Vending machines

Vending machines in Japan are amazing. First, picture a standard American vending machine, with each time of item held in a metal spiral that twists to release your item (or sometimes doesn't, as George found out with his Twix bar in the car dealership Seinfeld episode).

In Japan, there is a plastic box that mechanically moves over to your item, picks it up, and then moves down to the bottom corner for you to get your item. It's almost like a vending machine crossed with one of those claw arcade games at the shore.

I don't really want another candy bar, but I might go back just to see it in action again.

Shanghai and Yom Kippur: Travel Craziness

Okay, here's the scenario. My firm is having a regional meeting in Shanghai the Friday before Yom Kippur (which begins on a Sunday night this year). My manager wants me back at the client Tuesday morning, which means that have to come back to Tokyo for Yom Kippur (since the earliest flight on Tuesday won't get me back until early afternoon).

So here are my options. Shabbat ends at 6:23 PM in Shanghai. The last direct flight from Shanghai to Tokyo leaves at 5:05 PM, so that's not an option. The first direct flight the next morning leaves at 9:05 AM and gets me to Tokyo at 12:55 PM local time. In a best case scenario, I could clear immigration and customs in 30 minutes, and then get to where I'm staying in the city in another 2 hours. Pre-fast at the JCC starts at 3:45, and Kol Nidrae at 5:00, so that is cutting it enourmously close. Any extra circling in the air and I'm stuck.

Here's the other option: There's a 9:20 PM flight from Shanghai to Seoul, and then an 8:20 AM flight to Tokyo which gets me in at 10:45 AM.

Am I totally crazy that I'm even considering this? Spending 8 hours in South Korea for a little bit of a buffer on erev Yom Kippur?

Tokyo: Initial business observations

A few more observations:

1. There aren't really street signs in Japan for small streets. I have no idea how anyone finds anything. In Manhattan, you could give me any address on the grid (324 W 91 St.) and I can find it. Here, without my trusty GPS, I'd be lost. (This reminds of a trick an 80 year old cousin of mine taught me: if you want to know how to get back somewhere, add it as a favorite on your GPS-enabled Google Maps. Then, you can always have Google Maps give you directions to get back there. He uses it when he parks a car in a large garage. I use it to get back to my hotel.)
2. In Japan, the equivalent of Mr. or Ms. is adding san to the end of your name. So, Mr. Green would be Green-san. There are two peculiarities to this. The first is that this form is used in both the third person and in writing, by adults. It's equivalent to someone saying they were working on a project with Mr. Green, and even writing "as Mr. Green argued" in a slide. The second is that this honor is only for Japanese people. One of the clients is Korean, and so he just gets referred to be his last name.
3. In two of the higher level meetings I was in today, one of the women (who I think also works as a receptionist) brought in tea and cold water for each participant, and actually served us at the conference table. I've never seen that before in a meetin
4. Japanese businessmen really do give out business cards with both hands (imagine your fingernails touching, knuckles facing out, and your thumbs parallel and touching).
5. It's amazing to be on a project team where I'm the only American. The senior manager is from Austria, married to a man from Japan, and lives in Singapore. The full time engagement manager is from Turkey but lives in Australia. The other consultant is from Singapore. The last two went to Penn and Columbia respectively, so they have spent some time in the US. That said, it is totally jarring to really how utterly American I am, in speech, mannerism, metaphor, and action.

Tokyo: Arrival and initial observations

Hello friends. I have decided to start using this blog to post about my adventures in Japan. For those of you who do not know, I am beginning a 2 month consulting project here for a large bank. This project was confirmed last Tuesday morning, so, less than a week later, I have arrived in my apartment in Japan, with Jewish connections galore and ready to start work tomorrow.

A few quick observations:

1. My guidebook mentioned that Japan is one of the most ethnically homogeneous places, and they weren't kidding. 99% of people I've seen on the street are Japanese. I've never been to a global, cosmopolitan city (think New York, London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Sydney, Wellington, Cairo, Tel Aviv) that looks so homogeneous.
2. The subway system is immaculately clean, runs on time, and is full of people at 11 PM on a weeknight. It even has handles coming from the ceiling to hold on to (think what you playground had when you were little.)
   
3. My 23 sq meters (~240 sq ft) temporary furnished apartment is 100% functional and has everything I need (including a washer/dryer!), except perhaps a place to host Shabbat dinner...Hopefully my longer-term apartment (which I move into on Thursday), which is 32 sq m will have room for a table.
4. My welcome team dinner consisted of a many course meal (I lost count) of totally amazing vegetables, including sweet melon tofu tomato soup, cold pea soup, enormous grapes, and more.
5. Google Maps with GPS works on my Blackberry. Without this, I would never have been able to get from my apartment to the restaurant. I have no idea what I will do on Shabbat...
6. No one carries a blackberry. Apparently (according to my manager), Japanese cell phones have long offered email access, so Blackberries never really caught on the way that they did in the US.

That's all for now. I'll post more soon

Ambassador Huntsman (again)

Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has just accepted President Obama's nomination to be Ambassador to the People's Republic of China. This is an obvious choice for Huntsman. Here's his alternative:

• Govern Utah during a recession (never good, given that he'll have to cut something or raise taxes or both)
• Run for President in 2012, likely against another Mormon (Romney), who was governor of a more populous state (Massachusetts vs. Utah), during a boom (vs. a recession), who was a more successful business man (founder of Bain Capital vs. major player in family company), whose other public accomplishments are better regarded by the general population (head of the 2002 Olympics vs. Ambassador to Singapore and Deputy Trade Rep)
• Even if he wins, he'd have to take on a likely very popular president Obama

Instead, Huntsman gets:

• To not govern during the rest of this recession
• To sit out the 2012 primary and general elections
• To improve his foreign policy credentials, though one of the most important diplomatic posts in the world

Finally, the President gets to remove a moderate voice from the GOP conversation, increasing the possibility that the party will tilt more to the right, nominate a conservative member in 2012, and give him a landslide victory.

Spectacular Italian Restaurant: Pisticci

Amazing Italian restaurant in the Harlem/Morningside Heights area (near Broadway and 123rd street). Reasonably priced, and everything on the menu is tasty and excellent. Lots of vegetarian options. And, they're completely carbon neutral.

I highly recommend it if you're in the area.

Pickles

If anyone is going to the Lower East Side (say to buy a lulav and etrog this week), check out the Pickle Guys. You won't be sorry.