Tips for coping in the big city!

...having lived in the country, things can suddenly be so daunting when there is endless traffic, people walking blindly down the streets playing with their phones..the list of annoyances go on!

So, the past 3 months have been really tricky for me to re-adapt to the city life....for so many reasons, so I have to remember my own tips and advice so I can handle this crazy city that is Tokyo.


1) The Road Parallel...

Tokyo is a bizarre city. Just seconds away from a three tier highway, take a turning off and you will suddenly find yourself surrounded by a peaceful setting. There might be some quaint old houses, even a temple if you are lucky - whatever you find, there will be a spot of serenity, even if you are just walking to work, you will appreciate the time out from the noise and traffic.

2) Avoid the subway...

Even if you happen to live right by a train station, taking the subway for your commute is not always the justified option. Subways are so oppressive, in any country!! In Tokyo, if you haven't planned your carriage correctly, you might force yourself to walk the length of the platform behind the commuter hoards pigeon-footing it to the next change-over. PAINFUL. I would take the crowded, over-packed (famed for its perverts!) Saikyo sen over the subway any day! Besides, grab the women only carriage and you will be just fine!

3) Switch OFF!

OK - I HATE electronic devices...or at least people using them like they are stick to their hands!! I say this and I was one of them a few years ago...Crikey!! But seriously, people will be in your face, because of lack of space, lack of awareness of space and sheer stupidity...If you can't turn off your phone, at least turn off to the annoying people around you...Stand your ground but don't be mean...I actually saw a stand off yesterday where the two involved actually came close to a fight (never happens here). When travelling, I think you have to imagine that no one else is there...! Stupid, I know but really, these commuters are invisible to me!!!


....as of 8th March, this list stands at 3 points...I may add to it progressively, I may not...
Any further tips that you want to share yourself?? Please do!!!!

The big City

 The big city…It’s hard to think I lived here before and loved it!

Am finding the adjustment a little hard, but at least we have a great view across the west of Tokyo!

Christmas has passed with lots of cake! Thank goodness it is not a public holiday as we are still organising the apartment and running around a little on errand. But, there was plenty of cake and I am happy!

No more boxes…am even happier!

Time to get ready for the New Year! Looking forward to 2013…many adventures planned!

K.F...again!!!

Round two...

This woman has the gall to use her kids, in masks no less, to create more unnecessary drama.

I wonder, if she has been living here for ten years, why does she despise Japan so much that she would do this?

The article, http://thesun.mobi/thescottishsun/news/3475775/Tokyo-in-rush-hour-eerily-quiet-after-earthquake-and-tsunami.html?mob=1, shows her kids in front of a bare shelf...shocking behaviour.

So...I couldn't hold back....

To the writers of The Sun's FALSE stories with Keely Fujiyama.

I URGE YOU TO STOP WITH YOUR AWFUL AND FALSE REPORTING.

Life in Japan is getting back to what normality it can after such devastating events and you allow an imbecile such as Keely to tell you the way things 'are'.

Just how many people have you actually spoken to about life in Japan?

I live here and nothing is as she says.

I hope to God you have not paid her any money for her LIES. I used to live in the north and my friends are suffering from this catastrophe. Yet, someone like her, with no morals, no sense and no compunction for her actions has the nerve to phone you up with a 'story'.

Please stop this false reporting. It is hurting everyone around, people in Japan as well as people outside.

Can I tell you for reference, that some foreigners have left because of hurried, ill advice from their embassies, yet, the majority of the foreigners here want to stay because, not only is everything fine and under control, but they want to stay and show this.

How can you let someone push their kids into the limelight of the story? Can you not see that she is glorifying this. This is her 'glory' and you have allowed her to have it. I hope you are proud.

This stupid lady Keely has no idea what it is like. Her apartment is intact and her husband is going out to earn what seems to be quite a substantial living if they are considering buying a 4x4 at the drop of the hat, which in itself is a stupid move if there is no gas as she says.

However, gas in Tokyo is fine.

I would be intrigued to know where and how her husband is handing out food and why her family gets none of it...

And this other guy, Chris Gould, who has been panic buying is one of the idiots hoarding food and preventing us from buying it to send up north. He is the selfish, stupid one.

Sure, we knew there were earthquakes in Japan and that is exactly why the infrastructure is built to support it. In the rare case it 'falls apart', as he says, Japan is there ready to fix it. The expressway was fixed within days so that food and support could travel by road to the affected areas. And just today, I heard that the port of Ishinomaki is ready for use, making all the ports in the north ok.

I dare you to respond to this (and my other email) to get a truthful account of what is happening here. Yet somehow I doubt you will. My story simply does not create enough drama or panic for the likes of you and I fear I would not help you make your sales target for the day.

Oh, a side note. How much has The Sun donated to this cause, not counting the pain and anger from those articles?

Leonora Sophie

Keely fricken Fujiyama

Oh my GOSH....

I could barely contain my anger the other day after reading The Sun's stupid article with a stupid lady living in Nerima ku, Tokyo.

Starving Brit Keely: My nightmare trapped in City of

Ghosts – Tokyo

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3473142/My-nightmare-trapped-in-post-tsunami-Tokyo-City-of-Ghosts.html

The title alone brings shame on the paper and now, reading again and watching the video, it is embarrassing to see that the reporter is clearly mixing the stories from the north and the south for pure drama.

I was livid when I saw this and actually found myself writing a 'yours disgruntled' letter......

Hello,

I am writing from Japan, having just read your article from Keely Fujiyama.

I am DISGUSTED that you let something like this go to print.

We live out in Saitama, further away from Tokyo, in the countryside, where life has continued as normal. Sure, there have been blackouts, although we didn't experience any.

As for her words about the British embassy, I am appalled by what she has said. Information is very clear and readily available on the web (facebook and web page) and by phone and also through the foreign office.

The British embassy team from Tokyo have been up in Sendai organising coaches to bring down British nationals and help them leave, if they want. Actually , many people, including my husband and I do not feel we are in danger and do not want to leave.

Information from the government and our embassy has been great.

If people have been stocking up on goods, then this is a mere precaution. Nobody south of Fukushima is going hungry, nor 'lives in fear'.

By allowing this story, amongst others to go ahead, you are perpetrating a fear in our family and friends back home. How dare you.

Please show some respect to the nation that mourns so many people, a nation that needs to rebuild many towns, and a nation that would never behave in the way that you are now.

Leonora Sophie

People power....Peer pressure....

Firstly, hats off to all the workers, anyone involved with the Fukushima plant.
Amidst all the heavy criticism, the doubts, the fears, they have battled non-stop to rectify a very bad situation. At no point did they think, 'I've got to get out of here', 'What if there is a nuclear fallout?', 'I can't be bothered with all this'...

No, they have pushed through, and today we finally have some good news that they are regaining control of the reactors at the plant.

THANK YOU!!!!!

I have just read this updated article from the foreign office....
http://ukinjapan.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=News&id=569052582

It basically reiterates what Beddington had said before. This guy knows his stuff, and even after repeated, precautionary, but nonetheless, annoying questions, he states that we ARE FINE!

The worse case is a cloud floating over us over 2 days, and that is ultimately a worst case involving southern blowing gale winds.

Sure the news is negative, but whose media is this? CNN have jumped on the fear bandwagon already. Spinach and milk has been found to be 'contaminated'. This is from Fukushima, right by the plant, and reports should not be blown out of proportion.

It is media like this that is giving me and all my friends a headache.

It is media like this that has driven us out of our home.

We are constantly having to fend off relatives and friends and fight for the country in which we live. One person in particular is making my life unmanageable. When people believe what they read and then relay this information as 100% fact, it is hard to contend with. When someone doubts you, it shows a lack of respect, not just for you, but for your friends, family, and the life that you lead.

We have been dealing with such things since last week, and we are exhausted.

Ironically enough, the BBC now pipe in with a report about the tsunami, saying that, one week on, it is the tsunami that is important. WE KNOW!!!!

People are suffering from lack of supplies. People are cold. We need to really help those in the north, but instead the media wants to drag Japan down into a cesspit of filth and lies.

I heard a very sad story today. They need diapers desperately. We sent some boxes up today, but stupidly no diapers.
If you are reading this and are in Japan, please send more to Second Harvest. I posted the link in another post. The address is in Tokyo and can be done with regular post.

Here is the story I heard from my friend....

・ I need to change my daughter's diaper, but there is any diaper left.

・ We evacuated to the shelter. We have a baby crying in the night, it seems to make people annoyed. We are at a loss.

"・ I am looking for my wife every day, but she is still missing. I have nothing to confirm her safe...

・ Gasoline has run out. We can't go to our uncle's funeral.

・ Our family was ok, but our house, money, everything were washed away by tsunami. We have no hope in the future.

・ Water is still cut off in the shelter. Sanitary condition is getting worse day by day. An increasing number of evacuees sufeer from a wide range of physical irregularities."

We need to focus on helping. Hopefully, we will be able to follow this man more. Prayers and love to his family. I hope he can at least say good bye to his uncle.

After all this ranting, I want to end on a heartwarming note; animals reunited with their owners...

http://www.ctv.ca/gallery/html/japan-quake-dogs-pets-victims-110318/index_.html

God bless them all xxxxxxxxxx








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Location:Gift City, Gifu, Japan.

Well, I haven't really spent that much time down south, so I guess this is a great chance.

Having woken up to a whole heap of negativity, all of which has come from abroad, might I add, we have, against our better judgement, decided to leave Saitama.

We are sure of things being fine, if not now, then, in the long run, but there is so much worry, fear and stress that it is starting to spread to us.

As soon as we left the house, we could see the normality around us; trains were delayed, but were running, people were still going about their daily business.

The more normality we saw, the more annoyed we were with what we were doing. If no one else seems to be bothered, then why should we?

We still aren't, but, I will be glad to reach Nagoya and then we can decide where to head from there.

Hitting Tokyo station was disturbing, mind. As we got off the yamanote train, some stupid lady decided to tell me that my dog bag was inappropriate for travel on public transport. You see, usually, the dog's face must be covered, but Elbi hates that and so do we.

Her timing was inconsiderately impeccable. I could have got so angry with her, but I felt the urgency in the air as more people with suitcases emerged. It seems that there many people heeding the rash advice of scaremongers. Either way, it put me on edge, especially with what the lady said.

I checked with the guard that I could buy a dog ticket on the train, but he misunderstood me-!: He told me the tickets were sold out and I lost it. Thankfully, he was talking about the people tickets! Having just forked out 30 000 for comfy seats, you don't want to hear that you can't have them!

We are almost in Nagoya. I can't wait to just relax and get my head into gear. We were supposed to be on holiday at this time anyway, which at least affords us this time of contemplation.


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Location:On the train to Nagoya

Earth Quake....EARTH SHAKE...The scariest day of my life.

We were at the immigration office when the table started to shake. I wasn't sure if it really was a quake, you never are, but then my husband said to get outside and quick.

Selfish people blocked the doorway as it was a safe place but we eventually got out to a small car park, where everything was shaking vigorously.

My legs were wobbly; I was falling over concrete parking blocks and couldn't get my legs to walk to the safe area.

We stood in a line, raised our hands and watched what was happening. Cars were shaking, buildings were shaking, electrical wires were shaking, along with their poles. One house opposite shook so hard that I could see the tiles coming off the roof. It was out of control and the worse

thing was, there was nothing we could do.

As soon as the main shaking stopped, we were told to go back in, even though this wasn't safe procedure.

We couldn't stay any longer at the office, we had a dog and a hamster back home and new furniture delivered the day before standing precariously near the dog's cage. We were very worried.

We were lucky in that we could walk to Omiya station, but there were

no trains, of course and people everywhere. and vasts quantities of water leaking from the department store onto the station floor.

It was crazy, yet, MacDonald's was open and selling food and people were buying cakes from stalls.

We walked for a while, as did so many others and were lucky enough to catch a taxi.

When we got home, things were a mess, but our dog and hamster were fine despite the rubble around them.

Mimi was under the cd rack when it fell, but is fine, if a little traumatised.

We are all lucky to be alive and together. God bless everyone here. The people here are working wonders, despite the fear and the trauma. My heart is with them all, especially in Miyagi.

Tokyo, bye-bye

The thing with blogs is the ability to keep regular updates. Not so easy is it?

Since my last subway rantings, so much has happened.

In short, I quit work, we found a house, in the countryside and are moving on Friday! Talk about a dream come true! We wanted the country, we got the country!

We move on Friday, today is Wednesday. Are we ready? We will be!

We stormed ahead a couple for weeks ago and, although we have done very little since, it has all been pretty straight forward.

We were given a whole heap of boxes from the moving company. They aren't going to be cheap, but they are going to do everything for us. Come 2pm on Friday, we can just supervise and then run ourselves up to Kasukabe, our new home!

Elbi chan shall be going into a hotel for the night while we unpack the boxes, but, fear not, he shall be out in time for his 1st birthday!!!! Sunday shall be great! Walking around the lake and lots of birthday doggy cake for the little mutt! He might even have a girlfriend too, but more on that later!!

Location:１丁目,Itabashi,Japan

Tokyo Rush...

Bear in mind as I start this entry, that I was just about to apologise to a pole (!). Such was my rush for the seat, I hadn't paid much attention to the layout of the train itself. I didn't really care to be honest. I just wanted the seat and it was the only one going in the carriage. However, it must be noted that I barely even charged fir the seat, but I did only see the seat, and the seat alone.

You see, there are just a few things in the all important commute that really matter: getting on the train is a very good starting point and essential for any other tricks of the trade to be carried out.

If you are most fortunate to be travelling one of the more busy train lines, like I do, the Saikyo line, then you should be proud to be part of what Tokyo is really famous for; the sardine-packed train carriages. This train line is so phenomably notorious, that, there is rarely an empty carriage on it's route no matter what the day or time. How fortunate that you get to share in this, although, this is the one time that seeing the picture really is the best way to experience this.

The early morning "Rush" or, rush hour, as we tend to call it, is anything but a rush, that is some sort of feeling of exhilaration. No, this is a rush that simply is on a par with crush, and not just in rhyme. You might actually hear a bone crack as you are nudged, rather aggressively at times, or you may even have something like an elbow massage in your all too tight shoulder muscles. Whether you appreciate the intimacy on the train or not, and let's face it, the general consensus would hopefully be adverse to such discomfort, this is the train ride to work, and back and to work again, and back. And such is the rigmarole of the working routine.

If, like me, you work on the Japanese bank holidays, you might begin to think that you would be so fortunate as to have an emptier train on the way to work. Don't be so silly. There are plenty of people willing to wake up early on their days off from work and take that same train with you. Admittedly, the numbers are less and the bones are guaranteed a crush-free day, at least in the morning anyway. But there it is, those very few, very sought after empty seats. You spot them, but then so do the other new passengers embarking. There are two seats, but you count, and there are five passengers. Doshiyo?

I, like many a passenger, would much rather rest my feet, my body and travel, feeling relaxed, maybe even have a snooze. Yet, I would not disgrace myself with the petty fact of what my counterparts seem to have no shame nor compunction in doing. At this point, please note what I said before: I did not charge for this seat, I simply saw it and that was it, it was mine.

I am sure it's a universal trait, but it is only here in Japan, that I have stopped to notice the irksome tendencies of the traveller.

Just you watch. When those doors open, you just see what the people next to you are doing. Oh, it might all be smiles and light as you line up dutifully one behind the other. But when those doors open,, it is, without a shadow of a doubt, every man and woman for themselves.

There is always one passenger who leads with their head. Bent down like a bull, charging at it's red flag,this passenger is sure to get to the seat. It's not that they push you, of course they don't. That would be impolite. There is something in the technique that allows them to queue jump in the most permissible kind of way. The angle of the shoulder helps too. They use it to line up with the target, the seat. And if you get the chance to look carefully enough, check out the eyes. The eyes give away their target, which is why you might not often see them, but should you do, don't be too scared. Your gaze might just meet a pair of bulbous balls straining their thick red veins as if to jump out towards the seat themselves. If only they could' thinks the passenger.

I have to say, that I would rather this type of traveller than the one who actually does shove you on. Yes, without compunction, without any remorse, there are those who want to hurry their predecessor onto the train, with that one big push in the back. That's not very nice, is it? But I have witnessed it with my own very eyes.

But today, I casually board the train and gain a seat. Success. Bt this isn't always the case, and sometimes you have to pick a seat, in front of which you must stand, in order to wait for that, sometimes sleeping passenger, to alight from the train. Now which seat should it be?

It is never easy trying to gauge which seat is best. How can you choose which passenger is more than likely to be the next one off the train? Better judgement? What is that? I thought I had plenty, but the other day, I chose completely wrong, and now that my attention has been thus way drawn, I realise that I fail rather too many times than I would care to admit.

Take today's passengers, for example. Ok, so i was travelling from Ikebukuro to Shibuya at about half past even in the morning. At this time, it is hard to say when, where or how you can get a seat, but, you never know and I do believe you can time it well. Its a shame my beliefs do not tie in wi the reality of it all. This morning I chose the row with two business men sleeping lightly, so I thought. Now, this type of character would surely be the type to wake up suddenly and realise that it was their stop. If I was lucky, it would be as early as Takadanobaba, but, usually, at this hour, and still much appreciated, it would be Shinjuku. Then there was a student and then another business man, who was rather more alert than the others, so I chose him. There were also two women Nd another man not in a suit, but i had chosen, not so wisely,my target.

I was convinced that today was the day for me. It was, after all, my first day back at work and also a well deserved chance for me to rest, surely? No, the gods of subway seating did not agree with me. How could I be so wrong? It was one of the ladies who stood up o her seat. She was about 45 and her successor was older, so I didn't feel too selfish about he I'd have had to give it up anyway. But, it just goes to show that you can't be too careful.

And, you certainly cannot be too precious about your seat, whether you have it or not!

Think wisely, the next time you travel. But be aware, that seat could be yours, but, get real, even if you wait for one, you probably won't get it.



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