Starting at the beginning here are my thoughts and feelings illustrated with some pictures about the first few days of my trip to China.
Airplanes/getting there
Airplanes we're a huuuuge part of the trip. I think in total we took around 8 flights. The best of these flights were really good, there is a new system on the more advanced airlines (the ones leaving from or going to Japan i believe) that allows each person to have their own TV with on demand movies and TV shows. THIS, makes flying bearable. I watched around 4 movies on various flights and killed an entire Nicholas Sparks book called "The Choice" on the way there. The movies I liked:
American beauty...I'd seen it before, but it is one of my favorite movies of all time. My mom hates it, and most people find it a bit too morbid...but I think it drives home a point that isn't heard nearly enough in this world. "There is so much beauty in the world, that I think my heart is going to swell up and burst...but then I breathe, and the beauty washes over me, travels through me and it's like I can see it all at once." Furthermore, there is beauty in sadness. A point probably only recognized by those that experience sadness less frequently, but nevertheless an important point.
Kung Fu Dunk: hella bad movie to the point of hilarity! Putting the nail in the coffin of the ole, do Asians get basketball argument. NO.
Duplicity: sorry Clive Owen, I fell asleep twice. Julia Roberts cannot carry a film anymore. She is no longer cute and her terrible acting is not tolerable anymore. (I never found her attractive or tolerable in the past, but this movie will make people start to agree with me)
Star Trek: Okay okay i get what people see in this movie....i guess it's good :/
The first leg: So we got delayed in JFK, which is a terrible airport. It's designed like DC as a wheel and spokes type of thing, but planes never leave on time, and air traffic control is inept. Couple that with a mechanical malfunction with our plane and you have yourself 4 hours on the tarmac and a crappy meal service to boot. Pictures from this leg of the flight were nonexistent. We got into Japan, missed our connector, spent the night getting shuffled to a
hotel, then fed deeeelicious food then shuffled back to the airport the next day.
Japan pics
this is the hotel
Banzai/peaceful garden. Japan rocks gardens...and breakfast! They've taken the best of french cuisine (croissants and other pastries) and coupled it with strange delicious fruits and assorted meat products! Little did I know we would never see bread for breakfast again on this trip :(
Narita Japan's Airport...WTF is that thing? It looks like a giant pillsbury doughboy made out of colorful glass...I didn't ask.
Japan was a short part of the trip but from what I can tell the place has it figured out. While I was there, I thought about writing a blog entry about what a world would be like without planned obsolescence. Japan is that world, and we have a LOT to learn from them. I'll spare you the rant however, and instead give you a hint of what's to come in the next entry.
This is the temple of heaven. It was beautiful and so full of life on a sunday. I got the sense that this was the place to be for fun and games with family and friends. There were groups playing badminton, and kicking around a Hack-y-sac like shuttlecock thingy. It was definitely a cultural experience. I would say its akin to hippies throwing frisby in the park.
where all sorts of fun can be had. This is in the top 5 skylines in the world for obvious reasons. The Pearl of the Orient is a gawdy, ugly, and ultimately quintessential piece of Shanghai's soul. This view is from the top of the Hyatt hotel where we went to high tea twice, and enjoyed a few sugary cocktails atop their roof bar. I highly recommend it.
mom littering...and enlightened monks
