I miss Tokyo!

Thinking I can get away for a week from work, but somehow work managed to find its way to hold off till I return to work. I am flat out by the end of the first work week after my break, and already very much in need of another holiday.

Damn!

My mom asked me if I miss Tokyo, or just miss slacking. Well, why not slacking in Tokyo?

Not that there was any time for slacking... JX dragged me throughout Tokyo and my legs were cramping each day before noon. I thought my knees were melting. Everywhere is so far from anywhere else. And Japan’s one normal subway station is like Singapore’s City Hall, Dhoby Ghaut, Outram and Raffles Place MRT stations, all combined together, with a shopping mall, in it.

So there was no slacking, and just a lot of window shopping – because the things there are crazily expensive. Street markets can actually place a bag priced at SGD130+, outside its shop. You think I dare step into the shop? I thought that pricey bag can be gotten in Singapore for a mere SGD30! No labels no nothing!

Made me shut up about the rising prices in Singapore. We’re nowhere near Japan’s, man.

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Day 1: 18 May 2008 (Sunday)
Arrived in Tokyo early morning. Realization of being finally in Japan. Bursting with excitement. Weather was already a reason to be excited about. 18 degrees Celsius. Japanese falling on deaf ears. Grinny.

Prince Shinagawa Hotel. Realized ramen lunch order @ ‘foodcourt’ is via a vending machine coupon. Japanese words with no English translation – with no pictures. Great. Whatever – just push any button - Bad choice. Clearing up our own dishes and trays.

Not a nice first meal in Tokyo.

Late check-in. Very impatient and irritated and sleepy. Hotel room comfortably small. JX’s smelly socks.

First train ride. Damn confusing. Managed to get to our destination somehow.

ASAKUSA - Lucky us. A carnival!

Japanese in jinbei.

Took a picture with this pretty girl, thinking she was Japanese. And then, she revealed that she’s Thai. Peng-san.

Guys without pants. Only thin white underwear.

Street market. Throngs of Japanese. Pretty girls (but not up to JX’s (supposedly) high standards). Pretty boys and shaved brows. Yummy snacks, ice-cream. Pasar malam. Smashing colours, bright and cheerful. Tako-pachi! Shrine. Pray and wish.

AKABANEBASHI – Tokyo Tower. That’s it. –yawn, snore-

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Day 2: 19 May 2008 (Monday)
Central Tokyo – Imperial Palace. Humongous place. Modern buildings existing with the elegantly old ones. Loads of greenery.

The river that separates the modern Tokyo and the Imperial Palace.

Ueno – Walked a distance which equates Singapore’s breadth to get to a shrine which was under renovation(!). Gah. Ameyayokocho. Market street. Shop shop shop. Sushi bar. Wow –Sakae Sushi and Sushi Tei, bye bye. You're nowhere near.

Wild flowers that don't look so wild.

I don't get to do this in Singapore, ok?

The one that I am holding up has a texture of foamy soapy bubbles.

The mysterious sushi chef.

Akihabara – Seemingly boring Electric Town. Only to realize it’s a pornography area. Rampant hardcore porn. Porn videos were played on tv screens! My innocent eyes have been tarnished. Can’t locate Maid Café, much to JX’s disappointment.

Buxomy figurines displaying all out to see. I do not want to know what do people who buy them, do to them.

JX and his Gundam desires. You probably think that he will get more excited in the previous picture.

"Hyah."

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Day 3: 20 May 2008 (Tuesday)

Mount Fuji – Woke up to a news report on a typhoon. Sat at the beds with mouths agape. Thought the day tour would be cancelled. But no, still went on. Lucky – rather see Mt Fuji through rain than losing SGD100 (half the tour’s price per pax). Long bus ride. Cute old tour guide and his Japanese-accented English. Woke up to mountains. Clear blue sky. Saw Mt. Fuji’s peak. Got excited for the first hour upon seeing Mt Fuji. Then realized that all my pictures look the same. Freezing cold. JX thought his ears were going to drop. Mt Fuji’s snow cap right in front of me but too cold to fish out my hands to touch it. Crappy lunch. Origami of Mt Fuji. Cute. Cruise through a lake. Frozen. Cable car.

Bleeding cold on Mount Fuji.

Doesn't JX look like he's juxtaposed on a postcard?

"Sayonara Fuji-san."

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Day 4: 21 May 2008 (Wednesday)

Tokyo Disneyland – Crowds of Japanese. Wonder why they aren’t working or in schools, on a weekday. Disney accessories on everyone everywhere. Except us. Queue and queue and queue. Cartoon world for a whole day.

Disneyland is celebrating its 25th birthday with me!

If Norbit is human-sized...

For some reason, Roger Rabbit wasn't very popular. That's why I manage to take a picture with him because there weren't any queues. And that's why he gave me such an enthusiastic grateful hug. Oops.

On a guided go-kart. "Look ma, no hands!"

Mock exhilaration at the finishing line.

Chilling at Tokyo, an American (sounds like one) with a Singaporean Ah-Beng.

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Day 5: 22 May 2008 (Thursday)

Ikebukuro – Sunshine City Shopping centre. Didn’t buy anything even in 2nd-hand clothes shops. Played tikum at this anime store. Toys’ section at the shopping centre – so great. Costumes, wigs, bodysuits. Hello Kitty everywhere.

Nothing to buy, no money to buy.

You can change your identity here in this children's department.

Overdosage.

Roppongi – Duty-free shop. Lazy already. What, samurai swords again? Because we were really contemplating buying them each time we step into a duty-free shop.

There are that many poses you can have with swords...

Akihabara (again) – Looked for Maid Café again. Saw a pretty lady in priestess costume – want to take picture with her. Cannot, don’t know why. Tried to locate the Priestess Café but can’t find the stupid building. Saw a ‘Maid Café’ but it was not a café but a souvenir shop. Can take polaroids with shop assistants in costume but need to pay. Can dress up too. Interesting. But we walked away. Still can’t find the stupid Maid Café. Settled for lousy Mac’s dinner, which is still damn expensive. Went back to Maid Café to take polaroids – but closed for the day. DAMN SUAY. So tired.

He almost managed to camouflage for a second. Almost.

Why can't take pictures? Huh? Soliciting? And look at the weird tiko-peks raping the girls with their eyes.

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Day 6: 23 May 2008 (Friday)

Shibuya – HY and hubby, who happened to be in Tokyo, in the same hotel, joined us for a while. Shibuya 109 – like Far East in Orchard. Japanese girls who looked like mannequins. Dark and blonde. Thick makeup. Some really gorgeous. But no picture-taking in the shopping centre. DAMN?! Bought a jacket – exorbitant – don’t know what I was thinking. Maybe in denial that it’s THAT expensive. But it is lo. Wore it straight away. But so bloody hot outside. Weather’s switch flicked to summer in an instant. Shibuya 109 (2). Neoprints!!! How can we not do it in Japan. So high-tech. The Suit Company. JX got 2 pants and a shirt. Looked so fine. For the price of my jacket. Sulk.

Hello Kitty bling-bling bike.

Japanese schoolgirls, your fantasy? You like?

Japanese lady who spoke English which we understood! Missed being able to communicate and being understood, other than JX.

Harajuku - Cosplay. Orchard’s Far East in a stretch of street. School kids. Weird-looking punks. Long hair that defied gravity on guys. Graffity. Increasingly warm and humid. Bought a t-shirt to change into.

You wonder why on a weekday, such a street is so crowded.

Shinjuku – Too tired and bored to walk. All streets started to look the same. But look, durians.

Japan's Geylang. Not smelly meh?

AKIHABARA (AGAIN!!!) – To take polaroids with the girls in costume, for real. You know, immerse myself in the Japan culture for a moment. Chose a reasonable maid costume (was looking for a kickass one, but they don’t have samurai or ninja ones). Changed into it and realized that the skirt was freaking short and flared. Wondered how the girls can wear it out to public. Loved the polaroids.

How can you not take neoprints in Japan?

They got my Chinese name wrong but the thought of explaining... Never mind.

Singaporean maids are darker than Japanese ones.

Returned to the hotel and had ice cream chat with HY and hubby, along with JX.

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Day 7: 24 May 2008 (Saturday)

Shibuya – Collected JX’s tailored pants. Another Neoprint – for JX’s keeps this time.

"Hmm..."

Ueno – Lunch at this grilling place. Beef and meat we couldn’t recognize. Rather yummy. Last minute snack shopping. Fruits – so sweet and nice, can cry. Or maybe the prices made me. With such expensive fruits, you think people living in Japan have to be constipated. Two peaches for SGD13+! Strawberries – heaven! Peaches – I’m in love. Bought JX’s shoes which he saw on the 2nd day of trip.

zzz...

Finally. Edible food.

And then (rush) back to dreary warmer Singapore.

"Bye Tokyo"

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We thought we bought a lot. Having to buy a bag for our extra stuffs that we bought. But after unpacking, we realized we didn’t buy that much? But we are definitely poorer because of Japan’s food and transport. Sucks.

P.S: Crap, the uploading of pictures take a hell long time!

Surprise

It was a memorable 25th birthday! Other than the fact that it was the first birthday I celebrate since my ‘re-birth’ from last year’s mishap, JX springed me a surprise visit at my workplace with a big bouquet of flowers!

Although Ass is away in Luxembourg and she said that she couldn’t get anything in Luxembourg for me, I am still anticipating something. NEVERTHELESS. Imagine, a birthday present for me 3 months later in August. It is like discovering an angbow stuffed with notes buried under your mountain of rubbish when you’re rummaging for something ancient. “Hey, what a surprise! I have something here for me! Extra cash!” For me, seems like ‘extra’ present. Don’t know what I am saying. Just don’t get me a keychain, my Ass. I have more chains than keys in my bunch. Kay ah, where’s mine? Oops, yours coming soon. Hee.

I digressed. Back to JX and his surprise. Okay, he caught me. I was totally unaware of his scheming plot. Then it occurred to me, he could lie to me without me noticing! I thought I knew him inside out. What does this mean. He was looking pretty smug about it. So I asked him, “So now, what are you going to do about your newfound ability? HUH?” To that, I never got a definite answer.

But of course, who doesn’t like surprises right. I was so touched, I could cry. I think I did. A little. I bounded towards him and gave him a tight hug. And how timely, I was opening the present that my friends at work got for me when he appeared.

After that, I couldn’t stop grinning like a fool. At the flowers. Lucky my big boss not around.

When I asked JX how am I going to bring home the bouquet of flowers, he didn’t care – I gotta settle myself. He then went to run some errands in preparation for the trip. Then I got worried that the flowers would be squashed in the evening crowd on my way home, Karen offered to deliver it to my home the next day since she was driving as she was passing me some of her things to bring to Tokyo. That was settled and then....

JX complained. He thought I should bring the bouquet of flowers home myself irregardless of the possibility of evening crowd squash. Oops.

No matter, I love you dear!! Thank you for everything. :)

Born 25 years ago

and today I am off to Tokyo!!

YIPPEE!

Happy as a lark.

Count your Blessings

I don’t know what is exactly going on, but I hope everything’s going to be for the better. I can’t ask for more for myself, but...

It’s another reminder that health and loved ones are the things that matter ultimately.

Looking at her, I thought to myself, “This shouldn’t be happening to her. She’s so young.” But it did, and what everyone can do is just to pray and hope for her and her family to be strong and for things to turn out fine, like the way it did for me.

I really hope so.

*sigh*

A Whole New Week... again.

JX had said before if he is earning enough, I could quit my job and be a tai-tai/housewife/couch potato/full-time mom/full-time mahjong player/clapper aka mosquito squasher. My condition to him was that he gives me S$10,000 per month as allowance. (Honey, I have written this down. No backing out.)

Sounds good eh?

There are so many things I would like to do if I have that luxury! Writing (The new guy giving me the inspiration is Mil Millington!), painting, setting up a business that can incorporate money and my interests, resuming my piano lessons, and maybe, to be a yoga instructor(?)!

Ass said that I looked like a yoga instructor. Don’t know whether she was being sarcastic or just saying in jest.

Hai. I’ll just stick to reality for now.

Iron Man!!

Surprisingly, I found this movie to be good! I find it quite real lei. I thought no superhero will come close to clever spidey in terms of intelligence. Nimbleness, well, how nimble can a robot be. So, deh, spidey wins. And who can beat spider instinct!

Hard to not please when I haven’t got any expectations for Iron Man in the first place. Haha.

Think the taking-off pose to be a little prissy and sissy for Iron Man though. Though realistic.

VIew from the Top

... is not that amazing.

And Singapore actually spent S$240million on this (crappy) mega ferris wheel when you can easily climb up and down in a skyscraper planted in the city to take in “breathtaking, panoramic views”.

Misleading picture from the official website, which shows clear glass panes for you to take photos from within!

Looks really fun and all, but that’s all to it. The main thing is that it seems ‘fun’ from the outside. Basically when you’re inside, it’s like being in a space capsule, or a LRT carriage crawling in space at a snail-like pace, in circles.

And I was stuck in the capsule for 30 minutes for the capsule to go round one time. The view changes in perspectives but ultimately, they are the same fields, same trees, same buildings, same roads, and same people stuck in the capsule. We circled within the capsule for the first 5 minutes upon boarding, and when our enthusiasm wore thin and shifted its attention to dinner (which we won't have till we alight), we camwhored a little for the remaining 25 minutes.

A bored and sick supervisor of mine and me

Actually, it wouldn't be so bad if the speed is 10,000 times its present speed. I know I know, it's not The Inverter from the theme park.

Well, I can’t complain that much. At least this ride is complimentary on my company. (And thank goodness it is.) Just that... I am supposed to write an (indicated by my CEO) ‘objective’ report on the ride. Gua gua gua. Now, what should I say? I look at the city's landscape (albeit a little tiny) for free everyday.

The horizon of houses and the city's landscape from my home for free everyday. And the blurry view from within a dirty streaked glass (that doesn’t do much for camera flash. I actually picked the best ones).

Yawn.

That’s why I have to air the negativeness here before I write up that report. Makes my ‘report’ feels complete. Makes space for positiveness (crap).

Okay, I shall go write up the nice bits now in my report.

A kiss for you, my Ass.

Okay, today is the day that ends that “one month”.

Goodbye, Ass. See you in three months! *kiss*

Feeling... nostalgic?

I am actually watching clips of 90210.

-_-

Outta Singapore

I can barely sustain my excitement as May draws nearer. I can’t wait to get to Tokyo!!!!!!

As my trip inches closer to me, Ass will be already gone in Luxembourg. Today I realize that she’s going to be gone NEXT FRIDAY!! To only dawn on that after my uncontainable excitement for my own trip - shame on me. I naively thought that day she leaves for Luxembourg will always be “a-month-away”.

:(

I am going to miss you, Ass!! What about our lunches?! And who’s going to pester me to have soya milk + chin chow (to induce your period) after lunch? 3 months has 60 working days!

And you will be away in Luxembourg when Kay and I turn ‘quarter-of-the-decade’!!

I feel excited for the adventure you’re going to have and *a little* worried for your safety, being all alone in a foreign albeit beautiful place. But I think you’ll just need to get used a little before enjoying the 3 months you never had in your life! Who knows, it could be the most beautiful segment in your entire life man.

Hai, take care my friend. And do send us more than just postcards (and keychains). I'll see what I can do with 8-days. LOVE YOU!!!

I was an Empress!

I was Empress Cao Jie! Based on my gender, blood type and date of birth.

Cao Jie was a daughter of the powerful warlord Cao Cao, who by 196 had Emperor Xian under his control and issuing edicts in Emperor Xian's name to his own benefit in his campaign to reunite the empire, which had been held by regional warlords. In 213, Cao, who by that point had been created the Duke of Wei (later Prince of Wei), offered three daughters to be Emperor Xian's consorts -- Jie and her older sister Cao Xian (曹憲) and younger sister Cao Hua (曹華). Initially, their titles were Furen (夫人), and in 197 the titles were upgraded to Guiren (貴人).

In 214, Emperor Xian's first wife Empress Fu Shou was discovered to have advocated a conspiracy against Cao Cao in 200, and although 14 years had elapsed, Cao was still so angry at her that he forcibly had her deposed and executed. In 215, Cao Jie was named empress to replace her.

Whatever! I was an empress in the Three Kingdoms era! A replacement empress is still an empress.

Bet I was a stunner too. And intelligent too, being Cao Cao's daughter.

HA!

That explains why I am a mean evil bitch sometimes in this lifetime given how Cao's reputation is.

But agaaaaain, I'm no intelligent stunner in this lifetime.... Only the negative characteristics remain?

No more..

prawning for me.

I'm no vegan but it's really hard to see them wriggle their many little legs for their lives as they got poked by satay sticks from their behinds.

But I still ate them anyways, with evil Shi.

At least, this time, triple dating with Shi and Kum seems less awkward. At the expense of 18 prawns (3 hours and $90.00).

HU!!!

Played mahjong last night with JX, my aunt and my giggly-crazy cousin. All of us are noobs. FUN. There were many bloopers and screaming. So totally un-pro. Haha...

And then I came across this picture of dolls playing mahjong. Damn funny.

Eh, one tile missing.

Wa, crappy tiles. chantastic said that this doll doesn’t know how to read Chinese. She pretends to know, so she wouldn’t be left out. Haha!!!

Reminds me of Kum, and how I and Shi tried to teach her mahjong so we have kaki to play with. In the end we gave up because we knew what she wanted, or had gotten '万' tiles whenever she referred to the list of numbers in Chinese we had written for her. And so without kakis, my potential is buried with no practice. HAHA?!

I think I am getting hooked. Hiak.

2 more months

...to CFA level 1 exam and, I have yet to do anything about it yet. Never have I been so ‘unready’ for an examination. Hey, there are 7 yellow-pages-thick-kinda-textbooks and I, well, have myself to blame for the procrastination.

Die lo.

And now that my boss told me that the management has approved for me to go on a course and that it is examinable at the end of the year – my doom is sealed.

And they said that I have to top the course.

-_-

Siao. When ever did I get ‘first’ in anything related to studies? Ok, if you think getting top in the cohort in Kindergarten 2 counts? Oh, and top in literature in Secondary 2. But literature... you needn’t kinda study? I think. That’s why I like literature, I think.

Looks like I have to really sit down and start my studying but look what I am doing now.

Maybe I should spend lesser time playing Audition. :(

Today...

I saw a man bringing his bagful of donuts carefully across the road while not caring less for his heavily-pregnant wife who was lagging behind.

Come on, he was holding up the bag of donuts in mid-air chest-level in front of him like it's some... some... saintly, pure, sacred thing?

Wind, water.

I think the fengshui at my workplace must be really bad.