Seoul - the Price of Beauty

The China Doll Look
The ladies here are very pretty.  Apparently, it's very important to be pretty in Korea.  According to our tour guide by the time they reach their mid-20's, one quarter of all Korean women have had some form of plastic surgery.  As I tried to take a clear photo of this plastic surgery poster in the subway, women kept stopping to read it.  Not a quick glance, they stopped and soaked it in. 

Seoul - Wired

Perhaps Un-Wired is a Better Description
Seoul may give Tokyo a run for its money in the tech department.  South Korea is the most wired nation on the planet, with 90 pct plus able to access the internet, mostly from their phones.  We spent an hour at Lotte World, a megamall that has an amazing electronics section.  Lots of things that aren't over to the US yet.  I know the nephews would have been excited to be here.

Seoul - First Impressions

Like Tokyo, but Less Ugly
Seoul and Tokyo favor each other in this reporter's eyes, though I'd give the nod to Seoul in terms of look and feel.  It's hilly, with a nice mix of wide boulevards and small alleyways.  There is a view to the sky much more than in Tokyo, where I feel penned in and claustrophobic. 

Seoul - Subway

Happily Underground
Landed in Seoul, one word for you: freezing.  High 20's, windy.  It's all about the layers I tell the rookie.  She only half listens, as usual.  We ducked happily into the subway to warm up.

Seoul - Camera-less

Murphy's Law, Korean Style
My camera is on the fritz, so will be using iPhone and Samsung tab to take photos.

Singapore - Let There Be Light

We No Longer Live by Candlelight
The lighting folks came by and installed all the lights on both floors in a matter of hours, they were really professional and speedy.  On the roof, we got canister lights for the columns.  They cast light up and down.

Singapore - Getting Around

The Free-Mobile
It's totally free, we pay nothing.  Jean's company pays the car note and the C.O.E. They also pay for the gas, tolls and parking  I've been driving all over, sometimes taking Jean to work in the morning.  It's pretty schwanks - the lights come on automatically when the car senses darkness.  The windshield wipers activate when it begins to rain.  There are so many buttons inside - I don't know what half of them do.  The only issue - it's a big car, feels like you are a captain steering a ship.

Singapore - the Study

Workaholics Unite!
First piece of furniture - the desk for the study.  Sad, isn't it?  No couch, no tv, no dining room table.  Nope, first up - the work table.

Singapore - From 17 You Can See Forever

Or, At Least to a Neighboring Country
Today I took a long look from the balcony and noticed some hills in the distance.  Since Singapore doesn't have any hills in that direction, I pulled up Google Maps and noted that I was seeing Indonesia.  That is over 15 miles away, an area called Batam.  You can take a boat there and play golf, which I've done in the past.

Singapore - The Little Things, Again

Analog Spam Filter
We received a notice in our mail box that shows us how to set it up so that we no longer receive any junk mail.  There is a small lever on the inside of the box that you can move into a position that signals no junk mail desired.  Can you even imagine that would've been possible?  I wonder if it works....  Stay tuned.  Gonna set the lever soon.  Not for a while though - turns out a lot of our junk mail is quite useful at the moment - all kinds of contractors offering to sell us window blinds, painting services, etc.

Singapore - Breakfast

First Meal in the Tokyo Tower
How bad was the jetlag?  I went to bed at 10pm and woke up at 2am and quickly gave up falling back asleep.  I spent some time throwing away boxes and packing things as Dodo slept like a dead person.  I also took a practice spin in the new car at around 4am.  Glad I did.  It's much larger than I'm used to.  At about 6:45, the sun started to peek.

Singapore - Here I Come

Things Are Shaping Up Nicely
I leave for Singapore at midnight tonight.  By Saturday at 6pm, I will be moving into the condo.  Dodo has been working on the condo, which we've renamed the "Tokyo Tower" or "TT" for short.  She has turned on the gas, as you can see below.  Water is on, electricity is on, internet is on.  Fridge is on and cooling, washing machine is ready.

Brooklyn - the End of an Era

State Street No More
Twenty years of Brooklyn, boiled down to two bags.  I gladly donated some of my furniture to one of Che's relatives, an older gentleman down on his luck a bit.  He took the black chairs and side tables.  It's nice to know someone is sitting in those, probably watching television.  I didn't feel much when I drove away in the cab.  I wonder when it will hit me.

Sarasota - A Day at the Beach

Part I
Kevin Costner and the Dodo are interrupted by a beach interloper....

London - Just for the Day

A Very LONG Day
A couple of us boarded the 7am Eurostar bound for London for a day of meetings.  I dread this type of day - 5 hrs of travel and 8 hrs of meeting.  At least is was a nice office - it looked at the back of the New Tate gallery.  The Tate is being expanded and the work is ongoing.

Singapore - It's Official

Condo Keys Have Been Retrieved
We just never imagined so many keys.....  Some for the front door, some for the internal doors, some for the drawers in the kitchen...

Paris - Wandering

Getting Out Early with Camera in Hand
We've been working some long hours lately.  Tonight I left at 5:30 on the dot, took the train towards home but got off a few stops early.  Walking through the Sentier neighborhood I took a few shots.

Paris - Autumn

It Arrives Late Here
Most of these shots are from Hotel des Invalides, originally built by Louis XIV in the 1600's as a hospital for injured soldiers.  It's now a museum and is surrounded by gardens.

Paris - Bubble Man

Begging with Bubbles
The bubble men were out in force at the Pompidou Center today. 

Paris - Jetlag

Day Two is Always the Worst
Awake at 5 and at work by 6.  This is a shot coming out of the metro, looking at our building.

Paris - Scenes from the 3rd World

The Usual Unsurprising Glitches
I flew the overnight from Singapore and had settled into a promising Welsh movie when the screen stopped working.  This is what four grand on Air France gets you. 

Singapore - Condo Video No 3

A Walk Around the Roof

Singapore - Condo Video No 2

Walking Around the First Floor
I start out in the living room, then walk into the 2nd bedroom, then into the study, then into the master bedroom and finish in the master bathroom.

Singapore - Condo Video No 1

Walking from the Roof Downstairs
A short video that begins on the roof and then I walk downstairs, through the living room, into the kitchen, around the corner and into the small 3rd bathroom.

Singapore - The Condo Roof

Saving the Best for Last
As you saw in the previous post, there is a doorway in the living room that leads to the roof.  When you first step into the doorway there is a two-story glass encasement.  Gonna be interesting cleaning it...

Singapore - Condo First Peek

Finally!
I leave for Paris on Sunday night and we get our keys next week.  Jean used her powers of persuasion on the developer to get us a tour of our condo today.  As a reminder, this is the part of the building we bought:

Singapore - Weather

They Tell Me I Will Tire of It...
I haven't yet.  Sunny, warm, bouts of rain to cool it down, repeat.  I sleep with the window wide open and don't use covers.  I wear flip flops every day.  I don't own any pants, just shorts.  Go back to Paris and wear sweaters?  Sure, sounds just wonderful.  Slog through the snow in NY?  No thanks.

Singapore - More Circle Line

Stopping Off at the Botanical Gardens
We took the newly opened Circle line directly to the side door.  It was a hot and sunny one so I was under an umbrella and took the teasing like a man.  Those with fancy cameras were happy to get close-ups of the swans.

Singapore - Circle Line to the Future

Fusionopolis
I got off the Circle Line at a station called "One-North" and stepped into the future.  Fusionopolis is an R&D facility that houses a variety of high-tech and engineering businesses and sits next to another building called Biopolis.  I don't understand half the stuff going on within: confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, histopathology.  They even have an anechoic chamber and a nanofabrication room!  This being Singapore, it is connected underground to a mall and food court  - two things I'm more familiar with.

Singapore - New Subway Line

Four and Counting
The fourth subway line fully opened today.  It's called the circle line due to its shape and it cuts through all the other lines, making it easy to transfer.  The thirty stations span 22 miles underground.  It's not every day you get to see a subway line open, though I seemed to be more excited about it than everyone else.

Singapore - Waiting....

Will We Ever Get to Move In???
According to the developers, the building is done and they've passed inspection.  All that's left is paperwork.  Next week they'll send papers to the lawyer who will contact the bank, blah, blah, blah.  After all that we get the key.

Singapore - Multilingual PSAs

Public Service Announcements in Three Languages
The dog doesn't speak Chinese but the owner might....

Singapore - Formula 1

It's All About the $
Like most sporting events these days, but even more so, F1 is a giant advertising and branding event.  Singapore only began hosting it in 2008 but it's quickly become the crown jewel of the circuit, F1's only night race.  It seemed like the entire global jet set was in town for the weekend - I waited longer at immigration and customs than I ever have.  Nobody actually watches the race, which is quite boring.  They're too busy drinking, chasing model-babes and eating the free food paid for by the sponsors.  I was more than happy to take a free ticket from Jean's friend Tracy, whose Dad is the chairman of the race. 

Heidelberg - Dropping In For a Few Days

It Wasn't My Idea, Subtle Pressure Was Applied
Just a few days prior to my scheduled flight to Singapore I got a call from my Belgian boss who pretended to forget I was leaving.  Though I'd just reminded him the day before he played his game said it was a political problem for me not to go to Germany for a useless meeting with various useless people.  So, three hrs later I stepped off a French bullet train in Heidelberg.

Paris - Gotta Love Politics

Once Lawyers Get Involved, Nobody Wins...
We're smart - we dedided to sue SAP even before the first office rolled out.  As you can imagine, when you sue your software vendor, things get kinda ugly.  All manner of silly things happen, like for instance the day before I was scheduled to go to Singapore the SAPpies make a big deal about my not attending some dumb meeting in Germany next week.  So, off I go to Germany next week!  I'm taking it in stride.  Today, rather than stroll through the Singapore humidity, I took a hike to the highest point in Paris, Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart.)  The view is one of a kind.  If you zoom in, you'll see the multi-colored Pompidou Center, which is close to my apartment.

Working - Home and Office

A Multi-Country Compare and Contrast
This is a shot of the home office in the Singapore rental.  If you can't tell, we've concocted a desk out of a mahjong table.  It's bright and sunny, next to the open windows.  I work French hours, which means I sit there from 2pm to around midnight or 1am Singapore time, depending on the day.  I try to take a break at dinner that lines up with the French lunch hr.  It has its advantages, nobody asking you questions, annoying you.  On the down side, it can get a bit lonely.  I may spend some time in Jean's office downtown just to be around some people, we'll see.

Singapore - Night Lights

Artsy Stuff in the Night Heat
You can tell they're trying to promote the arts here in Singapore.  I'd seen something like this in NY a few years back - lighting designers showing their stuff.  What's a lighting designer?  I'm not sure.  In this particular event, downtown near the art museum, the focus was on using light to give motion to things, such as this building.

Hong Kong - Dropping in for a Few Days

A City that Continues to Captivate Me
After our Japanese vacation we spent a few days in Hong Kong on the way back to Singapore.  I don't know what it is about Hong Kong.  It's crowded, noisy, polluted, dirty but somehow I really like the place.  I cannot put my finger on it.  Perhaps it reminds me of NY, with all the hustle and bustle and striving.  We stayed in the usual hotel, just steps from Victoria Park.  This is a shot from the hotel room.

Japan - Final Notes

But What About the Tsunami and Nuclear Meltdown?
Keep in mind we went to Tokyo and then headed south whereas the tsunami and nuclear meltdown happened 150 miles north.  Had I never known about them from watching the news I doubt I would've figured it out.  There were minor things like the occasional escalator that was turned off to save energy but other than that Tokyo was brightly lit and the air conditioning was flowing, even out of the wide open front doors of many retailers.

Fukuoka - Nokonoshima Island

A Visit to an Island Nature Park
Just a ten minute ferry ride away, Nokonoshima Island is another world entirely.  It's a large nature park known for it's flower fields. 

Hakata - Even Further South

Closer to Seoul than to Tokyo
Our final destination was Hakata, the main city in Fukuoka, the southern-most island in Japan.  It has a different feel than any of the other places we visited.  It's normal.  This is a back-handed compliment, I guess.  There are no great historical buildings to see, no well-known temples and the cutesie kawai culture is muted.  It seemed like a regular city full of regular people, far from the capital's trendiness.

Kyoto - Temples

These Are What Draw the Tourists
The many Japanese tourists you see in Kyoto are there for the temples.  There are more temples than you can see in two weeks - there are over 2,000, many of which are listed by UNESCO as world heritage sites.  Our ryokan was on the edge of a forest that housed a few large temple complexes.  We toured them on foot, taking in the peacefulness and beauty.  These ladels are used to clean your hands prior to entry, done for ritualistic purposes rather than public health.

Kyoto - Alleyways

Tourist Central is Kept Sweepy Clean
Across the river from Gion is a neighborhood called Kawaramachi.  The many restaurants you find there are packed into tight, neat alleyways.  We walked a few of them but didn't eat.  We were already stuffed.

Kyoto - Geisha

The Old World is Dead
It's always a bit sad.  I romanticize my travels, expecting to step into some ancient world and become annoyed when I don't find it.  Like an idiot, I looked for real geisha in Kyoto.  I found instead the most dispiriting imitation - foreigners who paid to be made up and pulled around the streets.  They were probably looking for the same thing I was and were equally annoyed to be gawked at and photoed by some dummy in flipflops.  However, if you look in a different way, the past is there, right in front of you.

Kyoto - The Look

Just Like Everywhere Else, Except...
Kyoto looks like every other Japanese town except for Gion, a national historical prevervation neighborhood.  Gion is known for being one of the most famous, exclusive geisha districts dating back to the middle ages.

Kyoto - Pay for Pain

Checking in at the Ryokan
Dodo loves staying in Ryokan.  They're traditional Japanese inns that flourished in the 1600's.  Kyoto is known for having many of them so it made sense to stay in one.  They're not my favorite and as we planned the trip, Dodo told me to "pick one of the two I sent you the info on."  One was kinda crappy and the other specialized in adding Yuzu to their hot bath. Yuzu are a Japanese citrus fruit similar to an orange that the Dodo is kinda crazy about.  I'd gotten the signal.....

Kyoto - Sounds

Crickets
It doesn't seem to matter where in Japan you travel during August - the crickets go with you.  Such a lovely sound.  Turn up the audio on your computer while you watch this movie.

Osaka - Osakajo

Jo Means Castle
Osaka Castle dominates the western side of the city.  Its large grounds are surrounded by a deep moat and high ramparts.  It looks like a museum piece inside the modern city. 

Osaka - Lamp Post

Whimsy
These man-like lamp posts lined a small street in the Dotonbori neighborhood.

Osaka - The Other Thing...

Is the Underground....
The miles and miles of underground reminded me of Toronto.  The Osaka underground looked less mall-like but contained just as many stores.  We walked to escape the heat. 

Osaka - Two Wheels

Bikers are Everywhere
On our first walk what struck me, almost literally, were the bikes.  There are many more bikers in Osaka than in Tokyo.  They ride in the street, on the sidewalk and cover every age group.  Old ladies on their uprights, youngsters on racers, dressy women holding umbrellas in one hand and the handlebars in the other.

Osaka - First Blush

Immediately Likeable
Compared to Tokyo, Osaka is greener, easier, mellower.  Though still a large city of 2 million, it feels finite, walkable, greener, nice.

Osaka - On a Bullet

Riding the Shinkasen
It looked to me like a white rocket laying on its side.  The Shinkansen took us from Tokyo to Osaka, over 540 kilometers, in just under three hrs.  In no time, Tokyo's cement maze was a blur and we soon whirred along the coastline, through tunnels, past rice paddies and tight rows of tea bushes.  Mt Fuji popped up on the right and disappeared just as quickly.  Nearby buildings leaned into us at strange angles but it was the train banking, centrifugal force kept in check so smoothly that it created the optical illusion.  It's a quiet, easy speed that impresses - I couldn't take my eyes off the passing landscape.

Tokyo - Greedy

If Armand Lived in Tokyo....
He might end up looking like this guy.  So much food, all around, 24-7.  Not exactly sure why the Japanese are so slim.