This is Day 1 of our Setouchi X HomeAway trip. (Read previous post here .)

Highlight of the trip.^^

I am so thankful for HomeAway because it helped me unlock my 28th Prefecture: Ehime.

First time in Matsuyama Airport!

So Chanwon and I took a flight from Changi to Haneda via JAL, which landed at 5am in the morning ahead of time, and we were in luck because we had to rush over to the domestic departure after a loooong line clearing the immigration, for our connecting flight to Matsuyama. We got there just in time! read more

When I was 14, I had a dream. My dream was to visit Japan.

However that dream was held on for 10 years. One whole decade. I was 24 when I first visited Japan. And the reason why it look me so long was that Japan was way too expensive for a regular Malaysian fresh grad like me.

Yearssssssss later, I still get people telling that they are putting Japan on hold as their travel destination because it is too expensive to travel to.

So today I would like to change a little of that misconception, because nowadays, honestly, I sometimes think that certain things in Japan are so insanely cheap that I feel worried for them. Gyudon chains are rivaling to bring the price down down down down, supermarkets are all fighting to offer the lowest price. Want more customers? MAKE IT CHEAPER!! read more

You know, sometimes I wish that I can live 100 lives, so that I can spend each life living a different existence in different places in Japan. As a farmer, as a fisherman, as a sushi master, as a popular comedian, as a ninja, as a Shiba Inu. That is how amazing Japan is. Allow me to borrow their tourism tagline: Endless Discovery. Because one life is not enough.

What is Setouchi? You have been following my Instagram feed for the past week but you still have no idea what where how why. Hahahah. Relax. In this post I am going to explain it all, the beginner way. Because this blog’s mission is to spread the love for Japan to the world. And today I am going show you how traveling to Japan does not only stop at Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hokkaido, and also how to experience the most authentic local ways of life and get a peek into the historical wonders in the lesser travelled parts of Japan. read more

Please don’t flag my blog for having suspicious content based on the title above. In fact, This blog post is gonna be so useful for many people, that I think it deserves a medal.

So, if you followed my Instagram for the past week you’d know that I have been away for a trip to Japan without the cheesiepetits.

One of the hardest thing for me to be away other than emotional guilt, was to maintain my milk supply while I was not with Sakura. I was not ready to give up breastfeeding just yet. Our travel schedule was quite packed so it would not be very wise to keep asking for toilet breaks to pump. Plus there’s no way I would be bringing a breast pump. So I devised a plan: read more

Actually this post is about the most loved castle in Japan, Himeji Castle, and the most coveted beef worldwide, Kobe Beef. But it was also my birthday. So I win the title. But I still love you, Himeji Castle and Kobe Beef. You are welcome.

So for the past two days (31st March and 1st April) we had been traveling to different places in the Kansai region to fulfil my #47prefecture life mission. We had another day free for traveling, but I couldn’t decided where to go. Okayama for fruits? … Wakayama? It’s kind of a very unpopular place for tourists but that’s exactly why I wanted to visit, because I’d probably not get many chance to do it 😅. Hmmm… perhaps the lake in Shiga? read more

I am feeling very powerful now, because I have just visited the most sacred shrine and the second most sacred shrine in Japan, one after another in two days.

In the previous post I went to Ise Jingu in Mie Prefecture, and the next day I thought, let’s keep rolling and I decided to travel to Hiroshima. Hiroshima is one of the more popular destinations in Japan that I have not visited, and I was very excited to tick it off my #47prefecture bucket list.

Hiroshima is my 27th prefecture. 20 more to go. read more

During our 3 week’s stay in Osaka, the danna asked if I had any request to travel anywhere within the Kansai region, since we hardly come to this part of Japan. It had to be a day trip because we have booked our accommodation in Osaka throughout the stay.

I thought about it and I said, ALL!!!!! Mie, Shiga, Wakayama, in addition to the prefectures I have visited (Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Hyogo) to complete the whole region. But that’s not really possible, given the tight schedule. In the end I have decided that if there’s one place I’d like to visit, it has to be Ise Jingu, which is said to be the most sacred shrine in the entire Japan. read more

Haha yes, judging from the cheesy pun, you know this post is about oats. 😛

Oats have not really been a favorite in our family because I grew up thinking that oats were bland and boring. But I thought it was time I introduce variety into our breakfast table instead of the usual milk, cereal and bread. After studying a little about oats and experimenting with some recipe, I was delighted that oats do not have to be on the breakfast table only, it could very well make a main course, even dessert!

Today I will introduce 3 simple and fool-proof recipes. But before that, have you ever wonder what’s the difference between the various types of oats or oatmeal in the market? read more

Finally! Writing this post makes me so happy ❤︎

This is a photo post on all the breathtaking pink blossoms in Japan this spring.

Osaka Castle

Number76 Company Trip I

For 4 years in a row, Number76 has been organizing their annual company trips to Japan! I didn’t get to join the first one in 2014 because I just gave birth to Junya. For the first 3 years they went to Tokyo, so this time they decided to do it a little differently and travel to Osaka instead, during the sakura season!

The group was huge (80 over staff!!) so they split into 2 batches at different timing, and I was so lucky to be able to jojn both ❤︎ read more

Junya has his imaginary belongings. Now it’s my turn to have imaginary friends. Annoying ones.

This is how it feels like to spend a usual day at home. A dozen of imaginary oompa loompas trying to interrupt, distract and stop you from achieving anything at all. A few parachuting zigzag across the room, some climb right next to your ear and start playing drums, some eating ice creams that are already melting away at the spot you have just cleaned, a couple more bursting helium balloons everywhere else and one crawling at your leg crying to be picked up. read more

Yummy post today! Here are two weeks worth of Japanese noms during our trip to Osaka (and a week in Tokyo).

OSAKA

Ichigo

The first thing I hunted for was Ichigo.

A box of White Ichigo from Kuromon market for only 400 yen.

Sakura’s first.

Nom.

Hakata Amao. Soooo huge!

Spamming all the Ichigo pictures.

Ok last one!

Ramen

Kinryu Tonkotsu Ramen in Osaka! They say that Tonkotsu soup in Osaka is a lot lighter, so if you are used to the rich taste in Tokyo it’s gonna taste too light. I agree. Still love my Ichiran! read more

Sakura is turning 1 next month and Junya is turning 3 the month after next. 不知不觉 I have already taken up the daunting job as a mother for 3 years.

You’d think that I’d be quite experienced at my job now but noooooo. Every single day is a new challenge and every single day I am still repeating a trial and error process and learn from where I have failed.

Junya is in a dilemma between wanting to be the independent big boy who doesn’t need to hold hands on the road and can pour his own milk and eat only whatever he wants, yet at the same time a baby whom mama will carry from his bed to the living room upon waking and put on his socks. read more