tumble, tumble, japan

Really. Hopefully.

The hosts in today’s episode of Rail Thrill went a-travel-a-ling up in Hokkaido. We were looking forward to the show, but I think we spent most of the hour checking stuff online, playing on the phone, and doing the Daily Free Spin on the Bejeweled app. Aiyah. It is less fun watching other people do [...]

The countdown says there are still 42 days to our trip. It does feel like a long way to go, and we have a ton of stuff (mostly work-related; all very mind-numbingly arduous) to accomplish. But, it is going to be (already) October at the end of this week, so. So, so, so. Think this [...]

The March/April trip didn’t materialize. We had too many concerns after the disaster struck; and while we weren’t that worried about the radiation and general safety, we decided to change our travel plans so as not to add burden – however minor – (remember images of empty konbini stores, and people queuing for bottled water?), [...]

And hello, Tokyo beckons again! 25 March – 2 April 2011. I can’t wait.

Okayama, Kōraku-en Apologies to people who have met up with me so far and have not been impressed by my account of the trip, haha. Cue conversations that go What happened on your trip? Pause Erm, nothing much. There was a lot of snow. I am terribly inarticulate when it comes to stuff like that, [...]

Quick thoughts about the different places on the trip, before I forget. Tokyo Design Festa; nabe in Ms Peh’s hotel room, with the hot pot on a chair and the rest of us around it, overeating and watching television that we didn’t understand; cuttlefish snacks; eating potato chips and stoning while watching the DF crowds [...]

Today is the 4th of January (close enough; sing the song if you know it), and I am currently on the train to Narita Airport where a flight back to Singapore awaits. The last few days of the trip, particularly yesterday, were just spent worrying about packing everything into a nice palatable (and carryable) pile(s). [...]

Hello, it is the end of the year 2009. Am currently watching NHK 60th Kohaku. I don’t know almost all of the performers, except the very popular crowd pleasers, but it still makes for an interesting watch. You learn quite a bit about the country from its music, and so far, we have had songs [...]

Being back in Tokyo after some ten weeks feels a little like coming home. Only home it is not, but there is a comfortable sense of familiarity and I did not have to check any map or ask for directions to get to my hostel. Knowing where you are going with luggage can never be [...]