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Friday, December 19, 2008
DAY 1: WE ARE OFFFFFF.....
weikai.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
day -1: December 18 2008
I've packed all that i wanted to pack, prepared all the necessary documents that needed to be looked at...and i'm stil deciding between bringing the guitar or the laptop, but i'm much more inclined to bring the guitar at this moment haha.
Me and Ren En did some calculations yesterday, like how much everything will cost without personal expenditure....and it comes up to 144500 yen........144500 yen....
..................................................144500 yen........................
-by the way, that's equivalent to 2.4 sth thousand SGD-
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGMGOMG .... I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH CASH!!!!!!
so it's certainly nice to know that we will end up dead broke (or at least i will) on the day before we set off.
I am so gg to make this trip worth it for all of our sakes!
by the way, here are the trip details for those of you who didn't receive it over msn. Basically if your momma/papa is worried about what we're doing and they need to contact you immediately but your phone is off (i wonder why?) then the following set of details will be useful:
________________________```O ........____________________________________
Contact Details:
People
Josh Quah(81287625)
Benjamin Lee (96577423)
Jsaon Lim (96190135)
Ryan Lau (91597179)
Ang Yu Ming (96274265)
Ong Wei Kai (98361726)
Ong Ren En (96374794)
Hotels
K's House Tokyo (backpacker's hostel)
20-10, Kuramae 3-chome, Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan 111-0051TEL +(81)-3-5833-0555; FAX +(81)-3-5833-0444email : tokyo@kshouse.jpDuration of Stay: 19 Dec to 26 Dec
Morino Lodge
4692-3 Wadano,Hakuba-mura Kita-azumigunNagano-ken Japan399-9301
(81)261-85-9098
Email:info@morinolodge.com
Phone:Matt - (81) 90 9380 8817Craig - (81) 80 3127 1878
Duration of Stay: 26 Dec to 30 Dec
Flight Details:
Departure
Date: Dec 19, Friday, 6:00AM
Flight no.: NW 20
Departs from: Changi T1, check in at row 12
Arrives at: Narita, Tokyo, Japan at 1:50PM (JPN time) Dec 19
Arrival
Departs: Dec 30, Tuesday, 5:50PM
Flight no.: NW 19
Departs from: Narita T1, Tokyo, Japan
Arrives at: Changi, 1:00AM (Terminal only to be confirmed 2 hours before arrival)
___________________________that's all folks!______________________________
see you at changi,
josh.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
And she dances along, pulling my heart on the string of her melody
I changed the music to someone quite known in Japan: a singer called Angela Aki. I like her vocals and how the piano goes with it, it's good stuffs...
And about the background, I'm sure you're wondering who the f@ck is in the background. Well, I fell in love with a certain sport called Figure Skating while in Japan, 'cause they show it on TV alot and Japan produces world class figure skaters, so it was quite interesting (interesting= omoishiroi).
I like watching the female figure skaters: not because of their looks, not just because they are wearing tight suits and raising their legs on the ice every now and then, but because they are just so beautiful to watch when they perform their routine. The grace. The poise. The grit to come back after falling on the ice. The polished technique. I think figure skating is one of the most womanly sports I've ever seen (after syncro swimming lol) ... and when you see them dance along to the music of their routine, i bet you will think the same too :p
So anyway, there's this number 1 world championship skater who's from Japan by the name of Mao Asada and her performances are really superb..hence the title of the post.
This is one her best performances, where she came back from a potentially embarrassing fall to win the title..i was absolutely blown away by it.. and guess what. She's only 18 years old.
lol, enough of this gushing! I get carried away by things like this so easily..nights!
Josh.
General Tips
1. WEATHER: on the last day, temperatures were 5-10 degrees, according to the weather segment on the news...and it did feel like 5-10 degrees haha..the temperatures keep dropping everyday, so things are looking frosty in Japan. I uploaded a weather widget for info to see how things are turning out (this one is pretty optimistic compared to the news lol)..so anyway, you might want to wear 3-4 layers there (5 will make you look like a rolly polly). I personally think our extremeties are more important (your ears, toes, hands, nose), so do bring your scarf/beanie/toe socks/whatever.
2. MONEY: i totally agree with what the banker said; 2.5k is probably enough, with an extra 500 for 'emergency' purchases (like that 'awesome' magazine you just have to wank, err i mean get.)
FYI, on day 1 when I reached narita, the rate was 1 SGD=Y58.22 ... a week later, i was in town, and passed by a ginkoh (bank); the rates showed 1SGD=Y54.sth ... so please don't change in Japan unless you want to get screwed over.
ATMS (the ones i've seen) do not accept most Singapore cards which run on Cirrus, Maestro, and Plus networks...i didn't even see Mastercard there, so i guess my debit is useless at ATMS. There was Visa, but word of caution: when you draw money from Visa, you aren't drawing from your account, but the Visa credit network. This comes with a fee, and it follows their exhange rate, so you might get screwed over. Again.
Most stores and restaurants do not accept cards as a way of payment (except for the departmental stores like Takashimaya or Mitsukoshi); cold hard cash is still the way to go in Japan...
3. EXPENDITURE: food wise, you'll most likely spend 700-1000 per meal, depending on how hungry/greedy you are, and at best, you'll spend 1.5k on a meal...but if you do that, people like me (and the rest) will notice you have a lot of cash to spend and will sponge off you :p .
Things there in general are defintely more expensive than in Singapore, so be careful what you buy. you can find good bargains for clothes and cds at small stores (i saw a section in a cd store -Tsutaya- offering some cds for 500 yen a piece, so that was pretty good stuff) ... hope i can find those 500 yen bargain stores, that'd be great. Shoes, in particular, are cheaper there compared to Singapore. Ok, by shoes, i just mean the skate shoes and running shoes. Don't bother about the leather ones. They're probably way out of your league in the money and fashion department.
4. COMMUNICATIONS: It's damn ex to call or message from there...that's what my parents and common sense told me ... buti dunno the rate, so can someone put that up? thanks..
phone cards are the way to go i think...I currently have 3 phonecards, courtesy of SIA who passed it to me when the flight was delayed, so i think i'll use that...i'm not sure how the pre-paid card works (from what wei kai told me, the singtel ones don't work in Japan)
the two biggest (and i think only) comms providers there are NTT Docomo and Softbank. Singtel users, you can just dial *121*65
Think of communicating by email? don't bother: lan cafes charge pretty highly for the time (usually it's a min charge of 400 for the first half hour followed by 200 for every 15 min) ... bring your own laptop there, or free load from other people laptops cuz the hotel provides free wireless.
5. LANGUAGE: Ok, this is pretty fun. I'm sure i told some of you guys already, but the Japanese do not have a good command of English. So if you want to speak English to them, keep it simple and say it slowwwwww....same goes if you want to communicate in Japanese as well. I highly recommend learning a few japanese phrases (e.g. Sumimasen, Toire wa doko? --where is the toilet?) for your own convenience. I'm furiously trying to pick up a little Japanese everyday now.
Other than that, they have this funny way of speaking English called Engrish :p ... it's like English with a Japanese accent (they are actually English-imported Japanese words, so it's not cuz they speak horrible english). like when i wanted to ask for an apple pie, i had to say "Arpul pie?" or sth like that.
6. SOCIAL CUSTOMS: Body Emissions are regarded as RUDE.....what do i mean by that? well, you know how in Singapore we see those ah peks at the kopi tiam digging their nose and flicking the treasure around? well, no one does that in Japan. No farting either. It's not acceptable in ANY context ANYWHERE. lol. No loud ringtones on trains...and i've heard loud ringtones anywhere else in Japan either, so keep that obiang freestyler ringtone to yourself, thank you.
Bowing to them in appropiate situations is polite, and so is saying sorry. yep. Rowdy behaviour on the streets? unheard of over there. hmm, that's all i can think of for now.
7. Transport: ok, this is not just for ben and yu ming.. subways are the way to go around in tokyo, in hakuba, i think the bus will suffice, you just need to open your mouth and ask. it's relatively easy to navigate once you get the hang of it, the challenge is navigating the streets on foot...
If you are being groped on the train, the 'right' response is to grab the guy/girl's hand and hold it up high for everyone to see, and shout 'hentai (pervert)!!!' or sth like that (the first pt i read in a travel book, the shouting part comes from me)
when getting on a bus, you get in from the rear door, unlike in singapore, where you enter from the front door. Also, you get in first, then pay afterwards. I think this shows how much Japanese trust their customers, unlike in Singapore, where there will for sure be some cheapo who does a ride-and-run.
Alright, that's all from me! (and Jason, where the peeppeep did i get a name like CHIEF planner? lol)
ONE of the planners,
Josh.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Advice from the banker
From The Banker's professional point of view, now the japan currency is indeed a lot (really a lot) higher than 3 months ago. However, like what The Chief Planner has once mention in his speech Japan=Josh , the general amount we decided b4 the 'Crisis' is still sufficient to last us the entire trip. Aheh.. Most of you must be thinking, 'come on so whats the general amount?' If you are one of those guys that means either you have been sleeping through all our discussion or thinking about how to make Lightstrike a better company..
Even if you are one of those people, dun have to panic or msg the Chief planner cause im here to clear your doubts and question today.
The comfortable amount to bring to Japan is 2.5 k.
However, The Banker will advice u guys to bring .5k more for safety purposes and also just in case u see something u really like and want to buy but dun like the excellent rate provided by the experience Banker which is by the way (18 Sing to 1000 yen).
For those who have not change your money yet, i will advice you to study the currency graph 1st b4 going down to the money changer. Its even better if there is a money changer right below your house then you can help us monitor the changes in rates. Personally, im still waiting for the right moment. I will post the link at e top right of the blog. You guys can use the website as a guide b4 gg down to change. U guys dun have to wait for me as i still want to wait. For those of you who think that you have a better website, please feel free to change the link. For those of you who still have other questions to ask, can either comment on this post or shout at the chatbox on e side.
PS: Just in case you all still do not know who this intellectual, experience and professional Banker is, he is none other than Mr. Lim Jason. Most say that he is also very handsome but i personally think that inner beauty is more valuable, thus i didnt want to mention that.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Exhausted
I was just walking around Orchard after dinner, and i realise how much of a foreigner i feel in this country. I never really fit in with the culture here, and I hate the fact life here is so damn suffocating for young Singaporeans: the expectations, the struggle to excel in what you're really passionate about versus the pressure of society and economy. And the fact that everyone just accepts the flow because it makes things easier, and when someone tries to walk a different path, people go 'ooh' and 'ahh' but deep down they think you're a loser for choosing such a hard life 'cause money is all that matters most to them.
I guess you can say I'm a Japan fanatic, or I'm just being escapist, or unrealistic, and i should fit in and get on with society like everybody else. It's been a dream since young to go to Japan, nurtured over time in between watching programmes like Japan Hour with my Pa, spending hours trying to find that indie anime no one's really heard of instead of popular titles like Naruto and Bleach, reading about their culture, stuff like that. And when i finally spent 10 days in Japan, learning about their culture walking the streets alone at night, immersing myself in the wonder of their scenery, silently observing the Japanese customs and their way of life...and it's way exceeded what i dreamt of.
Sure, Japan is a busy place, and Tokyo even busier than Singapore, and there are not-so-good aspects to their culture as well...but truth is, the 10 days i spent there, i felt more at home than any other place i've been..maybe except my bedroom.
I want to write a song about it but i keep choking up when i try to think of the words...it makes me feel too sad. But life still moves on in it's silent and sometimes surprising way, and I will make of what i can from it.
OH WHAT THE HECK, I'm going there again in ...9 days time? haha...
Josh.
and now, for a breather...
and the flight back was HORRIBLE....the worst flight i ever took..and what's more, it was an A380....
it started off with a 3 hour delay cuz of some generator problem..fucking hell...then after that, the WHOLE FLIGHT was like, UP and DOWN and UP and DOWN cuz there was so much turbulence...the seat belt sign was practically on for the whole trip and the pilot kept making the announcement for us to return to the seats cuz the turbulence was so bad...my ma puked into a bag, and i nearly did as well...
and to ADD to that, there was this family with 3 babies creating hell on the plane with so much crying and whining and screaming...arughhhhh....ben, i bet you would have puked 10 times alrd, and i'm not exaggerating...even some of the air stewardesses couldn't take it and puked ....
My pa said the people at the back of the plane feel the turbulence the most...and looking at the flight manifest, our plane:
2 engines + small plane + most of the seats at the middle towards the back....
Shit.
Bring more bags ppl,
Josh.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Maki Welcomes you to Tokyo!
This is a repeating scene all over Tokyo...hahah i can't wait to come with you guys!!
Anyway, remember what i said a few days ago about Tokyo not being so cold? I take it back: it's getting colder by the day, and if you walk on the streets after a rain, it can be FUCKING cold...i'm expecting hakuba to be even colder...so bring that extra layer, especially clothing to protect your extremities like your toes, hands, head, ears, and tip of your nose lol ...
3 days more to Singapore! I'm really going to miss this place, Kyoto especially, cuz we're not going there...
Jason, hows the swimming coming along? did you pass the trial test yet? Ryan, Wei Kai, don't worry, your freedom is getting closer by the day! And Ren En, congrats on your coming ORD!
Josh
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Japan-Reporting!
managed to get another hour at the lan cafe again. btw, internet here is expensive..i`m not sure about tokyo, but over in kyoto it`s about 710yen for an hour, which translates to slightly less than 7 dollars...yepp, so it`s a good idea to bring that laptop if you want to bring it...
kyoto is a really different city from japan...if i could use 2 words to describe tokyo it would be: concrete jungle. it`s amazing how there are so many buildings and so many things to see and do and shop and explore, i doubt 7 days can cover the tip of the iceberg..but Kyoto is the opposite of the complicated mess that is tokyo... it`s a haven of calm, of serenity...even in downtown kyoto, you feel that people here lead a brisk life. there are quite a few people here who wear kimonos and walk with slow, relaxed steps.. and damn it, there are so many school students here haha..
i don`t think i`ll ever get sick of life here, no matter how many times i go...
here`s a quick description (form the man himself) on some of the places I visited in Tokyo:
Shibuya: amazingly big...there`s good stuff to be found on the streets here instead of the big departmental stores...oh i forgot to mention, shoes in general are cheaper here than in Singapore (but not the leather kinds) this is pretty much a shoppers haven.
Shinjuku: like shibuya, but messier..their red light district is here as well i think.
Roppongi: the prime estate of Tokyolites (like our Orchard rd) ..only the wealthiest live here (most tokyolites live in the subhurbs of tokyo) ..there`s a famous art gallery and a sky deck where you can see almost all of tokyo, really nice stuff. TV asahi is based here, so you can take their studio tour and see what`s coming up (i was waiting to see if any famous actress would pop out of the building or sth)
It`s not really safe in Roppongi at night, `cause there are quite a few xiao hei who try to ask for some money and act fierce.
Harajuku: the bugis of tokyo...yep, i saw the weird teens dressed in cosplay and stuff, there are LOADS of them at yoyogi park. What`s nice are the buskers there, they play quite nice music, i`d love to sit and listen to them if not for my ma and pa who wants to go see the temple there. It`s basically the teen centre of Tokyo.
anyway, here`s my Tokyo flickr gallery...more to come soon!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33029657@N06/show/with/3079793784/
Josh
Monday, December 1, 2008
NEXT UP ----> ben's too-doo list
we r going to JAPAN!!
os: wa jason blogg-ing sia.. powderful laa.. good english man =b
okok, anyways, josh, we also not seating A380. rather it has 2 enginess insted of 4, like
wad jason just reminded us again.
and wei kai i also noe how to add the blog. is not jason smart but u *toot*
HAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!
-too-doo list-
0. look super-handsome
0.5. get supplies so i don't feel that i am in a refrigerator.
1. get a stylo-milo hairstyle (if u all still r tinking of having a haircut there...)
2. shop, shop, shop and shop
3. roll down the snow mountain with snowboard clipped on my legs (or so called snowboarding!)
4. shop, shop, shop and shop
5. original japanese terriyaki (anyone? lols)
6. shop, shop, shop and shop
7. meet all kinds of people including JAPANESE SHINING STAR--> erika toda!
8. okok and maybe horikita maki.. maybe.
9. and best of all is to chill there with my frenZ!
10. stick people's head into the snow etc etc.
still got many many stuff to do there but i will onli noe when i am there.
(mental block anyways lol lol!)
yea.. so hu is up next??? later tio arrow liaoz..
and woo! we r almost there. erika toda, u can ask me out when i am there..
HAHAHAHAHAA!
maybe.
Pre-Ops REPORTING!! 16 things about tokyo!
japan has been...eye-opening, amazing, awesome, and i can keep going on about it...i want to publish a day by day journal thing but i only have a bout half an hour left, so i think i`ll just tell you guys some awesome things about tokyo....
1. the A380 is DAMN cool...and it`s so stable, even ben would like it (i mean it)
2. the snow period in tokyo is during feb, so sorry guys, i misfed you info about the snow period..HOWEVER!
3. it`s winter here right now, and temperatures are as cold as a wallaby night (like that first day when we were outfield sleeping in tonners or lightstrikes). so technically, it`s not that cold (i think wallaby has trained us well), so 3 layers is enough for me. BUT!
4. you can defintely expect hakuba to be colder, and there`ll be snow there, so don`t worry!
5. for your infomation, the temperature in tokyo now ranges between 5-15 deg celsius now.
6. things here are EX. cds, clothes here in generally are generally more ex. when i get back, i will look thru some of the places again. you can find some good deals in the street shopping areas though, and sometimes books and music stores have a clearing out discount.
7. fyi again, the exhange rate here is 1SGD=58.22 YEN
8. about transport. the subway system is pretty easy to figure out, and tokyolites are generally helpful people so you can always ask them for directions. station to station in tokyo here can cost 160-350 yen, usually my ticket is 210 yen, so ben, mings, i leave you to figure out the cost k!
9. the JR line here is expensive. i just sat on a bullet train from tokyo to kyoto, think it was 13350 yen per pax to get to kyoto..generally the ticket should cost from 10K onwards, so beware, it really is expensive.
10. shinkansen -bullet train- is fun! think ben might get giddy though..we`ll have fun buying bento boxes and eating them on the train!
11. tokyolites: guys and girls here are very nicely dressed, very trendy stuff. younger girls are genreally pretty, and they know how to do themselves up really well. the school girls are really cute :D my hotel was next to a girls school and they were shouting to me from their classroom lollll...
12. tokyolites are very polite people, and helpful as well. just need to understand their language .... there`s the bowing and all that, but i haven`t seen anyone say `itadakimasu` here yet.
13. navigating on the ground is more confusing..don`t really understand the street maps and signs..or maybe i just suck at navigating, i always just go in the genral direction and my parents don`t like that..
14. night life is a bit scary, cuz there are africans on the street in roppongi (the area i stayed in) at night and they keep asking you for money...think if we go hangout at night we`ll do it where there`s more of a local crowd
15. food here is great! needless to say..
Alright, so that`s about it for a quick gloss over on tokyo! when i get back, i`ll post a journal online bout the things i did there..i really love the city, really...it`s like a concrete convoluted jungle here...and when u go out of tokyo, the countryside is awesome..
Jason, you`ve got a cool wishlist there! Maki horikita is like, EVERYWHERE in tokyo...her face on posters in trains, train stations, on the neon signs of shopping centres...i went to a bookstore and saw 5 magazines with her face on the cover for the month of november...haha i`m quite tired of seeing her face alrd..where`s the real thing man!
AND yes, some stores do have an AV section...i walked right into one..it was like selling handheld sextoys like mini dildos you can attach to your phone hahahahah....damn funny..
Oh, if there`s one thing you can do now, pls go read some of the common phrases of japanese language! it`s very useful cuz most japs don`t know how to speak english very well..
that`s all for now! How are you guys doing??
JOSH (finally logged in)
Friday, November 28, 2008
My TO DO list in Japan
Anyway, my turn will come on the 19dec.. all e best to all of us that it taking e 2 instead of 4 engine plane.. The schedule josh sent me seems exciting n fun.. IM really looking forward to it. For those JAPAN GOERS that still do not have a copy of the schedule, just msg to ask me for one. i will mail then to u.
eh, am i saying too much? BTW this is my TODO list for japan, as suggested by our CHIEF planner, josh.
Jason (the banker) WISH LIST,
1. to be in the pre ops element (except in SAF)
2. to check out if japanese girls are chio er than Singapore girls ( quantity as well )
3. to shop for cheap but nice looking stuffs ( is that to much to ask in e current economy?)
4. to try out stuffs that Singapore do not have eg food, places n etc. ( pls think clean cause thats wat i meant )
5. if possible change my hairstyle, if not i will just leave it long ( unless anyone thinks that my hairstyle now rocks )
6. Of course if there is really such thing as fate, i will get to meet Horikita Maki. ( Yes Josh, she is really cute or have i just watch too many of her series?)
7. Oh ya i would also like to see Josh's 'friend'... just heard too much about her. ( is it tat obvious when i type 'friend'? Oops)
8. Snowboarding ( this is something that i dun think i will get much chance to do )
9. more is yet to come...
I hope my WISH LIST does not really looks similar to josh... Actually we kind of discuss the Japan tour quite a few times so we kind of have quite a few similar ideas. I know my WISHS may seems quite few but thats all i can think of now. Like i wrote, there are more to come when time draws nearer or when we actually go to japan. i will never know what to expect until i actually get to see japan. thats actually e most exciting part.
Jason
CHANCES may only comeby ONCE, so UTILISE every opportunity to the FULLEST...
Thursday, November 27, 2008
And the Pre-ops is off...
i'm off to the airport in another...2 hours or so....mami replied me! she said its quite cold in japan now, but the leaves are a pretty nice colour now :D :D
my parents didn't allow me to bring the laptop for this trip (i'll sneak it on the next trip :p) so it'll be harder to post everyday from kyoto, but i'll try to find a lan cafe or sth, yep.
anyone thought of a wish list of things they'd dream to do in japan? iut'll be interesting to see what ppl want to do :D so i'll start things rolling ...
JOSH'S WISH LIST:
1. join the pachinko craze in japan
2. whack balls in a batting stadium
3. revel in the anime paradise of akihabara
4. meet my friend in japan!
5. outdoor ice skating
6. get a funnky wunky haircut
7. go running in winter (yes ppl, running :p think i might be bringing my pt shoes there)
8. throw snow balls
9. learn snowboarding
10. see yui or asian kung-fu generation (aka ajikan) perform in tokyo
11. haul a guitar to busk in the streets on a tokyo night
12. meet horikita maki! (i believe in miracles...:p)
some of these things are probably impossible to do within the confines of a huge group (for fear of being branded crazy or what not), but i'll try my best :D
so what's YOUR Japan wishlist?
Josh
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Daiwa Sushi (Tsukiji's famous sushi place) @ 0530....
oh.shit. didn't think it was THAT popular.
josh.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Musing on a Monday (Josh)
I just completed loading the rest of the hana kimi special ep! wooo...i must say, it's really freaking funny to watch the same crew again, esp nakatsu haha...shit i'm talking like a fan boy, better stop now.
I'm gg to leave for Kyoto first on Friday 1AM, so you all take care whilst i'm gone! And no, rest assured I won't feel xian gg to Japan two times, different company = different experience! Travelling is like that :p that's why i like it...esp travelling to the country i've always dreamt about since i was a kid :D
Hmm i'll be bringing my laptop there so i'll try to post a vid and some pics everyday haha .. daily weather and japan stock exchange reports included! heh
There's still some impt things left to do:
-Transport issues (now not so concerned about Tokyo anymore, more concerned about getting to our hotel from Narita, as well as from Tokyo to Hakuba and back; ben and yu ming)
-Settle the costs (Jason)
-Mark the places out on google earth (me, wk)
-Try and print out the google earth maps (me, wk)
i think i'll leave the itinerary for hakuba blank, cuz it's quite a small town, and we can decide everyday what we want to do lo...boarding, onsen, heard there's some good nightlife in town as well...
the morino lodge guy told me that they are seeing a good snowfall this month so far, so that's good news!
josh.
PS: BTW, does anyone else have a debit card? so that i don't have to rely on my posb debit all the time as it cannot be recognised sometimes. yep.
hana kimi special episode
PS. CHECK OUT E NEW GIRL IN E SERIES. u will like her if u love blonde hair but dun wanna go for ang moh....
Monday, November 24, 2008
A Sunday Night Thought (by the way...)
25 Days to START :D :D :D how's everyone feeling? ord or not, from the 19th to 30th of december, it won't matter anymore, we'd be back together again, 'reveling in our idiocy of things', as Ryan bro puts it :p
Tokyo, better be ready for us. 'Cause we gonna shake you upside down.
Josh.
In response to Jason's Qs....
haha what do you think? If you can learn those drills before reaching there, I treat you to a nice cold beer in hakuba :D
hmm anyway, he said that with reference to skiing ... i think that's much easier to learn than boarding... i'm not sure if this is relevant, but i learnt wakeboarding before, and it's pretty damn tough trying to balance on a board (the wake board and snow board are almost similar)...but that was my experience in wakeboarding, so i could be wrong...
So you want the lessons? I'll be registering you all by Monday 'cause i'll be leaving for Kyoto on thurs alrd and this thing is on a 1st come 1st serve basis... yeppers
Josh
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Urgent Question!
A HUMONGUS UPDATE. pt2.
So for those who are still unaware (-cough cough- those who didn't go for the meeting on friday), here's the run through of how we'll spend the first 7 days in Tokyo!
Day1:
-touch down
-check in, freshen up
-explore Asakusa! --> Sensoji temple
--> Jakotsuyu Onsen (hotspring!)
--> Sugo Batting Stadium (indoor batting stadium, the one in Rookies :p)
Day2:
-Shibuya --> Shopping shopping shopping (Tokyu, Seibu, Centre Gai, Shibuya 109, it's the
epicentre of fashion :D woo )
--> Dogenzaka (love hotel district, do you dare? haha)
Day3:
-Harajuku -->Meiji Jingu
-->Yoyogi Park
-NTT Intercomm
-Sword Museum
-Suginami Animation Musuem
-Shinjuku --> More and more shopping ....
--> Tokyo Metro Building
--> Kabuki-cho (check it up! you dare?? haha)
Day4:
-Tsukiji
-Akihabara (Akiba for short)
-Ochanomizu
-Suidobashi -->Baseball hall of fame and musuem
--> Tokyo Dome City (SEVENTEEN RIDES, including this one called the ULTRA
TWISTER...BEN, YOU DARE????? hahahahha)
Day5:
-Emperor's Birthday!
-Yasukuni Shrine
-Ginza
-Odaiba (a man-made island, sth like sentosa, but not so much emphasis on the beaches, it's more futuristic themed)
Day6:
-DISNEYLAND
Day7:
-Ryogoku-->edo-tokyo Musuem
-Ueno-->Ameyoko
-Meguro-->World's only parasitological museum (BEN, DO YOU DARE GO IN....muahhahaha)
-Ebisu-->beer fest!
-->Metro museum of photography
-Roppongi -->Tokyo Tower (to finish it off)
Day8:
-HAKUBA start!
As you can see, it's quite a packed 7 days....there's more to it, but i only gave the main juicy bits..
Are you guys looking forward to it?
Josh.
A HUMONGUS (not fungus) UPDATE. pt 1
The Coordinator
They are the people who make things work, they are the anchor of the group, they write the story of the adventure, and in the process, they become part of the adventure that is Japan. Travel arrangements, accommodation, timings, the right places to visit at the right time, they put 2 and 2 together and organise the mess into a masterpiece. Unlike the usual general types, they have to get their hands dirty with all the details of the trip. However, things don't usually go according to plan, but that's the fun of it :D
Coordinators: Kai & Josh
The Scout
They are the masters of Tokyo; wherever you want to go, they'll take you there. Skilled in the ancient arts of navigation and survival, they have familiarised themselves with all the modes of transportation: subway, buses, trams, even taxis (though they'd violently protest that taxis are a bloody rip off). No coordinator is without his scout. It's as simple as that.
Scouts: Yu Ming & Ben
The (Food) Hunter
They are trained in the basic 5 senses and have developed heightened abilites to see, smell and taste the best food, and have a keen ear for eavesdropping on the best places to go for a good meal. Once they've set their sights on a target, BAM! Food's gone! A large part of Japan is in it's awesome cuisine as well, so they'll get to work on the low down of the tastiest and cheapest foods here.
Hunters: Ryan & Ren
The Banker
To some, he is the money-man, psychically connected to the world currency stock exchange, always up to date with the currency rates. To others, he is the mentalist, being able to calculate large sums of money ... all in his mind (or so he says). We'll simply call him...the Banker. Whether it is advice on the currency exchange, or how much the trip is going to spend, which places accept visas, or even what type of underwear is the cheapest, the Banker's able to to provide sound financial advice without a fault. A valuable member.
the Banker: code name: Numb Thumb.
Up next, the low down of what's been happening!
josh
Saturday, October 18, 2008
2 Days to Australia, 30 Days to ORD, 62 Days to the awesomest trip of my life (yet)
so how do i feel about ord-ing? as jason was joking with me yesterday after a great meal or sliced fish soup at potong pasir: 'at first i was afraid, i was petrified...' haha we didn't get beyond those 2 lines cuz we forgot. But it's all true, at first i was afraid; army had become my comfort zone for me, a life that i found my place in...and i was lazy to leave it for something new and better. it will not be all peaches and cream after ord, there's stuff to do like getting a job, making sure you have enough money to live by, focussing on my songcraft and guitar, creating awesome music with my band, yet at the same time studying for business, preparing myself for uni...and back to the job and money bla bla bla bla...it doesn't stop. i guess the point of all of this: self-sufficiency and independence.
but to hell with the planning and all that. there's only a certain extent to which you can plan your life. as the bible says: man makes his plans, but God directs him. i'm excited that the future's uncertain, anything can happen!
P.S: decided to do some publicity for hakuba, a major snowsports area, and the second stop in our trip :D hence the wall
Thursday, October 9, 2008
7 days to down under...
another thing about itnerary, i didn't really plan a 'meet-this-timing-at-this-place', scheduled, proper itinerary kinda thing. maybe it's just me, 'cuz i hate meeting timings and i love to just get down and dirty exploring a new place, losing myself in the experience thing, be it japan, jb, paris or switzerland! i've met with some objections of planning in this manner (like an ocassional 'eee' or 'why-so-fucked-up' look thrown my way). Well, i say to those who think this way, if you keep on making snide comments and snide faces at me, why don't you come and plan it your way? i DID ask for help, but since no one was willing, i was left to figure things out on my own. so unless you're willing to help, pls keep your negativity to yourself :D haha
that said, i still love the mix of ppl i'm going with, i couldn't have asked for better company man :D let's have tons of fun and go crazy in a crazy country (if you don't believe me, take a look at the newest reality game show, 'i survived a japanese game show')
ikezoue!
josh
links to wifi: http://www.freespot.com/users/map-e/map_tokyo.html
PS: changing the wallpaper! still deciding...hmm
Monday, September 15, 2008
Update: 15 Sept 08....95 days to TOKYO :D
anyway, i just called up k's house tokyo and confirmed the booking on december 19th (there was this female who spoke in that funky japanese engrish accent :D )...so that's 2 major things down (airplane, accommodation for tokyo) ... i still have to settle the accommodation for hakuba as well as the transport--train tickets or whatever...
estimated cost for accommodation in japan: S$800--$254 in tokyo, $500 in hakuba (actual figure is S$754, without factoring in the unforseen costs like GST or sth; i'd say this is a pretty accurate figure)
i really really hope someone can step up and tackle the issue of itnerary, 'cause i don't know where to start! guyssss....where are youuu???
josh
-PS. wallpaper is from rookies! -by kawato koichi! haha
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
hakuba lodge- morino lodge
http://www.morinolodge.com/index.php
Monday, September 8, 2008
And Now...
time: 0245
venue: EA lan shop at prinsep st
question: wth am i blogging at this time of the night in a lan shop?
answer: cuz i was 'kicked' out of the dota game...
anyway, was thinking of the things left to settle for the trip, there's quite a bit...so maybe i'll just list the things in order of priority:
-hotel booking (nothing confirmed yet..only sent the booking for k's house in tokyo, haven't gotten to the hakuba one)
-itinerary (don't even know where to start)
-train tickets (heard can get at taka)
-essential items (maps & language books to familiarise before gg)
-mobile phone (from singtel: only 3g phones with their 3g sim card can be used in japan. think i'll get one after ord then)
the most impt thing now is the hotel bookings...the biggest thing to settle is of course the itinerary...shit i have no idea how to begin on that one...can someone step up to take that responsibility?
josh.
p.s finally changed the wall...heard renny likes this one....haha
Sunday, September 7, 2008
it's over boys
its all over now guys. we did it together, we survived gcc. i'm damn happy and proud to have done it with all of you. just bummed that desmond and bryan couldn't be there with us. especially desmond, because the fucking commander ooc-ed him so unceremoniously right at the end. i'm sure he could have done because csm was completely right. the secret was to shut off your damn brain and endure. and endure all of us did.
i think the worst of our army experience has officially passed. nothing will ever come close to what we have just gone through. no matter what happens from now, we can all smile inside and know it will never come close to gcc.
ryan
Sunday, August 31, 2008
GCC. Last week. Summex week. Hell week. But strangely, i'm comforted.
up to now, i've enetered this course without much motivation, without enthusiasm, because i felt there was no need for it, there was no purpose to it since i was gg to ord in 3 months time. i still feel that i would have been better off without the course, but now that i'm in it, i've realised some things: what it means to have friends, what it means when others support you, what it means to give that same support and encouragement to others. i feel that now, i want to complete this course not for the sake of that khaki beret, but to complete it with my friends, my kakis who have been with me in this camp. to me, the honour and glory and all that crap is but a small part of it, i don't really care. what matters to me is that WE, and not I, did it. so to all of the lightstrike ppl i entered the course ppl, thanks. thanks for helping me through this course, though i know it was unintentional.
Alright! last week of gcc, here we go! after this, japan! (before that, a good massage, a good buffet, a good all-night lan session will do us good!)
josh.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Nanami Sakuraba (WTF)
http://japaneseidols-new.blogspot.com/2008/07/nanamisakuraba.html
nanami sakuraba. how will this young idol turn out, the drama-star route or av-star route? haha interesting...
josh.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Wonderful Weird World of Tokyo #1: Nekobukuro (Cat 'Brothel')


Maps of Tokyo
update: 2 days to GCC
thankfully, re-nen and yu ming were there to help with the ticketing, so i din feel like i was all alone in this...we discovered that T3 is a big empty wasteland of....nothing....i think we clocked like 5km walking distance to get to Popeyes at B2 (their mash and chicken -not chicken strips- are imbar man!)
alright! now its unto the planning stage...i'm making a list of considerations we haven't settled yet, so as to not forget these things after GCC (fuck, bring it on man!)
itinerary (to ensure a seamless travel ezperience in japan, minimise the time wasting)
- travel insurance
- itinerary (to minimise the time wastage in japan, v. impt)
- transport (train concession? transport to hakuba?)
- hotel bookings (tokyo and hakuba) and room allocations (if needed)
- mobiles (how to configure for usage in japan?)
- packing list
- language barriers
- travel documents needed
alright, i shall try getting the chat box and survey system up as suggested by ben 'the tat'! in the meantime, here's new wallpaper, slideshow, vids to steam, err i mean, enjoy to!
josh -tokyodrifter-
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Just Screwing around...
josh
FINALLY! First Step to Tokyo!
ANYWAY! an introduction to this blog: this is a story, a story not yet completed, a story in the process of telling. It's a story of 7 guys brought together by fate's invisible, yet powerful hand, to undertake the journey of their lifetime! (cool right)
Josh Q (the -self-proclaimed- head)
Ryan Alexander (the guy with the torn jeans)
Mings (the sleeper)
Ben (@$#%$%%@--the guy who talks like that and we can't understand a shit he's saying)
Ren En (the guy with weird lines on his back)
Kai (the sentry who fell asleep during guard duty)
Lim Jason (the guy who owns the most fragrant feet in lsc :P)!
So, to the point, this blog is like a diary, a way to help us plan our 10D trip to Japan, a way to organise things together, like if u have any suggestions, just post it!
josh
