat. However, one piece of good news: no more smog.

View of Jingcheng Expressway from the hotel. Smog free!

This time the hotel gave me a room at the other end of the building after their handyman failed to fix the wardrobe in the so-called junior suite. One of the sliding doors to the wardrobe was jammed. From the room, I could still see the Jingcheng Expressway, but no longer the bird nest. Also, the room faced on to the sides of two high rise buildings, thereby preventing me from drawing the net curtains to enjoy a more open view of the city. 

China's version of Royal Society for the Protection of Animals

Every morning whilst having breakfast at the Club Lounge I would read the China Daily, English edition. Here, an animal activist was photographed in abject apologetic mode, apologizing for the dog-meat fest during the Yulin Dog Meat Festival. Other animal activists reportedly dug into their own pockets to purchase pups for as much as 1,000+ yuan, while a group of Buddhists recited prayers as they shuffled among hanging dog carcasses at the city's wet market. The animal rights organization, Animals Asia, I noted, is run by a westerner.

Cloned goat

This cloned goat article caught my sight. I remember Dolly the cloned sheep that made headlines in the late 90s. Dolly was the world's first animal to be cloned from an adult cell and she truly captured the imagination of people all over the world, from scientists to dare I say, taxi drivers. One interesting fact is that Yang Yang, this 14-year-old goat, mated with another cloned goat and gave birth to twins in 2001, one year after her birth. Looking at the way the goat was garlanded, I have no doubt that she is a celebrity in her own right, if she is still alive by the time I write this.

En route Yokohama to Haneda Airport

I want to say goodbye to Yokohama, a city that I had grown to like. This was the view from the Keikyu Limousine Line on its way to Tokyo Haneda Airport. The coaches are always on time, always spotlessly clean, and attended to by very polite baggage handlers and drivers. I never had to worry about how safe my luggage was once I handed them over to the baggage handlers to stow beneath the coach. The fare for a 30-minute journey is JPY 960, roughly £5.50, extremely good value for money. Public transport in Japan is good: punctual, clean, reasonably priced. The best feature of all: mobile phones are banned on the public transport systems.

Nissan's beautiful electric car

Every day I passed the Nissan HQ to and from work. This time, they were displaying a breathtakingly beautiful electric car, shaped almost like a supersonic car. A sight to behold. But none of the passers-by, nearly all office workers on their way to work, was seen to be paying any attention to this flash car. No wonder, in the large metropolitan areas around Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, the Japanese are served by highly efficient public transport systems. Consequently, many residents do not own a car or do not even possess a driver's licence.

Japan & China - Food that I ate

This was my last trip to Beijing and to Yokohama. There were mixed feelings: I dreaded the heat in Beijing, knowing that it would limit my movement, but I looked forward to eating at my favourite places in Yokohama again.

Hainan chicken rice, Beijing

My first meal at Beijing was Hainan chicken rice. I used to love this dish when I was in Hong Kong. The way that the hotel cooked it was rather different: for a start the rice was not done in chicken consomme, and there wasn't the ginger paste that I expected. What really frustrated me was that I waited well over 30 minutes for this dish and at the end the manager decided not to charge me.At this hotel, there were more managers than waiters, and the managers were observed to be the hands-off type. 

Beijing noodles, Beijing

Next, I tried the Beijing noodles. It was a vegetarian dish and rather tasteless. I could not imagine how this could be a popular dish in Beijing in the summer. I ate a few mouthfuls and gave up. The spinach dish was a side dish that I ordered, and was the only tasteful food on the night.

The hot pot at Miyabi Japanese restaurant, Beijing

It was ironic that I chose to eat Japanese food in Beijing. In the Miyabi restaurant, I knew that I could be guaranteed tasty food, and the right portions. This beef sukiyaki was delicious, although it took about 20 minutes to prepare.

Sashimi, Miyabi restaurant, Beining

Tempura, Miyabi restaurant, Beijing

As soon as I landed in Japan, I knew that I would have a wider choice of food within walking distance of the hotel.

Beef donburi, Yokohama
One of the most delicious meals I had in Yokohama

Ramen with pork slices at Yokohama Sea Paradise.
Cheap and cheerful. The drink was cold oolong tea.

A salad starter with crab meat at my favourite sushi restaurant, Yokohama.
There was a small plate of slimy foodstuff that looked suspicious but tasted delicious.

A lunch of minced chicken topped with an egg, some miso soup,
and a red bean drink with mochi. Quick and simple.

My penultimate meal in Yokohama.
One of the best tonkatsu restaurants, with excellent condiments.
Service was slow, but the food worth waiting for.

My last breakfast in Japan, at the JAL Sakura Lounge, Haneda Airport.
On the front page was the news that Japan plan to change their constitution
so that their self defense force can engage in foreign combats.

Without doubt, food remains an important part of my life. I tend to return over and over again to the food that I grew up with, if the choice is available. This is true of some of my colleagues who prefer pizzas, TGI Friday, Hard Rock Cafe, the places that they are comfortable with. 

Japan Series - Science Museum, Nagoya

I thought I would enjoy this science museum, but I was stumped by the language, or rather not knowing the language. 

The hotel concierge warned me to go early to queue for the tickets; what he omitted to tell me was this: the entrance tickets to the planetarium show were limited. It was relatively easy to get to the Science Museum from Nagoya station: on the Higashimaya subway line to Fushimi and then a 20-minute walk to the destination. I remember to this day how hot it was to walk 20-minutes under a blazing sun, even with a hat on.

The unmistakable entrance to the Nagoya Science Museum

The queue for tickets at the Science Museum

Arriving at about 10:30 at the museum door, there were already long queues: one for the Museum and one for the Planetarium. There were ushers of course, informing visitors on a placard how long it would take to get to the top of the queue. But luck would not have it, by the time I was head of the queue, the last four seats to the last Planetarium show on the day were sold. By that time I had endured 30 minutes of summer sun and was feeling rather hot and flustered. 

This was a major disappointment because visiting a science museum where all the illustrations are in the local language that I cannot read was absolutely no fun. I wandered around the 6 floors like a lost child, among all the exhibits and felt that I was reading a giant picture book but not really understanding what those pictures were trying to tell me.

A contraption depicting various methods of turning rain to water

At the end of the day, I took an interest in origami

All the websites had warned of the museum being Japanese centric, i.e. no English translation. But it was only when I was confronted with it that I realized how my hunger for knowledge was blocked by the language barrier.

On the first floor, I saw some adults teaching children the art of origami. I decided to have a go at it. There, among young children, I made a dinosaur and an elephant, and emerged feeling that I had at least some fun, however childlike it was. 

Japan Series - Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise

It was a rather hot summer day, around 23C when I decided to visit the Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise. Billed as a new generation style amusement park, the island combines amusement rides, an aquarium, a marina and a hotel. I had to admit that I was amused by an amusement park and aquarium combination, so it was with some expectation that I made the trip, not so much to experience the rides, but more to see the aquarium.

From Yokohama Station I took the JR Negishi Line to Shin-Suguita station and from there boarded the Seaside Line to Hakkeijima Station. The Seaside Line passed through the outskirts of Yokohama to the tip of Yokohama Bay; along the line were miles and miles of factories and industrial units, as befit a nation that ranks as one of the top 5 manufacturing countries in the world. 

The bridge leading to Sea Paradise from Hakkeijima Station

When I alighted at the Hakkeijima Station, I had to figure out which direction to go, since the signposting was not immediately clear. When I saw the bridge, I knew that there was only one way to go.

A grainy aerial view of Yokohama Sea Paradise, courtesy of its own website

I was willing to be thrilled by the aquarium, but it failed to live up to expectation. Or maybe I was suffering from aquarium fatigue. The aquarium itself rises to three floors, and so ranks as one of the largest in Japan. There is a underwater viewing tunnel leading from the ground floor to the first floor, but alas it only goes one way. If I had my way I would be going up and down the escalator to enjoy the experience.

A walrus with his trainer

Needless to say there were shows but not one for timing myself from show to show, I just took what came along. I was awarded with one of the best shows I've ever seen: a walrus with his trainer. The walrus could clap his flippers, take a bow, blow fish through a tube, and do some other clever things. Truly amusing. I also saw a very bored polar bear slumped on the rocks, and felt very sorry for the poor beast. There were other instances of the trainers with their creatures: two of them are captured below.

A porpoise playing with the trainer

A penguin show. Later, children were invited to touch the penguin,
which provided the ideal photo opportunity 

My heart however lies with the smaller sea creatures: fish, jelly fish, sea anemones, and the vibrant corals. There were hundreds of thousands of these sea creatures and if I had the time, I could easily spend a whole day there.

Fish that look almost like plastic fish swimming in a tank
at the entrance to the aquarium

My favourite sea creature, the jelly fish

This sea creature took  my breath away.

Gorgeous sea anemones 

As I walked from building to building, from the Aqua Museum to the Dolphin Fantasy, to Unifarm and to the Fureal Lagoon, I saw families eating and drinking at the restaurants near the marina. For the first time I saw BBQ stoves (Japanese style) used for grilling sea food and on close examination, the food portions were tiny. I hardly ever see Japanese eating big portions of food. No wonder relatively few Japanese are obese.

BBQ for sea food. Note: A lot of Japanese women love their LV handbags.

The Aqua Museum seen from the Fureal Lagoon

Sea Paradise Island at dusk.
The tall structure is the vertical amusement ride.
I could hear the screaming every time the ride comes down.

On my way back to Yokohama Station, I realized that this would be probably my last trip within Japan for some time. The time has come to finish my assignment in this beautiful country and head for some other hostile environment where I have to be vigilant 100% of the time.