Health Plan For Spinal Injury

My girlfriend who’ve migrated to Japan many years ago - is coming back to the United States because there is no health plan for spinal injury in Japan to have her surgery done in United States instead.   In fact, she prefers to have it done in America because now there is this laser spinal surgery which is said to be less invasive - and I cannot agree with her more.  If she needed to pay for that spinal injury/surgery - she might as well get it where she knows she is in good hands and less invasive is definitely best.   She said she can get back to Japan sooner than she she would have been - if it was done in Japan.  So I’m looking forward to hearing all about her laser spinal surgery, it can be hard if you are living in chronic pain from the spinal - I do have a little pain - not chronic - so I can understand what she is going thru’.

Avid Gardeners In Japan

My girlfriend from Canada - who moved to Japan permanently became an avid gardener after seeing what her neighbor did with hers.  In Japan - space and a garden is rare - but those who own their own house definitely took the time to beautify their home and garden themselves and we all know that the Japanese are meticulous and they are quite artsy.  I loved their garden for they are so zen like - so calming - and of course they are into the recycle thingie and compost bin is a big thing for them in Japan.  I never knew much about compost bins till I came to Canada - and now everything needs to be separated.  But with the right compost bin - you can even save on the fertilizer for your garden.  Pretty awesome right !  no wonder the Japanese loved the compost bin so much and of course gardening has never been easier.

Avid Japanese Golf Players

For those of you who are not aware of this - the Japanese are avid golf players - but there are not many golf course in Japan and it is very expensive - to play golf - therefore when Japanese friends comes to Canada to visit me in Canada - they ask to play golf all the time and some even go to golf resort around Canada.  Here in Nova Scotia - we have many golf resort - and most of them supply the garmin gps for golf - and that’s what the Japanese golf players loved.   A dear friend of mine - who is coming home from Japan asked me to look for a golf resort for his family - that provide this garmin gps for golf - and I’ve found a few that have this gps for golf.   You can sell just about anything to a Japanese golf player - when they are in town - I know that this Japanese friend of mine - will even buy a whole range of golf clubs to bring home to Japan - the yen is so strong - they shop like lords here.  So if you are playing golf with a Japanese - don’t under-estimate them.

Drinks @ Izakaya Tokyo

There are not many drug rehabilitation centers in Japan but Izakaya - there are plenty, and it’s a wonder that there isn’t more rehabs because the amount of alcohol consumed by the Japanese is horrid.  Did you know that all Japanese men visits the Izakaya on a daily basis?  not for the food alone of course but more so for the drinks.  And seriously, how they show up for work sober the next day - is truly amazing to me - I know so because I’ve worked with some before.

The japanese work hard but drink just as hard - and how they don’t end up being alcoholic - I cannot understand but I bet they cannot do without a drink - and some I have to say - may just need more help than others.  And whether or not they have a rehab center in Japan  or around Japan - I say - that if I had the money - I would definitely have a alcohol rehab center in Japan.

Working Abroad

Teaching English in Japan is a big thing for people from the West going to the East - but did you realized that there are many Japanese going to the United States to work too.  Ironic ?  some - but it’s true - I have a girlfriend who is a Japanese and her spouse works in United States - I think in an oil rig.  While teachers teaching English in Japan may not have much insurance for any kind of accidents - it is totally different in the United States.   Plus in United States they have injury lawyers - just for people like my girlfriend’s spouse - lucky him !  so why is there no injury lawyers in Japan as much as they have in United States?  Does it mean that in Japan - you don’t get into as much accidents?  afterall, they do have huge construction company in Japan too and fishing is also a big part of Japanese lifestyle?  so how come they don’t have lawyers like the  Texas Work Injury Lawyer ?  who specializes in helping those who are injured at work that could have been prevented and the same for death at work.   So no wonder we see so  many Japanese working abroad while the Westerners flocked to Japan to teach English - the Japanese on the other hand - works in the West.   Interesting to note.

Eating With A Sumo Wrestler

So I bet you’ve never eaten with a sumo wrestler right?  not many people have - but my girlfriend’s spouse works for the sports edition in the local papers in Japan and had a change to do that for an interview.  While we loved sushi and sashimi - the sumo wrestlers eat lots of fried stuff and also stuff with lots of protein and carbo - I don’t know if they used any  creatine supplements but they sure put on lots of weight and body mass fast too.   According to my girlfriend’s spouse - the amount of food they eat the entire day was 20,000 calories while normal people eat about 2500 - 3000 calories so you can imagine watching a sumo wrestler eat.  I would love to have a meal with a sumo wrestler - then I can try and compete with him and eat - now that would make me look like a bird - hahaha!

Health Care In Japan and USA

While health care is quite different in Japan and the United States - I have to say that it can be quite devastating if one needs to go for detox in Japan - because  drug detox center program are not as readily available in Japan as they are in USA.  Like they say - you can find Miso soup in Japan but not always in United States - and health care is just like a miso soup - a necessity for any Japanese in United States but not always available.  So what do the teachers in Japan do - when they have a health problem?  I know of many who would fly back to United States to get treated.  Seeing a doctor in Japan if you are a local can be a problem - therefore, if you have an addiction problem in Japan - I think it’s even harder to get help.

Japanese The Smart Consumers

Love my japanese friends and when it comes to buying just about anything - it has gotta be cute first and then the presentation must be equally great but the most important thing is they do their research really good before buying anything.  I called them the smart consumers - the Japanese don’t buy anything that is not of good quality - like my girlfriend who married a Japanese - she said she don’t even buy creatine powder without making sure she reads the real review for it - and if it really works and so forth.  After marrying a Japanese - she like them prefers quality more than quantity.  Even the 100 yen stores in Japan - they only carry the good stuff unlike the ones in the west.

Serene In Kyoto

Given what had been happening around Japan - I was quite pleased to see pictures on my g/f’s facebook - showing me about her short vacation in Kyoto.  Pretty serene as you can see it here - in fact - there were a lot of tourist from around Japan during the time she was there.  Older couples mostly with  social security disability insurance - taking a day drip to Kyoto she thinks. I really think it is so cool that they get all kind of help with their disability insurance - for back home where I am from - I don’t think the government do as much for us as they do in the States and in Japan.  But Japan is a aging country - as you can see the majority of the population are older folks - so it’s good to have the disability insurance in placed because we all know it’s not easy with the health when one gets older.

Kyoto is full of these gardens and tea houses  like this one.

feeding of carp is allowed here.

This place is so serene - according to my girlfriend - her boisterous kids were so calm here she was quite intrigue.  She said if they were like this the whole time - she can even live here.

Kyoto Tower Hotel

I love Kyoto tremendously - and while I was living in Japan for a short period of 6 months - I told myself that I could actually lived here.  Kyoto Tower Hotel is one of the best places to work for - because they even have disability insurance for their employees - so I’ve heard - all one need to do is go on the disability application online and apply for it.  It was funny how the Manager was telling us - I guess it is a comfort to know that you are being taken care of - if something do happen.  In Japan the medical cost can be quite hefty if you do not have health insurance.

We went to Kyoto by the high speed train aka the Shinkansen - Kyoto station is situated near the Kyoto Tower and hotel and everyone should come by and visit their rooftop garden and check out the awesome view from up there.  Of course, there is more to see in Kyoto - from temples to shop houses and eateries.  But we were only there for a day trip for a site inspection - so more on the hotel later.