Tokyo tower in the distance.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Tokyo - Chiyoda
The Royal Square Mile
Right smack in the middle of downtown is a square mile of greenery surrounded by a moat. Chiyoda is home to the emperor's palace. I took a train to the main Tokyo train station and walked a few blocks to the Eastern moat. It's a bit surreal - like Central Park in Manhattan - greenery surrounded by skyscrapers. The moat is at least 100 yds wide and if you can manage to swim it then you have to scamper up a 30 ft stone wall.
Right smack in the middle of downtown is a square mile of greenery surrounded by a moat. Chiyoda is home to the emperor's palace. I took a train to the main Tokyo train station and walked a few blocks to the Eastern moat. It's a bit surreal - like Central Park in Manhattan - greenery surrounded by skyscrapers. The moat is at least 100 yds wide and if you can manage to swim it then you have to scamper up a 30 ft stone wall.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Tokyo - Settling In
Apartment Swap
One of Jean's girlfriends lives in Tokyo and was planning a trip to Paris the same time we were to arrive in Tokyo. So, we swapped apartments. At the last minute, the girlfriend couldn't go to Paris but decided to go to Hong Kong, so we were still able to use her apartment. It's in Roppongi, the "midtown" of Tokyo. We're in the left tower, which is just above the Suntory concert hall.
One of Jean's girlfriends lives in Tokyo and was planning a trip to Paris the same time we were to arrive in Tokyo. So, we swapped apartments. At the last minute, the girlfriend couldn't go to Paris but decided to go to Hong Kong, so we were still able to use her apartment. It's in Roppongi, the "midtown" of Tokyo. We're in the left tower, which is just above the Suntory concert hall.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Singapore - My Bestest Friend...
and Constant Companion
I don't go anywhere without my umbrella. Not any ordinary umbrella, it's a double-ply, super-thick anti-sun, anti-rain special. At first I was carrying it around in case of rain but now I'm under it constantly. I don't let the sun touch my skin, not even for a split second. The sun here is different. I know it's the same golden orb that you see during your American day, but somehow it's hotter and closer and meaner over here.
I don't go anywhere without my umbrella. Not any ordinary umbrella, it's a double-ply, super-thick anti-sun, anti-rain special. At first I was carrying it around in case of rain but now I'm under it constantly. I don't let the sun touch my skin, not even for a split second. The sun here is different. I know it's the same golden orb that you see during your American day, but somehow it's hotter and closer and meaner over here.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Singapore - Family Business
Food, What Else?
Jean's brother has a friend who owns a food stall specializing in fried noodles. He offered to bring her brother into the business by opening up a second outlet. Jean invested. The grand opening was last night and we were there to inspect. The experienced chefs from the first stall were in charge and business began well. There was a small crowd around the stall ordering.
Jean's brother has a friend who owns a food stall specializing in fried noodles. He offered to bring her brother into the business by opening up a second outlet. Jean invested. The grand opening was last night and we were there to inspect. The experienced chefs from the first stall were in charge and business began well. There was a small crowd around the stall ordering.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Singapore - It's All Upside Down
Night is Day and Day is Night
When you're 6 hrs ahead of the Frenchies, everything is off. If I get up at 7am, there are 8 hrs before the workday starts. My working hours are 3pm to midnight. So, I play then work and it feels really weird. Actually, this week has been busy so I've been working from sun up to midnight. Today was finally the exception. I met Dodo in town for breakfast and then went to hit some golf balls. It's been a while and I wasn't hitting them too well but it was a joy. I found a bus that takes me from the range to within a block of the rental, which is brilliant. It's now 2pm, I'm at home watching Tiger's return and am about to join a conference call.
When you're 6 hrs ahead of the Frenchies, everything is off. If I get up at 7am, there are 8 hrs before the workday starts. My working hours are 3pm to midnight. So, I play then work and it feels really weird. Actually, this week has been busy so I've been working from sun up to midnight. Today was finally the exception. I met Dodo in town for breakfast and then went to hit some golf balls. It's been a while and I wasn't hitting them too well but it was a joy. I found a bus that takes me from the range to within a block of the rental, which is brilliant. It's now 2pm, I'm at home watching Tiger's return and am about to join a conference call.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Singapore - Navigating New Hoods
Jumping the Bus
We are living in the East Coast, north and east of downtown. There is a subway but it's not right around the corner so I looked up some nearby bus routes. We tried out an express bus this morning to head downtown and it was pretty decent - it took about 30 minutes. A few hours later I took a different bus to one of my favorite cafes near the Kallang river. This is a shot from the cafe looking north across the river.
We are living in the East Coast, north and east of downtown. There is a subway but it's not right around the corner so I looked up some nearby bus routes. We tried out an express bus this morning to head downtown and it was pretty decent - it took about 30 minutes. A few hours later I took a different bus to one of my favorite cafes near the Kallang river. This is a shot from the cafe looking north across the river.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Singapore - Last Minute Scramble
The Strike Strikes Again, Sorta
Knowing that Air France was planning a strike this past week, I switched my flight to Singapore Airlines. Dodo was on that same flight so it worked out well. At least that's what I thought. When we arrived at the airport, Singapore Airlines told me that my ticket had been canceled and refunded by my company's travel agency! No reason whatsoever, just human error. I had to scramble and buy a ticket. You won't believe the price - about 10k! So, here's what ten thousand smackers buys you....
Knowing that Air France was planning a strike this past week, I switched my flight to Singapore Airlines. Dodo was on that same flight so it worked out well. At least that's what I thought. When we arrived at the airport, Singapore Airlines told me that my ticket had been canceled and refunded by my company's travel agency! No reason whatsoever, just human error. I had to scramble and buy a ticket. You won't believe the price - about 10k! So, here's what ten thousand smackers buys you....
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Paris - a Change in Outlook
Someone Brought the Good Weather from Chi-Town
Dodo arrived on Friday from a few days in Chicago and brought the blue skies and summer weather with her. It had been a soggy, dark affair the whole month and presto-chango, summer.
Dodo arrived on Friday from a few days in Chicago and brought the blue skies and summer weather with her. It had been a soggy, dark affair the whole month and presto-chango, summer.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Germany - Vellcome to the Boonstockles
Three Hrs on a Train - but a World of Difference
If you could combine Germany's efficiency and technology with Frenchie cuisine, you'd really have something. Here we were in a small town near Heidelberg, in schwanks environs at software meetings eating boiled slop for lunch. It's just three hours away by train and after two days, as hard as this is to believe, I couldn't wait to get back to Paris. That's saying something.
If you could combine Germany's efficiency and technology with Frenchie cuisine, you'd really have something. Here we were in a small town near Heidelberg, in schwanks environs at software meetings eating boiled slop for lunch. It's just three hours away by train and after two days, as hard as this is to believe, I couldn't wait to get back to Paris. That's saying something.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Paris - Fighting Jetlag
One of my "Special" Job Benefits
I think I'm beginning to reach my happy limit with regards to flying. It was especially stupid of me to fly from Paris to Singapore for 5 days, though I enjoyed it tremendously. I'm now in the dreaded jetlag zone. When I awoke this morning the clock read 4:10 and if I'm lucky it will read 5:30 tomorrow morning when I look. Just when I get adjusted, it will be time to go back to Singapore....
I think I'm beginning to reach my happy limit with regards to flying. It was especially stupid of me to fly from Paris to Singapore for 5 days, though I enjoyed it tremendously. I'm now in the dreaded jetlag zone. When I awoke this morning the clock read 4:10 and if I'm lucky it will read 5:30 tomorrow morning when I look. Just when I get adjusted, it will be time to go back to Singapore....
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Paris - Welcome Back!!
To Autumn....
Luckily, I don't hate Paris as much as I used to. Otherwise I would've become apoplectic upon arrival. Cold, in the 50's, rainy, ugly grey. Stuck in traffic for an hour on the way from the airport. Packs of smokers crowding the front door with their choke cloud. If you look closely, you can just make out the Eiffel Tower. Gotta love it... I find myself repeating: It's only ten days. It's only ten days. It's only ten days.
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Luckily, I don't hate Paris as much as I used to. Otherwise I would've become apoplectic upon arrival. Cold, in the 50's, rainy, ugly grey. Stuck in traffic for an hour on the way from the airport. Packs of smokers crowding the front door with their choke cloud. If you look closely, you can just make out the Eiffel Tower. Gotta love it... I find myself repeating: It's only ten days. It's only ten days. It's only ten days.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Singapore - Exploring the New Hood
Joo Chiat
Just a five minute walk away is a neighborhood called Joo Chiat. It is one of the places that maintains the original Singapore look - shophouses. There are few tall condos or government flats around, the highest buildings are three stories.
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Just a five minute walk away is a neighborhood called Joo Chiat. It is one of the places that maintains the original Singapore look - shophouses. There are few tall condos or government flats around, the highest buildings are three stories.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Singapore - Morning
View From the Rental
We went straight from the airport to our rental, a room on the third floor of a house in the East Coast neighborhood. The house belongs to the parents of one of Jean's girlfriends. The other third floor room is rented to a German student on a 6-month exchange program (we haven't met him yet.) We made a quick trip to Jean's mom's house to pick up some clothes and then had a nice dinner outside. At around 11 we crashed. I woke up at 4:30am, which is pretty good by jetlag standards and passed the time watching golf on my laptop via Slingbox. At seven, when the birds started to chirp, I snapped this shot from our window.
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We went straight from the airport to our rental, a room on the third floor of a house in the East Coast neighborhood. The house belongs to the parents of one of Jean's girlfriends. The other third floor room is rented to a German student on a 6-month exchange program (we haven't met him yet.) We made a quick trip to Jean's mom's house to pick up some clothes and then had a nice dinner outside. At around 11 we crashed. I woke up at 4:30am, which is pretty good by jetlag standards and passed the time watching golf on my laptop via Slingbox. At seven, when the birds started to chirp, I snapped this shot from our window.
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