Entries from December 2007
The way a woman leads her life in Japan is guided by 3 general rules
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When she is unmarried she is to obey her father in all matters
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When she is married she is to obey her husband
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When she is old she is to obey her son
Well, so we were informed in the stagecoach, on the way to Mt. Fuji.
Yes that’s right, stage coach. We did one of those nifty tour thingamajigs that old grandparents seem to ♥ !
It was however QUITE dissappointing to find out that due to weather and road conditionis we could only travel to the 2nd base of Mt. Fuji. :( Ohwell, we did the whole necessary photo taking thing, and it was off to the Hakone hot springs for us!
In true Japanese tradition, hot springs are experienced sans clothing. =p As the sign said, “We provide a towel. If it is not big enough, you can cover your face with it” =D LOL !
The Hakone hot springs also houses the valley of Hell, and the infamous BLACK EGG! Well, black shelled egg anyway (the inside was … normal :( ) and the shell of the egg turns black as a result of being immersed and cooked in the hot springs. Each egg you ingest is supposed to prolong your life by 7 years btw! :p Is that not the most awesomest thing you’ve ever heard?!
Yadda yadda yadda…. sat the bullet train home (kinda overrated), and was totally bushed by that time so I just collapsed in bed and went straight to dreamland :D
Categories: Happytimes
Yay the (so called) first day of my official Japan adventure!
FIRST UP ON THE ITENARY….*drumroll* MOUNT FUJI !
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EXCEPT – everyone overslept :/ So we decided to forgo Mount Fuji (hahah I say that like we had a choice!) and instead we went to Disneyland Tokyo!
Rather than take the easy (and expensive) way there i.e. CAB, we thought it would be very amusing to brave the subways of Tokyo :D Which is a maze! And coming from someone who’s been on subways on Singapore, Europe, Australia, China etc… well, you get my point. I also have no idea why i’m surprised (maybe it’s just the touristy asian in me) but I was squealing in delight everytime I saw a familiar sight like MOS burger, Subway (EAT FRESH!), Maccas (or McDonalds to the uninitiated) etc etc. After all, Japan’s economy is like, only on par with most of the world superpowers & I was surprised? Next thing you know I’ll be going on about OMG HOW MANY HONDAS /SUZUKIS /TOYOTAS /MAZDA cars there are on Japanese roads! /sarcasm/
Anyways, end of boring monologue.
DISNEYLAND TOKYO
Well, omg. BIG. Although Disneyland Tokyo is well known, its urmm… alter ego (for lack of a better word) DisneySea is sort of … unheard of. Not that we had the time to visit anyways, but you should definitely go!
Hmm… Disneyland. Let’s just say that I’m a sucker for happy endings which Disney happens to specialize in ! *beams* So I LOVE Disney! Got to see a couple of my favourite characters – Cinderella & Prince Charming, Lilo & Sitch, Mickey & Minnie, Beauty & The Beast, Pocahontas & John Smith.
Other notable moments were the lighting up of the trademark Disney Castle. Very romantic/magical ambience and the weather was brilliant (chilly but not too cold).
2 more words – Roller Coaster. <3 Love it. I guess i’m sort of a mini adrenaline junkie :P Anywayss… end of Day 2, and bringing you some pictures [click to enlarge] from the land of the samurai!
Categories: Happytimes
” But when I see the way that mankind loves… You could search to the furthest reaches of the universe and never find anything more beautiful “
Plot Synopsis *** SPOILER WARNINGS ***
The story beginds in the countrytown of WALL, named for the wall of bricks that supposedly defines the boundary between the mortal and another world (the land of Stormhold Faerie) ruled by the Stormhold line. One summers’ night, a young man Dunstan Thorne (Nathaniel Parker) looks around his life in Wall and finds it wanting. Fueled by curiosity, he makes a trip in secret over the wall and finds, to his disbelief that the stories about the existance of a parallel universe was true. Wandering about Faerie, he comes across a princess Una (Kate Magowan) imprisoned by a witch in a gypsy caravan. Upon first sight they are strangely attracted to one another, and that night they make love. Dunstan returns home with a glass flower from Una, his lust for adventure satiated. Never would he expect that 9 months later he would receive a baby at his doorstep, named Tristan Thorne (Charlie Cox).
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Categories: The Occasional Review
Got to Narita Airport, Tokyo from Singapore via a Japan Airlines flight :) The flight was pretty good, makes a nice change from all that Qantas I have to admit! Anyway, so I watched Stardust & Ratatouille on the flight – my new favourite movie is now officially Stardust (although it has been getting some bad reviews from other friends but hey – fantasy + medieval england + magic is a win formula, especially if you’re me!)
Landed in Tokyo at 3.40pm, by which time it was already dark out HOWEVER to my great disappointment.
- No snow in sight
- 15° C – excuse me? What happened to like 5°C days? :( Sucha letdown!
Anyway, food was interesting – finally got to try real authentic Japanese curry – yes it’s as good as the stuff served in random places in Perth and omg Japan has cheap roadside food that is very creepily similar to the japan small eateries scattered around Perth!
Anyhow, pictures
[L - R] The streets of Ikebukuro, The food ‘vending machine’, The streets of Ikebukuro once more.
Categories: Happytimes
December 20, 2007 · 1 Comment
So I’m gone to Japan for a week. Much love everyone hope to see everybody soon again :)
Categories: Uncategorized
A 15-YEAR-OLD Singaporean, competing against 16- to 18-year-olds won the top prize in a writing contest that drew 5,300 entries from 52 countries. In the annual Commonwealth Essay Competition, Amanda Chong of Raffles Girls’ School (Secondary) chose to compete in the older category and won with a piece on the restlessness of modern life.Her short story, titled *What The Modern Woman Wants, focused on the conflict in values between an old lady and her independent-minded daughter.
‘Through my story, I attempted to convey the unique East-versus-West struggles and generation gaps that I felt were characteristic of young people in my country,’* said Amanda, who likes drama, history and literature and wants to become a lawyer and a politician. Have a look at her story (attached) and see whether it affects you as strongly as it did me. It is indeed a very accurate critique of how the ideals of the modern world conflicts with age old values, and the outcome though appalling is not uncommon.
The old woman sat in the backseat of the magenta convertible as it careened down the highway, clutching tightly to the plastic bag on her lap, afraid it may be kidnapped by the wind. She was not used to such speed, with trembling hands she pulled the seatbelt tighter but was careful not to touch the patent leather seats with her callused fingers, her daughter had warned her not to dirty it, ‘Fingerprints show very clearly on white, Ma.’
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Categories: writings
the happier you are,
the higher you are,
the more you believe in,
the quicker you fall,
the harder you fall,
>> and the more painful when you land. <<
Categories: Life is a Bitch
I needed this article about 2 months ago ! Ok so maybe I’m a lifehack.org addict but anyway this isn`t the reason for this post.
Actually, there IS no reason for this post, I wanted to push a couple of old posts further down the page. :)
Just that being in a new country and having a break from everything is helping me think abit more clearly. I`ve had my fun, but at my very own expense. Not fun, in this case.
And I`m also coming to appreciate somethings better. It`s surprising really what you can find out when things are at their lowest.
On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are
Categories: Life is a Bitch
