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Japan’s Shinkansen
Japan is known for its safe and fast rail system. ‘Shinkansen’ is the term used to describe Bullet Train in Japan, and its literal meaning is “new trunk line”. It is operated by Japan Railways (JR) Group companies and has some of the fastest passenger trains, or trains in general, in the world reaching a speed of 320km per hour. These high-speed trains are the fastest way to discover all of Japan. There are 9 Shinkansen lines; Akita, Hokkaido, Hokuriku, Joetsu, Kyushu, Sanyo, Tohoku, Tokaido, and Yamagata. On each of these Shinkansen lines, there’s the fast trains, semi-fast trains, and local trains. Fast trains only stop at major stations, semi-fast trains make a few more stops, and local trains stop at every station. You can have unlimited access to all Shinkansen bullet trains with a Japan Rail Pass or purchase an individual ticket at ticket counters, ticket machines, or online.
As mentioned above, Shinkansen travels 320km per hour and arrives at each station right on time, and the average delay is only 36 seconds. Not only it reduces travel time, Shinkansen also has various economic benefits. By reducing travel time, visitors and locals alike can spend more time at their destination, which increases the opportunity to consume more goods and services there. According to JapanGov, “…the Shinkansen has enlarged the commutable area, increased visitors to tourist destinations, and heightened the value of real estate assets”. Railway stations have also been redeveloped as shopping malls to better cater to the needs of the passengers. Now, Shinkansen stations are not only seen as transit stations but also as places to enjoy because of the in-station retailing businesses and restaurants.
I travelled to Japan last year and my tour group took the Sanyo Shinkansen from Kyoto to Hiroshima then from Hiroshima to Osaka. I must say, the experience riding the Shinkansen was not like I expected. At the time, I only knew Shinkansen is a type of high-speed train and that the train itself looks futuristic. What I didn’t know was the inside of the train so when I entered, I was surprised because it looked very similar to an airplane. It has overhead compartments and mini folding tables attached to the seat in front. What I found the most interesting and unique was some of the seats turn 360 degrees so you can face other passengers, which was amazing because I had a lot of fun with my friends. The travel time was so fast I wished it wasn’t that quick because I wanted to enjoy the Shinkansen more even though I just sat down and talked to my friends the whole ride.
Sources:
https://www.jrailpass.com/shinkansen-bullet-trains#NaN
https://www.japanstation.com/shinkansen-high-speed-train-network-in-japan/
https://www.japan.go.jp/tomodachi/2014/autumn2014/the_shinkansen_japans_high-speed_rail.html
Word count: 441
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Delivery Couriers - Restaurant Trends
Tired of cooking for yourself and going out to grab a bite? There’s a new method to buy your favourite food and that’s through ordering from a restaurant food delivery or a courier service. This is a growing trend in the restaurant industry. There are 2 types of online food delivery, the “aggregator” and “new-delivery”. Aggregators are restaurants that has their website or app where customers can place an order and the delivery is handled by the actual restaurant. Some restaurants don’t have employees that deliver, the new-delivery, which is why they opt to connect with food couriers to deliver food to the customers at home. Restaurants with food delivery service not only have a wider target market, they also gain growth with income.
SkipTheDishes and Ubereats are dominating the food courier game in Vancouver. Customers place their order online using the food courier app or website to which then they would be connected to their courier, their delivery person. The delivery person with SkipTheDishes drives a car to deliver but with Ubereats, the delivery person can either drive a car or use a bike. Time is very critical; customers shouldn’t be waiting for delivery for over 1 hour. Both food couriers have an option for delivery or pick-up. The app is also very convenient for customers because the delivery time can be seen and is estimated depending on the distance from your place to the restaurant, you can also place an order ahead of time and choose a specific time to receive it. SkipTheDishes gives the option of paying with cash, credit/debit card, or PayPal. Ubereats on the other side, only receives payment through credit/debit card or PayPal.
Many people nowadays choose to stay in for the day which makes delivery a very popular substitute for those who don’t cook at home and doesn’t want to get out of the house. From my experience, Ubereats delivers faster than SkipTheDishes. This is because sometimes, when placing an order through SkipTheDishes, you get connected with a courier and the tracking shows that your courier is still finishing an order before doing yours. With Ubereats, you get connected with the courier without any unfinished business, making the delivery faster. I like ordering food through SkipTheDishes better, because they carry one of my favourite sushi place and also receive payments with cash. I have also experienced bad customer service from SkipTheDishes where I waited for them to fix their courier problem for almost 4 hours until I cancelled my order.
Source:
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/the-changing-market-for-food-delivery
Word count: 417
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The Culture of South Korea & the Philippines
The South Korean and the Filipino culture are 2 very different cultures, but in some ways, it has its similarities. I am born and raised in the Philippines and know every bits and pieces to its culture. I should also mention that I’ve been following South Korean trends since 2012; from K-Pop to tv dramas, and even the 10-step skincare routine, where I learned more about South Korean culture.
South Koreans shake hands when meeting someone for the first time. When they shake hands, they support their forearm with their free hand and do a 45-degree bow. If you are not a friend or relative, interactions like patting the back is considered a violation for Koreans. Also, prolonged direct eye contact is impolite and can be seen as a challenge. When eating, Koreans say the phrase ‘jal meokge-seubnida’. Its literal translation is “I will eat very well” which implies to saying, “I appreciate you preparing the food” or “I’ll enjoy the food with you”. The phrase is similar to the Japanese’s phrase, ‘itadakimasu’.
The oldest person must take the first bite then everyone else can start eating and usually, ‘jal meokge-seubnida’ is said after the oldest person does so. It is essential to respect the elderly in South Korea. Seniors and juniors are a big deal, a junior cannot speak informally to their senior, unless the senior allows the junior. Even if they’re only 1 year older, you must have the utmost respect. They have something called ‘ppareun-saeng’ which means “early birthday”. This is when someone’s birthday takes place earlier in the year or earlier than yours in the same year. If your friend is a ppareun-saeng he or she is technically older than you, hence, you have to respect and obey them like how you would to elders. However, this rule can be talked out among people and they can agree on whether to follow the ppareun-saeng rule.
Shifting to the Filipino culture, Filipinos don’t bow. When meeting people for the first time, we shake hands normally without supporting our forearms and sometimes give them a hug or ‘beso’, a cheek-to-cheek kiss. When greeting elders, we ask for a ‘mano’, taking the elder’s hand, or the elder offers their hand, and pressing the back of their hand to our forehead. This is a traditional gesture to honour and respect our elders. When eating, Filipinos like gathering their family and friends to eat together. In our culture, we can start eating whenever we like, but most prefer to wait for people to be present at the dining table to eat. In the Philippines, we also value respect, we add the words ‘po’ and ‘opo’ to our sentences for a more formal and respectful way of speaking. In contrast to South Koreans, seniors and juniors mostly treat each other as ‘friends’ and are not as formal in the Philippines.
Punctuality is an important aspect in the Western part of the world, but it’s not so in Southeast Asia because of the infamous ‘Filipino time’. Filipino time means being tardy to school, appointments, occasions, etc. Main attribute of being late in the Philippines is the traffic because of its dense population. Most citizens are commuters and because of heavy traffic they either; can’t find a jeepney or bus or they’re stuck in traffic like other car owners and public vehicles, but some citizens can manage to estimate their travel time and be punctual.
Aside from being accidentally late, some people choose to be late which is called being “fashionably late”. Being fashionably late for school or appointments is not acceptable but it is somehow acceptable, in my culture, to be fashionably late to some events and occasions. This is because there’s this image of dramatically arriving at an event and people also tend to pay more attention to the latecomers when they step in the room. Or if you’re invited to a party that involves drinking and you must attend but want to avoid drinking as much as possible, being fashionably late is the best way to do so. By the time you arrive, the people would most likely be already drunk and tired and you’d be able to go home soon. Despite the Filipino time issue, not every Filipinos are latecomers who always have an excuse just because there’s Filipino time.
Next issue I will touch upon is about the K-Pop culture. K-Pop, or Korean pop, is a genre of music and mainly consists of artists, also known as idol, or groups with talented members and very good-looking visuals. Fans fall for these artists’ talents and good looks. Korean idols respects and loves their fans unconditionally and would dedicate almost everything that they do to their fans, this is because of the feeling of being indebted to their fans to which the fans would feel emotionally connected to the artist.
To the point that fans, especially fangirls, would get upset and turn their backs if the artist starts to fall in love with someone and starts dating. Many of these fans feel that they should be the one dating their idol. Most Korean idols get hate on dating controversies because the fans feel betrayed. In some cases, the person that the idol is in a relationship with would also receive hate and even death threats. This results in idols and their partner to suffer from mental health problems, and not living lives as normal human beings but living lives for other people’s enjoyment. Many addressed that these “fans” are not real fans because they feel as if their idols’ career lies in their hands, “Without the fans, the artists wouldn’t be successful,” they say.
Being able to share the toxic culture that K-Pop fans have makes me glad because as a part of the K-Pop community, I’ve seen countless of comments about idols’ dating lives and I always chose not to respond to those comments because even I am scared of the hate that will likely be addressed to me. It is very controlling and, in a way, bullying. We should never make someone feel as if they’re not free to do human things.
Sources:
https://www.commisceo-global.com/resources/country-guides/south-korea-guide
https://primer.com.ph/tips-guides/2016/02/15/expat-guide-filipino-time/
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Vinicunca Mountain - Peru
The Vinicunca Mountain or the ‘Rainbow Mountain’ of Peru is located approximately 100 km southeast of the major city of Cusco. This amazing natural wonder is part of the Peruvian Andes and was covered in ice and snow until recently. Climate change caused the glaciers to melt, revealing the geological wonder, and became one of the most popular attractions in the city of Cusco.
The mountain is visited mainly to see its beautiful rainbow colours. According to a Forbes article, “the rainbow colouration in the stratigraphic layers of the mountain is largely due to weathering and mineralogy. Red colouration of sedimentary layers often indicates iron oxide rust as a trace mineral. Similar to how a nail will rust and turn red when oxidized, sediments that are iron-rich will change when exposed to oxygen and water.”
The Vinicunca Mountain is visited by tourists and travellers mostly for sightseeing and hiking or trekking. Seeing the different colours of the mountain is truly breath-taking when going on a hike or trek. Local villages and alpacas can also be seen along the way. Due to the altitude, the hike will be difficult even for athletes. A recommended way to visit the mountain is through a tour operator, where you can do the trek partly on horseback.
In my opinion, being able to hike or trek the Peruvian Andes, especially the Vinicunca Mountain, is such a fantastic experience. I would even be honoured to be able to step foot on the mountain. This is because the mountain is believed to be holy by Peruvians and I am all for learning and respecting the Peruvian tradition and culture. I’m also big on appreciating nature so thinking about a mountain with colours other than brown or green excites me. Hiking the mountain of Vinicunca surely is going to my bucket list!
Sources:
https://theculturetrip.com/south-america/peru/articles/the-discovery-of-perus-rainbow-mountain-has-an-unfortunate-truth/
https://www.peru.travel/about-peru/vinicunca-the-hypnotic-rainbow-mountain-in-peru.aspx
https://theplanetd.com/rainbow-mountain-peru/
Word count: 305
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Tourism Trend - Solo Travel
There’s a number of tourism trends nowadays, and one of which is solo travelling. Let me talk about the good points of solo travel that made it a travel trend.
Going out by yourself, whether it be running an errand or going to appointments, gives you that feeling of independence. The same feeling you will experience when you travel alone. In my opinion, being independent is the one thing that everyone must experience in their lifetime. Being independent when you’re out of the country can be challenging but it also gives you more confidence to step right out of your comfort zone. This is because once you’re alone in a foreign country, you’re going to have to interact with the people around you. Unlike when you travel with a group of people, you tend to distance yourself from trying to communicate with the locals in your destination. In addition, you’ll get to experience freedom in a whole new world. No one tells you what to do when you’re exploring the world by yourself.
When you spend time alone, a lot of times you discover something new about yourself. When you go with other people, you’re likely to focus on them and what happens from day to day rather than yourself. Going on a solo trip would also mean a lot of time to “discover more about what makes you, you.” (As said in the article below). Which I think is a good opportunity to really see yourself in a different light. It is said that when people come back from a solo trip, they see things in a new perspective.
Now, just because you’re travelling alone doesn’t mean you’re always going to be alone. I have a cousin who went on a solo adventure to Peru, to unwind and find peace within herself. She shared to me how she bonded and became friends with the people in the hostel she was staying at, and how she met new people every day. Solo travel can really open up connections to strangers and new friendships. Some people even meet the person they will spend the rest of their lives with when they travel alone.
Solo travel is one of the things in my bucket list. I do believe that it can make you become more independent and understand your surroundings even better, and that it’s a great chance for you to learn more about yourself. Kind of like a restart in life, where you just want to forget all the negativity. Cost-wise, I don’t think its different when you travel with people. It really depends on how you handle money and how much you’re willing to spend, but I do recommend having a certain amount of spending per day.
Source:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicahoughton/2017/09/15/why-everyone-should-travel-solo-at-least-once/#326cc33e495c
Word count: 457
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