happy counting down to the new year

Thought I'd squeeze in a post before the year ends, apparently there has been a complaint that this blog isn't being updated frequently enough...

Hopefully it's been a fruitful year for everybody, as it has been for myself. Of course, don't look back on the year too much, when what we have to deal with are the things that are yet to come!

A very happy new year in advance to you then!

アジアの頂点到着

おはようございます。夢じゃないよ！

lost in translation

Studying 2 foreign languages at a time is seriously no joke. It gets even worse though, when you have tests for each language within a fortnight of each other. I was studying for the JLPT test on 2 December earlier in the afternoon, and now I'm having to block out all my 日本語 and concentrate on belajar Bahasa Indonesia, karena hari Rabu dan Kamis saya ada ujian di siswa.

All of this is giving a major headache, and we're not really into the exam period as yet....

雨の話

今日と昨日は久しぶりの雷雨ですね。涼しくなってほしいな！

ちなみに、寝ると言えば、雨の日は最高じゃない？

the pains of growing old

Was on my way home from school earlier, when I came across this elderly lady who had seemingly lost her way. Turns out she was headed to Bedok, so I accompanied her until we reached Bedok station.

The old lady had a serious problem remembering things though. We were making some small talk to keep ourselves occupied for the long journey, but she couldn't remember anything for more than 5 seconds. We ended up talking about the same things throughout the train ride. Come to think of it, I wonder if she remembered how to get home from the bus interchange.

Alzheimer's Disease setting in perhaps?

ちょっと写真を撮った。。。

久しぶりの自分の写真です。そうだよ、最近こんな様子になった。(^.^)

髪、長くなったんですね。

back to school

And not getting used to it just yet. Still haven't developed a habit of doing readings, checking for homework, and stuff like that. In fact, there have been days when I didn't turn up at school at all! (Thank god for webcasts I guess...)

But hopefully school will turn out fine in time.

どうでもいいだから。。。

今回はコーラだった。次はきっとスプライトでしょう。(笑)

anything will do

今日はルートビールだった。

thanks for trying, but...

I was on my way home in my dad's car when someone called the radio station for a dedication.

Now, this girl had the sweetest voice you'll ever hear, but then she uttered the darnedest thing you'll probably hear this year.

"I'd like to say hi to my sister, and wish her a belated happy birthday because it's tomorrow."

We were both bawling in laughter after that.

what do you do on a rainy and stormy night?

Quick question: Are these two mating?

thoughts on kyoto

Kyoto is a city so rich with history, that with so many temples and buildings preserved from the time of the samurais, it feels like a throwback to 15th century Japan. Until you look down and see the hordes of people with their latest digital cameras in hand, that is.

The city has so many ancient temples that it'd really be a waste of effort trying to list them down one by one. However, they are all deserving of a visit or two, which is probably the reason why many people flock to Kyoto again and again. It is simply a very pretty city, and even with the introduction of modern conveniences, is still firmly protective of its heritage.



This is not to say though, that Kyoto doesn't have its share of post-modernistic buildings as well.

However, any visitors planning to cover Kyoto on foot should be warned: this is a BIG city, in terms of size. Kyoto maps are printed such that the places of interest seem close to each other, when in fact the distance in between can easily take half an hour's walk. Bicycles should be the preferred method of getting around.

thoughts on osaka

I finally got a taste of the Shinkansen service when I travelled to Osaka from Tokyo. It's something that everybody should probably try at least once in their lifetimes, taking high speed trains.

Back to Osaka though. It's probably a little unfair to say this, but from a sightseeing perspective Osaka is very much the Kansai counterpart to Tokyo, albeit with older infrastructure and amenities. It also has a seedier part of town (I happened to stay in a business hotel there in case you were wondering), with its fair share of strewn rubbish, run-down shops and homeless people. These are probably reasons why many tourists spend a larger amount of time in neighbouring Kyoto.

However, what really gives Osaka its unique flavour is its people. They are loud, brash, and funny as well. Kansai, and Osakan in particular, humour is very much appreciated all around Japan, and it seems innate amongst its inhabitants. They are quick to warm up to people, provide many interesting answers and opinions, and perhaps most importantly, are always welcoming you to another helping of drinks!

This is probably the only city that I visited that you could have a company CEO coming to a very basic lounge in a small business hotel just to lounge and make friends. I even got invited to lunch at one of the many curry rice chain stores he owns across Japan, and was personally sent off at the train station by him as well! Now THAT's what I call hospitality.


Osaka is also home to 2 of the more interesting escalator rides in the world. One has you look as if you're suspended in mid-air 37 floors above the ground, while the other looks as if you're on the stairway to heaven.

thoughts on yokohama

(Been a little sidetracked the past few weeks, pardon me for my usual tardiness! :P)

Yokohama is slightly over half an hour by JR trains from Tokyo (on an express service, all-stops trains take about an hour), but has a very different feel to its much larger counterpart. However, it can be argued that Yokohama IS in fact part of the Tokyo area itself, since the two areas merge seamlessly in the Kanagawa area.

The port city is probably most famous for its Chinatown, and its many Chinese food stalls and shops that sell treats of the highest quality. However, it is also ridiculously tacky, and is more akin to a Westerner's opinion of medieval China than you'd expect from a country in our part of the world.

Besides Chinatown, Yokohama also has a waterside promenade in Yamashita Park. This is pretty much Yokohama's answer to Tokyo's Odaiba island, although it wasn't built on reclaimed land. Families come here to relax and enjoy the view of the Minato Mirai area directly opposite the shore, and there are a few buskers around to lend a slightly bohemian feel to the place.

Yokohama is a more relaxed city compared to the madness of Tokyo, and perhaps will be a good breather for those who are looking to escape the capital, but still want to have the conveniences that only a big city can provide.

東京だよ!

So after weeks of travelling across Europe, I finally made my way to the Land of the Rising Sun. Slight irony though, that the sun set while on the plane, and I arrived pretty much just in time to catch the last train heading into the city from Haneda Airport.

I don't even know where to begin describing Tokyo. Istanbul may have been huge, but Tokyo is almost like its own country in itself. It's much larger in area, and has about twice to thrice as many people. There's a crowd just about everywhere you can go, and you're never far enough from the person next to you.

Another person may feel asphyxiated and claustrophobic in such circumstances, but strangely enough I felt well at ease in here. Being able to speak Japanese probably helped a lot, but maybe I'm just a big city person anyway. It may sound like a huge waste of time for some people, but I thoroughly enjoyed just walking around the different districts, and sometimes just allowing myself to be lost.



Possibly the most interesting feature of Tokyo is that it has so many contrasting places within its large boundaries, which is to be expected probably but still pleasantly surprising.

Odaiba is a man-made island just off the coast of Tokyo Bay, created during the bubble-economy days. Originally set aside for commercial use, these days it's pretty much a recreational space away from the hustle and bustle of the main city with a few shopping malls, but more importantly wide open spaces that families flock to during the weekends just to relax and spend quality time together. It also houses the futuristic and awkward looking Fuji TV headquarters.



On the other hand, you have Shibuya, world famous shopping haven and home to the busiest traffic intersection in the world. The area is just buildings after buildings, and people rushing off to the next mall or restaurant while busily chatting away on their over-decorated cellphones. There are also the huge LCD screens as well promoting the latest CD releases and providing weather forecasts. This could just be the noisiest place in the world, with everybody and everything trying to outdo each other to get the attention of the consumers.

Add in the skyscrapers of Shinjuku and Marunouchi, the teenybopper haven of Harajuku, the wide expanses of Ueno Park, the historic quarter of Asakusa, and you pretty much have a city that is impossible to be bored in. It's definitely a city that is best experienced, rather than be read about.

イエイ！

久しぶりの日本語のポスト！話したいことなんかないだけど。。。

thoughts on istanbul

Istanbul couldn't be a further departure from Brasov stepping out of the main train station on the European side, with vehicles and people coming at you from all sorts of directions. It took me an entire day to get there by train, but it proved to be worth the long train ride.

Istanbul is probably best described by the word big. It is absurdly huge (the northern and southern limits of the city are the Black Sea and Aegean Sea themselves), and has an absurdly huge population. The mosques are huge, the bridges are huge, the bazaar is huge, and almost everything else is huge. It's no wonder that many tourists find it an intimidating place.

There's a sense of chaos that prevails as well, with everybody moving at a fast, but unsynchronised pace. Traffic is crazy as well, with many drivers showing scant regards to traffic rules. And the sheer noise produced by so many people living in one city can really cause headaches to those unaccustomed to a big city.

That said, the city still manages to have plenty of spaces to escape from it all. There are beautiful parks, gardens and mosques within walking distance from each other, perhaps to serve as breathing space away from the hustle and bustle. And then of course there is the seaside, which may be crowded but still provide breathtaking views for people to enjoy and do some reflection.


The people are a wonderful lot as well. Everyone I came across was really friendly and helpful, despite most of them not being able to speak English very well. There may have been a lot of gesturing and guessing, but it was hard to miss their warmth and hospitality as they offered advice, help, and the odd cup of tea. It may have been touristy, but still nothing beats being made to feel at ease in a foreign land.



I also happened to come across these 2 other Singaporean girls travelling on their own across Turkey and Greece as well, by pure luck. Needless to say, we decided to do our sightseeing together for the next 2 days, and talked mainly about things back home like all Singaporeans abroad do.

Before I left, I managed to catch the famous Istanbul derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, but I guess that's for another story.

thoughts on brasov

After all that hustle and bustle of Prague and Budapest, getting into Brasov was a breath of fresh air. Here was a quiet little city that didn't try to overwhelm your senses all at once, and things ran at a remarkably slower pace.

Brasov itself is a pretty small and compact city, though not quite small enough to be called a town. However, one could very easily walk to anywhere in town, if you were on a tight budget. It's also the most rewarding way to look around town, with tiny little nooks that open up into a whole bag of surprises more often than not.

Most travellers, however, are drawn to Brasov for one very simple reason: Bran Castle, otherwise known as Dracula's Castle. However, it really is just a gimmick thought up the some enterprising locals from the nearby town of Bran to get some quick tourist dollars. The only references one can get of the blood-thirsty vampire are at the many stalls set up along the short path that leads to the castle. The inside of the castle has of course been converted into a museum (like many others), detailing its long history. Expect to be let down big time, if you're a vampire seeker.

thoughts on budapest

I probably won't do justice to Budapest in this review, as I'm sure many people have had a wonderful time here. However, I think I just got unlucky, getting a serious cold and being put up in a pretty cold and drab place (the hostel owner was really warm and caring though). To make matters worse, it rained the entire time I was there as well.

Although the locals will surely disagree, Budapest felt pretty similar to Prague with the same grand buildings and bridges. Even the layout seemed the same, with the main castle located across the river from the main town area. The city also operates extensively on a combination of the tram and metro systems.

However, there are some really important differences as well. Being closer to the Eastern European countries, there has been an influx of ideas and cultures from the East, which is very evident in the number of Muslim establishments in the city. However, the city is still very much European, and like mentioned has many of the architectural styles seen in other Central European cities.


There are a couple of places that did make Budapest a better experience though. The first was a visit to a bath/spring, which was thoroughly relaxing and enjoyable. After being in the cold rain for the best part of 2 days, the warm baths were definitely a welcome change.


The other place which I really found interesting was this place intimidatingly called House of Terror. It is actually a museum for Hungary's recent history, detailing life under the Nazi and then Soviet regimes. The exhibits were really well thought out, and is sure to leave visitors with a deep impression.

I think I'd probably have a better time in Budapest if I visited it again, it's sad I couldn't enjoy it as much as I could have.