Food, Mt Fuji, Onsen....

I have been in Tokyo for 5 weeks. What can I say? I love this place. I like the small shops around my house, how everything is so squeaky clean and presentable. On food..my appetite has been fantastic here, I don't have Japanese food all the time...I have Italian, Indian, American, Korean, Chinese. I look forward to work everyday and having my Tully's American breakfast set. My favourite Japanese dish so far is curry udon near my place. It's amazingly good! The curry gravy is so thick and has a myriad of tastes! I love the bentos too and the miso soup. I totally detest miso soups in Singapore but the ones in Japan inspired myself to learn to make it! I am amazed by the 7-11 here, there is a lot of food sold in 7-11...I had dinner there a few times! I know I keep talking about food...I love Coldstone Creamery and Wendy's nuggets too... I just went downstairs to chomp on some nuggets in fact. The fruits here are so sweet, the grapes simply melted into my mouth. That explains why a simple fruit like the papaya costs 5 USD (the small papaya which costs maybe 1 SGD in SG).

Climbing Mount Fuji was not as fantastic an experience as I thought. I call it more like, ticking off the checklist. It was a painful experience and I constantly questioned myself from station 5 (mid mountain) till the Summit "why the hell did I choose to do this when I can drink at Roppongi?". It's a lot about mental strength, unyielding will...it's the toughest thing I ever done in my life . I don't think anything else can deter me anymore. Many people strongly discouraged me from attempting this feat and I can see why. If you asked me if you should try Mount Fuji, my answer would be "yes, but please be prepared as it is not a piece of cake". I feel very proud to have the trekking stick, with burnt stamps at every station.

Onsen, I went to one after the Mount Fuji climb! I thought I need a great leap of faith to go naked and soak in a hot tub...but I did not feel the least bit embarrassed somehow. I enjoyed it immensely! I asked for help, naked for the first time in my life. (I was jamming my key into the wrong locker door). Silliness is always a part of me, unfortunately.

Idiosyncracies...What I noticed about Japan which I am quite intrigued. Certain rigidness. I encountered a incident recently. I bought a few electrical applicances and asked for them to be delivered to my house. I realized I forgot an electrical fan. So I went back to the store the next day and requested the fan to be delivered altogether. The response I got was unfathomable "sorry we cannot". As usual, I went "what and why?" exclaimingly loudly...scaring the Japanese quite a bit. So they told me it's their policy and they will send 2 different deliveries, at the same time!!?

Shall blog more about the famous Roppongi crossing, the clubbing scene, karaoke, new friends, pics on Mt Fuji another day.

Tokyo

I was at Shibuya famous crossing, there were hordes and hordes of people. I planned a holiday to Tokyo early this year, unsuspecting that I will be moving there this August. Life never fails to amaze me with its twists and turns. Part of this is contributed by my fickle-minded-ness at the same time.

Many people have asked me, on my feelings towards this relocation. Don't ask me why, but I am pretty much destitute of any emotions. I seem to suffer from the lack of wonder/excitement. Perhaps I am getting mellow, perhaps there are things that I don't wish to let go in Singapore. I think it's the latter. And I hold on very tightly to these things, though I am always too embarrassed to state it out loud. Or is such behaviour due to overwhelming pride? Though I always try very hard to conceal such emotions, I do slip. I am labelled as strange consequently. I like being strange and I like weird people. I rather be weird than ordinary...being ordinary is just too boring.

Enough of my nonsensical blabbering, I am sure I will get excited once I touch down at Narita. (I hope I do) The possibilities that this 1-1.5 year entails, and the ample time to keep discovering about life, people and myself.

Drop me a note if you are coming to Tokyo, hopefully I can be a good tour guide and share some of my stories. I hope. :)