5 Centimeters Per Second

Yours truly is so full of sorrow and melancholy now.

I just watched 5 Centimeters Per Second, a 2007 Japanese animated feature film by Makoto Shinkai. It's a breathtakingly beautiful film with realistic and well-drawn scenes, and I can only imagine how much dedication and concentration it took the animators to piece together the consistently flawless illustrations.

I say realistic, because I could actually recognise the train stations from my trip back in March - from the turnstiles to the top-up machines and the platforms.

Beautiful picturesque sceneries and settings make my heart weep. Some probably understand how I feel - when you see something so pretty, but you just can't do anything about it. It hurts a little just gazing and marvelling at such a creation, but you can't tear your eyes away.

It suits the storyline of this film really well though, I realise - now that I've written the above out. The plot essentially evokes those somewhat bittersweet, quietly sad and slightly painful emotions in you. Actually, there is no plot.

Unlike American films and cartoons that go with the basic Intro-Problem-Climax-Resolution-End plot, this film (along with many other well-known Japanese films) seems  to want to embrace the real experiences of life, channeling the almost directionless notion of our lives where we live each day out not actually knowing what to expect tomorrow. It makes you slightly uncomfortable when you recognise that element and empathise with what the characters are going through. Instead of leaving you with good feelings and motivation in life , 5 Centimeters Per Second leaves you questioning our brief existence in this time frame.

This show is a must-watch for people who really appreciate beautiful landscapes, and especially for people who ponder a lot about life. I can imagine some people who'd yawn and fast forward during the show, and go "What the heck" after watching, lamenting about their wasted time, though.

I just wish I hadn't watched it on the night before a work day, because I will bring all the melancholic vibes with me which would just make me even more tired with the work added on.

Anyway, here's the ending song at the end (duh) of the film, with a brief overview of the whole film in form of selected movie time frames:

Japanese Wannabe

I just realized that recently I've been all "Japan this" and "Japan that" - and it occurred to me that it can be pretty irritating to other people. Just like how I sometimes scoff at girls who excessively pick up South Korean mannerisms and all, other people may be doing the same to me whenever I spazz about how awesome Japan is. Either that, or they show the reaction below:

That's only because Japanese culture otakus like myself aren't common especially among girls, unlike those starstruck South Korean drama/pop/culture majority of girls.

And Japan is awesome. That's a fact you can hardly deny.

It's just that I probably need to cool off on trying to emulate Japanese people. However, learning their language is still acceptable, right? I mentioned briefly in the previous post that I've begun to take learning Japanese seriously (beyond just picking up bits of common words from anime) - investing in a super thick elementary level Japanese textbook and a notebook to practise.

There you go. I bought the book from Kinokuniya at Liang Court (you can find a lot of Japanese people here!) where a really nice Japanese attendant helped me locate the book. After watching "Abroadin Japan", a Youtube channel by this British teacher living and working in Japan, I decided to get the book as per his recommendation on how to speak Japanese fluently in 6 months. You should check out his channel as he presents Japan from his perspective, and inserts his own "dry British humour" into his videos.

Right now I'm happy with my learning progress, because my speed at reading hiragana and katakana has greatly improved!

Anyway out of randomness' sake, here's something good for you to see:

My current eyecandy of the moment - Japanese Men's Non-no exclusive model Sakaguchi Kentaro! I got to know of Ken-chan through the manga Hirunaka no Ryuusei (My Daytime Shooting Star), which I wrote about last year, as Ken-chan here is the model on which the illustration of character Mamura Daiki was based! He will be appearing in the live-action movie of the manga Heroine Shikkaku as Hiromitsu Kou, set to show in fall this year! Not too sure if it will show in Singapore though.

Ken-chan also appeared in this five-volume 'The Colors of Japan' series on Youtube, which you should watch - not just because of Ken-chan (heheh) - to appreciate the beautiful places in Japan and admire the nice filmography.

I sometimes envy the experiences of the Japanese people especially their school life which always seem so eventful and exciting. However it might only be my unreasonable impression garnered from all the anime and dramas I watch.

But thinking back on my own school life, I did have a few "Japanese schoolgirl" moments, such as admiring a senior in college (*senpai notice me!*), hanging out with fellow girlfriends like in Lucky Star etc., and I have no regrets I guess.

Especially the "senpai please notice me" part - I can't stop laughing at myself. Just 2 days ago on Friday I was back at VJC to attend my juniors' Perfect Fifth 2015 Guitar concert where I saw my senior again after a long long time. Sad to say I didn't get to talk or say hi to him (which would be a lot easier for me now compared to last time when I was still an embarassed junior hiding behind walls to peep at dear senpai), but just seeing him again made me feel the nostalgia all over again.

So you see, as much as I don't wanna annoy people with my Japanese mannerisms, I really can't help it as it's become part of my life. I'll still work hard towards my goal of mastering the language and then probably work in the countryside of Japan as a teacher, just like Chris Broad in "Abroadin Japan"! Which reminds me - I'm no longer going to WKWSCI to study, and will be attending the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) at NUS instead! I'm interested in taking up Japanese Studies as a minor as it won't be practical at all to major in it. As for what to major in, I'll still have to decide.

Writing about what I love really makes me feel a lot better. I've been in a foul mood these days because of my work at the Zoo as I mentioned previously. Even on my off-days, I still can't entirely shake off the stress from work, so I'm real relieved that I'll be quitting in mid-June. I'm the sort of person who unconsciously gives my all in my work, which makes me regret sometimes when I get disappointed from colleagues not sharing the same work attitude or angry when I find that putting in so much effort is useless and not appreciated at all. It just brings back those same foul feelings from band days in secondary school.

Well for now I'm just looking forward to watching the Naruto Live Action show on 6 June with Iggy at RWS Theatres! We got our tickets some time back online, but Iggy went to request for the physical tickets for keepsakes - WIN! As Haruki Murakami, one of my favourite authors, said:

Read: itami wa yokerarenai. kurushimi wa opushion desu.

Life will always pile shit on you, but I don't have to suffer and let it get me down forever. I still have all these things that I love to keep me positive, and just for that, I am thankful.

11.23pm

It's 11.23pm now - nothing special or out of the ordinary, but I just felt like penning (or typing ._.) some thoughts out. Besides, I've been dead on all my social media - even Instagram, which I was most active on. So let me just discreetly creep in and make a comeback on this platform and express a few thoughts or rant a little.

I've been really tired recently because of my work at the Zoo. The last you've heard about my work there was about me being assigned to entrance duty. Well now I'm assigned to the corporate office as an Operator, whose job scope includes answering phone calls (ranging from general zoo enquiries to calls looking for a staff from some department), replying emails, handling admin like Lost and Found reports, receiving deliveries, dealing with walk-ins at the reception etc etc ETC.

And recently I've been getting shit from a lot of people calling in demanding for overdue refunds, or even just plain rude callers. All that on top of the already heavy workload we are tasked with. From this experience as an operator, I have developed a sharper tongue and firmer stance with unreasonable people and I think that constitutes as being stronger, hopefully. It really isn't easy - I've seen a fellow operator walk off to cry after attending to a call from an unreasonable guest who insulted her. And even when shit piles on us, we still have to press on and answer all the other calls with a fake, practised, pleasant voice while our faces are just plain tired.

So with all these work, all I want to do whenever I get home is just to eat, shower, and lose myself in anime or an Otome game on my phone, then sleep early and prepare for another battle the next day. Which is why I haven't been active on social media at all. All inspiration has been drained from me even though I work in a place where friends and families go to for a good time.

Very very recently though, I've found some kind of new purpose to save me from falling into a dead cycle of work, eat, shower, sleep. Before university starts, I decided to self-learn Japanese. Seriously. So I went to Kinokuniya and invested in a practice notebook and a げんき (Genki) Japanese textbook (that cost me over 60 bucks T__T) and kickstarted my Japanese lessons. I would spend about half and hour daily just practising my Hiragana and Katakana, reviewing and making sure I have internalised what I've learnt by reading random Japanese text on items around me - like the labels on some items at home, or Japanese posts by those Jap instagrammers I follow. It's really great fun to learn something new, be it an instrument or a subject.

Anyway I'll be quitting my job in mid June for good, and will probably take up tutoring to continue earning some moolah. It's a great feeling to be able to say "I'll treat this time." or "It's okay for me to buy this cos it's my own money that I earned" now that I'm earning my own pocket money. It makes me feel more empowered, and more independent. I always hated the feeling of 'owing' someone, or holding back because someone else is paying, even with my own family - pretty much a given since I'm the type of person who hates giving people unnecessary trouble and cannot stand the stereotype of "he's the guy, he should pay for everything".

It's 11.56 now - nothing special or out of the ordinary, but my eyes are closing and I have a battle to fight tomorrow. I will be writing another post in my free time, cos there's still loads I wanna write about! 

Insignificance

此の世界はきれいすぎる.

kono sekai wa kirei sugiru

This world is too beautiful.

Before you bolt, let me assure you that this post isn't one of those depressing posts I always end up writing (or so I hope). I'd like to think that my perspectives of the world - of life - aren't ideas of hopelessness, of resignation. Rather, I'd like to believe that I'm merely accepting reality so that I may live the rest of my short period of existence to the fullest, sans drama and airy fairy irrelevant expectations.

Anyway, it's cherry blossom season back in Japan now, and I still feel like I've left a part of myself back there. I can't bring myself to forget the places I've been to last month. While a part of me is dying to return, another part of my consciousness understands that good things should linger as good precious memories even in their short time-span. Excess only serves to diminish value. 

I'm glad I went to all those places. The vibes I've gathered from those places resonate within me somehow. Even as the days become tiring and discouraging with challenges at work and at home, I feel at peace when I close my eyes and imagine myself alone back at those places - watching a peaceful lake at Kawaguchiko, catching snowflakes on the post-winter landscape of Kachi Kachi, losing my identity and self among the throngs of people on the concrete streets of Harajuku. 

In the face of the overwhelming beauty of nature or the magnitude of life on this planet, I feel increasingly more insignificant. It's not a negative perspective to take. How so? Insignificance in this case makes you humble. Know this - you are not the only one who has gone through most of the experiences you've encountered. Don't be excessively proud when your selfish achievements pale in comparison to the great contributions others have made to improve our world. Don't wallow in self-pity for too long when others have already picked themselves up from deeper pits and moved on. We as individuals are but like ants.

If you think my perspectives make me a weak and meek person, you are wrong. I have no intention of being lost in the crowd. Insignificance also acts as a motivation to better myself - in my own way. I don't have to follow society's expectations on the road to success and fame. As long as I stand firm by my own principles and stay honest to myself when the odds are against me, I am more than satisfied.

Time is running out. We have no time for nothing. I don't want to waste my time being unsure any longer, regretting. Empty words are wasted on me. Enough of the superficial, and get a few doses of reality. Come to your senses and look around you carefully. 

Of course, there ought to be balance in everything. While I firmly believe in staying realistic in life, I also believe that escape routes are necessary, as long as you keep those two spheres separate by a fine line as best as possible. Anime and games are my escape, and while most people dismiss them as mere entertainment, I for one have learnt a lot from them. In fact, they may have played a significant part in shaping my treasured perspectives on the meaning of life and existence. 

Speaking of which, I've begun watching the animes Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titans) and Kuroko no Basuke (The Basketball Kuroko Plays) which Iggy recommended. Despite having scoffed at the seemingly disproportionate hype over mere basketball for the latter, I have been caught up in the craze hook, line and sinker.

I have never been particularly interested in sports in general, much less basketball. Even though I do know that this anime over-exaggerates the possibilities of the game, I have started to gain interest in it! I have to confess though, that the fact that this anime is male-dominated is actually a huge selling point for me because these guys are good-looking (always so in anime yeap), cool, and absolutely humorous. 

Basically the story revolves around a middle-school basketball team from Teiko middle school called the Generation of Miracles (Kiseki no Sedai) whose individual members all possess a special skill each, making their team formidable and unrivaled. As such due to the lack of worthy opponents, all five members plus the phantom sixth member agree to move on to different high schools after graduation and compete against one another during the high school basketball tournaments to see which member is the strongest. The sixth member (and protagonist), Kuroko Tetsuya, joins a newly formed basketball team in Seirin high school together with Kagami Taiga (another protagonist) who had just moved in from America and wishes to challenge the Generation of Miracles. 

I love all the characters, but so far my favourite is the initial antagonist in the series - Aomine Daiki, the ace of Teiko back in his Generation of Miracles days and of Touo high school at present. He totally slays in coolness and badass levels!

Iggy likes Midorima Shintaro, the green haired bespectacled guy, whom I find pretty cool but a little too uptight and serious for my liking. 

School should be starting around July - August, so I'm planning to stop working in mid June to enjoy myself somemore! Oh yeah, I'll be attending Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at NTU, so if you're entering that course too, then awesome, we'll be batchmates :) I've been aiming for this school since JC1, so I'm real glad I got in. Time has indeed passed by really fast. I still remember myself during those personal CT sessions with Ms Cheryl and Mr Najib, discussing about my future plans etc. And the future we talked about then is now happening at present. The concept of time never fails to amaze me.

I guess that's about it. It felt like ages since I posted but that was just 20 or so days ago. Work has kept me so occupied that I haven't had time to really sit down and contemplate life like what I always do in my free time.

I'll end off with a really nice and encouraging old song by AKB48 called Sakura no ki ni narou. I heard the song somewhere randomly recently and recognised it from back when I was an avid AKB48 fan. The MV for the song has a really nice spring vibe to it too, with a mix of sadness, nostalgia, acceptance and encouragement.

I like the chorus, which goes like this:

永遠の桜の木になろう

eien no sakura no ki ni narou

I will turn into an eternal sakura tree

そう僕はここから動かないよ

sou boku wa koko kara ugokanai yo

Yes, I won't move from here

もし君が心の道に迷っても

moshi kimi ga kokoro no michi ni mayotte mo 

Even if you get lost on your heart's path

愛の場所がわかるように立っている

ai no basho ga wakaru youni tatte iru

I'll be standing here, showing you where love is.

Avoiding Trouble

I'm an aunt! Haha baby Eliza Chin was born yesterday (yes, it just had to be April Fools' Day right?) around 5.25pm at Thomson Medical Centre. I was at work in the zoo getting updates on the family whatsapp group from when Stella got admitted in the morning to when she finally gave birth in the evening right before I knocked off from work. We visited her later at night and finally saw Eliza! The feeling is indeed different from when I see other babies, because my own sister gave birth to her.

Apart from all the excitement, there's a whole slew of problems arising over the care of both mother and newborn. My mom tells me about how the in laws fuss over Stella even though my sister sometimes emphasises that it really is unnecessary to do that, such as making tonics for her to drink. And somehow my mom is also involved which makes things troublesome (cue Shikamaru's "mendokusai").

This whole in laws thing further adds to a list of reasons why I don't intend to get hitched if I can help it. It's too troublesome. Of course we all do know and understand that my mom and my sister's mother in law are deeply concerned about the health and wellbeing of the mother- daughter pair, but i really think that all the disagreements and complaining in between are just a waste of time. 

Basically all pointless, petty, prideful arguments are a waste of time, energy and thought. Most of the quarrels I see in couples are actually very trivial (and somehow follows an unfortunate trend where women are most of the time the unreasonable ones). Fuelled by pride and a need to be right, both sides go on and on about how their opinion is correct and how their partner's are irrelevant - nobody is actually listening to each other. Which is one of the biggest flaws of people in this world. 

For me, unless I'm terribly wronged, id rather just keep my mouth shut and focus my energies on something more productive rather than try to prove a point of some stupid trivial squabble. However im only speaking from a third person's perspective. If I ever get into a relationship I might commit the same faults I detest and never realise it. Because love is blind isn't it pfft.

Anyway I'm excited to see how Eliza will grow as she starts her life on this world! 

Excitement

The things that make me all breathless and wide-eyed with excitement are usually the things I love. And what comes to mind immediately when I think of what could make me feel that way are three things - anime, games and eye candies. 

Anime is my life. It has shaped the way I look at the world and people around me, making reality less mundane and dreams possibly more accessible. I realise my thought processes are a lot like some anime characters - sometimes even my actions. For example it has become natural for me to go "ehhhhhhhhh?" when I want to express doubt. Weird but yes, you can see how much it has rubbed off on me.

Just yesterday I was out for most of the day with Iggy, exploring Haw Par Villa, chilling out at Vivo City and then (FINALLY) watching The Last: Naruto the Movie at West Mall. I was so excited to watch the movie - spazzing from Haw Par Villa all the way to West Mall and going all nuts when we finally bought our tickets and received a The Last: Naruto the Movie fan together with the tickets. 

When the movie started with a stunning run through of the history of ninjas from when Kaguya Otsutsuki ate the forbidden fruit to when Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara clashed to when Minato and Kushina sacrificed their lives to seal Kurama in Naruto (all non-Naruto watchers be like what????) I was controlling myself from shrieking and flailing because there was so much emotion welling up inside me - as a Naruto fan, remembering the long journey of the finished series just tugged at my heartstrings.

However truth to be told I was honestly disappointed at the end because I had expected a more mindblowing action filled plot involving more characters fighting instead of the focus on the romance between Naruto and Hinata and not to mention the 5 minute long cheesy scene at the end of the movie. Still, the fact that the series now has a closure made me more than satisfied generally. I'm looking forward to the August release of Boruto the Movie which focuses on the next generation of ninjas! CAN'T WAIT.

Iggy recommended new animes to watch - Kuroko no Basuke and Attack on Titan. I'm probably gonna try Attack when I finish the present animes I'm watching though I'm not too excited because this anime is not all fantasy and dreams due to its gory content. Sure I do love horror gore but I like to keep my anime preferences clean. But since Iggy recommended it so much I guess I could try?

Next up, I'm getting all excited for Final Fantasy XV! The trailers look promising and I'm getting hyped up to know more about the game plot. Sadly I don't think I'll be getting the game because it's produced for PS4 and PC (I only have a PS3 and I don't like playing such awesome games on a small PC screen), and I haven't even finished FFXIII! I'm a little unmotivated to continue completing the game because I haven't touched the console for about 2 weeks. I should try to complete it before university starts shouldn't I?

Lastly, EYE CANDIES. My eye candies usually fall in the same category of appearance - big, magnetic eyes (the most important feature), shy looking guys! There's my senior from college, that guy I saw at Uniqlo in Japan and I'm pretty sure there are a few more I've seen before but just can't remember. I go all fan-girl mode and (prepare yourself this is gonna be disgusting):

1. Bury my face into my pillow and scream and giggle like mad

2. Roll around in my bed 

3. Pound my pillow 

4. Peep at the photo again

5. Repeat steps 1 - 4.

Say if I'm outside and don't have the comfort of my bed and pillows to do the above, I break into this stupid grin, turn really red and keep glancing at the eye candy. Sometimes I tell someone. Like in Japan, I ran to my dad (because mom and Stacey were nowhere to be seen) and just said "Dad there's this really cute guy over there." And brought him over to see. Why? BECAUSE GOOD THINGS ARE MEANT TO BE SHARED.

Eye candies and real crushes are different. I would go crazy seeing an eye candy but wouldn't particularly want to get to know him because I just like to look at him. Crushes, on the other hand, are people whom you develop an interest in because of their personality or actions that attract you and make you want to know more about them.

Yeap, that's all about things I love that make my blood boil with excitement!

Japan - Land of my Dreams

Hulloooo minna-san (everybody) I'M BACK. I have been to the land of dreams and now I'm back in the hot and humid tropical equatorial country of Singapore. So as I promised (to myself in the previous post because who reads this godforsaken blog) I would be posting about my adventures in Japan - uploading pictures and writing about my experiences! I'm just bursting to write it all down. And it's gonna be a long post so if there's any lost soul chancing upon this blog entry I caution you about possibly wasting your time.

I'm really afraid that I'll miss out an important part while writing this out. I had brought a notebook there to jot down entries so that I would know what to write BUT THERE WAS JUST NO TIME. I only have one entry which was written on the first day at Haneda International Airport while waiting for my sister to collect the data sim card and buy the bus tickets to Kawaguchiko. But here goes nothing!

Kawaguchiko

Lake Kawaguchiko was our first destination for the week long trip. There are a few places in Japan where you can view Mt Fuji from, and Kawaguchiko is one of them. The refreshingly quiet and scenic lake offers a great environment for rejuvenation and reflection - perfect for lone travelers to slowly take in and enjoy the beautiful landscape without having to worry about being disrupted by too much noise or disturbed by other passers-by. For me, this was my favourite destination throughout the trip because I've always preferred the peaceful countryside setting where I can take my time to fully appreciate the gift of nature. This place has a lot of potential for you to find inspiration as well so it's a great place for people looking to write poems or stories. 

My first meal in Japan - RAMEN. The ramen here is out of this world. The broth was so rich, and the noodles were chewy and had a bite to it. The portion was big too and we had a little difficulty chowing down all of it. 

We stayed at Fuji Lake Hotel right next to the lake for the night. The room was comfortable and homely, and the hotel had an onsen as well! To go to the public bath we had to wear the yukata provided by the hotel, and since it was my first time wearing one, I just had to take a shot even though I don't normally like to take pictures of myself!

My experience at the public baths was kinda interesting. They had separate baths for men and women. As you would have probably figured by now, the 'public' in public baths would have meant seeing OTHER women bathing as well. I went alone by myself first since my mom and my sister wanted to go for the hotel Bingo session which I wasn't too keen on.

It was absolutely awkward at first, and I had to read the instructions on the wall twice to make sure I wasn't going to do anything weird - not that it helped because it did feel weird seeing other women's bits and junk (all of them were old women)...and then realizing that my own junk was exposed too. (Oh, forgot to put a PG caution before writing that...but who's gonna read this anyway!) That aside, the hot bath was reaaaallly good. It was burning hot at first and I almost bailed but after getting used to it was really comforting. I turned red as a lobster but I guess it's worth it because I heard hot soaks are good for your skin. I kinda wanna go again but the free exposure still needs some getting used to...

The next morning I shot a few more pictures from the hotel dining room during breakfast, before we headed to Mt Kachi Kachi via a cable car to try to get a better view of Fuji.

At the top of Kachi Kachi, we couldn't get a good view of Fuji because there were clouds covering the mountain. While just walking around taking pictures there was suddenly little white bits floating down from the sky. I asked a Japanese photobooth photographer near me: "Kore wa yuuki desu-ka? (Is this snow?)" and he replied "Hai, yuuki desu! Samui na! (Yes it's snow! It's cold isn't it!)" And thus my experience was further made perfect by the sudden unxpected snowfall. I had Konayuki (Powder snow) by Remioromen playing in my head the whole time while watching the snow float down from the white skies.

We returned to ground level and went back to collect our luggage from the hotel. With the snow still falling, we boarded the bus headed to Shinjuku from Kawaguchiko station and bid goodbye to the lake.

Tokyo

The landscape running past outside my window on the bus morphed - from one with towering mountains, vegetation and little houses clustered together, into one filled with high-rise buildings and apartments, billboards and more road connections. Gone was the dreamy landscape reminiscent of the illustrations in animated films from Studio Ghibli. We were in the urban city of Tokyo where efficiency is key - people in their suits gripping suitcases bustling past, vehicles running, billboards flashing. A place where everything moves like clockwork, pulling you in with the flow unconsciously, making you blend in and form part of the life circulating the concrete streets.

We boarded the JR Yamanote Line at Shinjuku heading towards Gotanda station, where our rented apartment serving as our accommodation for the next 4-5 days was situated.

How local commuters behave and organize themselves on a train reflects a lot about their culture. As you may have heard or read about somewhere, the Japanese are very considerate people. It is in their culture to consider the implications their actions have on others, and to act accordingly - something I really prize, and something largely and regrettably absent in Singapore where efficiency is similarly key but self-centeredness is equally prominent.

The Japanese line up neatly on the platform to wait for all disembarking passengers to clear before boarding the train, no matter how rushed or crowded it is. They automatically move into the inner rear of the train carriage, lining up neatly on each side facing out towards the windows when all the seats are occupied so as to allow more passengers to board as well. Phones are expected to be on silent, and calls are not allowed in order not to disturb the other passengers. Such clean-cut organization observed is refreshing to the eye, and makes me a little envious as to why it isn't reflected in my own country's train passenger etiquette. We have a lot to learn from the Japanese.

In this picture, we were at Gotanda trying to locate the apartment on the map. The funny thing is, it's right there in the same picture next to the white building, but at the time I snapped this shot, we were all clueless, feeling helpless and awkward with our luggages. The feeling of being lost in a foreign, unfamiliar city with no guide and only Google maps to help was indescribable - a mix of fear, excitement, exasperation, desperation all lumped together along with other feelings I can't figure.

By the time we finally settled in our apartment, it was evening. We headed to TOC Gotanda, a mall opposite our apartment, to shop at Uniqlo. We had to be fast because like most malls and shops in less frequented areas, Uniqlo and generally the whole TOC mall closes at 8.30 pm. Nonetheless, a shopping spree at Uniqlo cannot be missed out on any trip to Tokyo because the stores in Japan here have much more variety, and the prices are slightly lower than that of Singapore's. I got 2 cardigans and 2 dresses which made my day. What made my day even more was the cute Japanese sales guy with big eyes who helped explain the discounts. He was really, really cute. :3

The next few days in Tokyo we explored Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Shibuya. Ameyoko, Ueno Park, Asakusa Sensoji Temple and Tokyo Skytree. We were getting used to navigating our way round the train stations, moving orderly on the streets (people here keep to their left on escalators, streets - everywhere!) etc. 

My sister and I did most of the "tour guide" work, with Stacey in charge of the itinerary and online research (since she has mobile data) and myself in charge of communicating with the locals when ordering food or asking for directions since (I don't mean to brag) my Japanese is the best among all of us... or rather I'm the only one who can speak and understand some of that beautiful language. Of course, my Japanese isn't perfect since I never had formal Japanese lessons and I only picked it up from watching anime and listening to Japanese songs. However it made me more determined than ever to learn it for real as a module when I enter university. Just watch - I'll perfect my Japanese (and go back to find me a cute Jap husband to marry hahaha).

Meiji Shrine

 Shibuya Crossing

Ueno Park

Asakusa 

Asakusa Sensoji Temple

Tokyo Skytree

The food we had over the few days were all delicious and worth every bit of yen we paid. Not only were the restaurant food we had delicious - even the instant food like cup ramen and microwave dishes at the convenience stores (especially Lawson's) were great. My family and I were commenting how we wished Singapore's convenience stores would have instant food of such quality, marveling over the genius of Japan as always for not falling short of quality expectations even for instant food. Then I realised that it's because Singapore's instant food industry isn't in demand as much as Japan since we're all about healthy living and eating, whereas the ever busy workforce of Japan would see quick ready made delicious food as necessary when there is just no time to prepare a proper meal after a long hard day's work.

On the 5th day in Tokyo, we cleaned up our apartment and departed to take the train to Maihama Station, where Tokyo Disneyland and Disneysea is.

Tokyo Disneyland and Disneysea

For the last stop, we decided to end the trip with some magical moments and memories. And where else but Disneyland, "Where Dreams Come True"? Almost instantly, the fast-paced, busybee atmosphere slowed to the light beats of the never-ending medley of Disney songs playing everywhere, and the monotone suits and coats were replaced with splashes of bright colours as children, teenagers and adults alike all dress in elements of recognizable Disney characters. Mickey Mouse as always is the most popular - in every single direction you turned there would always be a someone with her hair tied into two round buns on her head to resemble Mickey's or Minnie's ears, or simply donning a Mickey ears headband.

Since we arrived in the late afternoon, we spent about 4 hours at Disneyland, and the whole day next at Disneysea since we were more interested in the rides at the latter location. The pictures shown from here onwards are from my sister's camera, since I was too preoccupied enjoying myself to take good photos.

Since we only entered in the evening, we only managed to sit on 3 rides (Pirates of the Carribean, some cool roller coaster and some Snow White ride), watch a parade and a show. However my favourite memory was the Electric Parade Dreamlights. We happened to see people sitting down on two sides waiting for something, and found out that the parade was starting soon. Luckily we sat down early enough to get a good view before more people gathered. The parade was beautiful, and never was I more excited to see and recognize the different characters as they rode past in a bright array of LED lights accompanied with lively music. I felt like a kid all over again.

Disneysea was great fun, however it was a pity we did not manage to sit on all the rides like we hoped to. Disneyland and sea have a Fastpass system where you could use your tickets to claim Fastpasses that grant you a place in the priority queue for the rides you obtain the passes for. We were new to the whole idea, and thus we only got Fastpass for Journey to the Center of the Earth, and queued for 2 - 3 hours for the other rides like Raging Spirits, Stormrider, 20 000 Leagues Under the Sea and Tower of Terror. I wanted to ride on the Indiana Jones: Temple of the Crystal Skull but sadly there was no time after we finished Tower of Terror, which was swell.

Thus ended our week long adventure in Japan, with happy faces shown.

As always, I have to cope with withdrawal symptoms after every great experience, not excluding this wonderful trip. It's great to be home, sure, but there are a lot of things I miss back in Japan. The considerate, orderly people and culture, the beautiful landscapes which satisfied my photography hunger, the delicious food, the great weather, and most importantly those precious feelings of peace and calm, feelings of ease yet feelings of excitement and anticipation as I fell more deeply in love with the country every passing day which came and went regrettably fast.

I will definitely return to this dream land of mine, make no mistake about that!