After an incredibly hectic summer- one of months of crazy planning in pre-production- 2 weeks of non-stop production shooting (children and animals, no less!) and then one month of intense post-production, not to mention a wonderful visit from my parents smack in the middle of it all- it was time for a little break. So we took advantage of 3 day Japanese holiday and decided to take a trip. After some debate on the perfect holiday that would give us rest and resort while also offering city and sightseeing that would also be child-friendly we decided that Singapore would be our destination.
Singapore is an amazing place. It is a very small island with tons of attractions, a bustling city with a huge financial center, and the busiest port in the world, but the most interesting feature is its blend of many cultures. SIngapore is a study of ethnic and religious tolerance as you find each culture practicing traditions from their own heritage right next to each another. Singapore is mostly a melding of Chinese, Malay and Indian people- and a great number of expiates from all over the world. The official language is English- or as the taxi drivers call it- "Singlish" It is such a pleasure to be in an Asian country where everyone- no matter where they are from understand one another.
There are many things that Singapore is famous for- but the two biggest- are shopping and food. They are both divine. That is of course - if you like to shop and you like to eat. While I'm partial to the food of Japan- there is NO food in SIngapore that you can't find (in abundance and wonderful quality) they say a bad restaurant in Singapore just cannot exist- it wouldn't last. And there is everything from the ridiculously expensive to the stupidly cheap, great meals at the Hawker Centers (the street food stalls), this is the way most locals eat.
Here are some of our highlights of a weeks full of fun in a city that I will happily return to again and again....
We decided to stay on the island of Sentosa as opposed to stay in the middle of the city. We enjoyed the beach resort and ventured into the city for sightseeing and shopping.
Sentosa is very lush and beautiful and they are in the middle of construction of a huge casino resort- opening next year. There are many attractions on the island, which I will describe later...
For our first full day we went to Little India, this is a very good, small indication of India- a little cleaner perhaps, but just as robust and alive as India itself. There are many Hindu temples and Indian stores and restaurants and we happen to get there as the Indian New Year was arriving. "Happy Deepawali!!!"
This is strange how it co-ensides exactly with the Jewish New Year, huh?
Which brings me to celebrating Rosh Hashana with the Jews of Singapore.There are a number of Jewish organizations in Singapore, there are a few Traditional orthodox congregations although they are not "traditional" to me as there is a blend of Jews from all over the world, each with there own country's traditions. However, I had chosen a progressive, reconstructionist conservative congregation, The United Hebrew Congregation congregation of Singapore, and they welcomed us with open arms.
We joined them for Rosh Hashana eve and day and celebrated with them after services. The service was a traditional Rosh Hashana service conducted by a the Visiting Rabbi ,Rabbi Thal from NYC who has been with the congrgation for 16 years and a fabulous sermon given by the Rabbi's wife, Linda Thal, an award winning, acclaimed teacher, a recognized expert in Jewish education. Everyone was terrific, there were people from many different countries from all over the world,of all races,who now call Singapore their home. We were invited back next year and we are eager to join them again- Thanks to them for making strangers feel like family.
The Night Zoo is one of the most famous attractions of Singapore, and it is awesome. The Night Zoo is full of Nature's nocturnal animals. This is as close to "Jurassic Park" as it gets- no really seroiusly- you flash into "Jurassic Park" It's a spectacular sight to see the animals- not behind cages, but being able to roam in the dark. This would have been a great opportunity to walk along the ominous paths, but the kids were so exhausted from a full day- they weren't about to start walking around- so a little tip would be to rest up before the Night Safari and take advantage of walking with the animals at night. Next time...
I must take the time now to discuss the shopping in Singapore. It's awe-inspiring. On re-known Orchard Road there is one shopping mall after another. These are not just run of the mill malls but mixes of the finest designers in the world as well as middle end chains from EVERYWHERE, as well as local designers and stores. Honestly I don't think I've ever seen the amount of mall shopping anywhere else. And... there are many other parts of the city with more and more mall shopping. A big thrill for me was the extensive book stores with unbelievably big arts and design sections- ALL IN ENGLISH, it was like heaven. I clocked about 5 hours in one book store called Kinokuniya Books.
The only thing that would have made this vacation more perfect if it was at the time of the Great Sale. The Great Sale is during the month of June and the entire city is on sale. Another great thing would to have seen a some of the Grand Prix night race- we missed it by one day. We left the day it was starting, although we did get to see the city set up for it and I'm happy to have missed the traffic and ques. It has been there for the last 3 years and will be there one more year- maybe next year...
A popular tour is called the Duck Tour which goes from land into the sea all in the same vehicle. This is a good way to see this city. We were able to get onto the road of the Grand Prix race. We were also able to see the city from the water. Singapore's icon is called the Merlion. The Merlion is half lion- half fish (mermaidesque) it symbolizes Singapore's humble beginnings as a poor fishing town and the legend of the Sumatra prince who came upon the island and thought the first animal he saw was a lion(although it was probably a tiger.) Most of the the city's buildings are beautifully designed with chinese feng shui in mind. Water is a symbol of prosperity so many fountains are designed from to spout from buildings towards the sea in order to cycle the wealth into the city, etc.
Speaking of Chinese- Chinatown is particularly cool here. Since most of Singapore's population is Chinese, it a very dynamic part of the city. All things Chinese, from fabrics and herbs, foods and art, the only downside was that we weren't there during January/Febuary during Chinese New Year when every thing is lit up and festive for the oncoming holiday.
Back to Sentosa-
On the island of Sentosa are a number of attractions- so many that we didn't even see all of them. There is a fantastic aquarium- Underwater World, with a tunnel through the main tank- you walk through the sharks, manta rays, groupers , eels, turtles, etc. You get to feed manta rays out of your hand- this is very cool.
There is also a luge ride- you take a ski lift type "sky ride" up the hill to the top where you get into a "car" that shoots you down the hill- this is great fun and you get to enjoy the view from pretty high. There is a laser light show every night called "Songs of the Sea" this is a "Disneyesque" sappy show but an impressive light display over the beach.
There is another Merlion statue in Sentosa, this one is enormous, it is along a beautiful walkway this merlion turns psychedelic colors. It's a pretty wild sight.
All in all I would say Singapore is home to an abundance of experierences; the food, the sights, the cultures, the attractions and the fun.
L'Shana Tova Happy New Year to all of our Jewish Friends- To ALL of our friends we wish you a year filled with love, health, fulfillment, and peace.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Go Go Golden Week!
Go Go Golden Week!
We decided to go to Tokyo during our holiday vacation. This holiday vacation is called Golden week. Golden Week is the time period in Japan that is a compilation of 4 public holidays, these holidays are: Showa Day, Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day and Children's Day. Most Japanese take surrounding days off, and many companies give their employees the week off, and the kids are out of school. So needless to say travel during this time period is insane. Flights in and out of Japan are cost prohibitive and mostly unavailable so we decided to head south and take the time to explore Tokyo.
As I've said before, Tokyo is amazing. We now go to Tokyo when we crave a little "American/Euro" culture. It is such an international city, you really don't need to know any Japanese to communicate- all signage is in English, and most people bilingual. There is a little of everything, and I mean everything. If you can't find or buy something in Tokyo, it doesn't exist.
When you realize that in every building there are numerous floors and on every floor there is a shop or restaurant- it is commerce and people everywhere you look.
Not only above ground but underground, joining the subway stations are countless malls and stores. In the popular Shibuya area- when crossing the intersection at Shibuya station there are 2,000 people crossing at the same time. It's a virtual sea of people.
The boys are in heaven when we go to Tokyo, because we travel by train and subway constantly- although we make them walk all over town as well. They are now experts on the Tokyo subway system and can navigate the lines like pros.
We enjoyed mostly kid-friendly activities, and we wentt to most of the different neighborhoods and communities.
Here are some of the highlights:
We treated ourselves and stayed at the incredible Peninsula Hotel in the Glamorous Ginza area. Gotta Love Ginza- very posh, beautiful stores, restaurants and hotels.
We went to "Kidzania" this is a place like Wannado City in Florida, where kids take on jobs and earn kidzos (money) to spend.
Different corporate sponsors brilliantly create the attractions. Unlike Wannado City this place is like Vegas for kids, and like everything in Tokyo- it's a better version and more hi-tech than the US version. Zack particularly enjoyed the science lab, so we decided his future in robotics, and that the real reason we are in Japan is for him to learn Japanese for his robotic career and Max's baseball career. When in Rome....
One of the only real "sightseeing " events was when we visited the Imperial Palace Gardens and Grounds. The Imperial palace is in the Marounouchi area (financial district) and it is located on the former site of Edo Castle, a large park area surrounded by moats and massive stone walls. It is the residence of Japan's Imperial Family. You cannot go in the buildings but walk the grounds.
The stone walls are the remains of the Temple. Edo Castle used to be the seat of the Tokugawa shogun who ruled Japan from 1603 until 1867. In 1868, the shogunate was overthrown, and the country's capital and Imperial Residence were moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. In 1888 construction of a new Imperial Palace was completed. The palace was once destroyed during World War Two, and rebuilt in the same style, afterwards.
A real treat was a visit to the JCC Tokyo and joining in on their Saturday Family Shabbat service. They are in a temporary space, with a terrific but sadly, temporary Rabbi in Minami- Aoyama, close to Roppongi and Shibuya (fun area!) but have an amazing community of Jewish expiates and Toyko-ites.They were all so welcoming and wonderful, we will visit them again soon! We were so taken with the community and Tokyo in general, that we will need to make it a more regular trip.
We went to an amusement park smack in the middle of the city, called Tokyo Dome, also here is a stadium where the Tokyo Giants play and when not playing, concerts perform here, and of course there is more shopping. The giant roller coasters and log flume wrap around the mall building and the parachute ride flies over the Stadium. We were lucky enough to visit the day that the popular goth group- X Japan were performing so the people watching was fantastic. Alas- punk is alive and well in Tokyo- I love them, brings me back to 1984! The fans all dress like the group, and they LOVE to have their pictures taken. Disappointingly, our camera lost battery and we had left the charger behind in Sendai. This was the only downfall losing the camera so early in the trip!
The weather was glorious so we walked our way through Ginza, Harajuku, Aoyama, Marunouchi, Roppongi, Shibuya, and Shinjuku. A beautiful vacation in an electric city.
We decided to go to Tokyo during our holiday vacation. This holiday vacation is called Golden week. Golden Week is the time period in Japan that is a compilation of 4 public holidays, these holidays are: Showa Day, Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day and Children's Day. Most Japanese take surrounding days off, and many companies give their employees the week off, and the kids are out of school. So needless to say travel during this time period is insane. Flights in and out of Japan are cost prohibitive and mostly unavailable so we decided to head south and take the time to explore Tokyo.
As I've said before, Tokyo is amazing. We now go to Tokyo when we crave a little "American/Euro" culture. It is such an international city, you really don't need to know any Japanese to communicate- all signage is in English, and most people bilingual. There is a little of everything, and I mean everything. If you can't find or buy something in Tokyo, it doesn't exist.
When you realize that in every building there are numerous floors and on every floor there is a shop or restaurant- it is commerce and people everywhere you look.
Not only above ground but underground, joining the subway stations are countless malls and stores. In the popular Shibuya area- when crossing the intersection at Shibuya station there are 2,000 people crossing at the same time. It's a virtual sea of people.
The boys are in heaven when we go to Tokyo, because we travel by train and subway constantly- although we make them walk all over town as well. They are now experts on the Tokyo subway system and can navigate the lines like pros.
We enjoyed mostly kid-friendly activities, and we wentt to most of the different neighborhoods and communities.
Here are some of the highlights:
We treated ourselves and stayed at the incredible Peninsula Hotel in the Glamorous Ginza area. Gotta Love Ginza- very posh, beautiful stores, restaurants and hotels.
We went to "Kidzania" this is a place like Wannado City in Florida, where kids take on jobs and earn kidzos (money) to spend.
Different corporate sponsors brilliantly create the attractions. Unlike Wannado City this place is like Vegas for kids, and like everything in Tokyo- it's a better version and more hi-tech than the US version. Zack particularly enjoyed the science lab, so we decided his future in robotics, and that the real reason we are in Japan is for him to learn Japanese for his robotic career and Max's baseball career. When in Rome....
One of the only real "sightseeing " events was when we visited the Imperial Palace Gardens and Grounds. The Imperial palace is in the Marounouchi area (financial district) and it is located on the former site of Edo Castle, a large park area surrounded by moats and massive stone walls. It is the residence of Japan's Imperial Family. You cannot go in the buildings but walk the grounds.
The stone walls are the remains of the Temple. Edo Castle used to be the seat of the Tokugawa shogun who ruled Japan from 1603 until 1867. In 1868, the shogunate was overthrown, and the country's capital and Imperial Residence were moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. In 1888 construction of a new Imperial Palace was completed. The palace was once destroyed during World War Two, and rebuilt in the same style, afterwards.
A real treat was a visit to the JCC Tokyo and joining in on their Saturday Family Shabbat service. They are in a temporary space, with a terrific but sadly, temporary Rabbi in Minami- Aoyama, close to Roppongi and Shibuya (fun area!) but have an amazing community of Jewish expiates and Toyko-ites.They were all so welcoming and wonderful, we will visit them again soon! We were so taken with the community and Tokyo in general, that we will need to make it a more regular trip.
We went to an amusement park smack in the middle of the city, called Tokyo Dome, also here is a stadium where the Tokyo Giants play and when not playing, concerts perform here, and of course there is more shopping. The giant roller coasters and log flume wrap around the mall building and the parachute ride flies over the Stadium. We were lucky enough to visit the day that the popular goth group- X Japan were performing so the people watching was fantastic. Alas- punk is alive and well in Tokyo- I love them, brings me back to 1984! The fans all dress like the group, and they LOVE to have their pictures taken. Disappointingly, our camera lost battery and we had left the charger behind in Sendai. This was the only downfall losing the camera so early in the trip!
The weather was glorious so we walked our way through Ginza, Harajuku, Aoyama, Marunouchi, Roppongi, Shibuya, and Shinjuku. A beautiful vacation in an electric city.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Under the Cherry Blossom Tree
It has been about 6 months since the last entry, numerous life events, festivals, traditions and funny moments, here are a few...
Backtracking to right before the winter holiday vacation, the boys were in their first traditional Japanese school play. The costumes were fantastic, as the chorus dancers they were dressed as fish and ocean life. I only wish I had video to post- the dancing and music were awesome.
After the holidays we returned to Japan and the boys completed Kindergarten at their school. The Japanese school year is finished at the end of March and the new school year begins the first week in April. Graduation from kindergarten and entry into First grade is a really big deal here, quite a ceremony is given to each. The parents wear suits and some of the mothers wear traditional Kimonos.
The traditional kimono is extremely elaborate and beautiful, they are mostly handmade and custom ordered, not to be confused with a yukata, a casual kimono looking robe, worn anywhere. The kimono is only worn for special events as they take forever to put on and are quite uncomfortable and limiting. It was a real treat to watch some of the mothers get dressed in the traditional garb. They don't look quite real, and makes you feel like you are dropping into an ancient culture, so disparate from my own.
The entry into First grade is honored with the "Opening Ceremony". Again many mothers don their Kimonos, while everyone else wears a suit. In public school (where the boys now attend- all Japanese- no english) during opening ceremony the little boys wear suits (with shorts) and get to put on their backpack for the first time.
The backpack is another thing that blew our minds. They are mandatory for all schoolchildren and are made of a hard leather, like luggage, meant to last for the kids' school career, they weigh a TON, and the poor children need to shlep them back and forth laden with 50 lbs. of books daily. They cost a fortune starting at $100 up to $400.
Back to the ceremony, the upper grades greet and welcome the new first graders with song and with dance. The second graders wear festival gear and do a dance, it very cool.
The days are long for the kids. They begin school at 8:15AM then after school go next door for intermediate day care before their English program begins at 4:00PM. After their English "school" they take the bus home and arrive at the bus stop at 7:00PM.
Spring begins and we have many festivals here. Last week was the sakura festivals. Sakura is cherry blossom. During this week the Cherry Blossom trees bloom out of nowhere and the entire country is covered in the most gorgeous bloomed cherry blossoms, everywhere you look this lasts a week and then is over as quickly as it started. We went to a fun festival in downtown Sendai full of people picnicking and hanging out under the sakura.
We, the only 4 Jews in Sendai, celebrated Passover which coincides with the Japanese festivals- due to springtime. I conducted a tradtional seder with some un-traditional things like using wasabi for horseradish (bitter herbs) It's hard to be such an outsider sometimes, so isolated, yet, it was especially rewarding and wonderful to see how involved and excited the kids were to celebrate their own culture and rich traditions, after living among those who deeply appreciate culture and tradition.
The Winter was cold and long- making me long for CA or FLA, but the skiing is terrific and boys were ecstatic learning to ski and sledding all the time. Now that the weather has gotten warmer I will be out and about with more posts and pics more frequently...
Backtracking to right before the winter holiday vacation, the boys were in their first traditional Japanese school play. The costumes were fantastic, as the chorus dancers they were dressed as fish and ocean life. I only wish I had video to post- the dancing and music were awesome.
After the holidays we returned to Japan and the boys completed Kindergarten at their school. The Japanese school year is finished at the end of March and the new school year begins the first week in April. Graduation from kindergarten and entry into First grade is a really big deal here, quite a ceremony is given to each. The parents wear suits and some of the mothers wear traditional Kimonos.
The traditional kimono is extremely elaborate and beautiful, they are mostly handmade and custom ordered, not to be confused with a yukata, a casual kimono looking robe, worn anywhere. The kimono is only worn for special events as they take forever to put on and are quite uncomfortable and limiting. It was a real treat to watch some of the mothers get dressed in the traditional garb. They don't look quite real, and makes you feel like you are dropping into an ancient culture, so disparate from my own.
The entry into First grade is honored with the "Opening Ceremony". Again many mothers don their Kimonos, while everyone else wears a suit. In public school (where the boys now attend- all Japanese- no english) during opening ceremony the little boys wear suits (with shorts) and get to put on their backpack for the first time.
The backpack is another thing that blew our minds. They are mandatory for all schoolchildren and are made of a hard leather, like luggage, meant to last for the kids' school career, they weigh a TON, and the poor children need to shlep them back and forth laden with 50 lbs. of books daily. They cost a fortune starting at $100 up to $400.
Back to the ceremony, the upper grades greet and welcome the new first graders with song and with dance. The second graders wear festival gear and do a dance, it very cool.
The days are long for the kids. They begin school at 8:15AM then after school go next door for intermediate day care before their English program begins at 4:00PM. After their English "school" they take the bus home and arrive at the bus stop at 7:00PM.
Spring begins and we have many festivals here. Last week was the sakura festivals. Sakura is cherry blossom. During this week the Cherry Blossom trees bloom out of nowhere and the entire country is covered in the most gorgeous bloomed cherry blossoms, everywhere you look this lasts a week and then is over as quickly as it started. We went to a fun festival in downtown Sendai full of people picnicking and hanging out under the sakura.
We, the only 4 Jews in Sendai, celebrated Passover which coincides with the Japanese festivals- due to springtime. I conducted a tradtional seder with some un-traditional things like using wasabi for horseradish (bitter herbs) It's hard to be such an outsider sometimes, so isolated, yet, it was especially rewarding and wonderful to see how involved and excited the kids were to celebrate their own culture and rich traditions, after living among those who deeply appreciate culture and tradition.
The Winter was cold and long- making me long for CA or FLA, but the skiing is terrific and boys were ecstatic learning to ski and sledding all the time. Now that the weather has gotten warmer I will be out and about with more posts and pics more frequently...
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