Chinatown in San Francisco

Home to 80,000 Chinese, San Francisco has one of the largest Chinese populations in the United States.  With all these Chinese people living in the city it should come as no surprise that San Francisco's Chinatown is impressive and worth a visit.

An archway leads into Chinatown in San Francisco.

Covering just a couple of city blocks, walking into Chinatown is like walking into a different country.  The streets are lined with red lanterns, there are dragons protecting shop doorways and vendors selling a number of interesting items, like live frogs.  These sights are just like the ones you would see in Chinatowns around the world.  Have you ever been to Chinatown in Toronto?  Have you ever seen these sights there?

Red lanterns decorate the streets in Chinatown.

It is interesting to see firsthand how immigrants can influence an area and bring their culture to life for visitors.  If the Chinese didn't come to San Francisco (or decide to stay) we wouldn't be able to experience the rich culture of China here in this city.  Dim Sum for breakfast, assorted Chinese herbs and medicines for sale and beautiful arts and crafts like fans, lanterns and kites all available in Chinatowns across the country.  I am lucky to be visiting such a diverse city!

Some of the buildings look just like ones you might see in China.

A Kid's Guide to Tokyo

Your guide is really going to come in handy!  Most of the signs in Tokyo are in Japanese (restaurant menus too) so it is tough knowing exactly where you are, and in some cases, what you are eating!  I can't wait to explore some of the places on your list.



Tokyo, The Talking City.

WOW!  I have never felt so overwhelmed!  Tokyo has truly been a culture shock.  Out of all the places I have visited so far, Tokyo has felt the most different from home and it takes some getting used to.

The first thing you will have to get used to is that everything (things, not people) talk to you.  Elevators, toilets, doors, trains, escalators, vending machines, everything talks to you.  And because Tokyo is in Japan, everything talks to you in Japanese which can be a little confusing at times (especially when you don't speak any Japanese at all).

So an action like using the bathroom becomes a bit tricky when the toilet is talking to you and you look down and see all these buttons.  What buttons should I press, and when?

No, it isn't a controller for a video game system, it is the controls for a toilet!  Some toilets provide
 you with a soundtrack (the toilet makes a running water sound) to cover up the sound of you going
 to the bathroom.

So after a few surprises (water spraying up out of the toilet) I have figured out how to use the toilet properly (some will even wash and blowdry your bottom!)  All these fancy toilets make our toilets in Canada seem old-fashioned and boring.

A basic "shower-toilet" in Tokyo.

If you can't get enough of toilets while in Tokyo you can visit the Toto Super Space, which is a showroom where you can check out the latest in toilet technology (bathrooms you can control through the internet, and toilets that will analyze what you drop off in them...yes, seriously!)

I can't wait to show you more of Tokyo!

1Malaysia

All around the city you can see posters with the slogan 1Malaysia written across them.  What do these posters mean?  What are they trying to teach us?

A poster at the LRT (Light Rail Transit) stop.

You see, just like Canada, Malaysia is a country of immigrants.  Over the centuries people from other countries have come to Malaysia (even before it was known as Malaysia) and they either colonized (took over part of the land), or decided to live and work with the locals in a more peaceful way.

When you look around the streets of Kuala Lumpur you can see many different faces.  You will find people from China, India, Turkey, Japan, Thailand and Burma (to just list a few) living together side by side.

The different faces that make up 1Malaysia.

The government is trying to remind Malaysians that no matter where they are from, no matter what language they speak, what religion they practice or what colour their skin is, they are all Malaysian, and all citizens of the country.  The hope is that things like racism (when people are treated badly or differently because of their race) won't be a problem in Malaysia if everyone remembers that together they all make up "one Malaysia".

A poster showing children dressed in different traditional clothing all holding the Malaysian flag.