Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

Think I'd better stop now, before everyone falls asleep.

Here's something which might sustain Tom's interest. It was awarded to me by Sky Poker for my Acting Skills.

[boldie]

Think I'd better stop now, before everyone falls asleep.

Here's something which might sustain Tom's interest. It was awarded to me by Sky Poker for my Acting Skills.

that made me drool a little.

[MANTIS01]

I spent a while living in Hong Kong and I thought the MTR tube system was fantastic. Very clean, cheap and super reliable. On the downside the MTR is very busy and the people have zero etiquette. I remember on my first day in Hong Kong I used the MTR and was shocked by what happened. I was standing on the platform as the train arrived, the doors opened, and I went to 'stroll' on in a very English way. As I did so I felt a sharp shove in my back and I was sent tumbling to the floor.

I angrily sprang to my feet ready to wrestle the 'pusher' to the ground. That was until I spied that she was about 95 years-old, 4ft tall, and her torso was bent parallel to the ground. WTF??

On the train it was very weird to see kids/youths sitting and old folk standing. No British giving-up of seats to those more needy. It was dog eat dog, first come first served and bugger the rest. Think it's to do with competition for space in the rat race, where nice guys finish last. I learnt this quickly and while standing on MTR platforms in the future I would tense my whole body and prepare for combat.

The Star Ferry was much more civilised but much slower.

[tikay]

I spent a while living in Hong Kong and I thought the MTR tube system was fantastic. Very clean, cheap and super reliable. On the downside the MTR is very busy and the people have zero etiquette. I remember on my first day in Hong Kong I used the MTR and was shocked by what happened. I was standing on the platform as the train arrived, the doors opened, and I went to 'stroll' on in a very English way. As I did so I felt a sharp shove in my back and I was sent tumbling to the floor.

I angrily sprang to my feet ready to wrestle the 'pusher' to the ground. That was until I spied that she was about 95 years-old, 4ft tall, and her torso was bent parallel to the ground. WTF??

On the train it was very weird to see kids/youths sitting and old folk standing. No British giving-up of seats to those more needy. It was dog eat dog, first come first served and bugger the rest. Think it's to do with competition for space in the rat race, where nice guys finish last. I learnt this quickly and while standing on MTR platforms in the future I would tense my whole body and prepare for combat.

The Star Ferry was much more civilised but much slower.

A practice rarely seen in the UK now. Though an elderly lady with a walking stick did offer me her seat a few weeks ago.

[kinboshi]

I spent a while living in Hong Kong and I thought the MTR tube system was fantastic. Very clean, cheap and super reliable. On the downside the MTR is very busy and the people have zero etiquette. I remember on my first day in Hong Kong I used the MTR and was shocked by what happened. I was standing on the platform as the train arrived, the doors opened, and I went to 'stroll' on in a very English way. As I did so I felt a sharp shove in my back and I was sent tumbling to the floor.

I angrily sprang to my feet ready to wrestle the 'pusher' to the ground. That was until I spied that she was about 95 years-old, 4ft tall, and her torso was bent parallel to the ground. WTF??

On the train it was very weird to see kids/youths sitting and old folk standing. No British giving-up of seats to those more needy. It was dog eat dog, first come first served and bugger the rest. Think it's to do with competition for space in the rat race, where nice guys finish last. I learnt this quickly and while standing on MTR platforms in the future I would tense my whole body and prepare for combat.

The Star Ferry was much more civilised but much slower.

It's the same in Japan, but the reason for this behaviour is quite interesting.

The Japanese are very, very polite to guests, associates and especially to customers.  In fact I've heard it sayd that "Japanese hospitality is a charming torture" - and it's very true.  Painfully nice and overbearingly attentive.

Yet the same people that treat you as royalty, change when you're in a public place such as the supermarket or the train station.  Then you are anonymous, one of the crowd, invisible in many respects.  It's related to the concepts of 'uchi' and 'soto' - inside and outside, a key part of Japanese social behaviour.   Very different to what predominates a lot of Western culture and behaviour.  An old woman in a supermarket in Japan won't think twice (or even once) about ramming into you with her trolley as she tries to get to the fish counter.  If she does bang into you, there is no apology.  I love the way two British people immediately apologise if they knock into each other - even the offended party apologises even when they have nothing to apologise for.

There is respect and deference to the elderly in Japan (Mr Kendall would do well there), but they see no conflict between this respect and the 'battle' for a seat on a train.  I must admit, I've given my seat up on a Japanese train to an elderly person, or to a woman, and they have looked at me very strangely.  I had made the mistake of putting them in an awkward situation (a far worse crime than being unchivalrous).  What I should have done was quietly get out of the seat, leaving it vacant for them to sit down of their own accord (if they were quick enough). 

On a different note, a friend of mine once left his wallet at a phone booth in Japan.  He hadn't noticed he didn't have it for an hour or two, and then worked out where he'd left it.  He went back, and the wallet was still there - but was now inside a neatly wrapped parcel that had his name on the paper it was wrapped in.  Someone had obviously found it, looked to see who it belonged to, and as there was no address in there, they'd taken the time to wrap it up (to protect it I assume) and write the owner's name on it.  Astonishing really.  People used to pull up to the convenience stores and in the sweltering summer heat, they'd leave their cars running with the air-con on - door unlocked.  I remember pulling up outside a 7-11 next to a Bentley that was sitting there, key in the ignition and I wondered if the owner would have noticed if I'd left him my Toyota Corolla as an exchange for his car?

Talking of cars though, a lot of Japanese drive in the same way as they act in the train stations and supermarkets.  Makes it quite interesting at times...

[tikay]

A restored GWR "Castle Class" at Bristol Temple Meads in 2001.

See those kids on the platform? That was what I, & countless other kids, did in our day. Admire Steam Locomotives. Would I have swapped for an x-Box or Game-Station? I think not.

[Simon Galloway]

The man that created the Osmington White Horse committed suicide upon its completion.
It was made as a tribute to King George III in 1808 who was a regular visitor to Weymouth.
The reason he committed suicide is cos he had the King riding out of town instead of into town as intended.

Local view was that there was more than a smidgeon of 'assistance' in the suicide..

[RED-DOG]

I spent a while living in Hong Kong and I thought the MTR tube system was fantastic. Very clean, cheap and super reliable. On the downside the MTR is very busy and the people have zero etiquette. I remember on my first day in Hong Kong I used the MTR and was shocked by what happened. I was standing on the platform as the train arrived, the doors opened, and I went to 'stroll' on in a very English way. As I did so I felt a sharp shove in my back and I was sent tumbling to the floor.

I angrily sprang to my feet ready to wrestle the 'pusher' to the ground. That was until I spied that she was about 95 years-old, 4ft tall, and her torso was bent parallel to the ground. WTF??

On the train it was very weird to see kids/youths sitting and old folk standing. No British giving-up of seats to those more needy. It was dog eat dog, first come first served and bugger the rest. Think it's to do with competition for space in the rat race, where nice guys finish last. I learnt this quickly and while standing on MTR platforms in the future I would tense my whole body and prepare for combat.

The Star Ferry was much more civilised but much slower.

It's the same in Japan, but the reason for this behaviour is quite interesting.

The Japanese are very, very polite to guests, associates and especially to customers.  In fact I've heard it sayd that "Japanese hospitality is a charming torture" - and it's very true.  Painfully nice and overbearingly attentive.

Yet the same people that treat you as royalty, change when you're in a public place such as the supermarket or the train station.  Then you are anonymous, one of the crowd, invisible in many respects.  It's related to the concepts of 'uchi' and 'soto' - inside and outside, a key part of Japanese social behaviour.   Very different to what predominates a lot of Western culture and behaviour.  An old woman in a supermarket in Japan won't think twice (or even once) about ramming into you with her trolley as she tries to get to the fish counter.  If she does bang into you, there is no apology.  I love the way two British people immediately apologise if they knock into each other - even the offended party apologises even when they have nothing to apologise for.

There is respect and deference to the elderly in Japan (Mr Kendall would do well there), but they see no conflict between this respect and the 'battle' for a seat on a train.  I must admit, I've given my seat up on a Japanese train to an elderly person, or to a woman, and they have looked at me very strangely.  I had made the mistake of putting them in an awkward situation (a far worse crime than being unchivalrous).  What I should have done was quietly get out of the seat, leaving it vacant for them to sit down of their own accord (if they were quick enough). 

On a different note, a friend of mine once left his wallet at a phone booth in Japan.  He hadn't noticed he didn't have it for an hour or two, and then worked out where he'd left it.  He went back, and the wallet was still there - but was now inside a neatly wrapped parcel that had his name on the paper it was wrapped in.  Someone had obviously found it, looked to see who it belonged to, and as there was no address in there, they'd taken the time to wrap it up (to protect it I assume) and write the owner's name on it.  Astonishing really.  People used to pull up to the convenience stores and in the sweltering summer heat, they'd leave their cars running with the air-con on - door unlocked.  I remember pulling up outside a 7-11 next to a Bentley that was sitting there, key in the ignition and I wondered if the owner would have noticed if I'd left him my Toyota Corolla as an exchange for his car?

Talking of cars though, a lot of Japanese drive in the same way as they act in the train stations and supermarkets.  Makes it quite interesting at times...

Great post Kin.

[Dingdell]

I remember as a child my dad talking about a 'secret' part of the tube system. It was either Harrods or the Bank of England having a private station for goods in and out and Royalty/VIPs. Urban myth or truth. Anyone know?  I understood it had been closed many years ago.

[gatso]

I remember as a child my dad talking about a 'secret' part of the tube system. It was either Harrods or the Bank of England having a private station for goods in and out and Royalty/VIPs. Urban myth or truth. Anyone know?  I understood it had been closed many years ago.

wouldn't surpise me if it was Harrods. None of their stock is delivered to the building itself, it's taken by tunnel from an underground stock centre a couple of streets away.

[Bongo]

I remember as a child my dad talking about a 'secret' part of the tube system. It was either Harrods or the Bank of England having a private station for goods in and out and Royalty/VIPs. Urban myth or truth. Anyone know?  I understood it had been closed many years ago.

Think the Royal Mail had something like this too.

[boldie]

I remember as a child my dad talking about a 'secret' part of the tube system. It was either Harrods or the Bank of England having a private station for goods in and out and Royalty/VIPs. Urban myth or truth. Anyone know?  I understood it had been closed many years ago.

The vatican has this as well...I saw it in this documentary called Hudson Hawk...was great..if a bit strange.

[TightEnd]

The Royal Mail still has one, the Bank of England had one

There is still a network of tunnels for Government use, most famously used by Churchill (the prime Minsiter not the insurance company with the annoying dog) in WW2

[Ecosse]

Very good article here :-

http://www.londonrailways.net/secret.html

[gatso]

I remember as a child my dad talking about a 'secret' part of the tube system. It was either Harrods or the Bank of England having a private station for goods in and out and Royalty/VIPs. Urban myth or truth. Anyone know?  I understood it had been closed many years ago.

Think the Royal Mail had something like this too.

Royal mail were running this up until 5 years ago. Think it's completely shut now though