Japan Trip : Part 1

I had always wanted to go Japan and visit my sis ever since she went over in October 2003 for her 1 year language studies there. Supposed to go over in April with my parents to visit her and to see the blossoming of the Sakura. Unfortunately, I had to attend school, had to meet my projects deadline as well as preparing for exams thus I had to postpone it till June. However, between May to June, I had to go to Aussie for a month for an Overseas Study Program and will extend my stay since I’m already there. Due to money constraint (coz I really spent a bomb on shopping in Aussie), whereby I know that I’ll need money to shop in Japan plus my health wasn’t in an excellent condition at that point of time, thus I had to postpone the trip once again! Finally, on 07 December 2004, I boarded SQ982 for Nagoya!...So excited being able to see my sis again after 1 year!

It was a midnight flight again at 1.10am. It was a scary feeling, coz this time I am traveling all alone by myself, taking the plane to meet my sis in Japan! I was so paranoid on boarding the wrong gate that would take me to some strange alien country, which would probably leave me stranded alone there! My parents keep assuring me that it is quite idiot proof to move around the airport in Singapore and in Japan as well since there are English signs everywhere and you just have to follow it. My parents and bf went to see me off that night. We arrived Terminal 2 at around 10.30pm, after which my dad dropped me off and I was supposed to check in the luggage myself, while he went off to park his car. Being quite a dependent person, I suddenly felt so alone and scared! Anyway, I proceeded to the check-in counter. It was fast, coz earlier on, my brother help me checked in through the Internet. I was issued my boarding pass and told of which gate to enter etc. Then my parents and bf came along. Since it was still early, we went to BK for some food. Finally at 12.30, they saw me off into the departure hall. Waved goodbye to them, gave my passport to the immigration guy and off I went, to find where the hell Gate 33 is! Saw the signs, followed it, which was a long walk to the gate. Arrive at Gate 33, made sure that the flight is bound for Nagoya. Upon seeing so many Japanese around, I was certain it is the correct gate. Felt a bit strange to be the only Singaporean gal around and I was all alone by myself! Anyway, there was still some time left before boarding, so I started calling my bf and friends and chit-chat with them since it’s free using the payphone inside the waiting area.

It was time to board the flight. All the passengers walked orderly into the plane. The plane took off punctually at 1.10am. Considering it to be an off peak period, the flight wasn’t that full. Had empty seats all around the plane. Even my row, there was an empty seat between me and a Jap Ah-pek. He was quite friendly and we smiled to each other. After that, he started speaking to me in Japanese! I gave him a blur look and told him that I do not understand and told him that I’m from Singapore. He was so fascinated upon learning that I’m a Singaporean, coz he said that I looked like a Jap! Anyway, he spoke a bit of English though it was a bit difficult to make out what he was really saying and vice versa. It was like a chicken and duck trying to communicate with one another! I was tired by then, took a short nap and supper was served. It was sandwich which tasted suxx! Went back to sleep again and around 7am, breakfast was served. Fortunately, it was more edible and was quite delicious! At this point of time, the Jap Ah-pek spoke to me again and wanted to “borrow” my hand to carry his liquor! In Japan, they are only allowed to bring in 3 bottles, any additional bottle which they bring in is tax payable. At first he asked the flight steward if he can bring in 4 bottles. The flight steward then helped him checked and told him he would have to pay tax. All thanks to that flight steward, he told the Ah-pek if he got any friends on the plane to help him carry 1 bottle, then he could evade taxes. Immediately, the Ah-pek turned to look at me with that “ke-lian” look…well, how could I bear to turn him down!!??...but in my heart, I was quite apprehensive in helping him, coz I remember mummy always taught us since young that we should never help strangers to carry things. It may be drugs or weapons and I’ll be made the scapegoat. I still remember her words till now. Hee… But then, seeing the Ah-pek so poor thing, I decided to take the chance. Anyway, he was quite “automatic” enough to pass me the bottle of wine in a transparent plastic bag, instead of a non-transparent bag, so I was able to see the contents inside the bag clearly.

Yeah! Finally reached Nagoya airport at 8.20am. Think I ate too much on the plane and due to the motion sickness, I vomited while the plane was landing. Luckily, I had taken the motion sickness bag the moment I board the plane as a standby. I sealed it up properly and intend to throw it after I alight from the plane. To my amazement, there is not a single dustbin in the whole arrival hall!!...Gosh! I had no choice but to hold on to the motion sickness bag and walk around in it!! Haha…I know that sounds really gross, but I do not have a choice. It was until I get out of the whole damn place then I see a dustbin around!

Anyway, the moment I stepped out the plane, I can feel the cold weather outside! Prior to my departure, my sis was telling me that the weather there is cooling! To me, there’s a great difference between cooling and cold!! Guess my sis is used to the weather, so to her, it is considered cooling, but to me, it is damn cold! Luckily I have my big jacket with me, but my shawl was inside the luggage. Anyway, back to my Ah-pek story. He seems like my sugar daddy, coz we have to walk together, since his bottle of liquor is with me. We went to claim our baggage and went through the custom together. I passed back the bag of liquor back to the Ah-pek. He took out a name card from his wallet, gave it to me and told me that if I needed any help while in Nagoya can always look for him. Oh! This Ah-pek is actually a Chairman from some electronics or IT Company. Anyway, he thanked me profusely and I just smiled to him.

Finally I’m out of the immigration checkpoint and there I saw my beloved sis, waving the Peko she bought for me in Japan. We were so happy upon seeing each other and hug each other. After all, we had not seen each other for at least 1 year. Soon after, the Ah-pek came from behind. He thanked me again and I roughly told my sis what happened. Both of them spoke a bit in Jap and my sis thanked him for taking care of me while on the plane. After that, we parted ways. Ok, there are nice people out there actually and I’m lucky to have met one. As usual, my dad and bf called my sis to make sure that I had met up with my her. Probably they were also worried that I had ended up in India or Africa, considering how blur and I can be! haha

It was really cold standing outside the airport while my sis went to get the bus shuttle tickets which will bring us to the train station. Luckily we did not have to wait very long for the bus to arrive. The bus ride to the Nagoya train station was about ½ to 45mins. Upon arrival, we went straight to the train baggage deposit area and dump my big luggage there. Because it a normal working day, there are a lot of people walking around the train station and in a rush, trying to get to work on time. It was such a relief “getting rid” of the luggage and guess what?...Yeah! It’s Shopping time again!!

Nagoya is really a shopping paradise! The place we went to shop is actually the underground train station, something similar to Citylink, but it is definitely much more exciting and interesting to shop there. The shopping area seems to be endless and there are so many shops selling clothes, shoes, bags, accessories and food that you feel a bit lost. Luckily my sis is an expert in the place so I didn’t get lost. Although there were nice clothes and shoes etc., it was really expensive. A simple mini demin skirt is around S$60, when you can get similar ones in Far East at ½ the price! Anyway, my sis and I are more interested in getting a pair of boots, so we hunt around the various shoe shop looking for nice looking boots. Since it is the winter season, boots are everywhere!! It’s the Japanese trend that they will wear boots in this season and wearing nice mini demin skirts to go with it! We finally came to this store, where they have the boots my sis and I are looking for. Tried several pairs before we made on the final decision to buy the one currently. Each of us got a pair which costs around S$160. It is definitely cheaper and looks nicer as compared to those sold in Singapore. Of course not forgetting my peko shop in Nagoya!...My sis brought me there and the things there are so kawaii!!...feel like buying the entire shop down! Decided to have lunch at the Peko’s café. We ordered pizzas and fried pork cutlet. Damn delicious! *Yummy*…oh, I also bought a bottle of peko sweets for Clara as a X’mas present.

Walked up and down the shopping area, didn’t buy much other than the shoes. It’s just too expensive and not really worth buying. Went to a shopping mall, where there is Muji! Bought a pink shawl, 100% wool for only S$16!! Although I brought along my own shawl, the price and the colour was simply hard to resist! At the shopping mall, my sis bought a nice jacket for only S$70!!...Very good quality and most importantly, it keeps her warm. After that, she brought me to a big bookshop whereby they sell lots of books, magazines and stationery. Of course I did not buy books, but I promised my bf and Clara to help them buy their favourite magazines; Harley bike magazines for my bf and Nail art magazines for Clara. My sis helped me to find a few copies. In the end, I bought 2 bike mags and 1 nail art, which was really dirt cheap! By the time we were done with our shopping, it was nearly 4pm. Need to go back and claim my baggage and head down to my sis apartment in Okazaki, a 45mins train ride there.

Finally arrived back at my sis apartment at around 5+. Settled down quickly, took a quick warm bathe and it was time to prepare the steamboat dinner at 6pm! It was actually a farewell dinner for my sis with her friends. I think my sis and her friends bought nearly the whole supermarket the previous day! The whole table is filled with nothing else but lots of seafood, meat, drinks, chips, chocolates, beer, wine etc. Basically, my sis friends are all very friendly and crazy people so it wasn’t that hard to “blend” into their crappy behavior, since I’m a crappy person as well! Altogether, there were about 10 of us, having Japanese steamboat, hiding away from the cold weather in my sis apartment. We ate, crap, watch TV until about 3am before they left and we finally managed to get some rest. I was really stoned by then since I did not really sleep well on the plane the previous night and was suffering from jet lag as well!

Slept on the futon that night. Since my sis is already immune to the cold, she gave me her warm blanket knowing that I cannot take the cold. Even then, I still wrapped myself like a dumpling to sleep coz it’s really too cold, and the heater seems more like an aircon!

Woke up around 9am the next morning. Started packing for our trip out to Osaka. We decided to use 1 big luggage instead of having 2 hand carries each, so that it will be easier to move around and also to jagar only 1 luggage instead of 4 small ones! But come to think of it, we should have brought smaller bags, coz in Japan, especially their train stations, everywhere is stairs; they seldom have escalators! So half the time, my sis and I have to carry the luggage and climb up and down the stupid stairs! It was really a torture man! Anyway, we were still quite early when we arrived at the train station, so we bought a Unagi set, to eat inside the bullet train as our brunch while on the way to Osaka. Finally, our shinkansen arrived at the station. Luckily my sis booked the seats the day before, so we did not have to fight with other people for seats, else we may have to stand for 1 hr! Anyway, it was really strange that I can get motion sickness on a Shinkansen! Ok, luckily I wasn’t the only one, coz later on, my brother also confessed that he suffered from motion sickness while traveling on the Shinkansen! Ahaha

Yeah! Finally arrived at Shin-Osaka! After that, it was changing of trains here and there to our Hot Spring Hotel, whereby we will meet my brother and his gf, Alice there. Lucky my sis’s sense of direction is better than mine, plus I know nuts about Japanese, so basically I just follow her! Boarded the free shuttle bus to the Hot Spring Hotel which was a 20mins ride away. My brother and Alice was already there by the time we arrived at the hotel’s lobby. Checked into our hotel room, which was really cosy. It’s those Japanese style, where you’ll sit and sleep on the floor. My sis and I did not even bother to pack our luggage and immediately, we changed and went to the hot spring area!! We went to the indoor one first to get our body accustomed to the warm temperature before we went to the outdoor pool. It was really comfortable to soak in the hot water, with the cold wind blowing on your warm face and being surrounded with nice red autumn leaves, the feeling is simply indescribable. Now I know why my parents were telling me that no matter what, die die also must go to the Hot-spring!...I guess they themselves were also “addicted” to it!

Dinner that night is like what we usually watch on Japan’s Hour! The whole table is all filled with only food! All of us ate like pigs that night. Super fresh sashimi, chawangmushi, mixed beef stew/soup, pickles, miso soup, fruits, mackerel etc. *Drools* We were too full to move by then, and we just sat there stoned, watching the Jap Variety Show for a while before going to bed! All of us slept in the same room, and as usual, I wrapped myself up like a dumpling to sleep! Cold night again!

Woke up around 7am the next morning. We went down to the hot-spring again to have a final dip. Feel so refreshed and awake!!...Had our shower etc. and did some final packing before we head for breakfast. Breakfast is equivalent to lunch/dinner. We were served rice, salmon, udon, pickles, miso soup etc. A heavy breakfast indeed! Left the hot-spring around 10am. Alice, my sis and I bought some souvenirs at the hotel’s lobby shop. As usual, we have to take the train and go back to Shin-Osaka, where we will stay for the next 4 days.