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My birthday is coming up towards the end of this month, and my companion has decided to take me on a road trip down to Southern California (Los Angeles to be exact). We are going to drive my new station wagon (which I found out is also categorized as a “shooting-brake station wagon” in car/auto language) down to Los Angeles for an extended 3-day weekend & just relax. I’ve got my fingers crossed hoping that the weather will be warm enough for a no-sweater-necessary weekend getaway.
Ok, so from where we live (near San Francisco), Los Angeles doesn’t seem like such an exotic or very exciting place to “get away”, but it’s a place very familiar to us that we want to explore more of. Plus, it’s the most affordable option, since April seems to be one of the most expensive months out of the year to travel, & we just want to go there dang-nab-it. Oh yeah… Also, my husband wanted to do something special for my birthday while saving some money by driving instead of flying, since we’re traveling overseas at the end of the year…again. Yes, we’re going to Asia again. Our friends are getting married in Taiwan, so we will be there for 1 week. Then, we planned a 10-day layover in Japan to lower the cost of the plane tickets. (It was less expensive for us to book a flight with a layover rather than fly direct.)
I chose to head to Los Angeles for my birthday & try the local food scene over there. I live near San Francisco & practically go there every weekend, so I’ve pretty much plunged right into the whole foodie culture/movement. I’m not quite at the organic-everything, gluten-free, açai, kale veggie, foodie level… BUT… I have sort-of gotten into the whole locally-sourced, small-batch, seasonal ingredients menu, phase. I thought it would be cool to try out some local (& possibly hip, but not hipster) places to eat. I’m also on a quest to find some tasty pastries & non-Starbucks coffee while we’re there. For my birthday, my companion & I made reservations at a semi-swanky restaurant close to the hotel. (I’m staying at The Standard hotel in Downtown LA by the way.)
It’s only a 3-day trip, but I’m very much looking forward to it. I’ve decided to treat myself to a special manicure with nail art at my favorite Japanese nail salon (Marie Nails), & my companion is going to get his hair cut at a traditional-style old school barber shop (Baxter Finley Barber & Shop) which he read also serves whiskey & other alcoholic beverages to its customers. The birthday getaway trip is only a few short weeks away, but I’m already anticipating it with a child-like excitement. Cheers!
My New Year’s resolution? Well it’s quite simple, you see. It involves a bit of traveling. Well, that’s my personal resolution for 2013. I am hoping to do a little more traveling before really settling down. This year, I am trying to plan at least one big trip (a final hurrah, if you will), possibly to one of these places:
1. LONDON! Yes, yes. I would indeed love to visit this rich city, one which I have never visited before. I have very much professed my longing desire to visit this city to my husband, but he has always been hesitant to travel to London. Instead, he prefers to travel to Asia (i.e. China &/or Japan) mostly to visit close friends & relatives. I think this year may be the right time for us…
2. RIO DE JANEIRO… For a number of years, I have been contemplating the idea of visiting this bright city, the foundation of my passion for Bossa Nova music. What solidified my lust to travel to Rio? Why, the animated movie RIO of course! That movie really painted an irresistible panoramic view of the city I long to visit someday… Maybe I could lay on the beach & pretend that I am that girl from Ipanema.
3. My husband & I have been toying with the possibility of traveling back to Japan again. However, this time, we would like to visit other cities besides Tokyo. I’ve visited Kyoto once before & would love to visit there again with my husband. Oh the possibilities! 2013, we’ll just have to wait & see.
4. Insert obligatory Breakfast at Tiffany’s photo here. Yep. It’s New York City. My husband’s best friend, Peter, shares a birthday with me. (His birthday is the day before mine.) We had some grand scheme to go to New York for our birthday(s) this year as a group until Peter & his newly wedded bride recently bought their first home & won’t be able to go. But…the show must go on, & I am currently trying to convince my husband to take me back to his old neighborhood in Manhattan. (I felt so cheated when I got severely ill on my first trip to NYC & was holed up in the hotel room for 3 days straight.)
2013 is a new year…a time to start fresh. Unfortunately, things have already gotten off to a rocky start. We will be moving out of our apartment at the end of this month (due to an insane rent hike & some specific family matters), & we will be moving into my parents’ house. We are not looking at this as a setback, but more like a step forward. Think positively. I guess you can say that’s one New Year’s resolution/goal that’s already been met. Cheers!
(All photos courtesy of: Wallbase.cc)
There are quite a few tips & interesting facts one should know when traveling to Asia, especially Japan, which all the guide books will not tell you. I’ve decided to write them here. These tips will really come in handy while traveling in Japan… & will help you adapt to the local culture (& not stick out like a sore thumb).
- When using an escalator, it is polite to stand neatly on the left side to let pedestrians walk on the right side.
- When using an elevator, it is polite to move to the back when people are entering.
- Also, it is polite to step out when people are exiting then step back in, so people in the back can get out.
- When walking on the street, it is (in a way, sort of) an unspoken common practice to not eat or drink while walking in public.
- Have you noticed there are almost NO trash cans on the streets? That’s because most people don’t eat/drink in public, which avoids public littering. Most people keep their used wrappers in their bags, then dispose of them at convenience stores or supermarkets all at once to keep things orderly & tidy.
- While riding the metro/JR trains, it is a common practice to silence your cell phones & keep them on “manner mode” (no sound, only vibrate).
- Most people avoid talking on their cell phones while on public transportation. Communicating by email is the most common practice in Japan. All cell phones use a private emailing service which is different than your PC email. Each person has their own unique cell phone email address which is used pretty much the same way Americans use text messaging…but with more detailed features/settings.
- When you are walking on the street, it is an unspoken common practice to walk on one side of the sidewalk, following the same direction as the flow of traffic. For example: if you are traveling North, you keep to the left side of the sidewalk & the other pedestrians going South keep to the right side of the sidewalk. Also, it is common practice to move out of the way if someone is walking towards you.
- Most people walk on specific sides of the sidewalk/road, depending on which direction they are headed.
- On public transportation, there are select seats (close to the doors) that are designated for pregnant women, mothers with infant children, elderly citizens & handicapped persons. Try to avoid sitting in those seats as much as possible, even if you’re leg muscles are on fire & your feet are about to fall off.
- Most restaurants these days have English menus (or lots of colorful pictures you can point at). All you have to do is ask.
- Don’t be afraid of the language barrier. Most people (especially employees at the shopping malls) can speak basic English…like one or two sentences to get by. In recent years, there has been a pretty big wave of International tourists flooding Japan, so don’t be surprised to hear a good amount of English while you are traveling.
- Almost every single shop WILL NOT allow you to take pictures of their storefronts. Some shops will post “No Pictures Please” signs. Otherwise, it’s just an unspoken common practice. I guess this is one way to avoid bootlegging.
- Almost all shops open late & close early (compared to American mall hours). Most places open around 11am and close around 8pm. Few shops close later than 9pm.
- Restaurants promptly begin breakfast at 7am & promptly end breakfast at 10:30am. Lunch starts promptly at 11am & ends promptly at 1pm. “High Tea” a.k.a. tea time begins at 1:30pm & ends at 5:30pm. Dinner begins at 5:30pm & ends at 9pm or later. It’s mostly restaurants & cafes that stay open very late. Most restaurants & bars stay open until 2-3am.
- Taking afternoon breaks for a tea/coffee & cake set is a common practice in Japan. I would suggest you try it at least once…since it’s so hard to miss eating the delicious cakes & pastries!!
Rabbits & Foxes 
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