6th Day in Narita, Japan, and Singapore!

Date: 24 Jun 08

Our last day in Japan and then it is home sweet home.

1st Stop: Shopping 最後的衝刺

Took this pic for Huishan. All seal sealsssssssss.

Sister found mini Yakult. 2 of them fits nicely into her palm.

At this shopping center, Mummy bought some of her Little Twin Star stuffs and I bought my Muji bag. Totally heart my Muji bag, am using it to go for interviews now.

2nd and Last stop: Airport

At a glance, I thought I saw my name. Haha~ So it was my imagination.

The only guy being our tour guide. Fellow tour mates were saying that he looks so "out", like he wasn't taking a picture with us. His name is James by the way.

One of his jokes:
James: My previous girlfriend was a Japanese and the current is a Korean. Japanese are gentler and Korean are sexier.
Me: Huh? Then how you communicate with your Korean girlfriend?
James: Oh, we use body language.
Me: *regretted asking* Huh? Orh.
James: Haha.. We communicate using Japanese. She is learning dance in Japan.
Me: Orh....

Sister found this Mega Mac in the airport

Think it has 4 patties if I am not wrong. She was really satisfied after eating it. Haha..

Bye bye Japan! I will be back!!

After 6 hours of flight, we finally reached Changi Airport. I so so SOOOO miss my baby! Lucky me, 5th Auntie had helped us mopped the floor already. She and 4th Uncle (4th Auntie's husband) helped us feed Hersheys baby while we were away. Am so very grateful to her. She even helped us to do some of the household chores. *touched* Am totally glad we have all those aunties around us. They contributed many a times to delicious mealsssss and desserts.

Overall, I had enjoyed my trip to Japan and I hope that I will return in the near future. Meaning, I have to save hard once I start working. This Japan trip is definitely not cheap. But it is a really nice and interesting place to be in.

5th Day at Sapporo/ Narita, Japan

It is 4.35am now. I have an headache and yet I can't sleep. Hence Day 5. Kinda suspect that I am falling sick.

Date : 23 Jun 08

1st Stop: Buy cookies

Tour guide said that this shop will pack our cookies into boxes so that we can check in, hence buying here. The shops there are relatively small. Since it was early morning, not all of the shops were open.

Nice pathway

Me and our driver. He seems very 慈祥 to me. Mummy said he looks like 七公主 (Korean drama)'s father, I agree too. Hahha~

This red building is one of the Government building in Sapporo.

2nd Stop: Shopping at Underground.

Didn't take much pictures, in fact only took one for Xiuling. Bought Burberry Blue Label (note, only Blue Label seems cheaper. Burberry is not as cheap) bags which were cheap in Japan. Ironically, some selected designer brands are cheaper in Japan as per compared to Singapore. The price difference can be as much as SGD$100 to SGD$250.

Tada~ This is the pic I took especially of Xiuling. This transparent umbrella is very common in Japan. Picture is taken in 7-11. By the way, their 7-11 sells steamed buns (bao) and cosmestic (even Kose) too.

3rd Stop: Tepanyaki Lunch

All of us have to wear bibs to prevent our clothes from getting dirty.

Our lunch

加料! Kobe beef! This is expensive I tell you! 2 plates like this costs SGD$100+. *Heartache* Tour guide said that since we are in Japan we should try this because it is really nice and unique to Japan.

The reason why this is so expensive is because the cows drank beer as water. Farmers rearing these cows will massage them with their hands too. They are then slaughtered when they are 3 years old. Our a-bit lame tour guide said that these cows will not resist the farmers slaughtering them because they have enjoyed their life already.

As you can see, the marbling is very even. As a result, the beef is really tender and juicy. No regrets buying it!

Sister said that we should take more pictures of the beef since it is so expensive. Haha~

Now you see it,

Now you don't! Each of us only took like 2-3 strips of the beef. And we are only sharing between 4 since the others don't take beef.

I am satisfied.

So is Mummy

4th Stop: Domestic airport to fly to Narita Domestic Airport

This is Danpa, since it is the opposite of the Panda.

Can visit the website if you are interested (click on pic to show website)

The interior of the domestic airport

It has a mini shopping area too

Mua Chee Mei. Seriously, she is MUA CHEE.

5th Stop: ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel

We were all super tired when we reached the hotel. Seriously, this is the hotel which I liked the most. It is really grand and the services are real good.

The interior of the hotel

Random decor

Sitting area in our room

They had a study table too. AND, the chair is a computer chair with wheels. Normally for hotels they just give us dinning chairs.

The bed

NOTICE! It has a personalised bedside lamp! I was super impressed by the bed can!

Reading books/ magazine. The first hotel that supplies reading books/ magazine. The book is one of those Atas expensive coffee table books.

The bathtub

The basin. They supplied 2 sets of shampoo, conditioner and shower foam. One bigger one at the side of the bathtub and smaller ones at the basin (for their customers to take home).

I seriously did not take a good picture to justify the toilet. Generally, the toilet is big and is divided into 2 areas. One is the bathing area which consisted of the bathtub and toilet bowl. Then the basin is divided with a mini counter/ partition. They had also provided a digital weighing scale below the basin. Naturally, it is also one of those Atas looking digital weighing scale which is made of glass/ transparent plastic.

All in all, I LOVE THIS HOTEL! It is seriously a pity that I was very tired and had to pack bags and did not enjoy my hotel room to the maximum.

4th Day at Hokkaido, Japan

Date: 22 Jun 08

1st Stop: Musical Box Factory

Actually it is not a factory, more like a shop. You can buy your own personalised musical box, you can even choose your own music. Very cool, but very expensive.

The place itself is already very pretty!

This antique clock is generated by steam. It will chime every hour. Cute.

If you notice, you can see steam coming out from the top of the clock.
I didn't get a very good picture because I dashed out of the shop when I heard it chime.

Totoro!!

Actually, I like Totoro. :)

More Totoro

Saw this telephone booth

Sis tried to call (ok lah, actually is pretend. =X)

I tried to call too. (ya ya! is pretend)

The crabs are very fresh and very much alive.


Live crab

Cute packaging, even though it is just a can

2nd Stop: Some romantic canal (apparently I am not interested since I am very much single now)

These buildings are considered to be historical buildings like we have in Chinatown. They are very strong because the steel rods are not only horizontal or vertical, but also diagonal, giving the building more support to withstand earthquakes.

This canal is said to be a very romantic attraction for couples. I guess it matches our bridge or pathway near the Esplanade.

The historic buildings are just beside the said canal

3rd Stop: White Chocolate Factory for 白之戀人

Regrettably, we were not participating in the making of chocolates or something even near that line. We were just there to watch some "mechanic" performance, which consisted of plastic characters dancing with music.

The factory with a western feel

The garden

Family pic. Pretty.

The exit/ entrance was REALLY smallllll..

The Chua sisters

Sis and Mummy

The factory seems to like hippopotamus

Mummy

Me

Sister

Inside of the factory is really grand. They have interesting characters like Charlie Chaplin on the benches (think MacDonald benches), but I can't take a picture coz the benches are always full.

Another sample of good Japanese packaging.

Japanese learn from the Sakura tree. When it is blooming, the Sakura only has flowers and no leaves. The leaves come out only after all the Sakura flowers had fallen off. Hence, they believe that they should learn from Sakura and put in their 100% effort in everything. Hence explaining their emphasis on packaging and designing.

4th Stop: Red light district at Sapporo

Being efficient, Japan combined our Geylang and Kallang together. Erm.. In layman terms, it means you can find both female and male social escorts here.

Looks very normal, just like any shopping malls

Tour guide mentioned that there is nothing special on the outside. One would have to go inside for more excitement. Needless to say, we just took a walk outside.

Each and every one of these shops are normal on the outside and "exciting" inside

Japan is so liberal that you can get Viagra-like pills easily

No, this is not KTV. The TVs are used to introduce the men.

I don't know why, but they used a cartoon logo for their club

HEY! They have Velvet here too! (my red circle is faint, please look for it)

Japanese lottery

The night is falling

ferris wheel

Nonono.. This is not an ad for the clothes, but the men.

I am rather shocked by how open they are about their business. It is really 打開門做生意.

Sumo restaurant, which we didn't eat in. :(