The joys of tp

By the look of this photo, you'd think we went out and bought a puppy......no, not the case. Isabella has taken a fondness to eating toilet paper. Her favorite thing is to run into a bathroom, grab a piece and stick it in her mouth as fast as she can. As soon as Isabella sees me, she starts running the other way. I think it's completely hysterical and I usually let her grab a small piece to enjoy. I mean, how much damage can a piece of tp really do?

Lost in Translation

So, i am back in the US of A. here are 5 thoughts on Japan, the last leg of my trip:

1. The service is impeccable in Japan. Even at Coldstone (yes, i had Coldstone in Tokyo) they present the ice cream bowl ( I'm a "love it" guy for those of you wondering) with both hands, a slight bow, and a salutation.

2. The hype is real, the sushi in Japan is far better than the usa. I have neve rlike sushi. when our friends came out to Philly we went to a really nice sushi place in philly and I still "didn't feel the love". Well, i felt the love in Japan. i still haven't tried the sea urchin, but that is on the agenda for next trip.

3. Baseball is far more fun to watch in Japan than in the US. The atmosphere is more like a college football game. there are opposing bands, constant team songs, and chearleaders. Also, you can have "squid jerky (tried it; loved it), seaweed, and awhole host of other goodies.

4. The transportatopn system in Tokyo is the most complex I have ever seen in a major world city. I finally figured it, mostly, by the end, but it is incredible.

5. I look forward to going back.

Letters from Hong Kong

Top 5 things (in no particular order) about Hong Kong:

1. The skyline view. I was visiting NYC the week before and the view from the Kowloon peninsula to Hong Kong island is way more impressive than the view from New Jersey to Manhattan Island. As you can imagine, the folks here live right on top of each other.

2. The people. Customer service is highly emphasized here. I don't remember ever getting this kind of treatment/service at restaurants and hotels in the US or Europe.

3. International English-speaking Church Congregations: I went to Church on Sunday in a "high-rise". There are many foreign nannies over here so the english-speaking congregation consisted of 120+ Filipino woman and about 5 males. Apparently, the english-speaking, ex-pat congregation is on HK island.

4. Public Transportation: I have always been a big fan of public transportation when I travel. At my previous job, I had the reputation of the train guy while traveling in Europe. The company stopped arranging for transportation since I always took the trains and eschewed "car services". As to be expected, the public transportation is clean, effective, and affordable.

5. Mike Gonzales: Mike, who lived next door to us in San Jose, is a Creative Director for a toy company. He designs and builds sophisticated robot toys that are sold all over the world. Apparently, it is a huge business. he took me around (he has spent nealry 50% of his time over the past 2 years in HK, splitting time between CA and HK). It is fun to have someone take you around and show you the "untouristy" spots.

A long 2 weeks

Jason just left for a 2 week trip to Asia. Isabella is already anxiously awaiting his return.

Top 40

Isabella just released a new song and apparently it's a big hit in Asia.