My Turf

1. Public toilets in Japan are really, really clean. And there’s always tissue.

2. Most toilet seats are electronic, especially in homes and offices. The seats are warmed. Beside it is a set of buttons and controls that allow you to use either shower or bidet, adjust the water pressure and temperature, or activate the “flushing sound” if you don’t want the person in the next cubicle to hear what you’re doing.

3. In Japan, you are expected to clean up after yourself. Sa mga fast food stores, you throw your own garbage and return your own trays in the designated stowing areas. Ilang beses nga na muntik na ko umalis ng hindi naliligpit, by force of habit, cause that’s the practice here anyway.

Maganda rin sana na i-adopt natin dito ang ganong system. Nakakatawang-nakakainis na tayo nga itong nakatira sa mahirap na bansa, tayo pa ang parang hindi magsu-survive ng walang maid sa bahay. Pati mga pamilya who could hardly make ends meet eh may mga katulong!

4. Sa ilang subway stations, merong mga employees na ang tanging trabaho lang is to pack all the people in sa mga trains. And, mind you, these are smartly dressed men—in navy blue coats, hats, and gloves—whose sole responsibility is to literary stuff people in the trains so more could get inside. And ang nakakatuwa pa is they really take their job seriously. Tipong they keep a prim stance tapos may mga sinasabi pa silang spiels pag padating o paalis na ang tren.

Sana sa MRT may mga taga-tulak at taga-pack din ng tao para ma-pitpit ang mga pasaway na ayaw umusog don sa gitna para makasakay pa ang iba.   

5. Fully-automated ang ticketing machines sa lahat ng train stations. Super astig! Tapos yung ticket na binili mo sa Tokyo, nare-recognize din even in stations outside the city. Pag kulang na ang bayad mo, may special machine for Fare Adjustment that automatically computes how much you have to add to be able to get to your target destination.

6. Ang sarap pumorma sa Japan kasi ang lamig! Doon, common lang ang mga girls wearing mini-skirts, knee-high boots, fur coats…most people are in trench coats, mufflers, bonnets, etc. Protection from the biting cold—in style!

Dito sa Pilipinas kung saan ubod ng init on most days, pag nagsuot ka ng ganon, either a) siraulo ka; b) gusto mo magpakamatay by way of heat stroke or suffocation; or c) you’re in desperate need of attention; or d) isa kang hip-hop na basta maka-porma lang, titiisin ang tumatagaktak na pawis…   

7. I noticed that most of their young women have colored hair. Red kung red or blonde kung blonde! Most of the young men, on the other hand, sport the just-got-up-from-bed hairstyle with matching highlights.

8. Porn materials (especially magazines and comic books) are sold practically everywhere. Even in convenience stores!

9. The Japanese people are often formal and polite. Kahit hindi mo kakilala, pag nagkatinginan kayo, the usual reaction is to make a small bow to each other (kahit maliit na bobbing of the head lang).

10. Most shops close at 8 PM. Some close even before 8. Ang kadalasang bukas na lang after 8 ay mga restaurants and bars.

11. Ewan ko kung pano nila nagagawa yun, pero ON TIME, im-punto (tama ba spelling?) lahat! Pag nakalagay na ang tren o bus ay darating ng ganitong oras, eksaktong-eksaktong yun ang arrival nya. With trains I could understand how it’s possible, pero I’m really amazed how this could be met even in buses, with unpredictable traffic and all.

12. Right-hand drive sa Japan. So madalas, nadi-disorient ako. Dahil sanay ako sa left-hand drive, minsan sa biglang tingin, naiisip kong walang nagmamaneho sa sasakyan.

Keep Left din pala ang policy sa Japan. So kahit naglalakad ka, you have to stay on the left side of the sidewalk kung ayaw mo bumangga sa mga kasalubong mo or masagasaan ng mga parating na bisikleta.

Oh, and bicycles are one of the most commons means of transportation.   

13. Sosyal ang mga taxi!. The backseat door opens and closes automatically (you DO NOT pull the door close or else, matitingnan ka ng masama ng driver!). Pwede magbayad through credit card. At may GPS pa!

Pero eto ang catch: ang flag-down rate ng cabs ay ¥660 or over 300 pesos! Ang bawat patak after the first 5 kilometers ay ¥80 or roughly 40 pesos.

14. 110 ang voltage na kailangan ng mga gadgets and appliances.

15. May vendo machines everywhere. At hindi ito binabasag o ninanakawan o pinupuno ng graffiti–something you could expect to happen in bout a week’s time, kung dito ka sa Manila maglalagay ng vendo sa kalye .

Actually, parang wala nga yata akong napansing graffiti kahit saan doon…

16. Ngayon ko lang napatunayan kung bakit well-renowned all over the world ang Filipino hospitality. In Japan, they are really timid and polite, pero hindi sila tulad ng mga Pinoy sa bisita na tipong dadalhin mo ang bisita sa bahay mo, ipagluluto mo, pag-iisipan mo kung saan mo sya ipapasyal. In our case, our boss just treated us to dinner one Friday night (a delicious Brazilian steak buffet at Copa Tokyo), pero yung pasyal-pasyal namin, kami-kami na lang ang bahala.

The first time we had to shoot in Yokohama, the people in the Tokyo office were really worried cause wala man lang Japanese employee from the school na sasama sa amin going there. Eh hello, ang layo kaya ng Yokohama from Tokyo. It’s about one hour away by train. Partida na dahil sobrang bilis ng mga tren sa Japan, so that is already an indication of just how far it is. It also means at least three train changes. And with maps and instructions we couldn’t read.

Sabi nung isang Japanese employee who really wanted to take us to Yokohama but was unavailable, “I’m so embarrassed. Filipino hospitality is not like ours.” Kasi when she was here, kuntodo pinasyal talaga sya sa kung saan-saan at lagi syang may kasamang Pinoy. Nung nalaman nung parang second-in-command to my boss na pinapapunta kami sa Yokohama ng walang kasama, siya na mismo ang tumawag don sa mga staff ng school at nag-utos na isa sa kanila ang sumama sa amin sa Yokohama.

Nung alam ko na kung paano, nag-lakas loob akong pumunta ng Yokohama mag-isa to meet with my good friend and Broad Ass orgmate, Lara. Thank God, I was able to go there safely. We had a quick snack at Mangia-Mangia, an Italian restaurant at the Yokohama Landmark Tower. Then we walked to Cosmo World where we rode the giant Ferris Wheel and took tons of pictures. After that, we had dinner at their home. Nag-prepare pa ng Yakiniku (Korean barbecue) and mommy nya. Then chika-chika at their place. They were even offering that I sleep there, tapos her stepdad will just drive me to the station in the morning. Kaso may shoot din kami the next day (yes, nagshu-shoot kami kahit linggo!), so kahit gabing-gabi na eh nag-effort pa akong bumalik sa aming hotel in Kuramae, Tokyo.

After the Sunday shoot, I went back to Yokohama for one last gimmick with Lara. She took me to Motomachi, one of the most expensive shopping strips in Yokohama. She also brought me to this place frequented by Filipinos (aaargh, I forget what it’s name is). There we had sumptuous Tempura then coffee at Starbucks. She pointed to me the young hostos with their toussled hair at naka-coat pa ang mga mokong! 

17. Lalo kong na-appreciate na sobrang masayahin ng mga Pinoy and that we are such fun-loving people. Hindi tayo mayamang bansa, kate-katerba ang problema natin, pero nagagawa pa rin nating maging masaya!

Sabi nila, mataas daw ang suicide rate sa Japan (kaya yung mga places gaya ng rooftops na pwedeng talunan ng mga gustong magpa-tiwakal, nilalagyan ng matatas na fences). Marami rin daw records of family members killing their own. Dahil ba parang repressed ang culture nila? I don’t know…

Sa Tokyo office nga eh, mga Pinoy lang ang maiingay doon. Sa isang buong araw, halos hindi naguusap-usap ang mga Hapon naming officemates. Tutok na tutok sa mga computers nila. Last year, I was singing while I was typing. Yung office admin, biglang tumayo and shushed me. Bawal daw kumanta. Labo ‘no?!

18. May mga inuman places sa Japan na tipong pupuntahan mo pag depressed ka at plano mong magpakamatay matapos malasing. Kasi ang liit-liit ng mga bar na ito na tipong 5 people at a time lang ang kasya (I really do not know what they’re called), very dimly lit, tapos parang wala man lang house music. ‘Di gaya ng mga gimmick places natin, always brimming with smiling, laughing, happy people!

19. It is really fun to be immersed in a culture very, very different from ours. If not for the physical exhaustion, I would have really enjoyed my stay.

Japan is indeed one of the countries to visit. If only so you know what it is like to be in a roomful of people tapos hindi mo maintindihan at all kung ano ang sinasabi nila. Yung fear and excitement and challenge ng pagpunta sa malalayong lugar ng hindi mo alam kung may makakapag-turo sayo ng directions pag naligaw ka or kung mababasa mo yung maps and guides (marami kasing stations and terminals na walang English translation). Paano ka bibili ng ticket sa isang machine na ni wala kahit isang pirasong alphabet letter? Paano ka gagamit ng telephone kung ang mga recorded messages and voice prompts are all in Nihongo?

    Lost in Train Station (Kamata, Japan)

 

One time, Wendell and I went to Yokohama’s huge Chinatown. There were plenty of attractive places to dine in there but we ended up eating at McDonald’s. Why? Because we couldn’t read the menu in any of the restaurants! Talagang makaka-relate ka don sa movie na Lost in Translation.

Buti na lang madali nung unang punta ko pa last year, na-figure ko na agad out ang pagsalin-salin ng tren. I guess super lakasan na lang talaga ng loob at katakot-takot na pagdarasal.

In this last trip, Wendell and I were left with not much choice but to develop our own strategy to be able to get around. Ni hindi kami binigyan ng service! Imagine all 5-feet of me carrying two video cameras with all the accessories (chargers, batteries, microphones), plus an SLR, plus my own bag. Tapos si Wendell naman was carrying the tripod and our lights. Tapos nagaakyat-panaog kami sa mga subway stations! May isang araw na from Tokyo, we shot at Yokohama, then from Yokohama, we traveled all the way to Nishi-Kawaguchi, which is about two hours away, even on the speedy train. Sabi nga ni Wendell, “Para from Manila, nagpunta tayong nagpunta ng Batangas. Tapos from Batangas, nagpunta tayo ng Bulacan!”

Grabe talaga yung last trip na yun. Super awang-awa ako sa amin. That is why even though there was an opportunity for us to extend two more days, nung malaman kong hindi pa sure ang flight namin if we reschedule, nag-checkout na agad ako sa hotel. Our confirmed flight was January 29. They wanted us to stay til the 31^st, pero waitlisted pa rin kami til the morning of the 29^th. My boss’s secretary asked us to wait until 12:30 that day, pero sabi ko sa kanya na nag-checkout na ko and I didn’t want to risk not being able to book a flight home on the 31^st cause I had a lot of deadlines to meet. 

Pero sa totoo lang, gusto ko na lang talagang umuwi dahil pagod na pagod na pagod na ako.

Isa syang kasumpa-sumpang experience in many ways, but looking at it from a different perspective, it was character-building in a lot of ways, too.

20. Ang gugwapo ng mga Pinoy at ang gaganda ng mga Pinay. Yun lang!