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matthewlau
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Name: Matthew
Location: California, United States
Gender: Male
Interests: Learning new stuff...and appreciation
Expertise: overcomplicating stuff
Occupation: Unemployed for the brief bit b
Industry: Dentistry
Message: message meEmail: email me
AIM:  matthewjlau
Member Since:
6/14/2003
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| On second thought...I may continue blogging here.
I won't post often, consistently, or even seriously.
But I'll post non-dental related stuff here: stuff like standup comedy, lute construction, and marketting.
Bye.
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| I've set up a blog on blogger.
If you'd like, please follow me at http://drgoodtooth.blogspot.com.
-Matthew
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| I think that I'll move away from Xanga, and use a different host.
The reasons why:
1. It's cumbersome to use.
It takes me several click-throughs and an annoying advertisement page before I can actually post something. Even then, it's hard to add a picture "just so." It's also really annoying to see how the formatting will be on a different sized monitor due to the weird spacing issues (or at least it was). All the extra gimicks of points and add-ons detract away from my desire to simply blog.
2. It's limitted.
Only Xanga users can comment (or at least that's my experience). There's also limitted file storage space for pictures and video. It's also really annoying to try to post things inside my blogs or edit after visitting someone elses site. Of course, this may simply be because I'm inept.
3. I've shifted away from my original objective for the blog.
Originally, my intention was to have little vignettes...ideally about the little things that make life special (whether good or bad).
I've fallen so far away from that. Instead, this blog is self-conscious, probably self-righteous, and missing the point. It's also really annoying for me (the author) to read, much less for you.
So if you chance upon this post,
Goodbye...and thanks for visitting.
If I ever get motivated (and find a host hta I like working with), I'll make another blog.
It'll hopefully be more focussed, and way more interesting than this one is.
It'll focus on life through my lens of dentistry:: craftsmanship, design, and people.
I'll post up a link on this when that happens.
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| It took a while, but we're finally here.
First impressions: safe, small, humid.
Everything is quite rigidly organized. There's bikes everywhere, and things with minimal security.
It's small and homey, but I can see why Japanese can get really obsessed with travel. There are minivans with a smaller footprint than a Toyota Corolla. The sidewalks and the main streets aren't delineated. Everything seems ideal for bicycles. For skateboards/longboard, the apvement is not ideal.
In Asakusa, even as it's dark, you'll see the occasional children or grandma playing or prattling out in the streets. There's ramen, and there's more expensive placed. Apparently chicken is less expensive. Beef is much more so. However, things are generally decently presented.
Japan is definitely smaller than America.
At first glance, Tokyo looks like a sprawling metropolis...until you realize that everything is in kilometers, and that the city block is a less than a quarter the size of the equivalent American/Canadian block. Things are orgainized in the residential areas so there is only 10 houses on each street/block area.
It's very much like downtown Hawaii, but much more cramped.
Upon entering the subway/rail terminal, you'll realize that the average Japanese is used to smaller places than the American. In one section, the ceiling is only 5 foot 10 inches in height. Even on the light days, there's tons of people.
There's tons and tons of people.
In general the Japanese are smaller than their American counterparts. Heightwise: men averaging 5 ft 7 in - 5ft 10 in; women are a bit shorter. I only saw one muscular dude. The rest were either really skinny and wimpy looking, or fat and wimpy looking.
Granted, I was looking very hard, and I've only been here for a couple of hours.
Anyways, no pics today.
Tomorrow. Maybe.
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| On the way back from Vancouver airport, I was deeply impressed with the quality of Canadian security.
Unlike America (or so it seems), Canada does not loudly claim tp tighten airport security. They don't set a national policy to hire a racially-balanced quota of minimally trained TSA grunts. They don't have laughably cursory, "random" body searches.
Instead, they get it done.
At SFO, I was searched because of some water in my bottle. It tickled; it was somewhat inconvenient; and that was that. It was mildly relaxing.
Here in Vancouver, my dad was chosen.
Usually, he'd snicker as we were searched. He'd make dumb jokes. He'd dance around with a fat smirk on his face...
Today, was retribution.
The airport security politely (but firmly) pulled him aside. He had him remove his jacket, his four wallets. He was patted down in five positions. His papers were checked against an international database.
Meanwhile, my sister had her luggage swabbed and submitted to a quick forensics test.
I later learned that Canada was readying for the upcoming Olymics.
Lesson: don't mess with Canada.
Ps. Later, I'll document the horrors of the Chinese tour. | | |
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