Takayama, Shirakawa-go and Gero

Hee... this trip marks the end of a semester.

Went to Gifu prefecture last week with 3 other friends. 2 of them being new students from Taiwan were really pretty excited cus it will be their first time seeing snow. Yup, we were going to a super snowy place, (or you can say the white country as Japanese themselves named it.) But then we got much than we bargained for. Much much much more...

On the first day we reached Takayama only to find the streets piled with snow which made walking so difficult. But well, despite the supposedly 8 mins walk as written on the pamphlet which took us nearly 20 mins, the grand hotel took our minds off our tired legs. We paid only 8500 Yen per person ( amts to about 120 sing), we got ourselves a big Japanese style room, buffet steamboat dinner consisting of "Hida Beef" (p/s: this is high-class beef that costs as much as 3000 yen per 300g for the highest grade!) , a top facilitated hot spring and then buffet breakfast the next morning.

Our hotel at the back

The night view

Note: This is one person share!

And then all our happy faces...

Trip to Inuyama Castle

Went to one of the 4 most famous castles in Japan. It is situated in Inuyama, Aichi ken, a few stations away from Nagoya.

The castle is really stunning! Boy, I just love castles in Japan. Each tells its own story.

The beautiful path leading up to the castle. Isn't it gorgeous?

The main castle building!

Bird's eye view from the top of the castle

Then it was a night out to Nagoya! Wow... the illumination was really great.. christmasy! By the way, I didn't know there was such a nice tower in Nagoya till now. Or that I never bothered to check things out... And something I must mention was the live band that were performing in the streets. Are they talented or what, I actually stood there for 30 mins in cold listening to them! Everyone was grooving to the music. Gosh, can't believe how talented people can be!

And finally... the illumination!

His love...

His love is warmer than the warmest sunshine
Softer than a sigh
His love is deeper than the deepest ocean
Wider than the sky
His love is brighter than the brightest star that shines every night above
And there is nothing in this world that can ever change His love

Once I thought that love for meant for everyone else but me
Once I thought that no one knew the way
Now that only goes to show how wrong we all can be
'Cos now it seems He loves me more each day

Something happened to my heart the day that I met Him
Something that I never felt before
And that something is that He has buried all my sins
And everyday it seems He loves me more

How can I ever thank You enough Jesus...

Just some photos

Just some photos first for entertainment and till after my exams!

This is the cake baked by my classmates! Very pretty right? I was soooo thrilled by it! There is another picture somewhere with the beautiful candles.. look out for that!

Everyone eating and chatting in the Izakaya... My teacher turned up too. SO touched!

A Class photo together...

Please wait...

Yeah, I know I promised several of you I will post the photos and story of what happened on my birthday this year. But then just give me some time. Need to get the photos from my friend first.

Just some thoughts. A drama I have been catching has got me thinking about life these days. It is about a girl who is diagnosed with a disease of the brain. To spare you all (and myself) from the complicated name, it basically cause her to lose control over her sense of balance and eventually the movement of her limbs. This drama is a true story based on the diary of the girl who wrote till she couldn't hold a pen anymore. She lived life to the fullest till 25 and her only wish was "to live".

To live. It sounds so easy to so many of us. To live is to wake up on time everyday morning to go to work or school. Or well play for kids or housework for housewives. To live is to endure the boring morning and look forward to lunch break. Make eyes at the student opposite you and laugh at the teacher. Then look forward to end of school to go play (jusco for us =) together.

As I sat down on my bed that day on my birthday waiting for my friend, I was set thinking about things that happened all these years. It was my first time truly.

Instead of being excited about what presents I am going to get, I begin to realised how it had been a long 23 years I have gone through. And it just hit me how God has been with me through thick and thin. It doesn't matter at all what happened in the 23 years. What is important is that He has brought me to where I am.

Sometimes I wake up in the morning feeling so sleepy and thinking that the world sucks just because I have to go to school early. Do I have have to wait till the day when I wake up every morning to thank God He has brought me passed another day again?

Now I being to appreciate the lyrics of a song I really like. If I remember correctly, the lyrics goes like this.

Every sunrise speaks of your unfailing love,
Every nightfall, your faithfulness
Every blessing from heaven tells of your amazing grace...

For everyday of my life, I praise God for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Halloween Party

Some of the photos as I have promised earlier...

The winner of the costume parade... very good costume I must say...

My classmate Bil.. Find his name familar? Yes he is the one who got into an accident

Ko-San! One of my good friends as Little Red Riding Hood

And... Bear! Pooh Bear! His nickname is bear too

The lot of us ;D

Traumatic happening...

Let me update you all on the latest thing that happened to me.

I was an eyewitness to a traffic accident. Till now I still don't know why I was involved in it. Read on and you will know why...

It was my school's Halloween party last friday night and well for some reasons I didn't really want to take part in it. But then my curosity got the better of me and well my friend kept persuading me to go, I thought ok, I will just go and say hello, take some pictures and scram.

So I went about 11pm to the student bar that night. Met my classmates and took tonnes of photos together (which I will post it up soon). Waited for another friend to come and about 12, I was ready to leave.

Both my friend and I left together for home. On the way back, we past by the family restaurant right in front of the apartment where I stay and found a great commotion going on. There were like 10 fire engines, ambulances parked around it and the whole place was fenced off by the police. Saw like 30 over people standing in the carpark with their statements being taken down by the police. It was only the next day that we read in the news that a fight broke out between some Japanese gangsters involving some toxic spray sending 21 people to the hospital.

Anyway, the reason why I stood there for nearly 1.5 hours was because a Japanese uncle started chatting to me. Then he took me to his car which was parked across the road so he could give me his namecard.

2.30am in the morning. I crossed the road back to the path in front of school to his car. Side note: I was pretty nervous cus the uncle invited me to his house. arrggghhh... but thank God right at this moment, my classmate Bill came along with 2 other people back from the party so I had an excuse to say I had to leave with my classmate.

Crossed the first road. Nothing happened. Bill went ahead of me with another girl. I was walking behind with another guy Karl. Then was about to cross the 2nd road. Looked left and right, no cars. Light still red though. And Bill dashed across the road with another girl sitting behind him in the bike.

And just as I was about to follow them, I heard the screeching of car brakes and flashing car lights. The next thing I knew, I heard a loud bang and both Bill and the girl flew off the bike and onto the road.

Super traumatic.. in spite of the shock I got, I had to calm myself down because the girl was in shock. besides she was a little drunk. Then it was a mad rush to the hospital and then police recording down our statements.

Woo... Bill's ok now. He had stitches in his head and he fractured his right thumb. So have to take turns to cook for him everyday now. Because of this too, haven't been sleeping well for some days. Too traumatic to recall the accident too... And till now I still get people asking me why I was there at the point of time when I left the bar at 12+.. I don't know too how it was all such an coincidence..

Now I also ride my bike more carefully. and no more dashing across roads or beating red lights.

A little warmness

I just read my friend, Weisum's blog. (if you are interested, her link is on the left hand side of the page)

She apparently is really excited over her upcoming wedding, sourcing for restaurants, cards, flower girls, make-up artists... Her blog is really interesting. Very light-hearted for suited for those faint-hearted. haaa sorry a very bad and cold joke. But then everytime I read it, it lightens my mood because her blog is so filled with joy and you can just feel her energy for life.

Yeah that gives me some warmth. In this cold day to be in Japan alone.

Colder... brrr....

It's here again. The weather I can't stand.

It's here to terrorize me again!

Weather turing colder nowadays which means it is getting increasingly harder to wake up and take baths in the morning. so sad...

Nara Trip

If I made a promise to write about my Nara trip 2 months back but failed to do it can we still be friends?

Nara is a place famous for being filled with deers and old temples. Or at least that was the impression I got. Deers roaming about freely, sometimes doing funny things (like chewing my butt!), ignoring traffic... yes that was what happened in Nara.

Anyway it was the last destination in our short 3 days 2 night trip. In fact we didn't really even planned to go there. It was just a on-the-way-back-home trip considering we were all using the I day unlimited trips ticket.

ok anyway here's some photos!

Chou san: Chased by deers that she was forced up the bench... Haa how smart of her.

Fuji Safari Park

Hmm... my second trip to Fuji... ehh nope.. maybe 4th if I include the last 2 trips to Yamanashi (where Mt Fuji lies)... Anyway, made a trip to the Safari Park with 2 of my friends cus well we didn't manage to make it there the previous trip to Mt Fuji. But then it was a blessing in disguise because this time round, I received 2 free entrance tickets from my Japanese friend and because it was within the Seishun Ju 18 Kippu Period ( a special ticket which allows you to take unlimted trips on the JR trains for 2300 Yen per day), we saved loads of money!!

Ok, so in order to get back to Okazaki within the same day, we left at 5.30am in the morning!

The highlight of the trip, (at least for me) was the a month and half old lion cubs! There were about 5 of them. and they were so so so so cute!!! Really, I was so mesmerised by them that I actually stood outside the viewing gallery for nearly an hour trying to capture their moves. Of course, like a typical tourist, I stood in queue to take a picture with the cubs!

Well well.. not forgetting other animals... we had the baby porcupines. Cute little animals aplenty... but after all the most exciting place we were anticipating was the safari itself needless to say. And true to our blessing in disguise (again), we were spared the agony of queuing up for the "jungle bus" tickets because we went there by public transport. If not we probably had to queue up to an hour in the hot sun..

The safari... felt like entering into Jurassic park as said by my friend. High metal fence as they slowly slided open as our vehicle approaches.. wooh.. exciting!

So we fed the ferocious lions, saw the sleeping cheetahs, bathing tigers... what else... oh! and Dancing bears! Ok, that was an over statement, but indeed saw the bears bouncing up and down because they know food was coming by. (not us the people in the bus but the food we were all given to feed the animals.)

Ok... I know it is more exciting to see the animals rather than me but well I had to show lion.

And this is a very precious picture... a tiger bathing. according to the guide, this is the 3rd sighting in the whole of summer. Tigers... when do they bathe anyway?

That's about Safari trip... and what a tired trip... we got home at about 12 plus in the night becuase half way we got off to eat dinner or maybe supper (at 9+) at Hamamatsu. Yeh, can you believe it, all 3 of us didn't catch a single wink on the train be it the trip to or back cus we were busy chatting all the way. Women indeed.

My normal daily life...

Guess my blog had been filled with posts on travels and me having fun only. Well to dispel all rumours that I am only partying here in Japan, I DO have a normal daily life that consists of going to school, studying, working and well some form of exercise.. hee hee...

I have been wanting to post my last entry about the trip to Nara but guess that will take a while more course workload have been heavy and increasing. What to do when exams coming in 3 months' time?...

But still found time to do some interesting stuff lately. I have this guy friend in class whom all of us have been nagging at him to do something to his hair. So, partly due to our pressure and well he seems to like this girl in class, he agreed to go for a "makeover"... heeee that was fun!

First, my friend and I went to our usual Salon with him and got him a new hair style and colour. Check this out!

That is his before look... white and messy hair...

Now he looks like this!

At least 5 years younger than before right?
If it wasn't enough, we decided that his clothes didn't suit his present hairstyle. We went to his house one night, made him take all his clothes and threw out those that didn't match up to our standards. But wait... that was just the beginning... this episode saw 4 of us girls going to the stores with him, making him change into clothes after clothes... haaaa and well shoes after shoes!

Fruitful life i have uh? I just can't keep my hands off other people's lives.. sigh..

My hundredth post!- Osaka

Wow... a year has nearly passed since I first started my blog... but well before I celebrate my blog's one year old birthday, let's celebrate the crossing of the hundred mark! By.... viewing the series of very artistically taken pictures we took....

Background: Osaka was just a stopover for us as we planned to go to Nara the next day on the way back to Okazaki. And after having long hours on the train and late nights out, we were really exhausted. Therefore, we ate dinner and quickly retreated back to the hotel thinking we could have a nice night relaxing together.... but but...

Federik... his favourite pose...

So kun as the perpetrator...

Perpetrator turned victim!

And... the great body changing sessions ! (as always when I am around)

And finally.... the few of us in Yukata!

And if you would believe me, our supposedly quiet night turned out to be a night of jumping up and down the bed taking all these pictures which took us about 2 hours till 2am in the morning... a night to rest uh... not really I guess...

Himeji Castle

Reputated to be the most beautiful castle in Japan because of it chaste white walls. Also nicknamed as the "White Heron" as this symmetrically beautiful silhouette reproduces the graceful figure of a heron about to take wing at any moment.

So anyway, still the 7 of us because Chou-san hasn't met up with us yet, went to the castle together. I particularly was really excited because I have been wanting to go visit it for ages since so much had been said about it.

The palace was pretty huge. Lots of buildings had also been preserved properly. It was a little different from other castles in Japan I have been to to because the main attraction was the building itself rather then the remains like ancient scrolls or relics. It was interesting to see how even in those days, architetural skills was superb as they cleverly integrated designs for defence as well as for various purposes. Well since wars seems to be pretty common then, needless to say, there were many intelligently designed hideouts and storage.


And of course, that was just the first part of the trip. Japan if not famous for it's outrageous, forward fashion is known for producing it's own speciality in every part of the country. This time round, the speciality is "Anago". It is something similar to "Unagi Don", eel too, only that it was of a different breed. Very delicious other than its numerous bones...

Well well, that ends our Himeji trip as we trotted back to Kobe for a last minute shopping and to pick up our bags. All ready to storm Osaka!

By the way pictures... somethings we took on the trip...

My crazy Sweden classmate who seems to have special likes... hemm...

Outside the castle...

Kobe's Chinatown.. Bruce Lee...

Obon Holidays

Obon is a Japanese holiday similar to the "Chinese Ghost Festival" where ancestors are believed to be going home for a visit. And because of that, Japanese take offdays from work up till a week sometimes to go back to their hometown.

So foreigners like us who have no hometown to go back to go for trips. heeee... this time, 8 of us, conquered Kobe, Himeji, Osaka and Nara together. A very fun and full of interesting happenings trip. Shall start with Kobe.

So 8 of us went to school with our large bags intending to dash for Kobe straight after class. And since this is the period for the "Senshun Ju18 ticket", it allows us unlimited rides on JR trains for 2300 Yen per day. It is very very cheap to travel this way in Japan because on normal days, it costs about 5800 Yen to reach Kobe.
'
Anyway, we hopped on the train bound for our first destination. After about 4 hours' train ride, this is where we went to!

The youth hostel which we booked was about 2 stops away, so we decided to have some fun at Kobe habour before checking in. Check out the night scene.. It was sooooo beautiful! Breath taking, magnificient view!





And we entered a restaurant by the sea determined to have some famous Kobe beef. The ambience was superb accompanied by soft music and friendly staff. Of course, the food was so delicious and mouth-watering. can't help but over eat! Oh yes, it was buffet style with the different kinds of meat delivered straight to our tables. oohh.... so blessed! The meat was soft, tender and as you bite into it, the juice just fills every part of your mouth.. urhhgg....

Anyway after dinner we decided the trip will not be completed without a ride on the ferris wheel. But... the view should be fantastic uh? hmm why do I say so... because, I only took glances of it here and there. We the girls who sat in one car together were soo excited that we spent all the time yakking and taking photos, only to realised it when we were touching the ground ....ahaaa

So the final was wrapped up with us riding on mad mouse. Wasn't scary at all but yet we still screamed our lungs out. Well well... it was almost 11 then and we decided it was time to pick our bags and check in....

Only to find that we couldn't! No matter how hard we rang the bell or press the intercom, nobody came to the door for us. Eventually we met 2 other occupants staying in the youth hostel too but they too couldn't locate the manager as the rooms were a separate building from the main reception... almost midnight, tired and dirty bodies... the 7 of us were left stranded on the streets not knowing what to do. Train service was almost ending too... So san and I wee frantically calling every hotel in the area only to find that they are all fully occupied...

Just at the moment, we managed to find one that has space for all 7 of us. Though it was a little expensive, we welcomed the comfort of having single ensuite rooms.

Yup... wth that our first night in Kobe ended!