Happy new (rabbit) year 2011!!

Closing comments for 2010

2010 has been a year filled with painful firsts and realizations, but also some exciting highlights:
-family losses and the realization of being human, the meaning of mortality, and another taste at "regret"
-and also the comforting and beauty of family
-2hour attempt at snowboarding, in rainy weather and mushy snow
-regular badminton games
-getting a fringe again, inspired by some k-drama actress (yeah, it's quite big in my life these days)
-having korean barbecue meal surrounded by posters of kpop flower boys
-learning to control sheer disgust or repulsive feeling toward my 2nd boss to accomplish my work professionally
-looking at some guy and literally wanting to have his baby! (hormones, when did you become so unreasonable?)
-taking a 3D picture in the Sony showroom
-first contact with Singapore, and road trip to Venice


I suppose the o-mikuji I got at Izumo Taisha was right: that it was a crucially painful year but I had to keep believing and be grateful to the (8000+) Gods and I would be fine. Time stops at some point for me and I get to be wondering where I am headed, and many glittering unattainable and possible futures form up in my imagination to get me going. I promised myself to clear my emotions up in 2011 and be as decisive as in year 2009, when I managed to travel to Japan on my own strength.

As I feel weak physically when fighting the cold that keeps me from sleeping, the best cure for me is still to work hard to get that dream situation come true or become that "me" I want to see in the mirror. For the first time, I am noticing it would be tough and tiring. I am tempted to give up but that is no longer an option. A certain sense of urgency has taken over.

For 2010 though, I indeed thank the Shinto Gods for letting me recover with my family and the happiness of my friends.

Tired of waiting - 2PM

Getting tired while waiting… (U know?)
Gotten tired while waiting and~
U Know, do you know how I feel?
Gotten tired while waiting~
Do you still remember me? (Oh~ no)
Even if a day goes by, I'll still remember you
Even if a month goes by, I still won't let you go
Can you understand my desires for you? (oh~no)
Going insane while waiting
and each day feels like a year.
Oh~ I, I I I~ was waiting and while I was waiting,( yeah~)
It felt as if you would come back
or if I look back I would see your face

Oh~ I I I I~ am going insane, going insane (yeah~)
I am holding back just in case you come back, (oh yeah~ )
I am still waiting (oh yea~)
Even if a month goes by, I'll still remember you.
Even if a year goes by, I still won't let you go
Can you understand my desires for you? (oh~no)
Going insane while waiting
and each day feels like a year.
Oh~ I, I I I~ was waiting and while I was waiting
It felt as if you would come back
or if I look back I would see your face
Oh~ I I I I~ am going insane, going insane (yeah~)

Why is it so hard
and everything's so complicated in my head.
I was waiting and waiting
and yet no answers from you
I didn't cry because of you
and you didn't leave because of me
So why is it so hard, why is it so hard?

I will wait for a year
or even a decade if I have to.
Oh~ I I I I I I I I will wait and it's fine if tire myself out.
Going insane while waiting
and each day feels like a year.
Oh~ I, I I I~ was waiting and while I was waiting
It felt as if you would come back
or if I look back I would see your face
Oh~ I I I I~ am going insane, going insane (yeah~)

2 suns this morning

 

Somehow the rising sun reflected in a dense cloud this morning..eerie feeling of a 2 sun planet

Very cold cold return

Botanical Garden and Marina Bay Sands

On Saturday morning, I had to pack all my luggage and check out before joining the others for the day. It was my last day in Singapore o I left my suitcase at reception and put my hand luggage and changing clothes in Mba A. room. And then we set out for breakfast in the food court 2 blocks form the hotel, grabbing bread and buns at a bakery, and water at 711. There was not much opened, maybe because it was a bit early for a Saturday.

We headed out by cab to the Botanical garden for a picnic. it is north of town and looks pretty vast on the map. However it turned out the part we stayed at is very walkable. We met up at Swan lake, which was very refreshing with its shaded shores. I really needed to stay int he shades are the heat was once again getting to my system. I was amazed at people jogging at 11:00 in the sun...

 

The grass was a bit wet so we ate on a bench beside the pond, watching the turtles swam about. To digest, we started a stroll toward the orchid garden.  the greenery smelled sweet and the air was not scorching hot, even if I was mopping my forehead evry so often.

 

 

It was hilarious how on the map everything looked so far away, and then in reality we were barely 5min walk away. We got to the Orchid Garden quite surprisingly within 10minutes walk, passing by a misty small waterfall a very long banana set. We didn't visit the Orchid garden because it wasn't free, so we raided the souvenir shop instead...typical :)

Outside, a group of ladies and not so young men were dancing zumba, twisting their hips and torso to latin and club music. it was fascinating and quite shocking for me as they were not shy of the passers by at all, the same way people would to tai chi in the park quite simply.

Having finished browsing about we headed out to Marina Bay sands, the newest hotel/mall/casino development in town.

The inside was all white with huge glass walls letting the daylight inside and giving a soft light to the whole lobby. A group of 4 musician were playing lassical Chinese instruments in the lobby.

We couldn't really appreciate the shops in the mall because they were all completely out of our budget, and most of them weren't even opened yet and in construction. But we walked across some entertaining Las Vegas-like characters.

 

There was a nice view of the bay and the financial district from outside the hotel. After a while we took the bus to go a bit across the water toward the performance art building, which architecture is inspired by the durian fruit.

 

There is a grand view of the structure of Marina Bay sands from the outdoor stage. We rested a bit in the building and outside while the sun was setting slowly.  We also walked towards the sea lion, symbol of Singapore, so play in the shades and takes in more view.

 

We probably walked more towards Bugis mall, wherewe had an early dinner in the food court. I had a noodle dish, which the chef freshly made by cutting the noodle from a big dough. So hot and yummy! And dessert was in a popular street in the area, with all kinds of eateries, in a shop called Atchoo or atchoum. mango sago and a chinese jelly that helps digestion.

And with all the food and love from those friends, I was sent away back West, to the land of col and snow...I cannot remember what I did in the plane as I was too full and sad to leave....

West suburb and malls..

I woke up quite early to start going on my trip to Nanyang Technology University campus, in western Singapore. I bravely took a bus, hoping it would get me to Raffles or Central. But instead I ended up close to Clarke Quay and had to find the MRT station within a mall with closed up shops still (well, it was before 10:00). But eventually I made it to the train and I could appreciate the small rush hour of students and workers commuting. The weather was so fine, and the vivid colour of the blue sky and the green plants flourishing was really pleasant.

We passed through a Chinese garden which has a pagoda that can be seen from the station. I took the picture when there was noone on the platform, and quite nerously because I was not sure if it was legal or not (LOL).

 

On the way back, I had some time so strolled about behind the hotel with the street market and the temple. 

Later around lunchtime I met with Mba A. family from Jakarta and after resting a bit, we set out for our journey to shopping till we dropped. It was all good because there were so many malls and stores and decorations. And I got to meet cute A.  sooo cuuute! But she was acting quite shy around me.

We headed out to Orchard street, the ultimate shopping mall destination. The names of the malls eventually faded in my head, and as usual the food court is what leaves the most impression (in weight), but the sight of the decorations and illuminations was putting everyone in festive mood.

I ate s much bread and noodle that day I think I put up 3kg despite the walking around for hours inside malls. I managed to score 2 CDs from local artists, and polos for men...

Singapore by night

Dinner time at 20:00 was set and I was eager to finally get access into the local food. Mr D. and I set out from the hotel by bus (with A/C yes!) towards Chinatown to eat sting ray. Light rain was falling as we arrived in Chinatown, just few steps away from another block of very high and modern buildings.I let myself tempted into getting a stamp with my name, which the vendor said would be ready by 22:00, when the store closes. On our way onto food street, officially known by another name of course, I saw many fans, charms, jade trinkets, incense, chopsticks stores, and also glass bowls painted from the inside. Because it was raining, the streets were empty, save for the river of water draining from the stored opened on the cobbled streets. it was a nice feeling and the temperature was fresh and pleasant.

We ordered a small sting ray from a street stall and settled outside under a big umbrella. It was so good I can still taste it. The spiciness was just right and with the hot sticky rice and greens, it was the perfect meal. Soon it was time to pick up my name stamp, so we wrapped it up with a photo sent to Mba A. and off we went on strolling.

We first passed a Hindu temple full of cow deities on its fence and roofs, right in the middle of Chinatown. Then we passed a nice old Chinese temple, with a street level elevator and not-so-century-old underground parking lot....I was having trouble adjusting the lighting on my camera so ultimately didn't give credit to this venerable building.

 

Just a block from the Chinese temple lies an area with quaint European townhouses, holding boutique bars and hotels. We even stumbled on a bar that catered to golfers, as you could practice your swing inside with a huge screen and a wii-like golf club to swing. Mr D. explained that hidden rooftop bars were in this area, usually filled with expatriates.

We then walked around some construction sites to end up across Clarke Quay, where crab restaurant were enticing the passers by with their live crabs outside. Unfortunately, I was told I could not take a picture as they were private property...huh? Never mind.
We crossed over the bridge to immerse ourselves in the lights and nightlife at Clarke Quays. There were interesting bar concepts, such as the Clinic, in which your drinks were served into intravenous hospital pouches...further along, there is the Beer Exchange, where you could see from outside the live ranking for the most popular beer served that night.

After escaping a public embarrassment of slipping onto my buttock on the wet pavement (noone saw me, I think) near the Singapore art museum, my feet took me eventually back to the hotel. It was almost midnight and I was feeling a bit tired.

Autum in hot Singapore

My plane landed at 02:00am and I barely spent 30minutes in the airport! The baggage claim hall was so beautiful, with a huge bright cascade taking up one whole wall, from roof to the ground. Looking up, palm trees and other leafy green trees are hovering from above. My suitcase came out within 5minutes and after 5 more minutes I withdrew Singapore dollars from the ATM to get myself a cab. There were only 4 people in the queue so I only felt the sticky hot weather for a few minutes before getting into the cozy air-conditioned black car. If I knew the car make, it would have been nice to put it here, but alas, I can also say it looked like one for those VIP cars.

The ride was smooth and the lit up road let me know it was a completely different climate there. More palm trees, bougainvilleas, and other warm country plants were lining the streets. I was sweating profusely in my woolen tights, sweater and ski jacket. The smell of town was much sweeter, like jasmine tea mixed with dim sum and Indian curry.

The reception at the hotel Ibis was not refreshing as it was pretty cold for a service. Even the taxi driver was commenting that they didn't even get out to welcome me or help with luggage and asked me not to tip them. I dragged myself and my luggage up to my room on the 5th floor, facing the back of a temple and another high rise building. I remembered that being seen naked even in the privacy of your own house was illegal so I closed the thick window, turned on the A/C at its max, and stripped the layers of winter clothes...

After a shower, which I hope was not illegal that late at night, I tried to sleep. I was too excited though and probably stayed wide-eye-opened until dawn.

Some daylight took me out of bed and I felt ready to jump into the middle of town, armed with only a map and my phone. I remembered seeing a 711 around the corner and I set out to walk outside. As soon as I got out though, the heat flattened me down to a blob of sweat and I lost my breath after 10m in the sun. I managed to walk 2 blocks, past the Nanyang school of fashion and another design university, to end up all dehydrated in a 711. I asked for a sim card for my phone:

-"hello, could I please have a prepaid sim card?"
-"gfrbgrlbjlrkgj;ewfkef?"
-"eh...what, sorry?"
-"fvrwvjnlk grgrkrgfgbrtoytqw?"
-"sorry, I really didn't get that"
Another clerk, younger, jumped in
Her:"what company?"
Me:" ah yes, of course. Singtel will do"
Her:"passport please"
Me:"huh? oh ok. here it is"
Her:"You can sit over there and wait 10min"
Me:"In that case, can I have this COLD juice please. How much is it?"
Her:"that's 1 dollar. You can also have these buns for 1 dollar. Very good"
Me:"uh no thanks. I'll go and wait"

Feeling dizzy from the language barrier, I perched myself on a bar stool. While sitting at the bar facing the windows, I people watched and tried to imagine their lives: young men taking a smoke outside their offices, drinking cold juice from 711, who were not even sweating! Of course they are used to it, but also they are wearing cotton shirts and trousers. It was only around 09:30am at the latest. After 10minutes, I paid for the sim card, got my passport back, and just prayed it was not hacked. On my way back to the hotel, I stopped by a food mall which was not completely opened yet, but I followed the yummy smell and got to this bakery that had lip licking good looking buns. Two ladies invited me in and I asked for cold milk tea, which the waitress found really strange so the other lady explained how to make it: make tea, add milk and ice cubes...
I happily drank and ate, while my body dried and returned to a non-combustible temperature.
After that, I walked another block to the hotel to have a pee break after all that I drank. Restarting my journey, I walked toward the other direction to discover there was a 711 in the same block as the hotel. DUH.

I got myself a nice cold bottle of water and just walked about, following the shades and the street crowds. Stumbling on some street market, it was fun browsing for clothes and cheap trinkets. At a crossroads, a snake charmer was courting a white flat head snake...yikes! I walked past as fast as I could and ended at Bugis junction, which reminded me of Camden town market. The smell in the air was of Chinese mushrooms, rained on soil and various food.

After 15minutes of walking and sweating, I dropped into Bugis Junction mall and bought myself 2 t-shirts at a Marvel goods store (one Supergirl blue shirt and one yellow soft and thin cotton one). I saw quite a it of that mall while looking for the restrooms. Walking another block towards an unknown direction brought me to Iluma mall, which has a really nice outside look. It was only around 10:00 and stores were only slowly opening.

I found a really nice beach clothes shop on the 2nd floor, and was attempting to choose an outfit from the all so bright colorful choices. Sadly though, the shop keeper informed me that they were not my size and they would be too small...Somehow I was ashamed but perked up when thinking that at least they were honest and didn't try to sell me something that would be hideous on me...SNIFF still!

And so I continued on outside again, with my drenched t-shirt under my summer dress. Somehow I ended up at Raffles City mall, and located the food court, which is in the basement. The surrounding buildings are all high rise financial offices of some sort, and the hip crowd in the mall were very different from the crowd at Bugis Junction. AT Raffles, suits, barely stable stilettos, satin and silk tops were worn by pampered businessmen and ladies. I was disgusting in my pink military camouflage dress on top of a t-shirt glistening dripping with sweat. Luckily the smell of food masked every body odor I may have diffused, and the A/C was doing its job in refreshing my aching skin. I walked around the food court twice, undecided on what to buy for lunch. Eventually I got into a grocery to grab a sandwich but ended up buying coconut juice and more water.

Tired of my lack of decisiveness, I went back up to the ground floor and entered a Japanese fusion bistro (tapas of Japanese dishes), looking outside the mall and perfect for people watching. I needed food in my empty stomach and a bit of rest. Raffles City mall is more of a luxury mall, with brands like Hermes, Chanel, etc...Just watching the people entering the mall was an experience in itself, and the size of the queue at the taxi station outside the mall was even more impressive.

My plans for the afternoon was to explore little India area but it was a bit of a walk. I could get in line and take a taxi, but I was more interested in taking the public transportation. Localizing a bus stop that had the correct bus was easy enough. however I realized I had no change.So I went underground into the closest MRT station, bought a 3 day pass, and hopped in the train, not before hearing the public announcement reminding passengers that eating, drinking or smoking in the train or on the platform is prohibited...well, no wonder everything was so clean.

I alighted at Burgis station, and kind of followed the crowd to end up on known territory at the Chinese mall next to the hotel. I had a shower, drank all the liquids I bought, and crashed of heat exhaustion. outside, the weather had turned into a thunderstorm and I slept with that sweet feeling from my childhood, safely cuddled in bed while the elements were fighting outside and cooling the temperature. My alarm was set for dinner time .

Sayounara Tokyo

I was planning to get more shopping done before leaving for Narita airport, but I got really lazy an only walked around the block to check out the winter sports shop and music shops around Ochanomizu. Unfortunately it was too early, as most shops don't open before 10:00am. I couldn't even find the ear sticks I was supposed to get, but was unsuccessful. I only managed to get some regular q-tips.

The weather was slightly chilly so I went back to the hotel to get back my huge luggage and headed out slowly to the airport. I was also trying to avoid rush hour on the JR. In Tokyo station, I picked up a luxurious ekiben (station bento, or lunchbox bought in a station), and ha to wait 30minutes for the next Narita Express. It turned out I was to ride one of the new trains put out for about a few months only.

(narita Xpress photo goes here)

I arrived at the airport almost 5hours before my flights at 07:00PM and seriously had to get rid of the suitcase before browsing for last minute souvenirs. One memorable thing about Narita that I did not notice last year was that upon leaving the train, one has to go through security and passport check. So even before you enter the airport, you are lightly checked, in a sense that the luggages do not go through X-rays but your person is still scrutinized at the checkpoint.

I spent another 600Yen securing a big locker for the suitcase and browsed for the shops with a trolley holding my big hand luggage.I scored postcards, t-shirts, ear stick, and colorful kit kat. I also managed to get some face moisturizer as I was running out of it.

(kit kat shot goes here)

After writing my postcards, I easily found the post office and sent all my mail and packages. I felt sad leaving Tokyo. It may be true that I was treated kindly because I am a foreigner on these shores, and wondered how different it would feel to live there. It also felt very easy to feel outcasted and out of place, as the rituals and customs are so complicated. But mostly I was sad to leave because there were still many places and many people I wanted to meet.

I checked in my luggage as soon as the counter opened, and I got a warning from the kind officer:
-"your luggage is a bit overweighted"
-"oh really?!? oh my!"
-"please be careful next time"
-"uhm..., yes, I will...........................(try)"

And so my 26kg suitcase made it on the conveyor belt without further ado, and I got my aisle seat on a Singapore airlines flight. The plane was not full so there was an empty seat next to mine. I was tired and a bit depressed so tried to sleep and prep myself for the excitement of landing in new territory.

Shimokitazawa, before it dissapears

Shimokitazawa is probably the equivalent of Shoreditch in London (or Camden town?), or the village in NYC.  A few days earlier, it was the scene of Tokyo music festival. The area is being endangered because of some rail development going about in the midst of town. It is a few stops from Shibuya by metro or private line. There must have been some events going on because it seems lots of students were going in that direction, but getting off at Waseda University. I was tempted to go but felt short on time. Instead I thanked my luck for getting me in a non packed train.

This was my last day in Tokyo, and I didn't want to stress but just roam about and enjoy the walk and shopping. Of course I needed to find some outfit tha will remind me fondly of the time spent getting lost in small streets and getting dizzy finding my way back. There were plenty of cute shoes, handsome waiters, music venues, nail bars, second hand shops, African wares, but also Muji shop and Uniqlo. By the time my feet could not walk anymore, I was holding enough bags to fill another suitcase!

During my rummaging, I got to visit a tiny corner shop filled with summer cotton dresses, owned by this Japanese rasta woman. She told me about the area and how redevelopment would change the feel and livelihood of its residents. Later on, I also chitchatted with an owner of an African shop, from which I bought a cute top made of cotton from Ghana...I almost destroyed the shop when I moved around it, as it was so tiny. Another memorable place was a cute clothes shop where they sold fluo and animal print tights worn by young men. They screamed of fashion terrorism but somehow the Japanese guys wear them quite fashionably.

I really like the feel of this part of Tokyo. Hopefully, when I come back, this area will still maintain its vibe.

Matsushima or following the traces of poet Matsuo Bashō

A reference in haiku, this 17th century poet apparently was amazed at the beauty of the bay in Matsushima-Kaigan station.  The weather forecast was surprisingly gloom, with clouds and even rain, but I decided nonetheless to head out on my trip north, along the east cost of Honshu island. I had to change at Sendai and take a local train for another hour. It was a bit chilly but by early afternoon I was at my destination, armed with an umbrella and a starving stomach.

Outside the train station, the lady at the tourism office gave me a map in English and marveled at my being from Madagascar. She even knew where it is and gave me a pretty hairpin made locally as a welcome present. She pinpointed on the map the must see landmarks and sent me off to my fate. I originally intended to take cruise from the harbor to view the many islands scattered in the bay, but the rain and cold put me off. Instead I visited all the souvenir shops, looking at heavy and cute teapots, seafood snacks, cakes and green tea kit kat.

Eventually, the small island on which is perched the temple of Godaido.

 

 

Just taking a picture without anyone on it was a major challenge as the bridge itself felt like a highway. I waited more than 15minutes to let all the groups of Japanese tourists circle around the building before managing to take a picture of the building only.

After that, I continued toward the long vermillion bridge of Fuukurajima, passing by the playful sea next to the fishermen.

 

 

 

After paying 200Yen, I was allowed to cross the bridge and wander around the island, which is fully a botanical garden. It was a nice walk and the autumn foliage was adding to its beauty. The view on the bay was limited by the fog but was still very pretty and peaceful. The traffic of tourist boats was not dense and disruptive and allowed for a quiet contemplation. 

 

because I still hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, my feet took me back to the mainland and to the nearest shop selling "melon pan": those are stuffed bread really, and I had one regular one and a oyster curry bread. They were hot from the oven so it was very comforting. I also had a regular oyster bun while waiting for them to bake.

On the way back to the train station, I was reminded of the fate of this area, and the natural events that are pretty common in this country when I saw this sign:

 As indicated, the shelter was a budhist temple which is on one of the highest hill of the town.

My trip back to Tokyo was uneventful, with loads of salarymen snoozing in the silence cars of the Shinkansen. Back in my room, I washed another load of clothes and kept warm as I was starting to sneeze and feel woozy. I was also probably still digesting the breads and the clean open air...

Deep in Akihabara

Thank you for those recognizing the reference to アキハバラ＠DEEP

In any case, Sunday started slowly as I awake from a proper sleep in around 10am. I packed my huge suitcase and we dragged it to the hotel in Ochanomizu JR station to be dropped off. By the time we were out of there, it was almost noon and we were headed for Akiba, just a station away. As soon as we got out of the JR station, I was ocne again overwhelmed by the rattling sound of the various tills, neons, voices calling out to patrons. Even in daylight, the neons and blinking signs were blinding and giving me silent epileptic seizures in the privacy of my eyballs.
After composing myself, I followed E-san through throngs of men looking for some high tech gadgets, or just electrical appliances. Looking up, I saw the flagship store of Yodabashi.

 

I was not looking for any more gadget to by so we walked toward the minor streets. As soon as we got onto the pedestrian path outside the station though, E-san noticed a maid waitress handing out flyers and fishing out for customers. So we followed her to her establishment, on a second floor of an unidentified building. It was only when I walked toward the cafe that I noticed more maid waitresses like her calling out to customers in the streets. They we very easy to spot since the streets were filled with 99% men.

 We unfortunately could not take phhotos or film inside the cafe, but it was a very strange atmosphere: the waitresses, all dressed as french maids, welcomed us as "welcome back lady mistresses" (oakaeri ojou-sama), while welcoming men guests as "masters" (go-shuujin-sama). Inside, the menu was very simple and non-existant since people would not really come to the place to eat but to enjoy the feeling of being served by cutely dressed maids, and feel safe.

I was pretty curious about the other single men pretending to read a book while glancing at the waitresses and the anime playing on 2 walls. They didn't order anything for 20min, but a maid would come frequently to attend to their whispering. I had an ichigo cake) strawberry cake) and a drink, and one maid from Italy actually served us. She is studying Japanese in Tokyo and getting cultural experience and salary from this part-time job. She had us repeat a silly cute charm on the food before we ate it, as the house customs required. The most amazing sight was to see a group of macho guys on the next table, shyly and embarrassingly perform the same charm when their order came...BWAHAHAHAH

We didn't stay too long because after all we were after real food as well, so we looked for a good place to crash and get some food. The area apparently lacked some food joints so they built a huge food mall just in front of the JR station. But we were after more mundane and basic food. Ramen is the local fare at Akihabara, and we found one in  hidden street: customers would first make their choice at a machine and pay, then give the ticket to the waiter to get the food. We sat at the bar outside, with a view on the ramen chef. I had miso tsukemen for 600Yen and E-san had ramen for the same price.

I recommend tsukemen instead of ramen if you re not to dexterous with chopsticks, as you only dip the noodles you eat instead of having noodle soaking in broth for so long and ending up having soggy noodles because you are too slow to eat with chopsticks.

After that we split up as E-san had some homework. I needed to get back to the hotel and check in, as well as change because I was having a wardrobe malfunctioning. That evening I merely looked for orange juice for vitamins and grabbed food at 711.

hanging out near Skytree tower, the new Tokyo landmark

Saturday started with a fantastic sunny day. As we ate breakfast, E-san's sister pointed out something on TV. The hosts were advertizing some food as Skytree parfait, or burger or ice cream as those were food served around the new broadcasting tower in Tokyo. Because neither of us had ever been there, our first destination was easily decided.

The are looked rundown as there were only small houses and no major retail chains nearby. Also the metro station was not very crowded and we had to follow one of those A-Z mapbook that E-san conveniently brought with her to find the right place toward the tower. Surprisingly enough, the tower is built very close to rail tracks and a canal.  On that day, the tower was already 497m high, with a target of reaching 634m when finished in 2012.

It was very impressive and neck-twisting to gaze at the difference in scale with the other building being constructed nearby. We settled across the canal with a superb view of the construction site, and had a "skytree coffee" whie watching the many Japanese tourists also admiring the new tower.

 

 

E-san mentionned that here is a way of getting a picture of  the tower and its reflection in  he canal, so we started walking away along the water, while looking for lunch. We spotted an area map and walked towards one bridge she recognized. We were still in shitamachi and even Asakusa area, even if I had no idea whereabout really. But E-san spotted a nice shoukudo place (home cooking restaurant) where we could sample some simple homecooking recipes. It's one of those small palce with 10 chairs where a single person cooks and serves the food. We asked for a small portion of rice to go with our kuroke (creamy potato paddies). We ate while discussing current drama with the hostess and favourite actors and actresses. E-san made fun of me asking if I really didn't live in Tokyo since I knew more about it than herself.

After that first pit stop, we continued on our journey to capture the 2 towers...Along the way, old town Tokyo was quietly getting busy, while impromptu gardens were lying out on the streets.

 

And then eventually, we spotted a satisfying point of view and got ourselves a memorable picture. It was my first time chasing for the perfect picture so it was with a sense of achievement that I bagged that landmark in my memory card.

 With that, we looked for a metro station and had to walk quite a long time before rejoining civilization, ie sports centre, shopping malls and even a high school volleyball tournament to determine Tokyo representative team in the national high school volleyball tournament....but we were tired and just hopped inside the nearest station toward Ginza.

My first matsuri

From Ochanomizu JR station, we rode to Shinjuku JR station. Outside, we walked toward the Flags shopping mall, mainly because we wanted to check out if we could crash into the show "waratte ii to omou". But the entrance was chained. So we just wandered in the shopping mall, until we exited the centre and walked toward kabukicho.

 

The city lights were turned off and, and after walking past mugshots of hostesses and hosts plastered on giant boards in the red light district, we stumbled on a  street filled with  food stalls so we hurriedly followed our stomach and landed int he middle of Ootori matsuri, which was at Hanazono shrine. There was a huge quue of people at the shrine and we contented ourselves with the smells and sights of the different stalls before settling for an oden shop.

 

It was my first time attending a festival like this, in the evening, so I was overjoyed. We walked it off on the other side of the Shinjuku station and got to view the Shinjuku lights, just past Takashiyama department store. 

There was a light display made of plastic bottles which was quite impressive: from fr, i really looked like it was made of ice. After that we took a fully packed train to Mikata, with my huge suitcase. I have never been so compressed in a wagon before, and I hope I won't have to be in that situation again. I was lucky I still had intact ribs and face in that motionless stampede.

Flirting with studies at Waseda University and Meiji Jingu, Tokyo

I managed to ring the girls in Tokyo for lunch, and also arranged for the evening plans. The hotel was the b ikebukuro so it was very close to sunshine city with all its shopping and playground. I was most curious about the aquarium and wondered if it was the one featured in the j-drama Nanase futatabi (just realized there is a movie too).
So at around 10:00 I was out, after having breakfast on the 2nd floor wine bar...That was the strangest breakfast, as it was a buffet, with Japanese breakfast (pickles, miso soup, rice, fish), korean side dishes (like kimchi), toast and spreads, noodles, and all you can think of eating at lunch and dinner, all that within a space surrounded by shelves of bottles of wine...I was sorry I wasn't that hungry in the morning, and slightly in a rush. My breakfast: natto on rice...

Following and trusting the crowd of salarymen and women walking hurrying to their offices, I remembered that most shops and offices seemed to open after 10:00. Walking past yummy smells of fresh bakery, karaoke establishments, food joints advertising their dishes through sandwich men and women carrying menus, I finally stumbled on one entrance of the Sunshine City...grabbed a map in English and located the Aquarium, as well as a 59th floor restaurants with views. Taking the escalator and going through all the freshly opened and tidy shops was very cool, except for the vendor rushing over to their first customer of the day. In any case though, it was dissapointing to find out the aquarium was closed for renovation. A nice stroll in Namjatown was quite entertaining as well although I forgot to take pictures.

Landing in the 59th floor was a different experience. here the restaurants are hidden behind opaque walls and only a menu is displayed in the corridor outside their entrance. However the Cafe de Crie had bay windows that accomodated my already legs and provided some latte. I have given up trying to understand the name of the cafe...

It was starting to be almost 11:30 and I had a lunch date at Waseda University metro station, so I leisurely got to Ikebukuro JR station and rode to Takadanobaba JR station. From there it was a fun walk on Waseda dori towards the metro station. I saw many Indian restaurants, bookshops, students, cheap and yummy noodle shops (people queuing up outside). In between buildings, small streets lead to quiet residential areas. Eventually I made it to the station and peered with envy at the students rushing out of the station to their classes. Yes, the grass is always greener on the other side...

F-san picked me up after I called her from a payphone, since I had no working sim card (yup, Swiss sim card would not roam to Softbank or other, sniff). She took me to a small eatery owned by this old couple and I had nizakana. It was simply delicious and so comforting. A colleague of hers was eating there as well, and being the only customers, we chatted. His 3rd question was:"what is your goal in life". And I thought I was in a affable, not-direct people kind of country ! Anyway, after the meal, F-san had o return to work, so I gave her omiyage from Switzerland and Kyoto (chocolate and mochi). We walked in front of the Waseda campus landmark, and took some pictures. I also managed to capture the glory o autumn in Waseda.

 

 

I wanted to explore the campus but eventually I felt out of place, having no classmates nor classes to crash. The weather was so sunny and beautiful, my initial plan to shop at Roppongi Hills were abandonned for a more outdoorsy activity. So I opted for visiting Meiji jingu . I didn't manage to get to Meiji shrine last year, even if I alighted at the same station (JR Harajuku) to get to Takeshita dori.

After all the busling of shops and restaurants, it was so peaceful to walk in the park, meeting dolled up 3 year-olds after their shichi-go-san blessings, and mingle with other tourists...

 

 

 

There were many charms for students at this shrine: unidentified green pamphlets, o-mamori for success in exams. I thought about getting one for my exam but somehow maybe my share of miracles did not have to be wasted on that exam.

And so 17:00 was approaching and my evening appointment at Ochanomizu had to be attended for a night of exploring....