Here it comes. I'll upload the rest of the photos another day because i don't want the pages to load too s...l...o...w...l...y...
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Nov 07, 2008
Was working on this day but had specially requested to claim my time off which i'd not use (lucky me) so that i can return home earlier than usual to pack my whatever is left into my luggage. And what's good news was that there wasn't much crowd and no one's on MC, so my claim was approved!! ha!
Anyways, Clifton was ultra concern and worried since i'm travelling alone over to Japan for the first time and he couldn't be there to pick me up. So he kept calling and texting and such. heee. Im quite independent one ok! I can find my way around de.
It has been too long since i last board a plane and became absolutely sua-ku. Nearly dunno how to find my seat number till my intuition asked me to look up. Got my seat, a very smart looking air-steward helped me put my bag up and i was already trying to make myself comfortable. I chose the seat beside the window and did i mention that mine was a red eye flight? I couldn't sleep because i was TOO EXCITED! Im going to JAPAN! JAPANNNNNN!!!
I shall keep the sua-ku stories to myself. Its really stupid lor.
So, after an hour wait for the plane to go to the runway and takeoff, we are finally in the skies! I watched two movies before i tried sleeping. Slept for around 2 hours and i was woken up by the sound of.... yes. Them preparing the food. Horrible me right? If ah liang was to see this, he'd shake his head already. Oh, food was good! slept alittle again and we are in Japan! Total flight hours: 7hours (est.).
Nov 08, 2008
Things you need to prepare before you go to Japan - most importantly was to get their JapanRail Pass aka JR Pass! Its superly useful if you are going free and easy there! Because you can get around with that pass on their JR Trains, JR Buses and especially their Shingansen - Bullet Train! You'll save alot! Thanks to Father who told me this juicy bit.
Back to me in Japan~ mentally *bubbles popped*
Couldn't get any network in Japan.. Panicked. Thoughts that ran through my head:
1. Did i not activate my Internation Roaming? But it was there all along no? SHit, how do i call them to activate? how to get them to check?
2. I never pay bills? Cant be... i pay giro ley.
3. My network not 3G?? But i'd upgraded it some time back!! And even checked le!!
4. My phone is not 3G enable?! NO WAY!! Its definitely 3G!!!
Damn, how to contact my darling to let him know i'd reached? Nevermind, get out of the long long long walkway and find a public phone. It's a very long walkway lor. From the plane to the main hall. =.="
I'd changed SGD1,000 which was like 70,000 Yen with some coins. Can't remember how much exactly.
Had some difficulty using the public phones there, they have many telecommunications companies (telcos) to choose from and each telco has their own codes to use. So i just picked one and call Mr Tan. That was after like 3 trips to the public phone lor. After managing to contact him and getting his instructions (wah abit like im some killer receiving instructions on where to get my information and such), i walked down to the JR train station to change my JR Pass. Its like a card thingy with your name and the expiry date stamped BIG.
Once done, i have to back up 2 levels again - on escalators, no elevators hor and i was lugging my luggage with me all along, while carrying a big bag. Nice! Went to the info counter to purchase my tix.
YAY! My hotel! HERE I COME! They have timing for the Airport Limousines because they'll go by the areas. Its pretty fast anyway. Mine was the 3rd batch.
With the time and such. I arrived the airport around 0730hr, fyi. The air wasn't really cold but it was very very cooling! Plus it was raining too. Not heavy, perhaps just drizzles.
My bus ride lasted for almost 2 1/2hours! The highways there are really HIGHways lor. Some can go higher than those 6 storey building leh!! Scary hor but it was pure shiokness when i saw this. Didn't sleep during the journey because i was too excited to sleep.
Reached the hotel's lobby and Clifton was there! Oh, did i mention that while waiting for my bus to arrive at the airport, i was playing with my phone and managed to figure out how to set it to 3G network?
Once i'd settled down, Clifton gotta return back to work. :(
Yes, he'll be busy working for the first 5 days while i hang out with his friends. Shall not name any names here but i think i'll give them nicknames. heee. Took some pics from my erm.. 20+ storey high room. Cant remember exactly lah.
Feeling hungry already, i went to MacDonalds! Hmm, all the menus are in Japanese so we just point out pictures lor and I managed to recognise some of the words so i'll mumbled some too. Lucky they understand lor. I ordered the Teriyaki Chicken burger meal with Fanta Grape!! I realised that the fast food restaurants have a limited set of drinks to choose from. Its either Coke (their fave), Fanta Grape, .. cant remember whats the next 2 already. The lady was really smiley and friendly man! And when i told them that i dont have a straw, the lady kept apologising and passed me the straw. Wow~!
Yes, it was niceeee. Haaa.
So, i was feeling sleepy, i went back to sleep. Gotten American Boy's (AB) number to meet them up for dinner. Yes, this trip i need to be THICK-SKIN!! Waited for AB in the evening to pick me up in my hotel's lobby.
We were joined by Korean Girl (KG), Australian boy (Aus) and some locals there. I'm not sure they call it a restaurant or what but i guess it is. There was a BIG pond in the middle, near the entrance, for people to fish their own food. It was fun but very difficult to fish, i have no luck.. :(
And there was a mini bridge for us to cross over to the other side. There were people sitting above the ponds so they can fish and eat at the same time. Does that reminded you of the guy who caught his fish and ate it straight from Lord of The Rings? :P
The entrance.
The menu is in Japanese too.
We were transferred to a bigger room.
The Yummylicious food they'd ordered for us. xD
Very crispy tempuras!
I didn't try this but i heard that is superly delicious!
Supposed to crack it and mix it with the ingredients below the "cracker".
Remember me telling you that we have to fish for our own food? You get to choose whether you want it raw - sashimi, grilled, etc. Which we have that. Fishes were sliced thinly and Aus asked me to try it... Coz im in Japan. SO i just tried and... i guessed it's FISH and i hate FISHY SMELL, so i was like.. ugh...... But its very chewy, and i believe that i may like it if i didn't have the fish taste and smell so much.
Ate raw squid too, it was mixed in the platter where you gotta crack the shell. It was nice and had abit of the powdery taste. Overall, it was a nice experience for me. :D
The place was very near my hotel and lucky for me, i brought my map out so the locals checked my map and told me its just up ahead.
I walked back on my own while absorbing the sights at night and the cooling yet dry weather.
The street directory. You'll find this in most streets in case you are lost. Hey, some of the locals will get lost too ok! Especially those who came from another city. You'll see them carrying maps too. Haha. Only advantages they have was they speak their language.
Does this look familiar to you - Those who watched Densha Otako before.
Perhaps its because of the season, its going Autumn, so the days are getting shorter. By 1730hr, the skies are like 1930 in Singapore. Wonder was it the weather that makes me feels so tired too?
Nov 09, 2008
Today is a SPECIAL DAY!!! i get to go to TGS! WOOHOOOOO!!! WEEEEEEE!!!
Wore my 1" heels and get set to go! Its my first time taking the JR train. The hotel provides a shuttle bus that goes to the train station and back. Convenient hor? And to walk about in heels, i didn't know what's in store for me!
You saw those numbers and colour bars? Yes, those represent the lines that you have to take if you wanna get to a particular place. You need to check or the information counter do provide you with their JR brochure that shows you all their railway lines in Eastern Japan, the colours and such. The trains at certain platform may stop at selected stops only, so you must be alert! The board containing the train's timing and stops are in Japnese and sometimes in English, but you can still figure it out. Trains will have signs near the doors, to state their last stop. They even have a screen inside to show you the next stop, how long and where are you now, etc. Very detailed but not all trains will provide this information. SOme, you bave to open your ears to listen to the announcement. It in Japanese but you can understand them since they are like "Shibuya", etc. Something that you can understand verbally. Doors will open on either side depending on the stations, so must becareful.
Overall, its not really that bad the moment you'd figured it out but things to note when you are at their major stations such as Shinjuku and Tokyo. They are like our City Hall, Dhoby Ghaut and Raffles Place. Many people transit there to get to another place. It's really a hassle if you took the wrong train because you have to get out of the platform and walk to another platform, another line. Unlike here, if you took the wrong train, you just have to cross over to the other side to change right? And also their exit points. For major stations, they have HORRIBLE EXIT POINTS!! The signs dont really work and everytime i'll get lost and have to try and error lor. But after some time, i decided to go through the shopping mall and exit from there, faster. Its really horrible!! I tried taking note of the exit i went from but i can't find it there! haha.
In Japan, there's the JR and some private companies. For private companies, i'd just buy the tickets. They have the map on top of the ticket machines to see where you wanna head to and the prices, then on the machines itself, you choose the number of tix you are buying and press the amount that you are paying. It's very straight forward and very different from ours, where you just press on the stop that you wanna go to.
sample of the ticket from the private company. It's very small, about W2cm x 4cm(?).
For bus wise, you just hope into it via the rear door, and there's a display showing the stop they are stopping at and the price. So you just pay accordingly when you are alighting (in front). It's not really practical in my view as you have to dig for change and it'll also jam the queue for people to get off and for the rest to board the bus. No idea why the trains are so advanced and yet the buses are not. Buses there are pretty small as compared to the ones here and their population are much more than SG.
Everyone seemed to be in a hurry, they walked really fast. And they have a habit of pushing people and not saying excuse me. So i just follow their culture and push around lor. Haa. They don't pick fight that easily. Somehow, it seems to me that they would prefer to aviod any form of trouble, avoid picking fight. Another thing, the working guys there, ALL WORE SHIRT, TIE, PANTS AND JACKET!!! HANDSOME!!!! and they definitely looked smarter than some of the guys here.
AS i walked through the station to get to my platform, i'll hear the trains moving above me. It's really exciting!!!!!
There's shops selling food in the stations, lockers to put your stuffs, alot of vendor machines to buy drinks, which occasionally will come with a dustbin to throw your stuffs. They have alot of recycle bins, for plastic bottles, glass bottles, papers, magazines, etc. So just throw according to the pictures. Trains do not have the middle pole for you to hold on to, just the handles from the ceiling, the inside is not as wide as Sg's but still manageable, its pretty warm inside though.
something that i bought from one of the shops. When i was there, i have an urge to buy EVERYTHING coz their packaging are so cute!!
it comes in different flavours. There's green tea, strawberry, mango and chocolate.
Something to note about the public transport:
1. They set their handphones to silent mode or vibrate. No music.
2. THey don't "share" their mp3s but to themselves.
3. They don't talk on phones, except to sms.
4. They QUEUE up behind the line, first come first serve basis, while waiting for the train to arrive.
5. Once the train arrived, the people inside get to leave first before the rest enter the train and those queuing outside, they actually leave the door space for the people to leave.
6. Not in a rush and don't wish to block people's way, stand on the left or right, whichever the line was already formed so that the rest can walk up if they are in a rush.
HOW WONDERFUL IS THAT??????? Does that makes you wish that it'll happen here? i seriously DOUBT so. I enjoyed that kind of orderly and respect so much that the moment i return to Singapore, I totally hate the people who did just the opposite here. THere, you don't get annoyed by stupid people playing their mp3 on speaker via their handphones! WOW! THERE, you don't have to PUSH your way out of the train, THERE, you don't have to keep saying "EXCUSE ME" to get those annoying educated or uneducated people to find a slot to give way! NICE HUH?? Seriously! Those people who studied so much yet do not understand some of these notices:
1. Please stand behind the yellow line.
2. Please give way to people coming out of the train.
3. Please stand to the left of the escalator.
NOPE!! That's sad isn't it? People here, felt that they own everything and not respecting other people's peace. That's why some said Singaporeans are ugly. Not all, but those who did it.
Anyways, on to happier things.
My GOLDEN TICKET.
And being lost inside the roomful of games, posters and girls!
People to queue up to try the games.
Cooking mama is here too!!
You don't see this here.
Yes I DO!
They even have a shop selling DS Lite Covers!
There's a room for contestants to play and solve the puzzles ASAP. So, no flash photography allow.
That's a life size figurine, not human cosplaying.
Nice huh? xD
This is a REAL guy in costume.. haha.
Yep! Little Planet is here! Its pretty fun, tried it at Mr Younger's place. Heee.
They even have like 2 storey to play MORE games!
My All-Time FAVOURITE! NO idea why, but this was the only game that i actually find the comics to read, search for anime to watch. My fave? Was 'K' as well as the ice girl, that i kept asking xiaobai to use when he's playing. :P
There's this event where they'll asked volunteer to play Twister with one of their pretty girls!
As things get more complicated..
Poor girl.. haha. She's quite pretty lor.
Something to feast your eyes on:
Didn't take much because that's Aus' interest, not mine. Hahah. Mine is on this, when i found this treasure..... xDDDDDDDD
My Great Sephiroth!
FF IV
Valkryie Profile
Extras Extras!
The Two Boys... Lazier and Lazy.
ME @ TGS! WOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Some of the cosplays, didn't take much because there's ALOT of people trying or rather queuing to take pics of them all. So squeezy and when i tried to take at an angle, there'll be people blocking my view. So i decided to be selfish and capture all with my eyes instead and kept my camera.
Hmm, don't know if i can post it here but i get to meet someone from the gaming industry too!! xD
And they work in the company that i used to collect their games (ORIGINAL ONES OK!). They are very friendly and funny too. Haha.
Had dinner at a Spanish restaurant (if im not wrong), food was fantastic and i'd love to take pic of the food that i'd eaten but was too shy to do so.
OKies, that's 1/4 of my trip. Shall post more another time. Am still editing some of the 1131 pictures ok!! Well, of course am filtering some out too!
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