Thursday June 19
 
17:49
 
Sickly

I’ve been feeling kind of sickly for the last week, but more so today. Something strange is going on in my tummy and I don’t like it.

I hate going to the doctor in Japan. When I was in Korea, I could go to the International Clinic at Yonsei University and speak with an English speaking doctor who had at his or her command the latest technologies that medical science could offer.. and then some. In Japan I half expect to be prescribed a course of leeches.

From outside Japan looking in, you imagine a technological future society – but nothing is further from the truth. Although it may be the producer of Wii and mini-PCs, and although the Japanese have had internet on their phones for years, the core of the country is quite backward: paper based trails and technology which looks like it hasn’t changed since the 70s – everything is functional, and Japanese have a real unwillingness to upgrade.

Nowhere is this clearer than in a doctor’s waiting room. Walls of hand written cards holding patients details, with not a computer in sight. Equipment that is nothing more than a stethoscope, weighing scales, blood pressure reader, a bed on wheels, and pen and paper. Diagnosis is not read, but pointed to in medical books – presumably to get over the language barrier. It’s like a human version of google but limited only to simple medical searches and the “I’m feeling lucky” button: I say “my symptom is..”, he opens book and points to a page with the result. That’s it. They never actually solve or do anything, just randomly suggest some medicine or say “Hmmm, I’d better send you to someone who actually knows something”.

Fortunately my yearly medical is in 3 weeks time. If it’s in the same place as last year then it’s at a decent hospital, where they have tests and medical equipment (the kind that requires electricity and goes “beep”) at their disposal. I’ll wait to then, unless the symptoms suddenly get worse.

Feel free to send cards and grapes in the meantime.

Monday May 19
 
18:50
 
Korea Town

A few weeks ago I met a couple of Korean guys at Tonjang – the only REAL Korean BBQ that I’ve found in Tokyo. We got talking because they saw me speaking Korean, and we exchanged contact details. Last night we met up and headed to Shin-Okubo – the Korea Town of Tokyo – and ended up in a bar (pictured) which could have been lifted straight out of Shinchon in Seoul. For atmosphere, it was an excellent find.

I used to go to Shin-Okubo often, but stopped because I always ended up getting very drunk. Last night was no exception. Korean alcohol is lethal.

The whole night reminded me of all the things I miss about Korea – so much so that I actually started crying in the subway on the way to work this morning. The same thing happened at lunch.

Tears. Me?! I never cry.

I really miss Korea a lot.

I’d like the think it’s just the Tokyo-Japanese people I know, but it’s not. It’s difficult to bond with people here, full stop. It’s like going out to party with your mother tagging along – there’s always a restraint.

They only want to go out on weekends, not during the week. They are continually thinking of the subway home. They never let go and party or express their emotions. They don’t know how to live and be free.

It’s not just me that feels this way either. I’ve know people who have been in Japan for years, even people who speak fluent Japanese, and they tell me the same thing. There’s always a barrier – a shield – with Japanese. They are minding their Ps and Qs. You never really know what’s inside.

Last night I went out with Koreans that I had randomly met in a restaurant. We drank, ate, chatted, had an awesome time. I ended up getting a taxi home at 2am. I almost never made it into work this morning.

I have never done that with Japanese.

When I used to go to Shin-Okubo regularly, I’d always end up getting talking to a group of Koreans in a bar. We’d share bottles of Korean alcohol, to the extent that it was impossible to tell what one had actually consumed.

That has also never happened to me with Japanese, ever.

You can meet Koreans randomly, and become friends instantly. No guard. No hiding. No restraint. THAT is what I miss about Korea.

I better start finding more Korean friends if I’m to enjoy Tokyo.

Friday April 18
 
00:03
 
He’s Flying High

My brother is currently on a plane flying from Britain to Japan. I don’t know why, but there’s something weird about the fact that he’s actively doing something at the moment, yet I’m about to go sleep.

But then it has been a weird day. Last night I was shaken awake at 4am by a huge earthquake.

In the ~18months I’ve been in Japan, there’s been about 6 earthquakes that have majorly rocked my apartment or office.

Three of those have been in the last month or two.

That freaks me out. I’ve heard that Tokyo is on the “brink” of a major quake. People here don’t even think about it – just like South Koreans don’t think about the fact that they are still technically at war. But the recent rise in the number of earthquakes has certainly brought the fact to my attention.

I ended up going back to sleep and having a huge nightmare about a catastrophic earthquake hitting Tokyo, with buildings toppling down like dominoes in Shinjuku and surrounds, and me just escaping with my life.

Thankfully I have no “sixth sense” that I’m aware of, so I don’t regard it as any premonition. I just hope I sleep better tonight – in 6 hours time I have to get up and take the Narita Express to the airport to pick up my brother.  I’m not looking forward to the 6am rise.

Sunday April 13
 
20:02
 
It’s Strange The Things That You Miss When You Live Abroad

Of all th thingz u cld ask me 2 bring u over u want me to bring sum collar stiffenerz- weirdo

My family think I’m crazy – but it’s strange the things you miss/need from home when you’re abroad.

My brother is coming over last week. He asked me what I wanted him to bring to Tokyo. My list:

Metal collar stiffeners from Tie-Rack
Non-iron shirts from M&S
A can of Ambrosia tinned rice pudding

The can of rice pudding is for the Japanese who consistently look at me in disbelief when I tell them we have pudding made of rice in the UK. Japanese eat rice every day. They never think about making it into a pudding.

In fairness, the things I really want my brother to bring me, he can’t bring. They are:

Black pudding
British bangers
British bacon
Scottish bread
Scottish rolls
Irish soda bread from M&S
Potato scones
A big juicy yellow mellow
Low-fat hummus from the supermarket
Mr Kipling’s Mince Pies

Not being able to get hummus is one thing that has consistently driven my crazy living in Asia – in Hong Kong, in Korea, and in Japan. In Japan there are a couple of restaurants with hummus, so at least I could get it occasionally. Finally – this month – I found a supermarket that sells it, but it’s not the same.

Mince Pies also are something that I missed. In HK I could get them. In Korea, fat chance. In Japan, I can buy Robertson’s mincemeat and make my own. Except for one thing, Japan is miles better than Korea when it comes to international food – I can even get the English breakfast muffins I so longed for in Korea. What’s the one thing? Sour cream. It’s just thick gloob in Japan. Sour cream in Korea was gorgeous – in big tubs from Hyundae department store in Shinchon.

There is actually a Scottish Pub in Tokyo – or, at least, it claims to be. It’s called Scottish Glamour, which isn’t a good start. In fact, after going and seeing the bar menu, I immediately left. No Scottish beer (which, probably, is a good thing), and a cover charge to enter the bar. Any bar that tried to levy a cover charge in Scotland would be burnt to the ground.

I can’t find the URL for Scottish Glamour – but then since I would never recommend you go there, I didn’t try very hard.

Sunday March 16
 
22:53
 
Homesick

Watching the latest episode of Lost tonight, it made me realise how “homesick” I am for Korea. I understand all the Korean, without the English translations. I understand how the Korean people think.

So why am I in Japan?

It is 100% down to work – or the lack of it in Korea.

Given the way life is turning out, I doubt I’ll ever be living in Korea again. That really saddens me.