Sunday, September 27, 2009

Bittersweet

Most frequently asked questions: How does it feel to be home? How was Japan?

I continue to count my blessings as I reflect on my adventures in Japan. There were so many amazing experiences that I had and pictures or blogs will not do it justice. Don't be victimized by your 9-5 or whatever obligations you may have. I encourage you to do something for yourself. Take a break from YOUR life and see the infinite possibilities that LIFE really has to offer. Don't be scared to take a leap because the important people and things in your life will still be there and will always be there. Nothing will change, but the new state of mind you'll have will take you to new lengths and horizons.

The most important thing that I've gotten out of this experience is appreciation. I had a lot of time to myself and I thought about what I had back home and what I had in front of me. I opened my eyes to all that the land had to offer. I noticed the smallest things, like a little hermit crab camouflaged in the white sand. Had I not looked at the sand to appreciate its purity, I would not have seen the hermit crab. I wouldn't have picked it up to put it in a safe place. The guys standing around playing Frisbee would have probably stepped on it. I appreciated the clear night sky behind the towering skyscrapers and flashing neon lights. I admired the mom and pop noodle houses, where the entire family was involved in running the business until late hours of the night. I appreciated the little 7 year old girl who walked around with a pitcher of water to make sure that every guest had their glasses filled.

For the whole time I was gone, I was completely relaxed and revitalized. I had plenty of time to clear my mind and to refocus. And now, I am inspired.

It is good to be home because I actually see familiar faces and I have friends to talk to. I love how we can just pick up from where we left off. I truly appreciate the good people in my life and I hold my loved ones closer. I've learned that there's more to life than stupid petty drama and I'm not going to waste a thought or breath on any of that. I know what's good for me and what's not. And instead of making up excuses of why I can't do this, or that...I'm just going to do it. Fuck it!

Like I said, it is good to be home, but if given the chance to embark on another foreign adventure, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Anyone care to join? =)

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

14 hours later...

"Welcome home Ma'am" said the guy @ Customs Security, SFO.

Geez, do I really look like a Ma'am? I prefer Miss. He proceeds to ask me about how I was doing. I stare at him blankly, then I try to give him a genuine smile and say, "I'm fine, thx." But really, he was too cheery for me. I was groggy and my butt was hurting from the long flight. At least the seat next to me was vacant =) I got to stretch out a bit more.

Hmm...
I left with 63 lbs of luggage and I came back with 94 lbs...which meant I could have bought 6 more pounds of goodies.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Random

The island has so much to offer. So much to do and lots of activities. I love how people are always active here. I could definitely spend another month here just to see it all. I've taken a break from the beach because I'm getting pretty dark. The sun is just so strong here.

I got nail art done on my toes! It was at this place called Cocock Nails. The K is SILENT! So it's Coco. I was very impressed by the end result. There was a thick book of nail art samples to choose from. The ladies here could put anything on your nails. Some even had pearls and piercings on their nails and huge rhinestones. It was 3-D nail art. I opted for the simple one. The book had pictures of cartoon characters that you could have painted, down to your pinky toe! As tempted as I was to get hooked up with a Hello Kitty design...I settled for this:

And yes...those are my sissy's plain Jane toes. I wanted to treat her out to a pedi session, but she refused. =(

I also got a massage, that was greatly needed from all of the physical activity and uncomfortable beds I've been sleeping in. Uh...that sounded wrong didn't it? lol. Anyway! Soooo sissy and I went to this place called Jasmine Thai massage. I've never had a Thai massage before so I was pretty stoked. I opted for the hot oil massage. What an experience! Good and bad. Good because she really stimulated and rejuvenated my body. Thai massage technique is done with many parts of the body and pressure points. Not only did she use her hands, but elbows, knees and the feet to break the energy flow blockages and stimulate the circulation of energy in my body. At one point, she got on the massage bed and stretched me out in crazy ways I didn't think I was capable of doing. The only bad thing about my experience is that she wasn't very careful about my nudity and comfort level. OMG she would just pull off my towel at times and readjust or flip me over without a warning. I wasn't that bothered by it since she was really nice and was doing a great job. Besides, I think the Onsen have desensitized me from being bare but naked.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Horse sashimi...Not so Oishi

Sadly...one of my weaknesses: Wimpy taste buds and a weak tolerance for consuming things out of the norm. Anyone who knows me well can say that I throw up easily when drinking. Sometimes it's because I've had one too many, which doesn't even amount to much! Most times, it's because I can't stand the taste of it. I guess I have really bad gag reflexes. Before I set foot in JP, I told myself that I'd try at to eat at least 1 thing that would scare me. I'm proud to say that I've accomplished just that...kinda.

This past weekend, Hiromi (Annie's island friend) took us to a restaurant where you'll only find the locals eating at. It was hidden away in the cuts, up some windy roads. The restaurant was very traditional and had one small kitchen opening up to the dining area. Most of the restaurants here are like set up like that. It adds experience and personality to the place, not to mention the reassurance of cleanliness and quality food. It was a small quaint restaurant with one cook and one server. We sat at the bar directly facing the chef. Hiromi chatted with him and did all of the ordering. Next thing you know, horse sashimi was placed in front of me.

I've been curious about raw horse meat, a specialty in Japan. It had a strong odor...deep pink color with lots of marbling. First piece, I just picked it up and put it in my mouth. It was cold and chewy. Was it ever going to break up into smaller pieces? Nope. At that point, I just swallowed it. It was gamy and fatty. The taste lingered in the back of my mouth. I chased it with some hot sake and beer. I gave it another chance. Picked up a 2nd piece and dipped it soy sauce. Again, It didn't taste any better so I chased it with some more sake. I was done. No more raw horse meat. It wasn't awful or anything. It just doesn't sit well with me. And I'm sure my breath was funky. After that the chef brought out delicious plates of fried squid, fish heads, oysters, pig's feet, and fish sashimi.

After dinner, we went back down the windy dark road. Annie and Hiromi's son decided to have a burping contest. Oh my gahh...it sounded like they were gagging. I started gagging! I threw up...and then proceeded to throw up for quite some time after tasting the horse meat come up. Was it the Sake? Was it the horsemeat? I'll never know. I guess I could try the horse sashimi again, w/o the sake to see if my body can take it, but I'm cool. Once is enough.

Although I felt sick by the end of the night and had to skip out on some Karaoke, I'm proud of myself for actually trying something bizarre. Oh! Yesterday, I had black ink squid curry! It was black on rice. It wasn't bad either...I couldn't eat a lot of it because I was paranoid that the squid ink would stick on my teeth and stain it.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Oishi =)


What I love most about the food here is that there is so much of it and it's all within reasonable price. It's true what they say, everything's more expensive here, but not the food. And even if it were pricey, the quality and taste of it won't be disappointing. Anyway, you can easily get full off of $10, which is commonly a whole set (drink, appetizer, and main dish). Restaurants open late, even on weekdays. There are food vendors with their little stands in grocery stores and even the arcade machines spit out bowls of noodles or bags of shrimp chips as its prize.
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The first week here, it was Me vs. The Toilet. And yes...the toilet won. My digestive system did not comply to the new and different foods I was consuming, but it was well worth it. Often times, I didn't even know what I was eating. For the most part, I can say that I've been living off lots of Japanese hot soba - bowls of buckwheat flour noodles in a pork, beef, or soy sauce broth. I love that stuff and can eat it everyday. The other staple of food here is sushi of course and it's always fresh.


Sukiyaki is on my top 5 list of things to eat while in Japan.

We went out to this Nepal restaurant one day and it was so good. I had the chicken curry and it came out with naan bread that was bigger than my entire plate and then some! Curry anywhere in JP is a guaranteed win.

Then there's DESSERT. Where to begin!? There's a huge variety of cream puffs, ice cream, crepes, and other treats I don't even know the English translation to. I love how they always make it right in front of you, so you know it's fresh. The desserts are often presented very artistically, even if it only cost $2. I'm not sure if it's because of the heat and humidity here in Okinawa, but ice cream is absolutely divine. I've seen some of the most interesting flavors and forms that Ice cream can come in here. My fav? 1) These little fish shaped pastries with custard piped inside. 2) Ice cream and chocolate packed inside a waffle and then frozen until it's crisp. 3) The crepes!


Much to my surprise, I've had THE BEST burger in Tokyo. Zest Burger was the name of the restaurant and we found it walking down an alley of little shops and restaurants located near the subway station of Hiro-o. The meat was so juicy and the bun was perfect. Mmmm.. I'm salivating just thinking about it. The biggest difference between the Zest burger and burgers I've had in the States is that it didn't make me feel shitty after eating it. It tasted healthy and deeeeelicious.
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And what's up with Tokyo Banana? People were buying them by the boxes! These things were EVERYWHERE in Tokyo and the people who were selling them dressed in business attire and acted like they were selling jewelry. I'm guessing it was a classy treat? But they looked like Twinkies to me. We got a box just to find out what the hype was all about. oooooooo yes. I understand their fancy advertisements and intricate packaging. Outside is a fluffy sponge cake. Inside is a creamy banana custard, made with all natural bananas. It's so fresh that the expiration date is always 10 days from it being put on shelf. No one has to worry about this though, because you could finish the entire box in one day...easy!
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Nostalgia

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We couldn't leave without experiencing Tokyo Disneyland! We were there for nearly 10 hours and the time went by really fast. What was impressive, was the excitement and energy that the park staff had, all day long. Every person working a concession stand, a show, or a ride was extremely polite and happy to be there. Whether it was truly how they felt or not, the impression they gave seemed very genuine. I can see that with all the work and skill that the Japanese have. They take great pride in whatever they do and execute things as perfectly as possible. I admire that.
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Being that everything was in Japanese made the experience that much more entertaining. Have you ever heard Captain Jack Sparrow speak Japanese? Or have you heard Stitch sing in Japanese? All I know is that Tokyo Disneyland is very unique. Where else can you find girls wearing pumps and stiletto boots to an amusement park?
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The electric parade and fireworks topped off the night and truly made our day at Disneyland....magical =) The creativity of Japanese products did not stop at this American establishment. Annie and I were astonished by all of the cute and clever gifts and gadgets that were being sold at every corner of the park. I wanted to buy it all!

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My new goal is to go to all of the Disneylands in the world...next up? Paris, Hong Kong, Orlando =)

Monday, September 14, 2009

Odaiba - a man made island

It was a quiet night on Odaiba. What a great feeling it was to be away from the busy streets of Tokyo. I was becoming irate from walking into the big clouds of cigarette smoke, sweaty and smelly people bumping into me, and hearing "irashaimase" (welcome) being yelled out every 10 seconds. Yes, it is a really nice gesture, but does the entire kitchen staff and servers have to scream in my ear while I'm trying to enjoy breakfast, lunch, AND dinner?

Anyway, back to what I was saying...Transportation to the island was an attraction itself. We took an elevated train that zipped through and above the city. It ran on rubber wheels and was completely operated by a computer system. No humans needed on board to navigate. It seemed to me that it was the "Prius" of all trains. It was so quiet, you couldn't hear it pull up in the station and was very eco-friendly. The train literally crossed the Rainbow Bridge, riding next to cars that were headed in the same direction. It circled around Odaiba to reveal its futuristic wonders and made a complete stop at Aquacity, where we had spectacular views of the Tokyo skyline. Much to my surprise, we saw the small replica of The Statue of Liberty.
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The rainbow themed Island was apparent. At some moments, the bridge did have rainbow colors reflecting on it...hence "Rainbow Bridge". The little ferries that floated below, glowed in vibrant neon rainbow colors and hosted fancy dinner parties.
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I was blown away by the panoramic view of Tokyo.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

...more of Tokyo...

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The final stretch of our journey in Tokyo consisted of a lot of site seeing. The country itself is a place for worship. Shrines, burial sites, temples, etc...and can be found anywhere between the deep mountain side, or right in the middle of the city, next to Tokyo Tower. We also had time to watch a kabuki act at the Kabuki-za theater in Ginza. A performance of kabuki is known to be one of the most unique theater experiences in the world. If only we were able to understand what was being said.

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Anyhoo, we searched for the Imperial Palace for nearly 2 hours and ended up disappointed. The Imperial palace was blocked off and even had standing guards. It was only to be viewed from afar. Regardless, it still looked majestic with the sun and blue sky in the backdrop.
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Tokyo Tower was a lot smaller than I thought it would be. We had more fun inside its gift shops than standing outside. The gift shops occupied 3+ floors and had all sorts of cute trinkets that the Japanese are known for.
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Sissy was fascinated by these stone figurines. We're guessing that they're used to keep the ashes of the deceased.
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This was only a small part of the cemetery, but the whole site was pleasant to be in. It felt like people were celebrating life and it wasn't morbid like the cemeteries in the States.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

A few things I've learned

1. Fashion is a way of life... see the masses of people waiting behind red ropes, trying to get into the 6 story Forever 21 store. It's funny...a block down from here, you'll find Harakju St. where young girls stroll the street in the most outrageous costumes ever seen. They are so bold and daring here. I love it.

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2. People in Tokyo are always sleeping. When there's time to sit, there's time to sleep!
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3. Children go to school 7 days a week and they rock these cute uniforms. Everything on them is presented perfectly...down to their socks.
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Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Day and Night

Sakura Hotel: Our first hotel in Tokyo. What had looked like a nice hotel on the website, turned out to be a cramped hole in the wall hostel. The room + bathroom was the size of my bedroom back home in San Jose.

At the Tokyo Government Building's observation deck, some 45 floors up, we saw a complete 360 degree view of Tokyo. From high above, it looked like any other metropolitan city- high sky scrappers in the center of the city, patches of green parks, and thousands...perhaps millions of stacked apartments crammed in every spot possible. Nyeh...the view was okay.

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First night, we went to Shinjuku, where it is claimed to host the busiest train station in the world. I believe it.

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Nightlife in Tokyo is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Shops stay open late as well and the abundance of food and night clubs were apparent. Street vendors have their deep fryers and crepe stands out for business until the early hours of the morning, rain or not. Club goers are dressed up in almost costume like attires. People are just everywhere.

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We had a Sukiyaki dinner... Since we didn't understand Japanese, we thought it was $36 for two people. We were mistaken. It was $36 per person. But it worked out well because the food was delicious.

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By the end of the night, we stumbled into Kabukicho, the red district. I can't quite explain that part...you just had to be there.


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p.s. My beloved durian followed me to Japan =)