Horseback Riding

It's been a while since the last post. I thought that I have to abandon this blog, since the Chinese gov't is blocking all the English bloggers. I never know that the corp site would actually allow the access. (Cross thingers)





Anyway, the Tokyo trip was a nice break/gettaway. Came back in HZ on 10/14, but I felt very different compare to the arrival back in May. The excitement level has decreased. (I still like HZ, but not sure whether I would like it more in the future.)





Okay, so much about my deep thinking. Let's get to the fun part. Oct 17, Saturday, after long/unsuccessful recruitment, I decided to go Horse back riding with few, 2 to be exact, colleagues. As usual, I got up late, and had to take taxi to meet up with them @ one of the public bus stop. Surprisely, there were two new faces. (young boys of cause) The bus ride to the place, da qin valley, was a torturing I have never rode with so many ppl in one bus. I was screaming for air when I got on. But gladly, as the bus pulled further away from the city, the crowd got smaller.





The 1st impression of the place was "it small, and are we sure we'll have fun here?!" (to ppl in Boston, I'll not bring u there, I can hear the complains already) I got there during the lunch time, but I'm not going to comment on the food. It wasn't bad from the local standard.... But after lunch, as I breath, the smell of the fresh grass, light breeze, and comfortable heat from the sun, everything becoming attractive. (maybe my emplenty stomach was the main factor of the negative impression when I arrived)





We explored around the area. There are plenty of greens. We can do horseback riding, fishing, & playing cards/MJ. Sound fun. But the visiting of the horse's shelter, is nothing close to fun. Man, it smells like a sh*thole, but can't blame the owner, those horses are big in size. So do their wastes. Anyway, I was very happy when I spot a white horse. He is handsome! (but could use a nice bath!) So after about half hr waiting time, (apparently horses are run on a very strik schedule, their lunch break has to be 1 hr), I finally got the chance to have a moment with my white horse.
Getting on to his back, was much harder than I expected. He was so much talker in person, the instructor literately had to lift me up to the back. That was the time I felt bad about my weight, he was suffering! (sorry) Anyway, it felt good to be on the top of the horse. Great view! I hawl the horse, and he start strode down the riding lane. He was pretty grace, kept on with a confortable speed. But shortly, I noticed that he was tailgate the other brown horse. The tail of the brown horse was sweep the dusks into my face. Errggg...
Then, when we were about half way down the path, both horses stop. They stick their head out of the track and eating off the bushes. I tien the rope, but my White horse got a such attitude, he almost wipe me out of his back! I tried everything, and still couldn't make him move, not even an inch! Then I heard someone was talking around the corner, (I later discovered that it was the instructor), both horses started to run like their ass was on fire.
Man, I was frighened, so bad that I held on to the hairs on the back of horse head. So tie that I felt the pain in my palm! I thought these two hours would never stop. But surprisly, they stop right away when we get to the start point, where the instructor sat! When the instructor asked with a big smile:"would you like to go for another round, it'll only be 50 extra?" I rejected right away.
& after we got off from the horse, the instructor jocking asked, how I like my White Hores Prince? I said,"never in my life, i would want to ride a white horse again!" & guess what, the white hores actually heard me, and left his front feet, and screamed at me!
oohiii, one lesson to learn, never piss off a horse, especially a white one. hahahaha

Tokyo Weekend the fun starts on Friday nite (I)

(the dinner place)

(Ika yakitori)

(the Jp Pizza, very tasty)

(The French bread w/ japanese curry filling)

man, I didn't get to the bed till 2am in the morning. I had lunch with Mori-san's sister, Shino, the girl works in Shanghai, speaks fluent Chinese. She brought some moon cake and goodies from Shanghai. A very sweet lady. Then it comes the dinner for Tobe-san's farewell. Man ppl can be really different outside the cubicles. Although I didn't understand most of the conversation, especially after most of them got drunk, but I enjoyed the night.

(The Nagoya style Unagi don, eat in 4 steps with 3 ways)

Woke up @9:30 and getting ready for the shopping trip with Chika-san & Ayano-san. 1st stop: Akihabara. Famous for the electronics. I was looking for a foot steamer for Dad, but didn't get much luck. But the lunch @Una Syo was very satisfying.

Nagoya style: Eat Unagi don eat in 4 steps.

1st, try a bowl with Rice with eel and adding more unagi sauce.

2nd, then another bowl with rice, eel, adding dry sweed, wasabi, & hua jiao (spicy)

3rd, 3rd bowl with 2nd step and add udon soup.

4th, continue to finish the rest of the don, with your favor eating style.

After lunch we continue the shopping trip and hit Ueno. @Ueno, there are many discount stores for everything. But we hit Takeya first for cosmetics. Found great deals on Utena mask. I bought 20 boxes for the girls @work. (But I might change my mind, maybe I'm saving more boxes for myself) Got whole year supply of mascaras, makeup, pair of Cimarron jeans. Then we went for the local snacks & sweets. I'm not sure if everything I bough is going to taste good, I'm they sure look good. very cute wrappings. I don't remember if I have bought other stuff, but there were 3 big bags, and they are heavy.

We then took the train to Asakusa. There are streets full with Kitchen supplies. very cute dishes and tools. Just browsing thorough the shop, it's making me want to get a house and decorate my kitchen & dinning room with these unique designers of tools. Oh, the sushi chief knigh. They're Expensive! but a good blade can be use for years & years, till the whole knight use out with little bit of the blade.

After whole day of walking, we headed to get dinner. It's a very traditional Japanese Style BBQ house. It has been open for many many decades and served Japanese pizza. The restaurant is very localish. Tatami without wholes under the table (I can only sit like a man), no air conditioner (instead electronic fan & paper fan)...anyway, it's very interesting. The way to make the Jp pizza is first cook the meat, then lay out the dour& top with mixed veggie & dry small shrimp, bake till it's ready. then add salt, peper, sweed, special sauce (looks like unagi sauce or katsui sauce). I think it's more like a pancake than pizza, but very tasty. Then we order the noodle, the waitress made it for us, it requires more skill to pull them all together and cook. Ouishi..The desert is a crepe like pancake with red bean paste. It's good with cup of ice Ooloug team. By the time we finish the meal, it was about 8:30. But on the way to Chika-san's apartment, when we pass by a Ika yakitori place, I could resist and stop by for a take out of 8 yakitories. Men, OOOOOuiishii.

First few days in Tokyo -bz trip

9-30 dinner @Hana daily special bento

9-28 dinner, that was the 2nd order..too good

9-29 lunch the local Udon with Goose meat. very tasty & big

9-28 lunch the katsui plate. the deep fried whole fish didn't have any bones.

9-27 lunch. Local noodle with red miso

It was a bit of rush of planning on the business trip to Tokyo, in between the Chinese Harp lessons (I was behind on the homeworks) and searching for painting lessons. Did not have enought time for planning the trip, but all I know was that I need few extra days for personal travel. Luckly, the collegues in Tokyo (the SH gang) has already planed my visit. So they book the flight & hotel to Hokkaido for me. So look forward to that.

So all it was left for me to worry was to get enough JPY for the trip. With the price tags in Tokyo I was planning with 3k usd equ. JPY. So I took half day off made a trip to Bank of China. After nearly half hr wait (filled about 5 forms) and they told me I can only withdraw/exchange max of $500 per day because I'm a foreigner! eggrrr..... But, lucky, one of the collegue at work didn't mind to do the exchange for me. Save!

9/26, Saturday, The driver came on time and got to the airport on time. (there were accident in the highway, but lucky it was a exit ahead, not much impact) The flight was delayed for 10 minuets. Not so bad at all. As usual I pass out the moment the flight took off. Didn't even had the chance to check out my neighbor. All I know was that it was a him. Woke up once for the food. I have to say, I was very satisfied with the Bento Box. (Wanling & Shu, I'll pretty sure you'll be happy with that) But I forgot to take the picture. Fall back to sleep again. hahaha I'm indeed a Flying Pig! oh, my neighbor helped me with my backpack when we landed. He is a hansom middle age man.

The Japanese Custom is extra conscious with foreigner's health check. It took average of 5 minuet for each passages to go through the health check. I saw at least 4 guests were taken to the clinic for special treatments. But no much noises. It didn't take long to get my luggage and the Limousin bus ticket to Roppongi. The ride was about 1.5 hr. When I was in the bus, I saw a sign with a guy on the left and a lady on the right alone with no smoking sign. I wondered if it means gentlemen sit on left, and ladies sit on right. (but I later found out that it was the direction for the toilet!)

The hotel is very easy to find, only had one set of stairs to work on. The keys for the door are surprisly manual. I would think that when every else is using the card key, Tokyo should have something more advance. But what shot me more, was the size of the room. So tinny, and there are 5 doors! one for the toilet, bath room, makeup room, bedroom, kitchen, and within that tinny space, they still manager to fit in a space where u change ur shoes. The only think I really like about the place is the toilet (heated seat with washing function) & the auto water control to make the bath!

I spent most Sunday on Midtown area. Visted Washi (paper art) museum, only Japanese would spend so much effect on making paper in art forms. The paper flower, clothing, kimono, decoration are quite amazing. (I didn't find any place mentioning that the papermaking technique was from China, but the it did mention that the technique was for making Japanese style paper) The photographing exibition was enjoyable too. If I drink, I would join the free wine tasting too. (there is more on Sunday, but since the journal is getting long, it's better if I skip this time)

Monday, Ayano-san met me up at the front door and show me the way to the office. (feels good when u don't have to fight to get in the eleavator, and hold ur breath while in the eleavator, there is alway line for register) Had good time meeting with new ppls in Tokyo office. I'll continue tomorrow nite to tell u all about the working exprience in Tokyo. Very different working culture. see and learn a lot too.

okay, here are some pic of the food I had in the pass few days.