Travelling again

It has been over a year since I travelled anywhere. The last time was to Hamburg, and that was in June 2012, a few months before I joined the university as a full time academic staff. Now, due to my academic commitments, I will be travelling again.

At this age, frankly, I prefer not to travel too much. That is why I feel three overseas trips in the span of four months can be overwhelming. In between these, I have two domestic outstation trips. Nonetheless, I try to think positive. At the very least, the trips will provide some new experience. Hopefully, I will be able to establish some networking as well.

At the end of this month, I will be off to Indonesia - specifically, Bandung - to attend a seminar co-organised by Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Gunung Djati (UIN SGD) and the Academy of Islamic Studies, University of Malaya. I will be presenting a paper there.

At the end of December, I will be heading to Tokyo, Japan to attend a conference co-organised by Waseda University and the Asia-Europe Institute, University of Malaya. I am also scheduled to present a paper in this conference.

Less than a couple of weeks later, I will be flying to Hamburg, Germany to attend an international workshop on bioethics organised by Universität Hamburg and the University of Oxford. The workshop will discuss and review a number of papers, one of which is co-written by myself, to be published in an international journal called Die Welt des Islams (translation: Journal of the Study of Modern Islam).

In the middle of these international trips, I will be going to Gambang in Pahang to give a short briefing on a research project on organ donation, and later to Kota Bharu in Kelantan to give a lecture as part of a master's course at the university's Nilam Puri campus. These two will take place in November.

I am also involved with at least three seminars as co-author of papers - one in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan; one in Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu; and one in Kuala Lumpur. Fortunately, my co-authors will be presenting the papers.

In many ways, I am enjoying my life as a full-time academic. It reminds me of the days when I was with the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia. I am now in my second year at the university, and looking forward to many more years here. Insha-Allah.

Ten observations about Hamburg

This is probably my last post on Hamburg for a while. These are just some interesting observations I have on Hamburg, which may or may not be agreed upon by others:

#10: I have been informed that there are nearly 50 mosques in Hamburg! One taxi driver who drove one of the speakers to the hotel from the airport said that Hamburg is the place to be for Muslims. I managed to visit two mosques in the city centre, and I can say that Islam is thriving here. One mosque complex even houses a barber shop, a book shop and a restaurant. Aside from being a house of worship, it has the original spirit of the masjid during the time of the Prophet where it is also the hub of activities for the Muslim community.

#9: The Alster (picture at the top) is magnificent! Don't miss a cruise on the Alster Lake when you are in Hamburg. 'Nuff said.

#8: One of my major concerns before going to Hamburg was communication. As I can only speak Malay and English, I wondered if I would have problems communicating in a country which uses German as its main language. Fortunately, my concerns are unfounded because English, to my pleasant surprise, is spoken quite widely here. It is definitely much easier to communicate in Hamburg, compared to when I went to countries like Algeria, Egypt and Japan.

#7: As with most countries, the Germans are very passionate about football. When the German team won their quarter-final tie against Greece, you can hear, literally, their ecstatic cries of joy!

#6: It is quite easy to find halal food. Most of the halal shops in Hamburg are owned by Turkish migrants to Germany. However, there is one halal restaurant not far from the University of Hamburg and the hotel that I stayed in which is owned by a Pakistani. It is called "Balutschi" which serves a very nice chicken briyani dish. I would recommend it for anyone who has the opportunity to go to Hamburg. More information on the restaurant can be found at this link.

#5: Most shops close early. So it is quite difficult to buy things after 6 p.m. and even more difficult after 7 p.m. Then again, this is quite typical of most European cities. Only the Asian shops would close slightly later. When you come from a country like Malaysia, you need to adjust yourselves to the business opening hours in Europe. One cannot assume that every country is like Malaysia where it is easy to find shops that are virtually opened 24 hours a day.

#4: Generally, the city of Hamburg is very clean. The only down side to it is there are graffiti almost everywhere.

#3: Cycling seems to be an important way to get around in Hamburg. I just admire the way people in Hamburg, young and old alike, cycle. In fact, there is a service for people to use public bicycles which can come in handy.

#2: For some strange and unexplainable reason, I find Hamburg has a very familiar feeling to it. The city reminds me of Glasgow. The two cities are very different but somehow I find the air to them have some striking similarities, which unfortunately I cannot put a finger on.

#1: I have always had the perception (perhaps wrongly) that Germans are not friendly. However, throughout my experience in Hamburg, from the time I arrived at the airport until I departed from the airport, everyone I encountered were pleasant, friendly and helpful. The immigration officers at the airport were very friendly (unlike the ones I have encountered at Heathrow), the security officers were polite (unlike the stern and unfriendly-looking ones at most airports that I have been at before), and most people I came across on the streets would smile and say "guten tag" (good day). While I cannot generalise for the rest of Germany, I can certainly say that from my short stay in Hamburg, the Hamburgers (people of Hamburg) are very friendly.

There you go. Ten observations on Hamburg, a city I would not mind going to again if there is an opportunity. 

Equatorial equinox

Those living in temperate regions would notice the importance of equinoxes and solstices. Equinoxes mark the beginning of spring and autumn, while solstices mark the start of summer and winter. In Europe many centuries ago, the equinox events were often celebrated as part of pagan rituals. In some countries today, Japan for example, today is designated as a national holiday, as the first day of spring is the day to visit family graves and hold family reunions. This day is known in Japan as "Shunbun no hi".

Those in the equatorial region would probably not notice the significance of these phenomena. I would not be surprised if most of us are even unaware of the significant difference in the skies during the equinox phenomenon.

In any case, today (20th. March) is the vernal (spring) equinox or typically known today as simply the March equinox (to avoid any hemispherical bias). Though it will not mark the beginning of spring for Malaysia (since Malaysia does not have four seasons), this date is still significant for those who are observant enough to notice that the sky was already bright shortly after Subuh started today (at 6:02 a.m. in Kuala Lumpur), and that the sky will still be bright even after Maghrib today (at 7:26 p.m. in Kuala Lumpur).

Astronomy enthusiasts will be able to explain this better. I will try to explain this in simple terms. Essentially the phenomenon called equinox is when the sun is directly on the equator, resulting in the "earlier" sunrise and "delayed" sunset. This does not mean that the sun rises early and sets later, rather the sun rays are seen and dispersed in the horizon way before the actual sunrise and remains to be visible even after the actual sunset. Therefore, there is no change to the prayer times.

As such, do not panic. This is actually a common occurrence every year, and is simply an astronomical and physical phenomenon that the earth encounters.

For more reading: Fenomena Ekuinoks 20 Mac 2012.

Research integrity - Part 7

Earlier this year, I met my very first boss of my working career, Dr Abdul Razak Abdullah, whom I have not seen in many years. He holds a D.Phil. from Oxford University. We had an interesting discussion covering many things. The discussion started to veer from current issues to my doctorate study. When he inquired about it, I told him that I was finishing up my thesis-writing. He was happy to hear about the progress and went on to make an interesting remark, "Some people who enrolled for PhD did not manage to cross the finishing line. They did all the review, data collection, analysis and writing. But they did not submit the thesis for examination." In other words, people who ran the race but did not cross the finishing line.

Dr Razak's comment got me thinking. I know of people who did three or four years of doctorate studies, but at the end of the day, came off it empty-handed. Some of them are my friends who, during their course of study, faced some unforeseen and unavoidable personal problems that affected their studies. These are usually sponsored scholars who were unable to extend their duration, and hence had to abandon their study after the expiry of the sponsorship. These, to me, are genuine cases. It is a pity that they were not able to finish because of certain difficulties that had befallen them. This is akin to an athlete who is not able to cross the finishing line because of an accident somewhere along the racing track.

Unfortunately, I have also heard of some who did not finish their PhD (for whatever reason) and yet were bold enough to use the doctorate title in front of their names. In the past, there were some similar cases that were highlighted in the media. In another discussion with another former boss of mine, Datuk Dr Abdul Monir Yaacob, I was told that in countries like Egypt, it is normal for PhD candidates to use the title "Dr" as soon as they enrol in a doctorate course, way before they actually finished their studies. This got me thinking, if for some reason, these candidates who are already using the title "Dr" fail to finish, do they still keep their title because people are already used to calling them with that title?

In any case, the norm in Malaysia and most other countries like the UK, USA and Japan, doctorate is conferred only upon fulfilling all the necessary criteria such as submission of thesis, viva voce and other criteria as set forth by the university (which may differ from one university to another). You don't call yourself "Dr" until and unless you receive a letter from the university saying that you have obtained your PhD. It is, without a doubt, unethical on the part of the person who uses the title "Dr" before being officially granted the esteemed academic qualification. To do so would mean to cheapen the value of the doctorate degree and is adds insult to those candidates who really earn the title.

I have no idea how many people out there who go around claiming to have a doctorate without actually properly completing their studies. This is just like athletes who cheat by not running the full course of the race, but instead suddenly appearing after the finishing line as if they had run the full race. None of us really checks if a person is really a "Dr" or otherwise. Most of us take people's claim in good faith.

But really, if these people are men of faith, they would not be claiming to have something that they in reality do not own.

Triple tragedy in the land of the rising sun

I am, for once, lost for words when news reached me about the 東北地方太平洋沖地震 (Tōhoku Region Pacific Ocean offshore earthquake). The 9.0 magnitude (a mega-earthquake by modern standard) rocked Japan on Friday, 11th March 2011. The earthquake was initially measured at 7.9 on the Richter scale and later upgraded to 8.9 on the Richter scale before scientists finally putting the magnitude at 9.0 on the Richter scale.


The mega-earthquake triggered tsunami warnings. A number of cities in Japan in the Iwate Prefecture, Fukushima Prefecture and Miyagi Prefecture were hit by tsunamis, some reportedly 10 metres high. It has been reported that up to 10,000 people are killed, and another 10,000 still missing.


What began with the earthquake (and its subsequent aftershocks) and followed by the tsunami led to another tragedy in the form of a possible nuclear meltdown as a result of explosions at the Fukushima power plants. The danger this meltdown can cause is no doubt a reason for global concern. 


The triple tragedy (mega-earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant explosions) resulted in the worst ever crisis Japan has ever faced since World War II. When I got news of the mega-earthquake, my thoughts quickly turned  to my friends who are in Japan (both Malaysians and Japanese). I pray that they are safe in the midst of this trying times.


My thoughts are with those who have been badly hit by these tragedies, though I can only watch from afar. I am very sure that once the dust is settled, Japan will once again rise - just like it did after the devastation of World War II. In the meantime, we also have the responsibility to assist them in rebuilding in any way possible.

Day 17: Trip to Japan (20 April 2010)

It rained again today. The only item on my agenda for today was the dinner reception with the Prime Minister at the New Otani Hotel organised by Yayasan Pelajaran MARA. The Prime Minister had been in Tokyo for an official two-day visit to Japan.

The rest of the day was spent in the hotel room. Truth be told, I had been exhausted from this working trip. So, I took the opportunity on this relatively quiet day to rest.

During the dinner later that evening, I had the opportunity to meet again with a number of students whom I had met before from all over Japan. It was great to be able to see most of them again in person, and to be able to extend my gratitude for their co-operation and assistance throughout my stay in Japan.

I am personally very happy to have met their acquaintance. I believe that they will lead a successful life in the years to come.

It has indeed been a unique journey for me. These past 17 days have been special, educational and an eye-opener. As I often like to say whenever I go to other parts of the world: I listen, I watch, I think, I speak, I write...

Now I would like to add two more items to that list: I experience, I learn.

I will be leaving in the morning of the 21 April 2010. I can't wait to get home to the people I love. But most definitely, at the same time, I leave with fond memories of Japan.

Sayonara, Japan.

Day 16: Trip to Japan (19 April 2010)

The weather was beautiful today. The sun was out. The temperature was mild. This was perhaps the best condition I have had throughout my trip to Japan thus far.

Two university visits were on the cards for today. Yayasan Ilmuwan's executive chairman, Dr Khairul 'Azmi Mohamad led a five-man delegation to Saitama University and Takushoku University. The others in the delegation were Encik Mazilan Musa (executive director and project director of the Japanese project), Encik Zahari Mohamad (head of the education development unit), Encik Ahmad Zaki Udah (head of the research and development unit), and myself.

To get to Saitama University, we opted to take the shinkansen from Tokyo to Omiya with a brief stop at Ueno. The shinkansen that we took was the ASAMA Superexpress. The journey was also brief as it took only 25 minutes on the bullet train. After arriving at Omiya eki, we took a taxi to Saitama University where we were met by Dr Tachibana Masahiko who is vice chairman of the Malaysia Project Committee, and Dr Akira Nagasawa, a professor of chemistry at the university. We were taken on a tour to a number of laboratories in the university and were briefed on a number of on-going research projects being carried out there.

After Saitama University, our next destination was Takushoku University. Again we boarded a shinkansen, this time the MAX Toki Express from Omiya and we alighted at Ueno. The journey was only 19 minutes. From Ueno eki, we took a taxi to Takushoku University to pay a courtesy visit to Mr Fukuda Katsuyuki, the managing director of the university.

It was already nearly 2 p.m. when we were done at the university. It was decided that we head for Ginza for lunch. After lunch, I left for the hotel to do some work that needed to be done. The rest of the afternoon was quite free. Later that evening, I went again to Zauo to have dinner. Somehow, I seem to enjoy the atmosphere at this restaurant. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gone there again and again.

Day 15: Trip to Japan (18 April 2010)

The weather on this day was better. It wasn't cold as it was cool. It made for a refreshing change, and suited well for our trip to Nagaoka. Nagaoka is about 270 km to the north-west of Tokyo, and is located in the Niigata Prefecture. This is the furthest north that I would be in this trip to Japan.

Before leaving for Nagaoka, we checked out of the Shinjuku Washington Hotel and checked in at the Imperial Hotel located at Chiyoda-ku. This was because we will be joined by another five from Yayasan Ilmuwan. They would be arriving from Hiroshima later that evening.

After checking in, we took a train from Yurakucho eki to Tokyo eki. There, we boarded the 09:28 MAX (Multi Amenity Express) Toki Express shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagaoka. What is unique about the MAX Toki Express shinkansen is that it is a double-decker shinkansen. The shinkansen journey takes about 1 hour 38 minutes, with brief stops at Ueno, Omiya, Echigo-Yuzawa and Urasa stations.

The view on the way to Nagaoka is picturesque. The mountains are still covered in snow. There are paddy fields along the shinkansen tracks. Perhaps there is something special about the rural life in Japan. It gives a certain degree of calmness as compared to the hectic life of Tokyo or other big cities.

Upon arrival at Nagaoka, we headed by taxi to Yukyuzan Park (picture above) where the Malaysian community there was having their hanami. There was nearly 70 Malaysians who were there. After meeting up with the students, we took the 15:24 Max Toki Express shinkansen back to Tokyo, with brief stops at Echigo-Yuzawa, Takasaki, Omiya and Ueno before arriving at our destination at four past five.

We then took the train to Yurakucho which is the nearest to the hotel. The rest of Yayasan Ilmuwan's delegation arrived at the hotel a couple of hours later. Later, we had dinner at the Aladdin restaurant located at Roppongi at Minato-ku.

Day 14: Trip to Japan (17 April 2010)

The temperature was the coldest yet. I didn't actually have any plans to go anywhere on this day. Initially we planned to meet the students at Nagaoka but the plan was postponed to the next day at the request of the students. Because of this, I opted to just stay at the hotel since the temperature wasn't really conducive for outdoor activities. Zaki meanwhile attended a meeting at the embassy regarding the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister.

Around 2 p.m., I decided to go out for lunch. I did an Internet search and found a halal Indian restaurant called "Taz Mahal". I had rice, mutton curry, chicken tandoori and masala tea for a very reasonable price.

Later that evening, Zaki and I decided to have dinner again at "Zauo". This time we had kani korokke, oebi tenpura, sashimi and salmon shabu-shabu. Not much can be said about this day aside from the fact that it really felt like winter.

Day 13: Trip to Japan (16 April 2010)

We went for Friday prayer at the Tokyo Mosque at Shibuya-ko. The official name for the masjid is Tokyo Camii and Turkish Cultural Center. The masjid was founded by the Turkish community in 1938, hence the distinctive Turkish architecture.

After the prayer, we went to Akihabara to look for some souvenirs before leaving for Ueno. This day had so far been wet and cold, with the heavy rain and winter-like temperature. I was starting to feel slightly unwell, most probably because of exhaustion rather than the cold weather. Zaki suggested that I rested for the day at the hotel while he went to see the students studying at Meiji University.

Later in the evening, we had supper (for Zaki) and dinner (for me) at a Japanese restaurant located in our hotel. The restaurant, which is called "Zauo", has a very interesting theme. In the centre of the restaurant is a structure built to look like a boat, and underneath it is a pond. The boat-like structure is where patrons would sit to dine, while at the same time, patrons can choose to do some fishing. If patrons manage to catch a fish or a lobster, then it will be served at a discounted price.

Another interesting thing about this restaurant is that it serves only seafood prepared in many ways. You can have it raw (sushi or sashimi), you can have it grilled, you can have it served as tenpura or korukke, or you can have it steamed, or you can have it boiled (shabu-shabu). The price was not too steep, and I think it is quite reasonable. That night, we had kani or crab korokke and oebi (prawn) tenpura.

The temperature for the night continued to be cold. I received news from the students at Hachioji that snow was falling there. In fact, a few friends from Malaysia also informed me that the news about snow in Japan was featured in the news. Apparently this was the first time in 40 years that snow actually came down in April. There was no snow in Shinjuku though, but frankly I wasn't complaining.

Day 12: Trip to Japan (15 April 2010)

My PhD supervisor have always told me that Tokyo is a good place to buy good second hand books at affordable prices. The well-known place for this purpose is Kanda. However, after doing some searching in the Internet, I found that the shop that has a good collection is located in another area called Ebisu. The shop is called "Good Day Books" and is owned by an American man from California. He gets his supply mainly from the United States, and brings the books to Japan to be sold at his second hand shop.

The bookshop is just a stone's throw away from Ebisu eki. It was at first quite a task to find the kind of books that I was looking for. But when I found what I liked, I felt like I didn't want to leave. If it was up to me, I had wanted to pick up a lot of the books. I had to refrain myself though, limiting myself only to those titles particularly relevant to my doctorate research. In the end, I bought five books: Modern Science & Human Values, The Philosophies of Science, The Ethical Brain, The Turn to Ethics and Science, Faith and Religion.

From Ebisu, we went to Akihabara which is famous for its electrical and electronic goods. Akihabara is also known to many as the "Electric Town". Akihabara is heaven for those who are into electrical and electronic goods, including cameras.

Later, we left Akihabara for Shinjuku, and from Shinjuku we took the Odakyu line which heads to Tokaidaigaku-mae eki to meet up with the students studying at the Shonan campus of Tokai University. It was quite an experience getting on a train during rush hour. The train was packed to the brim, in a manner of speaking.

Without realising it initially, we actually got on the wrong train. We were supposed to take the one heading towards Odawara (the Odakyu Odawara line), instead we boarded the one heading for Fujisawa (the Odakyu Enoshima line). Fortunately, Zaki realised the mistake not long after the intersection at Sagami-Ono eki that separates the Odakyu Enoshima line from the Odakyu Odawara line. We got off the train at Chuo Rinken eki, boarded another train going back to Sagami-Ono eki, alighted there and boarded the right train heading to Tokaidaigaku-mae eki.

We finally arrived at Tokaidaigaku-mae eki around a quarter past eight in the evening. After meeting and having dinner with the students (picture above), we boarded the last train back to Shinjuku which was the 23:29 train. By the time we arrived at Shinjuku eki, it was already half past midnight. What was interesting to me was the number of people still waiting to board the train at this late hour.

Outside the eki, Shinjuku (and I believe, most part of Tokyo) is very much alive. There are a lot of people outside despite the peculiarly cold temperature. It felt very much like winter, and not spring. Zaki and I walked back to the hotel from the station. For me, I was able to see the night life in the vicinity of Shinjuku, and it is colourful and vibrant to say the least.

Day 11: Trip to Japan (14 April 2010)

Another travelling day, this time from Osaka back to Tokyo. We checked out of the hotel and took a taxi to a place called Sakura no Torinuke in the city of Osaka. The place is actually a 560 metre-long pathway lined up wit 324 sakura trees. There are 127 species of sakura here, including rare ones like green-coloured sakura. This happened to be the first day that Sakura no Turinuke is opened for the year. As such, there were a lot of visitors to the place when we got there.

The weather was good and the sky was clear, but it was slightly cold because of the wind. After walking from one end of Sakura no Turinuke to another, we took another taxi to Shin-Osaka eki to board the shinkansen to Tokyo. Distance from Osaka to Tokyo is approximately 550 km, and on the Hikari Superexpress, the journey is just under three hours. There were quite a few stops - seven to be exact - before we reached Tokyo. The stops were at Kyoto, Maibara, Gifu-Hashima, Nagoya, Odawara, Shin-Yokohama and Shinagawa.

I missed the view of Mount Fuji when travelling from Tokyo to Kyoto previously. This time I made sure that I did not miss it. The famous mountain can be seen just as we left Odawara eki. The sight of the mountain is amazing with the tip still covered in snow. I was not able to capture any photos as the shinkansen was moving too fast for me to snap a good photo of the mountain. Nonetheless, having being able to view the mountain from afar in person, albeit briefly, was good enough for me.

We arrived in Tokyo at ten past three in the afternoon. We then took train to Shinjuku eki, before checking in at the Shinjuku Washington Hotel. Later that evening, we met up with a group of students from two Tokyo-based universities, namely Tokyo University of Science and Tokyo Denki University.

Day 10: Trip to Japan (13 April 2010)

The weather was better today. The sky is slightly cloudy, but at least it was not raining. The temperature was just nice, not too hot and not too cold. The tenth day was a relatively quiet day. I did not have any appointments on this day. Zaki, on the other hand, had a dinner engagement with another colleague, Zahari who had just arrived in Osaka from Malaysia a couple of days earlier, and a lecturer from Kinki University.

I was more or less slightly exhausted from the travelling in previous days. So the slight change of pace was a welcome one. The only thing that I did was to walk towards Osaka Castle from the hotel. The walk took some twenty minutes. The relatively nice weather made the walking relaxing.

Hopefully the weather will continue to be good in the coming days.

Day 9: Trip to Japan (12 April 2010)

The phrase "wet, wet, wet" came to mind on this ninth day. It rained from morning till night, almost continuously. In any case, it was time to bid farewell to Okayama. Our next destination was Osaka, which among others is well-known for its castle (above).

We took the shinkansen from Okayama eki to Shin-Osaka eki. The distance is around 175 km and took about 51 minutes on the Hikari Rail Superexpress. The shinkansen made two brief stops at Himeji and Shin-Kobe.

We arrived at Shin-Osaka eki, and then we took a train to Osaka eki before changing to a local line towards Osakajokoen eki. From there, we walked in the rain towards the New Otani Hotel before checking in.

Later that evening, it was still raining heavily. In spite of the weather, we met up with students studying at Kinki University. A lot of my friends actually queried about the name. It can give a different connotation to those not familiar with Japan. The Kansai region, where Osaka Prefecture is located, is also known as the Kinki region. Kyoto and Osaka are both located on the Kinki plain.

Sometimes, a word can sound the same but can give a different meaning in another language.

Nihon-go wakarimasen

At times, I feel like Bill Murray's character, Bob Harris, in the movie "Lost in Translation". English or ae-go is not that widely spoken here in Japan. Although awareness on English has increased, not many Japanese are fluent in the language. With the exception of hotel and airport staff, I have yet to meet others who are confident enough to use the language.

On the other hand, my grasp on the Japanese language (nihon-go) is rudimentary at best. I know only basic words and simple phrases. Sometimes I regret for not having the time to follow the nihon-go classes held at my office some time back.

I am fortunate that a colleague from the office, Ahmad Zaki, is accompanying me on this trip. He was a student in Japan and therefore, pretty comfortable with nihon-go. As such, I leave him to do most of the talking in this country.

In Tokyo at least, major places like hotels, train stations, shops and roads already have English translations. I give the Japanese credit for taking such an effort because it helps for gaikokujin like me. Having said that, I do find some errors made (small though they may be) to be quite amusing.

At a florist shop in a Tokyo hotel, the word "florist" is spelt "frolist".

At the same hotel in Tokyo, at its restaurant the word "water" is spelt "watter".

In a Kyoto hotel meanwhile, at the hotel's restaurant the word "pumpkin" is spelt "pimpkin".

But perhaps the next one takes the cake. I was browsing through the Internet to search for English bookshops around Tokyo. In one of the websites, the phrase "public speaking" is written as "pubic speaking".

Amusing, but the mistakes and mis-spelling are understandable. English language is not part of Japan's history and culture. So, at this infancy stage, such errors are acceptable. Instead, I think they should be lauded for being brave enough to use a totally foreign language to them.

Nevertheless, their English are definitely better than my Japanese.

Interesting observations on Japanese hotels

Since my work in Japan requires me to move all over the country, arrangements had to be made for me to stay in several hotels. I stayed at the Shinjuku Washington Hotel when I was in Tokyo for the first four days. When I was in Kyoto, I stayed at the Granvia Kyoto. During my duration of stay in Okayama, Granvia Okayama became my base. In Osaka, the hotel that I stayed in was the New Otani Osaka. Now that I am back in Tokyo, I am also back at the Shinjuku Washington Hotel. As my boss will be arriving this Sunday, I will be joining him at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo until the end of my stay in Japan.

There are a few interesting observations that I have made with regards to hotels in Japan (at least, the ones that I stayed in).

The first thing that struck me is the availability of baggage transfer from hotel to hotel. This is especially handy if you are in Japan for a long stay, and that you have many pieces of luggage or that your luggage is bulky. Upon check out from one hotel, you can actually use this service to have your luggage sent to your next destination, even if your next destination is in another city or prefecture. For instance, when I checked out from the Shinjuku Washington Hotel, my luggage was sent to Granvia Okayama. I just brought along what I needed for my two-night stay at Gravia Kyoto. By the time, I arrived in Okayama, my luggage was already waiting for me in my room. This helps a lot as I was able to travel light.

Honestly speaking, I am not sure if such a service exist in Malaysia. Even if it does, I wonder how effective and efficient the service is. If this kind could be introduced in Malaysia (with similar efficiency and quality of service), I am sure it will serve as a value-added service to the hotel industry in particular and tourism in general.

The other thing that I find particularly interesting is that the majority of the porters (or bellboys) working in Japanese hotels are actually ladies. I have not seen female porters in Malaysia. In Japan, however, the reverse is actually true. It is difficult to find male porters. And one thing that I must add here is that the porters in Japan are true professionals. Not only do they bring you and your luggage to your room, they even explain all the facilities available in the room. This is especially useful because facilities from one hotel to another can greatly differ. As such, a short briefing by the porters is not only informative but also helpful. I remember that certain porters in Malaysia only expect tips as soon as they bring your luggage into your room.

Of course, not everything in Japanese hotels is perfect. One little complaint that I have is the lack of wireless Internet access in the hotels. None of the hotels that I have been to actually have wifi, which I find pretty odd. If you are sharing a room with another person, and both want to use the Internet, then you would have to take turns. On this aspect, I think the hotels in Malaysia are slightly more advanced. I have been to a three-star hotel in Malaysia that actually provide wireless Internet connection for its guests. Most hotels have wifi connection at their lobbies at the very least. Not here in Japan though.

Just my two cents worth. Or should it be, my two yen?

Day 8: Trip to Japan (11 April 2010)

We have been scheduled to meet students from Yamaguchi University on this eighth day. The university is located in the Yamaguchi Prefecture in Japan's Chugoku region, with the city of Yamaguchi as its capital. This is perhaps the furthest place to the south-west that I would be in throughout this trip to Japan. Yamaguchi is already towards the southern tip of Honshu island. This part of Japan is well-known for fugu or pufferfish. I have been informed that one needs a license to remove the poison from this fish to ensure that the process is done properly.

We left Okayama by shinkansen heading from Okayama eki to Shin-Yamaguchi eki on board the Hikari Superexpress. There are only two stops between these two stations namely at Fukuyama and Hiroshima. The journey took exactly 1 hour 15 minutes covering a distance of 422 km.

When we arrived at Shin-Yamaguchi eki, we had to board a local train on the Ube line, alighting at an eki called Higashi-Shinkawa.

Throughout the local train journey, I got to see the rustic surroundings of rural Japan. The scenery was completely different from the busy metropolitans of Japan such as Tokyo and Osaka. Here, things look calm, serene and relaxing. Our destination, Higashi-Shinkawa eki, is located in - for lack of a better description - a small town. It is not quite a village, and not quite a big town.

We were met on arrival by the Malaysian students studying at Yamaguchi University. The students here have cars because public transportation is not as efficient or reliable as those found in big cities. After lunch, they took us around the towns located around the area. Initially we planned to return to Okayama earlier. But the students were very friendly and offered great hospitality that we decided to stay on for a little longer.

We took the local train to Shin Yamaguchi eki from another small eki, Maruo, before boarding the 18:21 shinkansen heading for Tokuyama eki on the Kodama Express. At this station, we changed to another shinkansen, this time the 18:51 Hikari Superexpress heading for Okayama eki. Again, the shinkansen made two brief stops at Hiroshima and Fukuyama. We arrived at Okayama at three minutes to eight in the evening.

On a personal note, I think that the Yamaguchi Prefecture is one of the most beautiful sites I have seen in Japan. Its rustic environment makes it all the more special. The place has its own charm. If there is one place that I would like to return to in Japan, it would be Yamaguchi.

Baggage handling at Narita

One of the things that impressed me upon arrival at Narita Airport could be seen at the baggage area. I am sure many of us are familiar with carousels that carry luggage or baggage of passengers who had just disembarked. So far, I have been to a number of airports - almost all airports in Malaysia, Padang in Indonesia, Rome in Italy, Cairo in Egypt, Algiers in Algeria, and Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Glasgow, Belfast and Cardiff in the UK. But Narita (and perhaps all airports in Japan) impresses me the most.

Passengers' baggage are all neatly stacked and arranged in a uniformed manner on the carousel. It looks as if all the baggage are lining up neatly to be picked up by passengers. It's a small thing, I know. Nevertheless, I am impressed. The Japanese airport workers took the trouble of arranging the baggage neatly on the carousel, rather than just putting the baggage on the carousel haphazardly.

Not only does this make everything looks neat and proper, it also gives confidence to passengers that their baggage are handled with care, and not being thrown around as if they were not important.

Sometimes, it is these "small" things that give us some peace of mind.

Day 7: Trip to Japan (10 April 2010)

Another relatively quiet day actually. We decided to visit Hiroshima, the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture. I am pretty sure everyone knows about Hiroshima. Thus far, I have only read about the city. A few months back, there was an exhibition held at the Museum of Asian Art of Universiti Malaya on the atrocities of the atomic bomb that was dropped on 6th August 1945. That was as close as I got to Hiroshima, that is until today.

Again we boarded the Hikari Superexpress. This time we were heading from Okayama eki to Hiroshima eki. The distance is some 160 km, and the journey on the shinkansen took only 30 minutes. There was only one stop before Hiroshima, and that is Fukuyama.

Once reaching Hiroshima city, we took the Hiroden streetcar (picture above) towards the famous A-Bomb Dome. The remains of the building is now the a UNESCO World Heritage site. The atomic bomb was detonated some 600 metres above the building. Miraculously, the structure of the building and in particular, the building's dome, remain intact in spite of the huge blast of energy from the atomic bomb detonation.

Frankly, I cannot begin to describe my feelings to be standing near the A-Bomb Dome (above). I tried to imagine what transpired that fateful day on 6th August 1945. Try as I might, I don't think I can possibly visualise the horrors of the incident. However, to my mind, what is more important is the lessons learnt from this incident. I can only hope that our generation will at least try to understand history so as not to repeat it all over again.

A short walk away from the A-Bomb Dome is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. These two are actually part and parcel of an area called the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park Area. There are many monuments here, erected to preserve the memory of the devastation that took place in Hiroshima.

After spending nearly an hour there, we walked towards Hiroshima Castle which is located about 750 metres north of the A-Bomb Dome. The castle was our last stop before boarding a streetcar back to the eki to return to Okayama where we are stationed. All in all, the seventh day serves as a good reminder of history for me. I am fortunate to be able to step on the grounds of Hiroshima. At the very least, my appreciation towards the significance of the event that took place on 6th August 1945 is greater.

Day 6: Trip to Japan (9 April 2010)

Another travelling day. This time from Kyoto, the capital of Kyoto Prefecture to Okayama, the capital of Okayama Prefecture. The distance is approximately 220 km. Journey by road would have taken about three hours, but taking the shinkansen saves a lot of time. We boarded the 09:49 a.m. shinkansen (Hikari Superexpress) from Kyoto eki and we arrived at Okayama eki at 11:17 a.m. The total time taken on this shinkansen journey was 1 hour 18 minutes. The shinkansen stopped at five stations, namely Shin-Osaka, Shin-Kobe, Nishi-Akashi, Himeji and Aioi before reaching Okayama.

By the time we arrived, it was about half an hour before Friday prayer. We were met on arrival at Okayama eki by a PhD student at Okayama University of Science, Arief Mokhtar. He was kind enough to drive us to the Okayama Islamic Centre for Friday prayer with the other Muslim communities in the city.

Later in the afternoon, after lunch, he took us to Handayama Botanical Garden (picture above) where again, we feasted our eyes on the blossoming sakura (as well as other flowers already blossoming with the advent of spring). After that, we checked into our hotel, the Granvia Hotel Okayama.

After resting for a couple of hours, we were again picked up by Arief to meet up with the students from Okayama University of Science. The meeting with the students were cordial, and since I know some of them, it was good to be able to catch up with them.

Another full and productive day came to a close.