tsewei’s blog

Yes, I’m now living in the time zone of GMT+9, land of rising sun, sushi, ramen, hello kitty, japanese school girls, and mild-earthquakes which I slept through this morning.

Narita airport is really so far off from the city it took us 2 hours on the train just to reach back. 0_o Good thing au yong was there to pick me up, else I’m sure I would’ve gotten lost. Their train system is absolutely bonkers. So intricate with so many different train services. Just look at the map in this link and you’ll see what I’m talking about. How crazy is that?

My communication capabilities is practically paralysed here since I don’t speak Japanese. I feel kinda bad sometimes when all the salespeople at the stores or restaurants greet me and ramble on and on in Japanese, and I have no idea what to say. :s eecks. Au yong’s Japanese phrase book now has a permanent place in my bag. Not gonna go anywhere without it, and the subway map.

Went off to explore Akihabara, land of electronics goods - where else would tech geek au yong first bring me to than this? - and I actually managed to find my favourite pnyek! bear. teehee. And found out that the real name’s actually rilakkuma. Or something like that. Yay! And there were all the coolest toys that I wished I had when I was a kid. I like the Doraemon that has eyes which you can swap (like Mr-Potato-Head in Toy Story) and a pouch that can fit all sorts of different items!

Finally checked out the new Nintendo DS Lite too. So cool. I am so enticed to get one for meself. Very very tempted, but I’ll sleep on that first before deciding further.

Shibuya was crazy on a Sunday. The intersection was jam packed with people. And that’s where I had an umbrella tussle. With the permanent Sunday rain, everyone was carrying an umbrella, and guess what happens with people from both sides of the street start to cross? Thousands of umbrellas, pink, white, black, green, blue, all moving perfectly avoiding one another, cos this is Tokyo. Until…. one small stupid tourist — me — stepped onto the road and started poking everyone’s umbrella with this look of confusion in me eyes. Good thing I didn’t take out anyone’s eye.

But it’s a great place to hang out. And of course shop. Most of the Japanese labels are really costly, though very pretty. The bags!! So pretty!! And so unafforable. But I still managed to get some cheap stuff, at Gap’s sale. Haha, it’s a little ironic, to be in Japan but buying American fashion, but I can’t help myself when it’s cheap AND available in XXS. It’s hard to find my size in US. So, ladida, caching! There goes some yen, but we both got something nice for ourselves. But the best still is the Disney Store. It’s like a mini cartoon castle in the middle of the city. With tons upon tons of Disney goodies. I went back to being 5 years old.

Food is great. I especially love all the cute little family restaurants located on little streets. I’m gonna become so fat.

Despite the language barrier, I really like this place. The city centre is very exciting, with so much to see I had to spend some time on the train just stoning my eyes out cos if I kept on looking at the riotous eclectic mix any longer I think I’d get disorientated. But at the same time, nestled right between the little streets is a slightly older Japan, with quaint grocery stores that sell only fresh vegetables and things like that. It’s so charming. And cute!

Now, on to plan more travelling!

… for someone very dear to me.

Happy 25th birthday, dearie.

No Secret Recipe nearby, so can’t get that Choc Indulgence cake that you like, but anyway, here u go…

*hugs* =)

It’s been great having my sis tse mei around here. hehe.

After my weekend in KL, we took the train together to Singapore. She hung around at my place, mostly to go shopping around Orchard and have dinners with me after I finish work, AND also shop for groceries for me! haha. She’s so domesticated, even brings me shopping coupons she found while out buying bread and juice for me. LOL. Best.

And we went for a great dinner at Brewerkz on Tuesday. Nice burger, lovely beer, great company. I love eating and yakking away with Mei. whee… And we took some photos along the bridge at Clarke Quay after that.

Obviously our hands are too short for self-shots haha. So that was the best that we could manage, heehee. Mei does look like she’s hiding behind me or something. But actually she was just about to sneeze. LOL.

Anyway, look at my hair!! Curls! haha. And I just love my tribal-bead-necklace thingy. hehe.. OK ok, enough with that.

Heh, come visit more often ya Mei. More makan, and help me choose cereals and fruits, hahaha.

Yes, I’m really loving SIA.

This is gonna sound like some promotional plug for them, but I just happen to think that their frequent-flyer program KrisFlyer roxx!

Just confirmed my flight tickets to Tokyo for next month, and guess how much I’m paying? Zilch! Zero! Nothing! (Ok, ok, technically I still have to pay SGD200++ for airport taxes, but my $1300 air ticket is free!)

Apparently au yong has flown enough on his previous business trips to redeem his mileage for a free SG-Tokyo return ticket. And we figured that since KrisFlyer allows him to redeem the miles for a friend or family, I should might as well use it since my 6-week trip would warrant the air ticket to be a 1-year ticket that costs $200 more than the usual.

So we went to their website, tapped a few keys and gave it a few clicks, and I got my tokyo tickets for free, on SIA flights! Rockin’!!!!

Then a few days ago, we confirmed the tickets, and we found out that we could actually select which seats I want on the aircraft! So ladida, *click click click*, I selected my seats.

Then, we found that we could actually select what meals I want to be served onboard! Vegetarian, seafood, oriental, western, kosher, halal, blablabla.. Heh, it’s probably nothing much, but I still think it roxx! So, *click click click*.

*sigh* (< -- contented sigh)
It's great to know you just saved $1300. And he's just only on silver membership. And I get free stuff! yay!!

Not to mention also, with the relatively good experience that I've had on their flights (as compared to super sucky United Airlines, never even help poor little vertically-challenged girl like me with my carry-on luggage), I am definitely looking forward to my flight next month! wheee!

sidenote to self:
Must not forget to buy a bag of Milo 3-in-1 for Au Yong. No Milo in Japan, it seems. How can they not have Milo?! Don’t they know Milo’s tagline “Minum Milo anda jadi sihat dan kuat!” (drink Milo you become healthy & strong). Their kids are missing out on some good stuff here.

It’s halfway into the long wesak day weekend. Unfortunately I spent the first half mostly sleeping. It’s been a tough work week, plus the train ride was awful this time. Was well on my way to getting tropical frostbites* on me toes.

* the kind of frostbites that u get when u are clearly living in the tropics but someone thinks it’s better to chill the interior of the train to something like 15 degrees or less.

But I woke up earlier today so that I can have a good ol’ roti canai breakfast, then head out for a new head of hair. It’s no fun sitting there for 3 hours, but I finally got my curls back. Wooo! I love curls! And point of interest for this hair-salon visit: Finally, no one commented on how thick or how stubborn my hair is. Frankly it’s my hair for the past 23 years, so I know my hair, and that’s why I’m here looking for u people to do something to my hair to make it less stubborn and not so thick! D’oh.

3 hours is kinda long. But I do quite enjoy everyone fussing over my hair (always end up having 2 or 3 fellas curling my hair, heehee). Just don’t fancy the times when I’m left alone with funny things sticking into my hair and without my specs to read the magazines.

I wish I was richer and could afford more frequent hair-makeovers. This curling business is way too expensive.

Streaming across the skies, this is a lovely sight I caught right outside my window this evening.

Pretty clouds make my day.

Lots have been happening after my birthday. So here’s just a quick rundown…

1. Got my Japanese visa done at the embassy!
The visa fler was fierce and nit-picking at my documents but thank goodness he approved the visa application, for free! Malaysian passport is just a pain sometimes. Single gal going far far to a rich country for long holiday = single gal going far far to rich country to be a hooker/food peddler in Chinatown/other obscure jobs etc. Good thing I got all my documentation done.

2. Found a new place to rent.
Cute little room, great location, lotsa food nearby. More on that in the next post. Maybe photos too. If I get around to doing that.

3. Packed and moved out of hall on a rainy day.
Not cool. Just had to use canvas sheet to cover my stuff while we raced across half the island on a pickup truck with heavy rain pelting down. And the pickup truck guy was late. Might have missed the rain if he was on time. Might have.

4. Ikea had a sale.
So now I have a few more items added to my load of ‘assets’. And, on a sidenote, was like, the entire Singapore refurnishing their house last weekend? Cos I bloody had to queue for 45 mins at the checkout counter. So tired after that, not from the shopping but from the queueing.

sidenote: Found an Italian stall in Anchorpoint’s food court (opp Ikea) that sells decent italian pasta at cheap prices. I mean, I had a huge plate of spaghetti with 2 crayfish, fresh tomatoes and lots of fragrant garlic, for only 9 dollars!

5. FYP meeting!
argh. So scary. Internship coming to an end = next year starting = final year starting = final year project! *hyperventilates* eecks! *and faints*
But no matter, had a fruitful meeting, brainstormed and planned out everything. Next year must definitely be serious about school. rah!

And here’s what’s to come…

1. Going back to KL for long wesak weekend!
yay! ‘nuf said.

2. My sis is coming to visit me!
yay! x10

3. Internship ending soon..
which also means report due soon. Major URGH. Still can’t understand what’s the deal with writing a formal report. Isn’t the 6 months good enough? I seriously enjoy my internship, just not the report and paperwork part. Please NTU, must we academic-ise everything?

4. Going to Tokyo!!!!
yeeeeeeaaaayyyy! Gonna fly over to Tokyo to visit my darling for SIX WEEKS! w00t! Must start on my Japanese phrase book soon. Konichiwa! blablabla…

Living in exciting times.

Yeah, one more year. I’m starting to feel old already. Birthdays just kinda go by after you hit 21 somehow.

Nevertheless, this year’s birthday went by in happiness.

Went to work as usual on Tuesday, and then got a call from the recept, Sally telling me there’s a delivery that’ll make my day. And it turns out I got a surprise delivery!

A huge bouquet from my darling au yong!
And it’s HUGE. Like freaking heavy to carry it back on the train that evening.

I mean, just look at those leaves! HUGE too! Looks like something out of the jungle. Exotic. haha.

They’re really lovely, those flowers. And my favourite blooms too, pink roses and gerberas.

Okay, and here’s another look, just cos I like it.
The small-small flowers are really cute too. Small little things rising through small tuffs of grass-like stuff.

Last year he surprised me with flowers too for my birthday. We just never seem to get to celebrate my birthday together ‘cos we never happen to be at the same place for that day. But it was a nice celebration, and so was this year’s too. It’s the sweet thoughts that matter, and I don’t really care about the xxxxkilometres of choppy poluted sea and earthquake-d land between us. heehee.

It’s a really sweet surprise. Thanks so0o much dear. I talk to my flowers everyday now to make sure they stay healthy and feel taken care of. teehee. Yes, I’m psycho. But what to do. No flower food this year. Have to rely on moral food. heheheh.

Also, my lunch ‘kaki’s at work also surprised me that day. By hiding in the wardrobe with a brownie and litted candles, and sprang upon me while I was setting up the teleprompter machine for studio. It’s quite funny and that was surprise number two for the day. Thanks u all for that. So sweet!

And the day went on with messages and wishes from everyone, so thank you! I guess it’s still fun to celebrate birthdays even when u think you’re getting old.

You know that these people are the best you’ve got when they remember your birthday, no not the usual date but the Chinese lunar calendar birthday. Cos even I don’t remember that myself. Cos seriously, who tracks the lunar calendar except for when counting down the days to Chinese New Year, right?

Two Sundays ago, 2 weeks before my normal usual birth date, I was back home in KL, and my mom and sis gave me a surprise with a birthday cake! Cos it was my Chinese birthday the next day. It was a great surprise obviously since I wasn’t expecting any cake until 2 weeks later. And it made my day. Because I was in a lousy mood all day with an unstable tummy full of acid and such, but they still went out and got me a pandan layer cake – the most neutral cake there is for an upset tummy, sans chocolate and butter cream. And of course since then, I’ve discovered that pandan layer cake from King’s Cake House is delicious and have added it to my list of “yummy cakes that I can afford”.

You know that this person’s the best you’ve got when she volunteers to travel half the peninsular and cross the straits on a weekend just to come and help you move out.

Nevermind the fact that this is probably part of a domestic plan of my sister tse mei to help me select kitchen utensils and rearrange my fridge. It is still something that made my day, because she knows I hate moving. I hate packing, I hate moving and I hate unpacking. And it is so nice to know someone would travel 300km to help me do that. It actually doesn’t make any sense cos she wouldn’t really have a place to stay before I shift out, so I told her to come after that, but it was a nice offer that made my day. So, it’s ok, we can always go Ikea later on and pick out some odds and ends for my new room, ya?

You also know that this person’s the best you’ve got when he cares even though he doesn’t say much and constantly worries if you are surviving well away from home with enough money.

My dad doesn’t really say much, but I know he cares when he asks me if I have found a room to rent, or if I have enough allowance money to pay my rental deposit, or if I have settled my visa application to Japan, or asks if I got my air tickets yet, and wakes up at 6am to pick me up from the train station when I arrive early.

So, yes, this post is dedicated to my family. I guess there are few people who’d stick by you at all times. And family most likely makes up the majority of the group already. My darling au yong is the other person in this group of “people-who’d-stick-by-you-at-all-times”, cos he’d also wake up at 6 to pick me up from the train station, and be my remote tech-support buddy anywhere anytime. Or listen to me ramble and rant, and help me find ads for room rentals online from across the choppy oceans. Or giving me support when I feel like crap even though he’s got his fare share of problems as well. Or just plain annoying me and making me laugh after that by setting up some stupid joke that I will gullibly *always* fall for.

Ok, so correction there. This post is dedicated to the important people in my life who are indispensable to me. You rock!!

I am so proud of myself. *beaming with pride*

I actually managed to drag my lazy butt off the chair, make my legs take me out of the room, put on my shoes, and went for a jog!!

This is momentous for a bigass lazy bum like me!! *cue: fireworks!*

And I’m gonna do this next week, and the week after next, and the week after… …

* chants mantra to self: “I-wanna-be-fit-I-wanna-be-fit-I-wanna-be-fit” *

Incidentally, my shoe decided give way and expire right after my run when I was walking back to my room. Suffered from “prolonged shelfed negligence”, I guess. Haven’t used it since, o0oh I can’t remember when. Well, I guess it’s time for a new pair at last. heheh..

On another note, I’m quite pleased with this weekend. Finally, it’s recess break for them-studying-people, so there has been a mass exodus out of NTU, which means less congested hall network, which gives me better Skype calls. At last. And my darling is back in Tokyo from his trip to kiwiland New Zealand, bearing me kiwi (the bird) gifts, and I finally get to chat with him in almost the same time zone. Then I got myself a five-dollar bag! Jeniffer in Jurong Point had the craziest stock clearance ever and I got a bag and a tee shirt for 10 bucks! Shopping never felt this good. And I also managed to clean my table, mop the floors, and reorganise my wardrobe!

fwooh! Yes, I am pleased with myself.
Time for a relaxing eye-mask.