Archive for the ‘indulgence’ Category
Sing me a little serenade.
Ann and I visited Seoul, South Korea, last week, and before I forget some thoughts I have in my head, I’ve got to write some down. Photos are still in my camera, so that’ll have to wait.
Here is a soundtrack of our days in Seoul.
If you’ve been to Seoul, or seen ads from there, this gets stuck in your head. Ann and I had it stuck in our brains for a long time.
Chick Habit by April March
Ann’s song:
All Star by Smash Mouth
For the Oasis-love in all of us. Where the lyrics speak to me.
“The things that you’ve seen, slowly fade away.”
-
“My soul slides away, don’t look back in anger I heard you say.”
Don’t Look Back in Anger by Oasis
My most favourite song, ever. Sing it to me, and I will melt. (I’ve probably quoted this song twenty thousand times).
“I know you know we’ve had some good times
Now they have their own hiding place
I can promise you tomorrow
But I can’t buy back yesterday”
I’ll Be There For You by Bon Jovi
(And I chose an awesome vid. Old school!)
I love it, Ann hates it. Its awesome. And I got 100% on it, with a certain someone. How am I to deny this song?
Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
Frank Sinatra leaves me speechless. And a simple promised serenade?
Under my Skin by Frank Sinatra
Back at One by Brian McKnight
Someone dance with me?
Day 3 meant Tsukiji.
(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. (:
- First views of the fish in Tsukiji Market
- Roe – lots!
- Unagi! They look kind of scary and gross swimming in there. But… just think of the taste!
- Tuna sold at the auction (I’m assuming). They are huge! Its just so amazing seeing the whole huge tuna go pass by you, and then another one over there, and there. And then being cut up, being sliced, apportioned. Its just so amazing seeing it as a whole instead of being in my food alone.
- Here are my parents with the tuna!
- Fishy fishy, all in a row.
- Tuna being mistreated and hauled around, and cut up. They are so big, and heavy! They just chop off bits of it and its like all over the floor – okay not all over, but you know what I mean! – and there was a tail on the ground, then fins were coming off too.
After checking out the fish market, we then found the auction room, where the tuna auction was being carried out.
- Its all busy busy in the auction room. Bells will be ringing where the tuna to be sold will be. They will be shouting all sort of numbers to the crowd, hands will be raised, and then the tuna will be sold. So exciting.
- Look at the rows and rows of tuna.
- Dragging away the ones that have been sold.
- So much going on at 6am in the early morning. All the tuna to be sold, all the buyers busy calculating their worths and their ability to purchase.
- Dragging the tuna about.
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!
- Here I am in the middle of the huge huge super cool Tsukiji fish market.
- And here are my parents in the cool Tsukiji Fish Market.
- Here is the anago man! Slicing the anago. I thought it was unagi, but he corrected me. And he also warned us when those crazy car things were zooming around next to us, how nice. (:
- Check out the cool octopus!
- Here is Pa with the man cutting up the fish
- And now Pa & Me
- Here I am.. somewhere in the middle of Tsukiji
- Slicing up the fish. With full concentration.
- Check out the long knife. I’m just imagining the sounds of swords slicing through the air. *shing-shwhing*
- Slicing up the tuna with precision.
- Tsukiji. Wow.
- Here I am with a whole fridge full of tuna pieces!
- And my parents with same fridge of tuna.
- Then whilst trying to get out of the fish market, we ended up in the fruit & vegetable market. Those are people buying the veges/fruit. It was quite amazing.
- Here we are in the fruit/vege section
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.
- Then we went to eat unagi. Because I’m pathetic and don’t enjoy sashimi.
- Here is Pa with his unagi-don!
- And Mum with hers!
- And happy me with mine! YAY!
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!!
Hop, hop, hop, excitedly.
The weather in Tokyo has been awful for the past many days, probably a week since the start of rainy rainy rain and gloom. Supposedly a typhoon is going to hit Tokyo soon, but I don’t see any reports on it! I hope people are just telling me nonsense, and there will not be a typhoon, because there was the typhoon when we first arrived in Tokyo, early September, and that sucked big time. [Ok, I know. I have another like 30 days in Tokyo to pictorialize - soon! Patience!]
Anyways, I just saw the report, and its going to be sunny on Saturday & Sunday! LOVELY. Especially since Ann & I are planning to go to one of the Tokyo islands, Niijima, this weekend. Lovely!
Ann is my new travel best friend. Today we just went to get our multiple entry permits, with Perttu too, then we booked our flight to South Korea for the 14th Oct, and then booked the Demilitarized Zone tour in Seoul, then we are planning to go to Niijima this weekend. Pure wonderfulness. (:
Ok, time to hit the readings. I haven’t started any readings since this evening, which I’m supposed to finish for tomorrow’s class. I’m so so not going to finish in time. Its one huge stack, and this is not including the second class. Sigh. But I was productive on other fronts, like making dinner, eating, watching some Japanese television, vacuuming my room, taking a bath, washing my sheets, pillowcase, blankets, towel, and gotten price information for future trips – Taiwan!
On another note, the Yen needs to depreciate. I’m running out of money and I hate the rate so badly I don’t want to change the money I have in USD and SGD. Although I was forced to withdraw from my debit card when I absolutely was penniless, and there were no money changers. There is a serious lack of money changers – at all, and with good rates, even less – in Tokyo, I don’t get it! And the bank is taking too long to set up my account, I need some money transferred in from Singapore, don’t they understand! Very broke girl here, in a very expensive city!
time for take off.
So I’m going to Hong Kong and Guangzhou again.
Really excited for so many reasons. I’m finally going to be a proper tourist and do touristy things, instead of just shop. And definitely eat all the good food until I explode. Love love love.
I’m going to be hanging out with Nartz after so long, totally looking forward to that, especially cos she knows all the best cool spots in town. -Happiness.
Ok. I’m crazy last minute, with only 2.5hours before I need to cab down to the airport and check in etc. First flight out of Singapore alone actually, although i’ve flown alone several times, so its actually a new experience. I only just finished packing, I’m loading music into my ipod shuffle & handphone now. Very last minute I know, but I had to meet all my friends today, and say my “See-you-on-Monday”-s.
Bye for now, Singapore.
Picture via: bugbog.com
tgio.
So the school term is over, finally, the real summer break is beginning.
The project was okay, didn’t really have enough time to do everything to its best. After a while, it was just too tiring to make any more edits, and time was just running out. I think summer modules are way too stressful, to jam-pack 12 weeks worth into 4 just isn’t right. (Update: at least now I know it wasn’t wasted! Yay.)
And I lost my charm bracelet when I left it in the Seminar Room after our presentation, and the next day when I went back to check, it was gone! No one returned it to the lost & found either. I’m very upset. I made it myself, and now I have to go back to buy all the charms again, thankfully, I am going back to HK next week, yay! Sigh, but its still annoying that I lost it. I hate losing things. And I did love the bracelet very much, it was so cute!
I so need to get my visa done, but I have not taken a passport photo, printed the application form, made the effort to go down to the Embassy. I NEED TO GET OFF MY FAT ASS.
