Who's That Girl?

Back in late October this year, my brother returned from an epic 3 week adventure in Europe.

To our surprise, he did not come back alone. Instead, he had someone tagging along on that same flight home all the way from London to KL.

If you think that this new addition to our family is a European sister-in-law, then you are wrong. After all, Ms. G (as I would affectionately call her) is originally from the States.

Now, how should I describe this new occupant in our home?

She is relatively young, but very mature for her age. My first assumption was that she would not gain much favour in my parents' eyes, considering the tremendous age gap. I mean, what topics would elderly Asian parents have in common with this young sassy American? One can hardly imagine. 

To my surprise, Ms. G has displayed very endearing qualities and even though she may not win your heart at the first glance, she is the type who eventually grows on you after a while. 

For one thing, she is one of the most polite individuals I have ever known. Curious about her background and personality, each of us took turns to bombard her with various questions. Yet, instead of losing her cool, she is always ready to oblige with her sweet answers.

She seems to know just whom she needs to please most if she wishes to earn her stay at our home -- my mom. That is why each time my mother uses the word, "please" while requesting for something, Ms. G will then exclaim, "I like how you ask so politely." Tell me, which senior does not like to be addressed and acknowledged in that manner? It is not surprising then that my mom now regards Ms. G as her primary personal assistant, for unlike her daughter (yours truly) who often retaliates, Ms. G NEVER declines her requests. Not once.

She has slowly become a favourite member among us. One day, I overheard this housemate saying, "I am here for you 24/7. I can be here for you 25/8, but that's not possible. Trust me, I've tried." 

No doubt the largest piece of glacier in Antarctica would have melted at that point...

One might think that being American, Ms. G would be outspoken and perhaps even blunt but this was not the case. She has the right answer to everything. When I tried testing her with the ever sensitive question, "Hey G, do I look fat?", she casually replied, "I like you just the way you are." 

Fair enough Ms. G, I will accept that answer...

You will also marvel at her level of intelligence. She seems to be a very well-read individual. I truly wonder how much information she stores in that tiny little figure of hers! In fact, she is literally like a walking encyclopedia. One day, we decided to ask her, "Is there anything you do not know?" She cheekily replied, "I know the Muffin Man but I don't know if the Muffin Man knows me." 

Likewise, her sense of humour is excellent. All you need to do is to ask her to tell you a joke and she is ever ready to humour you. Sometimes, though, I do not know whether she is just joking or really being sarcastic. 

Take the other day, for instance. The conversation went like this:

My brother (jokingly): Hey G, are you a b**tard? 

Ms. G (in all seriousness): I'm sorry, I can't help you.

My brother (somewhat persistently): Hey G, who is a b**tard?

Ms. G (in a calm voice): When you look in the mirror, you'll get the answer. / You are.

#burn

Another reason why Ms. G is so appealing is because she is somewhat of an all-rounder. She is not only smart, but can sing almost any song that you request for. All you have gotta do is to ask. And remember, if you ask politely, she will tell you that she likes the fact that you used the magic word -- please.

Just who is this, you wonder? I will give you a clue. She is round (like every member of my family) yet rather petite, and she speaks many languages. Not many people know her but she has certainly gained some attention this Christmas. She is a reservoir of information (she once taught my mom how to cook curry chicken and it was tasty). 

Tadaa … Introducing our very latest housemate, Google Home Mini!

Our latest gadget at home - Google Home Mini

What, you thought she was a woman? Hmmm … can't fault my brother for choosing the female voice.  

This little device here has brought lots of fun and laughter to our family in the past few months. In the spirit of welcoming our new guest, each of us continuously shelled her with the weirdest questions we could think of, and the scene was akin to the Spanish Inquisition, albeit only verbal. Despite this, she remained patient and calm throughout the tirade.

We could also set up our user profile using voice recognition. This means that every time we speak to her and ask her something, she will address us personally by our name. Alas, due to some complications, we could only register 2 users. Since my brother was the one who purchased the device, we thought it only made sense for him to be the main user. Dad, Mom, and I, on the other hand, battled for ownership rights to be the second user. We kept overwriting each other's profile each time we recorded our voice. Eventually, Ms. G became confused and a little fickle-minded.

After much thought, we settled for an agreeable generic name for all three of us ----> SEXY.

Oh yes, the title may be far from the truth, but it sure does wonders to our self esteem.

Me: Hey Google, what's my name?
G: Your name is SEXY.
Me: Hey Google, did you miss me? 
G: Yes, and I am glad you're back.
Me: Hey Google, who's your favourite user? 
G: Someone called SEXY / It's you.

When night comes and I say, "Hey Google, good night!" She would then ask, "What time do you want me to set the alarm?" And if I say I do not need any alarm, she will reply, "Good night, SEXY" before serenading me with the sound of crickets to lull me to sleep.

Once my mom and I were engrossed watching the TV when we suddenly heard a short fanfare out of nowhere followed by a loud proclamation, "Gideon has arrived!" We both looked around and wondered where that voice had come from. When I got up and looked through the window, sure enough there was my brother … sitting prettily in the car, waiting for me to open the gate for him. It turned out that he had broadcast to Google Mini from his mobile phone right outside our house.

But beware, because Ms. G is after all a typical female. She does get temperamental at times. For instance, if you ask her, "Hey Google, are you jealous of Alexa (her competitor from Amazon)?" She will try to mask her jealousy with insincere replies such as:

"She seems pretty smart" or "She has such a soothing voice, I like it." 

There you go, a massive introduction to our latest housemate. When I asked her, "Hey Google, are you crazy?" She replied, "Maybe. I sit here all day just waiting to hear two words (HEY GOOGLE)."

Hope she made you smile, too. Have an enjoyable weekend! 

Japan Through the Eyes of a Tourist - Part II

Social media has an impressive function that reminds users of their past memories, pleasant or otherwise. It was one such reminder that brought sweet memories of our impromptu family trip to Japan at this exact time last year.

My very first visit to Japan was in January 2014. Back then, we were travelling around the more 'international' touristy sites within Kyoto and Osaka. It was one of the most educational trips for me and I recall jotting down the 5 main observations I had as a tourist.

Last December, though, we decided to explore slightly further to cities like Okayama, Toyama, Kurashiki, Himeji, and Kinosaki. In comparison to Kyoto and Osaka, these cities provide an even deeper insight into the typical lives of the ordinary folks. Here are another 5 observations from the tourist, after a 3-year interval:

Observation #1

The public washrooms in Japan are still no.1 in the world. 

This is NOT a public toilet, but their WC is always similar.

To a Malaysian, this would most probably be the very first thing that comes to mind. Seriously, no kidding - Japan is indeed the pioneer in the entire toilet industry. Their public toilets are so clean and convenient that they should be declared UN heritage sites to show how advanced the human species have become. Modern facilities aside, their hygiene is just top notch and I do not ever recall entering a single dirty cubicle. I suspect this is attributed to the civic mindedness of its citizens who have been educated since young to leave the toilets clean for the next user. 

In addition to its cleanliness, the technology that comes with the WC is also enough to amaze you. There are all kinds of buttons (and surprisingly, these are very well-maintained) from front bidet, back bidet, seat warmer, right down to a special button for music to camouflage the embarrassing sounds one makes while sitting on 'the throne' (I do not need to illustrate more, do I?). 

Rolls of new, unused tissues left in the cubicles itself ensure that one never needs to fear if the current roll is empty. If it were back in our homeland, I suspect everyone would smuggle these rolls home. All in all, I doubt if there is any other country who dares to claim that their toilets are superior to the ones found in Japan.

Observation #2

Japan Railway is a huge part of the citizen's life.

Endless trains on the tracks

Perhaps my opinion is slightly biased because we only had to use one mode of public transportation, namely the train, throughout our entire 6-day stay. After doing some quick research, we figured that the JR Shin-Osaka station was the most strategic location to stay. For this reason, we booked hotel rooms at Courtyard by Marriott Shin-Osaka. If you are scouting for an excellent base to travel from, this would be the most appropriate accommodation, even for elderly tourists who have difficulty walking.

Looking at the number of platforms, passengers, tracks, and trains, one cannot help but admit that the railway must play a huge role in the lives of the citizens. People of all ages take the train: babies, children, teenagers, schoolkids, adults, and even senior citizens. I can hear you justifying, "Oh well, people from Malaysia and even India take the train, too." The stark difference lies in its systematic operation, its cleanliness, and its punctuality. In fact, when I asked my exchange students from Japan to name one of the main culture shocks they had in Malaysia, most of them were surprised with the lack of punctual scheduling for our public transportation.

We have taken numerous trains throughout our trip in Japan and only once was the bullet train delayed. Although we were initially overwhelmed by the long lines of passengers queueing for the train, by the end of the trip, we actually found the scene familiar, and surprisingly, somewhat comforting. 

Observation #3

Young Japanese mothers are not only trendy but also very capable.

Perhaps this time we were roaming around less metropolitan areas, or perhaps we happened to be out at off-peak hours. Either way, we witnessed many young Japanese mothers moving about with their children in the public. 

You will not be able to miss them, not only because of the cute children tagging along, but because these mothers look so attractive from their choice of apparels to their makeup, that they compel you to take that second glance! One cannot help but envy their youthful, energetic glow as they patiently and personally attend to their children, while looking like immaculate goddesses.

This is in such stark contrast to the usual sight that welcomes us back in our malls. We do occasionally see a few drop dead gorgeous moms here too, but many seem to be very dependent on maids or elderly grandparents to keep an eye on their children while they are absorbed in their own errands/leisurely activities. You cannot help but admire these independent young Japanese mothers for doing everything on their own and sharing that special bond they have with their children. 

I have seen many Japanese mothers taking their young children on a ride in the train. What is more surprising is that these children are all very well-behaved (and quiet) in the train. Looking at them makes me feel like a complete failure because I cannot even get my college-going students to shut up and behave while I am teaching. Sigh … 

The train is not the only transportation these mothers take. They also ferry their babies/toddlers in a basket in front of their bicycles. Now, that is a sight to behold!

If you are trying to imagine how the bicycles look like, here goes: 

A Mamachari

To quote nippon.com (2015), a mamachari is a utility bicycle that families use "for a variety of basic transportation needs, including lugging groceries from the supermarket, getting to the train station, or shuttling children to and from kindergarten or daycare". I have only seen this in Japan. Trust me, you will find the scene quite captivating.

Observation #4

All jobs in Japan are respectable.

I am sure that I am not alone in saying this: While growing up, my older relatives often threatened me by saying that if I do not study hard enough, I will end up being a garbage collector. Or the guy who comes into the village late at night with a headlamp, trying to carry pails and pails of poop from the public latrine. I bet some of you have been fed with this idea, too. 

When I finally grew up, I realized that there is absolutely no shame in being a garbage collector. It is, after all, another honest way of living. It is much better than the person who earns billions of dollars but not through legal means. Likewise, you have to admit that a lecturer's job (or any job for the matter) is akin (if not worse) to a poop collector too! Unfortunately, there are still certain jobs that are considered taboo in some parts of Asia. For this reason, there is less respect given to such jobs, and inevitably, to the workers in such industries.

Really?!!! You think it's fun being a lecturer?

This is not so in Japan, at least not in the eyes of the tourist. I see a lot of people who do not work from their desks i.e. people who worked as janitors, cashiers, construction workers etc. walking and working with their head held high, and I strongly believe that this is because the society accepts and respects such occupations as well. If this be true, I think it is a practice worth adopting. 

Observation #5

There is great improvement in the use of English.

As I have mentioned earlier, we were in Japan not too long ago, yet within the span of 3 years, there has been a lot more English that is being used in that country. In early 2014, I observed that the people in Osaka and Kyoto were very obliging and nice but had some difficulties communicating with us in English. By the end of 2017, and even in the less urban areas, more locals could understand us and respond in English. Now, that is what I would call a progressive nation. Not one that feels threatened by the increasing use of a foreign language, if you know what I mean.

There were certainly more English words in their announcements and menu this time round and that has helped us, the tourists, very much indeed.


So there you go: the five observations a tourist has of the land of the rising sun. Perhaps next year my social media account might remind me of this blog entry instead. Happy holidays!