Author Archives: mathan

Day 1: Shibuya and Shinjuku

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On this leg of the journey, our contestants must 
– open onigiri, a snack of rice with something in the middle and do it properly without food falling apart
– Use a Passmo card
– Exchange their Japan Rail pass so they can fly around Japan
– Cross at Shibuya without dying!
– Get lost in Shinjuku!
– Find rare Japanese-only Pet Shop Boys albums!
– Try and find video game items for friends who have made requests
– Enjoy traveling on the Yamanote line in rush hour

They will return back to The Westin Tokyo for their next clue.

I have to admit, we did the Onigiri bit yesterday.  I can follow directions, Scott had some difficulty despite being able to read the language. HEHEH.

We spent the day in Shibuya and Shinjuku getting up at about 6:30am – You heard that right.  I had actually never been more than happy to get up for breakfast and take our time getting going.

Shibuya is famous for it’s crossing and Hachiko.  Story goes that when his master passed away, he would wait outside Shibuya station for his owner to return. A sad story and a fitting memorial at the station.

Shibuya’s crossing is interesting.  When we got there about 8am, I wondered what all the fuss was about.  We stopped in at the Starbucks at the crossing and watched for a bit of time.  I will say, it is amazing the number of people that walk through that place as the day goes on.  Stopping for lunch at the Tokyu Hands Foodhall, I can attest that Shinjuku is a very busy place.

While in Shibuya we stopped at Tower Records.  This place is heaven on Earth, and reminds me of the HMV at 333 Yonge St in Toronto in the 90s. CDs are still big here in Japan, and Japan is apparently a country full of audiophiles.  I will explain later.  I still believe in the CD as being a high quality source for sound versus M4As and MP3s.  Being a music producer myself, it’s undeniable the quality you get from a CD.  So I was very much in my happy spot, picking up some Towa Tei, Kylie, Pet Shop Boys, LFO and 808 State CDs that are Japanese-only special editions.

We headed over to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building where there is an observation deck, where we could see Tokyo as it sprawls out, with an explanation of different places we could see from a guide.

It’s amazing the balances between loud and busy, and then quiet and busy.  Walking near the Tokyo Metropolitan Government offices, it was quiet other than the cicadas buzzing.  The metro trains, quiet. Shibuya – loud. LOL

We made our way over to Shinjuku which is the busiest transit hub in the world.  You can see that very clearly, and it’s currently undergoing renovations too, to make it even more efficient.

When you’re in Japan, you’ll notice there is an order to things when people are in lines, making their way to wherever they are going.

  • Walk forward on the left, oncoming right
  • Stand on a moving walk way on the left, walk on the right
  • Stand on the left of an escalator, walk on the right

It makes sense and I like it.

We picked up our JR passes which start tomorrow, which means we are completely covered on the Yamanote line, all Shinkansen and JR-run local lines.  Such a great deal.

We stopped at the Tonkatsu Wako in Mylord which is a big department store at Shinjuku.  Three full floors of restaurants which are all tied to the department store.  The Pork Tonkatsu was amazing.  The panko crust to die for.

And then there was the dessert craziness we saw on 7F.  I didn’t have any but I put on 10lbs just looking at it!

We made our way to Bicqlo (combined Bic Camera and Uniqlo store) and the Yodobashi superstore.

Bicqlo has a crazy sale on where, not only do you get duty free shopping as a foreigner, saving the 8% consumption tax, but if you pay with a Visa card, you get 6% off on top of that.  So, say a PS Vita which runs $200 in Canada, can be had for about $175.  And you have your choice in colours here.  Crazy!

But even crazier is the Yodobashi superstore.  Three locations all in a short walk from each other.  One with nine stories of mobile phones, another with four stories of iPhone accessories, games, and Gauchupon.  Another which is full of cameras and electronics of about seven floors.

I think the one thing that stood out for me, was that at Yodobashi and Bic (we visited a location in Shibuya beyond the Bicqlo) both had a floor almost fully dedicated to headphones.  Also the high-end audiophile equipment in these stores was nothing short of amazing.

The Japanese do like their electronics.  It’s almost too overwhelming, especially if you want to find something to take back home.

I ended up picking up a few games for friends and myself, and an Amibo.  I’m not really collecting them, but for few that I do like, I am.

After finishing at Yodobashi, we headed back to the hotel where Scott crashed on the bed for a nap while I went up to the lounge for a snack.

Time to head to bed shortly.

Day 0: Post rush musings

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It’s now 2am and Scott and I are awake after only getting  6 hours of sleep.  Gotta wake up and have Onigiri which we picked up at a Lawson at Narita airport.

Combini, or Convenience Stores have all kinds of services.  You can learn about them in this episode of Being Japanology.  The snacks they have are just awesome, and yes they’re going to totally derail me from my diet.

A few things stand out from the rush of getting from Narita to Ebisu, for me.

  • The work uniform!  Everyone is almost wearing the same thing.  A white button down shirt, dark trousers – typically black.  I knew to expect this, but still, seeing it in person is another thing.
  • The crowds going through Tokyo Station is ordered chaos.  It’s quite neat to see how it all works.  And if you mess up, no one gives you attitude, or at least I didn’t notice it.
  • Lining up to go up an escalator and standing/walking on the appropriate side just seems to work beautifully here.  I can only describe it as a very zen experience.  You wait your turn and chill out.  There’s no rush, everyone is going in the same direction, etc…  I like it!
  • Every station stop on the Yamanote line plays a different tune when you arrive.  It’s awesome.
  • Despite being in the country 3 hours, travelling on two modes of transit (N’EX and Yamanote – essentially airport express train and subway), I only picked up one StressPass on my Nintendo 3DS!  I’ll check Near on my PS Vita shortly.
  • Onigiri is not that difficult to open, if you understand the instructions. *GRIN*  For the record, I did it correctly and it was tasty!
  • Yes I am a foot taller than everyone on the Yamanote line that I saw, but it didn’t phase me as much as some people thought it would.  Maybe later today when we hit Akiba, Shinjuku or Shibuya it will.  *shrugs*

Day 0: We arrived in Japan

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“It’s the Amazing Race Iain and Scott style! Our contestants must check in and fly to Narita on Air Canada’s 787-8, where they will be wined and dined to their hearts content. Finally they must make their way through Tokyo and check in to their hotel to get their next clue.”

18 years after starting to talk about it, we’re finally here!  Scott’s first time in 20+ years back in Japan!

Firstly, what a fantastic flight!  AC1 YYZ direct to NRT on a 787!  The engines are quiet, the service was amazing in Business Class.  What more could we have asked for?  A painless 13 hour flight, for sure!

Both Scott and I opted for the Japanese meal for both dinner and breakfast (noodles), and Dim Sum mid-flight.  Yes!  Several achievements were unlocked

  • Octopus on board – Yes, I had octopus in my dinner
  • Keiseki on a plane – The presentation, for airline food, was gorgeous
  • Dim sum on a plane – Tasty!
  • Slippers on a plan – Nice touch!

Once we arrived, we stopped briefly to pick up our wifi hot spot and we were soon on our way to Ebisu (aka Yebisu) via… N’Ex to Tokyo Station.

Rather than going to Shibuya, Scott decided to book us to Tokyo station, and then take the Yamanote line to Ebisu… In rush hour traffic.  Okay, we count that as an achievement.

  • Taking Yamanote Line with baggage at rush hour

We won’t be doing that again!

Our first hotel is The Westin Tokyo, which we had changed from the Sheraton Miyako.

At this hotel, when you’re SPG Platinum, you don’t check in on the main lobby.  Oh no, you check in on the 17th floor at the club lounge.

All I can say is, wow.  The room is gorgeous.  We’re in a great area of Tokyo with a view of Tokyo Tower.

What’s up for the next leg of the race?  Stay tuned and you’ll see.  For now, here are some pictures:

 

Travelling with Apple Watch

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IMG_7305I said I wouldn’t do it, but I did.

I bought an Apple Watch.
I bought a version 1.0 Apple produce despite saying I wouldn’t do it.
For the past week I’ve been travelling between Toronto and Portland via Vancouver as I have done for the past 5 years, and this time rather than using paper boarding passes, rather than having to pull out my phone I used my watch.
Wow, what a difference.  I was skeptical, but it really has been a very cool and smooth experience.
Saturday I check in for my flight as I often do, using my phone.  I no longer use my laptop for this step because I’m a diehard Passbook, soon to be Wallet user.  I swear by Apple’s Passbook for thing like loyalty cards (PC Plus, Indigo, Cineplex) and boarding passes.
With a few seconds of having my boarding pass on my phone, it was on my watch.  Also, with the Air Canada app synced on my watch from my phone, my reminders and such were on my watch as well.
IMG_7302Arriving at the airport Sunday, it was clear that this was going to be the day of, “Oh cool!  My first watch!” which was the first thing the check-in agent said when checking in.  
  • Passing through the Nexus line, the two CATSA reps who scanned by boarding pass on my watch were somewhat surprised.
  • In the domestic Maple Leaf Lounge, I had a similar experience to check-in, lots of interest from the agents who were quite interested in the watch.
When boarding my first flight of the day, I put my arm out for the scanner when an alert popped up on the screen.  No I wasn’t denied boarding, I had to be given a paper boarding pass as I was upgraded to business class.  Woohoo!  Operational Upgrade for the win – my second in a month!
IMG_7307Arriving in Vancouver:
  • The first CATSA I met was skeptical of the code on my watch and scanned it.  I was pleasantly surprised to see my details flash on his screen and let me through.
  • The second person, an airport rep tracking flow through the terminal scanned my watch and thought it was cool.
  • The CATSA security gate was intrigued and suggested that I take my watch off and pass it through the bin next time.  Not sure why as it didn’t cause the metal detector to beep and I’m constantly being asked for my boarding pass (it’s on my phone usually!)
  • Scanning to confirm my bag was on it’s way to the US was quick as expected
  • The US CBP rep was intrigued, said that it was his first watch and was asking me a lot of questions about the functionality.
  • Finally, at the Transborder Maple Leaf Lounge, the agents were all intrigued about the watch, again their first, and wanted to see the Air Canada app, Wallet, etc… all in action.  
On my way back from Portland to Toronto, the experience was much the same with the exception that the gate agent in Portland had absolutely no idea that people could have a boarding pass on their watch and was kind of blind sided when I passed her my arm to scan.  Lounge agents are all-a-twitter about the watch.
IMG_7303I’m glad I could pop their Apple Watch cherry, but the real thing for me was convenience rather than the attention.  If I can make something easier for myself while I travel, I’ll do it.  It’s why I have Nexus, and why I strive for status on an airline.  This takes that experience to the next level. 
Do I *need* an Apple Watch for travel? No, it’s totally a want product rather than a need.  It did make things more convenient for me.  it works well, scanning is not an issue.  It works very well.
Now if only the Datavalet WiFi service worked in the lounge… 🙂

Japan and Hong Kong Bound

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Later this summer, Scott and I will be Japan-bound.  This is a trip we’ve been talking about for 18 years and through the magic of air miles and hotel points, we’re doing it on the cheap.  I’ve already talked about the fight portions and key requirements for the trip in a past blog entry.

 

As of today, we have booked all the hotels in Japan.  We’re staying at mostly Starwood properties – Sheraton Miyako Tokyo, Westin Miyako Kyoto, and Sheraton Hiroshima

And we’re staying at the Hilton Nagoya and Tokyo to use up my points on Hilton.

We haven’t got Hong Kong fully booked yet, but I’m hoping to by the end of July.

What I have found is that hotels are actually not too expensive for a city the size and status of Tokyo, as well as other places in Japan.  The cheapest hotel night is about $134 in Nagoya had we not paid with points.  The most expensive is $270 in Shinjuku and the cheapest being about $183 in Minato-ku, again had we not paid with points.  So far, we’ve saved about $1600. in hotels!

Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel is the most expensive where the rate is $430 which is for one night – gotta splurge when we’re saving elsewhere for our last night on the trip. If we weren’t staying at Disney, we’d have only paid $265 in hotels, rather than $856 in hotel fees to date!

Were averaging about $220 a night had we paid, I’d say which is very reasonable for such a trip.  Try paying that in London!  With the points, $78 per night. Wow!

This trip is proving to be considerably cheaper than expected!  Just over $400 each for taxes on the airfare, which would have been between $13,000 to $29,000, this really does show the value of airline miles and hotel points.

 

British Airways YYZ <> LHR – 2000/2001

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I have been fortunate to fly British Airways four times in my life in all three classes.  BA holds a special place in my heart as they were

  • The first airline I ever flew with in Business and First.
  • It was my first time on a 747 on the upper deck, and then returning on a new 777.
  • They were the first airline that took Scott to Europe for the first time.

I flew Business while on Business heading to Ireland.  Upon returning, I was upgraded to First after running into a Flight Attendant who asked me for my flight details.  I still talk about this experience for years after.  It was very much appreciated and that doesn’t describe how I feel.  I felt very much out of place, like I shouldn’t be there because I was upgraded.  I was somewhat overwhelmed, but the service was amazing.  The fact that they knew who I was when boarding, blew me away.  Even today when I get great service that is similar, I am still blown away.

Sadly, I don’t have pictures from business class on this flight, as well, I don’t have pictures from the second airline I ever flew in business – Aer Lingus.  That flight was hilarious because it was my first experience with the economy class seats with no one in the middle being considered business.  It was what it was.  The service on that flight was great.

Later in 2001, Scott and I flew over for holidays, we were upgraded to the new Business class seats upon return, by the same FA on a 777.  Again, thank you!

These were special flights for me and Scott that I will never forget.

Here are some pictures of those experiences:

TACA MGA > MEX Snack – January 2012

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TACA – MGA > MEX – January 2012

Kind of a fun box, although heavy on the carbs.  I loved the spork that came with the box.

LAN MVD > SCL Snacks

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MVD Lounge – June 2102- This is a contract lounge, not run by the airline

MVD > SCL – June 2012

WAY too many carbs, but the bread and cheese were tasty.  Premium Economy on LAN.

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SCL > MVD – July 2012

Orange juice, a turkey and cheese sandwich and a chocolate.  It wasn’t actually that bad and I liked LAN’s service within South America.

I can’t believe they use the Juan Valdez marketing. LOL!

SCL Lounge – August 2012 – American Airlines Lounge

This is the lounge Air Canada was using back in 2012 for their customers connecting in Business Class.  I liked this lounge very much!  While it may have felt dated with the decor, honestly, I don’t need super ultra modern in a lounge.  I just want quiet and relaxing.

Air Canada menus for FlyerTalk

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Air Canada Rouge – SFO > YVR in August 2014.

I love the Cappuccino Cake, so pass it over if you don’t want it. 😉

Air Canada – YYZ > SCL in Executive First, 2012

Air Canada – YYZ > SCL in Economy, June 2012

I think the oddest looking chicken dish on a flight.  This was the start of my 7 weeks living in Uruguay for work.

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Air Canada – YYZ > SCL or SCL > YYZ in Economy, July 2012

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Air Canada – LGA > YYZ in Executive First, October 2010
This was the first time I had ever received an Op-up due to the number of people on the plane being fewer than the number of seats in Executive First.  This was quite the cool trip having attended an event hosted by the company I work for at the New York Stock Exchange.

I kid you not, Air Canada actually flew the plane rather than cancelling the flight. It was fantastic and much appreciated. Here is a picture of the cheese tray.

 

 

Air Canada – SFO > YYZ in Executive First, November 2010.

I LOVE the ice cream and cookies in Executive First.  It’s one of the things I look forward to when flying Air Canada, although they now only give you one cookie. *pouts*

 

Air Canada – ORD > YYZ in Executive First, November 2012

I tend to eat a lot of fish and chicken when I fly.

Air Canada – MEX > YYZ in Economy, January 2012

This was on my way back from Nicaragua, visiting my cousin.  I had forgotten I can had connected through Mexico City.  Also check out the food on TACA.

Air Canada – YYZ > SFO in Executive First, July 2012

Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge – YYZ International – August 2012

Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge – YOW Domestic – December 2012

Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge – YYZ Transborder – October 2013

I used this lounge a lot, along with the YYZ Domestic lounge.  Food is some of the best at a lounge in North America (could be better and has been improving), I’m glad for the free-pour drinks.

Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge – YYZ Transborder – October 2014

Not much to show here, I’ll have to get some breakfast pictures.  The lounge offers yogurt, breads, and hard boiled eggs in the morning.  I am not sure if they are offering the cheese omelettes like they do at YVR and YYZ Domestic lounges.

The omelette picture was taking from my most recent trip to Portland from the YYZ Domestic lounge.

 

Air Canada – YYZ > DEN in Executive First, July 2013

First sighting of the Cappuccino Cake!

Air Canada – YYZ > YVR in Executive First, April 2014

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Air Canada – YVR > YYZ in Economy April 2015

I am a sucker for Air Canada’s beef sandwich in Economy.  It used to be a pulled beef sandwich that was totally addictive, and I wish they didn’t take it off the menu.

More recently they replaced that sandwich with a beef and smoked meat sandwich which is on-par with  the pulled beef sandwich.

Early on in the diet I started last October, I would just eat the middle of the sandwich and not the bun.  An FA asked if there was a problem, “No, I can’t eat the bun with the diet I’m on”.  More recently I’ve said screw it with the diet and, well, yes I ate the chocolate bar (love the Lindt Swiss Classic) and the salted Cashews.

I still managed to lose weight at 7lbs for the three week period.

IMG_5364

 

The sushi option is not bad either although heavy on the rice.  I am not a fan of the chicken or vegetarian wrap offering on Air Canada.

 

And to conclude this blog entry, some vintage tails from 2000 – YYZ Terminal 2, the old Aeroquay Terminal 1 and YVR.  Check out the old Canadian airlines fin, and that hybrid Canadian/Air Canada plane.

Getting to 85lbs lost…

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I saw this article from a friend on Facebook.  As some of you may know I’ve lost 65lbs since October and still going.  I’ve been thinking about what it means when I hit 240 (about 75lbs lost) and then 230 (about 85lbs lost).

I’ve always looked at 240lbs as a magic number to attain, to then start working out in earnest and such.  Why I couldn’t be doing that now, I don’t know.  It’s just been how I’ve been thinking.

Here are some key quotes from the blog entry:

“There’s no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow of weight loss because the rainbow has no end. There is today. There is now. There is during. There is life.”

“I don’t feel like I’m at After. I’m terrified of being at After. And, I don’t like that After is here.”

My weight is something I will always struggle with, and will have to manage for the rest of my life. That last quote speaks volumes about when I start the maintenance phase.

That said, it’s fun saying, for once, “I like me, I like how I look now, I’m pleased” rather than being self loathing.

As for hitting 240lbs and re-starting lifting in earnest… As I hit 252lbs this week, I am seeing the base that I had built up years ago when I was playing Rugby, competing in Highland Games, and starting Strongman.  Wow, I’ve got a good base.  It’s nice seeing the definition. *GRIN*