I wrote this post last week while I was a little free at work.. It's still half written, but if I don't post it now, it won't be posted for a while.. Not really in an inspired mood to write about the rest of the trip at the moment, so the remaining part of the trip will just have to either wait, or I remember it in my head.
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Now that I can rest a little easier on Raffie, I can write about Japan, while it’s still fresh in my mind. Let me see..
Monday 22nd Feb 2010: Flew into Tokyo
Phuong and I, after boarding a flight at 6am from Melbourne to Gold Coast, and then a flight from the GC to Tokyo at around midday, flew into Tokyo around 7pm. Caught a train direct from the airport to Ikebukuro, and checked in around 11pm I think. Ate a light and late dinner around 11:30pm, and went to bed around 2am.
Tuesday 23rd Feb 2010: Ikebukuro, Ginza, Akihabara
Woke up early, went for a western breakfast where Phuong couldn’t find her mouth with her hand and spilled food all over her plate. I think 8am is too early for her. Met up with Cathy, Sang and Matthew, and explored Ikebukuro (a business district). Then went to Ginza to explore. Found the Kabuki Theatre, but we just missed the early 6pm show. Had curry for dinner – and my only real experience of Calpis within Japan too that night! Headed to Akihabara where Phuong and Matthew lost themselves in Gundam. Early night around 1am.
Quote of the day:
Phuong eating breakfast, and promptly misses a mouthful of egg, and it drops onto the tray. Not the first time that morning.
Phuong: My depth perception is well off today. I thought that was in my mouth!
Wednesday 24th Feb 2010: Osaka
Woke up around 9am, and went for breakfast at a vending machine restaurant. Caught the 11am train to Osaka, where, coincidentally, Jen & Dallas got the exact same train, but got on at Nagoya! Arrived in Osaka at 2:30pm, but took us another two hours to get to our hotel to check in at 4:30pm in Namba. Phuong & I were about to go and pick up Kad when Phuong asked if I had Kad’s JR pass voucher. *blank* Huh?
Guess what? It turns out we had lost it.. somehow. Phuong reckons it may have fallen out of my backpack when she went through my stuff on the train, but I suspect we left it back at our hotel in Ikebukuro. We’re not sure, but one thing was certain: Kad had no JR pass.. anymore.
Finally got to Kad at Kansai airport (a few hours late)... The poor thing had been sitting there, with no phone, and no confirmation whether we would meet her at the airport, and had no idea where and what our hotel was. But, in typical Kaddy tradition, she was sitting and talking to two boys: Yalchin and.. someone (John, I think?)
The conversation that followed:
Phuong: Sorry we’re late.. We had a minor mishap along the way...
Kad: *gasps* What kind of mishap?? I don’t have a place to stay tonight?! (Note the ‘I’)
Phuong and I: No...
Kad: WE don’t have a place to stay tonight?? We’re sleeping on the streets??
Phuong and I: No..
Kad: Then what..?
Phuong: We.. kind of.. lost your JR pass...
Kad: What’s a JR pass?
Needless to say.. We tried a few different tactics to get Kad a replacement JR pass, to no avail. Got back to the hotel close to 8pm.. and promptly went out for dinner in Namba along one of the street market restaurants. Back at the hotel around 11pm. Phuong was feeling guilty over losing the JR pass, so Jenny promptly gave her a glass of grape juice and vodka to cheer her up. We also found out that ‘health fashion’ was the term used for *ahem* adult favours, which turned out to be funny because Kad had a beret that had a label ‘fashion’ she was proud of wear on the streets.. until she realised what fashion meant.. Went to bed close to 2am..
Thursday 25th March: Himeji
Woke up early, and went to the JR Namba station for a day trip somewhere. We decided on Himeji because there was a castle out that way, and it looked the furthest place we would possibly go. About 45mins into the train ride on the way to Himeji, Phuong’s eyes go real wide:
Phuong: I think I left my mobile at the train station...
Kad: Huh? No, you didn’t bring your phone with you...
Phuong: I did.. I went to the toilet, took the phone from my back pocket, put it on the paper dispenser.. and left it there..
She lost her work mobile. Poor thing. Then she really started freaking out:
Phuong: I think we’re on the wrong train.. Maybe we should head back.. Have we missed our station? Is there a castle in Himeji? What if there’s nothing to do in Himeji? I really think we’re on the wrong train... I'm pretty sure there's nothing to do in Himeji.. We should head back.. Guys, we should head back..
It turned out that we were on the right train, and there was a castle in Himeji. Phuong cheered up a bit when our lovely and friendly volunteer guide told us about a tea ceremony we could participate in that had a small sweet cake involved. :D
See video of Kad impersonating Phuong's expression 10 minutes after she realised she had lost her phone:
Afterwards, back at our hotel, Kad, Phuong and I decided to explore Namba a little more, especially the nightlife. We found a jazz bar where we got ripped off for a cover charge. Kad also was hit on by an older Japanese lady - she must have been sending out the vibes, hehehe! Afterwards we met up with Yalchin and co. for a drink at the Hub, an English bar.
Kad had a great moment with the two Japanese local girls accompanying Yalchin and co.:
Japanese girl: Wow! You are BEAUTIFUL! Yalchin - your friend is soooo BEAUTIFUL!!! You didn't tell me she was sooooo BEAUTIFUL!!
Kaddy: No.... Not me! You're more beautiful!
Japanese girl: NOOO! You are SUPER BEAUTIFUL!!!!
Then both the local girls started touching Kad's clothes, and her accessories.
Japanese girl: Wow! You are sooo FASHION!
Kaddy: Huh? Ohhhh... thank you!
Both Japanese girls: I love!!!!! You are SUPER FASHION!!!!
Remember what fashion meant?
It was so cute - two hyperactive and very drunk girls touching and complimenting Kad like that. I had had half a beer at the jazz club and was feeling tipsy and tired.. After witnessing that conversion, and seeing the girls jump and bounce around, got me completely awake, I tell you...
---------------------------------
Now that I can rest a little easier on Raffie, I can write about Japan, while it’s still fresh in my mind. Let me see..
Monday 22nd Feb 2010: Flew into Tokyo
Phuong and I, after boarding a flight at 6am from Melbourne to Gold Coast, and then a flight from the GC to Tokyo at around midday, flew into Tokyo around 7pm. Caught a train direct from the airport to Ikebukuro, and checked in around 11pm I think. Ate a light and late dinner around 11:30pm, and went to bed around 2am.
Tuesday 23rd Feb 2010: Ikebukuro, Ginza, Akihabara
Woke up early, went for a western breakfast where Phuong couldn’t find her mouth with her hand and spilled food all over her plate. I think 8am is too early for her. Met up with Cathy, Sang and Matthew, and explored Ikebukuro (a business district). Then went to Ginza to explore. Found the Kabuki Theatre, but we just missed the early 6pm show. Had curry for dinner – and my only real experience of Calpis within Japan too that night! Headed to Akihabara where Phuong and Matthew lost themselves in Gundam. Early night around 1am.
Quote of the day:
Phuong eating breakfast, and promptly misses a mouthful of egg, and it drops onto the tray. Not the first time that morning.
Phuong: My depth perception is well off today. I thought that was in my mouth!
Wednesday 24th Feb 2010: Osaka
Woke up around 9am, and went for breakfast at a vending machine restaurant. Caught the 11am train to Osaka, where, coincidentally, Jen & Dallas got the exact same train, but got on at Nagoya! Arrived in Osaka at 2:30pm, but took us another two hours to get to our hotel to check in at 4:30pm in Namba. Phuong & I were about to go and pick up Kad when Phuong asked if I had Kad’s JR pass voucher. *blank* Huh?
Guess what? It turns out we had lost it.. somehow. Phuong reckons it may have fallen out of my backpack when she went through my stuff on the train, but I suspect we left it back at our hotel in Ikebukuro. We’re not sure, but one thing was certain: Kad had no JR pass.. anymore.
Finally got to Kad at Kansai airport (a few hours late)... The poor thing had been sitting there, with no phone, and no confirmation whether we would meet her at the airport, and had no idea where and what our hotel was. But, in typical Kaddy tradition, she was sitting and talking to two boys: Yalchin and.. someone (John, I think?)
The conversation that followed:
Phuong: Sorry we’re late.. We had a minor mishap along the way...
Kad: *gasps* What kind of mishap?? I don’t have a place to stay tonight?! (Note the ‘I’)
Phuong and I: No...
Kad: WE don’t have a place to stay tonight?? We’re sleeping on the streets??
Phuong and I: No..
Kad: Then what..?
Phuong: We.. kind of.. lost your JR pass...
Kad: What’s a JR pass?
Needless to say.. We tried a few different tactics to get Kad a replacement JR pass, to no avail. Got back to the hotel close to 8pm.. and promptly went out for dinner in Namba along one of the street market restaurants. Back at the hotel around 11pm. Phuong was feeling guilty over losing the JR pass, so Jenny promptly gave her a glass of grape juice and vodka to cheer her up. We also found out that ‘health fashion’ was the term used for *ahem* adult favours, which turned out to be funny because Kad had a beret that had a label ‘fashion’ she was proud of wear on the streets.. until she realised what fashion meant.. Went to bed close to 2am..
Thursday 25th March: Himeji
Woke up early, and went to the JR Namba station for a day trip somewhere. We decided on Himeji because there was a castle out that way, and it looked the furthest place we would possibly go. About 45mins into the train ride on the way to Himeji, Phuong’s eyes go real wide:
Phuong: I think I left my mobile at the train station...
Kad: Huh? No, you didn’t bring your phone with you...
Phuong: I did.. I went to the toilet, took the phone from my back pocket, put it on the paper dispenser.. and left it there..
She lost her work mobile. Poor thing. Then she really started freaking out:
Phuong: I think we’re on the wrong train.. Maybe we should head back.. Have we missed our station? Is there a castle in Himeji? What if there’s nothing to do in Himeji? I really think we’re on the wrong train... I'm pretty sure there's nothing to do in Himeji.. We should head back.. Guys, we should head back..
It turned out that we were on the right train, and there was a castle in Himeji. Phuong cheered up a bit when our lovely and friendly volunteer guide told us about a tea ceremony we could participate in that had a small sweet cake involved. :D
See video of Kad impersonating Phuong's expression 10 minutes after she realised she had lost her phone:
Afterwards, back at our hotel, Kad, Phuong and I decided to explore Namba a little more, especially the nightlife. We found a jazz bar where we got ripped off for a cover charge. Kad also was hit on by an older Japanese lady - she must have been sending out the vibes, hehehe! Afterwards we met up with Yalchin and co. for a drink at the Hub, an English bar.
Kad had a great moment with the two Japanese local girls accompanying Yalchin and co.:
Japanese girl: Wow! You are BEAUTIFUL! Yalchin - your friend is soooo BEAUTIFUL!!! You didn't tell me she was sooooo BEAUTIFUL!!
Kaddy: No.... Not me! You're more beautiful!
Japanese girl: NOOO! You are SUPER BEAUTIFUL!!!!
Then both the local girls started touching Kad's clothes, and her accessories.
Japanese girl: Wow! You are sooo FASHION!
Kaddy: Huh? Ohhhh... thank you!
Both Japanese girls: I love!!!!! You are SUPER FASHION!!!!
Remember what fashion meant?
It was so cute - two hyperactive and very drunk girls touching and complimenting Kad like that. I had had half a beer at the jazz club and was feeling tipsy and tired.. After witnessing that conversion, and seeing the girls jump and bounce around, got me completely awake, I tell you...
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