Newsletter - February 2006
A Quick Visit To China
One of my hobbies is traveling and just a few weeks ago I headed to Beijing, China for a visit. Though Beijing is an Asian country and not far from Japan (only 3 hours by plane) it is very different from the 'land of the rising sun.'
Everything from the people and food to the economy and government is different in China. (Please don't tell the Chinese this, but I like Japan better!)
The first thing I noticed in China was that it is a developing country and much more poor than Japan. Japan is a developed country and things are much newer, cleaner and more efficient. Japanese people dress better, buildings and homes are more modern and new, and prices are much higher in Japan.
Though just because China is more poor than Japan this doesn't bother the Chinese. They are very friendly and stopped me many times in the street to speak English. Many Chinese people can speak English very well but I think there are more English speakers in Japan than China. And there are more beautiful woman in Tokyo than in Beijing!
China is an interesting country, with friendly people and a very old history. The only thing I didn't really like about China was the food. It was very oily and a lot of the food was fried. Japanese food is much more tasty and healthy.
China is a very cheap country to visit and it is very close to Japan. Flights to China are very reasonable, but remember that you need a visa from your embassy to go there. I recommend a visit to your Asian neighbor.
Above photo: This is the famous 'Great Wall of China' and just like a long dragon it winds its way across grasslands, up and down mountains and through deserts for over 6700 km's. It has more than 2000 years of history and is the only man-made structure that can be seen from outer space!
My Friend's Wedding "Down Under"
One of my best friends lives "Down Under". (Down Under is the nickname for Australia). His name is Steven Lane. Seven years ago Steven and I lived together in an old apartment in London, England. We spent a lot of time together partying (!) and chasing girls (!). I have many good memories of our time in London. While we were living in London together Steven met a Kiwi girl there ('Kiwi' is the name of a person from New Zealand). They fell in love and moved back to Australia together.
This year, after seven years of dating, they got married in Sydney, Australia. Steven asked me to be his MC (master of ceremonies). It was a privilege to be his MC but it was stressful and a lot of work to make the agenda and speeches. But it was no problem for me, because I remembered - eye contact, loud voice, posture and expression!
His wedding ceremony was beside the ocean. It was a fantastic day and everyone looked handsome and gorgeous. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and the ocean looked beautiful. It was very different from having a wedding inside a church. Many Japanese girls would love a beautiful, natural ceremony like this one. When I get married (if I ever get married!) I would like to have a ceremony outside.
The reception was in the surfers club near the beach. I did a good job as the MC and had fun. When my duties as MC were over I went straight to the free bar and got very drunk! Congratulations Steven and Olivia.
