Tokyo (Shibuya and Asakusa)

After the Christmas and New Year's holiday season had ended I started preparing for my first business trip to Japan. I had never been on a business trip before and I had no idea what to expect. I did the usual things - purchase plane tickets, arrange accommodation, organize meetings - but I had no idea what the meetings would be like or how to make the big sales pitch for our business. It was nerve-racking to say the least! What do I say, how do I say it, in English, in Japanese, a mix of both? To top it off, I got sick for about a week before the trip and the last 4 days were spent scrambling to get prepared for the big adventure. I didn't eat or sleep very much before the trip as I was a nervous wreck. However, the flight from Vancouver to Tokyo was wonderful and I cannot say enough about the service and comforts of Japan Airlines. I sat upstairs on the second deck and it felt like I was in my own private airline. Every seat had its own movie screen with a wide selection of music as well as the latest movies and television shows. The food was great - a mixture of both Japanese and Western food - and the flight attendants were ever present waiting on me hand and foot. The 9 hours "flew by" and the next thing I knew I was at Narita Airport. It felt wonderful being back in Japan but this time as a tourist and not as a resident. The first big culture shock occurred when the Immigration Officer suddenly told me to put my two index fingers in a machine sitting on the counter in front of me and then to look up to my left and smile. Before I knew it I had been finger-printed and photographed - part of the new security system to keep track of non-Japanese. As I made my way out of the airport and stood waiting at the bus stop, two police officers approached me and very, very politely asked what I was doing, where I was going, asked me for my passport, and then profusely apologized for the interruption, and left! I had been fingerprinted, photographed, interrogated but all in such a nice, nice Japanese way I had barely realized what had happened. It was a very surreal experience indeed!

I stayed at my former student's home in Kashiwa-shi, Chiba Prefecture which is about a 90 minute train from Ueno station (the big station in the northern part of Tokyo). My student lives with her husband and her son in a spacious, beautiful apartment in a new apartment complex with a fantastic view of Mt. Fuji in the distance. Quite frankly I was spoiled rotten during my entire stay. I had my own private room with a television and ready access to a bath and shower, my own laundry service, my own transportation service from the apartment to the train station, and to top it off I was served excellent food at every meal. Indeed that is the one thing I discovered I really missed - the food!! I had sashimi and sushi for dinner the first night and tempura the second night. My student is a great cook and it was such a treat dining on such wonderful food!

I had a very busy time in Tokyo meeting with the different travel agencies but it was so much fun being in Tokyo again. What an exciting, dynamic city! After living in the Kansai for so long and being used to life there, staying in Tokyo seemed like being in another country. Tokyo is the centre of the country's finance, business, and politics and the international gauge of how the country is performing. From my short 3 day stay in Tokyo, it seemed Japan was doing very, very well indeed.

The business meetings were a challenge because I did not know what to expect. During some meetings I only spoke Japanese, at other meetings I started in Japanese, switched to English, and then switched back to Japanese, and at others it was English only. I brought my computer everywhere I went but during the meetings I only used my business cards and pamphlets. I prepared Power Point presentations but the business people only wanted to meet me and talk about our services. It was a great experience and made me realize the importance of being prepared for anything and everything, and how I need to keep up my Japanese language skills even though I now live in Canada. In Japan you have to do things the Japanese way, no ifs ands or buts!

I had a very hectic schedule in Osaka too but again it was terrific being back in the Kansai. I stayed with friends in Osaka and Kobe (thank you again guys!), and spend the days going here and there to business meetings and trying to make as many business contacts as possible. In typical Japanese fashion, I discovered many of our Japanese friends were working behind the scenes trying to spread the word about our business. Of course, Atsuko and I knew nothing about this and I only discovered this after meeting and talking with them. Doing business in the Kansai was a lot different from doing business in Tokyo too. In Tokyo it was pretty cut and dry with the focus being on money and our business ideas and what could work and could not work. In the Kansai however, most of the time was spent getting to know me. A lot of the business meetings started with phrases like "so, tell me a little bit about yourself" and I had to go into my personal history and tell them how we decided to set up our business. Business is very, very personal and Japanese do not see a dividing line separating business from your private life - everything is blurred into one. I spent many nights at bars drinking with people as a part of the whole business process. Business is also about personal trust and you are strictly gauged by what you say and what you do. I felt it was always a test of whether you are a true friend (someone they can do business with) or a fair-weather friend (someone they cannot trust and therefore cannot do business with).

I had never been on a business trip before and I could not believe how much time and energy it took to meet people and arrange meetings. I set up as many meetings as possible before I left Canada and when I arrived in Japan I also tried to network with anyone I thought could be of help to our business. I was out of the door at the crack of dawn and I would not return until dinnertime or much, much later - every single day I was there. I was dying to go to Kyoto with my camera and take pictures of the temples, shrines, and gardens but I had absolutely no free time to myself during my entire stay. When I was teaching English in Japan I used to meet people who did business trips and I was envious of their opportunity to visit different countries around the globe. However, every one of them would tell me how brutal it was to go on business trips. They told me every day was packed with meetings and they had no time to do anything but work, work, work. I did not understand it at the time ("oh, come on, you must have time to see some of the sights") but now I realize exactly what they meant. I did have some times during the evening to see some of my friends but many evenings I was so exhausted I just crawled back to where I was staying and went straight to my futon.

Despite the brutal schedule, it was wonderful experiencing Japan as a visitor. When I lived in Japan I found life to be extremely stressful and it seemed I worked non-stop 7 days a week with very little time to enjoy myself. I never saw my children (except on Sundays when I just wanted to sleep) and being stuck in downtown Osaka it took a lot of effort to get out of the city and see the rest of the country. Being a visitor in Japan was completely different and much more relaxing knowing I would eventually return to a Canadian lifestyle which is comparatively very relaxing and very non-stressful.

Before the trip I thought I was going to have a terrible time remembering how to speak Japanese but much to my surprise as soon as I landed in Japan it all came flooding back to me and it was if I never left the country. I struggled a bit here and there but all in all I had no problems whatsoever. However, it did strike me how important it is to keep up my Japanese language skills and I cannot loose those skills if I am to continue doing business in Japan.

The one thing I really missed which surprised me was the food! Oh, the food! I forgot how much I missed the food and at every turn there was restaurant upon restaurant beckoning me to enter their doors and sit down for a scrumptious meal! When I lived in Japan I used to hesitate to go and try different food but now I was a visitor I knew this would be my only chance to I took every opportunity I could. I dined on sushi, sashimi, tempura, katsudon, Chinese, Korean, the list was endless and I loved every bite!

All in all, it was a fantastic trip and when I landed in Japan it was as though I had never left. I miss Japan terribly but at the same time I know it is only a relatively short flight away and I will be returning again (probably sooner than later!).

Mt Fuji (from my student's condo) and Asakusa in Tokyo

Business (Honmachi) and Entertainment (Shinsaibashi) Districts, Osaka

Mount Baldy Ski Resort - Cousin's Cabin and Relaxing in Hot Tub

At the end of March we stayed overnight at my cousin's cabin at Mount Baldy Ski Resort (a 90 minute drive south of Penticton) and had a fantastic time. It was the last ski weekend of the season and our last chance to enjoy the snow.

We arrived at noon on a Friday to a blizzard so we decided to relax and hang out at my cousin's cabin for the afternoon. However before dinner Matthew and I put on snowshoes and went for a walk up the hill behind the cabin. I took lots of pictures of Matthew snowshoeing (he did a great job) and the gorgeous “cabins” nearby. The concept of a cabin in Canada is too funny. My cousin built her cabin in 1973 and I think it is big but I could not believe the size of the other cabins on the mountain – some of them are palaces!

The next day the weather cleared and Angela and Matthew enrolled in ski school for a couple of hours. It was their first time on skis and their teacher was most impressed by how well they took to the slopes. By the end of the lesson they had their balance down pat and could snow-plow (“make a pizza slice”), turn, and (almost) stop. I was amazed. I remember my first ski lesson when I was 26 and it took me a lot longer than 2 hours to get the hang of it! I knew Matthew would do well but I was so surprised and impressed with Angela. She is a natural and just fell in love with skiing. Atsuko promised to go to ski school next year, and then one day the whole family will be on the slopes!

While the kids were taking lessons I bought a lift ticket, rented equipment, and then explored the mountain. The first run I did was the MacLeod run named after my cousin (many years ago she, along with a few others, built the ski hill and got it off the ground) and then I went to the very top of the mountain and did the other intermediate runs. Mt. Baldy is great with a wonderful mixture of beginner, intermediate, and advanced runs and the views are phenomenal. The powder snow is to die for too. I hadn’t skied in 15 years but, like riding a bicycle, I took off down the hill like I had been skiing every year.

Unlike the big ski resorts, there is a real small town feeling on the mountain and everyone is so friendly and goes out of their way to talk to you and make you feel part of the Baldy family. The ski school is very good and the instructors are excellent. Atsuko and I talked to people from everywhere. I met a lady from England who enrolled her child in the school with Angela and Matthew that morning (her family was staying in Oliver with friends and they fly over from England and ski every year at Mt. Baldy!), and Atsuko met another family from Mexico. There was also a large group of Japanese kids from Bandai, Oliver’s sister city, and they were having a lot of fun taking lessons. I hope we start to make a bit of cash next season so we can visit Mt. Baldy more often. We had such a good time and it is sssoooo relaxing. I really want to bring our visitors up there too. I think they would have so much fun!

Mount Baldy in a Blizzard

Snowshoeing on Mount Baldy

Mount Baldy "Cabins"

Angela and Matthew in Ski School

MacLeod Trail (named after my cousin)

Mount Baldy

Mount Baldy

Early Hours of the Fest of Ale

The first weekend of April saw the 13th annual Fest of Ale at the Trade and Convention Centre in Penticton. It was my first time at a Canadian beer festival (I had been to several in Osaka) and surprise, surprise, it was a lot of fun! I arrived at 4:00 when the doors opened and spent the next 5 hours beering and dining on all the delicious wares. There were around 27 beer companies from BC, Alberta, and Washington State participating in the event and about a dozen or so local restaurants serving yummy snacks to the beer drinkers. It was estimated over 7,000 people attended the 2 day event – on Friday from 4:00pm to 9:00pm and on Saturday from 12:00 noon to 7:00pm. I thought with all that alcohol flowing freely there would be a bit of trouble but lo and behold everyone, and I mean everyone, was so polite and friendly. People were laughing and drinking and even dancing to the live music performances throughout the evening. I guess the combination of good beer, food, and music does make most people happy after all! The profits from the beer festival are donated to local charities in the Okanagan which makes the event a great cause. In fact, like the local spring and fall wine festivals, I think there should be at least one more beer festival held in the fall in commemoration of Oktoberfest. Any takers...?

Fest of Ale, Penticton

Fest of Ale, Penticton

Fest of Ale, Penticton

Fest of Ale, Penticton

Fest of Ale, Penticton

More Impressions of life in the Okanagan - March/April 2008

• Having a tough time readjusting...
  Being back in the Okanagan Valley after visiting Japan has been a very difficult adjustment. I thought I would go through reverse culture shock being in Japan but when I was there it was as if I had never left the country. I easily slipped back into the Japanese pace of life and my Japanese language skills came back as if I had been asleep and not away from the country for the past 8 months. I felt at ease and very used to the Japanese lifestyle and even enjoyed the things I used to complain about - the crowds, noise, pollution, excess politeness and conformity, and so on. Coming back to life in the Okanagan, of course, was a different story. In general, I did not miss Japan but I felt there was such a huge difference between life in both countries that finding a happy medium would be impossible. Neither country was better than the other but the differences were hard to reconcile (if that makes any sense?). I love living in Penticton but there are some things about Japan I really miss that I will never find here - traditional culture, food, customs, architecture and design, and generally the very weird and exotic things you see day to day. Of course, the lifestyle in Canada cannot be beat - natural beauty, open spaces, easy access to the outdoors, fresh air and clean water, easy and relaxed pace of life - but looking at Asian culture, customs, and tradition from Western eyes can be a real adventure! I guess that is what I really miss: the newness, excitement, and contrast Japan offers compared to what I am used to in Canada.

• Atsuko integrates...
  I was an outsider in Japan and over the years I gradually got used to the idea of never fitting in to Japanese society. At first I struggled and fought but over time I realized, like every other outsider, that I was not Japanese and no matter how hard I tried I would never be a part of their society. It gave me a unique perspective on Japan and it also gave me the freedom to do things and go places normally restricted to most Japanese. I was also a "star" since I was unique and stood out, and in general people treated me very well. It is interesting seeing how people treat Atsuko now she is the "star" in Penticton. There are very few "visible minorities" in Penticton, and people are generally very curious about Atsuko. Unlike Japan, there is a real effort to integrate Atsuko into Canadian society and people are always asking her how her new life is going and they are very curious about the differences between life in Japan and life in Canada. I love standing back and watching how people walk up to Atsuko, introduce themselves, and then start excitedly asking her questions about her new life in Canada. This, of course, never happened to me in Japan. I found most people were afraid of me and kept their distance. I always had to make the first move in every social situation and introduce myself. Atsuko, of course, is starting to do the same and unlike Japan people are very open and curious about her. In many cases, at the end of the conversation they have each other's phone number and they have arranged to have tea or go for a walk. At first I tried to introduce myself in the conversation (after all, I want to make friends too!) but I quickly realized they were not interested in me at all, just "the beautiful lady from Japan." Of course, this attraction to Atsuko heightens 10 fold when she wears her kimono. Most people are astounded and their eyes literally pop out of their head when she walks into the room. Traditional Japanese culture is hugely popular in Canada but more of that later...

• Changing face of Penticton and BC...
  Recently I read some interesting news about the number and concentration of "visible minorities" in BC (defined as people other than Aboriginal people who are non-white). According to the latest statistics released by Statistics Canada, BC is now ranked as the province with the highest proportion of visible minorities in Canada. For the first time, BC has over 1 million visible minorities which is about 25% of the total population. About 87% live in the Greater Vancouver area while other large metropolitan areas such as Victoria, Abbottsford, and Kelowna account for 7.7%. In Penticton, only 6% of the population is a visible minority (1,890 people out of a population of 31,385) but the range of visible minorities is a reflection of the cultural diversity of the province - Chinese, South Asian, Black, Filipino, Latin American, Southeast Asian, Arab, West Asian and Japanese. I was very surprised about the large numbers in the Metro Vancouver area. Again, according to Statistics Canada, visible minorities make up nearly 42 per cent of Metro Vancouver's population in 2006 (Toronto barely beats Vancouver at 43%). The Chinese population grew fastest – by 11 per cent from 2001-2006 – but that was half the rate of growth of the previous five years. Visible minorities are now a majority in Richmond – at 65% – as well as in Burnaby (55%) and Vancouver (51%). Surrey is just a short step behind with 46%.

• Interracial marriages are not so special anymore...
  I remember when I was a kid growing up in BC and how rare it was to see an interracial married couple. I remember thinking how strange and different it was and I was very curious about how they managed to get married. Was it an accident? Was it a mistake? A dare? I am still adjusting to my life in a mixed marriage in Canada. Sometimes I forget how much Atsuko and I stand out, especially when we have the 2 kids in tow. When we speak Japanese in public heads turn, and when they see me with the 2 kids (who look far more Asian than white) then the heads sometimes really turn! In an earlier Blog, I talked about my surprise at the number of mixed marriage couples when I was in the cafeteria in Ikea in Coquitlam (outside of Vancouver) last summer. Well, I just read a report on interracial marriages and, like visible minorities, BC now has the highest proportion of mixed marriage couples in Canada. According to Statistics Canada, mixed marriages make up 5.9 per cent of all B.C. couples, up from 4.9 per cent two years earlier. Ontario has 4.6% and Alberta stands at 4.2%. Nationally, the rate is now 3.3 per cent. While the percentages are small, it was noted that the sheer numbers have increased by 33% in the past 5 years. And (no surprise here!) the census report showed that Japanese had the highest proportion of mixed couples. "Although there were only 29,700 couples involving at least one Japanese person, 74.4% of these pairings included a non-Japanese partner," Statistics Canada said. The second and third groups most likely to be involved in a mixed union were Latin Americans (47%) and Blacks (40.6%). Statistics Canada reported that South Asians and Chinese were among the least likely to have a partner outside their group (12.7% for South Asians and 17% for Chinese). I remember when I left Canada 18 years ago I hardly knew anyone who was part of a mixed marriage but now even in Penticton our closest friends are all mixed marriage partners. The changing face of Canada!

• Canadian and American differences...
  It was also interesting to hear the differences between Canada and the US regarding interracial marriages. According to University of Lethbridge Sociology Professor Reginald Bibby, Canadians - especially those under 35 years of age - are far more tolerant of interracial marriages than their American counterparts. He found while 77% of Americans approved of marriage between blacks and whites, 92% of Canadians are in favour of such unions. A similar proportion approve of intermarriage between other ethnic groups. The approval rating climbs to almost 99% among those under age 35. "We see ourselves as not just multicultural but really multi-everything," says Bibby. "Even if people don't necessarily agree with each other (or) don't explicitly approve of what people are thinking and doing, the Canadian way is to at least be willing to accept diversity."

• If you are curious about the above information on visible minorities and mixed marriages in Canada see some of my sources here:
  "1 in 6 Canadians is a visible minority: Stats Can," CBC News, April 2, 2008.
  "Visible minority population soars," The Vancouver Sun, April 2, 2008
  "Census reflects Penticton's changing face, pace," Penticton Herald, April 3, 2008.
  "Majority accepts mixed marriages," The Vancouver Sun, August 27, 2007.
  Reginald Bibby, The Boomer Factor, Bastion Books, 2006.

Atsuko Playing Koto at Cherry Lane Mall, Penticton