Summer journey - Week 2: a thrilling ride, a pretty park and more of Ueno

My second weekend in Tokyo was spent quite well, visiting a variety of places, including one that I deemed the best site that went to all summer.

On Saturday, April 22, I met up with Katlo and Sagnik near their home and office at Mori Towers, Roppongi. From there we proceeded to the northeastern part of Tokyo, to see the Sensoji Temple. It's the most important Buddhist temple in Tokyo - with a complex consisting of many temples and other buildings. The path leading to the main temple is lined with dozens of shops, most selling food or souvenirs. It was from some of these shops that I bought quite a few gifts for my friends - some on that day, and the rest on another visit late in May, by when I had become quite desperate for anything to take back to India.

I enjoyed Sensoji Temple. We tried some food there - Katlo and Sagnik bought a rice candy (which neither liked at all), and then we all bought a piece of maize each. I dropped mine quite early - leading to a rather annoying struggle to find a suitable dustbin to dump the wasted food into. The temple complex is quite clean, despite the large crowds thronging the venue. Katlo lamented that if only we in India had maintained our cultural sites better, they could easily surpass most other places in the world as tourist centres. He believes that it's primarily a function of our poverty, rather than any cultural/national trait of ours - I tend to agree now.

From Sensoji, we walked to a Metro station that was a one stop away from the one closest to us. Walking along the roads in a foreign city is important to get a feel for the city. Using the Metro efficiently would have saved us much time, but at the cost of missing out on the pleasures of walking on roads that were not adjacent to tourist points. On every weekend after that, I tried to walk as much as possible, even skipping the nearest stations to be able to see more of the city surface.

Taking a Metro train to Kasuga, we reached the area near Tokyo Dome. The Dome houses the city's baseball stadium, and also an amusement park. We had intentions of riding a rollercoaster called the Thunder Dolphin. I had a look at it, and was really unnerved. But first, we wanted to see the Koishikawa Korakuen Garden - the oldest garden in Tokyo, which some people in my companions' office (both Katlo and Sagnik were interns in Lehman Brothers) recommended. In fact our entire day's journey was based on advice from the Lehman office. We reached the Garden at 4:40 or 4:45. It closed at 5, with the last entry being at 4:30. A ticket costed 300 yen. In the first of many instances when we encountered extremely helpful public officials in Japan, the people at the ticket counter allowed us to enter the garden without buying tickets. We were there for only 15 minutes, but those were really serene and even wondrous minutes. Beautiful flowers, lovely landscaped lawns, a pond with brilliantly coloured red/orange fishes and the backdrop of a monstrous roller coaster faintly audible and partly visible beyond the greenery of the garden all made this simply the best place I went to in Tokyo and in Japan.

After the serenity of the garden came the thrill of the rollercoaster! Both Sagnik and I were a little scared, but my sarcasm and dares riled him and at the same time made it impossible for me to not sit in the ride too. The near vertical fall at the beginning of the ride completely terrified me for 2-3 seconds! I was too scared to shout even! Then fear was replaced with thrill and joy, and the view of Tokyo from the top of the Thunder Dolphin is quite spectacular, even with its high speeds and rapid turns. Though it cost us 1000 yen each, all of us felt that the ride-operators/owners could have easily charged 2000-3000 yen without losing many of their customers.

A short walk through the local mall and a slightly longer ride to Roppongi later, I was having dinner at the 'Jewel of India' with Katlo and Sagnik. Got myself a calling card on the same night from a small shop called Tokyo Halal Foods. By 9:15, I was home and ready for another day of travelling.

The next day I went to Ueno Park. This time I was alone and planned to see the Science Museum and the Tokyo National Museum (housing historical art) in 2-3 hours and then join Jolly for some trip he was planning to Meiji Park (Ueno is in northeastern Tokyo and Meiji is in southwestern Tokyo). The Science Museum itself took about 3 hours, despite my rushing through many sections! The National Museum has 3 buildings - one main and two adjuncts. I could only cover the main building in over two hours of wandering. I thought then that I would go back and finish the other two wings of the Museum as well, but never got the necessary time :(

Both museums are wonderful. The exhibits of the dinosaurs are worth watching. So is the exhibit of stuffed mammals. On the terrace, there is a very pretty garden of bonsai cultivations. The National Museum has done an excellent job of narrating Japan's history through art. From the heavily-Indian-Buddhism-influenced Japan in the first 3-4 centuries after Christ to the Japan ready to adopt Western technology in the mid-1800s, the museum offers insight into changing attitudes, trends and political interests in Japanese history.

And thus ended my second week in Tokyo. Was in holiday planning mode by then, deciding how I would complete my circuit of the city. How things actually turned out is another story!

Books Galore!

After the comparative drought during my first two terms in WIMWI (only three books bought), book buying has come back strongly this year. Have already acquired 8 books this year - not counting the travel guides to Japan and Europe. Unfortunately, the revival of book buying has not translated into better reading habits - listening to too much music, I fear. Still, expect to read a lot in September - when I'll have nothing to do but laze around in WIMWI, waiting for my trip to Europe. And should have lot's of time in the evenings in Europe as well - looks like I will be alone while travelling there, and there won't be much esle to do in the evening but blog and read.

Anyway, back to the books. Quite happy with my purchases - good variety, I think, and good quality, I hope.

In January, I got Baburnama from the Crossword in Ahmedabad. Have only read 70 out of over 450 pages yet. Initially, the excessive use of names of persons and places made it tough going, and quite incomprehensible. But slowly the highlands of Central Asia that Babur called home are becoming exciting, as he recalls the tumultous events of his teenage years (he became 'king' at the age of 10, and actually had to join his army in battles). What is delightful about the book is, of course, Babur's detailed prose (the details are also the bane at times, though). Read this sequence.

"...we rode straight through, putting Kannibadam to our left, set up our ladders by night, and took by stealth the Nasakh fortress, which is ten leagues from Khodzent and three leagues from Kannibadam.

"It was melon season. In Nasakh is a kind of melon called Isma'il-Shaykhi. It has a yellow skin as soft as glove leather, seeds like an apple's, and flesh four fingers thick: it is amazingly delicious. There are no other melons like it in those parts.

"The next morning the Moghul begs said..."

[Page 67 of an edition translated by WH Thackston]

Even while describing a capture of a fort in midst of his struggle to regain his throne in 1499, he does not forget to praise the melons of Nasakh! Just delightful!

I wish I can visit the ancestral homelands of the Mughals one day - Ferghana valley and Samarkhand, how I long for thee! First, I should go to the Mughal's adopted homeland though - the region encompassing Delhi, Agra, Sikri and Lahore.

For my birthday, in addition to an Eyewitness Guide to Japan (by far the most useful gift I have been given so far - my indispensable companion in all my outings in Tokyo and beyond), Kammo and Thoku gave me a biography of JRD Tata - Jeh. Sadly though, I have not yet read even a single page of it. Knowing how enamoured I am of the illustrious clan of the Tatas though, there is very little chance of me not liking it.

In Japan, I finally found some bookstores that kept English books (atleast 3, in fact). Bought many books, including 4 for myself. Additionally, I picked up "50 Masterpieces of Japanese Art" from the Tokyo National Museum's gift shop. Have flipped through its pages once or twice, and it should be an interesting, though not exceptional, read.

Got two manga from Book 1st in Ginza - Vagabond (Vol. 1) and Nana (Vol. 1). Had not heard the word manga before term 2! Then, of course, I became friends with Titli and got the internship in Tokyo. I have not yet read Vagabond, but it promises to be an action-packed tale set in some long bygone mythical era. Nana, I finished yesterday. It contains two stories - both narrating the love lives of two teenaged girls named Nana. Was a good read, though being a novice in the manga world means that I must have missed out on many of the nuances. Have no idea when I will be able to read the next volume though - might buy one in Europe, if I find it there. Manga is apparently becoming a global hit - to my absolute surprise, I saw some manga in the newly opened Landmark bookstore near my home in Bombay!

At Book 1st, I also bought a history of the American Revolution: "1776 - America and Britain at War." (Also bought a book on kanji - a form of the Japanese script). Have not read it yet.

Bought another history from Maruzen bookstore in Nihonbashi, near my office. A History of Japan should be a great introduction to a country whose pre-1868 history (when after a revolution which severely eroded the power of Japan's feudal lords, Japan began its astonishing modernisation) I know very little about.

Earlier this month, I visited the Landmark bookstore for the first time. I was much impressed by its collection of science and history books. Picked up a book I have been waiting to see on a bookshelf for over a year now. Along with Rowling, Tolkien, Nehru, Gandhi and Shakespeare, Richard Dawkins is an author whose every work I aspire to read (incidentally, all of them were British subjects at atleast some point in their lives!). So, when I saw The Ancestor's Tale, there was no question of not buying it. Dawkin's writing is rich with useful metaphors, elucidating the concepts of evolution by natural selection, its mechanism and consequences with forceful clarity. His writings go beyond evolutionary biology - strongly advocating scientific and rational thinking, and debunking superstition and religion in language that even I, with my very strong anti-religious sentiments, sometimes find a bit too excessive. Generally though, my opinions are quite in sync with his.

Now that I have decided to not be too much of a miser in Europe either, I expect to buy many more books there too. Just hope that I can finish the current lot before my flight leaves for Heathrow on September 25. Will get back to the Baburnama now!

Reminders of term 1

I came back from a section interaction less than an hour ago. Some tucchas gave gyaan to the section D facchas about the impending T-Nite. It was quite lovely reminiscing about T-Nite, by far the best event in which I participated during the first year in WIMWI. The tempo shouts, TOEFL's dances, Chhedi as the devil, the late nights spent in CR-10, the walks back to the dorm after sunrise, painting posters, generally running around - all wonderful memories :) Should have a whale of a time watching T-Nite this year.

Before that we were treated to a great dinner at 4 Food restaurant by those of our section mates who have secured their PPOs already. This was only the second outing of the section, and our CR Anara deserves appreciation for taking the efforts to organise this dinner. I took my camera with me, but sadly forgot to load the batteries, thus missing out on many photo clicking opportunities. On the other hand, this year many more of us have cameras and there were atleast half a dozen circulating in the hall!

The best time I have had this week though has been in classes (I'm very surprised too!). Maheshwari, our fabulous, if painful, HR professor from term 1, was back, taking two lectures for our strategy class this week. I was cold-called early in the first class (and because I did not know that he would be taking the class, I had not even begun reading the case). An impromptu rem given by Kammo that morning enabled me to just save my skin! But I enjoy sitting in Maheshwari's classes. He is a teacher who forces students to think about the meaning of their words and assign genuine reasons to and derive logical conclusions from their statements. I always feel like I have learnt something new and useful in his classes. In his second class, I had read the case quite well, of course. And sitting in class, being able to follow even nuanced references to the situation described, reminded me of term 1, when (with the exception of T-Nite) I was always quite well prepared for my classes...not that I do not enjoy the pleasures of sitting in class having never read a single reading during the entire course!

The other course I have enjoyed this term is Infrastructure Development and Financing. The three classes after mid-term have been especially delightful. I do not read anything beforehand of course, but the professors are quite understanding and there are enough in class who speak to enable me to freeride through. Professor Pandey's classes on the debt rating of a gas exploration and production company and on the bidding process devised for the disinvestment of a Peruvian mine were wonderful expositions on how devising the correct incentives is the key to achieving policy goals. So was the example he gave of how foreign policy influences economic policy. Of course, this interplay of history, politics and economics fascinates me. I will try my best to increase my knowledge of this area.

Unusual weekend

Thursday through Sunday were marked by a series of blunders by me. I make blunders all the time of course, yet these were rather uncharacteristic of me. I wonder if I am acquiring a whole new range of incompetent behaviours, to complement my already many core incompetencies!

I did not feel like studying at all the evening before the FORM (Derivatives) exam. Still, I had to atleast go through the textbook once to have any chance of passing. Somehow, in between listening to songs and watching Naruto, I managed to flip through almost all the required pages by 5:30 am for the 9 o'clock paper. Thought that I would wake up at 7:30 and do a topic that was certain to come in the paper. Next thing I know, I am picking up the receiver and Khakee asks me, "FiFo, are you not well?" The alarm clock next to the phone says it's 9:20. I ran to the classroom, where the supervisor tartly greeted me, "Good morning." I replied with an artificial cheeriness, "Good morning, Sir!" BTW the topic that was supposed to prepare for was represented by a 20 mark question in a 55 mark paper - and I had to leave the entire thing, of course.

Next day, I was in Bombay, in the German Consulate applying for a visa. I had made two copies of every conceivable document they could have wanted - bank deposits, marksheets, admission letters, everything. Except my passport. Not even the original! I searched every nook and corner of my bag for 15 minutes. Naada. Called my mom, asking if I had left it home. She searched for many minutes and chided me a bit, but no luck. How wonderful, I thought - after all the hassles I went through to get a seat in the exchange programme, forget romping through Europe, even leaving India would be a problem. The watchman there asked me to search again. Knew it would be futile, but had nothing else to do. And of course, the passport turned up in the same pile of papers I had combed through less than 30 minutes before! All that was left was for the watchman to say, "Tum passport ka to dhyaan nahin rakh sakte, Germany kaise jaoonge?" Well, my visa was issued today - guess kaise to manage kar hi lunga Germany mein!

Yesterday night, I was sitting in my drawing room with my family with little over an hour before the departure of my train. My dad asked to check my compartment and berth numbers. I began looking through the ticket - S3#56 blah blah blah...when my sight drifted to the date. 15/7/2006. "That's strange," I thought, "I had asked Didi the date in the morning and she said it was the 16th." Looked at my watch - and sure enough, it was the 16th! Cursing myself, and knowing that my mom was going to have a field day nagging me about my irresponsibility for the next six months, I told my parents. My dad had to shell out a small fortune (given that my sleeper class ticket normally costs under 250 bucks) so that I could fly to WIMWI.

Still the trip was not all a series of goof-ups though. On Friday, I walked from my office near Princess Street to Oxford Bookstore near the Oval, covering a huge stretch of Marine Drive on the way - oh, what a beautiful view it is! Went to a restaurant called Firangi Dhaba that night - it is an offbeat place with autorickshaw tables, posters of movies, and similar paraphernalia. The next day, I met my friends from my German course after over a year. Was finally able to get a much delayed birthday gift for a very dear friend, with the help of my sister ("help" means she rubbished all my choices and 'persuaded' me to get something that she fancied). On Sunday, Didi bought me new shoes. I also met my regular gang of friends from DJ that day...had a great time. And on the flight back to WIMWI, I had the company of Khakee, so it was not so bad!