Sunday, June 25, 2006

Finally started working..... exhausted....

After a 2-month long involuntary vacation, I finally started working last week at the new company. Regardless of Mike's constant warnings of how tiring the Japanese work environment can be, I over-estimated myself. Thinking that I'd hit the gym everyday before I go into the office, I only had energy (and could actually woke up) to go to the gym twice last week, so you know... -___-

Due to the nature of my job, I need to be in the office around 7:30am. The good news is that I have witnessed my teammates going home at around 6:30pm. So hopefully it is only a 11-hr job instead of the normal Japanese 12-16 hr job (cross my fingers, we'll see!!!)

The work itself is actually pretty exciting. I actually sat on the trading floor, with the traders. So I got to wittness firsthand how sales traders work with their clients, how traders watch for stock price, how small fluctuations in a stock can have a huge impact, etc. I have to admit all these are very "new" and exciting to me. I felt like there is just too much to be absorbed and digested!! Let see how well I can do!!!

Most of my first week was mostly reading about docs, wiki and stuff, about what kind of systems are in place, how they talk to each other within the company and to the various exchanges in Japan, HK, Taiwan, Australia, etc. Informative, but... a bit boring... Comparing to the frantic working mode that everyone else is in (especially during trading hours), I really wish that I can get up to speed soon and start to be productive!! =)

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Quick Trip to HK

Went to Hong Kong for 2 days pretty much purely for applying for the work visa. How's the trip? hmm... too short, too rush, too tired...

It's weird. I have traveled a lot, both internationally and domestically when I was still in the States; however, it was actually my first time to get on a plane by myself this time.

Yea, you'll probably say, big deal?! It turned out... exactly, not a big deal - I am a BIG girl !!! ^___^ Let's see my accomplishment: I actually bought and carried a 19" LCD monitor all the way from HK to Tokyo in addition to my normal-sized lugguage (which was way too heavy for its size) and my usual overweight backpack (with laptop and the telephonebook-like finance textbook and other important gear. hehe...) The guy at custom saw all me carrying all these lugguage by myself and gave me a very impressed look!!

Anyways, for those of you at Hong Kong, I know i know... I was being bad this time and didn't really contact or visit anybody. For that - I apologize - This VERY short trip was mostly just for me to take care of my visa and work-related stuff, and the rest of time I spent with my family.

Well... in spite of the very short stay, Hong Kong is still wonderful and cool and noisy and energetic as it ever has been!!! Kinda wish that I can have more holidays to visit Hong Kong again (well... that will have to be after my probation period at the new job then, I guess...) in addition to the vacation days that I plan to spend on visiting family and friends in the States.

The few pictures that I took at Hong Kong:

Got a new hair cut at Hong Kong.


















Jackie brought his childhood best friend and classmate to lunch. Surprise that he still remembers me !!!







Quick shot took with mom on MTR (on our way to Mong Kong to crazy shopping, hehe... !!)

Sunday, June 11, 2006

To be or not to be.... Ignorant

Watched a really good documentary last night called "911 Loose Change" (http://www.loosechange911.com/)
You can watch the whole documentary on Google video here.

I'd recommend this to everyone who doesn't want to be an ignorant person. I know it may sounda bit harsh, but... The US media has "trained" people in the States so well to remain ignorant. It's infuriating. The sad truth though, is that, unless you really put in an effort to look for the the impartial news, the "truth", you will never find them just from normal media (yea, FOX is poisonous!!).

Watching news that the corrupted government and media feed you is NOT a productive way to learn what is really happening "out there". Have you ever thought about these questions: What really happened in 911? How could both the World Trade Centers collapse like they were deliberately demolished (pls watch the 911 Loose change movie, you will know more...)? Why did the US bomb Iraq? What actually did the war achieve? Who benefited through the war? (I can keep listing all these questions...)

You will never hear discussions about this on normal TV (except The Daily Show, which I highly recommend watching!!) The bottom line is the US government has control over most of the US media, and those giant media corporations of course don't dare to say anything against the government. And for those who did have the guts, they got fired. Yea, you might wonder, isn't that like China?! Well... yes and no. Freedom of speech at the surface level, but in reality, same kind of oppression to the media. One thing that is better than the Chinese government is that (normal "peasant") people in the States are still free to express their opinion in their own private time; however, the media tries all means to keep them ignorant from all the real nasty motivation of the government (esp the one under G. W. Bush). That's why the US achieves "Freedom of Speech" here. Isn't that wonderful?!!

It's funny being a US citizen who was born in and grew up in Hong Kong. I have a strong hatred towards the Chinese government, not from direct personal experience but mostly from my parents' experience, the June 4th (6/4) incident, and rest is just the common knowledge of being a Chinese (knowing how the Chinese government has ALWAYS been a tyrant).

Then immigranting to the US gave me a totally different experience. Though I will never see the United States "my home country", I feel a very close tie and mixed feelings to things that happen in this country. It was in the States that I transitioned from being ignorant to urging to find out the truth. The 911 incident, the Iraq War, the US Presidential election, etc... So much had happened in the last 5 years and opened my eyes.

I hate politics, but as much as I hate it, I think I'll hate myself even more if I am NOT aware of how it affects our country, our society and people life. I think it's our responsibility to be aware of what is happening in the world, in our government, try to formulate your own opinions, and vote to choose someone who you can trust to represent your voice in the government. (I couldn't vote yet in the last US election, but if I could have voted in the last election, Bush would NOT get my vote for sure!!).

Anyways, I am still very far away from being NOT ignorant, but I am trying...

What about you?

(Hint: Start by watching the 911 Loose Change movie)

Family in town (part 3)

Dad, mom and brother left town. Felt a bit sad watching them taking the escalator down to the train platform and waving goodbye to them. Mike said it right, "Too much family is sometimes bad, but too little of it is for sure worse." I miss them already...

At Asakusa (浅草)。。。









Mr. Copycat!!






"Like Sis, like bro..."















There are times we are VERY different though. (Or ... should I say most of the times?!)






At Shinjuku (新宿)。。。

Japanese people like huge, movable decoration a lot. For example, this "moving crab" outside of a seafood restaurant in Shinjuku 新宿。





There is the Superman in the United States (yea, the one who wears his undi inside-out), and there is the "bread superman" (麵包超人) in Japan!! Gosh, it soooo reminded me of all the animes I watched together with Jackie in Hong Kong when we were little. We would wake up at 7am on Sunday JUST TO watch animes. (yea, even earlier and more punctual than nomral school days!)










Jackie couldn't resist the arcades in Tokyo This one is drumming. You are supposed to hit the drum in different ways (in the middle, on the side, continuously, disjoint, ... etc)
How he did?? hohoho... I'll let him tell you....





At Tokyo Tower...

Family shots in front of Tokyo Tower
























And the infamous "Sweet Couple" shot...
















See... copying me again!!!!













At Roppongi (六本木)...

I will be working at the Mori Tower at Roppongi Hills in 2 weeks. Japanese people seem to put a lot of concern about name brands stuff, e.g. what car do you drive? Where do you live (in Tokyo proper or outside in surban area)? Where do you work at?

I guess luckily the Roppongi Mori Tower is one of "THE" name brand that they will "wow" at. (Not that I care or agree to their way of thinking...)









The symbol for Roppongi Hills - a gigantic spider outdoor art display in front of the Mori Building.












Which can look a bit scary at night...








Outside of Roppongi Hills West Walk (which is essentially a large shopping mall housing all the name brand clothes/handbags and trendy, expensive stuff).







Doesn't Jackie look like a GIANT in this pic?







People use a tremendous amount of paper towel in toilets in the US; however, in Japan, they prefer using "hand dryer" (like the one in the pic) instead of wasting tons of paper towels everyday (not that Japanese culture is really saving the world resourses in other aspects). These hand dryer is like "magic" - you put your hands in for 5 seconds, and your hands are all dry!!

(By the way, who took this picture?!!? Ain't u in the toilet, Jackie? And you....?!!!)







Here comes the food....

Back when I was still living in Roppongi, I discovered this tofu restaurant on accident one time. From then on, this tofu house has become one of my favorite veggie restaurants in Tokyo...

Must try - Tofu donburi
The quality of tofu is the best I have ever had (including in HK, the States or elsewhere in the world)






Another must try - tofu spring roll with cheese... yum yum...









Tofu platter - 3 different favors over cold tofu cube







One thing you might notice is that the size of the dishes is .... SMALL!! Yea, "Japanese size" (as Mike always makes fun of) !!! That probably explains (partially) why Japanese people in general are so MUCH skinnier than people in the States !!!

Sunday, June 04, 2006

Family in town (part 2)

Continuing the fun exploring Japan - I took my family to Shibuya 渋谷 and Ginza 銀座 the next day.

On the way....


Dad and Jackie on JR (Japan Railway), going to Shibuya. JR is way nicer than BART in the States, but no comparison to MTR in Hong Kong!!







At Shibuya...


Jackie.... ain't you a Christian???!!! What are you doing in front of a C.... ??!!!! (evil grin) =p

The "infamous" Condomania store at Shibuya!!!





School girls with very short skirts in front of a fish ball Yaki (焼き) at Shibuya.
(Well... since Jackie INSISTED to take pictures of the short skirt... I was FORCED to take this for him.... ) =p






Shibuya is one of those Tokyo places that is crowded regardless of what day it is during the week or what time it is during the day.






Shibuya at night. See... it is equally crowded (if not more) during night time.









At Shiodome...


Went to Shiodome 汐留 (near Ginza 銀座) at night. It has an outdoor plaza with pretty pillars and also one of the tall buildings has a sight-seeing elevator going up to the 46th floor where you can see great Tokyo night view (see videos below).






















My family's "gamorous" shot !! Yay ^___^







Went to a Sukiyaki restaurant. It's our first time to try sukiyaki here in Japan!!
Yea, my "serious" look while deciding what to order...






Our first sukiyaki experience in Japan !!!









Also ordered some pretty yummy ramen!!









Extras - Funny scenes in Japan !!


We all saw a very drunk salarymen in black suit. Some security guards came by to make sure that he is okay. Apparently due to the hight pressure of work and long working hours here in Japan, scenes like this are not uncommon (I was told and witnessed firsthand tonight!)



Another consequence of long working hours is that you can see people sleeping on the train frequently. Depending on how "lucky" you are, sometimes you might have a total stranger being so "asleep" that he/she would put her head on your shoulder, like the girl in the picture. Feel so sorry for the guy sitting next to her (yea, they don't know each other!!)



Not only Japanese people fall asleep on the train, apparently, our Mr. Gaijin (外国人) Mike-san also falls asleep on the train too!!! Well... Guess he has an excuse - he has been working a 11-hr days the whole week this week... poor guy.... Luckily he doesn't need to take train to work, otherwise, I don't know how frequent he will miss to get off at the station due to oversleeping on train!! =p




Well... speaking of sleepiness...
This is how Jackie might look when he takes an afternoon nap and just wakes up (well... at least he is not drooling) !!! =p














Good stuff -- Movies

But first:
Warning - My brother tends to believe that he has a pretty voice and thus likes to "voice over" the videos, so in case you are NOT a big fan of his "pretty" voice, you can safely mute your speaker before watching the movies~ =p

Japanese kindergarten kids crossing the street. They are soooooo cute and obedient!!!


Wanna know how Japanese omelete is made??!


Very yummy tart pastry thing we saw at a Food mall in Shibuya. You can buy individual pieces, or... a long whole one!! Amazing!!!



Live music at the street of Shiodome. A bit too loud for me, but Jackie and Mike both liked it a lot. (but the video is a bit too dark...)



Going up using the sight-seeing elevator in a tall building in Shiodome. A bit too dark from the video but really pretty view.



Going down the sight-seeing elevator. Jackie, ain't you tired of voicing over EVERY SINGLE movie?!?!?!

Family in town (part 1)

My family flew from the Bay Area in the States to visit me last Thursday. Thus I was busy being a tourist guide showing them around Tokyo these few days.

Part 1 - Ebisu Garden Place
Mike's office is at Ebisu Garden Place, which is, unfortunately, is also a semi-tourist attraction. It used to be a famous beer brewing station and now got turned into a pretty plaza, big Mitsukoshi shopping mall, a beer museum, and a five star hotel. Since it's nearby, I brought my family there as their first stop and got breakfast at a yummy bakery there.




Dad, mom and my brother, Jackie.







The pink ladies?!?!
















In the blood - Mike made fun of us how we all like to pose when taking pictures!!! Well... what can I say - it's IN THE BLOOD !!!!

















There is a pretty cool-looking "glass ceiling" in front of Ebisu Garden Place. Wondered if Mike ever noticed this even though he passed by this everyday on his way to work?!












The Garden Place used to be a beer brewing station. They still kept the building structure at the time to attract tourists.







The buses at Tokyo look very "cartoony" and cute!! (yup, not kidding you, it's a normal mini bus)









Part 2: Food at Atre Building Chinese people likes food, especially pretty-looking ones (well... of coz, cheaper is better, but... that's a different topic!!) Thus I brought my family to the Ebisu Atre building near the JR station to try (and mostly observe) some of the delicious Japanese snacks there.


Japanese bento boxes (弁当). There are many different kinds. Some you can buy from street vendors during lunch hours, some you can purchase from an indoor mall or food market like in Atre. Price varies depending on what is in the bento. ("Bento" just means lunch box.)



"Tiger roll" - black sugar and green tea favor.










Fruit desserts













Japanese people really like pork cutlet stuff: portlet cutlet (カツ) sandwiches, hamburgers, rice bowls, noodles, etc.











My favorite - caramel syrup ice-cream THICK butter toast, at the Leaves Cafe in Atre 4th floor next to Muji store.




Their chocolate moose cake is awesome as well!!!








Jackie tried the Japanese green tea soy ice-cream.








Jackie usually walked more slowly and stayed behind us - now I know why - take sneaky pictures of people's back.








Part 3: Apartment passed my family examination!!

It's my first time living abroad from my family, it's totally understandable that they want to know what kind of place I am staying at now. They seem to like my new apartment =)


Living room








"Let's test how comfortable the sofa is!!! Hmm.... not bad not bad... " said Jackie.






Next, let's test the desk chair.
"hmm... the chair seems to be a bit small...."
(yea, Jackie, you know what - you have a BIG butt!!!) ^_^






Mom was apparently curious to see my closet~















"Hi ~~~" Jackie took this picture from upstairs. Just be careful not to drop the camera on dad's head!!!