May, 2023 - Adham's Blog

Sakura Diary #10: I Love You Japan, Adios

Three nights in Okinawa. Sometimes you go to a tropical island hoping for sun and enjoying the white sands and transparent turquoise water but find a clouded sky and a strong wind. This was the case in Okinawa. I was already warned by Kate, that a cyclone is approaching and that a typhoon is possible. The predictions said that it is approaching on the day I leave the island. I hesitated only a little before flying to Okinawa, since most of our fears are exaggerated, and since it is a regular event in the region. I assumed that the island is prepared to face such events. It is Japan after all and what I have seen so far makes me trust this country in many things. Things simply work here.
Sometimes when I see organised societies, it seems all natural and self-explanatory: There is no garbage in the street because there is a garbage man whose job is to collect the garbage, and people don’t throw garbage in the street. Why would anyone throw garbage on the street? This all sounds very logical but most of the world does not function like this. Most of the world is dirty and dysfunctional, or at least does not function using the same logic.
The check-in process in most of the Japanese hotels I stayed in was done by a machine and a hotel employee is hovering around the machines to assist those with less digital competence. The machine scans your passport, finds your reservation, collects your payment and then spits out your room key along with a small paper with your room number.
I checked in to the nice room and rushed to explore the features of the toilet 🤣. This is a thing here. This toilette would open the toilet lid once you approach it. By a click of a button you can also control the toilet seat. The usual other functions include controlling water flow to clean you, control water temperature, a funny function oscillates the water so that you increase the area covered 😁. A button for music covers up for the auditory pollution that you might create, and sometimes there is even a button for drying your sparkling clean rear. Most of Europe still needs this kind of evolution, instead of this strange habit of wiping with papers!
Living in Europe, one can sense the feeling of “superiority” of the west. Because of the industrial and economic dominance of western countries, as well as the higher quality of life, many people there assume that they are the top of human civilisation and that this welfare is an indicator of an advanced society. Unfortunately, some people generalise this into thinking that the western way of living is the best and the rest of the world has just to “catch up”. Specially in topics like social interactions and morality. A lot of this is justified by its affiliation to science, which is also mostly coming from the west. Here I borrow Tanizaki’s question: how would the world have looked like, given that Japan (I add: or other non-western societies), were at the front of scientific and industrial innovation? Let’s remember that science is the product of scientists, which are always biased human beings. Humanity would have probably advanced in a different way, other than changing the last name of women after marriage or just wiping our rears with papers, and other countless examples of things that don’t make sense to me.
The trip to Japan was a milestone for me. Here I saw a top society with totally different culture than the west. An example of how things can be done differently and still function with excellence. Specially on the social level. This gives me hope that globalisation does not necessarily mean westernisation or Americanisation of all countries, but rather on taking the best feature from each culture around the globe.

I spent my time in Okinawa chilling, eating, getting massages daily and dancing. I visited one beach but that was below average. The best Hawaii-like beaches are either more than an hour drive or an hour of ferry ride. Since my driving license is suspended at the moment and I didn’t want to get stranded on a remote Japanese island while the typhoon hits shortly before my return-flight, I relaxed myself by meeting travellers and locals on the island and enjoy lazy and schedule-free 2 days.

At the end of my trip, I will take back with me a new affection for Japan and Japanese people. The way they bowed to welcome you or to bid you farewell was always heart warming. Sometimes a business owner or worker will come and bid you farewell and wait until you take the lift. Their smile can be felt behind their masks. Always polite, always courteous and always eager to help you. I observed that this is how they treat each other in general. When the flight from Okinawa to Tokyo landed in the rain, and the airport bus came to pick us up, there were two meters from the stairs till the bus where you could get some rain on you. But no! two gentlemen stood there carrying two umbrellas so that the passengers don’t get uncomfortable. The flight attendant came down the stairs of the plane and kept on waving bye-bye to passengers and specially children. I ask myself, is this a job? Is this in the job description? or do they add an extra humane touch? or is it the ”natural” thing to do for them?

So, that’s it. My time in this trip has come to an end and it is time to go back and serve. Thankful and privileged I am to have the time and means to go on this trip. I appreciate your time reading my words and sharing the trip with me. This is one way of fighting the traveler’s loneliness. I am now excited to see how this trip will influence me in the future. I am also excited to come back to Japan one day.

Okinawa! I bought my fl0ral island shirt 😁

A few friends that followed this trip expressed that it would be nice to travel with me. I would gladly disappoint you 😄 having a companion changes the dynamics completely and strips your time of the priceless freedom. Then there is often he conflict of interests and the need of compromise. Unless you are immensely lucky to have the perfect travel partner, I would mostly choose to travel solo. I guess an exception of that would be going to nature-filled destinations like Iceland or camping, then i believe that a loved and like-minded soul is essential to share what you see and what you feel with. Until the next trip, I give you a kiss and a hug.

AI generated art using the following text: **Japanese samurai fighter meditating on a rocky formation at sunset with cherry blossoming far in the horizon. Intensive, high details, 8k image quality**

Sakura Diary #9: Old Friends in Cute Kyoto

I arrived in Kyoto in just two hours, thanks to the bullet train’s remarkable speed. Although it isn’t the fastest train in the world, the Maglev in China and the TGV in France hold that honor. Maglev trains are a glimpse into the future of transportation, and works by magnetic levitation. Japan is currently developing its own Maglev, aiming to surpass all speed records. Nevertheless, the bullet train provided exceptional comfort and generous legroom. Despite hearing tales of its stability, I was surprised when my iPad took a free fall from the table.
I reached Kyoto shortly before midnight and checked into a modern hotel that offered face recognition technology for check-in and room access. It was undeniably cool not having to worry about carrying a key during my stay there.

I know a lot of you are very cautious with social media and also a lot value their privacy. I am not crazy about privacy and hence you see that I post photos and updates about my trip. Through these posts, a friend of mine, Erick from Brazil, contacted me and said he is traveling with his wife Sandra around Japan. He shared with me their itinerary (a tricky word to spell and to pronounce) and we found that our plans coincide in Kyoto. Erick is one of the smartest people I know. We met around 10 years ago when I started my PhD in Tübingen, Germany where he was also working on his PhD. My professor sent me to him to learn a few things and, since we are also both couchsurfers, we met regularly and our friendship grew over the years. We went often for lunch breaks where Erick would discuss any topic of his abundance, be it about philosophy, religion, sociology or science, and I would play the role of a devil’s advocate and challenge his theories, rather for amusement. We enjoyed these conversations and I missed them since I left Tübingen in 2018. His wife Sandra, is also very intelligent and she started a project on scientifically making certain diets for cancer patients. I was excited when I knew, that we will be exploring Kyoto together.

Kyoto is a relatively small town in comparison to Tokyo or Osaka. The buildings are shorter and life is calmer. We met in the morning of Tuesday the 23rd of May and started by walking in the market while catching up. We updated each other about our whereabouts during the last 3 years. We also exchanged our experiences in Japan so far and started tasting different dishes in the market. Starting from the famous Japanese Wagyu beef, to different sea foods with countless ways to prepare it. I am again and again impressed by the richness and variety of the Japanese cuisine. In the market you would also see unusual shops, for example here you can drink coffee and pet cute animals like puppies or guinea pigs. There you can learn how to forge your own ring. We spent some quality time at the market and decided to head to a bamboo forest, which is one of the beautifully natural things you could see around Japan. We walked among the countless bamboo trees but also countless tourists. Then we found refuge in some garden with a tea-house that were created by Samurai movie-actor. In the shadow of the trees and while sipping green matcha tea and eating traditional sweets, the conversation spanned quantum physics, eastern religions as well as sex 😀 Erick has the capacity to talk for hours uninterruptedly, which is something he and we are aware of. Nevertheless, it was refreshing to have flowing conversations. Living in Germany or in Switzerland, one often feels like you have to beg people for conversations. They are not as talkative as the southern countries for sure. This is why I appreciate my chatterbox friends, not to mention if their talking is rich with content.
Over two days in Kyoto, we visited Shinto temples and restaurants. We also went to the neighbourhood where geisha are active and we played the game: ”spot the geisha!”
Geisha are highly respected in Japanese society and are regarded as cultural icons. They are skilled in various traditional arts, such as tea ceremony, calligraphy, and playing musical instruments like the shamisen. Beyond their artistic talents, geisha are also trained in the art of conversation and are known for their intelligence and grace. This is why they render any gathering more pleasant and entertaining.
This is not something about sex and one can’t simply book a geisha online. You have to have the connections to organise an evening with a geisha and you have to be vouched for.

The food in Kyoto was wonderful. Day after day, I love Japan more and more! I ate not when I was hungry but rather when I was not full. For the smell of this or that restaurant kept flirted with my nostrils in the streets and alleys. Even at midnight, you can go to the traditional Japanese pub, the Izakaya and have a cheap and wonderfully tasting food. The prices here are also comparable to Europe if not slightly cheaper. Tokyo could be a bit pricier but not even close to Zurich. You can easily have a decent meal and a drink for 10 – 15$.
I walked a lot in the side streets of Kyoto. For me, everything in Kyoto is cute! I decided to name it Cute-o and I am sure I am not the first to have this idea. The tiny houses, the tiny streets, the tiny cars that I haven’t seen anywhere else in the world, are together painting a beautiful little town. I felt romantic in Kyoto and it will stay in my memory despite the fact that I took only very few photos. What could I do? Every corner I saw something worth of photography and my artistic talents fell short to capture the beauty of the moment. Take my word for it, Japan is beautiful. Someone has to pay me for all of this marketing 😅
On one of the days in Kyoto, we were discussing strategy games. Then Sandra suggested we go to a local “Go” club. This was not a common touristic activity. But Sandra asked the hotel receptionist to call the club and organise a visit. We went there and were welcomed by the instructor before the club members arrive. Erick has already explained the rules to us in advance. The instructor went deeper on the board. He didn’t speak English and we didn’t speak Japanese. So we worked with google translate which has two useful modes. The camera mode, with which you can point the camera on any text and it translates it, and the conversation mode which listen to both of you and translates the conversation in real time with sound output. This worked good enough to manage some kind of conversation and understanding of the game. Slowly, the club members started arriving and they were mostly retired women and less men. I appreciated this social activity for the retired. I think it is useful to have some interest or passion that can fill your life when you aren’t working. Both now and after retirement.
My time in Kyoto with Erick and Sandra came to an end on Thursday afternoon. I then took a short train ride to Osaka, a much bigger city full of skyscrapers and glittering LED lights. I spent there almost 24 hours that included a lot of eating as well as one more dance lesson. I met locals and travellers and walked until my feet hurt. I have walked 10-20 km daily since I landed and my brain has been working continuously trying to understand or process the new input everyday. To some extent, I felt saturated and needed to rest my body and my brain. This is why I am glad that I am flying now, on Friday the 26th, to Okinawa, an island far in the south of Japan, which is famous of sandy beaches, equatorial temperatures, and typhoons!

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AI Photo of today, using the following text: Peacock as a geisha, full body, feathers, dress, elegant feet, very expressive, eclectic, on a black background, red, white and blue, multiple lights, intensive, Hyper realistic photo, ultra detailed

Sakura Diary #8: Sumo Time

I did not plan my stay in Tokyo to last for a week! But Tokyo kept on seducing me with things to be seen and things to be done like a skilled lover.

Not lucky enough to catch the cherry blossoming season in Japan, but lucky enough to visit during the grand sumo tournament. Even luckier to manage to buy a ticket from the black market and get it delivered to the hotel. Today, Monday the 22nd of May is the Sumo day.

The day of the sumo competition starts at 8:30 in the morning and lasts until around 6:30 pm in the afternoon. It’s divided into three divisions where the beginners level takes place in the morning until around 2 PM where the intermediate level takes place, followed by the advanced professional level. I read online that many people start going in the early afternoon, when the games are more interesting and the wrestlers are more famous. Luckily there was an old Japanese lady who speaks English sitting in front of me and eager to explain everything without sparing any details. I also had no shame in bombarding her with questions about the game and the competition.

There I was sitting, surrounded by a sea of passionate spectators. The roar of the crowd signaled the next match. Before the wrestlers even stepped onto the ring, a series of captivating rituals took place. The rhythmic stomping of the wrestlers’ feet during the ritual and the throwing salt through the air added add an air of mystique to the event.

As the matches started, I thought I would be there just to enjoy the event without much interest. But slowly, I got involved with the matchs, checking the record of the players of the upcoming match and asking my new Japanese old lady friend about why that wrestler is popular. For example, one was much lighter than the rest of the wrestlers, another was climbing the victory ladder very fast, while Asanoyama was just good :). The wrestlers displayed different technique, ranging from brute force to agility and trying to trick the opponent. You lose if you go out of the ring or if you touch the ground with your hand. The lady told me, this is why in the arena they sell only chicken meat, since it stands on two legs and never walks on 4 legs, which would be a loss in sumo! The explosive moments when one wrestler forced the other out of the ring or made them touch the ground were met with thunderous applause, igniting an electrifying energy in the crowd.

You can watch the highlights of the day’s matches here.

Leaving the grand tournament, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for having witnessed this spectacle. This concluded my visit to Tokyo and I then took the direct bullet train to Kyoto, my next destination.

Since I am discovering artificial intelligence a bit more, here is a photo of two ancient Egyptians playing Sumo

AI-generated image of two ancient egyptians wrestling Sumo

Now if you merge the photo with one of my photos from this trip:

The future is going to be interesting!

Sakura Diary #7: Unique Dance and Different Ways to Die in Okinawa

Sunday 21.05.2023

“I rushed from the bed to the shower to the street, determined to make it on time for the dance class I had reserved two days ago. The perks of the internet knowing everything about me are the precise advertisements and suggestions 😂. Two days ago, my Instagram feed reminded me of a dance video I had liked a few weeks ago. I remembered that the dancer was based in Tokyo, so I followed him on Instagram. Yesterday, I saw his story announcing a dance lesson, so I immediately signed up. I arrived a few minutes late because I got lost in the famous busy Shibuya square. The instructor, nicknamed “Boxer,” was already leading the class. There were some Japanese regular dancing students, as well as tourists from the USA and Germany. Boxer began the lesson with easy steps, gradually increasing the difficulty level until only a few could keep up. As the lesson progressed, I realized what made his dance style so special: he could move his hips to one rhythm, his steps followed another rhythm, and his head seemed to beat to a third rhythm. There I was, in the corner, trying to forge a new path in my brain called “multitasking,” a concept I had never excelled at.

Dancing is an incredibly social activity that allows you to connect with other passionate individuals. After the lesson, I joined Boxer, another Japanese dancer, and a group of tourists at a nearby traditional restaurant for lunch. The tourists happened to be two kind-hearted American ladies, who were art professors on a work trip, and a dancer from Germany. We engaged in a lively conversation filled with travel advice from Boxer, creating a light-hearted atmosphere full of fun and laughter.

During our conversation, I mentioned my plan to visit Okinawa. At this point, Boxer warned me about the presence of dangerous sea snakes that occasionally come to the surface to breathe. I responded by expressing concern not about their visibility on the surface, but rather about encountering them while swimming around my lower body. Boxer explained that these snakes pose a threat when they feel attacked while breathing, as their bite can be lethal within a matter of seconds. Naturally, his words left me feeling a bit worried.

A few seconds later, Boxer added, “Also, be careful of the snakes on land; they can also kill you.” I paused, contemplating his words. He then mentioned an interesting addition: “But if you manage to catch one and bring it to the police station, they’ll reward you with 5000 Yens.” I jokingly replied that risking my life for a little more than 30 dollars didn’t sound quite appealing, and besides, I had no clue how to casually catch a snake and deliver it to a police station. Our conversation continued, playfully exploring various hypothetical ways one could die in Okinawa, ironically known as one of the places on Earth where people live the longest (over 100 years). So why meeee?

In the midst of our conversation, Boxer recommended some intriguing dishes for me to try, such as sparrow or turtle! Curious, I inquired about the infamous deadly fish dish called “Fugo.” Boxer’s response was rather blunt: “That can also kill you!” Fugo is a highly toxic fish that, if prepared improperly, can be fatal. Only licensed chefs are allowed to handle it. Boxer shared that, around 200 years ago, many Japanese people lost their lives due to this fish. I couldn’t help but wonder about the determination it took to persistently search for a proper way to cook a toxic fish. How did they test it all those years ago? For example:

“I think I found a way that maybe less toxic, guys do you want to try it?”,
then they all die.
— “Ops, maybe we should prepare it in another way!”

After this nice encounter, I headed to Asakusa, a neighborhood in Tokyo where one of the biggest religious festivals, called “Sanja Matsuri,” was taking place over the weekend. You can learn more about it here: Sanja Matsuri Wikipedia page. The festival, rooted in the Shinto religion, attracted a multitude of Japanese locals and tourists alike. I couldn’t help but admire the Japanese people wearing traditional kimonos; full of elegance and grace. While I knew I would probably feel out of place wearing one myself, it was a joy to witness the locals embracing their cultural attire.

The focal point of the festival was the procession of moving shrines throughout the neighborhood, eventually making their way to the temple. The shrines were carried by enthusiastic participants who rhythmically shouted and were accompanied by claps from the crowd, creating a lively and energetic atmosphere. As I strolled through the streets, I was amazed by the number of street food stalls, small businesses, and skilled craftsmanship on display. The hustle and bustle of people engaged in various activities added to the charm of the event. It reminded me of the general beauty of large gatherings of people, be it at the cinema, stadium, concert, or even religious ceremonies, where the collective energy and shared experiences contribute to the enjoyment.

After immersing myself in the festivity, I decided to take a lazy walk along the riverside, on my way to one of the tallest towers in the world, the Tokyo Skytree. There, I indulged in a panoramic 360-degree view of Tokyo, hoping to catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t ideal, but I found a plan B. I savored a small snack in the sky bar, while admiring at the sunset casting its warm blanket over Tokyo.

As the evening unfolded, it was time for El Cafe Latino, a perfect way to cap off the day’s adventures.

Sakura Diary #6: Contemplations on a Lazy Day

Saturday 20.05.2023
Forgive me if I come back fat. But if there were a devil specialised in food seduction, he will have Tokyo as his headquarter. I just wonder how people here are not fat. Japanese people are mostly lean. The food is actually mostly healthy but the desserts seem criminal. There are food courts/halls in some malls with maaaany stalls for dessert. You don’t really know what to pick. The dilemma of choice when we have too many options which is the curse of freedom. People here are also very fashionable, but also decently dressed. Japanese fashion is minimalistic, and relatively conservative. Most of the people dress loose fits you also wouldn’t see a lot of flesh. Most of the bodies are covered. So in general, it is not a very revealing attitude. If you see very short pants or skirts, specially without taste, then you can be almost sure that’s a tourist. In contrast, some tourists look quiet vulgar in the way they are dressed. This was something I didn’t know about Japan, specially in the capital, Tokyo. I keep on seeing different tailored cuts for women cloths, beautiful, aesthetic and not just naked. I wondered, who designed all these pieces? How many designers per capita does Japan have? Or are they the same clothes from international brands that are simply well put together? I would say that Japanese people in general take an extra effort to make things look good, which combined with their brilliant engineering aspire for the formula of perfection.
It is Saturday, the 20th of May 2023.
I checked out and moved to another hotel. This time I treated myself to a fancy one and my room is in the 19th floor among the skyscrapers in Ginza. After tiny rooms in the previous hotels, I felt comfortable and a bit home. After enjoying the luxury of the day, I did my favourite activity which is purposelessly walking around the city. Without idea which direction is what. This is something you can enjoy in Japan. Since everything here is observable. The architecture, the fashion, the shops, the street signs, and more, are all different. You are never bored in the streets of Tokyo. I decided spontaneously to visit a huge park with temples and shrines in the center of Tokyo. Well, “the center” is not very precise since Tokyo is more like a collection of small cities, each is worth a visit and has a lot to be discovered.
After many years of traveling and visiting mosques, churches and temples, one gets quiet saturated. At some point, they become similar. I go inside every now and then for a glimpse of the spiritual energy in that place, regardless of which religion. I like to observe the faces of believers and wonder what kind of thoughts are now in their minds or feelings in their hearts. But my visit to the temple Meiji Jingu was more concentrated on the huge park surrounding it and less time close to the shrine/temple where hundreds of tourists gathered and no traces of spirituality were left. I tried to take a selfie but ended up with this double-shinned photo that I am posting here anyway since you probably know I am not as ugly as the photo shows 😀

Tomorrow is a busy day since I have planned a few things. Before I leave you today I would like to share with you a travel tip: ”eSIM”. If you have a relatively modern smartphone, you can buy a local phone number or data plan without needing to go to a shop. You can even buy it before you travel and activate it when you need simply with a couple of clicks, even as soon as you touch down. This is available for almost any country. Just google “eSIM Japan” for example. This way, you can satisfy your digital addiction with minimal downtime!

Sakura Diary #5: Adham in Wonderland and Cleopatra’s Tears

Nothing beats a good cup of coffee. Probably this is one of the best perks of holidays, that you can enjoy the tranquility of a good cup of coffee without worrying about what’s next. I had that cup of coffee in a really good roastery close to the hotel and planed my day.
The first stop was a Japanese sweets-company, Toraya”. There I had lunch and tasted again the traditional sweet beans pancake. The food here looks always good. Here I quote Tanizaki from the current book I am reading “It has been said of Japanese food that it is a cuisine to be looked at rather than eaten. I would go further and say that it is to be meditated upon, a kind of silent music evoked by the combination of lacquerware and the light of a candle flickering in the dark.”. Involving beans in desert was novel to me as well and it seems common here. I actually really like it and it is going to be on the long list of things I will miss from Japan.
It is raining. I took a taxi to the teamLab Planets museum, a museum for an immersive experience in artwork installations. A lot of people lining up. Once entered, the patch of visitors lined up in organised lines looking at a screen giving us instructions about the experience. Somehow looked like “Squid games”. The instructions told us that we will have to take off our shoes and socks since we will be walking in water sometimes. Also if you had a skirt, your underwear might be seen since some floors are mirrors! It reminded me of a favourite joke of my late father that I can only tell you in person 😅.
So We entered the venue! First we had to climb a slope with water flowing down. It seemed like a smart way to wash the feet of all the visitors before going bare feet into the museum. At the end of the slope there was this kind of water fall falling from the ceiling. I felt the excitement. Everywhere is lit with the minimal lighting. This goes well with what I am reading now “In Praise of Shadows”. I felt I was on the verge of a new experience, and I was not mistaken.
So the whole experience was divided into halls. The first hall was a black room with two doors, one for entrance and one for exit. The floor is covered by beanbags, so you can not walk straight. You step somewhere and this shifts the structure of the beanbags. Since many people pass through the room simultaneously, the pressure distribution becomes very dynamic depending on other people around you, and this is the point. It is about the effect on each step you take on your progress as well as on the others around you. I caught myself laughing out of joy. Then we went through black dark corridors with dim lights and with surround music to the next hall.
All walls, ceiling and floors were covered by mirrors, and hanging room the ceiling were strips of LED lights that changed colour in an amazing sequence. All this was accompanied by orchestrated music to fit the patterns. I was impressed. The whole installation felt surreal, somehow like Superman’s Kryptonite from the 1978 version (sorry young boys!). I sat in a corner of the installation and kept on watching. The whole mirrors thing makes you reflect a dozen times and this somehow was humbling.
The next hall was filled with creamy water till the middle of your leg. On the surface of the water were colourful projections that included various swimming fish as well as abstract colourful patterns. This experience was also kind of surreal, somehow like an LSD trip!
The next room was less significant. It was filled with huge balloons either resting on the ground or hanging from the ceiling or attached to the walls. The light of the room changed probably randomly to change the ambiance. The following hall was both simple but touching. It was a dome with mirror floor! On the doom was projected a vast space of blackness filled with all sorts and sizes of flowers. The flowers flew in countless shapes, numbers, and forms. Visitors were asked to lie on the mirror floor and enjoy the experience that was accompanied with mysterious space music. Here, I don’t know why, I felt emotional. I laughed a bit, then I got waves of sadness. This installation has touched something quiet distant inside me. I am not really aware what it was. Then there were two more exhibitions outdoor that I found less impressive. If you are interested in seeing these rooms, check this video below, of course you will be neither immersed nor impressed 🙂

After the exhibition I went shopping in the Ginza district since it was raining and cold. I managed to checkout a couple of small art galleries as well. I ended the first half of the day with a wagyu-steak dinner. It was delicious but a less than my expectations.

***

In the evening I went to another Latin club, Cafe Leon. I found mostly older people and only a few young ladies. I chatted a little with the owner and his friend in Spanish (both from Peru). Then I danced a few bachata songs. The level was quiet low, except of one young Japanese lady that had the moves. We had a good connection, which was noticed by my new Peruvian friend David. When I went back to my seat and sat beside David, he told me to go “get” that girl since she was “ripe” and an easy catch 😂. I told him I was not interested which shocked him and he showed a hugely disappointed face. Exactly like the GIF below and said “Cleopatra is crying in her tomb!”, I burst laughing.

I chatted with him a bit more and he suggested me to go to Okinawa, the “Hawaii of Japan”. I asked a few more things and got excited about some beach time in this trip. So I decided to include it in my plan. I soon left to go to El Cafe Latino since I knew that there will be a busier party there, and there was. A looot of Latinos make me feel home somehow. Shortly later I found “David” entering the cafe to my surprise hehe. We are almost friends now.

Dance, dance, dance.
for my heart mirrors every turn of yours,
Swiftly glide through space,
Spreading elegance and captivating smiles
like charity that makes us poorer

A shining beauty in the shadows of Tokyo,
witnessed by your admiring crowd.
With unmistakable passion,
your presence is clear and loud.

But they all seem to fail,
To see what’s beyond the veil.
I can see and I can tell.
But … well..

Sakura Diary #4: Books and The Dance Floor

It is Thursday, 18.05.2023

Today I wanted solitude. I went for a good breakfast (the coffee was exquisit) and then decided to checkout some of the food recommendations from Kate. I went to some matcha tea salon. There I had a great matcha desert made of different layers. Many of these good businesses have a line to enter and they even have seats for the line because there is always a line. I then went to a book store nearby and bought 2 books that were recommended by Kate and another book that attracted my attention. The first book is “In Praise of Shadows” by Junichiro Tanizaki. This book is a treasure for me and for anyone interested in design and aesthetic. It is a small book and I am already halfway through it at the time of writing these words. The second book is a book about ”Haiku”. Haiku is a Japanese poetic form that consists of three lines, with five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third. The third book, which got my attention from the shelf was about “Wabi Sabi”, which is a Japanese expression/concept of the wisdom in imperfection. I took the books and went to a close by ramen-restaurant for an early dinner. Again, the food looks great, tastes great but I am still struggling with those damn chopsticks. I thought I am well versed in physics and used Archimedes lever-law but without much success. I even had cramps in my hand muscles by the time I finished my dinner. I started reading the Praise of Shadows and it got my attention. I enjoyed the first few pages until I reached a lengthy segment with a poetic description of Japanese toilets. The book in general, discusses the importance of darkness and imperfection in designing Japanese life!

That evening, I went to a bachata lesson. I take regular weekly lessons in Zurich and it has become one my passions in the last couple of years. So I added that to my collection of travel activities. I try to take dance lessons in general when I am traveling. The lesson today was in Japanese. The teacher was super excited but also very didactic. Since I didn’t understand a word she said, I tried to follow the choreography as much as I could, well it is dancing, so words are not that essential. After the lesson, there was the social. This is the beauty of latin-dances. They are now so wide-spread, that you could dance and meet people around the world.

Motivated by Donny, I decided to go to the hotel earlier this night and read.

***

In Tokyo’s vast expanse, I seek solitude,
With a book in hand, and a mind serene and shrewd.
Amidst concrete towers, stretching towards the skies,
I find solace in stillness, where tranquility lies.

***

I always wonder about the consequences of a simple insignificant decision. You take that particular bus at the suburb of a foreign country to meet someone you know. Or to decide to stop for an ice cream on your way home then meet a friend close to the ice cream store. This happens all the time, but I am most aware of it when I am not sure if I am not sure between two options. Should I take that bus? Should I actually go for an ice cream? When this happens a lot in one’s life, every single small decision could lead to a significant life-changing event. However, most of this happens only when you leave your home. I like to think of this as exposing self to the universe and let the apparent chaos include me in the story. I mention all of this, because a series of small insignificant decisions lead to big moments for me in this trip.

On Friday, I went to teamLab Planets digital immersion museum, went for a wagyu-beef dinner and then went dancing in two places. A day of many emotions and twists in the plan. I will write about it tomorrow but leave you with a video about the teamLab Planets and other photos from Thursday:

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Sakura Diary #3: Robotic Dog, Shibuye and Blue Zones

It is Tuesday, 16.05.2023

In contrast to the day before, I woke up after 4 hours of sleep, yet equally energetic. Breakfast, writing, then off to a tour organised by Donny from couchsurfing. Today we will be in Ginza luxury shopping district but visiting other kinds of stores. We were a small group including Donny, a Canadian gentleman who used to develop websites and invested a lot of his income in stocks 15 years ago. Then he discovered that the income from the dividends was enough for him to live comfortably. So he retired at the end of his thirties. Now he spends the year divided between Tokyo, Mexico City, Poland, Hungary and finally Montreal. He speaks 7 languages comfortably and reads around 10 books a month. Accompanying us on the tour were a young German lady, a French lad, and a Thai guy. On the top of Ginza Six building they made a nice garden overlooking the poch shopping district and embraced by Tokyo skyscrapers.

Traveling truly sets the stage for everyone to share their life stories. Throughout my own travels, I’ve heard countless fascinating tales that have inspired me to shape my own path thus far. Today was certainly no exception!

We wandered around town, visited Sony-store where they exhibited latest technologies that sometimes never made it to the market.

We also explored an 8-story stationary shop filled with all sorts of paper, writing materials, and office supplies, as well as a 4-story toy store. Tokyo is like a vertical wonderland! Many businesses and shops are located on the 2nd, 3rd, or even higher floors, without any presence on the ground floor. I guess it’s easier since most people discover these establishments through Google anyway. As the tour came to an end, I bid the group a “hasta luego” and headed off to meet Tomogo, a local couchsurfer who had promised to show me more of Tokyo.

Tomogo works in the marketing of a healthcare app. Initially, she planned to take me to visit some temples, but we arrived after closing time. So instead, we ventured into the vibrant Harajuku area and ended up in Shibuye, home to the world’s busiest crossing, complete with its iconic diagonal zebras.

We went on top of a tower for a nice Sushi dinner and a view of Tokyo from above. I am in general not a Sushi person but this one was good. Well, not good enough to convince me to take you out for Sushi, but yalla, no problem.

Tomogo is wise. We discussed a lot about life, relationships and modern society. I learned a lot about Japanese relationships between men and women. After dinner we went to the game arcade, which is a usual activity here. We played old style video games by inserting coins and for example racing in Super Mario, racing in motor bikes and playing shooting games. I lost in almost all the games against Tomogo which is strange hehe. After the video games we went karaoke where Tomogo sang Japanese love songs and I tried my luck with Frank Sinatra and 50 Cent :D. Karaoke, for me like bowling, is an activity designed to fill you with shame and disappointment. I wonder what is the percentage of people that feel great after terribly singing in front of others. I added karaoke to my “Sushi-List”, of things I would need to be convinced to do.

Wednesday 14.05.2023

I had to change hotels today since my first booking comes to an end. I moved to another Hotel in the buzzing area of Roppongi. The new hotel has a swemming pool and its own “Onsen”, which is a traditional public hot bath. After leaving my luggage, I wanted to go see the sumo competition sinece luckily there is a grand sumo championship going on. But unluckily all the tickets are sold out. My plan was to go in front of the arena and hold a sign ”I need tickets” and hope that someone might have an extra one to spare. As fate would have it, while riding the tram towards the arena, I managed to secure a ticket from a black market website and decided to disembark at the next station. I found myself in a street that has many shops for music instruments and suddenly I found a university hospital in front of me. Sine I had no other plans, I went in and asked if I can have a tour in the hospital as a doctor. The answer was ”not without an appointment”. So I asked if I could make an appointment and the answer was ”no”. I took that as a clear rejection with ”get out of here” as a virtual subtitle.

I wandered more the streets of that neighbourhood and ended up having a massage and a hair cut :D, which is one of the experience I collect from different countries. For dinner, I went to a restaurant that didn’t look very remarkable but the food there was delicious. The minimum of the quality here is high. It seemed to me that there is no wrong choice, except of my incapability to use chopsticks. Donny said that around 1/3 of the world uses chopsticks and I wonder why. For me it is a terrible tool that can easily be replaced with better inventions.

In the evening, I decided to visit the “English Only Cafe,” a café where locals primarily gather to practice their English skills. I believed it would be an excellent opportunity to meet and engage with the local community. To my pleasant surprise, both Donny and Miriam, the German lady I met earlier, were also present. I moved from table to table, striking up conversations and sharing jokes about life with the predominantly young Japanese crowd. It was yet another enriching experience of cultural exchange. After the event, Donny, Miriam, and I headed to an Izakaya, a traditional Japanese pub known for its drinks and finger-food snacks. Our conversations continued late into the night. Donny amazed us by reading Patrick Süskind’s “Perfume” in just one day, inspired by Miriam’s mention of the book the previous day. Truly impressive, don’t you think?

One of the most interesting conversations was about the ”blue zones”, where are regions in the world with the highest number of people aged more than 100! There has been a research and a book about them trying to understand what these regions have in common and what makes humans live that long and, above all, they lived with few diseases and not just survived that long.

The evening was not over, one more meeting with Najat, a tunisian model living in Tokyo. We have a mutual connection and we were in touch before my trip. We met in Roppongi and went for drinks in a not-so-busy club. More conversations and more about living in Japan, this time rather from a slightly middle eastern perspective. These two days were very rich with encounters with locals and travellers. I thought tomorrow I should spend more time alone, in nature or with art.

Sakura Diary #2: First Impressions and the 4-Floors Sex Shop

“What is your dream?” I asked Akiko, while having dinner on the day of my arrival. Tired, lacking sleep, but culturally excited. Akiko answered, “To lay on the sofa, waiting for my husband and kids to come back.”

We exchanged a nice conversation while savoring a lot of meat that we cooked on the table in Korean-barbecue style. Akiko told me that she prefers going out with foreign men since Japanese men are too shy for her taste. She told me a lot about places to visit, things to eat, and other cultural aspects of Japan. She was my first encounter on the evening of my arrival.

Soon enough, I bid her farewell and went home to get a couple of hours of sleep and be fresh for Monday. The few hours turned out to be a super jetlag, and I woke up around 1 pm :D, a record of 12 hours of sleep I hadn’t had for at least a few years.

I took to the street for breakfast and started collecting my first impressions in Tokyo. Most of the people are still wearing masks on the street and in public spaces. A lot of men during the day are wearing suits, and there are so many bookstores. I don’t think I saw so many bookstores anywhere else in the world. The Japanese love of reading is no surprise. But still using non-digital books in a nation that digitalizes their toilet seats makes you think. More than bookstores, there are restaurants. I heard it has the highest restaurant per capita in the world! The restaurants mostly have a lot of seats for single customers. It makes you wonder whether anyone cooks at home.

After finishing my late breakfast around 4 pm, I rushed to meet Elias, an American traveler who got in touch with me online a couple of weeks ago. We had the customary mini-biographical exchange, and soon enough, we were discussing the different features of the bidet in our hotels :D. Elias had been planning the trip for months, and I enjoyed his first impressions about the country. “I don’t understand how a whole culture wants to be a cartoon,” he said, and I found that hilarious. We went strolling in the streets of Tokyo, and he took me to a 4-floors sex shop he saw earlier.

There, I saw things I never imagined in my life, which made me feel like I am a baby in matters of sex. I could write a book about what I saw there. The first floor had usual costumes and outfits. The second floor was dedicated to women’s clothing, including lingerie. The third and fourth floors were prohibited for women!! The third floor had lots of “tools” and “devices,” and the fourth floor had all kinds of sex dolls. I found the names of the sections entertaining. These two floors were called the “Men Support Section” 😂. Elias explained to me that there are a lot of single men in Japan, and having a virtual girlfriend is not unheard of. We left the sex shop and went for more walking around the city where I kept turning my head right and left in amazement at what I saw. Especially the cutely-dressed young ladies advertising for the “Maid Cafés,” where men are taken care of—I don’t know exactly how.

Elias and I parted ways in a lively area. He went on his food tour, and I went solo for dinner at a restaurant with a long line of Japanese people. It must be good, right? I had a certain kind of Japanese pancake with seafood and cabbage, and the appetizer was octopus tentacles. Everything tasted wonderful. I thought to myself, some countries have famous cuisine, but they definitely don’t have the best cuisine in the world. You can love Italian food, but if you haven’t visited Portugal, Greece, or Japan (forgive me, Chiara), you’re missing out.

At the table next to me, there was a non-couple ex-couple 😁. Somehow we started talking even though they didn’t speak a word of English. We used our arms, legs, and Google Translate to have a semi-conversation that lasted for at least half an hour. They were no longer together, but they seemed to have a nice connection. The guy kept insisting on telling me that they were not together anymore, and what I understood was that I could try to kiss his ex-girlfriend. She was not very kissable for me, so I pretended not to understand his suggestion.

After dinner, I decided to skip a meeting with other travelers that I had planned. I opted to walk back to the hotel and just look around. On the way, I smelled a wonderful steak. I couldn’t resist. I went for a second dinner because life is too short 😅

On Tuesday, I should wake up early, walk more, meet more people, and eat more! And hopefully, I won’t run into any more ex-couples looking for a new third wheel.

Sakura Diary #1, Journey in a Journey

Seeking evolution and serendipity (my favourite word). I set on a new adventure to Japan for two weeks. Hoping to be enchanted, surprised and amazed. Hoping to eat, dance, laugh and think, and above all, hoping to evolve.

To save some cash, I booked a flight to Milan before hopping on a plane to Tokyo, but let’s be real, any excuse to be in Italy is a good one. I stayed at a hotel near the airport and rested up on Friday night, then headed to the airport on Saturday morning feeling like this whole adventure was happening way too fast. As I walked through Milan Airport, I couldn’t help but notice all the fair ladies around me. I thought to myself, “Have I already made it to paradise?” Alas, it was time to board my flight with AirChina.

I fly with AirChina. Let me talk to you about my stereotypes, well no. A non-remarkable 11 hours flight with one exception: the staff announced a few things including that the airplane is a public space and we will be monitored by audio and video. I look around me and notice two security men with Walkie-Talkies stuck to their chests. This was new! What exactly happened in the past so that AirChina hired security staff on their planes? Luckily my next seat was empty and the seat after was occupied by a friendly Chinese businessman on his way home to Shanghai after visiting an exhibition in Milano. He seemed surprised that I was surprised that there is a security guard in the airplane alley!
I spent the few hours watching Chinese movies, which to my surprise were funny, exciting and emotional that I almost cried (yeah, didn’t really cry since 2015). I suggest you to watch the movie called “Moon Man” which is worth the two hours of your precious time.
So, I will write about my trip and share with you what i learn and what i feel. I had a lot of suggestions from Kate, Virgil’s nice Japanese lady, and I am excited about the upcoming adventures. I have also had a couple of contacts before the trip that I will try to connect with.
This trip I am accompanied by a small book: “The Meditations”, by Marcus Aurelius! And since these days I am interested in artificial intelligence and poetry, I will try to involve AI in this trip. Let’s see what will happen. I will use ChatGPT for some experiments and also some iPhone apps that use AI for rendering photos!
Have you been to Japan before? Send me your top to-do suggestion, your favourite place and your favourite dish.
The second leg of the flight will be from Shanghai to Tokyo and I shall arrive on Sunday afternoon.

The transit in Shanghai was not logical! I discovered that I had to pass the customs and then collect my checked in luggage then pass the customs again! For that reason, they give travelers from certain countries a 24 hours visa. The customs control was one of the slowest I have ever witnessed, i grew a full beard waiting in the line, , thankfully I had a few hours buffer. During my time in the airport I needed assistance with the Wi-Fi login, a good coffee and the departure hall. I approached the information desk where two young ladies dressed in red and with their FPP2 mask promptly stood up to greet me with shaking their right hand, exactly like the cat you see in Chinese restaurants 😀

They were very helpful and answered my questions with a monotonous response then greeted me with the hand shake again. I left wondering whether artificial intelligence has already taken over!

I went to grab some food and ended up eating some mystery meat – let’s just say I didn’t ask too many questions. Another couple of hours on the second flight to arrive in Tokyo airport. Here I smiled widely and felt the excitement!
Clean, efficient, friendly and polite. In the waiting line for the customs they had mobile machines to collect your biometric data while you are waiting in line. I passed smoothly and collected my checked in luggage from the belt, where all luggage’s were ordered in an impeccably paralleled manner on their side, probably to reduce the space required on the belt, thus reducing the number of rotations I assume. I remembered one of my favourite quotes “there is always a better way to do anything, and we should always aspire to find it”.
I already knew that Japan had a lot to offer. So I went to the toilette 😀
In the men’s cabins, and apologies for the graphics, there was a child seat, so you can do your business while your child is completely seated besides you. Need not to worry about the smell, since the integrated famous pidet will “deodorise” the cabin, and eventually send a stream of water to clean your rear and consequently your heart. You can control the water pressure and volume as well.
I left the airport with the train towards my hotel. I booked three nights in the “book hotel” which is a hotel full of books. Other than that I had not planed anything and I await the gifts of the universe!