Author Topic: Tokyo, Bangkok, and other parts of SE Asia  (Read 18088 times)

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gearingupforgettingdown

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Re: Tokyo, Bangkok, and other parts of SE Asia
« Reply #30 on: March 14, 2016, 09:40:22 PM »
I never went to the indoor so I can't really comment on that.
There are a lot of great street spots but the roads are pretty gnarly. Rough ground, lots of people and heavy traffic.

Way more into real spots with marble/cement type ground these days but looks like that type of ground only exist at the skateparks in Bkk. Guess that's where I'll be chillin most of the time  :-\

Jive Turkey

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Re: Tokyo, Bangkok, and other parts of SE Asia
« Reply #31 on: March 14, 2016, 10:05:34 PM »
There are spots with smooth ground all over I just meant the streets/ sidewalks in general, meaning that pushing around the city kinda sucks.
I mostly explored along Sukhumvit road and the area around Watpo and the palace etc. They don't really have any parks out there from what i gathered.

If you go to Preduce in Siam Square the dudes there with sort you out with spots to go.
Bangkok is rad, you'll have a good time.
And heads up if you're coming from the States, product is pretty pricey so bring all you can.

gearingupforgettingdown

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Re: Tokyo, Bangkok, and other parts of SE Asia
« Reply #32 on: May 27, 2016, 09:48:33 AM »
There are spots with smooth ground all over I just meant the streets/ sidewalks in general, meaning that pushing around the city kinda sucks.
I mostly explored along Sukhumvit road and the area around Watpo and the palace etc. They don't really have any parks out there from what i gathered.

If you go to Preduce in Siam Square the dudes there with sort you out with spots to go.
Bangkok is rad, you'll have a good time.
And heads up if you're coming from the States, product is pretty pricey so bring all you can.

Yo Jive T, who makes Preduce decks? I know other smaller shops here make decks also, but I assume they are made in thailand but wasn't sure about Preduce since they try to be the most legit. Any clue?


20matar

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Re: Tokyo, Bangkok, and other parts of SE Asia
« Reply #33 on: August 09, 2017, 04:05:45 PM »
Bumping with Jenkem's new article. A guide to skateboarding in Tokyo. Did anyone see this?

http://www.jenkemmag.com/home/2017/08/08/travelers-guide-tokyo/

h00man

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Re: Tokyo, Bangkok, and other parts of SE Asia
« Reply #34 on: September 28, 2017, 11:41:49 AM »
Bumping with Jenkem's new article. A guide to skateboarding in Tokyo. Did anyone see this?

http://www.jenkemmag.com/home/2017/08/08/travelers-guide-tokyo/

Yup good shit Naz!

This stuff is important.
she can ride dick ham ham no joke ham

Gray Imp Sausage Metal

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Re: Tokyo, Bangkok, and other parts of SE Asia
« Reply #35 on: September 28, 2017, 05:18:48 PM »
twas pretty well written/ fairly accurate
what I wouldn't give to be 21 again and living in Tokyo

Impish sausage is definitely gonna blow up as a euphemism this year

sexualhelon

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Re: Tokyo, Bangkok, and other parts of SE Asia
« Reply #36 on: April 16, 2018, 10:02:47 PM »
I figured I'd revive this thread because it's sort of the same ole', same ole'.

I'll be in Bangkok all of May then cruising through Cambodia and Vietnam the month after. Any of you guys ever been to Cambodia or Vietnam? What cities would you visit and how long would you stay in them?

Definitely visiting South Korea and Japan after but thinking about doing a stopover in between. Maybe Taiwan? Seems interesting and I haven't been. Hong Kong (already been) and Philippines are also in the back of my head but...eh.  Thought about China but not sure I feel like dealing with the visa or the great firewall of China atm.

On the Japan note - Jive, Gay Imp, or anyone else - do you have any friends who teach English there? How do they like it? The lady and I are thinking about doing it since we could apparently get away with only teaching 22 hours or so a week. Leaves us enough time to still work on side projects while allowing us to stay in Japan for a year. I'd originally messaged someone about doing it in China but they said Japan would be our best bet since my lady meets all the qualifications sans being a native English speaker.

Also, if anyone's around these places when I'm there let's link up for some skating and brews.

Gray Imp Sausage Metal

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Re: Tokyo, Bangkok, and other parts of SE Asia
« Reply #37 on: April 18, 2018, 05:39:16 PM »
Vietnam - defs hit up Hanoi, I think I liked it better than Ho Chi Minh. I was in Hanoi last month and hit up https://pasteurstreet.com there were dudes skating downstairs too! Also Vietnam has tonnes of yummy/ cheap vegan eats!!!

***
English teaching in Japan is ... (like porn) something you do while you're young to pay the bills/ fund your travelling, I defs wouldn't do it long term as it can get stale pretty quickly. Bear in mind I'm talking about working for English conversation schools here and not cushy jobs at big name universities. Japan, in most cases, doesn't really give a fuck if you have qualifications, as long as you "look" foreign (i.e. white) you'll pretty much be able to get a job. Will you be coming on a working holiday visa? You'll need some sort of working visa and if you don't have one then a company won't sponsor you unless you sign on for a year or so with them. Most of the bigger English teaching schools are kinda like sweat shops and while their conditions might seem okay on paper, the reality is often quite different.
JET Programme is the cushiest way to do it but while you might only "teach" 22 hours a week, you'll still be required to sit in the schools (and rot) from 9-5. The only hurdle with JET is that it's quite competitive (?) and you have to apply from within your own country/ outside of Japan. Jive probs has lots to say on this too so I'll leave stop here and then chime in a bit later.
« Last Edit: April 18, 2018, 05:46:17 PM by Gay Imp Sausage Metal »

Impish sausage is definitely gonna blow up as a euphemism this year

sexualhelon

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Re: Tokyo, Bangkok, and other parts of SE Asia
« Reply #38 on: April 18, 2018, 07:31:35 PM »
Vietnam - defs hit up Hanoi, I think I liked it better than Ho Chi Minh. I was in Hanoi last month and hit up https://pasteurstreet.com there were dudes skating downstairs too! Also Vietnam has tonnes of yummy/ cheap vegan eats!!!

***
English teaching in Japan is ... (like porn) something you do while you're young to pay the bills/ fund your travelling, I defs wouldn't do it long term as it can get stale pretty quickly. Bear in mind I'm talking about working for English conversation schools here and not cushy jobs at big name universities. Japan, in most cases, doesn't really give a fuck if you have qualifications, as long as you "look" foreign (i.e. white) you'll pretty much be able to get a job. Will you be coming on a working holiday visa? You'll need some sort of working visa and if you don't have one then a company won't sponsor you unless you sign on for a year or so with them. Most of the bigger English teaching schools are kinda like sweat shops and while their conditions might seem okay on paper, the reality is often quite different.
JET Programme is the cushiest way to do it but while you might only "teach" 22 hours a week, you'll still be required to sit in the schools (and rot) from 9-5. The only hurdle with JET is that it's quite competitive (?) and you have to apply from within your own country/ outside of Japan. Jive probs has lots to say on this too so I'll leave stop here and then chime in a bit later.

Jah, I've heard so many mixed reviews on Vietnam but no one's said it's not worth visiting. A good few many of my friends said they loved it and one's actually living in Hanoi now. Thanks for the tip! I'll definitely hit them up.

Cambodia is another story. Siem Reap looks to be a sprung up tourist town to base yourself in for seeing temples. I might not even do the temples since I'm pretty templed out at this point and it's $40 for Angkor Wat.  Pub Street in Siem Reap seems like a bastard son of Khao Sahn road - which I avoid when in BK. Tourists being arrested fairly recently for "pornographic dancing" is pretty nuts: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/28/five-britons-arrested-pornographic-dancing-cambodia.

For some reason no one seems to be too fond of Phnom Penh. One of my close friends said it's just a sketch, dirty city full of child prostitution awareness billboards. Still, I'm more attracted to cities so Phnom Penh is initially more alluring to me when it comes to my interests: craft beer, vegan stuff, coffee, and skateboarding. There's actually a Skateistan in Phnom Penh. Not that I'm only looking for "western" stuff though - I don't think I've had any western food in 5 months unless you count craft beer/cold brew coffee haha.

What you're saying sounds about like what I've read while researching teaching English in Japan. Some people get stuck in schools with some combination of stringent bureaucracy / no holidays / odd hours etc... A general recommendation is to research the school before signing on and reach out to someone who's already teaching there for some inside info. This is all more if you're going through a recruiter/TEFL program which is what we were thinking about doing. It would be at a language school and they would want a one year contract so you're right on that.

If you're "feet on the ground" searching your odds are better. Dude straight up told us if we like Vietnam to just look around when we're there and we'd for sure find something. To my understanding, especially in Japan, they'd prefer to meet and interview in person (aka in Japan). My lady isn't so into the idea of dropping down and doing the search. She'd prefer the TEFL program since they do everything for you and it comes with the perks of things like end of year bonus, airfare reimbursement, apt. assistance, etc... A lot of the TEFL programs won't work with her though since she's not a native English speaker but she meets the requirements for some (high IELTS score, English degree) and is arguably whiter than me haha.

I'd have more options if doing it on my own. I initially emailed this guy about a shorter program in China (5 months) but he said they wouldn't take my lady and Japan would be our best bet. She's actually planning to apply for the New Zealand working holiday visa and if she gets it I might do the China one instead. I could do a working holiday in NZ too but for some reason it just doesn't really appeal to me.

For us it's definitely more of an experience thing and by no means do we have to do it. If I could work on my own stuff while "rotting" it wouldn't be so bad...I think. I'd prefer not to end up in a place like that though.

Anyway dudes, here's another giant post from me and thanks for the responses.

HoudiniXLogic

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Re: Tokyo, Bangkok, and other parts of SE Asia
« Reply #39 on: May 19, 2018, 08:50:36 PM »
shit man Im a Bangkok local. Sorry I didnt see this earlier I could have helped you out.

Who makes Preduce decks? Originally it was owned by a Thai guy Arthit but Simon (Pellaux) currently owns and operates it. I’ve watched him take it from a small skateshop sponsoring local skaters and now the most legit skateboard brand in Thailand.

The guy who presses boards is Jody of M.I.T. (made in Thailand) skateboards.

Theres some concrete spots.
DIY at On Nut/Phattanakarn intersection
https://instagram.com/p/BiPkDC6nGrW/

DIY at Ladprao 69
https://instagram.com/p/BhoZtOBHf8u/


I dont post here much anymore though.

Anyways,

sexualhelon

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Re: Tokyo, Bangkok, and other parts of SE Asia
« Reply #40 on: June 14, 2018, 09:42:13 PM »
Vietnam - defs hit up Hanoi, I think I liked it better than Ho Chi Minh. I was in Hanoi last month and hit up https://pasteurstreet.com there were dudes skating downstairs too! Also Vietnam has tonnes of yummy/ cheap vegan eats!!!

***
English teaching in Japan is ... (like porn) something you do while you're young to pay the bills/ fund your travelling, I defs wouldn't do it long term as it can get stale pretty quickly. Bear in mind I'm talking about working for English conversation schools here and not cushy jobs at big name universities. Japan, in most cases, doesn't really give a fuck if you have qualifications, as long as you "look" foreign (i.e. white) you'll pretty much be able to get a job. Will you be coming on a working holiday visa? You'll need some sort of working visa and if you don't have one then a company won't sponsor you unless you sign on for a year or so with them. Most of the bigger English teaching schools are kinda like sweat shops and while their conditions might seem okay on paper, the reality is often quite different.
JET Programme is the cushiest way to do it but while you might only "teach" 22 hours a week, you'll still be required to sit in the schools (and rot) from 9-5. The only hurdle with JET is that it's quite competitive (?) and you have to apply from within your own country/ outside of Japan. Jive probs has lots to say on this too so I'll leave stop here and then chime in a bit later.

Bailed on the idea of teaching English for now, still just an idea in the back of my head should it fall in my lap. Signed up for a TEFL course because dude told us it was an 80% chance of us getting cushy jobs in Japan (I'd originally e-mailed about China). He basically said he had a place that would hire us both in Japan and to email him at 50% completion of the course. So we did and he came back with, "Oh, they're not interested in your wife anymore. I don't know what happened". She's Austrian so, umm, guess it's because she's not a native English speaker? Good news is we got refunded and earned a TEFL certificate for free. I guess that's good news?

Bolted through Cambodia in just 8 days. I'm glad we did though because, while it was interesting, it wasn't a place I needed to spend much time in right now. Vietnam is dope! In Hanoi now but HCMC is my favorite, hands down. I'd easily go back and spend a full month there.

Headed to Chengdu for a month after here. Doesn't seem like there are any pals around these parts though :(

beatifk

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Re: Tokyo, Bangkok, and other parts of SE Asia
« Reply #41 on: June 26, 2018, 11:38:59 PM »
Japan question:

I'm doing a grand tour of all of my company's Japanese clients' stores the first 2 weeks of August... starting from Tokyo and traveling south by train through Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Okayama, Kochi, and Fukuoka.

Is it worth it to bring a skateboard if I'll only have like an hour or so of free time most days. Do I need to travel far to find spots to skate, or is it acceptable to skate in downtown areas? I've been to Japan once before (without a skateboard) and I know that they are very strict with pollution and general respect of public areas but I also know that people skate in Japan, like it's not totally crazy to hope that I can squeeze some skating in. But if I need to travel to the outskirts of towns to do it, it maybe won't be worth it and I'll just hit the arcade instead.

Also, maybe it's just WAY too hot in August to expect to skate at all?

Anyone have any insights?

Thanks!

Gray Imp Sausage Metal

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Re: Tokyo, Bangkok, and other parts of SE Asia
« Reply #42 on: June 26, 2018, 11:46:42 PM »
will be okay if you're skating round at night but in the days (and especially on weekdays) it's going to be a bitch.
if you have some spots/ parks mapped out before you go, then it might be worth your while. Another option would be to hit up some regular (non skate) parks as they are usually a bit more spacious and not so packed during the day.
I skate in August but you better have a shit load of water with you. I'm sure other posters will chime in but let me know if you need some Fukuoka info...

Impish sausage is definitely gonna blow up as a euphemism this year

beatifk

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Re: Tokyo, Bangkok, and other parts of SE Asia
« Reply #43 on: June 27, 2018, 01:24:45 AM »
Thanks! Fukuoka is where my colleagues are from originally so I'm sure there I will have lots to do and will have even less time to skate; catching up with family/friends and whatnot.

I guess a more specific question would be: Can I skate through the streets of Shibuya (for example) at night without being tackled by cops and security or is that an impossibility?

Can a skateboard be used as a mode of transportation within the cities?... since I'm not really one to find a bench and skate it for hours.

Jive Turkey

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Re: Tokyo, Bangkok, and other parts of SE Asia
« Reply #44 on: June 27, 2018, 02:52:51 AM »
Thanks! Fukuoka is where my colleagues are from originally so I'm sure there I will have lots to do and will have even less time to skate; catching up with family/friends and whatnot.

I guess a more specific question would be: Can I skate through the streets of Shibuya (for example) at night without being tackled by cops and security or is that an impossibility?

Can a skateboard be used as a mode of transportation within the cities?... since I'm not really one to find a bench and skate it for hours.
You can definitely push around without hassle for the most post. Cops and security are pretty chill here.
They'll usually just make an X with their arms and ask you to leave.

I can understand the appeal of pushing around Shibuya and trying to skate but there are so many people in Shibuya all the time and there really aren't that many good spots in my opinion. So for me personally it's more hassle than it's worth.

If you want to just push around at night and have a chill sesh by yourself I'd recommend pushing around the Ginza/Kyobashi/Nihonbashi area. It's mostly fancy office buildings so there are less people and there are lots a office little spots you can find.

If you really want to be out in a lively area Shinjuku has better spots.

meera

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Re: Tokyo, Bangkok, and other parts of SE Asia
« Reply #45 on: August 27, 2018, 11:31:23 PM »
Hey guys, im from SEA.. just wanted to share with you that it is best travel during a promotions like matta fair..

These also might help if you are a frequent traveler with airasia and airbnb...

https://iprice.sg/coupons/airasia/
https://iprice.ph/coupons/airbnb/