The First Impression

How many times have we heard the expression "the first impression is what stays". These days I've been thinking about it, while discovering Tokyo as well as Japan for my first time.

The day I left Beijing on my way to the airport the taxi driver made me the usual questions: Where are you from? And How long have you been in China? To the first question, as usual, I had to explain where Spain is what is the main language spoken. The reference to the South of France was enough to indicate the location, then I had to explain that in Spain we do not speak French, but Spanish. Answering the second question, I realized that I have been already two years in China.

The renewal of my visa, which allows me a maximum continuous stay of 3 months in China, and a bit of work brought me to Japan. The first night, while dining at the nice Aoky’s place where the main menu was BBQ chicken with vegetables (Yakitori), I was thinking about the impressions you get during the first hours and days at a new place. A second, third or fourth time that the visit a place again is never the same, so that first time is a bit special.

One of the things that impressed me most is the cleanliness of Tokyo. Since I landed at Narita Airport - 60 km from central Tokyo - until I sat at Aoky’s restaurant, after travelling first by train, then by subway and finally walking through the streets of the neighbourhood where I stayed (Asakusa ), everything was scrupulously clean. Other think that drove my attention was the respect of the Japanese to meet the standards such as crossing signals (including pedestrians and bicycles), smoking only in designated areas (at street), making queues, etc.. This means that Tokyo, with 12 million people (4 times the sizes of Madrid and also candidate city for Olympics 2016) works relatively well and there is the feeling of chaos that exists in some other large cities like Tokyo.

Sure everything has its drawbacks. Last Saturday while conversing with Tomo (a Japanese friend I had met years ago in London) told me that he wanted to leave to live abroad again. It appears that this order and enforcement made it a nice life outside the office, but not inside it, which seems excessive regulated and does not leave much room for flexibility and creativity.

I thought I was very clearly about my first impression, but what I talked to Tomo made me think. Now, I will try to scratch the first impressions to make sure that I do not get it wrong…

The First Bath

Just a month a ago I had the opportunity to have the first sea bath of the year in the city of Hong Kong where the temperature is much warmer than in Beijing and where there is sea where to swim. Last weekend, my mobile telephone wanted to have the first swim at the West Lake of the city of Hanghzhou – near Shanghai.

Mi had holding the telephone hit one person walking next to me and the telephone went, first to the ground and then to the water. A couple of people and I could see how the telephone was going into the wather (glu-glu-glu…).

One of the person who saw it, quickly called the police whom five minutes latter was there. The first method they tried was with a long stick attached to a basket. One of the staff of the lake saw that the solutions to take the telephone out had to be different.

Two phone calls followed – at that stage I decided to wait calm seating in a chair that they provided to me – and 15 minutes latter a small boat arrived with two people onboard. They brought a simple stick of 2meters long with a magnetic at the end. Another 10 minutes were enough to take the telephone out of the water.

I thank them for the very good service free of charge they had just provided to me. They did not want to accept any monetary compensation. I could read on their eyes saying that that was their job and they were already paid for that.

Only 45 minutes before, when the telephone mobile wanted to have the first bath of the season, I thought that it was going to be almost impossible to take it back. However, China surprised aging very positevely and I even reckon that very few lakes in the World have such a good service.

Zhaoji

More than a year ago while attending to Chinese class I learned the Chines word “zhaoji”. The pronunciation could be something similar to “jaoji” with an increasing tone on both syllabus. The meaning is “to be worry” or “to be anxious”.

The Chinese lesson was about the family members. In one sentence a guy whom had not got married yet was worried. Our teacher, also single, was also on the same boat. I, at that moment, did not understand the dimension of that worries.

During more than a year I had the opportunity to meet few Chinese boys and girds above 25 years old. Very often, if they were not married or did not have a stable couple started to be worried. One of the main reasons is the social pressure towards younger Chinese getting married as well as the pressure received from the family. Very often, such pressure comes from up to 6 direct family members (2 parents and 4 grandparents) due to China’s Single Child Policy.

Today, at one of the old Imperial summer residence (City of Chengde of 200.000 people) in a 500 meters walking distance I saw up to 3 stands promoting the wedding business. This places even had beautiful models showing wedding dresses in order to attract clientele.

I believe these wedding business is one more element in the Chinese society that contributes to put pressure on people still not married. Now, I understand a bit better why our teacher was putting a lot of emphasis on the word: “zhaoji”, “zhaoji”

Stand by me

STAND BY ME (IN THE STREETS OF THE WORLD... It seems that some guys have been going around the World recording to musicians on the street the same song: "Stand by me" by Ben E. King. They have mix all together and the result is the below interesting video. There are musicians from Santa Monica (USA), California (USA), Nueve Orleans (USA), Lusiana (USA), Amsterdam (Netherlands), a group of Indians drumers from New Mexico (USA); a russian cellist; a chore of women in South Africa.. and more people from Barcelona (Spain), Caracas (Venezuela), Congo and Rio de Jaeiro (Brasil). All of them were street musicians.

Entropa

This morning while reading the newspaper from Beijing – I returned last 7th of January - in Internet I saw a news that drove my attention: Entropa.

I take this opportunity to tell you that I had a very good time back in Spain surrounded of family, friends a good food. The three kings whom are in Spain in charge to bring you the presents during Christmas period decided to put on my “personal luggage” 2-3 extra kilos. My luggage when returning to Beijing also came overweighed of traditional Spanish products – making an exception to my recent tradition to travel light. They guy from KLM who made my check-in at Barajas Airport (just 2 days before the big snow) told me: “You have some overweight – haven`t you?” I was just about to reply him that it was due to the good Chirstmas meals, and I just realised he meant my suitcase…

Mr. Sarkozy also packed his suitcase to leave the EU presidency and passed it over Mr. Topolánek. I have to say, that the news I have read so far about Mr. Topolánek were not very encouraging as he seems to be Euro sceptic. However, I liked the initiative that may be his team had to have Eurotropa.

The EU presidency normally provides with a pice of art during the 6 months of presidency. This time Eurotropa was the contribution of 27 European artists where each one contributed with some kind of stereotype of his or her own country.

You can find from the map of Spain full of concrete, referring to the last few years construction fibre to the strike tradition of France, passing for the football as one of the most important for Italians.

As I do not like much Mr. Topolánek, I plan to stay here in China at least 6 more months