Day 1 and Day 2 in Tokyo

Day 1

We went to Asakusa Temple which is within walking distance from our hostel.

Day 2
We went and scout around for our bus ride to Kawaguchiko Lake at Shinjuku Station. It was so hard to find the correct place and even harder to communicate/ understand the locals' English.
We managed to get around by asking around in broken Japanese and English. Let me rephrase that. GALE asked around. We just nod our heads at the background and smile.

We started our sightseeing knowing that we are heading to 'a shrine'. When we reached, only then we realized that it is Meiji Shrine. I am starting to think that there is nothing to see in temples and shrines. No relics.

Next, we headed to Harajuku to shop a little and straight to Shibuya to have a look at the busy Shibuya crossing. And then without fully realizing it, we were right where the reconstructed Hachiko Statue is placed.

So that is the end of our day 2 in Tokyo. Tomorrow i think we will be going to Ginza to shop again.

Whoaa.. So excited!

The time is near for yet another big adventure.
Will it be more challenging than the previous one?
Or is it going to be Lost in Translation!? 
This time with 2 of my besties. I bet it's going to be epic!



We will be leaving for Tokyo on Saturday 28th April for an overnight plane ride to Narita. I already applied for 10days leave. So my admin arranged for 5 days annual leave and 5 days unpaid leave. Not that it makes any difference.

All the hostels booking is done. Gonna be in Tokyo for 3 nights, Mt. Fuji for 2 nights, Kobe for 4 to 5 nights and then Osaka for 1 or 2 nights. We will be flying back to KL from Osaka via MAS on 12th May.

 I wonder if we can sneak in the Japanese Public bath with towel or swim suit on without being completely naked. People with tattoos aren't allowed in. We might need to get a private one.

Charlie said the weather is getting warmer. So that will lightened our luggage load.

Ho wants Slam Dunk iphone4s housing (2 if cheap if less than RM50 each, 1 if more than RM50 each).
SY wants Burberry handbag.

I am a little fortunate that my current workload is not as heavy as the previous years. But there is still other work related things that needs to be settled.

On other note, i am so glad to see that Lil' Bro is having the time of his life in his company. I got a text from him on Sunday saying that he just reached Bali and for me to let MamaRoach know. I was really surprised because he never mentioned about Bali when i was texting him. He did mentioned about a trip this April. Oh well, MamaRoach knew about it though, I forgot that the baby is really close to PapaRoach and MamaRoach.

2010 Lake Toba Trip

After hearing about the Tsunami warning this afternoon and watching the new videos on Youtube.

I was reminded of the day we spent in Lake Toba, Medan, Indonesia a while back.

But that time it wasn't a Tsunami. It was a minor eruption on Mt. Sinabung 25miles from Lake Toba. It happened on the 29th of August 2010.

I remembered that LP and I were having a quiet time by the lake after a swim (if you call splashing around in one spot 'swimming'). And the atmosphere changed from a beautiful sunny day to an eerie dark sky accompanied by sound of the wind blowing. The wind kind of made waves on the lake. We actually commented how weird it was but never thought anything else about it.

I wasn't sure when we left for KL but i knew someone (G) was already getting worried and trying to get a hold of us but couldn't. But we got out of there without knowing that the volcano erupted until we were safely in the comfort of our own home.     

         

Badminton

I used to think that badminton are for sissies. Boy..was i wrong.

Waking up this morning, it felt like i have pulled every muscle in my body.
The two and a half (2hr 30min) of hitting the shuttle cock, running and jumping around is enough of a work out for me.

The pain after is even worst than what i felt after going for a jog.

I guessed that i really am getting old. While playing, i pulled my left hamstring. Rested a while till it felt a little better. Then continued again. And then i pulled the other hamstring!

Hah..i really should warm up before going at it. My right arm is also hurting right now.

But it was fun. Played from 8.30pm till 11pm.
Will be going again next Thursday. I hope we can book at 6.30pm.

Worst Day Ever (topped this if you can)

Am I driving an invisible car? I sometimes wonder about that. And am I psychic?

I was having a really crappy day at the office last Saturday 24^th March 2012. First, my boss bailed on me after having promised me that he will go my Shah Alam site. Then my fan guy bailed on me after also having promised me that he will check on the belt pulley of one fan. Then my sub-con couldn’t get the material ready for my Nilai site. I ended up having to call my main-con to apologize and postponed the installation work for the 3^rd time after having promised him it would be done that day.

I have been waiting/ fidgeting in the office for half the day waiting on my boss. I was thinking that he might be waiting for my other sub-con to come and arrange the rectification work on our office. But when it’s already 12noon and I got another call from my sub-con at Shah Alam who’s doing some work there, asking how and what to proceed next. I really snapped and packed up my things roughly commanding all the attention in my office and left. I didn’t bother to take CK with me because it was already 12pm and only 30minutes left till we go back. So let me just handle it and he can go back to his wife or whatever it is he had planned that day.

I didn’t even take leave from my colleagues like I normally would and just stormed out. I was already wiping my tears away while walking to the car. I really can’t handle it. See I’m not so tough after all. I put my phone on silent mode because I know that people will start calling and I am not in a state where I can talk sanely with others. CK did call I think after boss tell him to (and I was right).

I pumped my car with fuel and paid with credit card to avoid eyes looking at me. I reached the guard house and took quite an effort to talk to the security guard there. My sub-con called me up that morning to tell me that they can’t get into the building. I tried to call, text, email all the people/ phone numbers that I know but to no avail. So I was already on edge that morning. I told my sub-con to ask the guard for the keys. He said that they don’t have it. So I was pissed to find out that the guard could just ‘walkie-talkied’ a guy with the key to open the door. I swear I should put a swear word somewhere in this sentence. So I drove to the building and the door is already opened.

Another shitty thing happened after that. One of the fans tripped and I am really at a lost when it comes to electrical work. But I always saw my electrical sub-con pushed on the small red trip button right next to the main switch. So that’s what I did and it freaked me out because I can’t turn the switch back up again. So I called my electrical guy for help, after one didn’t pick up. I called another and followed a step by step guide. Settled!!

I pulled myself together just so that I could show them what is there to do next and went to my car to reply some of the text from my colleagues. I didn’t want them to worry. When I was having a moment alone with my feelings in the car my sub-con came over and gestured that he wanted to talk to me. Asking if I’m sick and if I want to go for lunch? I said “with this face? I don’t think so” (pointing to my crying face). Then he ask me to go back and he can settle everything there. And so I went to USJ to take lunch at SUMO Japanese Restaurant near the place where I booked my acoustic guitar Seven Tone. Ate, took my guitar without the promised complimentary guitar pick and left. Bought an instrument tuner as well, need it for a new guitar string. Nifty little thing. 

I was already thinking that the day could only get worst if I got into an accident. So I was already really careful while driving. But what happened afterwards?

Some guy bang my car from behind!! Can you believe it?! It’s like straight out of a “Worst Day Ever” movie if there is one.

“You have got to be kidding me?!”

I was at a lost for words when I went out and inspect the damage. 

“You didn’t see me is it?”- I asked in a small voice that almost cracked. I already stopped for a good minute at the traffic light. And I was lucky that I stepped on the brake hard and didn’t hit the other car in front. The guy kept asking me what I want to do. I said I don’t know. And then I said go to a workshop and fix it now. Um..  I cried again..! Really can’t help it. Those two guys looks like the type who would hit and run. They kept asking me to calm down. This is not a big deal and that they are reasonable guys. I’m suspicious though. They asked me not to cry ‘coz they are scared seeing me cry like that.

Ah Yun (the driver) offered to drive my car to the workshop and I let him afraid that he will run away. He told me to calm down again and I told him it wasn’t about the accident, it’s because I had a really rough day and him banging my car just made it so much worst. Long story short as if it’s not long already, we dropped off my car at the workshop near my house and he drove me home. Una was saying that it would take her 1hr30min to come get me. I think so that she can time it perfectly for our 5pm mani-pedi. It was only 2.30 or 3pm when I called her. I don’t get it, because if it were her and I was at home, I would drop everything and fetch her back first. To think that before the accident, I already told her that I will be going back to fetch her for the mani-pedi. I didn’t pay anything on the car.

To summarize:-

• Car is fixed, as in bumper is pulled out and reverse sensor replaced (although one is black the other silver), I had no paintwork done because I need my car for the next day.
• Car still looks ugly.
• Got an orange colour classic manicure, toe nail art with black background.
• Ate pizza with Una (her treat).
• Was in an almost collision twice, one with a parked car and one with a pole.
• Washed my delicates and didn’t machine wash my clothes till Sunday (the next day).
• Had major headache and went to bed at 10.30pm.

My First Toe Art

DARK AND MOODY ME

I still remember while I was in high school and in a very dark place; I was imagining that I am wielding a machine gun and get around shooting everyone. But then, I can’t stand to live without my family. So, that’s where it stopped.

I love it that Meredith & Yang (Grey’s Anatomy) portrays it perfectly while saying that there is absolutely nothing wrong with being myself. 

Sometimes, I just want peace and quiet.

I wrote a mystery short story once (incomplete).

About a girl and her cousins that went into a haunted house. No idea where it ends though.

Genting

A week after CNY, the older Dragon brother came to visit. Called SY up at 5pm to get the direction to Lil’ Bro’s office, instead I ended up inviting her along for the trip. Well, she kind of hinted that she hasn’t been up for quite some time. She made up her mind at that one phone call then went home to pack up her things.

SY thought that Lil’ Bro’ was a girl seeing him walking over to us from his office building. He stinks of smoke when he’s in the car. We all kept mum about it. Pretended that the smell isn’t making us sick.

I missed a turn getting to Genting with the sign (Genting, Institut Aminuddin Baki) on the left and (Genting Highlands) on the right/ straight. I took the straight road, but all the same, it takes us to the same road up to Genting after having to do a U-turn and pass through McDonalds.

It was pretty intimidating driving up with 4 person in my compact car. But with shouts of instruction to change to low/2L gears from them brothers, we managed to reach Genting First World parking in one piece. The brothers were making fun of my driving skills and I yelled ‘Turuuuuun…!!’ Then everyone was like “Aaargh…. Haha... ”. We were all joking and kidding around which SY found endearing. It had gotten very foggy when we reached the top around 11.30pm. It forced everyone to drive slowly, because it was very difficult to read the signboard pointing the way to the carpark.Luckily, there was plenty of empty parking spaces on that Friday night. The KIOSK Check-In Machine can’t process us, since we have already exceeded the Check-In time. And luckily for us as well, it only took us 15minutes to complete our counter check-in.

SY was sporting enough to join us since all of us will be sleeping in the same room. She tried to converse in Mandarin with the elder bro,but he seems to always be ignoring her or pretended not to be listening. His spoken English is of an English educated person with the ‘right..’ at the back of his sentences. A proper one. I had goosebumps just listening to him speak with the hotel’s receptionist on the phone. While my English is of Chinese Malaysian style complete with the ‘mah’, ‘meh’ and ‘lah’ in my sentences.

He was out till early morning between 5am- 6am. I was getting worried and had to text him and ask him to come back. The little one just sit at Starbuck till 3am-4am wearing my cardigan and making it smell of smoke. Euwe~!! I had half a mind to let him freeze himself.

I also managed to lose RM20 gambling, take Lil’ Bro back to his house, take Elder Bro to airport (with plenty of time to spare) and take SY back home safely. Yay me! I wasn’t too worried driving up because I have my boys with me.

Will there be another trip up with me driving?

Yes... With the right group of people.:).