A blizzard hit NYC the day before I left for Tokyo. My drive back to my parent's place took over six hours as most of the time was spent shoveling and manually rocking and pushing the car out of the snow. I guess NYC didn't have the money to plow the streets.
The following morning, as I was dragging my luggage to the train station, I asked a police officer if it was OK to leave my car at the corner of the street. His response was "if it's illegal parking it's going to get fined and towed." I explained to him that it was impossible to drive down the streets and I had to catch a flight. The police officer, in a very aggressive and bullish tone, said " there's a new invention called a shovel. Everyone is using it now a days." I sarcastically said thank you for his help and left for my trip not knowing if my car would still be around when I got back.
Nineteen hours later I landed in Tokyo. I thought that once I stepped off the plane, I would be surrounded by hi-tech gizmos but lets just say I had to manually flush the toilet at the airport. However, several hours later, when I arrived at the hotel, I was sitting on a heated toilet seat which can also clean by bun buns at a desired water pressure. It was amazing, everything I wanted in a toilet seat! That was just the beginning to the hidden hi-tech gems in Japan.
Japanese cuisine was delicious and reasonably affordable. I spent my time looking for food, quickly burning off the food so that I can have more food! I had tuna with rice, miso soup, fried tofu (yum yum yum), home-made steamed tofu, grilled mackerel, soba noodles, udon noodles, and the list goes on. The best part was I didn't gain any weight from the food!
The public infrastructure in Japan was state-of-the-art. Wireless internet was available in the subway and on the Shinkansen (bullet train) between Tokyo and Osaka. People were playing video games or watching a movie on their wide screen cell phones on the train. Getting around town and to other major cities was very convenient. The trains were always on time and available every few minutes. This is far better than any train you'll find in the U.S.
My time here was short but I have come to appreciate Japan's society and culture. Unlike western culture, the Japanese are very reserved, quiet and respectful to others. Bowing and thanking others are common. A police officer bowed and told me I can cross the street. When he bowed, all I can think of was that meat head officer in Queens who told me to get a shovel!
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