I was really really looking forward to our trip to Japan this spring, because it would be the first time seeing cherry blossom after missing it 2 years in a row.

However we had a problem. As everyone knows, the sakura season is insanely crowded with tourists in Japan. We confirmed our trip only a few weeks prior to flying, and we could not find an accommodation. Our regular apartment chains were fully booked, and hotels weren’t really an option as we need family-friendly amenities. We panicked. read more

I feel shy to even call it “coordinate” because they are technically just “random pieces of clothing I grab from beneath my toddler’s feet to put on and lumps of make up I hastily brush against my face so I look human when we are already very, very late for the intended train ride to catch“.

To be honest I don’t even dare to post #ootd photos anymore because I feel that I have been so out of touch with whatever that’s in-trend now because the word “fashionable” has disappeared from my life from quite a while ago. I haven’t bought any fashion-related item for myself for at least a year. Or more. And the last time I took a selfie was when I accidentally pressed the front camera button and all you could see was my chin and a big frown. read more

Quick omiyage shopping haul post! The usual every time I come back from Japan ^^.

Most of the items are from combini, Akachanhonpo (baby products), Don Quijote!

First there’s world yummiest granola – Furugura from Calbee. The usual version is sold in Singapore but I have not seen these editions yet. On the left is 20% less carb version and on the right is a seasonal edition Tropical Coconut flavor.

Everyone’s favorite snack Cheeza in diffrent cheese flavors.

Hunted for this eye cream for a friend as she said it is quite good, so got myself a tube too. It’s only 1000+ yen!! read more

After 2 years of missing the blissful clusters of pink everywhere in Japan, I am back.

2012

2013

2014

2015

Didn’t make it to Japan in spring due to the danna’s work commitment.

2016

Didn’t make it for cherry blossom because it would be too near my due date with Sakura. But I did manage to catch the one and only early bloomer in Shinjuku gyoen.

2017

Hanami on Tuesday in Osaka. This time with Sakura.

Still the best thing ever ♥

Many of you who are reading this page probably have something in common: you love Japan too!

Many, many, many of my readers send in emails and comments to ask about travel tips to Japan, and sometimes I really do not have the time to answer each and every one of them, and I feel really bad. Which is why I am trying to sort my Japan travel blog posts under a better categorization and also to work on more FAQ posts.

For Malaysians who are thinking of visiting Japan, this year would be a very good year because 2017 coincides the 60th Anniversary of the Establishment of Malaysia-Japan Diplomatic Relations. They have been good friends for a good 6 decades! read more

My family and I live in Singapore now, and we travel to Japan many times a year. It is ironic that the place that I called home, is the place that we visit the least now.

I am often asked if I miss anything back home in Malaysia. The answer is yes, of course. There are many many things that I miss. After all I have spent my entire life there. Seeing the @CNABringsMYHome campaign made home especially more nostalgic.

Like most people who are away from home, of course the thing that I miss most is my family. My mom lives in Seremban, the town that I grew up in, with Cheddie and Champon. Many people wonder where Champon is since we have moved to Singapore. He lives with my mom now. We had plans to bring him over to Singapore with us, but got postponed because of his health issue. We miss him dearly. read more

This is a cooking diary for myself. It is looooong cuz it’s a couple of months’ worth of meals haha. If you like you can browse through it and hope some of them give you some ideas on some simple cooking for kids and busy mama like yourself. (If you love the food but are not a mom or don’t like cooking then ask your husband/boyfriend cook for you lol).

I used to do #lunchforjunya but since now that he eats his lunch in school, it has turned into #breakfastforjunya instead.

I thought that since Junya’s school serves both breakfast and lunch, I could save some time (and snooze my alarm a few more times) in the morning to prep him for school. But it turned out to be quite the opposite. I have been waking up extra early to fix breakfast since the second day of his school life, and it was because of this: read more

Photo album for our trip to Gold Coast, Australia last month.

After one whole month of working without a single off day during CNY rush, the danna decided that he want to just chill the heck out at the beach for two whole weeks, so we traveled to his favorite surf spot – Gold Coast.

Junya has started liking the beach very much. Last month he told the danna, “papa, I want to go beach.” And immediately the danna’s eye lit up, and he went online to book last minute flight, that was how we all ended up in Bali suddenly. read more

Checked.

My 25th prefecture in Japan. 22 more to go.

We wanted a snowy holiday that’s not too far from Tokyo, so we decided to visit Niigata prefecture, also nicked “Snow Country”. Niigata is most famous for two things – skii resorts with soft, powdery snow and Koshihikari rice. And we were gonna enjoy both to the fullest 😛

Junya’s entertainment for the 2-hour shinkansen ride. And the toy was a… shinkansen lol. And the name of the Shinkansen is… Sakura lol. read more

While I was compiling the post for Niigata with 70 over pictures, here’s a short video on our shinkansen and snow adventure in Niigata prefecture! ♥

Update again soon! ^^

This post is about Tokyo Station. Yes there’s a railway station called “Tokyo Station” in Tokyo, and it is the busiest train station (with most trains – the one with the most people is Shinjuku Station) in Japan with over 3,000 trains operating everyday! How crazy does that sound!

Well, Tokyo Station is more than just a station. It is a small city on its own. Even if you are not using it to move to another city/prefecture, it is worth traveling all the way to Tokyo Station just to spend an afternoon eating and shopping. read more

All parents with toddlers will know the pain. The pain when your toddlers fall down, knock into things, get scratched… the headache when you see them hurt… and we can’t help it because it is a natural process as they grow.

Maybe it is really a boy thing, but Junya gets minor scratches almost on a daily basis. He falls down so often while running that his knees are forever scratched. A new wound happens before the previous one is healed. T__T

This happens so often that I’m stocking up bandages in our home. read more