March 25 – Osaka

We had diner with our friends at Din Tai Fung tonight. Very little time waiting for a table. We have eaten in the one in Costa Mesa near us and the one in London. The menus are slightly different in each local, or so it seems.

We had a great meal and plenty of time to catch up.

My wife does a zoom call with our Japanese sister every Friday with my mother in law joining them to keep in touch. It is still better to sit and talk face to face.

We are here next to the subway but it looks like a mall. There is everything you might need down here. Why anyone lives above here ground is a mystery to me, especially in the winter. The temperature down here is perfect. I would miss the sun, but nothing is perfect. Just a thought.

One thing to remember about Japan is that it has little migration from other countries. It is a monolithic population for the most part and most think in a similar fashion. There is little racial discord and the culture promotes education and self reliance. Even the streets are clean. What a concept.

Sadly in California we have a very small and dangerous subway system for several reasons. They say few people are hurt or murdered on the subway. If it’s you however, that’s a 100 percent rate for you.

Due to earth quakes, this area isn’t well suited for underground travel. And once the subway is built, it is difficult to change routes if population centers or commerce centers move, as they often do over long periods of time. Subways are fun and even glamorous to some, but buses can change routes in a matter of seconds.

However, if the weather is bad in the winter, subways are the way to go for ease of movement for large masses of people. So each geographical area needs to have different methods of mass travel. As always, our state and Federal governments aren’t well suited to make big decisions well. Our train to nowhere in California is a prime example. Over budget and not much completed.

I know, it’s easy to complain. But the government is supposed to solve problems of our society? right? Oh well, I’m done complaining.