Wednesday 22 September 2010

Welcome autumn

I love the change of seasons. I love change in general, and a new season, like a new year, are like a crisp white new sheet of paper, full of promise and possibility and ready to be filled with new and exciting things. Among all the seasons, autumn is my favourite one. In Argentina, I couldn't wait until the long soporific summer was over and it was cool in the mornings and evenings again. In Belgium, I suppose I lost a bit the longing for autumn, as, well, Belgian summer IS like autumn and autumn and winter are just one long straight road to chilly and damp days.

In Japan, though, and specially this year summer has been long and incredibly hot (the hottest 113 years)  So I cannot tell you how happy I am with the official end of the summer. Tonight is "Shubun no Hi" or autumnal equinox, there will be a full moon and, according to the weather forecast, as of tomorrow temperatures will drop to 24 degrees. My Japanese teacher has told me that the custom is to decorate your windowsill with pampas grass and "mochi" (sweet rice cakes) as an offering. I don't think there will be much pampas grass in our appartment, but I will certainly be celebrating.

And, since we're on an inspiring note, here's a little quote from a poster you can buy in the UK (the author is Jerome K Jerome):

"Let your boat of life be light. Packed with only what you need: a homely home and simple pleasures; someone to love and someone to love you; a cat, a dog and a pipe or two; enough to eat and to wear and a little more than enough to drink, for thirst is a dangerous thing."


Happy Autumn everybody!

Monday 13 September 2010

You've been in Tokyo for too long when you..... (part I)

  1. Instinctively keep to the left when walking on the street/ riding an escalator/ riding a bike (and continue doing so in Belgium....)
  2. Forget to lock the bike when doing the shopping and leave it unlocked for hours at a time
  3. Cannot imagine stepping outside during the summer without a parasol or enormous cotton hat
  4. Know the Hibiya line like the palm of your hand.
  5. Know which is the right exit -and can find it- in Shinjuku station.
  6. Own at least one brow-sweat-mopping-towel-thingy (and are not afraid of using it)
  7. TOTO toilets hold no secrets for you.
  8. Manage to eat soba without spraying your clothes with sauce.
  9. Don't worry when the delivery guys have been while you were out, as you know they'll be back tomorrow (and the day after, and the day after that, until they find you)
  10. You feel bad about leaving minuscule crumbs on the floor after you've had a pic-nic

Tuesday 7 September 2010

Kaizen my b***s!

Back when I started to work, ages ago in 1996, I worked for a big automotive company (whose founder said "you can have the car in any colour as long as it's black") There was a lot of hoo-ha about the Japanese efficency maximising methods, I believe it's called "kaizen" or such. Anyway, today I am wondering if there is any concept that can be called "the reverse of kaizen" (I couldn't find it in Wikipedia) because today.......

......was one of those days....

Yesterday afternoon, I was giving Bibu his bath when I heard my cell phone ring. Thinking it would be Mr M reporting from the battlefield (a.k.a. Shangai) where he is all week on a business trip, I took the trouble of taking Bibu fast out of the water and I run to the kitchen to take the call, but, alas, too late. I checked the number to call Mr M back but saw that it was a local Tokyo number. Funny how the first thought on my mind was: "this cannot be the idiots from Nearby Posh Gym AGAIN".

Surely enought, IT WAS.

Lady from Nearby Posh Gym leaving message in barely understandable Engrish (fair enough, I am the one who doesn't speak the native tongue) said that August and September had not been paid yet and could I pay them in cash next time I go to gym? Of course, darling, although wasn't it the idea that after filling my direct debit form FOR THE FOURTH TIME in two months these amounts would debit themselves automatically each month?

My first reaction upon hearing the message was to find out how could I cancel my membership, go there, pay the  pending months and tell them to (EXPLETIVE OF THE THIRD KIND). Upon talking with the ever chilled out Mr M this morning, he said something along the lines of "don't do it, it's conveniently located, you like the ballet classes, etc". Damn, he had a point. Grr........ so I today decided to put my very best "meek and with Gandhi-like patience gaijin" impersonation and pay Nearby Posh Gym a visit.

After checking in and nobody at the front desk telling me anything, I went to my hippo-ballet class as usual. Afterwards, feeling all saintly and fresh from the nice shower (they do have the nicest bathroom and locker area, these Nearby Posh Gym dorks) I grinned and waited for the best. Surely enough, the problem was the one it always is: bank says signature on the debit form does not match signature registered on the bank. The last time we had to fill in the form, Mr M himself went there to fill it in (our bank account here is on his name) and still there is a problem.

First girl at front desk who tried to help me did not get a single word from English. Second girl apparently did, but still could not give me a clear explanation of what the problem is and how it can be fixed. When she presented me with the FIFTH direct debit form to be filled in, I had to restrain myself from attacking her with an ax. Luckily, there was a Hungarian lady there who spoke perfect Japanese and offered to do the translation.

In the end, after more looking into papers and realising that there is a differnce between asking to "write your name" and "sign" (maybe because there is no such difference in Japanese?) girl said they were still waiting for confirmation from the bank that the form we had filled last time was approved. WTF??

I wonder, people of Nearby Posh Gym, wouldn't it be better, if you know that these particular bank is so anal about checking signatures, that you ask your customers to go DIRECTLY to the bank, sort the form out and then RETURN to the gym? Or maybe that's too revolutionary a thought.........mmmmmmm

In the end, I paid August and September in cash and left with the promise that from October onwards, each installment will be debited from my account.

I bet all my life savings that in a few weeks I'll receive another call from nearby Posh Gym asking me please to come fill in the form again. Betting in Japan is illegal, so there you go.

Kaizen, schmitzen.

Thursday 2 September 2010

Morning detours: Shimokitazawa

So today I went to Shimokitazawa, or "Shimokita",as it is known among le cool Tokyo. It is apparently very popular with students for its second hand clothes shops and variety of little cafes and bars and generally relaxed vibe.


To get there, I took the Keio Inokashira line from Shibuya. It's just one stop on the express train, so very easy to get to. I took the North/ South exit which immediately pours into an array of narrow streets crisscrossing the whole neighbourhood.

Most shops open only at 11:00 and some even later. I arrived around 10:30, so I walked around the area for a bit. There are plenty of nice cafes and bars that surely must come to life at night. There is the ubiquitous Starbucks as well, but in general the feeling is of being in a small cute town "à la Japonaise".




Shopping-wise, besides the big Daimaru Peacock supermarket in front of the station, which harbours a UNIQLO and a big bookshop, and the MUJI close to the West exit, the main attraction in Shimokita are the second hand clothes shops and a variety of bazaar like shops, much like the OUTLET but with a country: romantic style. I was looking for a vintage posters shop, which a friend had recommended, but could not find it and at 12:30 I called it a day and decide to head back to pick up Bibu from daycare.

Should definitely be back with Mr M to check it out in the evening. One of these days....