Japan Series - Food

This time, for a change, I had some pretty poor Japanese food. This is due to catering to the lowest denominator when there are five of us and each of us has different tastes and preferences. Once, we evaluated at least 6 restaurants and ended up at a chicken place that served the most awful food. Even the yakitori was hard and unyielding, and the chicken pieces on my rice was all skin and little meat.

Sushi on conveyor belt.

This is a popular sushi restaurant at the Yokohama station. On a Saturday night, it was overflowing with diners, all patiently waiting on benches on one side of the restaurant. Inside the restaurant, there are metal shelves for diners to deposit their coats and shopping, all left unattended on an honesty system. All over Japan, I see things being provided to customers, e.g. spectacles at the ticket centre, umbrellas at a bus stop, without being chained to an unmovable object for fear of being appropriated by customers. The honesty system is quite humbling. For once, the hotel would lend me an umbrella without a signature in case the item is not returned and then a charge would be levied in the bill.

Kaiseki

This kaiseki is a simple version for a mere 38,000 JPY. The more elaborate versions start at 80,000 JPY. I've seen kaiseki advertised for 100,000 JPY. This time, I have learnt to mix the turnip paste into the sashimi sauce, courtesy of instruction from the waiter.

A sushi counter

I ate at this sushi restaurant - a really old fashioned place where the diners know the chefs and would buy the latter a drink or two. As you can see, the diners can smoke with impunity. There was an English menu but unfortunately the chef could not read English! So I asked him to decide for me. It was the first time that I was introduced to sea urchin and raw shrimp, an experience that I am not likely to repeat in a hurry. I also witnessed the menu for locals written in oblong pieces of paper - nothing like the laminated variety offered to visitors like me.

Japan Series - Yokohama

I was in Yokohama in 2013 as a tourist and returning here to work is a bit of a shock to the system. The pace of life is hectic and coping with the crowd everywhere is often disconcerting. And this despite the courtesy and politeness of the Japanese! The cavernous underground walkways at the Yokohama station, at B1 and B2 levels, through well signed, took some getting used to. There there are also ground level and upper ground level walkways between Yokohama station and the Minatormirai area, a spider network linking the station with shopping malls and offices. It is possible to lose one's way and encounter a new route everyday. At night time, at about 22:00 when the shops are closing, the density of the crowd diminishes, and it is then possible to take stock of the space.

The walkway linking Yokohama Station to Nissan HQ
This is a daily scene when I finish work typically well after 21:00

The walkway from another angle.
The luminescence in the background is the Nissan HQ.
The car showroom exhibits a whole range of vehicles not seen in the UK.

View of Yokohama Bay from hotel window

Sunset from hotel window, with Mt Fuji in the background.
This is the only occasion that I was able to see the sunset
on account of the long working hours

Cherry blossoms in the city centre, Yokohama
I was on way to the dry cleaner and this cheered me up.

An unusual sight of a barge in the city centre, Yokohama

Yokohama near the Station with the unmistakable sign of
Takashiyama department store in the background.
This is a high end department store with all the well-known global labels,
but often stocking only Japanese sizes (i.e. small)

Mural in the underground network near Yokohama Station

Young girls seen hanging out in one of the many malls at the Yokohama Station.
The variety of malls, shops and goods make one dizzy and giddy.

Waiting for the shinkensen at Shin-Yokohama, or was it Shin-Osaka?
The Japanese public transport system is noted for its punctuality.

Hong Kong Museum of Art - Art Square

This was a surprising find - it was not on my list of things to do, but since we were staying opposite the museum, a visit was in order. The theme was: Heaven, Earth and Man.

Directly outside the Museum is the Art Square at Salisbury Garden where a number of sculptures were displayed.

Happy Folks by Rosanna Li

Happy Folks by Rosanna Li

Water drop by Danny Li

Big Apple by Kum Chi-keung

Sculpture by Ju Ming
I nickname this "Grey Men in Suits".
They reminded me of John Major, former British Prime Minister

Sculpture by Ju Ming
A disturbing line up of soldiers

Sculpture by Ju King
I nickname this Parachute into Paradise

An exquisite piece of jade
on display in the Museum

An eye catching piece of glass sculpture
seen against the Victoria Harbour

Sculpture by Ju Ming

Beijing Series - More Street Scenes

A butcher selling from 4 meat hooks

Deep in thought
An usual sight in a busy city in the western world

The shop sign says "Level Price Hundred Merchandise"

The shop sign says "City Beauty"
The shop sells pyjamas

Beijing Series - 798 District

A collection of graffiti at the 798 Art District, Beijing. The last time I saw such interesting graffiti was along the Danube on its approach to Vienna.

Beijing Series - Yonghe Temple 雍和宮

An exceptional temple well worth a visit. 

Within the temple complex, there were riveting roofs, magnificent decorative arches, beautiful silk tapestries, exquisite carpentry, Tibetan prayer wheels, a fabulous collection of Tibetan Buddhist statues in one of the side halls, and an impressive collection of Tibetan Buddhist ornaments in another side hall. It was a treasure trove.

The street outside the temple entrance heaves with shops piled high with statues of Buddha, talismans, Buddhist charms, incense and keepsakes. And nearby, one can find hutongs that have been partially gentrified.

The entire temple complex was shrouded in incense smoke.

A pair of marble lions sit astride the front of one of the Temples

Magnificent Buddhas in one of the Temples

The prayer room

Within the Lamasery complex.
Wisps of incense smoke rising from the burners

One of the series of Temples

Beijing Series - Behai Park

My stay in Beijing was coming to an end, so I was determined to see a little bit more of the city with the limited time available. The smog had lifted and it was relatively safe to go outdoors. 

I had seen Chinese gardens in Suzhou, Hangzhou and Shanghai and I find these places, when not packed with tourists or locals, a wonderful environment to unwind, relax and admire the richness of traditional Chinese garden art. What little I saw of Behai Park did not disappoint.

It was late winter - the temperature was above freezing, there was no wind, and it was perfect weather to explore this huge park - some 67 hectares, half of which is occupied by a lake. I asked the taxi driver to drop me off at the East Gate but he insisted that he only knew of the South Gate. It turned out that he was right - the South Gate was indeed the main gate. The entrance fee was 5 CNY, really thumping good value for a park of this size and with such architectural treasures. Entrance to the Jade Flower Garden was an extra 10 CNY, but that's also worth it. I only wish I had set aside a whole day to explore the place... 

The White Dagoba, rising magnificently above the Jade Flower Island.
What a wonderful view that greeted me on entering Behai Park from the south gate.

I imagine these two young ladies were part of some entertainment.
The umbrella is purely decorative because the sun was not strong enough to warrant it

One of the temples on the Jade Flower Island
The red signs hanging off the marble stand are small placards
for worshipers to make their wishes to the Buddha

Richly decorated walkway in the Circular City

The Five Dragon Pavilion, seen at dusk.
These are five connected pavilions and from a distance, they appear
together like a huge dragon. The girders and pillars of the pavilions
are covered in exquisite carvings and paintings.

The magnificent Five Dragon Screen built in the 18th century.
There are altogether 424 seven-colour glazed tiles and 9 huge
coiling dragons on each side of the screen. 

The boats on Behai Park. It was off season so no boat was available for hire.

More boats. One can imagine the traffic on the lake at spring and summer time.

Sunset at Behai Park. This brings my stay in Beijing to a close.