Great Harvest in Summer

I totally understand when Carol says that her hair and nails grows faster in summer....

I last had my hair cut somewhere in early April and thought I should go soon...
Actually I didn't have the intention to. But each time I turn my head, I feel like I am swinging a mop behind me, ( looks like a mop, feels as heavy as a mop)
I am also super disgusted by the endless split ends...
so well I decided to make the visit to the hair dresser.

And he took 1.5 hours just to cut my hair without changing the style or length much.

Nope... fortunately ( or unfortunately) it is not because he is a novice or too slow. It is because of the huge amount, vast volume of hair that I have!
He had to pin them up layer by layer and trim each layer with care so as not to create more spilt ends.
And throughout the cut, he asked me at least 10 times, " It must be difficult when you blow your hair..." or " How long do you exactly take to dry your hair each time?"

It was just 2 months ( nearly 3) since the last hair cut!

I have made up my mind to go at least every 2 months now... sitting in the chair can be such a pain and tiring process...

But... at least my load is now half relieved! I am pleasantly surprised at how fast my hair dries now or how light my head feels. Yah... i hope i don't get too light-headed tho^^^

Stock UP~~

I went to the this Thai Provision shop near my house after dinner with my friend yesterday....

**Thanks for the treat!!**

Needed to stock up on my green beans! Chilled Green bean soup is really one of the best dessert to have after a whole days' work.

Thinking back... I realised I never had cold green bean soup before I came to Japan.
Green bean soup in my house was always served warm and I first had it at my Taiwanese friend's place.
It was so good and so refreshing that I think after that I never had warm green bean soup again in summer.
Btw, the Taiwanese apparently put barley in too!

This Thai provision shop carries most products in from China and Thailand so their stuff is closer to home and at a much reasonable price. However though... since it is from that C country... I am very careful with what I buy though. I usually avoid meat or processed food...
But anyway, chanced upon the below and I quickly snap them up!
My friend bought Mountain Dew though!
I think more than wanting to drink it, she was more amazed that there is Mountain dew in Japan, Tokyo.

I am just so happy to find green beans ♪♪

*Biyin: I found glutinous black rice in the same shop too!!!

Summer in Disneyland

I love!!!! Absolutely Love to go Disneyland.

Having said that, I don't think I can go there everyday though. Maybe once every 2-3 months is good enough.

But I really love Tokyo Disneyland ( which is actually not in Tokyo but Maihama, in Chiba Prefecture)

So this trip with ML is my 4th ( or 5th) I can remember going there 4 times but I can't recall if I went with another of my friend or not....

The fun stuff about disney land....

1. A different theme for every season!

Which you will find the decorations ( different flowers), different food, different parades, even different packaging for mechandise for every different season.

The seasons are not limited to Spring, summer, autumn, winter, also includes festivals like halloween, Christmas. New Year.

2. It is super duper clean in Disneyland.

We use to joke about cleaners hiding in bushes, waiting to "ambush" any piece of trash dropped. It is true. You don't see even a single piece of trash on the floor yet you don't see a single cleaner around.

On my most recent trip though, I came to the realisation as to why we don't notice cleaners around.They are in fact everywhere! But they are dressed so comically or brightly ( unlike the usual one color jumper) that you won't even realised they are actually cleaners.

My friend once told me about an incident how someone lost a tiny little brooch in disneyland. She later managed to recover it at the Lost and Found.

3. Every detail is very well taken care of.

You will notice every tile and brick, every corner, even the benches you sit on has something to do with disneyland. There is absolutely nothing out of place. Even the ducks and ducklings there are so cute!

4. Everyone is in a disney mood.

Not sure about other disneylands but it is almost a norm for people to wear minnie ears, mickey ears, tiggers' tail... and it is not limited just to young people. And yes, I mean male and female of all age groups! We saw a few little princesses and princes walking around as well.

Check out the below!

A lady in tigger's and tail

A guy wearing Mickey ears.

A uncle wearing pooh's ears and carrying a pink popcorn bucket

Last but not least....

The rides! I personally love Peter Pan and Pooh's huny Hunt best. They never fail to amaze me with their spectacular visuals.

Our cute and lovely lunch at Queen of Heart's Banquet....

Where we bumped into Alice outside!

We had a rather interesting experience that day too. I was there with ML initially but we ended up touring the whole disney with another 5 guys...

haaa not intentionally but we were together lining up from the first ride till the last, so we were playing together from the start till the end!

It was such a coincidence that our plans were so similar~~~

Brought to you by Minnie and Marie taken in Minnie's kitchen!

Arashi 10th Anniversary Concert

Finally announced!

But then it means the start of a bloodshed again.

I am more rational nowadays tho not to take part in the ticket war. or at least, not to end up as a blood-drained victim.

Still... I am excited! Need to make sure my schedule run well with it!

Continuing ML's trip to Japan...

I brought her to a Showa era themed resturant ( showa era = 1926/12/25~1989/1/7/). To be more exact, it should be the golden era in era, after WW2 somewhere 1960s?

This drinking place actually was discovered by Carol, me and some other friends on our hunt to some other restaurant early in the year. We were initially pretty disappointed to find the original shop we wanted to go close.

However, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise to chance upon this shop instead! ( Btw, the other shop we wanted to go initially is the cutie place in the earlier post!)

Btw, this shop's menu is also totally in Japanese without a single picture. Another place almost impossible for non-japanese speaking pple~~

Here's the front!

The old alley leading down to the restaurant.

The walls pasted with old advertisments from the past~~

Menu and counter seats..

The food is well pretty interesting though not as interesting as the restaurant itself tho~~ But will definitely recommend it to people who wants to taste a different kind of experience in Japan! Ask me!!

Handmade Bak Chor Mee~

When you are overseas with no direct access to your home country's delicacies, either you choose not to eat them, look for near replacements or replicate them with your own hands!

Of course... you can also look for people who have good cooking skills.

My years away from Singapore has not really trained me to cook like a chef but I think I am at least capable of whipping up edible dishes!

So last night, when my tastebud was wailing away to eat bak chor mee, I did the most natural thing to.

And here's my creation!

But before that, I must give most of the credit to this big bottle of black vinegar! Bak Chor Mee is really not Bak Chor Mee without it!

So...

I gave it the best position in the house other than my bed.

The position right in front of my beloved Oh-chan~~♪♪　

Seriously speaking I can't recall how Bak Chor Mee looks like except it has lots of vinegar and of course minced meat... But anyway, it tasted great!

Hot hot hot....

I wonder what the 20 over years in Singapore has gotten me to...
Where has that endurance for heat gone?

I went out with ML on saturday morning to a park, under the hot hot sun and I ended up with a headache after that!

It isn't the first time though unfortunately... I recall other incidents where I ended up with terrible headaches after being in the sun for too long.
And I always make sure I have a cap or a hat on!

So... I sat through work the whole day yesterday with a terrible headache. Even popping 2 panadols didn't work.

Then I went home... managed to whipped up bak chor mee ( thanks for all the contributions!)
with an headache.
Even managed to boil some green bean soup so that I can have them today when I go home.

But I came to the conclusion I really had heat stroke.

I made some cooling tea with the tea bags Carol left behind for me. ( thanks! cus they worked wonders!)
I drink up 2 big cups of it and guess what? I didn't even had to go to the toilet after that and even throughout the night.
My body was definitely calling out for me to replenish the fluids.

Anyway I slept at 9pm after that and I felt much better today!

Must remember my fluids...

In my almost drunken stupor... ( feels the same as a headache!) I managed to take pictures of my bak chor mee..
hee. will up it later!

Great Japan Sales

For those who are enjoying the GSS in singapore...

This is also the sales period in Japan.

Sidetrack... but I wonder how many years have I not been in Singapore to enjoy GSS...

but anyway, like I said in the earlier post, if not for ML who is here... I don't think I would get my butt off the couch to squeeze with the sales-crazy crowd in downtown Tokyo.

According to ML and my another reliable source. It is a mayhem out there now. People queuing just to GET INTO shops...

Queuing to get to the clothes rack.

Queuing to get into the fitting rooms.

Queuing to get to the cashiers.

but well... sometimes it is good just to get out once in a while because you might just discover some bargains!

ML got herself so many things that she had problems packing them all into her luggage. She had to get an extra huge "dumping tote" just to contain all her trophies.

As for me....

Got the below at the closing of a shop... the last few minutes of business for less than $15 sing!

The length is approximately that of a 2L mineral water bottle. (i.e A4?) an absolute favourite size of mine.The design is simple and clean cut.

The original price was at a hefty price of $50 sgd.... Really not something I would buy at that price. But for less than $15, it becomes a good companion for weekends or even girly workdays!

The other bag.. (opps..) was discovered by ML when we went to the outlet to shop. The original intention was actually to help her colleague find an coach bag from the last series.
However, we came across Agnes B and found this treasure below! Since it is already at the outlet, it was already way below its original price. However, on top of that we got it for another 30% off! So all in all, we paid only about $80 for it!

This bag is slightly bigger than the one above. But with its compartments and broad base, you can carry lots of stuff inside!

I like the colour combi a lot and also the size because it is hard sometimes to find a nice size for bags! ( I am not really an handbag kinda person...)

Besides, it can look really casual ( goes well with jeans) because the bag is made of cloth and yet formal as yet because of the leather straps and gentle colour.

It was such a pity that this was the last piece and so we couldn't buy one for each of us. So ML bought it.

However, when she was packing her stuff yesterday.. ( actually till this morning when she is about to leave for the airport) She came to the conclusion that she has shopped too much, bought too many things that she decided to let me have the bag instead. But then I know deep inside me, it is more of her generosity rather than the reason above. Thanks gal! Will take good care and put the bag to good use!

In return, I gave her another bag that she borrowed from me over the few days she was in Japan seeing that she liked the bag a lot too!

Am really satisfied with the above 2 buys!

Oh yes.... and of course Tokyu hands must thank me for bringing them sales cus ML bought up all the apple cutters from the Ginza branch to give as souvenirs to her colleagues! (see previous post)

MeiLing's trip to Tokyo~~

MeiLing's a friend who is in many of my social circles...

We first met in JC during orientation in the first 3 months. (JC friend)

Then we were in the same orientation group again after for the 2nd time during the 2nd intake.

We then met again in NUS with her being in Arts as well. During the 3 yrs there, we were also module cum project mates. ( NUS friend)

Then I brought her to cell so we started attending the same cell since NUS till now! (Church friend cum fellow cell member!)

A long 10 years since I first met her!

So anyway, she came last week and it was such a good timing for me to brush up my guiding skills as well as to re-visit the places that I like but hardly ever go alone.

I totally agree with Serene who talks in her blog about touristy places. You can check up on the internet or ask as many people who had visited a certain place before for travelling tips. But you can NEVER beat local information which offers much more interesting, delicious, authentic thrills and food at the minimum price. Shopping is altogether on another planet of information on its own. Most of all, ways and means to enjoy to the max without falling into the typical tourist traps. ( check out ML's review of Japan!)

The first shop I brought ML to is a place safely tucked away in a small town some distance away from central Tokyo. ( no names and addresses! Only for the priviledge few) What I love most about it is its quietness, serenity and most of all the interesting, colorful interior!

However for this place... it is ( not impossible) but difficult to go if you don't speak Japanese because the menu offers no pictures and the staff take orders from the intercom.

It is absolutely small and tiny too... but super comfy and homely.

The little entrance and door

Seats by the windows in which you can people watch at your own pace...

It has a loft too offering a choice to people who wants more privacy.

Colorful painted walls. While it does looked like a nursery... it reminds of the purity and innocence of little children which I equate to freedom.

Our star of the day at the table!

And finally.... Our food. Eggplant, spinach risoto and Tacos rice.

Splendid..

Guys try this!!

This is both hilarious and useful to some extent!

A clip teaching you how to get change into your shirt and tie, eat breakfast all in 5 mins!

Look out for the technique on tying your tie!!

Guys try it out!!