We woke up early but decided to laze around the house.
I was utterly sucked in by little Rey’s (my gf's gorgious little 2 year old, half Singaporean, half Japanese cutie) daytime TV programs. Hi-5.
“Close your eyes and count to 10. Ready or not! I’m going to find you again”….
Soooo catchy!
The other TV program that got my attention were those crazy game shows. I had a ball watching them! Though I didn’t understand a single word, the facial and body expressions of the participates were good enough to keep me going for hours!
My friend brought us all out to lunch at this sushi train place called Kappa Sushi located in the heart of Kyoto city. All plates are priced at a cool 100 yen.
Who says everything about Japan is expensive!!??
There are so many inexpensive cafés that serve up quick and delicious meal for no more than AU$5. All you’ve got to do is to watch out for them. Tip – They are mainly located in the cities or the CBD. Be prepared to eat fast though. These guys work on turnovers.
After lunch, we bought ourselves multi-bus passes. For 500 yen, it gives you unlimited rides for the day to major attractions, temples and train stations. Literally anywhere. A must have. 
We took the bus to Kyoto Station. I was capativated by how huge the place was! There were these flight of steps that takes you all the way up to the 11th storey! In about a week, we will be taking a bullet train from here to Tokyo. 
Can't wait!
I had to take a picture of Astro Boy.
After a long day of walking. We settled in for a quiet night at home.Rey’s Ojisan bought us KFC, Sashimi and raw beef for dinner. We chowed away, had good conversations, and washed it all down with Sapporo, Kirin and Sake.
Mel even entertained us with his guitar and singing.
I slept like a baby that night.
9:00am : Armed with our trusty Bio-Ace and Berocca. We hit the road.
10:00am : Nijo Castle, ticket 600Yen/ppl.
Standing amongst such history and preserved heritage. One cannot help but be grateful to all those who have made it possible for us now some 309 years later to witness the majesty and splendid lifestyle of the once powerful lords and emperor of Japan.
This castle was built in 1603 as the official residence of Tokugawa Ieyasul. The ostentatious style was intended as a demonstration of Ieyasu’s prestige and to signal the demise of the 
emperor’s power.
I walked on hand polished nightingale floorboards, decorated with walls after walls of priceless paintings of phoenix and tiger paws. I felt so humbled.
I cast myself back to the 17th century. Back when warlords ruled the world and Geisha’s companions are only for the rich and powerful. I was the mistress of the house. Wearing the most exquisite and detailed Kimono, only worn by the doted and elite mistresses. In front of me, the breathtaking Seiryu-en garden designed by Japanese finest landscape artist Kobor Enshu. Sipping my green tea while my lady attendants fuzzed around bringing in sweet cakes of all colours and flavours.
I was quickly jotted back to reality as Melvin thought he [once again] found another secret concealed chamber for the samurais. Well, at least I know I am not alone in our little pretend world.
03:00pm : Nishiki Market. Rows of the oddest fresh produce you could find. Eel, squid, flounder, fish cakes, pancakes, pickled vegetables, seaweeds, steamed buns, tea, candies…. It smells wonderful!
4:30pm : Another Japanese “fast food” experience. Oishii desu!
7:00pm : Walked down to the the infamous Gion district. Caught a cultural display show at Gion Corner. Tea Ceremony, Flower Arrangement, Kabuki, and Bunraku [Puppet Dance]. The best 2000 Yen I’ll ever spend.
10:00pm : On the way home. We ran into a real live flesh and blood Geisha! What a way to end the day.
Our flight to Osaka was going to be an overnighter. I sleep well on planes so i knew it wouldn't bother me all that much. Once boarded, it was not long before I found my comfort spot and slumbered the whole 6 hours away.
8.30am, we arrived at Osaka Kansai International Airport and caught an express bus to Kyoto. The journey took slightly under an hour so it was a nice "waking up" trip.
We finally arrived at our destination after a total travel time of under 9 hours followed by a quick taxi ride to my childhood friend's home.
The first thing that caught our attention was how narrow everything was. From the corner alley streets, to the sidewalks, to the width of terrace houses. Most were no more than the width of 5 - 6M!
After a quick orientation around the street of her house. We made our way to a local restaurant for our first taste of authentic Japanese “fast food”.
Let me explain how it work, it is such a perfect system! First, you decide what you want to eat (with the help of those famous plastic food models outside the restaurant. Next, you buy a ticket from a machine and hand it over to the waitress. Than simply take a seat, pour yourself some Ocha, and in about 5 seconds, you get your food! My order was a hot piping bowl of Oyakodon. Perfect!
After getting our needed carbs. We were off to the markets. Taramachi a segment of the huge Nishiki Market off Shijo St.
You cannot help but get electrified by the vibrant buzz of the Japanese culture. Everyone is so cheerful and perky. Store tenders shouting “Irrasshiamase”, all the courteous and excessive bowing, funky and quirky fashion statement, never-ending display of carefully garnished sweets and little savoury snacks. And in the midst of modernisation, an eerie majestic temple carelessly sandwiched between “Wave Fashion” and “Cosmo Haven”. 
Subconsciously, a paradox of curiosity and fondness brew in me. I secretly smiled inside, grateful for the experience and the involvement.
My childhood friend's parents-in-law has a souvenir stop at the market. We stopped by to greet them. I bowed to a little old lady [who's her grandma-in-law] on my way in and practiced my embarrassingly limited Japanese.
Later that night, my gf's husband took us out for dinner. Tengu Izakaya, an old traditional Japanese style restaurant that serves local delicacies. I was SO grateful that he spoke english. It was great getting to know him, exchanging stories of our life's and comparing the differences that are so clearly marked by our different upbringing. We drank Saka, ate, chat and I had my very first taste of fish liver [Kimo]. I am officially sworn in!
I am completely and utterly uncontrollable today. Every drop of blood and living cell in my body is buzzing with life. I am almost delusional!
Tomorrow, I will be flying back to my sweet motherland Singapore and than in a couple of days, off to Leon Lights, Techno Haven and LA of Asia, Japan.
Three glorious weeks of Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo awaits me. Not to mention I'll also be staying with my half-Japanese-through-marriage- to-a Jap friend whom I've known since 7! I am just bursting with anticipation and excitement!
Weeks ago, I had been doing all the necessary preparation.
- Bought Lonely Planet- Checked weather forecast- Read up on the history- Read Tales of the Geishas (AGAIN)
- Printed out Matsuri timetables
- Read up on Buddhism and Shinto
- Checked exchange rates
- Paper making research
- Checked camera.
Now, I am absolutely sited up for the trip. I feel like I am there already!
Japan, ready or not, here we come!!!!!
I will be keeping a journal of my holiday in Japan. So watch this space for exciting stories of enchanting Geishas, close encounters with fierce samurai warriors, eerie and mysterious ghost sightings in shrines, Pachinkos parlours, Cherry Blossom picnics and more. I will also try to include some useful travel tips for those of you who like to visit Japan one day. Stay tuned...
We planned to go catch a movie after work. It has been a long week for me, so I was really looking forward to an easy night; a comedy and chinese take-away. We were to go with our neighbours and the choice of film was “Meet the Fockers”.
Mel was running late, so I took the opportunity to take a hot bath. It always feels good after a long dip in a steaming tub, especially to an aching body. For those bath lovers out there, a quick tip – I extracted this bizarre piece of information from a health article I read just a couple of days ago.. really interesting and oh it applies only to women. Sorry guys! -“Urinate before and after your bath. Since a woman’s urethra is relatively short, getting into a bath can force outside bacteria to “flush” into the urethra and may allow it to take hold and develop into a urinary tract infection. Urinating after your bath will dispel any bacteria that may have settled in the urethra during your bath.”
Must be one hell of a dirty tub!
Friday traffic is always a nightmare in Sydney, and Mel of course was caught in one. I bid my neighbours goodbye and settled in to a night of channel flicking and instant noodles. It was still kind of nice, but I have to say I was pretty disappointed. I was so badly in need of a good laugh. Sigh….
We somehow managed to entertain ourselves through the night. But by 12, I was bored stiff and starving. I scuffed down my second bowl of noodles (yeah), waited for it to digest, and went to bed.
Yuk… What a night eh…..
I got my very first flu vaccination today.
They made me sit for 10 mins after.
I made some new friends while hanging around.
Than I started wondering why I had just subjected my body to a virus that has never bothered me before.Hmmmm………
It's funny when one’s left to one’s device. The thoughts and inspiration that flows through one’s mind. I rarely get moments like these anymore. It's all about work, cooking dinner, eating, feed the cat, tv, sleep and work all over again. I occasionally do break the routine by visiting the gym, rock climb, and bible study. But to be brutally honest, they are merely highlights of what I do week on week, month on month. It’s amazing how comfortable and unbreakable it becomes as time goes by. And how it’s almost reassuring.
I suppose I’m just having a whinge. After all, isn’t life all about routines? Ok not ALL about routines but…
I speak for myself when I say that I truly look forward to my weekly rendezvous with my favourite tv soap (which currently is LOST & Desperate Housewives! heee..), my weekly climb, Thursday dinners at the mall with friends, Friday nights of “guess what we are going to do” which regularly ends up with dinner in front of the tele watching whatever we can get our hands on from Blockbuster Video and weekend lunches with the family. It keeps my calendar full and my spirits high and makes that relaxing Saturday of doing nothing, all so much more precious. So yes, I may be a victim of habitual routines but without them, I would be back to flipping yellow pages (for those who I regretfully revealed this to, you know how sad a period that was for us..haha), internet browsing, and X-box defeats to a husband that loves to boost his ego by trashing me in a match of Halo one on one. I have to say…. It’s not the OC, but I’m happy with that for now.
Quietly and quite willingly conforming to life…. Me
them. We found the nicest plastic imitation and gave it a shot.
