Month: September 2018

The mistake

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The choice of the attitude is ours to own.  We need to take full responsibility – whether you’re a pauper or a king.  And while it can be changed from time to time or situation to situation, it is our personal choice in making that decision.

…the moment we are born excited family members press their noses against the nursery window in the hospital and being playing the game, “Who does he look like?” After much discussion, it is decided that their red-faced, wrinkly, toothless baby looks like “Uncle Harry”.

The labelling of the little child increases as her personality develops.  That is a normal human reaction.  We all do it.  It becomes hurtful, however, when we start placing limitations on our child because he is a “C” student, a “fair” runner, or a “plain” child.  Unless parents exercise care, their children will grow up selling themselves short because of the “box” parents have put them in, the expectations parents have placed upon them.

In the Netflix movie, Sierra Burgess is a Loser, the protagonists in the film portray various attitudes – from being mean to being ideal.  It’s a simple storyline that brings home the message of costly mistakes people make when constructing an attitude.  People change – whether it is due to environmental factors or peer pressure – we all have crosses to bear and personal crossroads in life.

What are a person’s capabilities? No one knows.  Therefore, no one should be consciously instilling life-limiting thoughts onto others.  Many years ago, Johnny Weissmuller, also known as Tarzan to movie viewers, was called the greatest swimmer the world has ever known.  Doctors and coaches around the world said, “Nobody will ever break Johnny Weissmuller’s records.” He held more than fifty of them! Do you know who is breaking Tarzan’s records today? Thirteen-year-old girls! The 1936 Olympic records were the qualifying records for the 1972 Olympics.

REMEMBER: OTHERS CAN STOP YOU TEMPORARILY, BUT YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN DO IT PERMANENTLY.

An elephant can easily pick up a one-ton load with his trunk.  But have you ever visited a circus and watched these huge creatures standing quietly tied to a small wooden stake?

While still young and weak, an elephant is tied by a heavy chain to an immovable iron stake.  He discovers that no matter how hard he tries, he cannot break the chain or move the stake.  Then, no matter how large and strong the elephant becomes, he continues to believe he cannot move as long as he sees the stake in the ground beside him.

Many intelligent adults behave like the circus elephant.  They are restrained in thought, action, and results.  They never move further than the boundaries of self-imposed limitation.

Edgar A. Guest wrote:

Somebody said that it couldn’t be done,

But he with a chuckle replied

That maybe it couldn’t, but he would be one.

Who wouldn’t say no till he tried…

Just start to sing as you tackle the thing

That “cannot be done,” and you’ll do it.

The choices

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Continuing on the attitude is the choice of what kind of attitude to take?

The word choices rises on the opposite side of environment in the attitude construction issue. Speaking more logically than emotionally, the voice of this word says, “We are free to choose our attitudes”. This logic becomes more convincing with the additional voice of Victor Frankl, survivor of a Nazi concentration camp, who said, “The last of the human freedom is to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.”

In our early years, our attitudes are determined mainly by our conditions. A baby does not choose her family or her environment, but as her age increases, so do her options.

Hence, our surroundings help construct our attitudes.

The basic principles about attitude formation are:

1. A child’s formative years are the most important for instilling the right attitudes.

2. An attitude’s growth never stops.

3. The more our attitude grows on the same foundation, the more solid it becomes.

4. Many specialists help construct our attitudes at a certain time and place.

5. There is no such thing as a perfect, flawless attitude.

The fifth is my favorite and, in my opinion, stands out as the most important principle (although they are all intertwined).

The air currents of life jolt us out of life and try to keep us from achieving our goals. Unexpected weather can change our direction and strategy. Our attitudes need adjustment with every change that comes into our lives.

Everyone encounters storms in life that threaten to wreck his attitude. The secret to safe arrival is to continually adjust your perspective.

Every day is a new encounter. A new adjustment. A new beginning.

How we take accountability on the choices we make determine the kind of attitude we have chosen to tread the path to. Those nights where we sleep better with the decisions made, that’s what steers our moral compass.

The attitude

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Dr Shirard Adiviso and the Development Team of Asian Hospital recently gave me a book entitled “How High Will You Climb?” by John C. Maxwell.

I had a little time to read this 160pp book during my short travel for a speaking engagement. It’s a highly engaging read and one of the highlights of the book is on attitude.

That inward feeling expressed by behavior. It can be seen without even having to utter a word. As Maxwell put it well, “of all the things we wear, our expressions are the most important.”

The next few blogs will center on a few good points about attitude that I’m sharing with you.  One of the important axioms of attitude lies in what Maxwell points out as: Our attitude can turn our problems into blessings.

In Awake, My Heart, my friend J. Sidlow Baxter writes, “What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity?  Our attitude toward it.  Every opportunity has a difficulty, and every difficulty has an opportunity.”

When confronted with a difficult situation, a person with an outstanding attitude makes the best of it while he gets the worse of it.  Life can be likened to a grindstone.  Whether it grinds you down or polishes you depends on what you are made of.

Few people knew Abraham Lincoln until the great weight of the Civil War showed his character.  Robinson Crusoe was written in prison.  John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim’s Progress in the Bedford jail.  Sir Walter Raleigh wrote The History of the World during a thirteen-year imprisonment.  Luther translated the Bible while confined in the castle of Wartburg.  Beethoven was almost totally deaf and burdened with sorrow when he produced his greatest works.

When God wants to educate a man, He does not send him to the school of graces but to the school of necessities.  Through the pit and the dungeon, Joseph came to the throne.  Moses tended sheep in the desert before God called him for service.  Peter, humbled and broken by his denial of Christ, heeded the command to “Feed My sheep”.

Great leaders emerge when crises occur.  In the lives of people who achieve, terrible troubles force them to rise above the commonplace.  Not only do they find the answers, but they discover a tremendous power within themselves.  Like a groundswell far out in the ocean, this force within explodes into a mighty wave when circumstances seem to overcome.  Then out steps the athlete, the author, the statesman, the scientist, or the businessman. David Sarnoff said, “There is plenty of security in the cemetery.  I long for opportunity.”

Today, at the crossroads of the economy and politics in the Philippines, we need to make sure that we keep our integrity and principles in serving the people.

The lost. The least. The last.

We need to make sure that our attitude is one where it is not self-serving.  Like the plane that takes off against the wind, where the turbulence is part of the climb, the noise we hear and feel are just part of the political climate.

We cannot (and should not) mix politics with personal gains.  In the end, a nation of hungry people creates masses that are discontented with governance and will pay a price dearly. At what cost is human life worth?

It’s all in the attitude.

Why the numbers matter

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6.4% – the inflation rate for August 2018 (up from 5.7% last July 2018 and highest since 2009).

P53.93 – the currency exchange for the peso for every one (1) US dollar, up from 53.75 the other day.  The lowest value of the peso in the last 12 years.

P57.00 unleaded gasoline per litre.  NFA Rice at P50-P60 per kg. Prices of commodities up by 10-30%.

Trade deficits – Export vs. Import

The economists paint divergent scenarios to the numbers.  For one, the decline in value of the peso is attributable to the strengthening of the dollar.  On the bright side, this means that this is good for exporters and the OFWs.  According to investors last December 2017, the export industry would see a growth of up to 12-20% in 2018.  But that was just a prediction.

The Philippine export industry faces challenges around the Southeast Asian region where the cost of labor is much cheaper than here. With that alone, the cost of export of goods manufactured in the Philippines would certainly be more expensive than say, the same goods made in Myanmar.  Hence, while a strong dollar may be advantageous to some sectors, it may generally be bad for the country as a whole.

OFW remittances are another major source of dollar inflow to the Philippines.  This country is one of the major exporters for menial labor to other countries. Unfortunately, OFW remittances will have its peaks and troughs because it is highly dependent on the geopolitical climate where the OFW is based.  While the personal remittances had slightly risen during the first few months of 2018, these remittances were down 4.5% last June 2018 mainly due to the government’s decision to repatriate thousands of Filipino workers suffering from abusive working conditions in the Middle East.  The countries that reported the largest decline in remittances were Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait (PDI, Aug 16, 2018). It is expected to improve as the year comes to an end.

It is easy to tweak the data to look like the economy is a rosy one. The question is, are we interpreting the numbers in favour of providing a make-believe picture or was the economy of the country in a better place before the TRAIN law and the Build, Build, Build program of the government?

An indicator of the gains of the weak peso is the trade deficit.  In short, one must not only look at the export industry but the import as well.  The import expenses minus the export is called the trade gap.  The more we export, the better for our economy when the peso is weak because we’re getting more bang for the buck!  The more we import, the larger the trade gap. This means that we’re losing because we’re buying “imported goods” at a higher exchange rate – the lower peso value vs. the dollar.

The bad news is that the country’s trade gap in June was $3.35B, more than twice higher than the $1.59B in the same month in 2017. Hence, benchmarking us as Asia’s worst performing currency.

What accounts for the higher importation? Basically, imports from other countries increase when one cannot cope with local production.  The cost of local production is something that businessmen take into account.  If the cost of labor (and the conditions of hiring and firing are burdensome to the business community, taxation and exemptions, local government business conditions, ease of doing business, etc.) is more expensive in the long run, the businessmen shift to importing finished products rather than manufacturing it in the country. Instead of opening a factory, they will open a company that manufactures elsewhere, and import finished goods.

The top imports were iron and steel (79%), cereals and cereal preparations (57%), electronics (35%), mineral fuel (32.5%), and transport equipment (27.8%) (Rappler, Aug 8, 2018).

What about inflation rate? 

Economics 101 teaches us that inflation is the rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services rises, and consequently, the purchasing power of the currency falls.  In short, they are inversely proportional to one another.  As the inflation rate increases, the purchasing power of the peso declines proportionally.  A low inflation rate is important for the economy, as it is a reflection on the autonomy of a nation to its own resources. Inflation rate is measured by the consumer price index (CPI).

In short, the higher the inflation rate, the lower the purchasing power of the peso.  For those who earn in dollars or get remittances from relatives in dollars, the exchange from dollar to peso may offset the spending of the household due the weaker peso.  The jump in cost of goods went to food and non alcoholic beverages.  Cost rose faster for alcoholic beverages and tobacco, furnishing and household equipments, health, restaurants and miscellaneous services, and recreation and culture (tradingeconomics.com/philippines).

Central Bank and the interest rates

In order to curb and limit inflation (and avoid deflation) the central bank can intervene by raising interest rates. How does raising interest rates decrease inflation?

One of the reasons for inflation is that consumers use more money to spend for commodities, goods and services. When the central bank increases the interest rate, we have less money to spend because borrowing becomes more expensive. For example, if the interest rate is increased by 0.5-1% for every 1,000,000p borrowed (from 6% to 7%), that would mean paying back the principal by 10,000p more. Factors like duration of loan, down payment, etc will affect the final amortization. When borrowing becomes more costly, as a general rule, people hold back on expenses. With less spending, the economy slows down and inflation decreases.

The last quarter

Unlike the Arroyo administration where the inflation rate soared to 6.6% in March of 2009 (first quarter of the year), the current inflation rate increase comes at a time when we are in the “-ber” months. The last quarter of every year is the most volatile period in any economy. It’s important to also note that the exchange rate of the piso was 45.50-46 at the time of Arroyo.

Every government is like a business enterprise. The last quarter of the year is always the deal breaker. The Christmas holidays in the Philippines is one of the merriest. It’s also the longest Yuletide in the world. And the most number of days with no work.

While the long holiday is a treat for the Filipino community (peak arrival for the Balikbayans and OFWs), it has served as an albatross to the business community.  The work force utilise their saved leaves for this moment.  Operating a business at this festive occasion takes a toll on cost of labor.  The trigger of spending is highest during the last three months of the year where employees get their 13th month pay and the Christmas bonuses.  At the start of the new year, there is more spending for the various businesses – obtaining business permits from local governments, payment of real estate taxes, renewal of additional permits for business operations, etc.  The outflow of cash is highest during the “-ber” season.  And while it may seem for good reasons, remember the cardinal rule of inflation – higher spending means that there is a lot of cash going around and because it is the Christmas holidays, the importation is definitely much higher…triggering more inflation.

The challenge

The aforementioned explanation may be a superficial one.  The difficulty here lies in trying to find a win-win situation for the masses.  While the middle class is now beginning to feel the effects of inflation (coupled with the effect of taxes on what is essential commodity to those who own vehicles and save for vacations abroad), it is the lower socioeconomic class that are most affected.  Healthcare is relegated to the bottom of the totem pole, when having to decide between treating an illness or putting food on the table.  The cycle of inflation comes at the worst time.  And no other disruption can divert hunger from the political circus.

The art of entitlement

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Yes. There’s an art to this. More brownie points are earned the further you stuff your nose up the crack as possible. There. I’ve said what needs to be said.

I’ve dedicated a whole blog just for people who feel entitled. That’s correct. The operative words are – feel entitled.

Entitlement is a delusion built on self-centredness and laziness.

They’re essentially the flies on top of the carabao. Most, if not all of them, are basically incompetent. They have no purpose in life except to exist like the fly. What’s the purpose of the fly? None. Without the fly, there would be no story to tell. No comparison to make.

Entitled people are the reason for the rise of the incompetent (check out my blog the day before this).  They THINK they should be given the red carpet treatment. The only reason – because.

Despite their average IQs, they land posts in formidable positions or places, not because they deserve to or because they have rightfully earned it. Rather, they just know how the right connections and family tree, which buttons to push and how to play the game.  The major advantage they have in the game of life is that they are survivors.  And they’ve mastered the art of manipulation.

Lies are made to look like truths because the master is as clueless as an empty coconut.  They are adept at the art of propaganda and strategising on how to use the gullibility of the master to get what they want.  They are ambitious but ungrateful people.  Hypocrisy is the mantra to their daily existence.  They don’t like being told what to do or that they are wrong.  Self opinionated and evil in thoughts, their being inconsiderate is because they have no conscience.  And they enjoy the spotlight.

Entitled people lack integrity because their thoughts and actions are based on personal gains rather than on values.

The entitled feel that what you give them is never enough.  Even if you’ve given them everything they deserve.  One of the consequences of entitlement is that people who have contributed nothing to society feel that society owe them something, apparently just for being nice enough to grace us with their presence.

The other day, in the midst of all the silence at the library of the country club where I sometimes do some writing, a young man is overheard breaking that silence.  He took a call from his mom. I thought that he was just going to chit chat for a bit but after 5 minutes of yakking, I turned around and saw that he wasn’t planning to end that conversation anytime soon.  And that’s when I reminded him that there was supposed to be silence in the room, and could he please take the conversation elsewhere?  A few minutes passed, and there was silence again.  He stood up and approached me and sarcastically said, “sorry for the noise”.  Well, it was an apology, but you could tell that it was full of sarcasm.

Another one of those millennials feeling entitled.  Mind you, they are dependents of members of the club.  They don’t pay club dues or expenses.  And their membership is dependent on the status of their parents.  At 25 years old, they are not entitled to dependent privileges anymore.  And there are many like him.  Regardless of age. They justify their entitlement. Maybe the parents raised them that way.  Maybe society has praised them to the point where they feel the world owes them more than what they can churn.  Maybe because we tolerate the entitled.

We need to break down this class of entitled people.  Like the fly in the story, they serve no purpose in life. And if you’re one of the entitled people reading this post, there’s something wrong with your character if opportunity controls your loyalty.

Axing the tree

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There’s an African Proverb (Zimbabwean from the Shona Tribe) that sends a strong message in six words.

Many scenarios in life are reflected in this proverb.  From school to work, from friendships to relationships, from health to disease – these six words are an apt description of how alliances or associations are made and destroyed.

The axe does the damage and does not regret the hurt it causes. The tree will always be the victim.  Helpless as the axe grinds from its bark to its core.  Incessantly pounding until it can stand no more.

Sometimes, the axe realises too late that it has damaged the tree too deep and by the time it professes apologies, they are often insincere and crass.  Their regrets are shallow quick fixes so that THEY can move on.  And that since the axe has expressed its apology, it EXPECTS the tree to accept the apology and to move on as well.

They say that time eventually heals all wounds. But the axe will always remain the same.  Hurtful. Violent. Loud. No remorse.  They are wolves waiting for the prey.  And the trees, well, we will always remember the hurt and pain.

The rise of the incompetent

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We have a lot of these.

But they’re usually swept under the rug.  No one minds them.  No one actually cares about them.

They rise above their hubris when an incompetent person is made to lead them.  I say this from experience – whether it is in the academic, political or business stratosphere – when incompetence is appointed or voted into the highest position of that office, the institution decays and eventually dies.

What leads to the rise of incompetence?

Friedrich Nietzsche once said that

They muddy the water, to make it seem deep.

Strategists build on other means to rise to power and fame.  Hire someone who can make you look good, beautiful, insightful, purpose driven or look and feel like the masses and people will adore you.  No one wants Mr. Right or Ms. Morality.  They are a threat to exposing Mr. Incompetent and Ms. Ineptitude.

We live in a society where creating an appealing story for the less educated masses is the rule, rather than the exception.  And this has nothing to do with digital technology.  Time immemorial, we have manipulators and strategists who have forged alliances with their kind of people in order to achieve their agenda.  They have been existence since the creation of man.  Monarchs, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Emperors and other rulers were created by man.  Some, were brought into power because unscrupulous people skilfully and methodically planned it well.

The incompetent leader is chosen form among the substandard lot.  Someone who can easily be manipulated into believing he or she is “great” but at the time subservient to the king maker.  They are unfit and not up to scratch.  Governance from their pulpit is pathetic at best.  And propaganda is their method of choice in leading.  There are no defining moments.  Only building obscure, tangential stories made to deflect the real issues.  When the dust settles after their reign, they would have destroyed an institution, a business, a nation.

Today, the rise of the incompetent is clearer than ever.  Due to the digital age, we are able to document faux pas more rapidly than ever. It’s also the same tool used to create false opinions and stories, fake people or trolls, and fraudulent lives. To lead the gullible, the misguided, the incompetent to the promise land. It begs attention to both the exploiter and the exploitable. And the easiest to captivate with incredulous promises are the naive, the poor, the hungry, the desperate, the dupable, and the incorrigible.

What is unclear is why the reaction to such incompetence is delayed. It’s not that people don’t see the signs on the wall! They do! They actually do.  You see, to the incompetent, when the stories become unreal and by the time they get to realise that they’ve been fooled all along, they’re already confused.  This state of uncertainty is a natural phenomenon.  And it becomes an internal battle – to live with it or go against the flow.  When they realise that they were credulous, they’re unsure of how to react.

First there is denial. Being duped isn’t something easy to live with.  After all, risking a reputation to only realise that you were part of a conspiracy to stupidity isn’t an easy pill to swallow.

Then there is anger.  Unsure of where to thwart the anger at – the disbelief, the disillusion, being manipulated.  The anger is at everyone and everything.  The question lies in how much pride there is to swallow. But that is all the incompetent thinks about.

Bargaining.  The despot will change.  There will be apologies.  There is good in spite of evil.  The boss will finally give that all expense vacation break badly needed because he/she was part of the connivance to the crime.  The incompetent is in shit so deep that he/she will try to wiggle his/her way around in order to justify the end from the means.

And depression sets in.  There is guilt.  An awakening.  And a need to vindicate oneself. Before acceptance. The final act is the liberating one.

But the stages are complicated.  And the incompetent will not be able to differentiate pride from truth. Some would have made and imbibed that world of make believe as being so real that it becomes their way of life till their graves.

Recognising the incompetent leader is easy.  Their knowledge is ludicrously shallow. They don’t bring anything to the table.  Ambitious and proud, they use fear and name-dropping on their road to perdition.  They surround themselves with advisers because they’re afraid that others will expose their inadequacies.  Yet the same advisers they surround themselves with are as incompetent as them.  Because the choice is not based on qualifications.  It is based on alliance.  And fear. They are not fit to lead but they want to. They are easy to manipulate by the puppeteer. Their principles have a price tag. They are, in one word, wannabes.

Once you have an incompetent leader that is endearing to the masses, what evolves can be petrifying.

An alliance of incompetents is alarming.  If we fail to stand up against them, rebuilding an institution is a longer and more painful process.  A lot of truth has been buried in the bag of lies.  Recognising what is true from what was perceived to be true becomes more difficult to discern from the pile of rubble of lies.

History will always be the judge on how we create our lives.

In my travels, I learned about the politics and economy of the various countries and cities I had gone to.  While many of them have reached the pinnacle of being either the most liveable or most industrialised or most envious country to live in, they had their fair share of gaffes in their history.  From corrupt kings to evil queens. From despots to democracies.  Each country had a story to tell.  History was their constant reminder that whatever prosperity they have today, had bad beginnings as well. There are still the incompetents. What place on earth does not have them?

It’s how to contain them and place them in their right places that becomes the challenge.

Bias is human

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We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are.

Perception is a way of regarding, understanding or interpreting something.

Opinion is a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.

So, yes. This blog is about the recent PGH incident with a media person.

The perceptions of the media person were:

1. There was an immediate need for the  doctors at the ER to see the patient. Regardless of triage or protocols.

2. He is (was) an important person.  Which may have meant that when he tells the doctors at the ER that it’s an emergency, they should take his word for it.

His opinion, ergo, of the incident about the ER fracas was that the doctors were not paying attention and, as he would put it, should have attended to the “patient first”.

This is where cognitive bias is found.

A mistake in reasoning, evaluating, remembering or other cognitive process as a result of holding on to one’s beliefs and preferences regardless of contradictory information.

It is systematic. A deviation from what is the norm. Subjective social reality created from the perception of the input.

The putrid anger spewing from his mouth (as evidenced in the videos online) were, from any form of human standards, unacceptable.  Even, if for arguments sake, he wasn’t being attended to immediately, he still had no right to curse the medical staff.

While he had his perceptions, for the sake of intelligent argument – his perceptions were totally wrong.

If he felt that immediate attention should have been accorded the child, he should have done what was right – bring the child the the nearest hospital AFTER the accident.  Transporting the child 13 km from the scene of the accident in the midst of traffic, to a government hospital whose emergency room was undergoing renovation (and this was announced by the hospital all over media the past months), was irresponsibility from his end already.

He was just being an ass.  He thought he could get away with popularity.  At the same time, because it was his driver that hit the child, he thought he (and his driver) could scrimp on expenses by taking him to a premier government hospital.  The question now lies – what were the circumstances that led to the driver hitting the child?

There will always be people like him who feel entitled.  And they are not necessarily from his profession or his age group.  Lately, I’ve seen more and more of these “entitled” people from all walks of life and from extremes of ages.

Sadly, what is wrong is twisted to make it sound rationally correct. Keyboard warriors paid to undermine the truth by creating unsubstantiated opinions and perceptions are destroying the institution of our democracy.

We live in challenging times. The creation of bias is human. This month’s blog is about the truth unveiled. Let the dice be cast and fall where it should.

The writing is on the wall

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The travels written so far, were within an 8 years look back period. There are more places I have not written about. I’m still trying to sort out the pictures from my phone. It’s quite difficult to blog from an app (and the editing isn’t that easy either. Thankfully, technology provides me the chance to update the blog posts.)

And I will pause the travelogues as I sort out the scattered pictures and diaries. Surprisingly this segment had tremendous feedbacks from friends and followers. Thank you for liking and sharing.

The poster on the wall of this blog post is the reason why I am sharing some of my travels with you.

We play hard at work to make a living. The fruits of our labor should make a life.

We need to explore the world in order to find ourselves. And while it is not an opportunity provided to everyone, to those it presents to, we need to grasp that moment while we still can, in order to find ourselves.

The photos are mine. The places we stayed at, the flights we took, the food we ate, everything we did in these vacation spots were personally paid for. Even if at the end of the day, it left me having to work triple time and with empty pockets, the memories were worth it all!

They are unbiased reviews of the adventure I and my family or partner took. There were no sponsorships to my vacations. Positive and negative points were highlighted. You see, every destination has its own story. And I am telling you mine.

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The take home message? The writing is on the wall…

Summer, Winter, Autumn and Spring – it will be always Japan

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So many places…so little time.

If there is one country that I will continuously want to visit – whether business or pleasure, for any season, over and over…Japan will always be the place for me. More specifically Tokyo.

My favourite hotel will always be the Tokyo Station Hotel.  No other hotel compares to the grandiosity of this Renaissance splendour.  High ceilings.  Bountiful breakfast.  A bathroom as large as the bedroom.  A foyer. Right smack at the Tokyo Station. (You can get a room that faces the dome and watch the people in and out of the train station or choose to get the rooms facing the Imperial Palace.) Even our stay at the Four Seasons Hotel in Maranouchi could not compare to how beautiful the interior design of this hotel is.  It took six years restoration of the dome shaped building to complete this flagship hotel for its owner JR Lines. From its private entrance on both the train station and the streets, to the fancy restaurants within the hotel, to its adjacency to the swanky Ginza and Maranouchi district – the stay alone at this European crown jewel that stands astride the Tokyo Station has, to me, been one of the major reasons why Japan never ceases to amaze me.

There’s something about Tokyo that beckons for a second, third, and multiple look. It’s worth going back to again and again. Whether it is for leisure or work, at any season of the year, there will always be a place and event to explore in Japan.

The capital of Japan, Tokyo is one of Japan’s prefecture.  Each side of Tokyo offers an interesting lesson in the deep culture of the Japanese people.  Not only is the shopping and entertainment unlimited – from the edgy designer boutiques to the jaw-dropping architecture structures – this city has the most Michelin stars than any other city! And for good reasons.  After all, Japanese cuisine has been added to the Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Central Tokyo offers the Tsukiji Market (Japan’s largest and busiest fish market), Akihabara (for electronic goods), the Imperial Palace and the Imperial Gardens, Ginza (Japan’s premier shopping district), and Maranouchi (business district). To the north are Asakusa, Ueno park, Ikebukuro and the Botanical Garden.  On the west area are the hip Shibuya, Shinjuku, Yoyogi Park, Shinjuku Gyoen, the Meiji Shrine, and Harajuku (the centre of teenage fashion and cosplay). Southern Tokyo is where the futuristic architecture on a man made island is found – Odaiba. Not to be missed in the south is the uber chic Roppongi Hills and Shiodome. Finally, don’t forget to visit the happiest place on Earth – Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.

And while Tokyo may be one of the most expensive cities to live in or travel to (accommodations are pretty steep for even the smallest rooms and food may be quite off your budget for authentic Japanese dishes), this is one city where you shouldn’t mind the spending spree because they have almost everything for everyone with every need.  From the phenomenon pop culture, to gawking at sci-fi or simply appreciating the expanse greens within a city, from Hachiko to Godzilla, Tokyo will always be my kind of city to be in – all seasons of the year.