This is the USJ i’ve been talking about la! It’s in Osaka. Not the Subang one. 🙂

Standard picture

We went there on the 31st December 2008, because they had a 2009 New Year countdown party and would be open 24 hours!

The party were gonna start 7pm and we reached about 6pm. And the queue line was already super long!

Night illumination so pretty!

Funky Town. The dancers were great! So cold and they were wearing skimpy dresses :/

Went for the Jurassic Park ride OMG IT WAS SO SCARY I ALMOST DIED.

Seriously. And it was soooo cold and everyone was wearing transparent rain coat. So nobody told me it was a scary ride! We went on it, saw some raptors and long necks and T-rexes grimacing at you yea yea yea whatever la yawn.

And before i could say anything the boat took a steep, steep steeeeeeep plunge into the water. I could really feel my heart getting detached from my body i swear. I very chicken one! When it comes to theme park rides. I would rather die than to play the jet coaster. (Ok doesn’t sound exactly right.) I heart my heart very much thanks.

By the way the pink thingie i was holding is a special edition Christmas Churro stick! Churro sticks are soooooooooo yummy!

And since when Malaysia has it!?!?!? I was shopping in i dunno The Curve or 1U the other day and i saw Churro sticks! Because the first time i saw it was in Disneyland and OMG it tasted sooooooooo good!!!!

Went for Spidey ride.

Gimme money or i keeeel you.

JAWS

We only managed to go on two rides, before we had to secure a place for the countdown.

They sang some churchy song in a boat. Then a looooong fireworks it was so beautiful! I really wanted to cry at that moment because it was so beautiful!

After the countdown, we went to the toilet and queued for at least 30 mins. And it was soooo cold outside! But then the toilets in USJ or Disneyland are impossibly clean. You think like a million people use them it should be quite disgusting la but no lo! It is ridiculously, inconceivably clean. Toilets in Japan are the best thing ever created. Especially in winter, they have the seat heater, you sit down and your butt feels soooooo warm and after that you can use the bidet (wiki: is a low-mounted plumbing fixture or type of sink intended for washing the genitalia, inner buttocks, and anus) then dryer and deodorizer. Aiya i can talk about their toilets whole day. Maybe i should blog an entire separate entry about it. Ze Awesome!!!

After that we went back to the car and rested a little. At 4am, i refused to wake up but i know i had to, if not we didn’t have time for the rides! The tickets were valid till 1st Jan 2009, 8pm, but we had to rush back home to have Japanese New Year lunch with the family.

So we went back to the park at 4am. I think it was 0 degree then. So cold can die.

Were so shocked to see so many people spend their new year in Snoopy House. They slept everywhere.

The parade was nothing comapred to Disneyland la. Saw snoopy and kitty and whatnot.

Pink cafe. Pinker than cheeserland.com confirm.

Candy store.

Sho kiut

Elmo cookie!

This is the cutestestest!!! Spidey cup ramen!!

COOOOOOOOLD

We played this thing called Ring Fling (!!!).

And won an Elmo. That day really Elmo overdose. Like srsly.

I think it was nearing 6am.

Sunrise. So beautiful.

🙂

<3 USJ.

It was 7.30am and we had to rush back to Nara for family new year lunch. Didn’t have time for other rides. T_T

Ok now i want to blog about the toilets in Japan.

I know many of my readers are a little confused about my Japan trip. How come i get to travel to so many places and stay for so long? I feel the need to explain a little and also because many people have asked and i have not had the time to replied. Now once and for all.

It was like this. On the 16th December 2008, i went on a homestay program to Nagano for one week, and then joined the rest of the homestay students at Disneyland on the 23th, which is the last day of our Japan homestay. But i took a night bus from Disneyland all the way down to Nara, and stayed with TK for another 3 weeks, before my visa expired.

It was a crazy journey. Now for those who want to participate in homestay program in Japan, this is the blog post for you.

My friend Wilson and his friend Steven are managing Titanplanet , An international homestay network. And i had a wonderful time in Japan, partly and indirectly owed to Wilson, because he was the idiot who introduced TK to me, so i’m more than willing to share this piece of good news with you.

Titan Planet is organizing a homestay program this coming April to Tokyo for 9 days and 15 days (your choice). And it’s very very very likely i will be joining as well. I have never really toured around in Tokyo, so i want to go again to see the world-reknowned Scrambled Junction (TK said it was Sukurembo eeggu, HAHAHHA! Aho. But so cute!), and it’s sakura season!!!

Basically this is what a homestay is.

My host in Nagano-Nakamura family.

Some of you might get sick of following tour guides and staying in hotels when you go traveling in a foreign country. I for one hate group tours the most. Participating in the homestay programs, you are welcomed as one of the family member and take part in everyday life, and you get to experienced the real cuture of a country.

Obaachan, Ojiichan, Kai, Okaasan, Ai and Otousan.

You do what a typical Japanese do every day. Eg play with the kids.

Ai and Kai.

Experience local culture.

First time using ofuro!

Maybe go to the kid’s school.

^_^

They may surprise you with gifts!

Obaachan help me wear kimono (my Christmas present).

If you don’t speak their language, it is completely okay. Your family will enjoy sharing the joys of discovering languages together. For me, I spoke to them in 100% Japanese, but Yuriko (my foster mom) was interested in Malay language so i would teach her a little (though my Malay is worse than my Japanese).

Please do not expect 5-star treatment when you stay with your host family. Always be accommodating and willing to learn. You may not visit as many places as you will on a group tour, or eat luxurious dinners. The mom cooks most of the time, and you can learn a few new dishes!  It is good if you can offer to help out with the dishes and laundry (but most mordern families have dish washing machine etc so see how lucky you are la. Yuriko never let me do the househork. Hehe.)

The previous homestay i joined wasn’t from Titan Planet, but i guess i would enjoy Titan Planet’s homestay more because it’s adult oriented and therefore the rules are not as rigid and it gives you more freedom.

Also, i am really touched by Steven’s passion for setting up a network like this. It isn’t easy! And Titan Planet is a non-profit organization. Please do not expect really cheap homestay fee, because It involves a lot of research, hard work, time and effort. To search for good homes, and get in touch with the host family, then organize the trip. I’m giving my full support to Wilson and Steven San.

Anyone from 10-45 years old are eligible to join. Hurry up because application closes 6th February. If you have any questions regarding Titan Planet and the homestay program, please email info@titanplanet.net or call 03-2144 8144.

Or just visit Titan Planet. Don’t spam me with questions la. Anyway apart from Japan they also organize programs to Canada, Korean, Bali and other places. Check the schedule for 2009! Join their Facebook Group too. 🙂

Let’s go together la!

Will continue blogging my Japan holiday. Stay cheesed!

This year’s Valentine’s. Two different countries. 7 hours flight is impossible so it’s gonna be a virtual Valentine’s. I don’t go like all sappy about it la because we don’t just go mushy mushy only on Vday. Like i said so many times before, romantic dinners and cheesy movies and roses are so overrated, and what you haven’t taken into account is long queues and traffic jam and overly packed restaurants. Not romantic at all.

So i am going to send a virtual gift to him! Shhh!

No it is not the yummy Toblerone per se.

But!

The yummy premium chocolate is having a virtual gift maker contest!

Since Valentine’s is coming, they have come up with an array of gifts for everyone, and you get to package up a gift set and send it with a personalized greeting to your loved ones. Be it your friends, colleagues, siblings, parents or anyone you fancy at all!

Go to I Toblerone U and create your gift sets! You are given 50 Toblerone points to buy whichever gift you like.

I’m creating a gift set for TK.

The thing about him is hor, he is girlier than me one!!! He takes longer time than me to get ready (srsly, i swear it’s true, he takes forever to decide on what to wear before changing his mind like, a million times GRRRR >_<), and always buys female apparel. Female bags, female jeans, etc.

This coat is from Zara, S size.

You think i bought it?

Wrong.

He did. (for himself). What turf.

So it’s very easy! I just need to browse through the girl category to get him everything he ever needs. Well one thing good about it, we can always share clothes!

So this is what i am going to send to him:

Note that some of the items are only available after you register on the wbsite. There are hundreds to choose from! So don’t be lazy yea!

1. Purple pillows

I love to send people intimate stuff. So he can think of me everyday before he goes to sleep. Plus his room is fullllllllllll of purple. His futon set is purple. His PJ is purple, even his socks are purple. He looks like Barney at night.

2. A purple bangle (Lady’s)

to match his whatever purple stuff.

3. Fruity bath set

Ofuro in winter is one of the best things in the world. He will enjoy it!

4. Sunglasses (lady’s)

I think this one look like the one he broke on our date! 

5. Scarf

Very cold leh. Keep warm okay.

6. Toblerone

Because it’s sweet. =)

I still have 13 points but i think enough la. Dowan spoil him too much. =P

Then choose a wrapper!

And fill in personal message.

Everyone can create a maximum of 10 gift sets, but those who buy the product and key-in the unique code will also be eligible for the contest! The unique codes can be found on the scratch cards from the Toblerone chocolate packs.

Ha! Found ya!

And you are done! All you need is to wait to win the grand prize. Hehe.

People from SG also can join!

There are also 20 consolation prizes to be won.

Not only that, participants who create the most creative gift sets & greeting will be rewarded with the gift sets they created (physically put together)!

Now THAT is something! 😀

Go to I Toblerone U to spread some love!

Today we are going to Kaiyuukan in Osaka-One of the largest aquariums in the world. 😀

Standard picture.

There. Millions of fishes. Some of them might be eaten alive. HELP! I hope you can save them in time! 😀

Wa this fella must be damn yummy. Especially you know, since CNY is coming. This is enough for like your entire extended family for one week. Steam fish, Teow chew style pls.

Omg so cute.

I wonder how they taste like. Roasted penguin wing. Yum.

Colorful fish maybe cannot eat, later kena poison. Ok la i will let Nemo off this time.

I dunno what these buggers are doing frozen at the glass window.

I can almost hear them say, “Take me home now! Eat me!”

I have never seen a stupider fish than this one.

SAN NACHI!!!!

Now this is ridiculous. This tank is my 10 years sashimi supply. Yum.

It probably hurts to eat this. Be careful lo.

Ok you just spoilt my appetite.

GIANT FREAKING CRAB!!!! Now tell me you feel pity for them. (“Awww poor crab, you deserved to eaten in a better way. RIP, amen”.)

If only Jellyfish is edible. Bloody adorable. What a waste.

This is gonna be my new pet.

I’m imagining how the texture’s like. Chewy and soft at the same time. Must be. It reminds me of the jelly fish in Seven Pound.

Wow. With a tinge of mushroom flavor. Anyone?

DONE WITH FISH.

Fish is delicious. I rest my case.

Next to the aquarium is Osaka’s biggest Kanransha (ferris wheel).

Before we went on it, we waited to see Penguin Parade!

I simply love the discipline and thoughtfulness of Japanese people. The people at the front row will squat or sit down so they don’t block the people behind.

In Japan do as the Japananse do. So we waited half an hour.

And blarrrrdy cute penguin parade!

For like, 30 seconds.

Went up to the wheel!

About 5pm. Sunset time.

And then we went into some pet shop.

Medium rare, please. And i prefer mint sauce.

We walked around the game center, and tried this thingie called, “you can never walk straight in there! Don’t believe? Find out yourself!”

And this is how it looks.

It is a bridge, it doesn’t move, but cylinder wall surrounding you is rotating, and it makes you dizzy and it is impossible to walk straight.

Your mind goes liddis. Very psychedelic. Hehe.

The journey was kinda too short for 600Yen, but it’s a nice experience. Minus the nausea, though.

Wa, got sea. I wanna catch some fish. 😀

Next up: Universal Studio Japan. Stay cheesed.

PS: Oi, watch Seven Pounds la! It’s ze awesome. I cried a lot!! Will Smith redeemed himself in this movie after two tragic disasters I Am Legend and Handcock. However it is a movie that makes you go wtfish because you only get it towards the last pound. I texted my friend half way “now it’s almost 5 pounds liao i still don’t understand a thing.” But keep watching. it is worth more than seven pounds!

TK and i share the most extreme taste of music one can ever imagine. He only goes for club music especially psychedelic which i absolutely cannot tahan (some house or chill is okay) and i adooooore peaceful songs which is very dangerous for his driving (he will end up falling asleep).

So we end up only listening the very rare few songs we both find plesant to the ears. For one it is Capsule. They are super duper cute!

This is the one song we love to bits. Tell me if you like it. 🙂

If you are thinking of sharing a song with someone, you can do so with DiGi Music Telegram. However now it isn’t as simple as just sending a song to your friend’s mobile phone to tell them how you feel, because Digi has taken song dedication to a whole new level.

If you are chosen, they actually send a band to perform live to the receiver of the message.

Talk about dedication.

O.o

Just choose a radio station, select a theme then your favorite song. TK doesn’t know too many english songs but i remember which one he likes! 🙂

This is my dedication to him.

Ok now i am very shy liao. Seriously la, i don’t do all these things one! This is like, the first time.

Some are quite funny.

If your dedication is selected for airplay or for the Music Squad, DiGi crew will perform the song live to the recipient, at his/her workplace, or in a café.

And here comes the interesting part.

Not only will the dedication be shot on videos, they will also be uploaded to the DiGi site. Meaning, thousands and thousands of people will be viewing it online.

If it is a mushy mushy dedication ok la, but imagine an angry and heartbroken girl sending the Music Squad to sing an angry song to humiliate her cheating ex? Now this is interesting.

This is a dedication where the poor guy was surrounded by the Music Squad and being sung Womanizer to next to a lok lok stall. Wahahah!

This is waay better. A guy having yumca session with his friends in Starbucks and suddenly the DiGi crew came and asked if he knows this ex called Jane, who had a message for him, and proceeded to sing the song So What, (If you dumped me, I dont need you)!

The expression on his face was PRICELESS!!! He was obviously pissed, much to his friends bemusement.

This is so fun la! I find this whole dedication thing very cheeky, very daring and super cool. Instead of the usual i love you heart heart less than three dedication, you can actually dedicate from an array of themes, like cynical, apology and motivational, in three languages (English, Malay and Chinese).

Go send your dedication now at DiGi Music Telegram!

On TK’s birthday (also my last day in Nara), we went to a nice Izakaya and had supper.

Very awesome food.

We had some egg thing.

And Gyu Tan. (Cow Tongue)

Ebi Fry

And the freshest sashimi in the world. I’m not kidding you.

So i was camwhoring with the fish.

And then. Something happened and scared the cheesecake out of me.

The fish wagged its tail at me.

At first i thought i was hallucinating. You know, last day, emo and all that crap (“oh i think i am able to communicate with fish”). Then. I realized the bloody fish was alive.

Imagine someone slices your belly open, cuts it into 6 pieces, put some radish shreds and shiso leaves on top of the open wound like very decorative liddat, then proudly place the six slices of your belly back on top, and then puts you on a plate and serves it to some hungry old fat man. And then you find yourself thinking what turf is this mad chef doing to my body?!? You yell in sheer fear, and you watch the glutton picking one piece of your tummy up and proceed to eat it and sigh in delight. And you go like wtf can you stop eating my meat? You shout HELP!!! hysterically (but you can only hear a faint voice coming through your non-existent belly) but the idiot keeps on eating you like very shiok liddat, but you start feeling weaker and weaker… so you start to kick frantically around with your tail with and your last full strength, and the fella goes like “what turf?” in utter disbelief…

That’s what i imagined the fish was feeling. I swear it was a very disturbing sight. Very tragic.

How turf….

Nah watch yourself.

Sorry video got typo but too lazy to change.

Anyway, it is called Ikizukuri.

Ikizukuri is Japanese for “prepared alive”, and refers to the preparation of sashimi from a still living animal. The sashimi chefs who prepare ikizukuri are skilled enough to fillet and gut the fish without killing it, and then the ikizukuri is served on a plate with the heart still beating.

Eat a moving fish, anyone?

PS: I read the letter. T_T

Update: Ei please la you all PETA activists, it’s not like we specifically asked the chef to serve a half chopped dancing fish just so we could laugh and mock and poke it. I was mortified to see it move so what you reckon we should do about it? Scold the chef and then throw the fish back into its tank is it? Don’t eat KFC la. My guess is that it was an alive animal called chicken before it become KFC. Sien.

Mentaiko!!!

(lie.)

T_T

I blew a breath of air at the window and it didn’t mist up. -3°C and 30°C is a big change. It felt strange. 

I went and bought some grocery because my fridge was as empty as my brain when i board the plane. And i was slightly upset that they don’t sell mentaiko onigiri here. I developed an obsession towards mentaiko during my stay in Nagano. It’s not like i really love it like crazy la (come to think of it i don’t think i like it that much at all), but it’s more like, life is not complete without it.

Ok that sounds like a very serious obsession. O.o

I turned on the power switches. My TNB bill is RM26. (How turf?!?!? I was away for one whole month. The bloody fridge!?!?)

(Okay, to think of it i would rather pay RM26 than to have a fridge like Wendy‘s. Thanks.)

I turned on the tap. The water was warm. It wasn’t like… Oh you know what is funny??! I commited something from my I Cannot Tahan List™!! To make it worse, it is the first!!!111 on the list!

1. i cannot tahan people who let the tap run when they are brushing their teeth.

I did that everyday. Because it was soooooo cold and if i close the tap when i turn it on again it will take sometime for the heater to work. Then i kena scolded by TK because waste water.

T_T

Shower felt good. It didn’t feel as if i was gonna die the moment i got out of the bathtub. Or that i would die in the bathtub because i refuse to get out of it (let me die ba, it’s crazy cold out there). Well not like i have one here to begin with.

Lips dry. Knees itchy. I think it’s the stupid black sugar plum wine. But omg it tasted so good!

I found a letter he curi-curi slipped into my bag. He wrote it the final night when he was in ofuro (or at least pretended that he was in the ofuro). No wonder it took so bloody long i actually got slightly annoyed—-shower more important than girlfriend is it!

The funny thing is. He was also slightly annoyed at the fact that i refused to bathe and/or remove my make up.

And I did that because?!?!

I was buying time to write him notes when he was bathing!!

So we pissed each other off because we wanted to write each other little something before we part and dunno when we will see each other again.

T_T

I wrote a total of 8 notes. I slipped them into his cigarette boxes (タバコすったあかんで！）, under the futon〔リンも一緒にそばに寝るよ!〕, one in his camera case (i forgot what i wrote), two in his jackets (just some really silly messages i was in such a hurry scared he finish bathing very fast ma), one in the (this one cannot tell), and the final long one in his Nintendo DS. He has only successfully found 3. And he is begging me everyday to tell him where they are! Hehe. Please don’t tell him can? It’s no fun if he knows!

And his letter, I haven’t read yet. I sked.

>_<

Because i haven’t properly emo emo yet. Not during the silent drive in the car the last night. Not after i saw him fall asleep. Not at Tenri bus station in the morning. Not after he drove off. Not at Kansai airport. Not on the plane. Not even when i talked to him on the phone.

Anyway, i shall proceed to edit many many pictures to share with you!!! I have literally thousands of pictures. I want to finish blogging about it ASAP, so i can blog about Nagano! Also because i think it will get jinxed if i delay it for too long. I dunno la. Somehow it feels like the jinx is happening again.

Finally on a totally irrelavent topic.

Who wants to buy my LG SECRET phone!

The one i won last month.

The deal didn’t go through before i left for Japan. Now i need some cash. Whoever can offer anything above 1k i will gladly sell it off. It is BRAND NEW in the box. Not even charged yet! Pleasecheeseme at gmail.com can?

And!!! A reader Vicky has got gorgeous branded bags (Burberry, Gucci and Mulberry) to sell for up to 70% discount! Go to Wardrobe and have a look!

Thanks a million cheese!

Look! This is my plastic face on a plastic card. I’m Alliance Bank’s new face!

…not.

Because everyone can have their faces printed across their very own credit card!! Alliance’s latest You:nique picture card allows you to do just that.

So exciting! You know how people always like to show off their credit cards with some shimmery colors esp gold and glaring platinum! Once i was tempted to apply for a credit card just because i liked the design (but it’s not like i need anymore credit cards). But now, you can have just the card you want. The plastic you have been longing to own, all your life.

Now the  girls can color cordinate their purse and credit cards. Hahaha.

Not only can you personalise your card, it is also highly flexible! You can choose any feature you want-be it the great rebates, great rates or great rewards.

Great rebate is a card that puts the whole world on sale. You get up to 2% rebate of all retail
purchases. So i can shop till i drop in any where i want and still get my cash back, unlike other credit cards where you are restricted to a certain brands; hypermarkets for example.

Great rates give you the best rates, by cutting your interest cost in half! You:nique is the only credit card in Malaysia to offer 9%p.a. interest rate.

Great rewards offers you double Timeless Bonus Point for every Ringgit you spend! If i swipe RM500 i get 1,000 points!! Awesome!!!

Just log in to Alliance Bank You:nique site, you don’t even need to register, you can straight away design your favorite credit card!

Select your favorite picture and upload it. Then, rotate or crop to suit the card size.

Preview.

😀

Last step: fill up basic info about yourself, and you are done! As simple as that!

You can choose your own picture as a new brand of credit card, put your favorite memories on your card, something close to your heart, or even funky designs to show off your creativity.

However, the hard part is that you are so spoilt for choice you will take forever to decided on a favorite design. Let’s see mine.

1. This is Matsumoto Castle. Took this picture during my homestay in Nagano. I think this is a perfect picture for a Alliance’s credit card! The color matches to the max.

2. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what we had on Japanese New Year together with TK’s family. Most sumptutous traditional meal ever.

3. This is Yuuri. Naughty as usual.

4. How bout me and my baby?

5. This is one of the most amazing moments in Nagano.

6. Tokyo Disneyland

7. Matsumoto City Scenery.

Arrrrrgggh too much nice photos only one card. Must choose the best one lo. What would i like to see most everytime i open my wallet? Everytime i wanna buy something nice, what would it remind me of?

Hmmm.

8. 🙂

Let me know which one you like the best!

For more  info, please log on to You:nique

This ia  boring post.

Basically this post is nothing much just some stuff i did in Nara, been staying here for about 3 weeks already! And I’m liking to start every post with a pointless picture liddis.

Or two.

There’s nothing much to do in Tenri. We go to Pachinko during lunch break sometimes, most of the time i just stay home and go online, blog, read your comments, read idiots’ comments and spend 10 minutes thereafter to do my sincere prayer that they will reincarnate into a cube of tofu (just like their brain) in their next life. Amen.

Edit some photos, and if Yuuri is around i play with Yuuri. And soon it is evening already! Time passes really fast here. Maybe it’s winter kut, it gets dark at 5 so it feels like i haven’t really done a lot of things the entire afternoon.

I have been creating a lot of Japanese puns too! I don’t know if i have blogged this before i think i did. But i wanted to name my two bunnies Ikura and Hamachi. Because Ikura (salmon roe) also means ‘how much’ in Japanese and Hamachi (fish name, makes yummy sushi) sounds like ‘How Much’. But then everytime i make a pun he says my joke is very cold! What turf. But my pun is memang quite lame one. Like, Ikura ikura? (how much is Ikura), and Iruka iruka? (Are there dolphins). But now i can speak flawless Kansaiben. Hehehe.

Oh I was particularly proud of this one:

Before i came to Japan, i was super excited about what we were gonna do together.

me: 😀 ippai tanoshimi aru!!!
TK: seyana.
TK: zikan tarinaiwa
me: tariru!
TK: nara ok 😀
me: Nara ok. Osaka mo ok.
me: hajimete tukkomi ya!! 😀

But then he said that’s boke not tukkomi. Anyway. You don’t need to understand one!

So everyone wants to know how we met hor? Actually very simple one la. Not like hopelessly romantic or something. It all owes to my handsome friend (それは建前です。へへへ) Wilson. Now it is thanks to him la. If TK and i argue a lot in the future then it’s all his fault. Hehehe.

Wilson and I used to attend Japanese class together since, how many years ago? Forgot. Anyway one day he told his Japanese guy friend that there’s this Malaysian girl he wants to introduce to him. Cute and single. Speaks fluent Japanese. And then he told his Malaysian girl friend there’s this Japanese guy he wants to introduce to her. Cute and single. Speaks fluent Japanese (duh) and a bit of Malay (wtf so cute).

So they both came to her work place (the mostest boringest part time work, ever) and she was in a mess because it was hot and she didn’t put on any make up and the work T-shirt was tragically unflattering. And then this Japanese guy stupidly thought this girl was Wilson’s girlfriend and thought aww too bad she is quite cute wtf.

So then when the girl went to the changing room in a desperate attempt to look one step further away from fugly, the guy told Wilson that his girlfriend is very cute. Then Wilson said you idiot this is the girl i wanted to introduce to you. Then the guy was very delighted.

And then the girl and the guy exchanged phone numbers.

END OF STORY.

I mean, choi choi choi, it hasn’t end but you know what i mean. I feel a bit shy now. Thanks for listening now let’ see what i did in Nara.

Went and picked up Yasuo for lunch. I think he just woke up he looked monumentally stoned.

Can’t help it.

We went to an Italian restaurant! Oh and Yasuo is a chef.

Blur chef. And his foie gras very nice!

I totally forgot what was it we ate because everything in Katakana i super lazy to read but i think this is some pea soup.

Beef sashimi i think.

Whatever pizza.

Wa this is damn good lo. Yasuo explained to me what is inside but i forgot. -_-

Ikasumi (squid ink) risotto.

Some bluberry dessert.

After sending Yasuo back home we went and bougt strawberries! Like 500￥ for one box.

Strawberry shop near our place in Tenri.

The banner is the other way round. It says Ichigo but now it looks like Isago.

Super super fragrant!

Then we went to Nara Park. Which has dears wandering around freely.

And then i asked him, ‘Shika shika inai?’ (Is there nothing else besides deers?) And then he said my pun is very cold.

-_-

But Oh Dear they are friendly!

Ok maybe a bit overly friendly because they looked like they were gonna chew my hand off.

Then we sat dowan and ate strawberries in the park.

It was sweet.

End.

She apologized. Post taken down.

Pls look at cute Japanese girls instead. 

Thanks.

Haih. So deja vu.

is sooooo beautiful.

Eh wrong picture, sorry.

We drove to Kyoto and met our host Katou.

Sweetest guy! Very soft spoken, very gentleman.

First stop: The Golden Pavilion of Kinkaku-ji 金閣寺

Had tea by the park.

Macha and some dessert with red bean.

With gold on it!!

Black sesame Dango. Very very nice!

Next we walked for lunch. The weather was very good. Cold but warm with sunlight. Dunno how to explain. If you have experienced winter you will know.

We just walked and walked. Everywhere is so beautiful in Kyoto. It is said to be the most beautiful city in Japan.

Some duck meat soba.

After that we walked towards Kiyomizu-dera.

Pictures of random places. So beautiful.

I think this is restaurant.

Geisha.

The sky was pink that day. Super romantic.

Some old traditional Japanese shop.

Katou super cute.

Argh this shop is sooo cute.

Eh but quite expensive la. ￥1000 for a fan? I can by a pair of 4 inches Babypure.

Finally i want to thank Katou he has been nothing but a perfect tour guide. So sweet and accommodating. 🙂

Next up: Osaka. Maybe. Depends on mood. Hehe.

After 11 years. The one place in the world i wanted to visit the most.

And i am here. (Check out my flag! Wahahha sorry i can’t get over that just yet.)

Proper blog post. Please gimme some motivation it’s so hard to blog on his 10 year old computer. Internet is fast but PC itself is lagging like constipation. But here you go, 40 over pictures of what happened since i arrived Nara.

Apart from the long Nenmatsu holiday, the rest of the days i live normally. Work (from home), go for lunch, rest a little, cuddle a little (very cold), go for dinner, shop in Combini (i love it. Japanese convinience store is freaking amazing. And i started this Ringo collection. Everything apple flavored its super good), go back cuddle summore (colder at night), sleep.

24.12.2008 Tenri/Umeda

I waited 1 hour at Disneyland bus station, out in the cold wind, with a luggage half my size it just looked totally silly.

Bus came 22:05 on the dot. And 6:05 i arrived Tenri, Nara.

The mixed feeling was overwhelming. It felt like i have just completed the greatest journey ever.

TK picked me up from the station. We went back home and rested for a couple of hours till his work time.

Then he bought me breakfast. My first meal in Nara is Makudounarudo. But they have pork waaaaa!

Lunch time we had Chinese.

I think only like 380 Yen, very cheap!

Gyouza.

At night we drove to Osaka. About 45mins away from Tenri.

And had the best Takoyaki.

There are a lot of little Takoyaki stalls

But according to TK this is the best. It’s called Kougaryu 甲賀流.

Tasted tooooooootally different from whatever Takoyaki i have tried, including ‘the best takoyaki in the world’ i had in Taipei. I’m gonna eat my own words (after eating another round of Takoyakis of course).

ORIGINAL. Takoyaki. From Osaka. Thanks.

After Takoyaki we went up to Sky Building in Umeda.

Going up to Floating Garden Observatory.

Shimmery floor.

Amazing sky view.

This is about the mosｔ Christmassy thing we saw in Osaka. Christmas in Japan is seriously sien.

25.12.2008 Merry Xmas, Nara

Omg most unhappening Christmas ever. Not even a single Christmas tree in sight.

The Boyfriend had to workand i woke up with the messiest hair ever. But it kinda looked cool, in a strange way.

Lunch break, Yuuri came over. And we played Mario Kart.

Argh so cute!

And taught him how to camwhore.

Dinner we went for Korean style Yakiniku with TK’s friend. Bestttttest.

Raw cow liver. TK’s favorite. I hated it. Tasted cowy.

Arrrgh the pork ARGGH PORK!!! The fat!! Go away, this blog is super non halal.

Korean style pizza wa it tasted totally different from the ones in Mont Kiara/Hartamas also i swear this is like 100000 times better.

And omg you know what’s my favorite? Yakiniku is really expensive, three of us ate about 10k Yen. But my favorite is this ￥380　Tamagotuke Gohan.

It is just rice (vinegared, i think), nori (seaweed) and a raw egg. Then you pour soy sauce over it. But it tasted like heaven. TK teased me and said i have strange taste. He said whoever also can make that. It looks reeeeeeally simple but i doubt it is. Just like mom said when she went for art class in college their first assignment was to draw an egg. It is the easiest thing ever, but the hardest at the same time. Skill, people, skill.

Ok. Merry Christmas. Yawn.

26.12.2008 Game day!

God i had been wearing his jumper for days. Actually, weeks. But i just only washed it today (5th January 2009). Gross. I know.

Today he took half a day’s leave to help me settle my visa. It was also the day i saw snow for the first time. It was a happy day. Got my visa sorted out unbelievably fast, no question asked, just some documents and ￥4000. I love Japan.

Bought this for him from Matsumoto. It says Suki Suki Daisuki.

We finished everything early, so we went Pachinko!

Pachinko centers are everyfreakingwhere in Japan. In city got, in kampung also got. And i don’t understand why so many people played it. So i tried playing.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT?

I REALLY don’t understand why people play pachinko/slot. It’s like the stupidest games every that requires no skill whatsoever unlike Roulette omfg i miss Roulette in Shanghai but srsly, WHY?!?!

Can anyone tell me? I think we lost like a few thousand ￥just in a few minutes. Cheesus Crust that’s like a few pair of leopard print BabyPure shoes gone!!! Argh heartache like hell. You lose money like crazy. I did ask TK why he likes to play with the stupid machine. He said if you win it is very shiok.

But the point is, you never.

I think Japanese people just like to play overly simply games because their life is so stressful. They have a card game called Dai Fu Oo, so the cousin asked if i know how to play, because it involves a lot of rules. Then i foud out that it is similar to Chinese’s Chor Dai Dee. except that it is10000 times simpler. I won like 10 times in a row.

We went Purikura (Print Club) next. This is so much better!

So much more fun.

At night went Izakaya with Yasuo and girlfriend Nami chan.

Omg must try their brown sugar Umeshu!!!

Ordered so many things which name i couldn’t remember.

This is like, called, Karupacho.

Ok wait a minute. This is like, i just smartly discovered like, 5 seconds after i typed the above sentence, translation for Carpaccio. God I’m so brilliant.

Raw reba (liver) again urgh.

Some Sazae no tuboyaki. Whatever. Nandeyanen.

Obscenely delicious. Literally.

Finally, expired Christmas cake.

Bonus: Nail Art

So expensive in Japan T_T. Color lens also cost like RM300 i want to die. Please forgive me if i feel compelled to PS my eye turqouise because i can’t afford the real deal. I miss Malaysia.

DIY nail art.

God i love this camera. It looks like the stupidest camera ever but it is good. It’s Canon G10. Stop asking already.

This is just like 1/15 of what i experienced in Japan. There is a total of 3,736 pictures in my laptop as of now. Be prepared to die of Japan overdose.

Thanks. Kyoto next.