Tropical fruits are a wonder trove. Tried kedongdong (in juiced form) just now. And it tastes interesting. Sort of like a guava, with a little more astringency. It definitely tastes tropical-ish. So I had to google to find out more about kedongdong. And amazingly it belongs to the Anacardiaceae family, which makes it a close relative of the mango.

Had spotted Spondias dulcis being sold at Bugis before. Hmm, I wonder how the raw fruit would taste. Very curious.

A report on what happened in the past few days.

Zipped off to Tokyo on NW20 on Saturday morning (23 May). Unearthly 6am flight. The flight was not too comfortable. Maybe it was the lack of sleep that was at the root of the discomfort. The food was not too good and the entertainment dismal. I watched the Curious Case of Benjamin Button and it was …

We arrived in Narita airport and took the N’EX into downtown Tokyo. The distance of the airport from the city centre is too far for there not to be a high-speed train connection. This is one sore point about flying into Tokyo via Narita. Anyway, when we arrived in Tokyo station, we had to make a few connections on the subway before arriving at our hotel in Komagata.

Ah, the weather was pleasantly warm. And the hotel wasn’t that difficult to locate. Rooms were small-ish, but it sufficed. Headed out to Asakusa shrine first, as it was really close to our hotel. Chanced upon the HQ of Bandai along the way. The company that produces classic Japanese cartoon characters like Power Rangers, Doraemon. They had these cute plastic figurines along the sidewalk. This was definitely an unexpected find!

Asakusa Shrine wasn’t as crowded this time, as compared to my previous visits. We took a stroll through and weaved our way towards Shinjuku. Following the recommendations of this Japanese guidebook that I picked up from Kinokuniya (this series of guidebooks is amazing), we found a small ramen store. Wow, the ramen was good. It cost only 1000 Yen ($15). Trust me, that’s cheap by Japanese standards.

Hoping to get some shopping done, we made our way towards Takashimaya in Shinjuku. Alas, the stores were closed by then so we had to give up. Saw Krispy Kreme (the queues were long).

The next morning (24 May), we made our way to Omotesando – the Champs Elysee equivalent in Tokyo. Priced out of our range, we walked towards Meiji shrine. The stroll through the wooded area was invigorating, there was this air of serenity and regality associated with the area. A fair number of people were there and we saw a number of babies (probably some kind of 1st month ceremony) and what looks to be a wedding ceremony. Given that it was a drizzly day, we had to fall back on shopping!

So we shopped our way through Harajuku, Shibuya and Shinjuku. Popped into a number of shops to spend spend spend. Lunch was a simple affair at Mos Burger. Had cleanly forgotten that they don’t sweeten their ice teas. But it was yummy. We should switch to unsweetened ice teas too. It’s the wiser option.

Shibuya 109 was a disappointment. It wasn’t our cup of tea – too Queensway / Bugis like. Stocked up on a couple Japanese books at Kinokuniya (couldn’t pry myself away from the shelves) and had dinner in Takashimaya. Sake was good! Love it better than vodka.

On Monday morning, it was time for sashimi feast at Tsukiji market. After a good breakfast, we explored the market before heading towards the Ginza area. The alcohol-laced buns in Kimuraya were a treat. I like the slightly crispy skin surrounding a smooth paste of red bean. Went to Muji for lunch. And i must say this is the most amazing lunch place I have ever seen.

It’s a cafeteria-styled place (not too different from Ikea). You get to pick 3 items from a selection of warm and cold foods for 780 Yen. The cold section was scrumptious. They had amazing salads that looked so fresh and healthy that you feel so good eating them. The warm section wasn’t too good, but it was made up by the cold section. This is definitely a must-stop on ALL future trips to Tokyo. The main Muji branch in Yurakucho.

After that, we proceeded to Odaiba. Got onto the ferris wheel. Slightly nerve-wrecking given the size of the cabin (could only fit 4 people MAX.) but seeing the sunset was a treat. For dinner, we followed the book’s guide and settled on Tonkatsu in Tokyo Midtown – another posh-looking mall in Roppongi.

Tuesday: Ueno Park followed by Yanaka area. This is an old area that wasn’t ravaged by the earthquake nor the war. Nice to walk around and look at the shops. Everything’s cheaper out here. Then we went to Akihabara. Again, unless you are looking for electronics, it isn’t really necessary to venture out here. Finally, we headed to Ikebukuro for more shopping. Decided to get a new bag and mulled over my options. Dinner was in a Japanese restaurant in Seibu.

Wednesday: Checked out of the hotel and deposited our bags in the lockers at Ueno. Looked around Ameyoko (a bit disappointing really), and proceeded back to Ikebukuro. Did some decision-making and settled on a new workbag. Erm…. hahah… let’s just say I spent enough on the bag that allowed me to get a consumption tax refund. Headed down to Animate, which is a shop that sells anime-related merchandise, where W went crazy.

Finally, zipped back to the airport to catch the flight back. It was much emptier on my way back, had 2 seats to myself. Can’t believe I actually did this whirlwind tour. But I’m convinced that repeated visits to 1 place is a much better way of travelling than to 走馬看花。

Just watched 死神の精度 on DVD. It’s a slow-burner, but the last 1/4 of the movie makes sitting through it worthwhile.

Will post up what happened during a brief whirlwind tour of Tokyo soon. We were there for 5 days (23/5 – 27/5) on this really cheap NW flight ($475). The weather was rather kind.

こぼれ落ちたのは　涙じゃなく祈る声
見上げていたのは　雲の上の太陽
眠るように生きていた　いつも弧独だった
君に出会うその日までは　ずっとずっとここで
ひとりでも歌える　愛の歌があるとしても
ひとりでは探せない　両手に触れたこの温もり
仮面を纏えば　忘れられる気がしてた
記憶をしまった　箱に鍵をかけて
あんな暗い場所でさえ　君を見つけ出せた
戻ることができなくても　もっともっと遠く
ひとりきり覚えた　愛の歌があるとしても
ひとりでは届かない　ドアの向こうで待つ明日へ
ここからもう一度歩き出す　
悲しみを優しさに　変えてみせるから
いつかは必ず　本当の自分を許せたら
痛みも消えてく　きっと
ひとりでも歌える　愛の歌はもういらない
ひとりでは探せない　陽だまりのようなこの温もり
君となら探せる　見たことのない明日を

Haven’t really posted something serious in a very long time. It’s always been fluff and fillers. Maybe this place had served its purpose as an outlet to vent during the years of living alone. I don’t think there’s any real reason to keep writing, but I’ll try.

Had a picnic at the Botanic Gardens on Sunday. The SSO was having a concert there, and the crowd was amazing. There were so many people there. Picnicking was fun, especially when everyone brings along something unexpected. We started playing cards when the crowd thinned out. Clearly, it was not too acceptable for the kids to see us playing cards. A few of them actually came up and asked what we were playing.

Trying to find the motivation to start reading again. I have not been reading since that period of life started. Now that it has ended, I should grab hold of this narrow window of opportunity to start reading again. Solzhenitsyn’s ‘Cancer Ward’ is sitting on my desk. It’s a thick tome…. me trying too hard to be an intellectual.

Come to think of it, I’m not sure where the entire previous week went. It seemed to have whizzed past just like that, when you are occupied with nothing.

The MA degree was awarded last Saturday. So technically, my BA has been upgraded to a MA by the university. What exactly is a MA? Apparently, I’m now able to vote in the elections to decide on the new Chancellor. Clearly, I’m never going to be able to exercise that right, for I don’t live in the UK.

I miss certain aspects of British life. I think one never really gets over a part of your past, even though they are so distant from the present.

The current wave of H1N1 infections got me to dig out my Viral Biology text and read up on the Orthomyxoviridae family (of which Influenza A is a member of).

Some of us are old enough to remember some of these places that have long been demolished. It’s a pity because they hold many dear memories. And I really should start hoarding different editions of the Street Directory.

The Brick factory and its chimney along Old Jurong Road, that was visible from my place, has long gone. I loved looking out of my window to see the chimney.

A Blast from the Past

One of the photos on the site jolted my memory – i’ve cleanly forgotten about the HDB flats that existed opposite SGH (where it’s an open space now). Why did those flats have to go?

I chanced upon this neat app on the IPhone – Trailguru, that tracks your running distance / pacing etc. You can then upload the information onto their website and keep track of your progress. Hoping that this will be a good enough motivator to keep running.

The 10 weeks is over. Think I really slacked off in the last few weeks, as compared to the feverish beginning. Might be a good thing to manage the workload.

This year’s Mother’s Day cake was the Strawberry Sensation from The Patissier. Hmm… i didn’t particularly like the cake, their Meringue is still the best. Speaking of Mother’s Day, the Japanese movie, Kabei is an amazing film. I mean, I was emotionally vested in the characters just 10 minutes into the film. And the Japanese perspective on WW2 was refreshing.

Did a huge clearance of my cupboards. Threw out my JC notes (kept them for too long). Won’t have any need for them. And now it’s back to a haven before the storm breaks out again.

It’s kind of amazing that 9 weeks is over and it’s down to the last 5 days. Nothing terrible had happened, which is a blessing. And I think there are some lessons that I can take home.

Went to Pulau Semakau last Friday. The sun was blazing, but the experience was good. Saw dolphins swimming in the sea. Who knew we had dolphins in our waters. Saw seastars, jellyfish, sea cucumbers, conches, limpets, sea squirts, seagrass, corals, seaweeds, crabs, fish, anemone, and a whole load of others. Will upload photos soon, don’t think they are award-winning photographs anyway. The sun was really screaming that day.

Think I was most impressed by the electric-blue sea squirts. Gosh, some were growing ON the seagrass while some were on the seabed. Now, I’m tempted to go on the walk on St John’s.

I haven’t been too frequent with the updates here. 6 weeks into the job, i’m still finding my way.

Has it been 6 weeks already? Sounds short, but February feels a long way away.

Yes, I’m still taking Japanese classes. It’s getting a bit heavy-going, with all the sentence structures. But it’s definitely nice to be on the receiving end than on the giving end. It’s always easier to listen to someone than to be listened by someone.

This was a very popular Japanese song last year. Looking at the lyrics, I’m pretty amazed that I actually understand bits and pieces of it.

Almost at the end of Week 4. Beginning to ’sort of’ enjoy the momentum that’s building up, and the rapport with the lot. Still not too thrilled at the idea of having to churn out another ‘exciting’ lesson next week. The mystery case worked i think. Now i’m moving towards a Guess Who is the Hidden Celebrity type of idea. Trying to flesh it out a bit more.

Underneath all this chaos, I have completely forgotten to share the news that I passed my JLPT Level 4 test. Planning to take the next level, Level 3 this year. See how December shapes up.

Toothpaste is holding up. I guess. Was pretty distraught on a particular Monday 2 weeks ago. But I think I managed to reconfigure my wiring and hopefully things start to look a bit better. Before you know it, it’s over.

I’m still mulling over the idea of getting a new laptop. With the tight finances, it’s looking a bit difficult.