Last part Japan

It is 1.45am on a Sunday morning, I am at home and not sleepy, so I thought I want to finish up the story on my trip to Japan. It is going to be around one month since I went there, therefore it would be the best if I finish it all up before it becomes 2 months!:P

Let's see, the next day, Jim told me he will come to pick me up from the hotel to have lunch at Chris's house. So, as usual I got up at 8am, went down for breakfast and went for a walk to have my dosage of nikotine. Jim came around 11.30 am, and we went straight to yashimata (thats where Chris stays). Had our lunch , specially made sandwich with tuna,curry and egg (Melissa's recipe) with coffee, then, I told Chris, I wanna go for a ride in his porsche. He said ok! I was excited giler!! He took me around his sports/race porsche around his neighbourhood and it was amazingly fast.

I forgot, it was freezing cold with snow clouds in the sky, and i was told it might snow! but of course, it didn't :( Oh yeah, it was new year's eve on that day. I was suppose to go for dinner with them and then go to the Naritasan temple for New Year. Japanese culture is that you have to go to the temple for New Year. So, before that, we went around looking for stuff to buy for Marz back in the office. We bought some gifts and off we went to this chinese restaurant for dinner. Chinese restaurants in Japan serve chinese food which taste like japanese food. It was alright for me but it was not spicy at all! Being a Malaysian, I was trained to eat spicy food all the time, so you can imagine the amount of mustard I had to eat. hehehe..

It was around 11.30pm when we left the restaurant. By the time we reached the temple, we couldnt find parking. Parking in Japan is very proper, no illegal parking, no double parking and no parking on the side of the road. So, we got a parking like near my hotel and we walked. I didn't sweat eventhough it was quite a distance to walk. We reached at the road leading to the temple and got caught up in a crowd.Crowd there was nothing like here. I felt like million people were there and I could still breath! No one pushing each other and everyone stood in their own space and line! Could you believe it? Million of people, cold and they still didn't push and lined up perfectly! I must admit, I had a culture shock.
So, the police was in front handling the crowd entering the temple. We had to go batch by batch led by the police. We reached the temple and smell of inscent sticks burnt was lingering all around. I was a pretty amazing sight. I loved it. It was cold, people being courteous and the lights with the smell. Ahhhhh...so peaceful. We walked around the temple and we were walking back with the whole street transforming to a night market-alike. Small stalls on the right and left of the street selling all kind of food and drinks. Mainly, hot drinks and hot food.

Then, we reached the hotel I was staying, they went back to Chris's house. I was so tired of walking the whole day. so i went straight to bed. The next day, Jim promised that we were going to go to Nagano to see SNOW! :) and the best part, we were suppose to take the bullet train there! YAHOOOOOO!!

Eh, penat alredy and sleepy too.....sambung lagi la ... hahahahhah, not the last post after all! :p adios!

-to be continued-

Continued

So, where was I? Ok, Narita....aaahhh...what a great place! It was so beautiful!

The hotel I stayed in Narita is called Center Hotel Narita. I checked in (struggling to explain to them as they didn't understand me) even though it said english speaking receptionist on their website! Finally, i managed to convince them I have already made booking. Went to my room, it was like half of the MMU hostel size! One walk way to my bed and the tv on the table. The toilet was like a moving toilet (though I must tell you that the toilets in Japan are fantastic!).

Went down to meet Jim, Chris and Melissa at the lobby. Then they wanted to see my room also, so went up again to the room. They seemed satisfied with the room? I dunno..

Went for walk at Naritasan, because Melissa wanted to show me where are the places to visit and eat! As we walked and walked, suddenly Chris said lets go to the Naritasan Temple. So we went in..all I could say was WOW! It was amazingly beautiful..clean,green and picture perfect! Walked around the park, it was chilly, cold, breezy and it had a breathtaking enviroment..loved it so much! Came to a pond, the water was clear and cold. Ahh...amazing!

After taking like thousands of photographs, we walked back through the narrow streets of Narita, double lane which looks like single lane and people walking on bothsides. In Malaysia probably plenty would be road-killed by now.
It was 4.30 and it started to dim down. We walked back to the hotel ( I did alot of walking!) then they left me to enjoy Narita and off they went. Went back to my room took a shower first, which I really needed after all the walking. Then decided to duck out to get meself some ciggies at the 7-eleven. Tengok-tengok got three 24hours shops. Which one to go? I was torn. Decided to go to the nearest one..hehehe,typical me. I was hungry too but it was only like 6pm, i thought what the heck, I bought meself some Mcd's. Since my first day in Narita, I didn't want to be crazy and try something unusual, lets stick with the staple malaysian food,MCD'S! wakakaka.

Bought teriyaki burger, coffee,fries and an apple pie. Walked back to the room. Oh, did I tell you the hotel has free internet service and man is the internet fast or wat! I settled in my room, got myself comfortable in my bed, and watched Billa 2007 on the laptop-streaming.I was too tired and didn't want to walk anymore. It was amazingly good, I mean the internet. So good that I could rewind and fastforward the freaking movie!

Watched the first part, then went down to smoke as my room was a non-smoking room (don't ask me why I got that room, I couldnt explain to the reception). As smart as I was, I walked out of the hotel lobby with my shorts and t-shirt, BAD IDEA! Freazing cold outside! But it's me we are talking bout, I enjoyed it, legs shaking my ears numb and smoking...cool...

Went back, finished the movie and tido!

The next morning, got up early for the breakfast, I hated the japanese breakfast, sucked big time so I just had bread and coffee. Then, I went for a walk looking at the shops on my left and right...walk punya walk punya walk, then I stopped at this one shop selling japanese sweets..I just wanted to try one and they gave me a whole box! hahahaha. I just stood there eating on the various flavoured sweets when suddenly this strong wind blew. I punyalah gabra, but the locals seem to be cool about it. It was strong until it could push you down if you are not strong enough!

Walked back to the hotel and it was lunch time, I thought wanna get something to eat, so guess where I went?yes, you are right MCDs, yet again. I bought the kids meal this time..ahahaha

Jim called around 1pm said he is coming over, I said wokey. We went to Jusco..hahaha funny isnt it? I go Mcds and go Jusco, what the hell man? Then he sent me back to my hotel and left.

Dinner? I walked to the end of the small street I told just now and found an Indian shop! Amazing! A japanese indian shop. I must try, so I went in, it was buffet style, had a great mix of indian food which was not spicy at all and wine to go with it.

Then, I checked my hand phone for time, it was 8.00pm. Started walking back to my hotel and this one bar caught my eye. "Jetlag Bar". I stopped for a traditional japanese beer. It was delicious. I didnt have much trouble as I told him beer and he understood. Sat at the bar for awhile, looking at people coming in and going out. Then thought I wanna go explore this place more. It was 10pm and I left the bar. I walked to the back alley of the shops to see how they were. Crazy? I know.. I bumped into few people walking there also, the back alleys were clean! You can sleep on the road. I saw this old lady walking her dog at 10pm at a back alley of shops! Beat that!

I stopped by a 24 hour shop to get myself two cans of beer, tak cukup la beb, plus the beer in the bar was pretty expensive :p

It started to drizzle, I got wet in the rain as it got heavy. But I enjoyed it. hehehehe. Aku pun sampai kat hotel then made few phone calls back to Malaysia and slept off.

Aku sambung nanti lah...tired redy...

-To be continued -

2008 - already?

Hope it is not to late to say, HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 2008!!

2007 passed very fast, hasn't it? and now we are half way in the month of January,2008! That means I will be 26 this year. Hmm..I still remember the times when I was 18 and so wished I was 25 and now when I am 25, it is not so great after all. It seems like I have more headaches trying to figure out all the small things. *sigh*

Well, I started my new year very good. I was in Japan for new year! yes, JAPAN! :)

I think the proper thing to do would be to explain on my Japan trip. (smiles from one ear to another)

It was 26th December and raining heavily. I drove to the office and Marz suppose to send Jim and me to the airport. Reached the airport like 2 hours early. Walked around looking for souvenirs to get the people in NERO K.K...then had fries and coffee at Burger King.

In the plane, I could see nothing,it was a night flight, so... I watched only one movie, "Ratatouille". Then slept off. Got up for the midnight snack, then slept again. Then got up for breakfast and didn't sleep after that. Was listening to music and stared outside the window..

Slowly I could see the sun rising. The sky getting bright. I looked at the time, it was 6am. Huh?Sun at 6am? Then JIm told me because of the winter thingy, the sun rises early.

Then, reached Narita Airport and straight away took the narita express to yokohama. The chilled wind was blowing slowly while waitting for the train. Cold! Felt like I was in a freezer.

Then, took the train , reached yokohama and started looking for our hotel. Went around a corner, asked few people while dragging my bag and finally found it! The room was quite big, nothing like what Jim warned me about the rooms in hotels in Japan being small and all.

Got a quick nap, freshen up and met Jun and Naomi for lunch. I ate something that Jun told me, "Japanese pizza". Then, went straight to Nero office. Met the General manager and discuss and discuss and discuss, dah pukul 6 petang. Then Jun told me, they are going to have a company party at 7pm at a barbeque place. I walked out to the car park and it was freezing cold! I was wearing a t-shirt and a jacket mande borrowed me. I quickly ran to the car where the heater was!

Then, had barbeque like I didn't eat for 4 days, cooked meat, raw meat, some pickled meat,pickled vegetables which suppose to be eaten while having sake. Somehow raw meat was not so bad! Hahahha (when I say meat, it is beef! and yes izar, I wallup anything, beef pun jadik! -but no shemales-)

Went back to my hotel room. Followed Jim til to the floor, he went into his room and i snugged out..heehe :p

The next morning, got up and we took a train to center-kita for another meeting. This time was more for marketing strategies. It was 4pm and I told Jun I wanted to go Tokyo. So, he rented a car and we all went to Tokyo. Went around walking and walking, stopped by hardrock tokyo and then went to yokohama again. There, went on this ferris wheel which was huge! way bigger than the eye of malaysia. Then, went for dinner at 10pm at a restaurant which was also a bar. The food was ok, had sashimi for the first time. Didnt really like it :P


Then, went back to the hotel. I snugged out yet again! :p
The third day, went in early to Nero office because Jim wanted to meet up with Charlie who has just came back from holidays. Met Charlie for like few hours, went back to the hotel, checked out and straight took a train to narita! Which is amazing!

~TO BE CONTINUED~