Zen Garden and Bonsai
Author: The Skeptical Traveler
Japan and English Language
‘Freaks’, I did not want to find out what was there: ‘This jelly beverage that can quickly replenish energy. It is best for life in a busy contemporary. Please before it does sports.’ How difficult would it be to ask one of the so many English teachers who are in Japan to check the label? They…
Japanese Toilets
Much has been written about them and I was fascinated also by these ‘contraptions’. Google search for ‘Japanese toilets’ – 136,000 results; ‘American toilets’ – 98,100; ‘German toilets’ – 6,970. I stayed at a friend’s and when I asked about all those buttons he told me not to worry and just showed me the button for flushing…
Kyoto
Tokyo was as I had expected, and I suppose all Asian metropolises look more or less the same (I might be wrong). However, Kyoto was a very nice surprise. It didn’t look like a large Japanese city even if its population is close to 1.5 million. No wonder Kyoto is on the position 12 on…
Japan – to JR Pass or Not
JR Pass is the famous Japan Rail Pass that can only be purchased abroad and used by foreign tourists and Japanese nationals living in a foreign country. I struggled a lot whether to purchase a JR pass or not driving myself crazy and my wife as well in the process. I made a spreadsheet* having…
The Emperor of Japan and me
Yes, I was so close to him when he visited Canada. I could have shaken hands with him but I thought it was better to let his country fellow men do this. And a few years later I visited Japan (a few posts to follow about the trip to Japan). Emperor Akihito is the only remaining monarch…
100,000 Fans and Counting – Air Canada Contest
I see the words Facebook and fans and like and I cringe (Facebook down 33% since IPO, yes I still have got it!) I still don’t know how this ‘like’ is useful for already known companies, but whatever, it cannot do any harm to ‘like’ Air Canada and enter the contest. Great things are happening…
IFE and some of the movies I have been watching
I love IFE. I still remember the days when the movies were shown on screens hanging from the ceiling and sometimes depending on your seat you didn’t have a good view. And by flying mostly with Air Canada for the past 3 years I thought that IFE is standard issue so I was so surprised when…
$50 from ING Direct and at least 17 Air Canada eUpgrade Credits from me
ING Direct Canada has a promotion* this summer. If you use my Orange Key 17148482S1 to open an account account with $100 or more in it you will get $50 and I will get $50 (sorry about that) too. More details here: www.ingdirect.ca/doublebonus. Also, as I thank you I will give at least 17 eUpgrades…
cities | hotels | promotions
Mission Accomplished and Best Hotel View
Club Carlson promotion: 1. Radisson, yes 2. Country Inns and Suites, yes 3. Park Inn, yes And I was reimbursed for all of them as I was on business, otherwise I don’t think I would have bothered. Park Inn was a close call, there are only 2 (two) hotels in Canada, in Vancouver and Montreal….