Tip 194: To cherish or to dispose/demolish/retrench/divorce

I was cycling past a familiar landmark. It was previously the site of Citibank Shinjuku Minamiguchi along Koshukaido main road. But it has been demolished and a new building is under construction. It seems only yesterday that I was stepping into this bank to apply for my first Japanese credit card. It does not seem like a strong attachment, yet it feels like something is amiss in a familiar picture of my life. Would all this discontinuity in memories feed our values that it is alright to throw the old and bring in the new? Is society making decisions on what can be done faster, rather than taking time to mend the old, hold on to sentimental feelings and cherish the past? Does this explain more common practices of disposal vs. repair, demolishment vs. refurbishment, retrenchment vs. retraining, divorce vs. patience?












A scene in a Chinese movie The Road Home stays in my mind. The broken pieces of a bowl was not discarded, but was nailed together painstakingly and with care to form a bowl that can be used again. It is because the bowl represents memories. Memories of using it together with loved ones. Memories of having someone create it out of love and present it as a gift. Do we cherish such memories? How do we teach our children to cherish such memories? In the bible, God emphasizes the need to remember events in life. As we humans have limited memories, its good to learn to cherish them more, since we would later see the bigger picture and be appreciative of that which has past and learn from it.












Should we learn to treat objects with more respect and give them away rather than throw them into the garbage? Use internet groups to find people who would want items that can be reused if they are in fairly good condition. Another good practice that I see my wife doing (which I have yet to practice myself) is to wrap items nicely such as paper or plastic wrappers of chopsticks that we plan to dispose of before throwing them away. Would this lead to cherishing the old more? At least we demonstrate respect and dignity.












(Photo shows a 400 year old Japanese garden at the New Otani Hotel, Tokyo).

Tip 188: Yearn to breathe clean air

I have lived in different cities and begin to cherish clean air as I compare the different cities. Before working in Tokyo, I was told that Tokyo is a cramped, busy and polluted city. Of course, no one can deny that if witnessing for the first time the crowd at Shibuya crossing in Tokyo. Yet, I find Tokyo to be pleasantly green and offering quite a lot of sights of clear blue skies, as well as personal space. It is of course no where near the perfect blue skies of Hawaii where I was staying for 1 year when undertaking my MBA. Then, one level down is Ishigaki, Okinawa where I make my yearly pilgrimage to meet my in laws. So, when my family came to Hong Kong, we did find the air quality quite a shock. It made us appreciate clean air more.

I probably haven't seen the worst of air pollution. Wikipedia lists Cairo, Delhi, Calcutta, Tianjin, Chongqing and Jakarta to be the most air polluted cities in the world in 2004. I could only imagine as I have experienced the haze in Kuala Lumpur originating from the forest fires in Indonesia and the daily smog in Hong Kong coming from the factories of Shenzen and Guangzhou. It just feels unhealthy when your throat is dry after walking in the open air and your mood is affected by the cloud of smoke in the skies.

A BBC article in 2006, wrote,"In London and Tokyo, air quality has improved over the last 50 years. In Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur, it has gone down, though there are signs of improvement elsewhere in the developing world. It has happened in Delhi, for example, where there has been a huge improvement in air quality by substituting liquefied petroleum gas [LPG] for diesel in vehicles. Partly it is just that as cities become richer they can clean their act up, but it's also how vocal the middle classes become, which in India counts in a way it doesn't yet in China". So, we all can do something indeed and not just let city mayors breathe down our necks with polluted air! As I prayerfully consider where my family would settle down for good (for the next few years at least), I yearn to breath clean air again.

(Photos show more of our outdoor family portrait in clean air. In the BBC report, Tokyo ranks 57th most polluted city despite having the highest population among the other cities, while London and New York sits at 91st and 96th place, respectively.)

Tip 164: All of us can DO something

I was inspired after reading an article about 2 teachers in Japan who wanted to make a difference in this world. They were teaching kids in Japan about global warming and the threat of extinction to the orangutan due to deforestation in Borneo (a land I am passionate about since my mission trip there). They were shocked when they received a common reply in the kids homework such as, "We can't do anything about that because we are students", or "Those issues are happening overseas, and because we are Japanese, we can't do anything about them".












Yet, Michael and Miki Tan decided they got to DO something. They planned a 3,000km travel along the whole stretch of the peninsular of Japan by walking on bamboo stilts (takeuma in Japanese). This travel will involve visiting many Japanese schools along the route, to get the kids to walk together in stilts to raise US$50,000 in donations to protect rainforests land in Borneo. Their message is clear. No matter how impossible something may seem, such as saving a forest or walking 3,000 km on stilts, if you just put your head down and start, anything is possible. Can you imagine whether it is even possible to walk for just 3 meters on long bamboo stilts?












Kids these days are pampered with attention, comfort and convenience. Haruka is at an age where she could walk well, but would ask me to carry her if we are walking for more than 5 minutes. She knows her loving dad would oblige. Would our dad or grandparents done the same previously? They had more children and a cultural norm that children should just be tougher to bear the hardships of those times. While I have a stroller, I rather not use it in our travels as it slows us down, as well as put me at a greater distance from talking to Haruka. Plus, Haruka could understand that effort and energy is involved in carrying her. That's the least I can DO as a dad, if I have not been doing more as my wife would want me to remember. I will continue to instill in Haruka the sense that she can make a difference. Rather than drown herself in video games or movies one day, she can actually walk on stilts, if not do more. Daddy got to try this one day too. But, first gotta get Haruka to walk on her own 2 feet more. She is starting to weigh more than 10kg very soon and exhausting daddy much. Daddies, encourage the babies whenever possible and not let them drown themselves on complacency and comfort.












Please do visit this blog that talks about the Pongo Hogo Hogo Challenge. 1 Year, 2 Stilts, 3,000 km and do consider to donate to the cause. They probably would head their way to Malaysia and Indonesia upon the completion of their Japan stint. I will see if I can be part of that even... who knows. Anything is possible.












(Photos show Haruka at the Victoria and Albert museum, London displaying art exhibits around the world and Trafalgar Square).

Tip 154: Recycling hazard

Japan is one of the top countries successful in its drive to reduce garbage waste and increase recyling. It is ranked the highest in the world for recycling plastic PET bottles. Its drive is linked partly to its desire of not wanting to utilize land fills for garbage to promote a more beautiful country, as well as to reduce the cost of incinerating its garbage. Though, a more admirable quality lies in many Japanese who love and respect the environment and feel a sense of pride when adhering to noble laws. Even, if it means sorting garbage every week into 10 categories such as burnable, non-burnable, small metals, plastics, batteries, used cloth, recyclable newspaper, recyclable glass, recyclable plastic and bulky refuse (that requires extra disposal fees). This humorous article even talks about a prefecture in Japan that has 44 categories of garbage!

I think recycling can turn into a compulsion, no different from some who find refuge in excessive hand washing. The very act of recycling may even incur more energy and bring detriment to the environment if for instance due to over-emphasis of washing recyclable goods. And how do these Japanese unlearn their recycling compulsion abroad? Hereby, my term recycling hazard, though not commonly used by others.

Tomomi by nature likes things neatly disposed of. Not all Japanese are as sophisticated as her, who would fold beautifully a chopstick, sweet or tissue wrapper before leaving it on the table of the restaurant, or home of the host who have invited us for dinner. I look forward to the day, to blog about Haruka folding her first wrapper. Its a form of respect and polite gesture to leave things beautifully disposed. No different from the signboard at scenic sights that say "take only photos/memories, leave only footprints".

Though, there is simply too much effort spend on recycling voluntarily as even not all Japanese bachelors would comply. When milk cartons are consumed, some Japanese like Tomomi, would cut it the way that it has been instructed, wash it, dry it and bring it to the nearest supermarket which has a bin placed by the manufacturer of the milk carton. She even does that in London before throwing it together with all the other waste. Then, she was worried if we should just use any bags to store the garbage, or whether there is a certain garbage bag used in London. Well, the answer is simple. Garbage are garbage everywhere else in the world. They get little respect and get dumped out of the home. Some apply for immigration status to enter Japan for the VIP treatment received.

Do you think an over emphasis on recycling with a code of thick laws are detrimental and pose a recycling hazard? Or is it good knowledge that the rest of the world need to emulate else, such ignorance is no different than other sin? Your different views are respected and welcomed here.

(Photos show Blenheim Palace at Oxfordshire, less than an hours drive from Oxford city).