Dallas Farmer's Market

veggies and fruits, originally uploaded by namealus.

We made a trip to Dallas Farmer's Market earlier today. Dallas Farmer's Market is located in downtown Dallas and is open everyday. Here you can find fresh and locally grown fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, and meats. You can also find locally processed food products such as jams, jellies, sorbets, pickles, nuts, and more. It's a relatively large farmer's market with a nice variety of products. I highly recommend visitors to Dallas to spend some time in the market (to get a fresh supply of fruits, for example).

Pictures can be found here.

Bali

sun and land, originally uploaded by namealus.

I finally made it back to Bali after 15 years (my last trip to Bali was in 1993). I found that I have a better appreciation for the things that Bali offers: nice beaches (second only to beaches in Phuket), good and cheap food (especially seafood), amazing attractions (rice fields, pura's, and the people), and wonderful arts and crafts.

The drawbacks: (1) some parts of Bali has become way too commercial, and I say this without even stepping foot in Kuta, (2) some people in Bali do not take the island's reputation seriously: hotel employees trying to overcharge for services, vendors yelling at tourists, and airline employees not providing any service.

Pictures are posted here.

Japan - Retrospective

The trip to Japan is the most amazing trip I have ever taken. Some of this is due to the fact that Japan is a beautiful (and amazingly clean) place, but most of this is due to the people. I find that the Japanese are hospitable, helpful, honest, and efficient.

Hospitable:
- We don't speak more than five words in Japanese and we were able to communicate just fine since they were willing to try to explain anything (using Japanese, broken English, and hand signals). To some extent, the politeness is almost overwhelming.

Helpful:
- We were able to ask for directions almost anywhere. Granted, some of the directions were horrible, but not for lack of trying.

Honest:
- We went to some restaurants and ordered food without knowing the price; we found out later that we were not being charged extra for not being able to speak the language (unlike in Indonesia and Thailand).
- We took cabs from Shin-Osaka station to our hotel and back, and we were charged the exact same fare both ways.
- Japanese stood in line as a default. They don't try to cut in front of us (or yell at us) even when they realized that (1) we are slow and (2) we don't speak their language.

Efficient:
- Trains run on time (and by on time, I mean on the dot). We saw one incident in which the train did not run on time: the train employees immediately ran across tracks to fix the problem.
- Minimum signs are posted in obvious spots. No wasted effort here.
- We had almost no difficulty ordering food as restaurants have either English menus, picture menus, or ticket machines (with pictures).

All in all, I will definitely try to go back to Japan. On my next trip, I will try to spend more time in Kyoto and visit Sapporo in the winter (I don't ski, but I really want to see the gigantic snow sculptures).

BTW, the wifey took a lot of pictures as well.  See some of them here!

Japan - Day 7 (Tokyo)

mitsukoshi store at ginza, originally uploaded by namealus.

Day 7 in Japan was spent in Tokyo and Yokohama. Our itinerary includes actual work (me) and a second trip to Ginza (yeah, we like it that much).

Itinerary:
- Me: worked in the AM;
- Her: packed and got everything ready for check out
- Checked out at 11
- Walked (with our luggage) to Minatomirai station; took the Minatomirai Line; transferred at Yokohama station; took the Tokaido line to Shinagawa station (and got robbed in the process by the train conductor as we erronously got on board the Green Car); walked from Shinagawa station to our hotel in Shinagawa.
- Had lunch at Sutadonten, a donburi restaurant underneath the Shinagawa station (it is part of a food center underneath the train tracks next to Shinagawa station, the food center website is here)
- Took the JR Yamanote Line to Shimbashi station, which is at the southern end of Ginza
- Got lost as we tried to find Chuo-dori and ran into a Porsche dealership; wife took a close look at the prices and found out that Porsche's price in Japan is only slightly higher than in the US
- Finally found Chuo-dori
- Walked around Ginza (and its gigantic department stores) for four hours
- Took a tea break at Darjeeling Tea Room, which is in one of the small shopping centers in Ginza
- Tried unsuccesfully (again) to find a restaurant suggested by our guidebook
- Had an amazing dinner at one of the most attractive restaurants in Ginza: Ginza Daimasu, which is located just across from Matsuzakaya department store. We were lucky to be seated at the window of the second floor and have an amazing view of the Ginza shoppers, tourists, and workers
- Walked back to Shimbaishi station and took the Yamanote line back to Shinagawa station
- Packed

Pictures are posted here

Japan - Day 6 (Yokohama and Tokyo)

yokohama station at night, originally uploaded by namealus.

Day 6 in Japan was spent in Tokyo and Yokohama. Our itinerary includes actual work (me), shopping (her), and a trip to a shopping mecca (Takashimaya Shinjuku).

Itinerary:
- Me: worked in the AM;
- Her: took the Minatomirai Line to Yokohama station, shopped and had lunch at Sogo Yokohama, took the train back to the hotel
- Took the Minatomirai/Tokyu Toyoko Line to Shinjuku station
- Walked to Takashimaya Times Square (Shinjuku)
- Shopped (and window-shopped) at Takashimaya
- Had dinner at Tsunahachi, a tempura restaurant in Takashimaya (a review of the flagship outlet of this restaurant can be found here)
- Had a crepe dessert
- Walked back to the Shinjuku station and took the (still crowded at 9pm) Minatomirai/Tokyu Toyoko Line back to Minatomirai station
- Took some pictures of the convention center I worked at

Pictures are posted here

Japan - Day 5 (Tokyo)

keep, originally uploaded by namealus.

Day 5 in Japan was spent in Tokyo and Yokohama. Our itinerary includes a cultural sightseeing (the Imperial Palace) and a failed shopping excursion (Shibuya).

Itinerary:
- Left hotel room at 8am
- Walked to the Minatomirai station
- Took the Minatomirai Line to Yokohama station
- Took the JR Tokaido Line to Tokyo Station; got crushed by the crowd in the train (the train was so full I can't even reach my camera to take a picture)
- Arrived at Tokyo Station at 9am
- Had breakfast at the station (some rice snacks from the food court in the basement)
- Walked (in the rain) to the Imperial Palace, which was painful for the wife's sore back
- Waited outside the Imperial Palace for about 10 minutes for our appointment, guided to the information center, and watched information video for about 20 minutes.
- Took the (free) 1-hour guided tour inside the Imperial Palace complex
- Left the Imperial Complex and walked to the Otemachi station; we saw (and took a lot of pictures of) two swans swimming in a moat outside the Imperial Palace
- Took the Honzomon Metro Line to Shibuya Metro Station
- Tried to find a lunch spot suggested by our guidebook; was told by the waitperson that the place is not open for lunch
- Walked to the Shibuya 109 building
- Tried to take a picture inside the building and got scolded by a very stern (but cute) person
- Had lunch in a sushi place in the building
- Walked to the Shibuya JR Station
- (Wife) shopped at a small store outside the station
- Took pictures of Shibuya Crossing
- Took the Yamanote Line to Shinagawa; transferred to the JR Tokaido Line to Yokohama; transferred to the Minatomirai Line to Minatomirai
- Wife took a break, while I did some work
- Had dinner at Komeraku, a chazuke restaurant in the Queen's East shopping center which is connected to the hotel

Pictures are posted here

Japan - Day 4 (Tokyo)

parallel world, originally uploaded by namealus.

Day 4 in Japan was spent in Tokyo and Yokohama. As in day 3, our itinerary includes a cultural sightseeing (Asakusa) and a shopping excursion (Ginza).

Itinerary:
- Left hotel room at 10am
- Checked out, stored our luggage and valuables, and walked to the Shinagawa station
- Took the JR Yamanote Line to Ueno Station
- Asked stupid questions to the JR rep at the station (I didn't realize that we haven't left the JR station when I asked about the Ginza line)
- Walked to the Ueno Subway Station
- Took the GInza Line to Asakusa Station
- Arrived at Asakusa at exactly 11 am and was welcomed by the hourly robotic show on the clock above the asakusa tourist bureau
- Took a lot of pictures of the Kaminarimon gate, the Hozomon gate, and the Sensoji temple while sampling local delicacies in Nakamise
- Had lunch at Daikokuya (supposedly the best ten-don in tokyo); ordered two #1's
- Walked back to Asakusa Station while sampling more delicacies.
- Took the Ginza Line to Ginza
- Took a wrong turn at Chuo-dori and ended up walking through all eight blocks of Ginza
- Window- (and actual) shopping in Ginza (see above)
- Walked to the JR Shimbashi Station and took the JR Yamanote Line back to Shinagawa Station
- Walked to the hotel, collected our luggage, and walked back to the station
- Took the Tokaido Main Line to Yokohoma Station (with our luggage)
- Transferred to the Minatomirai Line at Yokohama Station
- Arrived at Minatomirai Station at about 6pm; thankfully, the hotel is actually connected to the station
- Checked in and took a break
- Walked back to Minatomirai Station and took the Minatomirai Line to Chukugai Station (Chinatown)
- Had dinner at Bairan Shuka
- Returned to the hotel using Minatomirai Line

Pictures are posted here

Japan - Day 3 (Tokyo)

lv lights, originally uploaded by namealus.

Day 3 in Japan was spent traveling between Osaka and Tokyo, and some sightseeing in Tokyo. Since we won't have much time in Tokyo, we tried to visit the two main types of attractions of Tokyo (cultural and shopping) in one fell swoop: we visited the Meiji-jingu shrine and the Harajuku/Omotesando shopping area.

Itinerary:
- Left hotel at 10am; took a cab to Shin-osaka
- Found out that we can only reserve seats for the 11:13 Hikari Shinkansen as all non-smoking sections of earlier departures are sold out
- Had lunchboxes while waiting
- Arrived in Shinagawa Station at 2pm
- Walked to the hotel (about 10 minutes walk) with our luggage
- Took a break for about 15 minutes
- Walked back to Shinagawa Station (minus our luggage)
- Took the JR Yamanote Line to Harajuku Station
- Exited the Harajukut Station and made a wrong turn at the exit
- Found out that we made a wrong turn, and walked back
- Visited Meiji-jingu shrine; saw (and took pictures of) several Shinto weddings
- Took a quick break for dessert and drinks.
- Window (and actual) shopping at Omotesando; took a lot of pictures of amazing buildings containing expensive boutiques
- Walked back to Harajuku Station and took the JR Yamanote Line back to Shinagawa Station
- Had dinner at a ramen place (Kakukibi) next to Shinagawa Station
- Walked back to the hotel and crashed

Pictures are here

Japan - Day 2 (Nara)

red enough?, originally uploaded by namealus.

Day 2 in Japan was spent in Nara. Nara is also a former capital of Japan (prior to Kyoto). While the imperial complex no longer exists, there are many historical and beautiful places to see in Nara. Just as in Kyoto, we only had limited to visit Nara. As a result, we did a very quick tour of Nara and only visited the major attractions.

Itinerary:
- Woke up early, but wife didn't wake up until 8:30
- Walked to Yodayabashi Station
- Took the Midosuji line to Namba Station
- Took the Kintentsu Nara line to Nara Station
- Walked to the Tourist Information Center and asked for a FREE guide
- Waited for about 10 minutes for the guide (Harumi-san, who happens to be a Japanese language teacher for foreign students; her English is excellent)
- Visited Kofuku-ji (a temple complex with a five-tier pagoda; a UNESCO World Heritage site)
- Visited Todai-ji (a large temple with Daibutsu (Big Buddha); another UNESCO World Heritage site)
- Visited Nigatsu-do Hall
- Visited Kasuga Taisha Shrine (a large Shinto Shrine with beautiful lanterns (see above); we didn't go in to this UNESCO World Heritage site)
- Walked back (for 2km) to downtown Nara
- Had lunch with our guide at a katsu place in Nara
- Said goodbye to our guide
- Took the train back to Namba Station
- Tried gamely to visit Osaka Castle; took some pictures outside the walls and gave up.
- Took a cab to the hotel
- Crashed
- Bought boxed dinners at a convenience store across the street from our hotel and had an amazing dinner
- Crashed

Pictures are here.

Wife is also 60% english

Wife's Linguistic Profile:

60% General American English 15% Dixie 10% Upper Midwestern 10% Yankee 0% Midwestern

Take the quiz here

Japan - Day 1 (Kyoto)

hanging terrace, originally uploaded by namealus.

Day 1 in Japan was spent in Kyoto, which is the former capital of Japan. While the number of places to see in Kyoto is staggering, we only have one day to spend. As a result, we tried to see as much as we can. We may have tried a little too hard as we got really tired at the end of the day. The reward is some of the most beautiful places I've ever seen (Kiyumizu-dera, Sanjusangen-do, and Kinkaku-ji) and some of my favorite pictures (such as the one above of Kiyumizu-dera).

Itinerary:
- Can't sleep
- Left hotel room at 6:30am
- Arrived at Osaka Station at 6:45am
- Took the JR Kyoto Line from Osaka Station; arrived at Kyoto Station at 7:15am
- Took the JR Nara Line from Kyoto Station; arrived at Inari Station at 7:45am
- Visited Fushimi Inari Shrine
- Took the JR Nara Line back to Kyoto Station
- Had breakfast at Kyoto Station (Japanese breakfast sets)
- Bought a day-pass for Kyoto City Bus and took the Raku #100 bus to Sanjusangen-do
- Visited 1,000 Buddhas at Sanjusangen-do
- Took the Raku #100 bus to Kiyomizu-dera stop
- Walked uphill for about 700m on Kiyomizu-waka to Kiyomizu-dera
- Took a break at the top of the hill
- Took gazilion pictures at Kiyomizu-dera (see above)
- Walked down Sannen-zaka
- Had lunch at Aunbo (Modern Japanese cooking)
- Tried to find the bus stop for #59 bus to get to Kinkaku-ji (apparently I can't tell the difference between Sanjo and Shijo)
- Gave up and shopped
- Tried again; found the #59 bus; the bus left just as we spotted it; had to wait for another 15 minutes (by this time, wifey was about to give up)
- Got on the #59 bus
- Got off at Kinkakuji-mae and visited Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion)
- Got back on #59
- Got off at Ryoanji-mae and visited Ryoan-ji (stone garden)
- Got back on #59
- Got off at the Takashimaya stop in downtown Kyoto
- Looked around for food and stuff for a little bit, but didn't buy anything
- Got on the city bus bound for Kyoto Station
- Took the Shinkansen train to Shin-Osaka Station
- Took the Midosuji line to Namba Station
- Visited Dotombori and had dinner at an okonomiyaki (and takoyaki) place called Crue-ro (yeah, weird!)
- Walked around in Dotombori and Shinsaibashi-suji
- Walked for 10 minutes to the Shinsaibashi station on the most tired legs I've ever had (so far)
- Got on the Midosuji line to Yodoyabashi Station
- Walked for 10 minutes to the hotel on the most tired legs I've ever had (yeah, worse than before)
- Crashed on the bed

Pictures are here.

Japan - Day 0

So, I'm in Japan.

Although my flight was delayed for one hour (for a toilet emergency), we actually arrived at Osaka much earlier than what I expected. Full itinerary:
- Arrived at Narita at 2pm
- Went through immigration and custom in 15 minutes
- Exchanged our Japan RailPass coupon with the real deal in 15 minutes
- Left Narita JR Station on Narita Express at 2:48pm
- Arrived at Shinagawa JR Station at 3:45pm
- Left Shinagawa JR Station on Shinkansen Hikari at 4:10pm
- Arrived at Shin-Osaka JR Station at 7:05pm
- Took a cab for 1620 yen; the driver refused to accept a 5000-yen bill
- Arrived at the hotel at exactly 7:20pm
- Had dinner with the wife at (M) matsusakagyu yakiniku; had absolutely the best meal that involves beef.

Pictures here