Asian Markets

I have been to quite a few countries in Asia now; it is a big, diverse place. One common thread I have noticed in my travels, though, is Asia’s love of markets - centralized places to come and buy a book, some fruit, a mop, a jumper... The markets in Thailand or Korea or Hong Kong will assault you with fish guts and live chickens and saw dust and haggling. But the ones in Japan are altogether a more moderate affair - ordered, inoffensive, maybe a bit sterile. They are still fun, though, and a window-shopper’s delight.

It’s getting harder and harder to find these old-fashioned markets in Tokyo, but there are still a few around. Here is a video of one in Jiyugaoka in the suburbs of Tokyo. A nosy person like me could get lost in one of these places for days just marvelling at the original one-stop shopping. Take a look – next time you need to pick up a kimono, some fish cutlets and a bag of pet food in a hurry, you will know where to go.




I was in a bit of a rage on Friday. It’s a three-day weekend here and I went into work with the mindset of being out of the office at 5.30pm sharp. Of course, this is when my boss comes up to me at 9.15am and surprises me with the news that we have a group dinner at 7pm that night. Now, even though I am trying to start refusing these things, it was clear from his tone that attendance was not optional. I guess I got so mad because there is clearly this assumption that I have no life outside work. Japanese companies are so like a family that they tend to the same dysfunctions. I mean, I know that the company will look after me and take care of me more than many blood relatives ever would. On the other hand, I have this debt of gratitude, guilt and obligation that can weigh a bit heavy when all you want to do is go home and forget about work.

I am really being overly ungrateful. As it turns out, the dinner didn’t go on too late (I was home by midnight) and I really do like my colleagues and have a lot of fun with them. And even though it was a Chinese restaurant – I dislike Chinese food and find it to be oily, unappetizing, and very vegetarian-unfriendly - it did serve the most amazing desert. Look at these puppies; goma dango, handmade rice dumplings filled with sweet bean paste, and rolled in white sesame seeds. So good served with fragrant jasmine tea.



Blossom watch 2010
Well, we’re probably about a week or ten days away from the big reveal. That’s right, the cherry blossoms should finally be opening in Tokyo before the month is out. In the meantime, Mother Nature has been busy; last week was the first week of the year with a bit of heat in it after a colder than normal winter, so things started blooming all over the place. Here are some photos I took walking from Shibuya to my old home in Shimo Kitazawa. Once again all these flowers were just by the busy roadside.