What I’ll Miss About Japan and Singapore
What I’ll Miss About Living in Japan and Singapore:
Access to everything and the love of the outdoors
At home in New York, work and school keep my time outside at a minimum. In Japan, my days involved at least 16 km. My time in Japan opened my eyes to the fact that they aren’t shy of being outdoors in cold weather and experiencing life. Each street was a discovery, despite my hurt back and sore feet. I knew each corner gave me a reason to keep moving forward.
The attention to detail of Japan and the industry of Singapore
Singapore revealed the way a leader with vision can drive growth into the future. Their skyscrapers were majestic. Most of the time you felt as though you were in the financial district of London. They always make me smile the different detail to nature and the way they balanced modernity and the tradition of their lives.
Japan…what could I say. The attention to service and detail always surprises me. You are greeted by people who are experts in whatever they decide to do. The art and craft of their work come through. Generations of a family may be in a single establishment continuing to refine their craft. It creates the uniqueness of the Japanese culture.
Crepes and Cafes
One of my favorite pastimes is sitting in coffee shops reading, writing, or studying with a mug in front of me. There’s a never-ending supply of cafes to try in Japan, and they’re all unique – but little locally-owned places with jazz music and oak wood furniture. Also, the presentation of Japanese Crepes was a life-altering experience. The structure and combination of flavors gave me an understanding of what they mean by Umami. I love it so much I can back to NYC and found a Japanese crepe place down the street to keep the momentum going on my new favorite thing.
The order and process…
Japan runs with an unspoken system. Once you begin to get the flow, you can be anywhere and feel calm about getting around. In a country with 125 million people, I never felt crowded or overwhelmed. Trains ran on time, even though you didn’t speak the language it was seamless in moving you along than in America. The Shinto culture focus on gratitude and silence made me take time to enjoy the day in a peaceful way I don’t necessarily have in America.
My experience overall
It was terrific to meet so many great people and hear their stories. People in mid-career were trying to find a new opportunity or those starting their jobs. I will never forget my time in Asia.
