Happy Holidays!

It's that time of the year - time to wish everyone a Happy New Year and to share some memories from 2011. We will spare you the cheesy letter. We hope to share some fantastic memories with you in 2012!

Disneyland in June with L. and W.

Bridgewater, Iowa's defunct Doris' Department Store - Hisako with our nephew, X, in June.

San Francisco in July with Hisako's parents.

Enjoying Auckland, New Zealand, in November with B.

Hisako with an alpaca friend in New Zealand in November.

Malaysian Paradise

A consistent problem with great destinations is that people cannot wait to share their stories and convince others to visit the same place. Increasing numbers of people visit these places and their reputations continue to spread until, over time, the places are no longer the same. This is not to say that they necessarily deteriorate in quality. However, some vacations are so unforgettable that you want to return to exactly the same place and have exactly the same experience. While this is impossible for any number of reasons, that doesn't make the dream any less real.

So, although I know this is futile, I'm going to write about a recent trip to a wonderful destination, but I'm not going to name the place. Let's call it Turtle Island, Malaysia.

We made this travel plan quite spontaneously, less than a week before leaving. It all came down to accommodations. We had difficulty finding a hotel with room availability. After asking half a dozen hotels, we finally found one that is in the most remote spot on the island. I had heard about this hotel from a friend, but I imagined it to be primarily for divers and not up to H's usual standards - A/C, good food, comfy bed, hot water. Thankfully, it was satisfactory on all accounts - nothing spectacular, but satisfactory.

We needed two flights and a taxi ride to reach our boat to the island, one on a Friday night, the next on a Saturday morning. The worst of the trip, though, was the one-hour boat ride to the island. The waves were just choppy enough to make the ride uncomfortable. I was sitting in the front, and I was slammed up and down the entire hour. 

Our view of the beach as the boat arrives.

Our hotel room - on the right. Clean and simple.

But the trip was worth it. Our boat finally reached the hotel on Turtle Island, showing us a long empty beach and a handful of hotel employees waiting for us to help with our luggage.

Stepping off the boat, we found ourselves with nothing to do. This is exactly what we were hoping for. For three days we sat in hammocks, walked on the beach, read books, and snorkeled. The snorkeling was great - good visibility and warm water. We saw loads (50+ species) of fish and one sea turtle. The number of fish is a wild guess, but they were everywhere and colorful.

The beach.

Beach in the afternoon.

H with her feet in the sand.

Our favorite meal - noodles, salad, fries.

On the way back to the airport, we rode with a woman who had traveled from Cambodia for the diving. She suggested we give the hotel a good review on Trip Advisor, since some people recently gave them some bad marks. I enjoyed my stay, but I enjoyed it too much. I'm afraid if I give it top marks and a terrific review, more people will want to visit, and I'll be unable to visit next time. How selfish of me. The flip side is that if I don't write a review, the hotel may go out of business and not be there for me next time. What is an internet-connected consumer to do?

Ecotourism in Bali

The theme of ecotourism is evident in Bali as well as Japan (see posts from May-June 2011). In fact, I found numerous programs advertised to tourists concerned with their ecological footprint. 

At the AlamKulKul Hotel, I found various awards recognizing the hotel for its green efforts. One was a Best Indonesian Green CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Gold Award, given as part of something called the Indonesia Green Award. This award was proudly displayed near the hotel check-in desk, while another effort was displayed just outside the lobby on a large scroll: One Tree, One Tourist. 

Gold award for Best Indonesian Green CSR 

One Tree, One Tourist program

Award by the Pacific Asia Travel Association to AlamKulKul for the One Tree program.

Another program designed with the adventurous ecotourist in mind is a bicycle tour in the Ubud area. 

The language of the brochure is rich with connections to ecotourism standards like education, authenticity, and rural areas. Framing a photo of several fuzzy cyclists riding past trees and rice fields are the following: "Bali Eco Cycling Tour" "See the Real Bali On Our Famous Eco and Educational Cycling Tour" "The Original and Authentic Eco Cycling Tour" "Experience The Magic And Feel The Spirit Of Rural Bali"

Bali - Kuta

Our second full day in Bali began with a walk on the beach. With the temperature exceeding 90 degrees soon after the sun rises, it is recommended to get in some walking in the early morning hours. We were not the only ones enjoying the cool morning air. We saw families sitting together, kids playing soccer, and runners and walkers taking advantage of the smooth surface where the beach meets the sand. We also saw many of the daily offerings of flowers known as canang. Canang are seen at shop and home entrances, along streets, at temples, and even in the ocean. The flowers are placed in a small square basket made of the leaf form the coconut tree.

A pre-dawn crystal clear sky

Soccer on the beach

Canang placed in the ocean

Fruit, yogurt, coffee, and bread for breakfast

AlamKulKul employee taking fresh flowers to each guestroom

Anniversary in Bali

It may be a cliche to celebrate an anniversary or honeymoon on a tropical island, but we could think of no better way to commemorate 10 years together than to visit the Indonesian island of Bali, where one can find all of the stereotypical elements of paradise: hot climate, palm trees, beaches, stunning sunsets, exotic local culture, live music. Bali was not always so tourist-friendly, nor did it always have these aspects that make it feel like a Hawai'i of SE Asia. Nowadays, even surfing (a Hawai'ian invention) is a common activity in Bali. We indulged in a list of activities that reads like a computer-generated dating service profile. Likes: long walks on the beach, the feeling of waves washing over my feet, great food, long naps by the pool, massage. 

We spent the first two days in Kuta, a neighborhood on the beach just north of the airport. We took an afternoon flight from Singapore - 2.5 hours - and arrived just after the sun went down. Our taxi took us into the growing darkness, though the streets congested with cars, bicycles, horse-drawn wagons, pedestrians, and most numerous, scooters. The greatest impediment to smooth travel was not the sheer volume of traffic but poor urban planning. As we inched toward the hotel, scooters and pedestrians dodged into the narrowest spaces; anything to keep moving forward. Even though the road was one-way, it did not seem to make the trip any smoother. The upside is that we were able to enjoy one of my favorite activities, people watching. There seemed to be an equal mix of tourists and locals, judging by fashion, ethnicity, and accoutrements - cameras and/or backpacks for the tourists, nothing for the locals. The streets were filled mostly with young people, with an older (and often larger) couple visible every now and then. 

Eventually we reached the hotel, checked in, and sat down to Italian food with live music in front of the hotel. The Bintang beer was cold and refreshing, the pasta cooked well, and the music pleasant but not distracting. 

We woke to a bright morning and went straight breakfast. Next, we had a one-hour massage, which was ridiculously inexpensive (around $10). Then we relaxed by the pool, eventually eating lunch there. 

Relaxing poolside.

Nasi goreng: fried rice flavored with seafood and chicken, topped with egg. 

AlamKulKul: our hotel

Morning walk on the beach

Later in the afternoon, we took a taxi north of Kuta, to a bar/restaurant called Ku De Ta, which had been recommended by a friend and referred to as a "scene" not to be missed. The building is an expansive two-story affair with two long wings that extend out toward the beach, leaving a large grassy square in between. At the edge of the beach rest over a dozen lounge sofas that seat three people each. We arrived 45 minutes before sunset, and the seats were already filling, so we were fortunate to find a spot. We ordered drinks - green apple mojito and strawberry smoothie - and an appetizer - hummus set - and waited for the sunset.

Smoothie and green apple mojito

Waiting for sunset

Four kinds of hummus, including one made with beets (the red one).

The crowd gathering at Ku De Ta.

Finally, we walked back in the darkening evening, eventually stopping for a drink at a spot along the beach where the music was good. The view was of starlight and wave crests. It was a very slow day.

Student presentations at the Japan Creative Centre

The inaugural field study to Japan ended with student presentations at the Japan Creative Centre.

While most courses at NUS include some form of student presentations, these presentations are rarely shared with the public. However, in many cases the public might be interested in the knowledge learned by students in the classroom, since these students will become future employees and leaders.

In this spirit, I asked students to give presentations about the field study to a public audience, providing a unique opportunity to share their experiences with the greater Singapore community. This was made possible by the Japan Creative Centre (JCC), Singapore (Facebook page). Part of the cultural arm of the Embassy of Japan, this center hosts creative events of all sorts, including film festivals and art installations. Because of the creative ecotourism efforts we witnessed in Japan, our aims suited the Centre, and they welcomed us.

On Monday June 6, 2011, seven of the ten students shared their experiences in an event called "Green Tourism in Japan: Creative Approaches."

I began the event by describing the origins of the field study, its academic foundations and goals, the itinerary, and the knowledge gained. I also introduced each participant, pointing out each one's unique traits.

Addressing the audience

Describing the itinerary

Then each the student shared her trip experience (all women), building on the theme of creativity in ecotourism. Each student combined personal experience with academic knowledge to create a unique presentation. We used the PechaKucha format of presentation. For those unfamiliar, PechaKucha limits presenters to twenty slides and twenty seconds per slide. This style encourages presenters to choose images carefully and maintain a steadily flowing presentation.

Student presentation 

An engaged audience

Questions from the audience

Student responding to a question

Once the presentations were complete, audience members were encouraged to ask questions, to which the students responded. This made the entire experience, from the field study to the presentations, incredibly real for the students, since they learned that their perspectives on Japan could impact individuals outside the classroom and the university.

The event drew around 70 people, including representatives from the Embassy of Japan, JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization), JTB (Japan Travel Bureau), JCCI (Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Singapore), and CLAIR (Council of Local Authorities for International Relations), as well as a number of educational institutions like NUS and NTU (Nanyang Technical University).

Overall, drawing 70 people to a first-time event consisting of student presentations (instead of a famous artist), can only be seen as a stunning success. I was especially proud of the students' role in showing the public the high quality of NUS students and programs. I hope that we can recreate this success in the future.

Incidentally, this is the event summary by the Japan Creative Centre as found on its Facebook page:

From the 17th to 26th May 2011, ten students from the Department of Japanese Studies, National University of Singapore (NUS), attended a field trip to the island of Kyushu with the purpose of researching the complex relationships between tourism and the environment. Visiting sites at the forefront of green tourism in two prefectures, namely Nagasaki and Kumamoto, the students learned from local entrepreneurs and officials who are addressing contemporary environmental concerns through tourism. Sharing with the audience their valuable findings garnered during this trip to Japan, it is hoped that the event will be informative and relevant, especially amid growing awareness to the relation between development and the preservation of the natural environment.

Representatives from JNTO, JCCI and Clair attended the event and contributed to give their thoughts on some of the questions raised providing much valuable information for future groups intending to visit Japan for travel and trips.

End of the field study

Day ten of the field study (May 26) found us in Fukuoka. We arrived by bus from Kurokawa the night before. According to one student, after nine days in Kyushu's countryside, Fukuoka was like returning to civilization. I gave everyone a few hours to rest and explore Canal City, an award-winning shopping center near our hotel.

Canal City (image source)

We ate our final group dinner in Canal City, where we shared favorite memories of an experience that I hope everyone will not soon forget. After dinner, we walked around the streets of Fukuoka, through some of the seedier areas and to streets with outdoor food stalls.

We departed Fukuoka around 10:30 the next morning, arriving in Singapore around 3:00pm, a world away from the farms and mountains of Kyushu.

Over the ten days, the students became very close to one another, forming friendships that I hope will last a lifetime. However, I also know that today's vivid memory is tomorrow's vague recollection, and that not all friends made on short-term study trips remain friends forever. People grow apart, and it takes effort to retain connections made over such a limited time period. Hopefully, the variety and ease of web-based applications available to students (Facebook, email, photo-sharing sites, this blog) will help this field study have a long-term effect on students, both personally and educationally.

For those who have read all the posts about the field study, thank you.

Kurokawa Onsen - part two

Day nine of the field study (May 25) began with another large meal. Grilled fish, spicy pollock roe (mentaiko), mustard-filled lotus root (karashi renkon), steamed vegetables, rice and miso soup were among the many items on the menu.

Breakfast

Following breakfast, everyone had free time until noon. This provided ample time for some to enjoy one or more additional baths, and for others to take a short hike beginning at suzume jigoku, or sparrow hells, east of Kurokawa.

The sign at the start of the seiryū no mori walking path.

This hike provides a unique opportunity to walk through the kind of temperate mixed forest that used to be common in Japan, but was replaced in most places by plantations of one or two species, most notably sugi and hinoki. A quick glance at Japan's mountainous areas looks green, but a closer look often reveals nothing buy straight rows of sugi or hinoki trees. These species are prized by woodworkers, but they are currently much more expensive than comparable imports, and they require pricey maintenance that has left the Japanese mountains to be covered with many neglected forests.

The hike from suzume jigoku winds up and down small hills, past dozens of tree species with a rich undergrowth. The path crosses two streams and eventually ends in a clearing above the forest, where eventually one can see clearly to the Aso mountains to the south.

One of two creeks crossed on the hike.

Shumin and I with the forest below and Mt. Aso in the distant background.

On this hillside we saw people picking zenmai, an edible fern-like plant that we ate the previous night at dinner. It grows wild and can be freely harvested for a short time in the spring.

Picking zenmai

The path then continues downhill toward Kurokawa Onsen. Turning the path into a tourist activity has been a goal of local leaders for some time, both to increase the number of options to visitors beyond only hot springs, and to increase peoples' awareness of the region's natural beauty. I am convinced that this hike is worth the effort, but given the visible lack of others on the trail, I am unsure tourism leaders have fulfilled their goals.

A fork in the road - either path leads to Kurokawa.

Shiitake mushrooms being cultivated on the forest floor.

Hikers with rice fields and sugi forest in the background.

The end of the hike brought us back to the town's information center, where we had a quick lunch and the students gave short group presentations on locations we had visited. They were entertaining and educational, as all presentations should be.

Student presentations

Listening intently to peer work

Finally, a group of young people who comprise Kurokawa's next generation of leaders shared with us their visions for the resort's future, including their ideas for what changes to make, as well as what aspects to leave as is.

After these presentations, we walked to the bus stop to catch our ride to Fukuoka. It was a shame to spend so little time in Kurokawa - barely 24 hours, although the average tourist spends even less in this tiny piece of heaven.

Kurokawa Onsen

Day eight of the field study (May 24) continued with an overnight stay at Kurokawa Onsen, located in the northern part of Kumamoto Prefecture. This hot springs village is among the best-known in the country and has fascinated me for over a decade. I felt it appropriate for us to eat a sumptuous meal and soak in hot springs, since we were nearing the end of our field study. Also, I'm sure the baths were especially welcoming to the students following their "cold" trip to Mt. Aso.

Since public bathing is not part of Singaporean culture, I am glad I delayed this experience until the end of the field study, when the participants felt more comfortable with each other. Given Singapore's body-conscious society, most of the students were incredibly self-conscious and hesitant to be seen by others, especially their friends. (One student joked that the best part of the body to cover with the tiny towel provided by the inn was her face, although she only thought this would be helpful when bathing with strangers.) Bathing is an essential aspect of understanding Japanese society - its unwritten rules, understandings, and expectations - so I felt it important for participants to at least have the opportunity to try it. I couldn't force anyone to bathe with others, but by bringing them to one of the most popular hot springs in Japan, I made the idea difficult to refuse.

Our bus dropped us in the middle of town at the tourist information center, which has brochures and maps for the village and all of its inns and related businesses, as well as some souvenirs. After exploring the center, I used a map to give everyone a layout of the land. I discussed the reputations and benefits of some of the hot springs, and I discussed the itinerary for the rest of the day. Half of the group decided to walk around the village, while the other half walked directly to the inn to explore the grounds and take their first baths.

Students walking around Kurokawa Onsen.

The most important item on the agenda was dinner, which began precisely at 6:00pm. Our inn serves dinner at 6:00, 6:30 or 7:00, but my experience working at several inns made me aware of the fact that it is always best for a large group to eat as early as possible. Since it takes more time to deliver and remove all of the dishes for a large group, they tend to take longer to complete the meal than a couple or a group of four friends. If a large group begins dinner at 7:00, it may not finish until 8:00 or 8:30 (or even 9:00), after which the staff has to clean a greater number of dishes, stretching closing time until 9:00 or later (sometimes 10:00). By starting at 6:00, a group has enough time to enjoy the meal without preventing staff from finishing work at a normal time (usually 8:30 or 9:00). This seems like an early dinner to many non-Japanese, but it makes sense within the context of the Japanese inn.

Like many Japanese guests to inns, all our participants wore their yukata (cotton robe) to dinner. This gave the dinner a special feeling, as if everyone came in costume or dressed special for the event. Dinner consisted of more than ten separate dishes, some with three or more items on each plate. Most of the dishes were seasonal, made of vegetables or roots or garnished with plants available in May. As one can imagine, dinner in the autumn is very different. Each new dish brought curious questions and camera flashes.

We left the meal incredibly satisfied, and afterward half the students left the inn, still wearing their yukatas, to soak in some neighboring baths. This is the real joy of Kurokawa, bath-hopping around the village to enjoy relaxing amid the trees and in the moonlight in outdoor baths (rotemburo). With presentations on the agenda for the next day, it turned into a late night, but everyone expressed satisfaction with sleeping on the thick futons after bathing in the hot springs.

Mt. Aso

Day eight of the field study to Japan - May 24, 2011

Our second night at the TAO Retreat Center was very relaxing. There is no traffic noise, and the cool air allowed for a deep sleep after the long tiring day. The female students became particularly close while at TAO. This was due in large part to the building's architecture. While the two men slept on the first floor, the women slept in the large open space of the second floor. According to the students, with no walls or doors to separate them from each other, they interacted in an incredibly open way, breaking down any previous barriers to their friendships. Many compared it to a student retreat and said it has become a cherished memory. This experience may also have enabled them to feel comfortable enough to eventually soak together in the hot springs later in the field study.

The day began with morning exercises, then another delicious breakfast.

Saying a long "itadakimasu" before breakfast.

Saying farewell to TAO.

Around 9:00am we departed the TAO Retreat Center, on our way to Mt. Aso. Exactly one week before this day the volcano began to release dangerous levels of gases, prompting authorities to close access to the mountain. In recent days the off-limits area had gradually become smaller and people could travel closer, as gas levels decreased. We were unsure if we would be able to reach to the top, but we decided to try. To travel from Singapore and not attempt to view the mouth would have been a shame.

Along the way, we saw the majesty of the Aso area, winding down the side of the caldera from Minamit-Oguni, stopping at Aso Shrine, and climbing up the volcano, spotting cows and gorgeous vistas along the way.

Looking down on Ichinomiya-machi, on the way to Mt. Aso.

Aso Shrine

Purchasing amulets

A cool breeze, and students claimed they were "freezing."

Unfortunately, we were unable to travel the last kilometer to the volcano mouth. Because of continued concerns about the gas levels, the road and ropeway were closed for the last leg of the journey. I had hoped to hike the last kilometer to the top, but was the case with the previous day's rain and our desire to participate in farming, nature's unpredictability prevented us from fulfilling our tourist aims.

"Danger!"

"The volcano continues to be very active. Because of the considerable danger, there is no entry to the mountain beyond this point."

Thankfully, we learned a great deal about the volcano at the (albeit outdated) Aso Volcano Museum. Some of the exhibits looked like scenery from a student-run musical - large puffs of cotton used to resemble clouds and mountains made of papier-mâché. In all, however, it was educational, as we learned how volcanoes form, what gases rise from this volcano, how seismologists measure the tremors associated with volcanic eruptions, what flora and fauna exist within this ecosystem, and more.

Instructive display in the Aso Volcano Museum.

After the museum, the students were excited to be able to do something they hadn't done for a full two days: eat meat. After a lunch of soba on Sunday, we only had vegetarian fare at TAO, so several students were experiencing meat withdrawal. For lunch, some people ordered Kumamoto ramen (which includes pork), with a side of fried chicken. Others ordered grilled beef. No one ordered fish. I heard one student complain that she eats meat for every meal, including fried noodles with beef for breakfast. Therefore, the few meat-free days at TAO were very unusual.

Walking at Aso kusa senri

After lunch and some free time to walk around, we hopped in the mini-bus and traveled on to Kurokawa Onsen, stopping only for a few photos at Daikanbo, a viewpoint on the north edge of the caldera.

Students braving the "cold" at Daikanbo.

With the temperature in the low 50s (10-13 C), it was the coldest some students had ever been in their lives, leading to a lot of jumping around and mild complaining. I had come prepared with a fleece and a windbreaker, but I discovered that many students simply don't own such clothing, since they've never been outside Singapore or somewhere cold. One has no reason to own a winter coat if it's never winter.

Next stop, Kurokawa.