Kyoto, Taipei & Guangzhou
End of October to mid November 2012
Bumping into a Geisha, which means a person of the arts, is not too quite common now a days. These well
mannered women who are trained to dance, sing and entertain should not be mistaken as prostitutes. In fact the
first geisha was actually a man. Geisha's are a respectable iconic figures since the 7th Century. Their number has
dropped down to around 1,000 - 2,000 where as there used to be around 80,000 in business around 90 years ago.
Kyoto being an ancient city filled with temples around every corner gives it a place for women, men and children to
wear a traditional kimomo. As foreign and exotic kimono might sound, it actually just translates to 'thing to wear'.
As traditional Kyoto might be, it won't scare of a policeman handing out a ticket to a bicycle parked in the wrong
place. Only in Japan.
If it comes down to Human vs. Duck. The duck usually loses except if you are one swimming in coins.
It's not too surprising when looking at a nation which is surrounded by water and fish that one day you might have
fish flavored ice cream! It doesn't stop there, you can also find Ox Tongue, Squid, Octopus, Crab Ice Cream...
Teaching Astrology in Elementary School...
Sushi passing by besides you on a conveyor belt is mandatory if you happen to go to small city of Kaga, on the
west side of Honshu Island. My good friend Ingmar Steinbach from my hometown in Germany has relocated himself
to the East where it seems like he is suffering some sushi overdose resulting to a midday sushi-koma...
Horace Wilson, an expat in Japan during the mid 1800s introduced the game of Baseball to Japan with the
intentions of giving his students a physical exercise. It is now more popular than Sumo or football combined.
Flip flops with socks, that's something I am guilty for doing as well on these long distance train rides we do.
After ten days or so in Japan, I had to start heading back towards China, on the route lied the island of Formosa.
Don't bring up Taiwan in China and China in Taiwan. I have realized that it's still a very sensitive topic. Since
Visualtraveling is pretty much blocked by the Great Firewall of China on random occasions within the Republic, I
am not going to bring either up right now.
Yi Pin the Yoga teacher pointing me in the right direction!感謝
The transition was literally colossal. Checking out the Taipei 101 Tower like a tourist to being a tour guide for the
well known Ryan Sheckler & the Plan B team in Guangzhou, China.
Scott Decenzo performing a Canadian stretch.
Felipe Gustavo, the Brazilian slum dog millionaire working his way to the top with Louis Vuitton belts.
Pat Duffy the legend skating one of the spots I think I found back in 2009. A spot hunter's dream come true.
Ryan Scheckler conveniently sitting in front of a poster which sums up his life.
Also along the Plan B China destruction 2012 was Mister Torey Pudwill, Trevor McClung, Ryan Denman, Eric
Bragg, Mark Stewart and Mike O'meilly. Check the three episode Scheckler Session shot by Eric.
There are averagely around 27,300 marriages daily within the Republic, with that statistic you are bound to run into
a newly wed.
From those marriages, 1.7 million filed for divorce this year, a rise of over 10 percent just within the last 5 years.
At the right place, at the right time. Thank you chance!