lost in translation my way

I should have taken a Japanese language class. I've often thought about it. Many times.

Of course, I never did went to a class. Well, too late for that now. Adrift in Tokyo, with a few Japanese words in my pocket, mostly from my Aikido training, which are pretty useless out on the streets when you can’t find your damn hotel.

Enter a store, pick any, and the sound builds up to a cacophony of echoes as everyone shrieks out a staccato of “Sumimasen!” and other cryptic greetings they hurl at you.

Welcome to Japan.

It’s a land where the cool factor is a way of life. Where being in one with style is an art form.

The boys are way too cool, the girls are way too prettified. Shu Uemura and Shiseido made sure of that. It seems like each girl you see is a black-belt makeup artist and she has her face as canvas, and everyday is a one-woman exhibition. Bow-legged but prettified.

It is a confusing city. Frustrating because of the language barrier, and perplexing at most because of the cultural barricade Japanese constantly put up.

My kid is doing better than me in the holiday department. Back in Manila, he said he just went snorkelling. He passed his silver grading swimming Survival Exam in Singapore a few weeks ago and can do over 20-30 laps (or maybe it's 50, I lost count and went shooting passing clouds instead) non-stop in an Olympic pool, make flotation out of his pants, clock 100 meters in less than 4 minutes and other magical stuff that in my better days I couldn't possibly accomplish. Now, he’s having the time of his life discovering the open sea while swimming with dolphins.

Here in Japan, I might as well talk to dolphins for all I care.

Shooting Raw offers greater range during the editing stage, but sadly, my Raw converter is in my iMac back in Singapore, and my PowerBook has a lousy un-upgraded Photoshop CS. So though I have many pictures to share, I only got one shot in Jpeg that I can upload now. Oh well.

So watch out when I start uploading images. Rest assured when I tell you that Tokyo is probably one of the coolest places I’ve been to. Lost in translation, but cool. Where else can you find an Apple store with a live band playing inside? And endless incredible sights,  including those funny girls in their anime attires. Oh well.

Sumimasen until then. Click.