November 18, 2008
Nobody in their right mind would expect the following picture to be a scenery image from Japan:
And yet it is. Just like these ones:
Some smart business men must’ve visited the Netherlands during its peak tulip season. The Keukenhof, a garden & flower park specially designed to showcase the typical Dutch flower, is flooded with Japanese visitors each year.
The ceaseless clicking of their camera’s undoubtedly contributed to the construction of this resort, which is branded European, but looks very Dutch to me. It a reconstruction of and named after the residence of the Queen of the Netherlands: Huis Ten Bosch. (Literally translated: House in the forest)
During this period of the year, they join the Japanese tradition to put up thousands of decorative winter lights.
So how about it: would you travel to Japan to see the Netherlands?
Posted in All about Japan, Japan, Travel 
No Comments »
November 17, 2008
This post is a summary of 6 previous posts about Chinese women -
Myth #1 - The West and ‘dating services’ stereotype Chinese women as being the following:
simply affectionate, easy-going, and faithful, decent and sincere. Women in China are (read more)
Myth #2 - Chinese women are decent and sincere (read more)
Myth #3 - Women in China are kind and caring for family and friends (read more) (more…)
Posted in China, Culture 1 Comment »
November 17, 2008
Raziel wrote the post When foreigners think they’re Asian (a controversial post) and created a bit of a stir. It got me to thinking a bit.
I found another post or more precisely a link to a post at JapanSoc “You know you’ve been too long in Japan when…”
So, I wonder out loud here at EAF if anyone at JapanSoc wants to play, would like to share an opinion, help finish the sentence…
You know you qualify to have a valid opinion on Japan when…..
I’ll start it off with a few of my own.
1. You’ve spent 15-20+ years in Japan
2. You’ve been married into a Japanese family…
3. You’ve been to more than a dozen weddings/funerals (I’ve been to more than 900, count em)
4. You can read/write Japanese well beyond the 300 kanji that 3rd graders need to get by on…
No you don’t need to be able to all these things and none of them or all of them do not make you any better a person than anybody else. We don’t want to go there.
Let’s grow the list….
You know you qualify to have an opinion on Japan when….
Anybody want to play?
Next?
Posted in All about Japan, Japan 6 Comments »
November 16, 2008
Continued:
Myth: Chinese women thinks of foreigners as interesting, respectful and faithful which is why they are interested in a serious relationship with men outside of their country.
Truth: This one has some truth in it but still not quite enough to make it a fact.
You see anything that is out of the ordinary is interesting. So naturally a man from a different culture/race/nation would have more unfamiliar traits and new ideas/perception/views to share, which makes him for a more interesting than the already well known local man.
Respectful, now this part may serve to be true or otherwise. Some Chinese women are of the impression that foreign men are more respectful of women because in the ancient Chinese culture, male chauvinism is a very strong factor that survives till today. In that culture, women take a back seat and men aren’t that comfortable with women in power or even women being in equal power. In the West, that revolution has already played out and men are perceived to be more learned, more gracious and certainly more confident in their manhood to accept a woman as his equal. Therefore he gives her due respect. He would discuss with her, consult her and confide in her without prejudice…a trait the Chinese women still find lacking among the male population of great China. (more…)
Posted in Asia, China, Culture, Current affairs, East Asia, Travel No Comments »
November 16, 2008
Continued:
Myth: Loves her man with every fiber of her body and will try anything to make their relationship work
Truth: Every fiber of her body? Do you mean to say you expect her to surcome to all your physical demands because she loves you and wants to make the relationship work? Well that goes to say a lot about you doesn’t it?
While Chinese women may tend to value marriage and their relationship greatly. It may be due to up bringing because not too long ago it was general consensus that a divorce or a split was not an option as it brought shame to the family and shaming the family is something Chinese girls live to avoid. So doing everything for you might not be really for you…it’s more likely for the sake of her family’s honour.
These days, things are different and you will find divorces and single parents a very common affair in China, so gone are those days… (more…)
Posted in Uncategorized No Comments »
November 16, 2008
It is one of the saddest things I saw in Japan’s latest news. The current financial crisis is making even harder for the elderly to survive, forcing them to shoplift from their groceries.
The number of people without children or sufficient funds to take care of themselves is increasing by the day. Apparently the number of criminal offences committed by people older than 65 has doubled between 2003 and 2008. Some seniors committing crimes are actually aiming to get into jail, where a daily routine and free meals are provided for them.
I’m a sucker for the less fortunate. Although I know there’s no way I can save the entire world, I can’t walk by a begging elderly person without giving them something. Imagine that something happened to you and that was your mother standing there, at the end of entire life lived with hopes and dreams similar to yours, with nothing or nobody left to take care of herself…
Posted in All about Japan, Japan No Comments »
November 16, 2008
One of the things that always attracted me to Japan, is the serenity and peace the country seems to have. One look at a beautiful Japanese landscape and I feel like I’m one with the surroundings, listening intensely to the blissful silence so rare for us big-city people.
That is why visiting a shukubo is still at the top of my Thing-to-do-before-I-die list. A shukubo is an accommodation facility in a temple or shrine that used to be for worshippers, but is now open to all public. What sounds better than the chance to experience Japanese culture at its fullest, regain your harmony, practice zazen (form of meditation) or live as a monk for a while?
Click here for a list of of Shukubo’s. Maybe I should make this my New Year’ s resolution…
Shunkoin Temple in Tokyo
Meditation classes
Posted in All about Japan, Japan No Comments »
November 15, 2008
If you are Japanese and you don’t want kids, what do you do?
You adopt a dog!
Millions of Japanese pet owners swear by their little four-legged friends. They are loyal friends who reduce stress and provide emotional support, and especially for women: they don’t stand in the way of your career.
Most dog owners are in their 30’s to 40’s and have plenty of money to spend. They have the expensive watch, the big house and the luxurious car. Having a pure breed dog with designer clothes to match your bag is the new statement of stylishness.
And there is a growing number of luxury companies willing to cater to this trend! Lodging your dog at a pet hotels such as Pet Inn Royal costs the travelling owner about 20,000 yen (US $200) a night. There are dog spa’s, dog café’s, dog hairdressers and even bakery’s that offer dog-friendly cakes.
The little furry accessoire in the stroller below is worth 250,000 yen… (US $2,617)
What would you choose?
Posted in All about Japan, Children, Japan No Comments »
November 15, 2008
Japan is an increasingly popular country to study abroad. It is estimated that Japanese education institution house more than 120,000 students from other nationalities.
If you are planning to add one more to that number, here are some tips to prepare yourself.
1. Go to a local study abroad center
2. Research a good college/university. The Japan Student Services Organization offers a list of colleges and universities.
3. Find out if there is any government grant and/or scholarship available for you. You can start at the “international programs” or “study-abroad” office from your own campus.
4. Check the visa requirements for your country
5. Keep reading this blog! ☺
- Yasuda Auditorium, Tokyo University
Posted in All about Japan, Japan No Comments »
November 15, 2008
Continued…
Myth: Chinese women seek real love and relationships based on mutual understanding and respect.
Truth: That’s every woman’s dream, not just the Chinese. What how she defines real love, mutual understanding and respect just like every other woman, might not agree with how you define them…sounds familiar? Well if you’ve been in a relationship, you’d recognise those as source of arguments and dissatisfaction.
Every person seeks ‘real love’, but seeking it in a Chinese woman won’t necessarily make your task any easier or a guaranteed success. Women are women, just as people are people the world round…remember that mutual understanding and respect with a spouse from a different race/culture/nationality takes a bit of getting used to.
To be continued:
Posted in Asia, China, Culture, Current affairs, East Asia, Thailand No Comments »
content rss
Recent Comments