Old Daze…
I’m sitting in a room at the Daiichi Hotel Tokyo Shimbashi, writing this entry. It strikes me that I’m experiencing a sort of symmetry right now – I spent countless days and nights at this hotel while working for Monitor, and many of those days and nights revolved around banging out emails and documents on my laptop, at the nearby office and in this very hotel. I’m wearing the hotel’s yukata – a light robe – and am under some time pressure, as I’m due to swing by the firm’s new Tokyo office later today and see some ex-colleagues there. So this entry might be even more poorly written than usual…
Allow me to back up. When I left you last week, my 40th birthday was nigh. Now you know that I survived the experience. Friend/financial advisor Yu Hin flew down from Hong Kong to help me celebrate – we got going a day early and didn’t really stop till a couple days after. I had anticipated some mayhem during his visit, so had rushed to finalize plans for my Japan trip before he got to Manila. Yu Hin got in on Thursday, and we went out to some nightclubs that evening. In the cab I noticed an establishment that always makes me laugh – it’s called Zeus, and the sub-title is ‘where gods & goddesses meet.’ Haven’t been there, but must check it out next visit.
We were in a club called Blush when midnight struck – and it was June 29th, my (40th) birthday. The party wasn’t till that night, but Yu Hin made sure that I was aware of the hour and that I was now 40. I pointed out that I was born at 10 p.m. on June 29, 1967, so I was still 39 for a few more hours. That argument didn’t seem to hold much water and we moved on to other topics – namely, which bar we should hit next. On our way out the door I heard a familiar song – it was a Muzaked, bastardized version of the Hava Nagila. Unbelievable. Jewish folk songs stripped of lyrics and put to play in a Manila nightclub. I felt like picking up a chair (with a girl in it) and dancing around for a while. But I didn’t – the bouncers had guns.
My birthday was spent in fairly typical fashion; it was pretty much a survey of the stuff I tend to do these days – a bit of sightseeing, leisurely meals, semi-annoying tasks, travel planning, and rest. Had a coffee…met up with Yu Hin and we went to a dive shop in Makati City so I could get a couple things…had a very nice lunch at a seafood place in the Greenbelt Mall…took a cab to the Coconut Palace, one of Imelda Marcos’s bizarre projects. She built it to commemorate the visit of the Pope in the early 70s – at a cost of approx. US$30 mill. The pope found out about this, cancelled his visit, and told her she should have spent the money on drinking water for the poor. The building still stands, it’s surprisingly well-maintained, and is used for weddings etc. Many of the fabrics and such inside the place are made from coconut shells and fibers, hence the name. En route there our cab ran out of gas – a first for me. We hailed another and it was no big deal. Yu Hin found out pretty fast that you need patience to get by in the RP…
After the Coconut Palace, we went for a massage at the great little place near my hotel. Walked out of there an hour later feeling groggy but good. Went back to the hotel…read the paper…took a short nap…didn’t bother to go for a run, I should get a free pass on my birthday I thought. Then went and got Yu Hin at his hotel and we went to my favorite Manila restaurant, Casa Armas, for a birthday feast. I know the staff there pretty well by now, they were very welcoming and sent over a glass of wine and a small cake. We ordered a slew of tapas dishes and split those. Worked through a bottle of Rioja in short order. The 3-person band, which serenades the different tables, came over to us and wished me happy birthday – and then asked me what I wanted to hear. I came up with a few I thought they’d handle well – Take Five by Dave Brubeck, Girl from Ipanema, Gipsy Kings (the guitarist did a brilliant job on his acoustic piece), and Buena Vista Social Club. Not what they usually play – I think most requests run the Top 40 gamut. But they seemed to enjoy playing my requests and they stuck by our table for a good half-hour.
Brother-in-law Dave called at one point and I ducked outside to chat. Dave turns 40 in a few months and we discussed upcoming fun age-related procedures like colonoscopies. Ugh.
Finished the feast – excellent, as always – then walked over to Ciboney Bar, where the party was to be held. Managed to bring my camera, and got some decent pics. See below for one. Managed to fill a large table with friends and acquaintances – David from Monitor came by with his wife Cai, and a couple other Monitorites working in Manila joined us. And Johnny, the bar owner who’s a lovely guy, had a young woman named Princess (really) sit next to me. That was good fun – thanks Johnny!
Sat around the table, drank, told old stories and shared some gossip. Probably one of the better birthdays I’ve had – with some good friends, nothing hanging over my head, feeling free. We stayed out till around 4 a.m. and then threw in the towel. Last drinks were at Sam’s Bar, not far from Ciboney. Didn’t feel any different having crossed the 40th parallel, so to speak – and was glad about that.
Next day, firmly in 40th territory, went over to Chinatown to show Yu Hin the fruits of his people’s legacy. Manila’s Chinatown isn’t that large, and the heart is just one street – Ongpin Street – lined with the usual teashops, fireworks stores, gold/jewelry joints, etc. We had tea and dimsum and laughed about the irony of a Jew showing a HKG Chinese around Manila’s Chinatown. I love it.
I’ve known Yu Hin for 8 years now, we met in 1999 on a project in Tokyo and he was just a kid then. It’s been interesting to observe his growth over the years – he’s much more confident and sure of himself, and the guy really knows his food and wine. In Casa Armas he ordered the Rioja and had a good grasp of the extensive wine list. I was impressed.
That night, went over to Quezon City. Quezon used to be the country’s capital – it’s where the legislature sits. I don’t remember when they moved the capital to Manila, but anyway Manila was always the de facto capital, Quezon is a relatively small place. But quite nice – much cleaner and more orderly than Manila proper, and lots of bars and restaurants there. We had dinner, hit a couple bars and clubs, then headed back to Malate. We were both beat from the past couple days and needed some sleep. And we both had early bells the next morning – Yu Hin had to fly back to HKG, I was going to the island of Corregidor to see the WW2 sights there. Said bye to Yu Hin – not sure when we’ll next meet, but we seem to get together every 6-12 months somewhere in Asia. I imagine that trend will carry on.
Was still groggy at 5:30 a.m. when my alarm went off. I don’t use an alarm often these days, so it was a bit of a shock. Got my stuff together, went out and hailed a cab. The ferry terminal wasn’t far off, but it turned out that Roxas Blvd. was closed for a race and it was challenging to get around it. I didn’t know there were so many Pinoy runners – where have they all been hiding?
The ferry to Corregidor took about an hour. Corregidor was the final redoubt of the US and Filipino troops in early 1942, and finally surrendered to the Japanese after holding out for months. Here’s where the island sits – Corregidor is the tadpole-shaped island:
Easy place to shell from the Bataan Peninsula, which the Japanese took and leveraged fully. But the defense of Corregidor slowed down the Japanese advance in the Pacific and threw a monkey wrench in their planning – they had expected to conquer the RP in a month or so, but it took 3-4. Quite something. On the ferry they played clips of the war and General MacArthur, who at one point served directly in the RP’s Army and is incredibly popular here, even today.
You may recall that last year I visited the island of Leyte, where in 1945 MacArthur and the US Army returned to the RP, fulfilling its vow from 1942. So a visit to Corregidor was a nice bookend – I was able to see our darkest hour, when we surrendered (although there was no shame – the troops held out impressively). The tour was well done – the tour company, Sun Cruises, does it every day and they’ve got it down pat. Went into a tunnel called Malinta, where the army retreated and spent its final days. Eerie place – you can almost sense the ghosts there. Here’s the entrance:
Inside there are collapsed tunnelways – in 1945 more than 3,000 Japanese soldiers killed themselves by blowing up the place. The Allies had covered all 4 tunnel exits and the Japanese took their own lives after about a week of being trapped in there.
The island has a few other sights as well. Lots of huge mortars/guns all round, many with damage from Japanese shelling. The old barracks are still there, but badly damaged from the bombs. There’s also a cool little Museum of the Pacific War with old photos and correspondence from MacArthur and other key players. All in all, a good day – glad I went.
Went out that night, despite being bone-tired. It was my final night in the RP, after almost 5 months there. Was feeling slightly sad about leaving, although was looking forward to the luxuries of Japan. Went to Casa Armas for one more meal – they bought me a farewell glass of wine and I left the place with a very warm feeling. Just from the wine? Methinks not.
Went to Mogambo Bar in Makati City, played jenga with the bargirls and won every game. For some reason I’m an excellent jenga player – the final game was hard-fought and the stick-pile had to be two feet high, very wobbly. There seemed to be no options for stick removal – but I found the final removeable piece and won the game. Quite dramatic. I think the girls were getting pissed at losing – I probably should have thrown one game. I did pretend to have the shakes at one point – and told them the tale of Shakey’s Pizza, a chain so named because the American GI who founded it had malaria and associated shakes. The girls found that pretty funny. But I kept winning and was glad about that – it was my last night there and I felt like doing what I wanted. You can probably tell that turning 40 has not radically boosted my maturity levels…
Got up the next morning, packed and headed to the airport. No dramas, things went smoothly and I sat in the Cathay Pacific lounge checking emails (I got 100+ for my birthday – apologies if I haven’t replied to yours yet!) and trying to use my remaining phone card credits. Flew out on time, landed in HKG where I had a short layover. It was July 2, a day after a huge celebration commemorating the 10th anniversary of HKG returning to China. Hard to believe it’s been 10 years already. HKG had a crazy decade – roller-coaster real estate prices, SARS, democracy rallies, etc. But it’s standing tall and doing well, and I think it will continue to be a great city and one of my favorite places.
On to Tokyo. I was actually visiting there earlier than originally intended. Like last year, I wanted to go to Fuji Rock in late July. But my friend Seung’s getting married in San Francisco that very weekend, so decided to come to Japan a bit earlier and see friends there. I really shouldn’t complain…after a few months in the RP, Japan is a nice, if pricey, antidote. Great food, smooth transportation, high levels of cleanliness, etc. It’s a great place and I find myself missing it.
The thing I miss the least: Narita Airport. I have numerous bad memories of landing there at night, standing in ridiculous queues for Immigration, then racing to get through Customs and down to the final train of the evening. If I had time to spare, I’d pull out my laptop and plug into a payphone, download emails to work on during the train ride. Not fun. This process often caused me to sweat profusely and be cranky.
So there I was at Narita again. The flight landed at 8:30 p.m., not so late. The line at Immigration wasn’t bad – they’ve boosted their staff, it seems. Perhaps they’re finally getting it – people hate waiting in hourlong lines when they land. Got my backpack, went through Customs, and had 45 minutes before my train – smooth sailing. Got some cash, rented a mobilephone, and strolled down to the platform. That’s the way it should have been back in the day – but better late than never.
The Customs official found my passport interesting. He saw my HKG work permit and asked me if I lived there. To avoid a lengthy exchange I just said yes. I had forgotten that the permit hasn’t expired yet.
I was using points to stay 3 nights at the amazing Grand Hyatt Roppongi. Rooms there go for US$600 a pop, but I had sufficient points for 3 nights. And I was in the mood for a bit of pampering. The hotel is stunning in every way – I love the Grand Hyatt beds and duvets, the design of the rooms appeals to me, there’s Internet, etc. And of course the Japanese toilets have their quirks – here’s a shot of the ‘control panel,’ mind you I would never dream of actually pressing these buttons:
Got to the hotel around 11 p.m. Dropped off my pack, and went outside to experience the madness of Roppongi nightlife. Was tired, so just had a quick drink in Geronimo and in Motown 2, had some noodles, and picked up some Lonely Planet guides at a 24-hour bookstore nearby. Gotta start thinking ahead to my upcoming tour of Southeast Asia – Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. More on that later…
Slept like a corpse. Spent the next morning, till noon, cranking through emails and making some hotel and flight bookings for Thailand. Reminded me of some working days when I’d get up, check email/voicemail, have a conference calls, and literally be pinned down in the hotel room, in my robe, for the better part of the day.
Had lunch with my old boss, Emmett, who used to run Monitor in Asia and who just moved over to a PE firm called Advantage Partners – Japan’s largest local PE outfit. Traded lots of gossip and stories – Emmett’s a great personality and we always got on wonderfully.
Took a train over to Akihabara, the ‘Electric Town’ of Tokyo. Tons of shops selling cameras, MP3 players, laptops, etc. Great selection, good prices. I’m in the market for both a camera and a laptop, and saw some good models there. Will potentially revisit next week, but am leaning toward just ordering online and picking them up in Boston. Let’s see.
Got back, went for a run on the fitness center treadmill. I can’t remember the last time I ran on a treadmill – I usually prefer running outside. But this was a very welcome change – the running felt so easy, because 1) the gym was airconditioned and quite cool, unlike Manila’s draining heat, and 2) I didn’t need to watch out for potholes, dog shit, other people, etc. I felt great and ran for 40 minutes. Not something I could do outside in Manila.
Went out for dinner with a former colleague. We went to my favorite kushiage place, Rokuhara, and ate and drank for 2+ hours. I wish there were places like this in the States, the food is superb and the atmosphere is great.
We then went over to Finn McCool’s, a typical Irish pub where my friend Rob works. He used to manage the Hobgoblin Akasaka, but got sick of it and moved over to Finn’s, where he has more flexibility. A few other friends met us there, and we caught up and made some plans. Then we moved over to a new-ish place called The Mermaid, right near Akasaka-Mitsuke Station. It has outdoor tables – a rarity in that part of Tokyo – and it’s a great place to sit and watch the lovely lasses stroll by. We were starting to slip into delirium by that hour, I finally got myself out of there and went to the Hyatt for some blissful sleep.
It was interesting to observe a changing of the guard in Tokyo. I spent years going to the Hobgoblin most nights and seeing my group of friends there. Now Rob has moved on, and the gang has fragmented – which is a natural process as our lives progress, I suppose, but it’s a bit sad. And there are a few newcomers who show up at Finn’s and the other places, and I found them a lot less compelling than my old buddies. Perhaps that’s unfair, but I can’t help but feel that way. It’s the whole ‘when I was a kid’ syndrome…
Woke up pretty foggy the next day. Didn’t have a lot planned, and lowered my ambition to simply having a good sushi lunch at my favorite kaiten-zushi (conveyor belt sushi) place in Omotesando. Managed to pull that off – ate 8 plates and that felt about right. Had some chu-toro (fatty tuna belly), hamachi (yellowtail tuna), and a few other faves. Yummy place – gotta get back there at least once more before blowing town.
Had dinner that night with a former client and his wife. They’re Jewish, and we always sit around telling Jewish jokes for hours. We once brought a Japanese colleague and he was predictably dumbfounded. My friend had some new ones, I recalled a few myself, and it was an interesting evening across the board. We ate at Il Mulino, a very nice Italian place whose original store is in Greenwich Village. Lots of nice wines and a huge pile of food – had some veal. Jewish jokes, good wine, veal – I knew I was no longer in the RP! But…I still miss the place, already, and like General MacArthur, I vow to return there one day too. Probably with a friend or two and not an invading force, though…
After dinner I went over to Finn’s and saw Rob and few other friends. My b-school classmate Miho showed up – I haven’t seen her since we graduated in ’93. She looks great and is doing her own consulting gig after many years at Coca-Cola and Starbucks. We both promised to attend next year’s 15th Reunion at Darden. I’m generally good about making these – but I want to twist some arms and get more people to come next year.
Also caught up with Chris, who heads another consulting firm here. We had a common client, but we never really became rivals – I think we were able to identify some common challenges and found the time to commiserate every now and then. We’ve stayed in touch and it’s always fun to hang out with him.
Another trip to the Hobgoblin, then over to The Mermaid. Ended the night with a long chat with Sean. We sat and drank till 4:30 a.m. – I didn’t realize it was that late. Sign of a good night. Finally got in a cab and went back to the Hyatt for one more night (morning, really) of bliss. The sun was coming up as I rode to the hotel. No daylight savings time here, very early sunrises. Hadn’t watched up sun come up in a while, and even with a solid buzz going I felt renewed and relaxed. And I’ll leave it at that for now. See you next week.
Tags: Travel
mbsloney
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