Very Expensive Tokyo

I'm in Tokyo for a total of 3 days for a meeting. I was smart to have called my bank to make sure my ATM card doesn't get locked while I'm traveling, but I was dumb enough to think 20,000 JPY can last me 3 days.

Here's how I spent close to 7,000 JPY without trying at all:

• Airport Shuttle: 3,000 JPY
  
• Ramen: 600 JPY
  
• Melon: 350 JPY
  
• A very stupid toy: 200 JPY
  
• Drinks and snacks: 700 JPY
  
• A travel-size bottle: 105 JPY
  
• Body lotion: 1260 JPY
  
• Takoyaki: 500 JPY
  
• Rice Ball: 190 JPY
  

Granted... I bought enough drinks to last me all 3 days because this cheap hotel doesn't provide any complimentary water. But, that's still more than what I spent in a work week in Beijing.

Flying Business Class

As a person who’s always had short legs, the leg room issue with the economy class never bothered me. But, I remember how he and I were elated when we were upgraded to Business class on our way back from our first trip to Europe. Yes, we were the stupid tourists taking pictures of the biz class coz it was our first time in that cabin. Now, fast forward 6 years, I’m writing this blog on my way to Beijing, sitting in the biz class, not really thinking too much about it.

A little girl running up and down the aisle and a pair of what seems to be sisters taking a walking tour of the cabin reminded how I used to feel about flying business class. Flying (even economy) used to be such a privilege. Now, I see a plane as little more than a shuttle that takes me from point A to point B. Of course, I’m still too cheap to buy biz class tickets with my own money, but because I travel so much for work that it’s merely commonplace now.

So, what brought me to write this blog? Because the guy next to me just WON’T close the window shade. By the way he fumbles with the seat and the meal procedure, I’m guessing he probably doesn't fly very often. As much as the light annoys me, I am refraining from saying anything because I remember how excited I once was about looking out the window. Let someone else have the experience... I just hope the last 3 hours of my flight will pass by more quickly.

Outliers

I've just finished reading the Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. While I can't say his books are very well researched, they do have pretty good stories that you can use for small talks.

The following excerpt basically summarizes the whole book:

Success follows a predictable course. It is not the brightest who succeed. Nor is success simply the sum of the decisions and efforts we make on our own behalf. It is, rather, a gift. Outliers are those who have been given opportunities - and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them.

Since I don't have deep understanding of European culture, I can't say very much about that. But, him basing the success of Chinese Americans on the cultural legacy of Southern Chinese working in rice paddies is just off. It shows that he has tried too hard to find an example that's parallel to the rest of the stories in the book. Maybe I only saw through that because I AM Chinese American. He said Sze Yap people are the lowest-achieving Chinese American because the soil in the Sze Yap area is less fertile. Ehm... he probably doesn't know that a good chunk of HK people are descendants of Sze Yap people. And, HK people are not underachieving. And, what about the Northern Chinese? If it isn't in the cultural legacy of Northern Chinese to work hard, then why are 2 of the most prestigious Chinese universities in Beijing?

I guess that's the problem with generalizing and trying too hard to make everything support your hypotheses. Malcolm Gladwell, after all, isn't a psychologist, anthropologist, or sociologist. He clearly has a strong interest in these areas, but in the end, he's just a smart author who knows how to write books that sell.

Getting Ready to Leave

Despite the ridiculously high income taxes, there are many great things about living in the Bay Area - my family and friends, the sun, clean air, relatively mild weather, relatively good roads, relatively sensible drivers, etc. I could go on for quite some time, but I think the point is clear. It's great to be home, and I'm going to miss it when I'm in Beijing. Goodbye to all the goodness in Bay Area, and hello to smoggy days AND night, freezing temperature, crazy cab drivers that smell from waiting in the car too long, and dirty bathrooms. BUT, I'll finally be in the same city with him.