Getting a Haircut

I believe I have written about getting a haircut in Japan. My method of communication was to hold my hair up with one hand and use the fingers of my other hand in the shape of scissors to show the length. After they finish with you they vacuum your head to get the loose hair out.

Yesterday I got a haircut here in the camp. They have a barbershop with two seats and there are two Indians cutting hair. You can get a haircut, shave, hair dye, "side cut", head massage, and "steam treatment". I decided to get a haircut and a shave. The cost of a haircut is 10 riyals or $2.75 roughly. The cost of a shave is 5 riyals.

I thought the haircut was pretty good and he used scissors for the entire cut. For the shave he used a disposable straight razor. They lathered me up really good and shaved once, then repeated. It was a pretty close shave as they say. For sure I'll be getting my hair cut in the camp from now on but I'll probably skip the shave. I haven't seen shaves available like that in a lot of years though and not since I was an adult. So I had to try it.

After they finish, they massage your scalp really well and slap some astringent on your face that stings like crazy. Then they massage your face. You can't get treatment like that in the States for $4.10. So I tipped him another 5 riyals.

Sailing

Yesterday I went sailing here in Doha with some guys from work. The boat belongs to one of them and is a 35 footer. It is a very nice boat, it was a nice day, and we went swimming out at "Banana Island". The picture shows the boat and I with the Sheraton hotel in background.

It got me to thinking about the last time I helped sail a larger boat. I think it was about 30 years ago. An old friend had moved to the beach and had a "Venture" with a small cabin - nothing like this one. He let me sail it by myself down the canal he lived on and out to Galveston Bay. Sailboating is something I think I could get into. About 7 or 8 years ago I also sailed on a commercial catamaran in Galveston Bay but I didn't really have to do anything.

While at Banana Island, I put on a mask and fins and goofed around a little. The last time I had seriously snorkeled was about 20 years in Hawaii. At that time I was marathon fit and also had been swimming twice a week to get ready for triathalons. I was so fit I was swimming as strong as the crew of the boat I was on and easily keeping up with them on dives to the coral.

Actually, I have started swimming again within the last two weeks. When I am at the camp I run about a mile, swim about 300 to 500 meters, and lift weights about twice a week. When I was in my 30s I dispaired that I could not run as fast as when I was 18. Now I wish I could do what I could when I was in my 30s. At least I have kept moving. Anyway, yesterday I was still the strongest swimmer on the boat. It is just that yesterday the boat didn't have a crew in its 20s.

Two of the guys on the boat were avid sailors so it was good to listen to them and learn a little about sailing. Keep moving :-)

Football

These men are at a Coffee Shop watching the World Cup on television screens set up under the porch. Something less than 300 Million people in America call this soccer. The other Billions of people in the world call it football and they are all glued to the tube right now.

This picture was taken in the Souq at dusk on Friday evening. Everybody goes out on Friday evening. Look behind Yebisu for another picture.

Dhow Harbor

One of my favorite things to do in Doha is to walk along the Corniche - a seawall, walk, and road that follows the bay. There is usually a breeze, and for Doha, lots of people out walking. It's the place to be...

Kitchens

Differences. There are a lot of differences in Qatar and Japan. Many are obvious, some more subtle. The way that people live is at least as different as the land itself. Here are two kitchens. The first is the kitchen of my apartment in Japan. It is sleek, ultra-modern, compact, and efficient. The second one is the kitchen in my villa in Qatar. It is very spacious, modern, and a kind of traditional style.

For me, they represent someting about the country they come from. The United States is somewhere in between the two in the way I think about it. I know you can find examples similar to both of the above in just about any country. But look at them and you will get a feeling for one aspect of these cultures.

Can you guess which is more "me" :-)

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Dining Rooms

And now for a test. Which one is in Qatar and which one is in Japan?

City Center

Doha has modern shopping, the largest being City Center. It is nice although parking is a bit limited. In fact, parking is kind of limited everywhere. City Center has three levels of shopping and a ice skating rink on the bottom. There are also a number of traditional souqs.

And aren't we lucky? There is fast food too.

Fast Food

Simaisma

The beauty of Qatar is much different than Japan of course. The desert has its own beauty and the sea here is a radiant blue. I like some of the new buildings quite a bit. Others not so much but that is the same everywhere. And if you look, you will find scenes like this one in Simaisma, a small town on the coast between Doha and Al Khor.

Sashimi in Ras Laffan

The other night we had sashimi in Ras Laffan at the camp canteen. This completes my round the world "sushi trip". In case you are not aware, sashimi is raw fish served without the rice as it is in nigiri (on top of rice) or maki (rolled in rice). This sashimi was from a local fish. Yatsuda-san and I could not figure out what kind it was, but it was pretty good. I have also eaten sushi in a Doha hotels but did not find it to be particularly good. Japanese friends tell me that the "Sakura" restaurant (the only real Japanese restaurant in Doha) is OK though.

Today (Friday) is a day off in Qatar. However, I am at work because I was away from the Construction Site for most of the week and got behind. I am not behind because I was away from the site, but rather because I was away from the computer. I don't have internet at the house in Doha yet so that makes it hard to keep up from there. So last night I drove out here and spent the night in the camp. Tomorrow I will take the day off and try to find something interesting to do...

Sushi in Paris

I am on a round the world sushi tour. Here Hatta-san and I enjoy a nice glass of ginjyo in Paris at a restaurant that was occupied only by nihonjin on the night I was there (with the exception of me of course, and I consider myself honorary nihonjin). The sushi and sashimi was excellent and we also enjoyed tempura. Kanpai!

I actually started this adventure in Yokohama where I was honored to eat in Ikeda-san's home with his wife and son. That was very nice and Ikeda-san also gave me a very nice sake cup. So far, the sushi has been pretty good at all the places I have tried it - but they haven't quite made it to the highest Japanese standards....

I am back in Doha now enjoying the balmy weather. Take care and don't get a heat stroke...

Sushi Uptown

Well, the Astros won last night - beat the Braves. Here is a view of the fireworks show afterwards. Megan, Megan's friend Hy, Teresa and I went. There is another picture behind Yebisu.

The other day we went to a "fusion" sushi bar in Uptown Houston. The sushi was good although a bit Americanized and they had a nice ginjyo that they served at the right temperature.

Summer is the time for fireworks - get out and see some...

Sushi in Kingwood

Yesterday David and I went to the Thai Curry and Sushi Bar in Kingwood to eat lunch. It was pretty good. I would rank it just below the kaitenzushi in 鶴見　where I used to work in terms of quality. It was Americanized a bit and wasn't Tokyo style. Not that I am snooty or biased or anything. I asked the chef in Japanese if he was Japanese. He responded in Japanese that he was Chinese - neat huh? The rest of the wait staff was speaking in Chinese so I should have figured it out. Anyway, it is recommended. They give you a big bowl of edamame and the mizo soup was fair...

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New Electronics

My children were starting to catch up with me in terms of what their cell phones could do so I picked up this new i-mate Pocket PC with Windows so I can take a picture, post it to my blog, and view it. Of course I can also create an Excel spreadsheet or a Word file as needed.

This cell phone has more power than my first PC by a significant amount. That PC had 32 k of memory (16k RAM and 16k ROM) and when I first got it I used a tape recorder for storage until I could afford a floppy disk drive. And it didn't even have a built in camera or ability to access the internet. I shall not tell tales of punched paper tape or IBM paper cards. Or learning to use a slide rule...

How is the Camp?

The camp is OK. As you can tell from the photo, the interior decorator was not a woman. The sheets and towels get changed twice a week and the air conditioner works good. I have my own bathroom, living room with TV, microwave, refrigerator, and office.

The canteen has both Japanese and European food. The Japanese food isn't too bad but there are some not quite right things. Like, the miso soup has wakame and potatoes in it. OK though. We get hamour tempura (grouper) instead of anago. But I like it.

The vegetables are really good and the fruit isn't too bad. Deserts are not the specialty of the chef which is probably a good thing for me. The weather is over 40 deg. C now in Doha.

Road Hazards

There are a number of road hazards here. As in most places, but maybe more so here, the number one hazard is other drivers. There are also sandstorms (on the day after I took this picture I had to slow down considerably because of visibility and there is dust in the air in this picture as well).

And then there are the camels. Camels are a lot like moose in Alaska. A lot of weight up high on spindly legs - just right to come crashing into the passenger compartment if you hit one. So far I am avoiding them. You see them from time to time. Today I saw a big lizard. Other than that, not much moving...

I am getting settled in but having to work some long hours. My shipment came in from Japan today so soon I'll have the rest of my clothes, stereo, massage chair, tea pots, and television. I don't know why I got that television. There is already one here so I don't really need it. Oh well. Better having surplus corruption than not having what you need...

How did I get from Tokyo to Here?

This is my villa in Doha in the late evening. Parked in front is my Volkswagon 4wd SUV. Pretty cool (except that it is 40 deg C and about to climb to 50 every day). It is 4 bedrooms, 4 and a half baths, a living room, kitchen, dining room, and utility room. I don't need the space - it is way too much.

I will probably move out to the camp - I have reserved a one bedroom with office out there. They also have a swimming pool, gym, tennis courts, and Japanese food. I will probably keep this place or a place in Doha though. I have to be there one day a week and there are always the weekends. Maybe even visitors!

Last week I went and spent the day with the laborers. Their life is much different than mine. At lunch we were given a metal tray and food was dished upon it. No fork or spoon - you eat with your hands and using the bread in the traditional style. The food wasn't bad though and there were more than enough calories for me - I didn't eat it all. It seemed pretty healthy too. I ate on the Indian side and it seemed pretty spicy to me but the workers didn't think it had enough curry. Each worker had to carry his own cup or bottle in for water.

The accomodation for laborers is pretty sparse compared to what I've gotten used to. It can be a hard life for some. Be grateful for an education and the opportunity for more.

Last Day in Yokohama

Here is the group photo on my last day in Japan. My going away gift was a man's yukata and geta - traditional Japanese daily wear and wooden shoes. I haven't tried the yukatta on yet but it is very pretty. I was assured the shoes were large, but my feet are XL by Japanese standards.

I am in Doha now and all is fine. The weather is plenty warm and the sun is out. I'll start writing about that (I miss Japan but will try not and make that the topic of my postings).

Hashioki

I have a few strange quirks. Most are harmless like this one of collecting hashioki (chopstick rests) but only those that are in the shape of a fish and where there is both a "boy" and "girl" fish. I display them on a piece of cloth showing a scene from an Edo era screen with koi on it. Most are ceramic.

Anyway, I am up to 12 pairs of hashioki now. Starting in the upper left hand top row they are: tai (sea bream), kingyo (goldfish), some little critters I forgot that look like gobies, koi no bori (carp streamer shape); left middle row: another pair of koi no bori made from glass, kingyo, some Vietnamese haishioki made from horn, tai, fugu (poisonous blow fish); bottom row: kingyo, tai, hirame (flounder).

In Japan, pink is for girls and blue is for boys. You might also see other pairs like the orange and black or gold and orange in the picture. Tai are popular because they are thought to bring good fortune. They are often eaten at ceremonious meals and Yebisu is usually seen holding one. Of course this is the time of year to fly koi no bori with May 5th coming up.

The fish shaped ones are a bit hard to find in pairs. I asked about them once and was told that they are a little old fashioned and really only used on special occasions at home. Some nice restaurants have them. They are kind of fun though. If you have special china and silver I suggest you get them out and use them. They aren't doing much good in the cupboard. Have a tea party :-).

The weather is great right now! This morning was very clear and Fuji was clearly visible.

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Guess What is for Dinner

Since I don't have much time left in Japan, I am trying new restaurants whenever I can again. I have made it into a game that goes like this: pick one at random that looks like it does not have an English menu (pictures and plastic food displays also make it too easy), then go in and try to get something to eat! I will eat about anything so that isn't a problem. The game is to try and read the menu at least a little, ask questions, and then see if you get what you thought you were ordering without letting the waiter or waitress know you are clueless. I do better than 70% at this game but there are enough errors to keep it interesting. So far, I have always been able to get enough food and not go hungry.

I am OK at asking questions. My trouble is understanding the answers. I can ask for recommendations and figure out generally whether the dish consists of rice, vegetables, fish, or meat based on what I am told most of the time. Tonight I was really doing good and then got caught right at the end when I couldn't tell her what kind of ochazuke with ume I wanted and ordered wrong. Last night I got through the whole meal without missing a beat.

Have a happy Easter!

Clown Shoes

There isn't much to write about this week. I have been working instead of engaging in people observation or learning about cultures. However, that didn't stop me from seeing this young man on the train. Look at those shoes. They were even more impressive in real life. At first I thought it was some afflicted person with feet the size of David's on a regular sized body. Then I began to think the guy was wearing clown shoes on purpose - probably for fashion.

It is hard to tell what is going on in this picture. So I have denoted the clown ratio on the photograph. For the purposes of this discussion, the clown ratio is the length of extra shoe over what is normally required to house the foot. (By the way, "kutsu" is the word for shoe in Japanese - just thought I'd throw that in to make this a little more educational). Expressed as a percentage, I estimate the clown ratio on this fellow to be around 50%. The shoe itself, up close, actually looked like the extra had been grafted onto it or somthing. Note the box toe on the left foot and also look at his feet relative to everyone elses. Almost bozoesque. OK, enough about big shoes.

All too soon I have to leave Japan and it is going to be a sad day. I have never taken so much enjoyment from observing people elsewhere although I know there is just as much opportunity. I just really like Japanese people and it is not going to be the same...

More Pachinko

A girl with a sign showing the way to a pachinko parlor. The kanji at the top of the sign with the yellow background says "nihon" which is the Japanese word for Japan. The katakana, which indicates foreign words, below it says "gurandoinpakuto" when romanized. Can you guess what it means? See the comments for a translation.

What is this Dude About?

BROOKLYN

CITY

MANHATTAN

I AN AFFORD

A MORE STYLISH

Bureikou

Here we are at the party after viewing the cherry blossoms. The title "Bureikou" means putting aside rank. This is important in Japan because during the work day there is a high level of formality and politeness that results in less than direct communication. So, in the evening, it is common to let your hair down and speak a little more directly about work related items.

The result is karaoke, drinking too much, and at a party there will be assorted silliness and games that everyone participates in.

In this picture Ikeda-san and I are recreating a famous Japanese skit. One person sits, covered in a costume where he can't see, behind the other and feeds him noodles. Ikeda-san and I won the prize for "Best Couple". There was much ooh-ing and aah-ing about my ability to use chopsticks without seeing. "It looked like one person was eating" I was told. We also gave stirring speeches, ate, and drank. The food was French (excellent) and the cocktails had a cherry blossom in them.

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Kaisha no hanami

This is the office hanami party. This year we walked part way around the palace moat and had the party at the Imperial Hotel. Being stylish, I wore a pink cherry blossom tie.

An Ode to the Cherry Blossom

I wrote the following haiku upon seeing cherry blossoms on the way to the airport this morning (this is common behavior for sensitive, artistic people):

momoiro de
sakura no hana wo
kakushimasu

Poetic translation:

The cherry blossoms
are hidden
by the color of pink

Seriously Nerdy

According to the Geek Test I took on the Newsweek website I sometimes look at for news, I am "Seriously Nerdy". Of the categories ranging from "Last Century" up, this is the highest form of geekdom in the test. According to the statistics, only 5% of the persons taking the test scored this high. This surprised me - wouldn't only nerds take a test that scores how nerdy you are? Here are some of the questions:

• Have you ever emailed a picture taken on your cell phone to a friend? (Everyone in Japan does this)
• Do you text message with your phone (everyday)
• How many computers do you currently have at home? (3 counting my work laptop - that isn't so many)
• Do you have a home network set up? (Who doesn't?)
• A joke about binary code (Of course I got it - I could have understood it in hexadecimal)

I didn't do very well on the one about having a TIVO on your television. Do geeks watch television?

Tokyo Tower at Night

When visitors come, they generally like to sit in the massage chair which has a view out this window. Looking out, you can see Tokyo Tower (that one is pretty obvious) and to the right of it is Mt. Fuji. If you look down, you can see the temple. If I am in the way you can't see anything.

In the winter this window is warm and sunny and there is a nice ledge to sit on. It would be good for a cat, or anyone else inclined to sit on a window sill.

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Hanami at Night

People like to go and view the cherry flowers at night too. I tried to get a good picture but this was the best I could do. The trees are getting near peak now. The best guess is that they will peak in the Tokyo area on Tuesday or so. With my standard good timing, I will be in Doha then.

Meanwhile, I suggest going outside with a flashlight or better yet set up a generator and floodlights under a flowering tree. Pop open a beverage of your choice and enjoy some snacks...

CATASTROPHE AVERTED

I bought a new one - Canon IXY 700. They call it the PowerShot SD600 Digital ELPH in the United States. There were some a little fancier but I decided to stick with a small size and the Canon brand that I was already familiar with. The camera is smaller, lighter, the pixels greater (6 Mega) and the LCD viewer bigger than my old one. It also opens up and gets ready to shoot faster. It won't use my old batteries or memory unfortunately. I think it will be OK...