Exchange program with JMA

I actually woke up early to get prepared for this very special day which I have been so looking forward to. Yeah.... I signed up for an exchange program organised by my Japanese Language School, JCS. Those who know that I am a Japanese freak will not be surprise 'cos this is a great opportunity for me to learn more about Japanese Culture.

I met up with my cousin, Heather who is going together with me, and we had breakfast at Mcdonalds before gathering at our meeting place - Conrad Centennial Hotel. We reported to Ms. Kay, the person-in-charge from JCS, and that was when I realised that all the other members who were chosen came from the Advanced Class (btw, I was from Intermidate Class). I started to panick.... (- _ - ;;)

I broke out in cold sweat. I started to worry about the communication problem that I am going to face with my lousy spoken Japanese. Heather calmed me down. Ms. Kay told me to forget about the fear and enjoy myself. I was totally lost.

"When it have to come, it will have to come." ..... It's meeting the guest time.

Ms. Murakami, the person-in-charge for the guest, briefed us through the rules and regulations of this program. We were supposed to bring them around Singapore to the places they wished to visit using our local transportation. Then came the allocation of groups. Guess what..... I GOT THE BIGGEST GROUP - Team J2. Can you imagine that??? I almost fainted on the spot. (@_@)

We were introduced to J2's Group Leader, 藤原さん. The group consists of 8 wonderful members including the leader. They are 加藤さん、磯野さん、松田さん、谷口さん、近田さん、the lovely 小谷野さん and last but not least 神村さん、my excellent helper (Oops! I should be speaking Japanese instead of having a translator.... tsk tsk tsk ... lousy guide!) throughout the whole day. (For the benefits of non-japanese speaking friends, the 8 member's names are as follows : Fujiwara-san (GL), Kato-san, Isono-san, Matsuda-san, Taniguchi-san, Konda-san, Koyano-san and Kamimura-san.)

We then proceed to Millenia Walk's Foodcourt to have our dicussion on the day's itinerary. This group of guest is from Japan Management Association. They came from different global group of JMA therefore they can all speak ENGLISH. *PHEW*

The 'load' was finally being removed.

During discussion, we realised that their main interest was to see the daily life of a Singaporean and our education system. So after a whole lot of hand gesture's discussion, we concluded our one day tour plan. The list of places to visit is as follows:

1) Bugis Village
While we were walking through the shopping alley, 近田さん asked whether do I buy my clothes there. I replied "No" bcos it is mainly for tourist and of course TEENAGERs which I am way so far from it. ( ; _ ; )

2) Goddess of Mercy Temple (四马路观音庙)
They were amazed by why the people are praying to the sky 1st before the Goddess of Mercy. So I told them "The sky is the biggest, that's why!". It was really so cute bcos they had a praying session with me. 藤原さん even went into the temple and made donations. Gosh... I should have taken pictures of them praying. 残念！Btw, they were actually surprised that there was an Indian Temple right beside a Chinese Temple. Conflict of religion?? I dunno!!

3) Japanese Cultural School (JCS)
We went to the school which we are currently learning our Japanese languages. We explained to them that the school was divided into 2 floors. The 3rd floor consists of 2 classrooms and a library whereas the 5th floor have the reception and 4 classroom, not to forget the Teacher's 休憩room. They were quite lucky as they are able to see the school before classes commence.

4) Singapore Art Museum
We actually only walked past it and had our Air-con break. Nothing much, really!

5) Singapore Management University
We then crossed over to SMU but too bad, it was closed on Sunday. However, we managed to see some freshmen activities going on. Again, YOUNG ADULTs which I am also way too far from them. 神村さんasked me something really interesting. He told me, in Japan, students have a hard time getting into the University than graduating from it. So he likes to know the situation in Singapore. I told him, it's as difficult getting into the Uni and graduating. Guess maybe I can try enrolling into a University in Japan....... HA, FAT HOPE!

We then took a bus to our next destination - Telok Blangah Crescent.

6) Telok Blangah Community Centre
We were lucky to see activities taking place in the community centre. They were actually promoting Akito on the stage. There were also stations setup for foot and body massage... and of course, they are free (a service by the community centre).

7) View from Heather's HDB Flat
We then moved on to Heather's block. She took us to the 15th floor. It was a magnificent view. You can see greenery and a little of the sea view. The J2 team was so engrossed by the view that all they said was nothing but すごい。

8) Heather's House (They were all so shy.) 　
After the view, it's time to have our home visit. We went to Heather's house which is also my eldest paternal aunt's house. They were again amazed by how cheap the house was some 30 years ago. The one thing I like about them is .... they are really very very polite. 谷口さん keeps saying that they didn't bring any gifts. Heather had to assure them it is OK. Guess what, before we left, 谷口さんgave us each a ear picker (not so sure what's the actual name).

9) Lunch at Telok Blangah Kopitiam
Before our next destination, we visited the neighbourhood and had our lunch. They tried Chicken Rice, Mee Goreng, Roti Prata, Prawn noodle, Pork Rib noodles and Kambeng soup. Surprisingly, they are more adventurous in food than us. I think the only thing they enjoyed the best must be BEER!!!















ビールは一番おいしいです。ね、神村さん、藤原さん and 谷口さん？

10) The latest attraction of Singapore other than the Flyer, Henderson Waves and Alexandra Arch
I actually had a hard time climbing up the flight of stairs to Henderson Arch. Omigosh..... we were all panting at the top of the hill. Hmm.... I need to do more exercise. While we were up there, Heather briefed the guys on the overview of Henderson Arch.

Heather giving a brief introduction to the team on Henderson Waves, our 1st bridge to cross.

11) Conrad Centennial Hotel
Before the whole event ends, we joined JMA presentation on the member's experiences and thoughts. We are one of the chosen teams to present. They shared their day's experiences and frankly speaking... we are the only team that didn't go to the REAL places of interest. The rest of the teams went to Sentosa, Chinatown and Orchard. The supporters are supposed to give a little speech on our thoughts and ..... hee hee hee, as per normal, Heather was appointed to give the speech. The microphone was then passed to me and I said : ”来てよかった!" (which means .... I'm glad I came).

Throughout this whole program, there is this one person that I really wanted to thank from the bottom of my heart and she is none other than my lovely cousin, Heather. 本当にありがとうございました。また、もう一度やろうか？

P.S. To view more photos, check it out @ http://picasaweb.google.com/Kassyina/JMAExchangeProgram/

Sawadee Kap, Bangkok!!!

It was a last minute thingy to travel Bangkok. I quit my stupid job and was anxiously waiting for my new job to start so I asked my eldest sister : "Why don't we go Bangkok for a short trip?". My dearest sister supported and said : "Why not!".

Bangkok...... here we come!!!!

April 30, 2008

It was a morning flight and we reached Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1 at around 6am. Gosh.... it was crowded already but it was not even the holiday seasons. This was the first time both of us travelled with only 1 luggage (cabin size) and a handcarry. Hahahaha ...... light!!!

We reached Bangkok 4 hours later. Surprisingly it was not as hot as I expected. *PHEW*

A nice taxi cabby sent us to our 1st destination - Pathumwan Princess Hotel where we will be staying for the trip.

From the Entrance, one can tell that it is indeed a posh hotel. We checked in and was given a corner deluxe room. It was a short trip so we wanna have a little luxury and we dumped the cash into the hotel we stayed. We were satisfied with what we get.

After taking a short break, we headed for Mah Boon Krong (MBK) Shopping Mall. We went straight to the foodcourt as we were starving. I walked right to the store selling Tom Yum Khong cos that's my favourite. 姐姐 queued for Phad Thai and Green Curry Fried Rice.

With our stommy full, 姐姐 started her shopping spree. I saw Mister Donut but they dun make my favourite Angel cream. Argh!!! In the end, we went back to the hotel empty handed. Hahahaha....... I think this is the first time in our travel log that we didn't buy anything. We took a nap then went swimming. Wahey.... the feeling was brilliant.

May 01, 2008

We started our day with Chinatown. 姐姐 sugguested we experienced their subway (BTR) and ferry taxi. After breakfast, we walked to the nearest BTR station - National Stadium Station. Upon reaching, we walked to the ferry taxi terminal and bought our ferry tickets to Chinatown which is 6 stops away from the main terminal. While we were waiting, I realised that most of the passengers were tourist. They are as adventurous as us.

Finally, we reached our destination. It was like a maze.... cross junctions leading to small lanes and small lanes leading to another cross junctions. The only thing that caught my attention was all the carts selling food. Very interesting!!!!

We walked for approximately 4 hours before taking a 'Tut Tut' back to the hotel. Nice experience but hmm......... dusty. The best thing was ....... it's cheaper and faster than our journey of train and ferry.

Night comes ....... we went to Suan Lum Night Bazaar. We had our cheap and delicious dinner there. We had Tom Yum Kong (again), Shrimp paste Kang Kong, Phai Thai and Fried Rice. We finally found our favourite drink .... Lemon grass drink. I couldn't help but drank 2 glasses.

May 02, 2008

We woke up to another day of shopping spree. We basically walked through all the shopping malls in Phayathai Road and Rama I Road. We started with MBK, Siam Square, Siam Discovery, Siam Centre, Siam Paragon and all the way to Platinum Mall.

Wow.... my legs were aching by the time we reached Platinum Mall. I told 姐姐 my legs are hurting and she said we go for foot massage. I felt both anxious and excited as it was my first try. Hee hee hee! Tell you what... it was SUPERB!! Highly recommended, everyone must try massage in THAILAND!!!

We searched for the little restaurant 姐姐's boss recommend. The food was also cheap and delicious. They also served Lemon Grass drink. LUCKY!

May 03, 2008

Our last day of the trip. We decided to rush to Chatuchak Weekend Market. It was so hot and crowded or should I say congested with people. I was only interested in the pets section. The puppies were all soooooo cute. I almost wanted to buy a Husky back.

To ease the heat, we shared the most cooling coconut juice in the world. Yummy!!!

As time was running out, we went back to the hotel. Took a bath, final packing and headed for the airport.

Both of us agreed that the food was fantastic and we will definitely come back to Bangkok for the food and massage!!!

I can't wait....

I am doing my last minute packing now before I leave for the airport.
Yes yes yes, I am going to Japan. V ( ^ O ^ ) V

This will be my 1st experience of Christmas and New Year away from home.
I can't wait to step onto the land of the rising sun..........

See you tomorrow, 大阪.

Toby - My Baby Miniature Schnauzer

11th April 2006, I went home looking forward to see our "Forbidden Dog". You must be wondering why forbidden ..... 'cos it was brought home under the HIGH OBJECTION of our eldest sister.

He was only 3 months old, so small and cute. I think he was in deep depression when he first arrived in our home. He simply 'sticked' to his bed all day long (yes, he has his own miniature single bed). We thought "WOW, he was a good boy!" but who knows .......

Our nightmare begins on the third day upon his arrival. He started biting everything that came across him .... from toilet papers, our kitchen slippers to the furniture. My mum was going CRAZY...!!! That's not the worst. The headache was : Toilet train. We have to make him learned that he can only poo and pee in the toilet. There was lotsa screaming and yelling during the training. We finally realised that he will sniff and turn round & round in search of the most ideal location to do his business. ^ ^ ;;

We sort of successful toilet train him after so many months. However, he still pee and poo anywhere in the kitchen when he is not in good mood (my dog has a very serious attitude problem). There is one thing that till now we are still trying very hard to make him STOP BARKING!!! Isn't it normal for a dog to bark? Well, it is but not when barking was aimed at anyone who passes our front door. Aarrggghhhh........!!!!! Anybody out there with an excellent tip???

Alright, I think my dog should be feeling very shy now with so many bad habits!!! Now, some interesting moments to share!!

The funniest part was naming him. We had names like Ah Boy, Mo Mo, Blackie, and many many more until my sister has to search the web for pets name. The whole thing was like naming a baby, in fact we really are having a baby but the only different is he's a dog. My younger brother finally decide on Toby after going through the list of names we selected.

Next was little actions that makes him adorable. He will greeted every single one of us with his ever tip top sharp bark when we returned home from work. The excitement was shown on his body, from wagging his tail to requesting you to carry and sayang him. After all these request has been done, he will stopped his bark with satisfaction. Isn't he sweet??

And the only time you see him quiet and obedient hiding under my brother's bed or kitchen chair was when there's a thunder storm. He totally freaked out. My mum always commented that our dog is a fierce dog without guts!!!

Anyway, in a month time - January 11, our baby will be turning ONE!!! Happy Birthday!!!

好きやねん、大阪

"さってみんなさん、ここは大阪です！
おもしろい場所がイッパイイありますよ！美味しい物もイッパイイありますよ！"

- 関ジャニ∞ <好きやねん、大阪>

"Hi everyone, this is Osaka!

We have lotsa interesting places! We have lotsa delicious food too!"

- Song by Kanjani8

What can I say other than totally agreed with this song. Listening to this song brought back sweet memories of my days in Osaka. I had been sent to Osaka for training in 2003. Since then, I have crowned Osaka as my favourite city in Japan.

Let me introduce some of the interesting places according to my personal ranking :

1) Osaka Castle
Be it day or nite, the Castle stands tall, magnificent and spectacular in the center of Osaka. It's an awesome sight that one should never missed. It never fails to take my breathe away whenever I took the Keihan Line back to Kadoma.

2) Shinsaibashi
It's kinda like the biggest shopping district of Osaka. You can find most of the branded boutiques like Gucci, Tiffany, Hermes and many many more. There are more economy shops too such as The 100Yen shop, their local cosmetic shop and of course the Catch shop. Let me show you my proud achievement from there. V(^O^)V

3) Umeda

I like it because of the Ferris Wheel that stood on top of a shopping mall known as Hep Five. A ride in it can quite amazing since that's how I managed to find Loft and UniGlo. =P

4) Nipponbashi

This is Osaka Electrical and Electronics street. It's simply an IT paradise. For all IT freaks, this is the place for you. Frankly speaking, I am only interested in the capsule machine situated outside some of the figuring shop. *Oops*

Around Nipponbashi, you can also find the Hitachi Tower. That is where the Hanshin Tigers Baseball Teams Merchandise shop. You can also find Festive Gate, it's a amusement park within a shopping mall. The problem with Festive Gate is ...... it look really deserted with only the rides are operating.

5) Universal Studios, Japan

If it is your first visit to Osaka, this is a theme park that you must go. How should I put it, just like you must go Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea when you visit Tokyo.

Ok ok ok .... That's all for the interesting places. Coming up next ..... the delicious food of Osaka. Again, my personal favourite.

1) 桂花亭拉面

I don't have to say much .... with just looking at the photo it is powerful enough to make you drool.

2) Takoyaki


All the takoyaki in Osaka tastes superb. Dun worry, you won't be making the wrong choice as long as you see a queue.





3) Okonomiyaki
This is another specialties of Osaka. Okonomiyaki are being modified into Monjayaki too.

4) Mister Donut
Hey hey hey .... never never miss this cutie donuts. It makes you crave for more especially anything with Angel cream and custard.

Well well, to be really frank with you .... all these food I recommended come from the Well-known Matsushita Town - Kadoma.

Spend a day in Kadoma and you will experience what I had.

雪が大好きです！

It's like a dream comes true .....!!

I never thot that I can actually see snow falling from the sky durng my trip to Hokkaido. The weather forecast predicted that they expected snow in Sapporo, our tour guide says no guarantee and it all depends on our luck! I was praying hard.

While everyone was taking a break after lunch, one of our tour co-travellers came running in shouting for her son : "Gerald.... come quick, it's snowing!" I turned, grabbed my camera and ran out. There were "Woo...", "Wow...", "Omigosh...", laughing and giggling of excitement. The Japanese must be thinking ... "this group of Singaporeans are like ALIENS".





It lasted for 2 short minutes. Disappointed, we left the restaurant for our next destination. The famous white chocolate factory in Hokkaido - Ishiya Chocolate Factory, well-known for their white chocolate biscuit - 白い恋人(Shiroi Koibito) which means White Beloved Ones a.k.a. 白色恋人. The whole place was like fairytale...!!

Then .... the snow came pouring down without any signal. ヤッタ、 雪が降った！！The entire garden was covered with snow and simply snow. \\ ( ^ O ^ ) //

It all started like tat. The next thing I realised was ... the snow's not going to stop. It continue to fall throughout the day and into the late nite. I had my first experience of white christmas in Hokkaido. 北海道、最高！