If it is perceived that Singapore leads a fast-paced life, behold Tokyo.
Japan was, well...not my cuppa tea, though it served a good break away from Singapore and a great time spent with a wonderful friend of 9 years. This trip took us away from the main tourist attractions of Japan like 'em temples, blossom gardens and what-nots, and instead brought us into a more intimate part of Japan - food, lifestyle, people.
To start with, there wasn't the luxury of a long holiday to tour major destinations like Kyoto, Hokkaido and the likes. Given 6 days, 2 cities came into light - Tokyo and Osaka.
Tokyo. The City of Individualism.
With every well-dressed executive, there is a mobile phone attached to them. To this mobile phone they immerse themselves in, lifting their heads only to check for potential stumbling blocks. To this mobile phone they seem to be so absorbed in, relying on their digital devices for communication, news, entertainment and anything else to prevent them from looking around idly.
Walking speeds at three-times the leisurely stroll, women tapping down the marbled floors with 3-inches (and above) worth of stilletos, both of us stuck out like a sore thumb. We ambled along with our shopping bags, they rushed around like they were gonna miss the last train of the day. Meals consisted of a simple rice bowl set, followed by a after-meal conversation (to aid digestion), and we watched men shed off their blazers, and follow a very simple regime upon entering a small eatery.
They sit, order, eat (whilst busying themselves away with their cell-phones...AGAIN), pay, go.
Alone.
Tokyo had its fair share of ganguro girls, emo boys and bombastic hair. Tokyo had the gorgeous office babes, the sweet schoolgirls, and the bronze goddesses (fake, of course.) Tokyo had plenty of slot machines, arcades and not forgetting - neoprint stations which we were so crazy over. The last highlight? Disneyland. 'nuff said.
Osaka. Land of Food.
Abroad the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka, a very quick journey across vast green pastures and sprawling urban built-ups summed up the 1hr 45 min journey. (I think.) Osaka was much friendlier than Tokyo, so we concluded. Osaka showed us a glimpse of family warmth, friends' laughters and puppy love. Osaka was filled with rice-bowls (more rice bowls!), bentos, udons, tempuras and sushi. Osaka was shopping paradise.
The best day of Japan had us chance upon an authentic sushi place in a rather dodgy lane of Namba (Osaka). Thank God for Mir's decision to turn into this small lane, thank God for my eyes catching pictures of sushi. Like those sushi counters, chefs prepare freshly-made sushi and hand them over the counter onto one's individual plate. Each order consists of 2 rolls of sushi, about 300yen per order...probably about S$4 for superb premium slabs of raw fish/unagi the size of my hand.
It was rather hilarious, the way Mir and I tried to communicate with those chefs with half-past-six-Japanese, and them back in equally bad English. Haha. I loved the whole feeling of the "restaurant" - warm, cosy, friendly, casual, rowdy. I liked how chefs made small talk with their customers, I liked how comfortable everybody was perched on those high chairs along the counter.
So we returned the following evening for sashimi.
Tuna belly, salmon belly...hamachi, salmon, maguro...you name it.
The bill - 6000Yen. That's approximately S$70 for 2 people.
Never will Japanese food in Singapore taste the same again. :)
So sums up Japan for the year. Thanks Mir. Love you. :)
Wednesday, July 11, 2007Japan was, well...not my cuppa tea, though it served a good break away from Singapore and a great time spent with a wonderful friend of 9 years. This trip took us away from the main tourist attractions of Japan like 'em temples, blossom gardens and what-nots, and instead brought us into a more intimate part of Japan - food, lifestyle, people.
To start with, there wasn't the luxury of a long holiday to tour major destinations like Kyoto, Hokkaido and the likes. Given 6 days, 2 cities came into light - Tokyo and Osaka.
------------------------
Tokyo. The City of Individualism.
With every well-dressed executive, there is a mobile phone attached to them. To this mobile phone they immerse themselves in, lifting their heads only to check for potential stumbling blocks. To this mobile phone they seem to be so absorbed in, relying on their digital devices for communication, news, entertainment and anything else to prevent them from looking around idly.
Walking speeds at three-times the leisurely stroll, women tapping down the marbled floors with 3-inches (and above) worth of stilletos, both of us stuck out like a sore thumb. We ambled along with our shopping bags, they rushed around like they were gonna miss the last train of the day. Meals consisted of a simple rice bowl set, followed by a after-meal conversation (to aid digestion), and we watched men shed off their blazers, and follow a very simple regime upon entering a small eatery.
They sit, order, eat (whilst busying themselves away with their cell-phones...AGAIN), pay, go.
Alone.
Tokyo had its fair share of ganguro girls, emo boys and bombastic hair. Tokyo had the gorgeous office babes, the sweet schoolgirls, and the bronze goddesses (fake, of course.) Tokyo had plenty of slot machines, arcades and not forgetting - neoprint stations which we were so crazy over. The last highlight? Disneyland. 'nuff said.
-------
Osaka. Land of Food.
Abroad the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka, a very quick journey across vast green pastures and sprawling urban built-ups summed up the 1hr 45 min journey. (I think.) Osaka was much friendlier than Tokyo, so we concluded. Osaka showed us a glimpse of family warmth, friends' laughters and puppy love. Osaka was filled with rice-bowls (more rice bowls!), bentos, udons, tempuras and sushi. Osaka was shopping paradise.
The best day of Japan had us chance upon an authentic sushi place in a rather dodgy lane of Namba (Osaka). Thank God for Mir's decision to turn into this small lane, thank God for my eyes catching pictures of sushi. Like those sushi counters, chefs prepare freshly-made sushi and hand them over the counter onto one's individual plate. Each order consists of 2 rolls of sushi, about 300yen per order...probably about S$4 for superb premium slabs of raw fish/unagi the size of my hand.
It was rather hilarious, the way Mir and I tried to communicate with those chefs with half-past-six-Japanese, and them back in equally bad English. Haha. I loved the whole feeling of the "restaurant" - warm, cosy, friendly, casual, rowdy. I liked how chefs made small talk with their customers, I liked how comfortable everybody was perched on those high chairs along the counter.
So we returned the following evening for sashimi.
Tuna belly, salmon belly...hamachi, salmon, maguro...you name it.
The bill - 6000Yen. That's approximately S$70 for 2 people.
Never will Japanese food in Singapore taste the same again. :)
------
So sums up Japan for the year. Thanks Mir. Love you. :)
Happier times, merrier makings.
"You seem to be in a good mood today."
When one can't feel any more down, I suppose the only way is up. When grief no longer brings tears to the heart, the wounds would have to close...someday.
A ripple effect. Will it be offset?
On a much lighter note (considering how emo-nemo my blog has been recently), the good friend's back from her stint of Milan and what-nots. A long phone chat, a pleasant meet-up, a great connection - finally I feel like someone truly understands the complications of life that I somehow always find myself submerged in, someone who merely has to say, "okay I know how that feels." Just when we thought ourselves nutcases of society, doomed to condemnation by the rat-race people, no...there is still hope.
Hope is a wonderful thing. It releases, it nourishes, it enriches.
Sunday, July 08, 2007"You seem to be in a good mood today."
When one can't feel any more down, I suppose the only way is up. When grief no longer brings tears to the heart, the wounds would have to close...someday.
A ripple effect. Will it be offset?
On a much lighter note (considering how emo-nemo my blog has been recently), the good friend's back from her stint of Milan and what-nots. A long phone chat, a pleasant meet-up, a great connection - finally I feel like someone truly understands the complications of life that I somehow always find myself submerged in, someone who merely has to say, "okay I know how that feels." Just when we thought ourselves nutcases of society, doomed to condemnation by the rat-race people, no...there is still hope.
Hope is a wonderful thing. It releases, it nourishes, it enriches.
Its hard to find anything to smile about these days.
At the back of my mind, I know I badly needed the break from the boat and waters, away from the adrenaline rush that hits me each time my board leaves for flight. I needed the miracle to wrench myself away from the plateau I have been standing so long on, my mind simply needs to stop pushing myself.
It is also extremely easy to ignore the incessant whining from the back of my mind to stop, simply because Wakefest is this coming weekend. Yet also at the back of my mind (funny how there seems to be so much room in there) I get the nagging feeling that I will not perform, not even the slightest bit. The break will come soon, next week I am leaving...but does it matter?
It is amazing the amount of time I suddenly have on my hands, yet they trickle away as quickly as they have been bestowed upon me. The amount of travelling to my reviews, time spent out at sea, idling at my usual corner typing away at the laptop...it is as if 24 hours each day ain't enough.
There is a certain dissatisfaction about me that I cannot put to words. I yearn for company, for achievement, for a chapter closed. Yet there is this impending sense of me drifting about, aimless but unwilling. It's like I wish to keep my life to the present state, yet certain aspects requires me to close this chapter, and move onto the next one in my life. Parting is so difficult.
There are some things I am sure of now as I emerge from this emotional wreck, at least. Alas, fear has risen. Fear that stops me from going a level up, fear that stops me from trying.
Some things keep me going.
Cast all your anxieties upon Him because He cares for you.
Just when I thought I was condemned, no, I wasn't. :)
Monday, July 02, 2007At the back of my mind, I know I badly needed the break from the boat and waters, away from the adrenaline rush that hits me each time my board leaves for flight. I needed the miracle to wrench myself away from the plateau I have been standing so long on, my mind simply needs to stop pushing myself.
It is also extremely easy to ignore the incessant whining from the back of my mind to stop, simply because Wakefest is this coming weekend. Yet also at the back of my mind (funny how there seems to be so much room in there) I get the nagging feeling that I will not perform, not even the slightest bit. The break will come soon, next week I am leaving...but does it matter?
It is amazing the amount of time I suddenly have on my hands, yet they trickle away as quickly as they have been bestowed upon me. The amount of travelling to my reviews, time spent out at sea, idling at my usual corner typing away at the laptop...it is as if 24 hours each day ain't enough.
There is a certain dissatisfaction about me that I cannot put to words. I yearn for company, for achievement, for a chapter closed. Yet there is this impending sense of me drifting about, aimless but unwilling. It's like I wish to keep my life to the present state, yet certain aspects requires me to close this chapter, and move onto the next one in my life. Parting is so difficult.
There are some things I am sure of now as I emerge from this emotional wreck, at least. Alas, fear has risen. Fear that stops me from going a level up, fear that stops me from trying.
Some things keep me going.
Cast all your anxieties upon Him because He cares for you.
Just when I thought I was condemned, no, I wasn't. :)
"Your weakness lies in your inability to control your emotions."
The phobia has set in.
What do you do when you've run into a wall trying so hard to achieve something, when others do it in a wink of an eye?
I keep riding, but that doesn't seem to be the solution.
I keep falling, it hurts.
I cannot convey my emotions to you, I don't know what I expect of myself anymore.
I'll just have to accept the fact that, I am not a good rider.
One song rings through my mind, the song of you.
Perhaps it is just a wishful dream on my part, so let me dream a little longer.
The phobia has set in.
What do you do when you've run into a wall trying so hard to achieve something, when others do it in a wink of an eye?
I keep riding, but that doesn't seem to be the solution.
I keep falling, it hurts.
I cannot convey my emotions to you, I don't know what I expect of myself anymore.
I'll just have to accept the fact that, I am not a good rider.
----------------------------------------
"And there is nowhere in this universe to hide...from you tonight..."One song rings through my mind, the song of you.
Perhaps it is just a wishful dream on my part, so let me dream a little longer.
Being the lazy me to organize my pictures now, I took this off Caixia's blog. Thanks babe. =) I owe you one bigggggg one. *muah*
Girls' Day out was...well, NICE. One more this Saturday. I can't wait.
Sunday, July 01, 2007Girls' Day out was...well, NICE. One more this Saturday. I can't wait.
Back with a hoarse voice (again), lack of sleep but a satisfied smile.
The YMCA camp was a great experience, to sum my past 3 days up. Staying in SHINE with a bunch of youths, beneficiaries (the disadvantaged; the mentally/physically challenged) and the usual colleagues (who, of course, are more than colleagues)...its been a great 3 days.
And "great" is too vague of a word to describe my feelings. It is heart-warming to discover youths (damn, I sound old) who are simply more than materialistic mannequins, as I seem to see alot of recently. Gone are the immature who wanna be grown-ups, gone are the selfish of the lot. And the beneficiaries - it touches me to see their feelings and emotions displayed so openly, when we are so used to hiding our feelings and putting on a mask in front of everybody else just to get through life. Laughter, cries, genuine smiles...almost beautiful.
A year's break off camps has definitely gotten me rusty, and a little more sombre compared to me 2-3 years back. It has also been a great distraction, I have no time on my hands to think, no time to worry, no time to feel. But now that I'm home again...life returns.
Wake me up when all these ends...
The YMCA camp was a great experience, to sum my past 3 days up. Staying in SHINE with a bunch of youths, beneficiaries (the disadvantaged; the mentally/physically challenged) and the usual colleagues (who, of course, are more than colleagues)...its been a great 3 days.
And "great" is too vague of a word to describe my feelings. It is heart-warming to discover youths (damn, I sound old) who are simply more than materialistic mannequins, as I seem to see alot of recently. Gone are the immature who wanna be grown-ups, gone are the selfish of the lot. And the beneficiaries - it touches me to see their feelings and emotions displayed so openly, when we are so used to hiding our feelings and putting on a mask in front of everybody else just to get through life. Laughter, cries, genuine smiles...almost beautiful.
A year's break off camps has definitely gotten me rusty, and a little more sombre compared to me 2-3 years back. It has also been a great distraction, I have no time on my hands to think, no time to worry, no time to feel. But now that I'm home again...life returns.
Wake me up when all these ends...