2011 in Review: Trip to Tokyo

This is a largely unedited email I sent to my friends on the 5^th March about my trip to Tokyo, which I had just returned from. Japan was struck by that terrible earthquake a few days later, which even affected Tokyo. I actually remember getting off the plane and thinking what to do if an earthquake struck. I realised that I would be completely clueless, so it’s a good thing that I didn’t stay a week longer.

This was the only time in my 6 month trip that I took photos. I can’t stand it when people keep taking photos of social occasions and hate the way some people can seem more obsessed with recording their lives than actually living them. However, I thought that I really couldn’t return from weird and wonderful Japan without any photos. I wrote a lot of comments under the photos, because there was a lot to write about. Ah, Tokyo, how I miss you so.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=280219&id=508828352&l=0cc1c6b0b3 

"So…… Tokyo.

In short, loved it -  everything was just fascinating, anything in Japanese just sounds so wacky, there is just so much going on, it was rich in culture - both old and new and great vibes at night. Particularly loved the youth sub-cultures (particularly Rockabilly!) which are distinctly lacking in Singapore.

Though what struck me most about Japan was how calm it was. Narita is about 90 minutes north of Tokyo by train, so it’s a rather different place. The train station in Narita seemed very ordinary and quiet. It was soothing and peaceful to stare outside of the window on the train to Tokyo as I whizzed pass the peaceful suburbs.

My guesthouse was in a lovely peaceful area called Iriya – which though being very much off the tourist trail, it is only one train stop away from Ueno park (place of the National Tokyo Museum and various Shinto shrines). It was a place that felt like the “real Japan” – a very residential area filled with small ‘mom and pop” restaurants and shops. Again, it completely defied my pre-conceptions of a bustling consumer driven Tokyo. I loved my guesthouse (Sakura Ryokan – again definitely recommend it – about £40 a night), very clean, very big (again completely defying expectations of Tokyo).

The Tokyo of your dreams lies in Shibuya – it’s here that you get the late night shoppers, crowded street and bright neon lights. Shinjuku is more of the same thing – but more compact and almost overwhelming (plus slightly seedier). Another area that is a must see for shopping (you’ll get the more affordable clothes – there’s even a 400 yen shop!!) and general Tokyo-bustle is Harajuku, additionally Harajuku park is a sight to see for the youth groups that gather on Sunday.

My hotel on the second night (and only for the second night) was a capsule hotel in Shinjuku – yes it was a capsule. The size of the capsule was fine (though it was really stuffy and hot), but though putting a way my bags was a bit of a hassle since my luggage was vastly bigger than the narrow locker I had. However, what made it worthwhile was the communal Japanese bath house, which was very soothing after a long night walking the streets of Shinjuku. You get the impression it really is a hangout joint for some of the guys there, particularly in the outside baths where people talked loudly and watched TV – making feel a bit like a local pub.

There’s a brilliant description of the baths in the Shinjuku Green Plaza Capsule hotel information leaflet (it’s a nice example of Japanese English):

“We are pleased to offer "the huge public bath" which has been one of the most preferred cultures among all kinds of Japanese people, men and women, young and old, poor or rich, for thousands of years.

We all love to soak in the hot water containing minerals, humming with our eyes half closed, which is the precious relaxing time for all of our nations. We wish that you visitors will share this bliss with us, but please remember, putting your personal towel in the bath tub is regarded as a very rude manner! Let's keep it clean and comfortable for all of us including yourself. We are sure you will love it, and you might be addicted. The only bad thing about this is that you cannot bring it home even you love it very much!”

One thing that I really found fascinating about Japan was all the adverts. I was really drawn to these Softbank ads that I kept seeing on the metro (lots of trains have these screens pumping muted adverts out to commuters). Of course I didn’t really have idea what was going on in them until I looked them up on youtube. They really are joyfully absurd.

Plus there are loads of beer ads and posters, which are often extremely simple (few gimmicks or punch-lines) and very effective (I was constantly on the look-out for Sapparo, Suntory and Kirin). They often consist of smiling attractive people drinking beer or simply just holding out a frothy filled glass). Incidentally, the beer tastes amazing in japan, since it’s usually served real cold with a large frothy head!

People told me that people don’t know any English in Japan. There is certainly some truth to this, though this wasn’t necessarily so. In Tokyo you are rarely going to find someone that speaks fluent conversational English – however most people will know words here and there… often enough to help you out. Additionally, all train stations have English maps, plus (to my surprise) there are often English announcements on the trains. I would be comfortable saying, for an English speaker, Tokyo is an easy place to get around.

However if you go to Tokyo you really should speak a bit of Japanese (if anything just to be polite). You have lots of opportunities to practice the phrases, and I found Japanese to be easier to pick up than mandarin. You can find a lot of Japanese mini-tutorials on Youtube.

On the first day the typical reactions to my Japanese were awkwardly polite wide-eyed stares. However after four days most people could understand my “A-go Ha-na-she Mas-ka”, often responding with “a little”.

Here are some phrases which I kept close at hand:

Ot– ter–ra-e: Toilet

Mi–zu: Water

A-go Ha-na-she Mas-ka : Do you speak English (very important! However, this may be a shortened impolite way of asking it)

Ee-Ye-Ri  So Gen-Des: I’m English (This phrase could be incorrect as when I said it I often got clueless stares)

Ohio Go-zie-e-mas: Good Morning

Sini–ma–sen : Excuse Me (to get someone’s attention, particularly in a restaurant, though I think it can also be used as an apology)

Si-yo-na-ra : Goodbye (though probably more accurately translates as “Farewell”)

Kon-ni-chi-wa: Good Afternoon (though pretty much a general greeting)

A-go Men-yu?: English Menu? (a lot of menus come with pictures)

Itch-chi: One

Ah-re-ga-toe Go-zie-e-mas: Thank you (I used this more than any other phrase)

Hi: Yes (though it also is used in a variety of context, as an acknowledgement similar to “okay”)

E – ey: No

Also, if you are travelling in Japan it is handy to keep a pen and paper on you at all times. Even if people can’t speak fluent English, they can be familiar with written words or the Romanisation of certain Japanese places. A pad of paper can also be rather useful for asking the price of certain things.

Additionally, if you want to travel definitely check out the Japanese National Tourism Office website (JNTO) for information videos and information on the various Volunteer Good Will Guided Tours (I went on 3 (two of which lasted 2 hours), they are mainly on the weekends and they are FREE!). [The Good Will Guides are pictured on the right]

I could really go on for ages about Tokyo (Akihabara electronics district, Muji, the genuine politeness, the neat and tidy atmosphere (though certainly not boring and clinical), Ginza, Edo-Tokyo museum, Asakusa, the fact that Monday is the tourist industry’s Sabbath, Maid Cafés, the fact that food is NOT as expensive as people say it is, credit cards are not accepted everywhere), but I think I’ve gone on long enough.

Simply, if you’ve got the time (4 or 5 nights is just about enough for Tokyo) and money, then just go! You’ll find your feet and have fun, even if you go by yourself."

2011 in Review: Trip to Hong Kong

Here’s an edited email I sent friends in early March about my trip to Hong Kong, which I visted in mid-February 2011. I actually felt overjoyed to be outside of Singapore. It made me wonder if I really missed London or if I simply loathed Singapore. As I wrote in the email, it was great to see people I knew again. I still remember getting out of Tsim Sha Tsui station, the weather was about 14 degrees and it felt like a chilly early spring day in London. I think I was literally jumping with joy. Somehow I felt that Hong Kong was a city of endless possibilities in a way that Singapore never could be.

"When I got out of Tsim Sha Tsui Station, I was just over-joyed and I had a smile solidly plastered on my face. As I went to my small box room I was still gleaming as I looked out the window, “I’m in HONG KONG!” - I felt like screaming to myself! (BTW – I would definitely recommend the place I stayed at for anyone planning to travel to Hong Kong. It was called Majestic House, it was in the centre of TST (one of the more happening parts of South Kowloon) and it was less than £30 a night.

If you ever come to Hong Kong you have to go to the south coast of TST at night. You get can the whole of Hong Kong lit up and see the array of skyscrapers that line the whole north coast of Hong Kong Island.

Hong Kong was a lot colder than I anticipated (though of course, nothing compared to winter in England – but hey, I’ve been in Singapore for the past month!).

Whilst walking around causeway bay one of May’s friends pointed out how in Hong Kong the shops layout is really 3 dimensional, as in shops aren’t just on the ground floor – instead you have to look up and all around you, making sure that you can be aware of the shops/cafés that have their signs and premises on the 2nd and 3rd floors of buildings. You can always find these great dessert café tucked away in the obscure places. In the central Hong Kong Island area you get a sense of grandeur, of everything being around you in a place that never sleeps. The food was of course amazing, particularly the Dim Sum. I rarely had any anything that I hadn’t had before, but the food was just familiar favourites done to a higher quality, the flavours were often richer and the textures were more balanced.

Hong Kong is basically Singapore if it was more lived-in, a Singapore with a soul. Exiting the station I realised how much Hong Kong reminded me of London (it was rather cold, considering I’ve been in an equatorial region for the last month!), with its bustling life and glooming skies (this was to remain for the duration of my entire trip).

Of course the main joy of Hong Kong was the fact that May and Christine (people I know! And they’re my age!) are there, and they know other cool people there. It’s hard to remove my joy of Hong Kong from my joy of hanging out with friends. It was particularly cool when we went out clubbing, since there did seem to be a huge community of English speaking Chinese (I was dreading the prospect of being in the dark whilst over a dozen people spoke Cantonese over me). The evening was great and of course I got drunk, I still can’t really remember much that happened on a 2 hour window frame. Though I more or less sobered up around about 5ish and took an extortionately priced taxi back to my place.

The next day I went met up with May and Xing Ni (one of May’s friends – though I’ve met her a handful of times since she studied at Imperial) for Dim Sum. My hang over was more or less kicking in whilst we waited for our restaurant seat – with me just about being able to muster the strength to use my chopsticks.

I did make a day trip to Macau, which I can’t say I particularly enjoyed (on reflection I probably should have made a day trip to the more rural parts of Hong Kong, such as the South Coast or the New Territories. Unless gambling is your thing, I’m not sure if Macau is really that worth it. It’s not that much of a big deal for me since you can gamble in London and as a foreigner I’m allowed to gamble unrestricted in Singapore (I think Singaporean have to pay a $100 entrance fee to their own casinos!). I went to a casino and I felt like “yeah, it’s a casino”. The Venetian is apparently one of the grander casinos, with Renaissance style frescos on the ceiling and gondolas giving rides in the canal that surrounds the casino. Though I think to really enjoy it you really do have to be into what the casino was made for.

The interesting thing is that whilst Macau has its own currency the casino gambles exclusively in Hong Kong Dollars. In fact virtually the whole of Macau accepts Hong Kong dollars (with the exchange rate being one HK dollar for one Macau dollar). The historical area was fairly interesting, though it pretty much just reminded me of Malacca (another former Portuguese colony in Malaysia). In fact besides the Portuguese road signs, there isn’t much that indicates it was a Portuguese colony a dozen years ago (though I’ve never been to Portugal and apparently there are a good portion of people who are bilingual in Cantonese and Portuguese). The more residential areas of Macau are pretty boring and extremely polluted – you feel giddy and suffocated with the exhaust fumes that surround you.

Hong Kong feels like a cross between Singapore and Macau. Hong Kong has the infrastructure of Singapore and the sense of being a developed financial hub, with the lived in worn-down accommodation, it has the dirt that makes it alive and real. However Macau feels like it has the bustle and worn-out dereliction of Hong Kong, but without the sense of anything really happening there. I imagine it’s what parts of Hong Kong may have been like in the 1930s before it turned into the New York of East Asia.

Anyway, loved my time in Hong Kong – hopefully I’ll be able make more trips in the future (the flight was only £130 return from Singapore!)”

2011 in Review: Arriving in Singapore

This time last year I was working in Harrods and making preparations for my emigration to Singapore. I thought I could be gone for several years before returning. However, I returned to London in less than 6 months, after what was a varied and eye opening experience.

I sent a few emails out to some of my friends who made me a lovely farewell card and so the email updates were sort of a reward to them for going through the trouble.

This is the first email I sent (though it has been edited and cut down). This was sent on the 30th January 2011, after being in Singapore for about 2 weeks.

Apparently, this email was interpreted by its readers as a depressing plea for help. Well, it wasn’t intended to be miserable, but I can’t say I was entirely happy in Singapore at the time. Much like now I was somewhat confused about my life, but I was also wondering if I could actually bring myself to living in another part of the world (let alone Singapore, a city renowned for being suffocatingly boring) for a few years, which could easily lead on to being the rest of my life. I felt thoroughly sick of London by the time I left and was filled with wanderlust, so I found it shocking how much I missed life in the UK. I was filled with anxiety when I realised that I would ultimately have to decide if Singapore was truly a place where I could spend the rest of my life. 

My gut reaction to this was a nauseating “NO!”

“My time in Singapore has been interesting in its purposeful nothingness. I’ve made a deliberate attempt to not do holiday stuff whilst here and instead try to get a feel for what it is like to live in this strange foreign land. I’ve made sure not to turn this into a trip of simply meeting up with old relatives and friends of my parents. 

Singapore actually isn’t that hot at the moment, since it’s currently the wet season it can be rather nice and breezy (though on days such as this I can be stranded indoors due to the heavy rain). 

I’m currently living with my cousins and my uncle. Living with my cousins is better than I thought it would be, though there is this highly peculiar family make up. The whole family feels rather fractured (largely due to a divorce) with everyone keeping very much to themselves. The family never eat together, and it is not unusual for everyone to get their own meals and eat out separately. 

The headlines can make be a rather interesting contrast. Yesterday’s dramatic headline in the Straits Times was “Number of job vacancies hit a 4 year high” which does make a refreshing change from news about cuts and lengthening dole queues. Though it’s interesting to find familiarity in the concerns both countries have, with Lee Kuan Yew (the “Minister Mentor” and de facto king of Singapore) recently discussing the issue of Musilm integration and threats of radical jihadists.

The most interesting change in my trip this time is me bringing my laptop and my continuous access to the internet. What made previous trips different is that I often watched local TV (something that I have rarely done this time round) and read the local papers. The difference this time is that I’m still seeing the same newsfeeds online that I get in the UK – giving me the sensation that I still haven’t really left home. In this globalised world the internet allows us to take our personalised experience with us to every corner of the globe. It’s not so much a “small world after all”; rather it is whatever we want our world to be (or appear as). I’m still reading British papers and listening to BBC podcasts, still being partially connected to my London experience.


The odd thing is how much I realise I love London, Singapore is just lacking in something, and has a certain empty feel. One thing that I find quite disconcerting is the wide spaces, indoor shopping culture and the absence of bustle that you get in London. Things are more or less the same price as London, though live music is rare and alcohol is really expensive. It’s strange, as I realise how much I miss all the little things in London, such as having family meals, eating out with friends, walking around High Holborn, taking the bus to Croydon high-street, getting groceries in Sainsbury’s, drinking in the Wetherspoons pub.

I guess a part of the issue is that I don’t really have anyone to hang out with, since my cousins are rather to themselves and I don’t really know anyone my own age here. It does make me wonder if I could work here for several years. Anyways, I’m going off to Malaysia on Tuesday for Chinese New Year celebrations and hopefully a few travels.”

Well, I guess that there is a bit of a miserable and moody tone. Fortunately, things got better and more interesting over the next few months.

Shaun Tey's humble opinion on this year's new music

This year I generally stuck to my charity shop rummages (discovery highlights being Stephen Malkmus’s debut album, Sleigh Bells’ debut album, Grandaddy’s Sumday, Ryan Adams’ Heartbreaker).

However, I thought I’d write about the new albums that have made me happy this year. I actually haven’t reviewed albums in nearly a decade; in fact I hardly even read reviews anymore. Reviewing has always been fiendishly difficult, since I can never be bothered to listen to lyrics and discover meaning in the song and all that nonsense – but anyhow – here are three reviews right up:

St Vincent - Strange Mercy

This was my favourite new album of the year. St Vincent (Annie Clark) has previously caught my attention since she seemed to give fascinating interviews (plus crikey, just look her! She’s so gorgeous!), but I never listened that carefully to her songs (which I thought could be a bit over orchestral)

However I heard the new songs off ‘Strange Mercy’ when watching her 4AD sessions a few weeks ago. (http://www.4ad.com/sessions/010 Check it out!) These performances completely blew me away. They bring out the layered sounds and stellar guitar work that make this album so astounding. In fact, being able to see how Clark constructs her songs live really adds something to the tracks. Plus, the way Clarks uses the noise from her guitar is far more prominent.

It’s Annie Clark’s intricate guitar work that makes this album so unique. She doesn’t just strum along to provide a background to her voice. Instead, each time she strikes the strings it’s with a specific purpose, it’s with the intention of adding a specific effect to her songs. In a single song the guitar can switch several times from providing a soft echoing accompaniment to a giving a blistering noise-laden fuzz. The guitar burrs a thick distorted rumble on tracks like ‘Chloe in the Afternoon’, which mesh well with the ambient synth backdrops.

In a recent interview she said that she is working on a project with David Byrne. You can definitely hear the influence of Talking Heads (particularly the ‘Remain in Light’ era) in the way the guitar is used during solos to deliver these great elongated contorted sounds. A great example is the wonky guitar solo in ‘Surgeon’ which recalls David Byrne's killer guitar freak-outs from ‘The Great Curve’ and ‘Cross-Eyes and Painless’.

The 11 tracks work well together as an album, but there are still a few standout tracks. My favourite is album’s title track ‘Strange Mercy’, which has a grand majestic quality. I’m not someone who pays attention to lyrics, but there is something almost cinematic about the song’s grandiose chorus “If I ever meet that dirty policeman who roughed you up, No I don't know what”. It sounds beautifully protective and the tenderness of lyrics meld wonderfully with the soaring guitars. Instruments, great vocals and an array of experimental guitar sounds melding together effectively is what makes ‘Strange Mercy such a strong album.

Best tracks: ‘Strange Mercy’, ‘Year of the Tiger’, ‘Surgeon’

Let’s Wrestle – Nursing Home

‘Nursing Home’ has songs which are full of energy and pack awesome distorted guitars, but are ultimately grounded in a poppy bounciness.

They sound like a British Pavement, making lo-fi tracks, with songs that embody a lo-fi spirit. There’s this Pavement-like slacker edge to them, such as ‘In the Suburbs’ and ‘I’m so lazy’, little songs about the little things in life. There’s quite a range to songs on the record. There’s the chugging guitars and urgency of ‘Dear John’, the playful ‘There’s a rock star in my room’ and earnest pleadings of ‘I am useful’.

What makes the band great is that their songs pack sincerity. They make music that’s genuine, they’re not trying to be cool, they’re not putting on an act. The ‘sounds like the band is in the room with you’ production adds to the immediacy of the songs, making it seem like they’ve been put together on the spot, giving them an enjoyable raw emotional bite.

Best tracks: ‘Dear John’, ‘Getting Rest’

Veronica Falls – Self-titled Debut

Veronica Falls are the only band I saw twice in 2011 and their stint supporting the Dum Dum Girls at ULU was probably the best support performance I’ve seen this year.

They’ve gotten stick for being a mopey hipster band – but this album has some great tunes, with a hard hitting folksy 60s sound and some nice harmonies. They sound like a 60s Christian folk group showing off their dark side. In fact they remind me of the 70s folk band Steeleye Span as well as the jangle-pop of early My Bloody Valentine.

There are whimsy pop tracks like ‘Stephen’ and the utterly joyful ‘The Box’ (complete with a beachy reverb-laden guitar solo!). Though it’s their more thudding moody tracks like ‘Bad Feeling’, ‘Right Side of my Brain’ and ‘Found love in the graveyard’ that allow the band to come into their own. Their 60s nostalgia and tendency to evoke a Hammer Horror feel makes them sound a bit like the Horrors (before they became a boring wannabe 80s post-punk band). It’s particularly clear on tracks like Beachy Head. Even some of their poppier tracks like “Wedding Day”, pack a mischievous dark wink.

The band has found a great sound, packing great drumming and the sweet vocals of the lead female vocalist with simple hooky guitar work.

Best Tracks: ‘Right Side of my Brain’, ‘Bad Feeling’, ‘The Box’