My swimming club days

Singapore Swimming Club today ; taken at the height of the haze period in October 2015

My swimming days were from late 1973 till 1979 and I will admit that I am a decent swimmer, but a much better runner than a swimmer. My parents joined the Singapore Swimming Club (SSC) around 1973 with my Mum, Anna being very keen on all the activities there, taking part in swimming, kong chian, badminton (her true sporting love), jogging, tai chi, and even tennis. Her routine was to go after her work around 5.30 pm to the "Club" at Fort Road and stay till about 8ish. My brother and I would make our way there from afternoon school.

I remember taking a lift from my father's chief clerk, in his Nissan Sunny who would drop me at the Club in time for me to do my training in the competition pools from 5.45 to 7.15 pm. I would do this 3 times a week, and on Saturdays, my Mum would fetch us for Sat morning swimming. Sundays was special as we would have "Inter - team" and water-polo after our training.

We all looked forward to Sundays.   

We trained swimming under the head coach of Mr. Neo Chwee Kok, who was Singapore's Flying Fish (aptly nicknamed) as he took part in the 1960 Rome Olympic Games. Sadly, Mr. Neo passed on in the late 90s in his mid 50s. 

L to R : My brother, me, cousin Angela and Wendy at SSC

My speciality was breast-stroke and although did decent timings enough to represent the club, my House in school and even Junior College and University, I would not say I was national material.

My Dad Geoffrey became a Management Committee member, with under the stewardship of Mr. Cheong Boo Hong (President) and Mr. Henry Chan during the 70s and 80s. He was not really active in sports, with the odd squash game and tennis. 

My mother, Anna, Prof Chau Si Ching (chief pathologist at SGH) and my father, Geoffrey

My mother became a household name at the Club and we had the privilege of taking part in numerous swimming competitions in Singapore, and within the region from 1974 - 1978.
In 1974, we went to Penang to compete with the Ikan Billis Swiming Club. In 1975, we went to Thailand for the Sanya Samaki Swimming Meet held in Bangkok, In 1976 it was Manila, (Philippines) and 1977 it was Jakarta, Indonesia.

All these swim meets in Sout East Asian countries opened my then young eyes to the region in the mid to late 70s. 

I will post more of those photos in later posts.    
   

The struggle to finish a Marathon is personal for me

Saturday 21st training run at ECP with running buddy Timothy

It was not easy run   

     Yesterday I made time to run a first 20K this whole year. At age 52 going on 53, the long runs are not getting any easier for me. However, I take inspiration from those middle aged athletes who struggle through their daily lives (like me) and then go on to hit the roads in their pursuit of their hobby or true 'love'

    For me, running presents the most personal challenge to me. The open road, the heat of the day, the ache in my muscles and bones, and the wind blowing in my face. It is a truly emotional and almost spiritual experience when one is in full focus of the run. I have been practising my 'craft' for 15 years and this year will be my 10th Full Marathon.

   I think about the work, my family, friends, anything which makes me happy or unhappy, I reveiw during the run. It is like I am taking a step outside of myself to see things in life in a detached way, I cannot describe it as an 'out of body experience' but its more like in a state of calmness and detachment looking at the events which unfolded or have yet to take place.

   Can I change things ? No, but I can view events calmly and evaluate all solutions. For when there is that calmness of thought, like during my run, I can see things clearly and without much
emotion. That for me, is the most priceless thing to me. 

My First Trip to Japan 18 - 29 Sept 1990 Day 12 Last Day

29 Sept 1990 Sat DAY 12
-----------------------------------
TOKYO 

Day 12, last day of a great trip. Wake up at 7.30 am and do the necessary. Pack up and have a hearty ham and eggs. Big breakfast. Call Chester at Pacific Hotel and arrange with Takahashi for 2.00 pm meeting. Go over to Shinagawa station all by myself (!). Yen 190 and meet Chester.

Proceed to Amlux Toyota Showroom at Ikebukura (north of Tokyo) to see the latest Toyota offerings - impressive !

Car process - stamping of sheet metal - (assembly) - Robot spot welding of chasis (oven) - Spray painting (Electrolytically) 5 times - Assembly of main components - Quality Control Checks - Environmental Tests - Final Test

A car is assembled every 25 hours (!) It is probably far faster nowadays 25 years later.

New model - Celsar. Have lunch at Wendy's, say "goodbye" to Chester and wished him all the best in Japan, (he was dating a Japanese girl) and back to Park Hill Hotel. Meet Takahashi for short discussion on KOY Hast Chambers.

Acrobatics at Harajuku 23 Sept 1990 (Sun)

Genda san fetches me at 3pm.

I really appreciate his (Genda's) help. Take a taxi to Ueno station before I board the Skyliner direct train to Narita Yen 1,780.

Last look at Japan in a 1 hour train ride before I board the SQ 11 flight back to Singapore.

Yokohama Bridge 24 Sept 1990

(Monday)

Pay Yen 200 airport tax and then to gate 46 for departure. Beer at Yen 385 was great and a smooth trip back home.

Excellent trip. Objectives 90% achieved (knowledge and sales knowhow). 

Fantastic Hospitality and lots of Good Memories.

So this is the end of my log from my first trip to the Land of the Rising Sun.

I have been back 6 times since 1990. Each trip brings new perspectives and more wonderful experiences of Japan. It is one of my favourite countries ever visited and I have visited close to 30 countries to date. 

Seize the Day !        

My First Trip to Japan 18 - 29 Sept 1990 Day 9 - 11

26 Sept 1990 Wed DAY 9
----------------------------------
OSAKA - TOKYO 

Up at 7.00 am
Have Western style breakfast downstairs with Maru. Yamashita picks us up for morning factory tour. See the Satake ovens and other equipment like YOUCOMP and SC-J series. Also see the manufacturing of these chambers for conveyor systems, (something for the future factory where the dependency is much less on human operators). 

Lunch is Viking style at Friendly Restaurant (ie. Buffet, like Sizzler in the future) with salad, curry sauce, potato hash browns and Teriyaki Chicken. Good stuff. (Like I said, I had not discovered the joys of sushi and sashimi yet, hence the low brow taste buds !).

After lunch, some phototaking, complementary tea drinking and good bye SATAKE.

Book a nice 3 hour ride from Osaka to Tokyo on the Shinkansen (Bullet train).

Bullet Train 

Genda san (Yoshida Seiki) meets us at Tokyo station, have dinner Japanese style restaurant in station, had Tonkatsu. They are so polite, we all have the same type of food ! 

Later proceed via train to Ugaisudani (where ?) where everything is checked out for, room, etc.

Have a drink with Genda san. Norio brings me my luggage and we have an iced coffee at nearby coffee house.

Knock-off by 11.30 pm

27 Sept 1990 Thu DAY 10 
-----------------------------------
TOKYO

7.10 am Supposed to wake up....

8.15 am Shock ! supposed to meet Genda san down at lobby. I rush through morning routine in 15 minutes flat ! Go to bus station via jam packed train from Ueguiudani (near Ueno station) to Yunachuko station. Take the Industrial Japan tour (all expenses paid,
Y10,000 including Tempura lunch all expenses paid by Yoshida Seiki). Tour is full of Americans, Dutchm Australians, New Zealanders, Hawaiians and Singaporean (me!).
See JAL maintenance base at Haneda airport, not very impressed though. Have lunch at some typical Japanese restaurant near Isuzu factory (No. 6 car and vehicle automaker in Japan). Factory tour of Isuzu where we saw a very high degree of automation of conveyor, robots welding and factory staff inserting multiple items into slow moving cars on conveyor belts.

4.45pm Back to Imperial Hotel. Genda san supposed to meet me at 7.00 pm ! Frantically rearrange for 5.30pm meeting. He arrives at 6.15 pm apologetic. Back to hotel for 45 minutes and off to nice Chinese dinner. Back in hotel by 9.00 pm. Call home for 3 - 5 minutes via operator assist. (No handphone invented yet !)    

28 Sept 1990 Fri DAY 11
----------------------------------
7.45 am    Down for breakfast

Massive Western style breakfast of eggs, ham, toast, butter,lettuce, the works. Genda san comes early and arranges for my flight back on SQ 11 the next day. Luckily we get the 'last' seat (need to call and prebook as in the past). 

Proceed to YOSHIDA SEIKI (maker of shock and vibration test systems) to see their ASQ and DT-50 systems. Noisy things. Lunch at YS factory in Tokyo with Maru san and Genda san.

Genda, I and Tanaka san at 

Yoshida Seiki factory 

28 Sept 1990

(Friday)

Me with Tanaka san

President of Yoshida Seiki

28 Sept 1990 (Friday)

After lunch training on small impact tester and meet Mr. Toyoda (Director) and Mr. Tokichiro Tanaka (President). Dinner with Genda san but not before visiting Asakusa Temple,got cookies for everyone ar office. Dinner ar small Korean shop with whole chicken stew and rice (I had not eaten ginseng chicken before). After dinner, the games arcade, followed by a cup of Japanese tea and off to bed by 12.00 am.   

Some procession outside Asakusa temple 

28 Sept 1990 (Friday) 

  

My First Trip to Japan 18 - 29 Sept 1990 Day 6 to Day 8

Sept 23 Sunday DAY 6
--------------------------------
Johnny's birthday (my brother) 
Went down to Pie / Coffee shop, surprise ! meet Chester Yip, - old Nanyang Technological Institute Applied Mechanics (final year specialisation course) pal. What a real coincidence !
We never ever meet in Singapore for over 3 plus years since graduation and bump into each other in Tokyo !
Arrange for him to follow me and Shimizu to 
a) Harajuku - funky town

 Jpop Group with their groupies 

23 September 1990 (Sunday) 

 American Influence in their dance moves 

23 Sept 1990 (Sunday)

                                             Heavy Metal JPop rock star in Harajuku 

23 Sept 1990 (Sunday) 

b) Shinjuku - shopping area
c) Ginza - bought presents for everybody. 
Impression, its one real crowded place (move forward 25 years to 2015, and Singapore sure feels like Tokyo of the 1990 ! )
Dispensed off Norio and had some rest 5 - 7pm. Meet Chester for dinner, Yen 2,000 and then over to fashion concious Roppongi where the young and the trendy hang out. Walk a bit - 2 hours ! (I was quite a lazy guy then) before coming back to Shinagawa Prince for some tomato juice and pancakes (!)
11.30 pm proceed to visit Chester's hotel (Pacific) fora drink and a short call home.
1.00 am Proceed back for last night ; Overall an enjoyable stay in TOKYO

Sept 24 Monday DAY 7 (Autumn 1st Day - Public Holiday)
--------------------------------
TOKYO  - YOKOHAMA 

7th day in Japan and enjoying every minute of it ! 
5 more great, glorious days to go 
10.00am Have breakfast at coffee and pie shop where I first met Chester, Yen 1,165
11.30am Met by Shimizu , he's 30 minutes late ! (Tardy very unlike the Japanese)
               Check out of hotel bill Yen 60,000 
               Proceed to Shimizu's hometown, YOKOHAMA 

Yokohama Harbour 

24 Sept 1990 (Mon)

Yokohama streetside 24 Sept 1990 

(Monday) 

               A small city of 1 and half million, compared to Tokyo's 12 million. Takes 1 hour
               because of traffic jam - begin to appreciate the "efforts" our Government is taking                  to curb the traffic volume. (In July 1990, it started the Certificate of Entitlement
               or COE program to control the supply of new cars coming on the roads)
               Yokohama's a lovely city, a bit like San Francisco (I visited SF in 1987), with a nice                bay and a real impressive suspension bridge. It used to be a US navy base till 
               about 5 years back, 1985. My hotel, STAR hotel is right off the whart overlooking 
              the pretty walkways and park. Lots of youngsters driving open -top convertibles
               like in the States (wow I was a jet setter then). Had a fantastic lunch at Korean
               barbecue joint - courtesy of Shimizu.
               After lunch walked a bit and proceeded to Marine Tower to look at the sights.
              Unfortunately Mount Fuji cant be seen (I went later in 1985 up to 6th station of Mt 
              Fuji), due to poor visibiity.
6.00 pm Meet Mr. Kato (Kato san) Shimizu's boss for a nice Chinese dinner in the world's 
              largest and certainly beautiful Chinatown.

     Heavy Metal Rock Group at Harajuku Sun 23 Sept 1990

Sept 25 Tuesday DAY 8 
--------------------------------
YOKOHAMA - OSAKA 
6.20 am Arise and pack up, check out of STAR hotel.

7.30 am Norio is late again ! Jammed up at his house to hotel
             due to downtown morning traffic.

9.35 am TOKYO station. Meet Maru san (old guy, trading house). He is fuming mad !
              Waited long time for us, Managed to cool him down and proceed for the 9:56
              "Shinkansen" (bullet train). It takes about 3 hours to reach OSAKA 
               Route : TOKYO - NAGOYA - KYOTO - OSAKA

Maru san at Satake Sept 25 1990 (Tuesday)

OSAKA 1pm       Arrive at Shin OKASA and take taxi to SATAKE (chamber maker no. 2 in Japan)
              Meet Hirote and Yamashita san. Not too friendly types but OK for business I guess.
              After short introduction, I insist that I have money and have lunch. Too bad for them               Lunch is important !!! Anyway they prove to be very hospitable and so lunch at KEI 
              - HAN Department store.

Afternoon: Tech training. I 'bash" them in all the necessary points (I was a very ambitious
                  chamber salesman selling German equipment successfully for 3 - 4years) to 
                  scare them a little. See what tomorrow brings in terms of price limits for 3 zone 
                   thermal shock and walk-in chambers. Very conservative bunch !    

Me with Horibe san, Sales and Service Manager 

Sept 24 1990 (Tue)  

6.00pm     Yamashita drops us off at (Japanese print) Mariuchi Station Hotel for the night.
                 A real small town 

7.45 pm   Meet Maru san for dinner at local Japanese deli ; rice with meat. Simple food for 
                the first time in 8 days

Maru san and I at dinner 

Osaka

25 Sept 1990 (Tuesday)

9.00 pm   Back to hotel to check accounts.  
              

My First Japan Trip 18 - 29 Sept 1990 Day 3 to Day 5.

  Then 28 years old, a young Sales Manager in Japan for the first time

20 Sept 1990 (Thur) DAY 3

Up at 0815 hr. Tired a little but no problems. Met Shimizu at usual time (I call him Shimizu san as courtesy).
Had breakfast (on me) Yen 810 - MacDonalds (* what was I thinking ???)
Proceed to Ei Tir Tse (Japanese pronouciation for Eight) for further training on 802 (the functional tester product) and various companies
Lunch - 'tonkatsu', rice and soup. 15 minutes only (*disappointed not a long lunch)
1.00 pm software training
3.00 pm proceed to see Sony FA factory automation showroom
5.00 pm Bowling at Shinagawa Prince Hotel (* I was amazed that the Japanese bowl in 
              their full suits !!)
6.00 pm Dinner at Chinese Restaurant (on Itoh san)
8.00 pm Back in hotel
8.30 pm Out for a brisk 1 and half hour walk. A long one ! Nearly got lost, bought Fuji box
              camera for Yen 2,150.   

With Eight Sangyo 802  Functional Tester

Norio Shimizu and I 

23 Sept 1990 just outside Harajuku district 

21 Sept 1990 (Fri) DAY 4

Up at 0825 hr. Feel good and rested. 
0930 hr met by Shimizu at lobby
Proceed to have breakfast at trendy coffeshop
Go over to SUNTECH'S sister company - TECHNOID
Tech. training on hardware aspect of the In Circuit Tester (ICT)
Lunch at Chinese Restaurant - given the VVIP treatment (*cant recall a single thing)
After lunch training on software aspect of the ICT, learn about troubleshooting and setting up of software
Dinner at Chiquita's restaurant, again given the VVIP treatment,had Surf and Turf ie. steak 
(medium) and lots and lots of seafood (* I hadn't discovered the joys of eating sushi and sashimi yet). They have gone to town on me, wine, beer, water, the works !
Proceed to KaraOK lounge, where I sang a song in Japanese !
Late, late, night. Took taxi home (after 1.00 am) paid Yen 4,250 for it. 

Teppanyaki Surf and Turf 
Chiquita's Restaurant 
21 Sept 1990 (Fri)

22 Sept 1990 (Sat) DAY 5 

Up early and met by Shimizu at 10.00 am. 
Had breakfast at free of charge (in Japanese speak, no breakfast)
Proceed to EIGHT SANGYO sales office where we meet Mr. Yokozawa for brief outline on AF 8020 function checker (new product then). 
Selling points of 8020 highlighted
Lunch at Chinese Restaurant on Yokozawa san
After lunch we went to Electric City (Akihabara) for shopping, I got the SONY CCD - F450E
for Yen 128,000 (S$ 1,600 then a princely sum) good buy I supposed ! The salesman promised me that it was Made in Japan and Very Good Reliability.
4.00 pm felt a bit tired so proceeded back to hotel, thanked Norio and had a short rest.
Early night, dinner at Yen 865 and off to bed by 9.00 pm.   

My First Japan Trip 18 - 29 Sept 1990 ; 25 years ago

     I chanced upon my first travel diary in my basement today, and as in my earlier blog post about my son's trip to Japan (not his first mind you, his 4th while he only turns 18), from Oct 2nd to 16th, I felt it good to put on record my FIRST Japan trip as a young man of 28 
from 18 - 29 September  1990. I post the entire trip to reflect a young man's (me) writing his views of the country and his travel experiences when there was no handphone, no internet, no social media,no Facebook,Instagram,Snap Chat and no Whatsapp and only snail mail or ordinary letters by post. What a different world that was !!!

My first trip to the Land of the Rising Sun

    I was then a Sales Manager at Trio Tech, an American semiconductor company founded in San Francisco USA, with HQ in Singapore. My trip was funded by my company and I was visiting my principals Eight Sangyo and Suntech in Tokyo. 1990 was a time when the Japanese economy was booming, registering 4 - 8 % growth year on year and they were the richest Asians of that era. Singapore was just an up and coming small country dependent on manufacturing and moving up the value stream, our economic 'boom' was just about to start.....  so this is my unadulterated diary every 2 to 3 days per post. 

    18 Sept 1990 Tue DAY 1
    ----------------------------------

    Arrive in Japan on SQ 12 at Narita airport (Chiba prefecture). Flight uneventful. Met at Narita by N. Shimizu (SUNTECH CORPORATION).Proceed to Shinagawa Prince Hotel - yen 8,000 per night. Hotel has bowling alley, tennis courts,table-tennis,ice-skating and discotheque. Massive by any international standards. 

Shinagawa Prince Hotel 18 Sept 1990 

    Have steak set dinner.
    Short walk around to Shinaawa Train Station
    Back in hotel by 10.00 pm
    Potter around, unpacking, bathe etc
    Bed by 10.00 pm.

   19 Sept 1990 Wed DAY 2
   -----------------------------------

My Micro sized hotel room at Shinagawa Prince Hotel near Shinagawa Station

    Met by Shimizu at 0915 hr and proceed to EIGHT SANGYO for Day 1 of 2 for technical training. Met Mr. Itoh (the founder - a 50 odd year old man, ex-Sony technical chief of staff),
Mr. Masuka, Arakai, Yokozawa and Technical Staff for functional capabilities of 802 FC / hardware. 

Shimizu San

    Sushi for lunch (IN). * An aside here, I was amazed that Sushi was transported by bicycle or motorcycle from the shop nearby as it was the first time I encountered sushi in bamboo containers (recycle friendly).

   Afternoon continue - software aspect
   5.00 pm knockoff for dinner, at a small but typical restaurant. Had tempura, sake, and Kirin beer (* bad move, I had no 'legs' I recall which was quite hilarious and needed some help)

   7.00 pm Karaoke session, Itoh san booked the whole karaoke lounge till 10.00pm for me !
 Learnt 1 song and proceeding to 2nd song (presumably in Japanese).

   Eight Sangyo Signboard