Goodbyes and staying behind

27 July 2011 - It's almost been a year since I arrived in the Land of the Rising Sun as an ALT. It's been an exciting year with many new experiences and it's been fun. As we approach August (the month we welcome the newcomers), I've been busy with goodbye parties. While I'm sad to see some of my closest friends here go, I'm also happy to see how excited they are to  close their Japan chapter. And, this makes me wonder if my decision to stay on for another year is right.

Staying behind was not an easy decision to make. I have things back home left undone and another year in Japan seems to be a way to escape returning to my "real" life in Singapore. As my parents constantly remind me, I'm not getting any younger and my job hunt in 2012 might be tougher. Similarly, going home means I got to put up with questions about my plans to settle down and bear children. It's annoying how people just keep pushing you to get married because they believe that a woman's value diminishes as she enters the ripe old age of the three-Os.

*sign* I'm whining.... going to leave this post as this. Hope my whining mood passes soon. It's probably all the goodbyes that are making me so grumpy. I'm also a tat worried that I might not be as chummy with the newbies as I was with Katelynn and Alex. I'll be missing them...  *sob*

I guess now that I have decided to stay, I'll just have to work harder at making my second and last year in Japan an amazing one!

Japanese grapes & summer

10 July 2011 -- You know summer is here when the supermarket starts selling limited edition cold desserts and cold drinks are 30-40yen more expensive. The weather has been killing me the past 1 week. Coming from Singapore, I've been told repeatedly that the summer in Japan is mild compared to the weather conditions back home. However, what the Japanese fail to realise is that in Singapore, there are air-conditioned places everywhere. When the heat gets unbearable, one just simply need to step into the nearest shopping centre or bus terminal and you"ll be cooled down immediately. In Japan, the air-conditioned places are still warm and stuffy because the AC temperature tends to be fixed at around 26-25 degrees. Also, in the wake of the March disaster, most places are on an energy saving campaign and this means the number of AC places have diminished. It's so warm that I am perspiring from just sitting in my apartment and surfing the Internet. Having a fan aimed at me and blasting at top-speed doesn't seem to help. 

One of my favourite "cool style" desserts

A mix of red bean and green tea cream that taste like ice-cream when chilled

Cheap juicy grapes!

In an attempt to cool myself down, I have gobbled down 2 ice-creams and a whole box of yummy grapes since this morning. Japanese grapes here cost 395~495yen for a box and back in Singapore, I have to fork out about 1000~1200 yen for the same amount. The price difference is crazy and this also explains my recent grape gobbling craze. The box I just finished is my third this week :D.

Hot............ Going to try and hold out a little more before I turn on my AC. Hoping to hold out till August. Wish me luck!

ラベンダー (Lavender) Matsuri in Misato - July 2011

My tall friend & I

My first weekend in July was really busy but filled with tons of fun. On Saturday (2nd July), a bunch us gaijins went to the lavender matsuri (festival) in Misato. Once a year, the lavender fields are opened for three weeks and on this day, there was a meat event, as well as a "heaviest" rabbit competition. First, we had grilled meat for lunch and the meat was amazingly delicious and not at all expensive. Part of the fun was also due to the fact that we get to grill it on the spot and consume it there and then. After that, we got lavender ice-cream. I bought some lavender flavoured mochi too and those were yummy!

Oishii niku

 Aside from the lavender fields which were the main attraction, there was also a mini animal petting zoo for kids. You can choose to pet rabbits, goats and even calves. I got to hug a rabbit which was really sweet. Poor Jeff got scratched when he tried to hug one of them. Guess that little bunny wasn't in the best of moods.

We also got balloons!!! Just the gaijins! My Japanese friends weren't as excited as I was about the helium-filled balloons. I love balloons!!! We were lucky too :). The balloons were meant for the kids but I think we got away with it because of our gaijin status. *One of the perks of being a foreigner*  Look how gay we look with our ice-cream.

We love balloons!

The lavender fields weren't in full bloom yet. My kyoto-sensei explained that our winter was much longer than usual and as such the bloom has been delayed. It was still fun though and pretty. The weather was really nice but it would have been better if we had more breeze. After seeing the pretty purple flowers, we enjoyed cakes and coffee in the quint air-conditioned Gomashio-Kitchen. It felt wonderful to be able to escape from the harsh sun and just sit and chill. The whole outing ended before 1:30pm and I had the rest of the day to myself which was great. Think I should try and start my weekends earlier so that I can get the most out of them.

Sunday (3rd July) was interesting but not as fun. The day started off with a 2-hour drive to Morioka for my JLPT N5 test. This is the 3rd time I have signed up for it and the first time I'm attempting it. The last 2 times, I got lazy and didn't prepare for it. The test went well. It was't as difficult as I expected it to be and while I was uncertain about some questions, I should be able to clear it. Going to give myself a break and start preparing for the N4 test in December.

運転免許 ga hoshi desu!

20 June 2011 - I woke up at 6:15am this morning despite not having to go to work today. Was planning to get up at 6:45am but my nerves were all jittery and I was way too nervous to sleep in or to laze in bed. Why? Today's the day I'm attempting to get my Japanese license and I'm freaked out. I hate driving tests. In fact, I hate driving too. When I first got informed that I needed to drive in Omagari, I was asking if I could get around using a bike or public transport instead. When I was told firmly that I would HAVE TO drive due to the infrequency of the public transport, the huge amounts of snow we get in winter and ba ba ba... , I was miserable. I even considered if I should just not go to Japan.

Anyways, I'm getting distracted. So, I got up early and left my place at 7:20am so as to reach the driving centre (located in Akita City) before 9:00am. Got a little lost along the way but thankfully, the ever-reliable and knowledgeable Bec was there to help. Reached the centre just in time to register for my written test and spent much of my morning just hanging around the centre waiting. Got to wait 30mins before I could take the test and after that waited another hour before I could get my results. Waited 20mins before I could take my eye test and another 50mins before I could walk the driving course. 

The only driving test centre in the prefecture

A shot of the driving course from the 3rd floor

 To convert my license, I had to take a driving test within the driving course. While I was thankful that there was no on-the-road test, I was still freaked out especially when I was told that I would have to memorise the route. WHY??  Isn't it bad enough that I have to deal with the butterflies in my stomach? Now, I got to remember the route, as well as, the "tips" to securing a license. Ahhhhhh...

So, I spent 40 mins (from 12:00pm  - 12:40pm) walking around the driving course to familiarise myself with the route. It was really hot and uncomfortable but it did make me feel better about the test. I still failed though T.T. I was so nervous that I failed the test within the first 10 seconds. HOW?? I somehow forgot that it was a single lane road and I drove into the lane with the oncoming traffic in my attempt to make a right turn. Yup. I know it sounds ridiculous but it's true. Ahhhhhhh....

My driving route for the day

Check out the rest of the driving routes

The guy in white is walking the course too.

All the obstacle courses are surrounded by these intimidating looking poles

I managed to continue on with the test and it was good because after the test, the instructor pointed out all the mistakes that I have made. This was really useful because there were stuff I did which I thought was fine but apparently not. So... I'm going to have to attempt the driving test again and hopefully I'll miss on my next try.  Wish me luck!

<Kit Kat corner> 

I managed to find Cheese Kit Kat at the snacks vending machine in the driving centre :) Can't wait to try these. Don't they look interesting?

My Cheese Kit Kat!!!

Insert the coins and just open up the box you want to retrieve your snack.

Found some Bitter Strawberry Kit Kats too (They melted in the car though. My bad!)

Wanko Soba Challenge- May 14th

Been really lax about updating my blog for the past few months. I'm attributing it to a mix of factors - the aftermath of the earthquake, my trip to Oz, Golden Week trip home, as well as plain old laziness. I have a few stuff that I've been wanting to blog about and I decided that I'll just start with this one first --- My Wanko Soba experience.

May was a really happening month for me :) Besides making a trip home, one of my close friends here in Japan got married too. *Congrats again to the new KJ!* When her newly-minted hubby was in Omagari, we decided to make a couples day trip to Morioka. It was great fun! We had our Freshness Burger fix at the town centre before spending 3 hours in Round 1. After that we took a short stroll along a weekend street market and went for Wanko Soba.

Look how genki we were before we started

I've heard so much about the Wanko Soba experience since arriving in Akita and this was definitely something I wanted to do before I ended my stay here. What's Wanko Soba? Well... basically it's a game. The aim is to eat as many little bowls of soba as you can possibly stomach and be real quick to cover your bowl when you are stuffed to death so that you can stop the endless flow of soba, which is being dished out by this lovely staff hovering over you. Each little bowl is about one mouthful of soba noodles and 15 small bowls made up a regular bowl of soba. 

I only managed to down 70 bowls because I was so sick of the taste of soba towards the end. My dearest was the champion :) He managed to consume a total of 93 bowls!!!!! KJ came in second with 85 bowls. It was all great fun. It was an interesting but rather pricey experience. To get the full Wanko Soba experience, everyone has to fork out about 3000 over yen. This deluxe package meant you get to have photos of yourself with all the little bowls you have emptied. If you got the basic package, which only cost 2700 yen (i think), matchsticks will be used for keeping track of the number of bowls you ate. The basic package also came with two more side dishes. We decided that since we were going to "torture" ourselves and we were most likely only going to do this once, we would fork out more for awesome photos and I'm glad we did. In addition to awesome photos to record the day, each of us also received a little certificate with the date, as well as the number of bowls we ate.

I'm HUNGRY!

 Here's the link to the restaurant we went to Azumaya Soba Restaurant. If you are ever in Morioka, do spare some time to do the Wanko Soba challenge. I'm definitely going to make all my friends who come visiting do it. In fact, I'm considering attempting it again.

Off to Sydney soon... lalala

31 Mar 11 - Heading to Sydney tonight to attend a wedding party. Pretty excited about it for a few reasons (not listed in order of importance):

(a) I get to leave Japan (Don't get me wrong. I still love Japan and do feel safe despite all the radiation fears and the persistent aftershocks. Dakara (However), it's good to take a break and go on a mini holiday. Hoping to finally get some authentic Chinese cusine.)

(b) My first-ever flight alone (It's pretty late in life to embark on your first alone flight but better late than never. A little nervous despite my ripe old age. Hope everything goes smoothly and I get to Sydney in one piece with everything in tact.)

(c) Weddings! ( I love attending weddings, especially those of couples who look simply adorable together. Can't wait to see the bride decked out in all her pretty gowns.)

(d) Meet-ups (Finally get to see dear ones from home. Miss them)

(e) Holidays are always exciting!

Lalala.... another hour to go before I begin my drive to Akita Airport. Waiting...waiting...waiting.


(Separate note):

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE TWINS!!!! Sorry I missed your celebration. Love u always!!!

Can you guess what 八百屋 refers to?

八百屋  = (eight) (hundred) (house) = Historical building???

Make a guess and see if you got it correct.





Ans: vegetable store/ green grocer (look for the answer here)

And in case you are wondering, it reads やおや (yaoya).

Life's returning to normal *kana*

26 Mar 11 - Been a while since I updated my blog. Just been busy I guess. Well... actually more like I was lazy. Took a bunch of photos which I plan to upload eventually and keep thinking that I should update my blog only after I have sorted out my photos. However, I'm extremely horrible when it comes to sorting stuff so I guess the photos will just have to wait.

Had a pretty fun Saturday. Went to Yokote for lunch. Tried the "Yokote Burger", a fairly new joint which opened near the Yokote station. Tried the premium Japanese beef cheeseburger and it was amazing!!!! So amazing that greedy me ordered a second burger. Second time round I had the pork cheeseburger which was tasty but not as good as the beef one. Felt really greedy about eating two burgers at one seating but I was really hungry and I just wanted to treat myself. (Not that I had done anything out of the ordinary for me to wanna pamper myself.) The rest of my company had cakes instead; and those looked amazing too. 

After a satisfying lunch, we went to the AEON in Omagari. It's finally open again!!!! Also, most of the petrol stations are open as well. (Petrol's really expensive though.) While AEON is operating at shorter hours, like all the other shops in town, I do see this as a sign that life is slowly returning to normal. Managed to get all my shopping done too. Was initially planning to drive up to the AEON mall in Akita City instead to get all the necessary stuff for the Sydney wedding. That would have a costly trip because of the amount of petrol I would have to spend to and fro.  Glad I managed to get the dress, the accessories, shoes etc all in a day. Love shopping, especially when I don't have to foot the bill.

Had a lovely dinner with Shiori too at the hamburg place near G.U.  Was fun catching up and the food at that little cafe was simply oishii. Took a stroll back after dinner to walk off my three hamburgers, and that was really enjoyable too. One positive thing from this mini petrol crisis was that I rediscovered my love for walking. Miss all the after dinner strolls I used to have back in Singapore. The good thing about strolling at night here is that the air is really cool so you don't get all hot and sweaty. Also, there are very few cars at night and the street lights are far and few. This way, you get to enjoy fresh crispy air, as well as a quiet stroll under the stars. Simply lovely. Makes you feel much closer to Mother Nature.

(Kana = I think in Japanese)

Onigiri for school lunch tomorrow

15 Mar 11 - My first full day back in school after the 9.0 earthquake hit Japan last friday. School seems pretty much the same except for the following:

• All the corridor lights were switched off to save power;
• Instead of using the regular heater in the staff room, we switched to a smaller one;
• No milk was delivered today because the highway roads were disrupted; and
• Due to the shortage of food supplies, the school lunch company will be providing us with onigiris instead (starting tomorrow).

Thinking of taking the bus to school instead of driving just so as to save petrol. Don't wanna be stuck in my apartment without any means of transport if something major does happen. This means I have to get up 45 minutes earlier and walk for a good 20 minutes to the bus terminal. Hope it does snow for the next few days.

Long queues for petrol, empty supermarket shelves, no torchlights or candles

14th Mar 11 - Three days after the worst earthquake in Japan's history. The petrol stations began operating yesterday after the power supply came back. Almost immediately long queues started to form in front of all the petrol stations. There are three petrol stations within walking distance from my apartment and in just three hours of operation, all of them had run out of the regular petrol. When my car pulled up at the pump, I was told that I could only purchase the premium one. Super expensive but glad I did it. When I walked past the petrol stations today, only one had any petrol left. The long queues were still there though, because aside from petrol, people were busy filling up their kerosene containers too. 

Long queues for petrol at the last petrol kisok which still had  supply

Only diesel left

This petrol station sold everything within a day

Yup, kerosene is still very much a necessity for Akita residents because the weather is still really cold. It snowed on friday and there were light flurries on saturday. While the days are longer and warmer, the temperature still falls to 3-4 degrees in the night and stays at 6-7 degrees in the day. When the power supply was cut for two days, most of us barely got any sleep because we were all freezing our butts off in our homes. 

I popped by the supermarkets too. Been forewarned that food supplies will take a while to reach us because all the ICs have been disrupted by the earthquake and most resources are being channelled into recuse efforts in our neighbouring prefectures. Went by a few hardware stores too - trying to find a decent-sized torchlight or a battery operated hp charger. Didn't manage to find any. All were sold out. In the end, I settled for a mini LED torch which operates on batteries and bought a pack of batteries too. (Had to be kiasu and grab some first. Batteries were selling out fast too.) Didn't manage to find any big candles or tealight candles too ;'(

These shelves used to be filled with natto.
Guess Japanese really can't live without their natto. I really dislike it.

All the frozen food items have been removed from their shelves.

You can barely find anymore instant noodles left.

More empty shelves

My accident - My thought process is really different I guess

4th Mar 11 - Was on my way to school when my car skidded and I crashed into the metal barrier along the road. Thankfully, despite it being the rush hour, there weren't any cars behind me and the car in front of me was way ahead. It was pretty scary. One moment, I had control of my car and the next moment, I lost it. I tried tapping the brakes but my car didn't slow down. I tried to steer myself away from the barriers but somehow it just made my car go even faster. It wasn't fun at all. 

For one, my K-car felt really light when I lost control. I was afraid that it might just flip over like how many K-car horror stories told it. I also wasn't sure how well my car will survive a head-on collision because I know that K-cars are made of softer metal which accounts for its cheaper price tag. 

Well...somehow my car made a 180 degree turn (which means I'm facing oncoming traffic) and I managed to stop the car only by crashing into the barrier. The speed wasn't too high so I survived the incident without a scratch. This comes the strange part. I didn't get out to check the damage to my car. Neither did I stop to check that I was okay. First thing I did was to reverse my car and drive off. Why? Because it was an one-way road and an accident would mean I would hog the road and this would result in a traffic line-up. And because this road is like a minor express road, I had to drive for a good 10 minutes before I could exit and turn into a combini to check my car. Even then, after I parked, my first reaction was to dig for my hp and call my school to say that I would be late. Only when my teacher asked about the state of my car and my well-being, did I get off the car to check on it.

Guess my logic flow pattern does seem to be different. Attached my pictures of my car and the accident site. One of my teachers looked at the car and commented that my car looked like it was crying. Rather apt comment :)

My signal lights left out but they still worked.

See the cracks on the bummer :'( and that person in pink is not me.

The barrier survived it w/o any battle scars unlike my poor K-car

It wasn't even a sharp bend. I just happened to hit an icy patch ;'(

Thankful for my dear ones

Been an eventful two weeks. Started off with a minor accident while driving to school last last friday, followed by my first visit to Sendai, and the worst ever earthquake in Japan. Feeling kinda of tired by all these excitement. While it wasn't necessary for these to happen for me to know that I'm loved but it's sweet to know. Thank you!

Kitto Katsu aka きっと勝つ Board for my sannen-sei

The high school entrance exams are taking place next week and all the sannen-sei students looked stressed. Most of them stay back after school to mug and their visits to the staffroom to check their answers or to seek clarifications have risen.

Took some pictures of the Kit Kat (きっと勝つ) board I made for them. Hope they all manage to make it into the high schools of their choice. Ganbatte ne! Just one more week to go!

I know I should have cropped the pic but was too lazy.



Added some inspirational quotes from some famous personalities



Isn't it amazing how much Japanese you can
understand because you know Chinese?

Yokohama ストロベリー チーズケーキ (Strawberry Cheesecake) Kitkat

The Strawberry Cheesecake Kitkat, as well as the Ani Tofu Kitkat are the regional Kitkat flavours for Yokohama. Compared to the Ani Tofu flavour which had a more distinct taste, the Strawberry Cheesecake flavour was less satisfying. Don't get me wrong, it's still tasty and there was a tint of a fruity flavour but you can't tell it's strawberry and there's no cheese taste at all. Was hoping for a stronger flavour.

On the whole, it's an interesting omiyage to bring home with you but it's a winner in terms of its taste. If you are in Yokohama, suggest you pick up a box of Ani Tofu Kitkat instead. In case you are wondering why Ani Tofu and Strawberry Cheesecake flavours are supposed to be representative of Yokohama, it's because Yokohama is a port city and hence one of the first places in Japan that was exposed to foreign culture through foreign trading vassals. And hence, these two "foreign-imported" flavours were chosen.

Favourite quotes from Bones (Season 1 & 2)

Zack: She said "Take a hint." But when I asked "What hint?," Naomi said if she told me what hint, that it wouldn't be a hint any more, it would be a statement.

Booth: You're a smart ass, you know that?
Brennan: Objectively I'd say I'm very smart, although it has nothing to do with my ass.

Kostov: You have the most beautiful bone structure.
Brennan: I can't take credit. It's genetic.

Zack: This is the third time in a row we've investigated without Booth. I don't like it.
Brennan: Why? He mostly ignores you.
Zack: Ignoring me is Booth's way of acknowledging my presence. It's a guy thing.

Cam: Not everyone's brain works as fast as yours. I have to mull sometimes. Are... are you familiar with that concept?
Brennan: Yes. I just always thought that it was a waste of time.

Hodgins: Oh, I could kiss you.
Angela: That would require permission, which I deny.

Cam: Why do you know that?
Zack: My knowledge is vast.
Cam: Why did I ask?

Addiction to Bones

I'm an addict.

Why? If you manage to watch 2 whole seasons of Bones over just one weekend, I think it's safe to call it an addiction. It's not ending soon too. There are a total of five complete season so far (season six is still airing), and I'm still far from catching up. Hopefully, I'll be up to speed by next weekend. Really need to slow down my watching. Don't want to end up having to wait ages for a new episode. That will make me sad.

Brennan and Booth

Bones is not a new drama to me. I've heard of it abour 1.5years back when one of my friends got hooked onto it. She was so crazy about it that she used to tell me about the storylines every morning over breakfast. So, when I was watching the show, I could practically hear her voice in my head telling me about the characters and their invidual quirks. It was fun :) Made me feel like my friend was close by despite her being a good 7-hours flight away.

What I like? I love the characters, especially the main female lead - Brennan. She's so brilliant and logical. Strong-willed but passionate. Would love to have the same kind of passion and drive she has for her work. Hopefully, I can achieve this with my next job. Interestingly, my favourite character is Dr Hodgins (He's really cute and has an amazing body!). While I do enjoy watching the growing more-than platonic relationship between the two leads, I'm more interested in the story between Dr Hodgins and his wife, Angela. With every episode, I feel like I'm closer to these two characters and the more I find out about them, the more loveable they are. Also, I really like the relationship they have :) It's soooo sweet. Can't wait to get to season five where the couple will get hitched after spending time in a jail cell together.

My all-time favourite couple

Each episode involves a case which is mostly solved within the hour-long episode. This makes it much easier for me because I get closure everytime the episode ends. Much prefer this format compared to the draggy dramas with neverending storylines. Those make me so bored and restless. I also find the script very well-written and well-though out. It's like watching CSI but the characters are funnier and have more diamensions.

What I don't quite like? The gross scenes involving the dismembered body parts, burnt bodies, and endless scary-looking skulls. Sometimes the scenes creep me out and I end up just listening to the dialogue but focusing my attention on someone's online photo albums. Also got to stop watching the drama just before bedtime. Some stories creep me out so badly that I had trouble falling asleep later on because the gross images are stuck in my head.

Trash bags, Missing marker pen & School Tap woes

While I'm not a bad fan of Mondays, I aren't usually too affected by Monday Blues. However, this morning has been unfolding rather badly for me.

First, I was bagging my trash from last night's dinner when I realised that the bag was leaking. *ewww* Somehow, I had failed to see that there was a hole in the plastic bag. (I'm attributing it to a lack of caffeine.) Had to clean the floor, plus change my stockings which got stained. Next, I couldn't locate my black marker pen. (In Japan, all our trash bags need to be labelled -- the trash box you are located to, as well as your name. Reason being, if you have bagged your trash incorrectly, the trash guys can return the trash to you so that you can do it properly. When I first arrived, I lived in constant fear every evening when I returned home on Mondays and Thursdays. I was so worried that I had done something wrong and I might see my trash bag sitting in front of my door. *Yucks*) Thankfully, despite my 10-min search for my marker pen (which had fallen and rolled under my fridge), I managed to catch the rubbish truck before it moved off. (Read: Involves running down the stairs and dashing across the carpark like a mad woman.) Third, I go drenched while attempting to wash my hands after using the toilet. At one of my schools, the sinks are located outside and away from the cubicles. I turned on the tap without checking and ended up getting drenched by the gust of water shooting upwards. You see, the mouth of the tap was facing up and not down like usual. It's one of the Japanese quirks to save water. So, when someone like me fails to check, you end up becoming like a wet duck. Being wet when it's three degrees is not fun.

Ahhhh... hope the second half of the day turns out to be better.

Sign on the correct way to use the toilet seat in Chinese (中国語)

The photo below was taken in the toilet cubicle of Shiro Koibito (白い恋人) Park in Sapporo. In case you are wondering, the Shiro Koibito Park consist of a mini museum on chocolates and candy packaging, a pretty little park with a toy train which you can ride on for a fee (it was closed in winter >.<), and a walk-through on how the famous white chocolate butter cookies are manufactured. There is also an observation deck were you can view the cookie making process. It was pretty fun and it really reminded me of Willy Wonda and the chocolate factory. 

Anyway, this blog entry is not about the visit to the park (will try and cover that separately), it's about the rise of Chinese posters around Japan and how most of them are about etiquette issues. Instead of having the poster in both English and Chinese, the park management seemed to have decided that only the Chinese tourists will need guidance on how to use a toilet seat properly. While the Japanese are eager to welcome the Chinese tourists who are cash-rich and all-ready to spend, most of them aren't too impressed with the Chinese's mannerisms. Then again, I don't think the Japanese are the only ones who complain about the Chinese.

can u tell what's wrong?

Was sorting my pics and came across this photo that I took some time back. One of my silly moments. See if u can spot what's wrong.

*ouch* I fell in the snow

21 Feb 11 - Here goes my clean record of no falls in winter.  

Was thinking I would be able to make it through all four months of winter without falling but guess I would just have to attempt this feat again next winter. Looking at how clumsy I usually am, I still think that just one fall is really amazing. Was really worried about falling down and breaking a bone because of the numerous horror stories I have heard from the other senpai ALTs. Well, it's almost the end of February and the snow seems to have stopped. So, my bones should be safe till next year :)

Where and How - I was alighting from my car at the Senhata onsen when I slipped and fell. Somehow, I had managed to park right next to an iced over part of the parking lot and it was so dark that I couldn't tell there was ice on the ground. The minute I stood up from my seat, I just slipped and landed hard on my right side. Thankfully I only escaped with some small cuts on my right hand. Guess, all my winter padding (aka thick clothes and additional fats) really helped to prevent any serious injury. Was happily chatting away with my fellow passenger when I just disappeared from sight and started laughing. Yup, my first reaction to falling down was to laugh. I was laughing so hard that I wasn't able to pick myself up right away. My Japanese friend probably thinks I'm a little strange by now but she's just too nice and polite to say so ;)

Quest for authentic Chinese food in Japan

Chinatown entrance

I had the opportunity to visit Yokohama in end January this year and I was really excited about it. Japan has three Chinatowns - Yokohama, Kobe and Nagasaki, and the biggest one is in Yokohama. Having been in Japan for close to half an year, I was suffering from a serious craving for some proper chinese food. There are a handful of Chinese restaurants in Omagari but the dishes don't look or sound appealing. I did have dinner at one of the recommended Chinese restaurants about four months back, but the food was just so-so. For the price I paid for dinner, I would much rather have gone to a Japanese shokudo and got a more satisfying teishoku (set meal). 

So, when I got to know that I was headed to Yokohama, I was super thrilled at the prospect of finally having some local food, especially since there were reportedly close to 200 Chinese eateries there. Also, it was close to Chinese New Year (CNY) and I was hoping I could get some CNY decorations for my upcoming CNY lessons. 

Sadly to say, I did get to enjoy dim sum for lunch but it wasn't fantastic. It wasn't bad and it did helped to ease some of my craving but for that price of close to SGD45 per pax, it was really expensive dim sum. Attached some photos of my first and probably only dim sum lunch in Yokohama's Chinatown. I miss Crystal Jade and Ding Dai Feng badly >x<

My Dim Sum restaurant - it was really packed and the wait was almost an hour

The carrot cake was pretty tasty.

Horrible char siew - cold, dry and not burnt enough

The skin was good but the char siew filling was disappointing.

Simple porridge

The Cheong Fun was too thick and not smooth at all.

Almond tofu is a really popular dessert in Japan.

Love this senior citizen program - you get 10% off the bill if you're over 65.

As for CNY decorations, I did find some ang baos (red packets) but one ang bao was going for 100yen (SGD1.60) which is ridiculously pricy. The other simple decorations which would have costed less than SGD10 were going for close to 1000yen (SGD16). They were such so expensive that I couldn't bring myself to pay for them. My students will just have to make do with the pictures I have printed from the Internet. I did purchase a papercut of a bunny for my art teacher though. I was doing a papercutting art class with my 3rd graders and I thought it would be a great present for my teacher. Glad I did fork out the money for it coz she really loved the gift.

I also visited the Mazu (妈祖) temple in Chinatown and it looked every bit like the Chinese temples back home except that they had incense vending machines and the coin tossing box (similar to the ones you see at the Japanese shrines). And, the incense and offering paper were really expensive.  One packet of gold offering paper cost 1000 yen and incense sticks for one person (think it was like six sticks) cost 500 yen. The extra big gold offering paper was 2000 yen. As you probably would have guessed, I didn't buy any incense sticks or offering paper. It was just too costly to make any offering. No lack of Japanese who were willingly to fork out the money though. The temple was so crowded that I had problems trying to snap pictures because people kept walking in front of my camera.