Marooned.

(Warning: LOTS of photos.)

A cold morning, waking up at 5am to get to Tsukiji market before the Tuna auction ended. Took the first few trains heading toward Tsukiji and then it started drizzling and got really wet. Maybe that’s why there was no smell at all in the market, cos of the cold! Best fish market ever. I hate the smell of wet markets in Singapore, I think I never breathe through my nose when I’m there.

We weren’t sure where to go when we arrived at the station. So we just followed people. We assumed they were going to the right place. And we did end up at the right place. So all was good. (:

After checking out the fish market, we then found the auction room, where the tuna auction was being carried out.

After the auction was over, for us at least because tourists were only allowed in during a fixed time period, we headed back out and checked out the rest of the market!

After finding our way out of the market, and finding out where the other market with all the food was. We made our way there, and went to find breakfast! And I got to choose unagi! My parents love me.

After this, we went back to the hotel to sleep. I wonder why.

After waking up too soon, forced to by my parents, we went to get my apartment stuff done. And check out awesome ramen we had for lunch!

That night we dumped all my stuff in my apartment. And I had Takopachi! LOVE!!

Here is the second day in Tokyo! Not much comments, just pictures. Enjoy!

Lunch before headng to Asakusa.

Parents in front of Asakusa temple.

Asakusa!

Asakusa!!

The massive lantern at Asakusa!

They burn incense in the pot there and then people come by and pat the smoke on themselves, for blessings. Its cute watching people do it.

Pa at the water fountain area at Asakusa temple. At all temples, there is an area to wash hands/face, drink water from. For blessings I suppose.

A random green building we walked past. SO CUTE! I would love my house/aparment building/office building to be like that too.

From the rainbow bridge! NICEEEEEE view!! *Click for bigger view*

Here are the parents on the Rainbow bridge!! The rain lightened up and it got less cloudy.

Me and Mum on the rainbow bridge. WINDY!!

A random event we chanced upon, its a charity event if I'm not wrong. For Fuji-Television. The music the group was performing was good though.

Look at the massive crowds.

Blogging takes so much time!! Especially when I have twentythousand photos to share.

So here it goes, just a short revisit – because I need to sleep. NO MORE WAKING UP LATE! ( I need an alarm clock…) My phone is an idiot because the alarm doesn’t ring when its on silent – like HELLO!!! – so I didn’t hear it the other day, and I missed my first class in Rikkyo, because I woke up exactly at the time my class started, no way I could have made it down and joined them for at least half a class (its only 1.5hours over here).

So back on topic!

We touched down at Narita on Saturday morning, after a near midnight flight the night before from Changi Airport. Mayjean, Shermaine & Na met me at the airport – very late, if I must add – but I love you guys so much for coming!! LOVE. And because I’m vain, that caused me to almost miss my flight because I had to buy something from DFS and there was a long queue!! So I jumped the queue thanks to a very nice Japanese man on his way to Nagoya.

We hurried off to our flight, got chased in, got slightly lost on the A380 because we entered on the 2nd floor, and our seats were on the first floor – got a bit confused because I had no idea there were 2 floors? So with my hugeass backpack and bags, knocked a few passengers on the way to figuring it out – no help from our SIA girls or boys if I must add. So I enjoyed my time in a proper flight with 1.5 meals (0.5 for the snack), lots of movies – nice – and music. Didn’t sleep that much, just couldn’t really fall asleep.

At Narita, we had to wait about an hour for our airport limousine (a normal bus) to take us to our hotel because the earlier one was already fully booked. We killed some time in the airport, checking out the shops, grabbing some snacks. The bus took about slightly less than 2 hours to deposit us right outside our hotel, which was great, no extra walking necessary.

After settling in for a bit, we made our way to get my apartment, got super lost on the way, because addresses and maps are pathetic when you look at how Tokyo’s buildings are. The google maps and stuff are helpful to bring you to that area, but you really really need to get a detailed location before you can find out that its a certain doorway or entrance that doesn’t really proclaim its name or anything. So yes, we walked by the agency several times, and only after asking some kind shop assistants at a nearby outdoor/trekking shop (who printed out a very detailed map for us too!) did we manage to find it.

So along the way to find the agency, we walked from our hotel (Shinjuku Washington – its quite nice! Not very big, but it has everything. I wish I could steal their hair dryer mine’s an idiot because firstly, its a 3 pin plug which can’t be used in Tokyo, and I only have 1 adapter, so go figure, I have a Macbook too. Then I think the voltage is lower in Tokyo, so its blowing a super light breeze even a full speed, I want a typhoon damn it, no time in the morning!! I need a new hairdryer but its such a waste of money, sigh.) we got to see a bit of Tokyo, whilst we were heading there.

A random building in Tokyo, not too sure where I took this or why. But just decided to show you guys anyway. I love how Tokyo has all these exciting signboards/billboards everywhere.

Some restaurants in Tokyo, along the way, they all look so interesting and exciting, makes me just want to go into all of them and try all the delicious food they have. 美味しい！

Thats Pa outside a noodle shop - tsukemen, not really the same as ramen, but almost the same. It just has an interesting decor, with the flag and the lantern and all. Deserved a picture!

Same restaurant, with both my parents this time!

So you see that building on the right. ITS AWESOME. Its so pretty!! I keep forgetting its name though.

Parents with the cool building in the background. Nice.

A very nice temple that was kind of hidden away. The courtyard area was very zen and pretty. Interesting sight. First temple in Tokyo - it was interesting until we got to Kyoto.

So after we got some apartments in mind, we had to go check them out, so we walked around a little bit to kill time, then we made our way to where it was, and checked out a supermarket we saw.

I LOVE JAPANESE SUPERMARKETS. Check out the cooked food area. And this is a tiny tiny supermarket in comparison to the other huge ones at the departmental stores. This supermarket is right opposite the gates when I come out of my train station (Fujimidai) - like less than 30 secs away. But I haven't tried it yet, because its a lot of fried, unhealthy food! But looks good.

Then the apartment dude told us that he didn’t have the keys, so we decided to go have dinner instead.

There in that corner is my dad trying to look at what the ramen man was doing behind the counter. And this is the ramen man cooking! I LOVE RAMEN!!

It was a very random shop we passed by, when we were super hungry and waiting for the agentguy to get the keys for the apartments - miscomm caused us to wait for about 45mins. So yes, this is the best ramen I have ever eaten. THE BEST. ITS AMAZING. I had it only twice, both times with the parents, because its not very cheap, not when I'm trying to save money. ¥900 for the charsiew ramen - but its gigantic, and there is so much charsiew - loveeee. And its such a small little shop, its super old school and cool. I like it. A. Lot.

After seeing the apartment, we headed back to Shinjuku, and saw bright lights along the way to our hotel, and had to stop by to take a look.

Whats Japan/Tokyo if you don't see pachinko shops? Ok I forgot to take the karaoke shops too. But yes, they are everyyywhereee. I want to go try it soon. I wonder what the hell is supposed to happen when you put those metal beads into the machine. Just a lot of noise and smoke when you walk pass one of these. And very very very bright lights.

A night in Shinjuku, near our hotel.

Its always bright and exciting in Tokyo, any day of the week. Mostly in the city centres, like Shinjuku and Ikebukuro.

Bright, enticing signboards for various shops and restaurants. Its just so exciting.

And that is the end to our first day in Japan. Not very fun-filled or activity packed, but I had to run my errands and stuff, but it was interesting to see Tokyo for the first time. Everything here still enthralls me everyday when I walk by, even if its the same stores I pass by every few days on my way to school. Its amazing!!

I love Tokyo. (:

More soon!

And I just got to complain that the Japanese government is sucking my money!! I’ve got to pay so much for national health insurance! I’m very upset. Like more than 2 times than my friends, I don’t understand!!! I think its because no one told me to declare that I have no income – but I think I did say that I didn’t have an income, right? So yes, that sucks, I’m upset. I’m wasting money on insurance I don’t need. Its ¥3,100 a month! LIKE OMG. And I already paid ¥3,500 to the school for some other health insurance thing. AND I have travel insurance. So like, how much more do I need to be insured? I could use that ¥3,100 on groceries, new shoes, new clothes, new bags!!! Hello!

Back from Guangzhou/Hongkong more than a week ago. Haven’t fully unpacked yet, worrying about the treatment of my new clothes in the machine. I’ve dumped the hardy stuff, and am left wondering if I should go dryclean some stuff, handwash some others, and then put some of the others in those washingbags things.

I’m the messiest person ever, which explains the mess of a room I’m in, mixed with exam/school stuff, craft stuff, sewing machine, travel stuff, luggage, new clothes, old clothes, techi stuff, magazines, books, cameras, jap stuff and other random miscellaneous things. I so need to start organizing, damn it. But I’m still clinging on to my dreamy, slacky, leave me alone state.

Anyway, Guangzhou was amazing! We so should have stayed longer, damn term 3b. Its either we stayed longer, or we shouldn’t have gone to Hongkong. But, Hongkong, I like. Guangzhou was amazing, for the clothes & the food! I made at least 10 garments there, and then bought another erm, 8 or so minimum. I hope I look okay in my winter coat, my brother has named ‘the Hedge’. Its nice, so whatever. I do love my new clothes. Hee. The food in Guangzhou is amazing too! 吃在广州。 LOVE.

And Hongkong was fun! Although Nic and I pretty much only shopped, a lot. Argyle, our first love. We met up with Preston too! He’s interning there, and he brought us to this place that served the hugest bowl of spicy-sour-soup with noodles. It was like 2 bowls of instant noodles per serving. The bowls were huge, and those hongkongers sure could eat, even the girls finished them! I think I could only finish two thirds, at best, and I was dying, but it was yummy.

It was a fun holiday, relaxing. And my closet is so going to burst.

Term 3b has begun, and the weekly quizzes are shitty, because it means I have to study everyday after class, but its good because there are no exams. I’d have to start properly on the project very soon, seeing that there’s only 3 weeks left. Like o.m.g. And the prof is sooo vague regarding the project, I’m still not sure what in the world we’re supposed to be doing.