Tokyo: Anecdotes and Musings

Ah, Tokyo.

More than two weeks ago, I flew to this city as I was selected by my university to do an exchange program with Bunka Gakuen University and an internship with a Japanese fashion company. Of course, I was excited when they informed me that I was among the 8 people selected for the program!

In true Jana fashion, anecdotal mishaps are always expected. I rarely get a smooth sailing trip. Something funny, stupid or annoying happens, which creates good memories and great stories, I will admit. And sometimes, just when I thought, "Yeah, I think we're okay," something happens the next second, right on cue. Hahaha! Nothing horrifying or traumatic though, thank God! I intend to keep it that way. Universe, do you hear me? Let's keep it that way, okay?

First up in my anecdote: train ride from Narita airport to Shinjuku
So I bought a ticket for the NEX train. I ran to the platform when I noticed I only had a minute to get on it. I dashed inside the first carriage door I spotted. As I rolled my luggage inside and spotted a vacant space to place it, I overheard a lady behind me talking about seat numbers. I didn't know that I should be aware of seat numbers! I looked at my ticket. Yes, there is a date and some extra numbers. I Google Translated it to check which numbers are which. The other one is the seat number. I looked for that seat and sat on it. The other number is the carriage number. Oh, shit. I could be in the wrong carriage. But how will I know which carriage am I? I opened up Google and double-checked how to read the ticket, in case Google Translate is wrong (yeah, right) or I (oh, for sure!) read it wrongly. Eventually, I realised the carriage number is flashed on the TV screen onboard. Good to know that I was actually in the right carriage as per my ticket! Okay, I can relax now. I'm good. When we got to Tokyo station, we had to stop for a few minutes because the train was to separate. I tried to analyse the photo flashed on the screen. I panicked because as I understood it, the carriage I was in will stay behind at the station. Oh, hell no! But no one seems to be moving in the carriage that I was in so I convinced myself that I'm really overthinking this train situation. Then, the carriage moved, alleluia. I put my headphones on and sat peacefully in the train.

Anecdote 2: My battery died
I got off at Shinjuku station. I was supposed to meet one of the professors from Bunka and he will bring me to my accommodation. I texted him via Whatsapp when I got out of the station. I was about to send him a photo of where I was standing BUT MY BATTERY DIED. OH, HELL NO SHIT SHIT SHIT WTF. Okay, hold up. I know what you're thinking. Fact: No, I am not the type of person who carries a powerbank. Don't judge me. I am old school. I carry an actual charger. Which, unfortunately for me, was inside my luggage at that time. No, I did not and will not open my luggage in the middle of Shinjuku station. I would rather cry. Hahaha! I tried to ask around where the nearest payphone is. I saw one at the airport train station so I figured every station has it. However, no one could understand me. One pointed me to a location I did not get at all. I was almost in tears when I realised I have my iPad with me. Lightbulb moment: I could email him instead! And hope that he will see my email straight away. Which he did, about 15 minutes after I sent it. Okay, progress. I waited for 15 more minutes and called my brother via Messenger (who was already asleep because I completely forgot I was in a different timezone. Haha!). Before I could even relay to him what happened and what I needed him to do (which was to contact this professor for me through his Whatsapp), the professor came up to me. It was our first time meeting and I almost hugged him out of sheer relief and joy. I felt so embarrassed putting him through a stressful night that I kept apologising. It was an intense night for both of us.

Anecdote 3: Completely forgot to take off my shoes!
When we got to the dormitory, the professor and the manager showed me where my room is. I pushed my luggage into the room and I completely forgot to take off my shoes. Geez, Louise! I took one step beyond the area where we should leave the shoes and they called me out (in a very nice way since they are Japanese and they are very nice). I'm Asian, I should know that! And I know, it was embarrassing! Then they toured me around the dormitory and showed me where the nearest bus stop is going to uni and at my internship place.

It was pretty late when we bid goodbye to each other. I only had an hour to spare before my curfew (Yes, I had a curfew because it's a dormitory and I am a college kid. Haha!) to grab dinner. Luckily, Lawson is literally beside the dormitory. Yassssss! I have abused the convenience stores during my stay in Tokyo. I think I am more of a Lawson loyalist (Haha!), not just out of convenience because of its proximity, but I find they have better food, too.

Anecdote 4 (and 5, 6, 7... 40! HAHAHA!): Got lost
Need to say more??? Wrong turns on the road or at the station, wrong train, wrong stop, wrong bus. Name it, I did it.

The next day was my orientation day at Bunka and I was late because, you guessed it correctly, I got lost. So much for first impressions! Another embarrassing moment, yes. There's more, wait for it.

Anecdote 41: Japanese Mass
Even when I'm traveling, I always try to attend Mass on Sundays. Even if it means Masses in languages I do not speak or understand. :) The lovely grandma who sat beside me during the Mass wondered why I wasn't touching the songbook and singing my heart out to Jesus. So much so, being the cute grandma that she is, she grabbed the book, opened it and laid it out in front of me, thinking I would get the message. I got the message, grandma. Clearly. Hahaha! But I didn't do anything. Her next step was not subtle. She grabbed the book and tried to hand it to me and made a gesture suggesting that I should sing. I responded politely that I do not know how to speak or read Japanese, which I really hoped she understood. Ah, that grandma was really cute.

Okay, if you're easily grossed out by TMI and, I don't know, medical stuff (?), stop scrolling! Or scroll down to the end. 

Anecdote 42: Fainting and vomiting inside the plane
Scene-stealer in the house! HAHAHA!
Okay, this is the second fainting episode and third vomiting episode (happens consecutively, too. YAAAYYY.) during a flight. It happens during that split second of semi-awake/semi-asleep moment when you just want to change your position (Fortunately for me and my dignity, it happens when the plane lights are already off and almost everyone's already asleep). I'm guessing it could be orthostatic hypotension, plane food, plane temperature and/or cabin pressure. With this recent incident, I'm thinking maybe it was caused by dehydration and starvation? I was hungry when I boarded the plane and maybe I ate too fast when they served the food? Also, I had my period at that very moment, simultaneously. When they gave me oxygen and asked me to lie down on the empty seats in the middle section of the plane, I felt the cramps (HAHA! TMI! SORRY!). Great. Really? Now? Couldn't you wait until I got home? I waited for you last week and you didn't come, btw! So that's another reason, too. Fainting is kind of my thing. My family, some workmates and most especially, my friends (who I am usually with when it happens) have all witnessed my gracious downfall every now and then. Haha! The flight attendant asked me if I have motion sickness. I said, I didn't. I didn't think I have motion sickness because this didn't happen when I was on a cruise nor when I flew to the US and Europe, which were long haul flights. I also don't throw up or pass out on road trips. Anyway, my point is, I need to get myself checked. Maybe there are other reasons why I experience this. Then determine what precautionary steps I should take so that this will never happen again.

And that is it. The end of my funny and embarrassing stories! However, this trip did more than just provide me with funny stories to tell and new experiences. It was a trip I did not even realise I needed. A timeout. For myself. From the monotony. Ironically, I found the quiet and the need to just wander aimlessly in that busy city, in the midst of chaos at Shibuya Crossing, their overwhelming (but efficient!) transportation system and in between meals of amazing ramen, tonkatsu, sushi and more. It did not occur to me that I was burned out until my internship ended and I had to fly out the next day. I cried the moment I closed the door of the studio where I interned. I was crying as I walked to the station and while I was inside the train. I was able to somehow keep it together by not ugly crying in public but the tears just kept falling down. I cried in the middle of dinner with the other girls who were also in the program. When I got back to the dormitory, I just couldn't contain it any longer. I needed to let it all out. I sent a group message to four of my closest friends if I can talk to anyone of them and one of them responded and called me straight away. I picked up the call and just bawled my eyes out and let those feelings out (Shoutout to Lee! Thank you for painstakingly watching me ugly cry and for patiently listening and distracting me with stories in between). I did not want to go home at that time. I especially did not want to go back to work. Among the several trips I had done, it was my first time feeling that dread. Usually, I am just sad to leave but I was also looking forward to going back to my "reality." But that night? Man, I was just very sad. I thought, people were more than lovely and nice in Tokyo and I was doing what I want there so why the hell would I go back, right? On the other hand, I could have been just plainly hormonal, overwhelmed and tired. But that does not mean my feelings at that time were less valid. I will not deny that this trip did something to me, emotionally and mentally. It, as corny as this sounds, rejuvenated me. It enlightened me. It made me realise that I need to check in with myself from time to time and not just rely on my Netflix and my playlists to keep me sane. I need to go back to taking care of myself. I obviously neglected it as I was caught up with work, school, adult things that will never stop for anyone and more random things that life throws in between all of them.

That is the main goal for this new year (and for the rest of the coming years): Me being holistically healthy. My health above everything else.

You did that to me, Tokyo. Thank you.

Overdue for another roadtrip

I saw some photos from our road trips last year when I was backing up photos and videos from my phone to my external hard drive. These road trips happened mid and late last year. I think we're overdue for another one, guys.

Bald Hills Lookout, Wollongong

This was winter time last year. I remember it was soooo windy that day.

We had picnic in Stanwell Beach thereafter.

Wollongong Botanic Garden

We celebrated my birthday during this trip. It was after I got back from Singapore. We had picnic at the park. 

We had a mini-photoshoot that day as well (As usual. You all know how we roll by now. Haha!). Unfortunately, the photos were accidentally deleted and all we have are photos from our phones and BTS shots.

We drove to Bay Vista in Parramatta for dessert (Yes, we drove from Wollongong to Parramatta just for dessert) because we wanted to try the new spot.

The drive for this dessert was worth it!

Jervis Bay

For our Christmas celebration (We did it in November because all of us had travel plans for Christmas), we decided to have staycation-slash-house party in Jervis Bay. We rented out an apartment in Huskisson. The place was really lovely. It was homey. It was big enough for us actually. Though the signal was quite poor, we enjoyed the serenity of the area. 

Before heading to the apartment, we stopped over at The Hungry Monkey in Kiama for late lunch and did some grocery shopping for our dinner and snacks.

Upon arrival, we settled down for a bit, unpacked and prepared our dinner. We grilled some meat, cooked some dishes, had a few drinks and stayed up all night drinking and chit-chatting (aka gossiping. Lol!). We drove to Murrays Beach and Hyams Beach around lunch time the next day for a quick swim.

Where should we head to next?

Travel Journal: Amedee Island (Noumea, New Caledonia)

Oh, Amedee, Amedee, Amedee, you are so heavenly.

I was in love with this island! Hands down, this was my favourite stop in our itinerary. Save the best for last, hey!

We booked this Amedee Day Trip tour with Royal Caribbean. We decided to book this under the cruise line because it takes an hour of yacht ride to get to the island. We figured it will be safer to do this tour under the cruise line company because, even if it's more expensive, it's a guarantee that the ship will wait for us even if the tour runs late.

We got off the ship, met our feisty French tour guide (She is amazing!) and rode a coach to Port Moselle where a yacht was waiting for us to bring us to Amedee Island. I felt like we were at The Hamptons (though I've never been there. Haha!) - there were yachts lined up along the port, nice houses by the hills/cliffs.

As soon as we docked, oh my goodness, I was mesmerised. It was so gorgeous! The turquoise water. The white sand. The intimacy. Clare and I were already planning to go back and we hadn't set foot on the island yet. We were still walking on the dock.

I didn't realise he was in one of my photos until I reviewed the album. Hee.

We immediately purchased the ticket for the Amedee lighthouse (and some souvenirs). We were among the first few who went up the lighthouse so we were able to take photos and videos in peace and without extra heads in the background.

The view from the lighthouse was spectacular. It's overlooking the tiny island. It's very secluded. We were the only ones there, aside from the staff.



It was so windy and luckily, I had my two-piece bikini underneath my dress so I didn't care if I went all Marilyn Monroe. (Not that I don't wear undergarments.) Haha!

We got so carried away by taking photos at the lighthouse and at the beach that we missed out a few other activities, such as the demonstration of different ways of tying the sarong, which I was interested to see. We also saw the smallest post office in the world as well, which is the post office in Amedee Island.

We were treated to mostly seafood (grilled tuna, prawns, mussels, coconut rice and egg fried rice, baby octopus salad, and more), some vegetables, coconut rice and egg fried rice for lunch and traditional island dance performances.There were ice cream, fruits and pannacotta for dessert. After lunch, we swam and snorkeled the afternoon away. We brought our own snorkel gear with us. It was a good call that we bought and brought our own before our trip so we didn't have to rent. We were only allowed to swim on certain areas, basically where there are no coral reefs.

While we were basking in the sun and water, a lady lost her Go Pro and we helped her look for it. It was quite difficult to find because her Go Pro is black with a clear waterproof case. It easily blended with the seaweeds and rocks. Her brother (EDIT: see photo way above), who, by the way, was really cute (Think James Marsden), happened to paddle-board beside me while looking for the Go Pro. I thought of initiating a conversation with him since he was already there, hello. (Wow, look at me, very daring! Haha!) But I was so shy and I kept asking myself, inside my head, over and over, should I say something to him or not? And I was like, screw this. A one-line sentence wouldn't kill me.

So I did. A lame small talk about that missing gadget. Haha!

Anyway, the missing Go Pro has been found after an hour or so. She was the one who was able to locate it eventually. She found it a bit further than the spot where she think she lost it. Their parents even joked that she should treat all of us for a drink since we helped her look for her it.

We were divided into groups beforehand for the glass-bottom boat ride, which was our last activity for the tour. We belonged to the last group to do that activity. We rode a glass bottom boat to see more corals and fishes in the further part of the ocean, where we weren't allowed to swim at. Oh, it was beautiful! No wonder it was a UNESCO World Heritage Site and they are really trying to keep it that way. There were a lot of colourful reefs and never-before-seen (at least for me) fishes. Our tour guide was enthusiastic in telling us the background of the island, the names of the fishes and all those interesting and fun science facts.

We rode the yacht back to Port Moselle again. The only seats left vacant by the time we got on board were the ones towards the tail of the yacht so, as expected, the ride going back made me feel a bit dizzy. Similar to what happened to us during our first day of cruise when we sat on the wrong part of the dining area as it left Sydney port. We slept it off instead and by the time we woke up and reached Port Moselle, we felt better.

We rode the coach and were driven back to the port where our ship was docked. We were able to see a tiny bit of Noumea. Clare and I wanted to visit this quaint, little city again because we were curious to see what it has to offer. It looked pretty chill and interesting. And probably the closest we can go to for legit patisseries and boulangeries! And guess what, we arrived 5 minutes later than the call time! This was it. This was what we were scared of exactly. Fortunately, we booked that trip under the cruise line so the Royal Caribbean staff had already been informed in advance that we would be arriving late. I think they would know that there were passengers who hadn't boarded yet because they scan our key cards in everytime we get on and off the ship. The head count will not tally to the total number of passengers. Anyway, as soon as the coach parked and we got off, the people who were already inside the ship applauded. Hahaha!

We headed to our room and prepared for our dinner. Then, we watched a piano performance and the Quest Game show. It was a hilarious show, oh my gosh! It's an adults-only scavenger hunt game. The audience was divided into groups, according to where we were seated. That game was full-on -- no holds barred, no inhibitions. There were bras here and there, wedgies, crazy and sexy dance moves and all random and weird but funny shenanigans. I was actually this close to lending my leopard-print bra that I was wearing tonight because an animal-print clothing item was asked for! Hahaha! And "James Marsden" aka the guy from earlier joined the game. He was one of the representatives in their section. He and his sisters were very game on. Towards the end, he was wearing a woman's outfit - skirt, heels, bra, makeup, all that jazz - and was dancing as required by the game. Everyone there couldn't stop laughing. Oh, what a night!

Today was really fun!
And the fun in our little village here will soon be over as we go back to reality! One more night and we will be back in Sydney! Nooooo!

Travel Journal: Suva, Fiji

We just got back from our tour in Suva, the second stop in our itinerary. We did a mixture of cultural, historical and fun things for today. I will write them all down now while it is still fresh in my memory. We still have heaps of time to rest and to prepare for dinner and tonight's show (It's Wild, Cool and Swingin as per the cruise compass) later.

We already docked in Suva by the time we finished preparing to get off the ship this morning. We booked the Jewel of Fiji shore excursion via Viator weeks prior to boarding the ship. We could have booked it with Royal Caribbean instead but my friend found out that it was more expensive to book it with them. We thought it would be risky to book an excursion outside the cruise line company because other tour companies might not or probably do not have any arrangements with the cruise line. There could be a conflict regarding pick-up and departure times and we might be left behind by the ship or we may have wasted our time if they pick us up later than usual.



We also weren't sure if there will be other people on the cruise that would book excursions from tour companies other than Royal Caribbean. If in case we get left behind on the island, it would be more comforting to know that we weren't the only two people who got left behind. Haha! Those kinds of little things that could have an annoying domino effect. But, we agreed to book one tour with Royal Caribbean and one tour from another tour company so we could compare later on.

Fortunately, when we got off the ship, vans from different tour companies were already parked outside and tour guides were already waiting for their respective clients. Viator emailed us beforehand the detailed instructions - the meeting place, time, what the tour guide would be wearing, etc. It was good to know that a lot of people booked excursions through other tour companies as well. Once our van was filled, a lady in our group asked the driver/tour guide what time would the tour finish as we have to be back by 4:00 PM. The driver/tour guide knew that already and he assured us that we will be back on time so all of us felt relieved that they seem to know the do's and don'ts of touring cruise clients.

Our driver drove us to Navua, 3 towns away from Suva, about an hour drive, so we were able to see a bit of the other towns.

We started the tour by visiting a village (Koromakawa Village) meeting house called bure. We had to take our shoes off as per their custom and as a sign of respect.

We were warmly welcomed with a war dance and a kava ceremony, a sacred and traditional ceremony that is only performed for visiting high chiefs and important visitors. Kava is their national drink. I tried it. Its taste isn't as bad as it looked. It looked like muddy water, tasted like an old lipstick? (At least for me!) A folk dance was performed thereafter as well.

Our tour guides also shared the history of the village (established by an Englishman named Mr. Danford). They showed us how they cook/their traditional way of cooking called lovo. It's like an oven but underground. They dig/create a big pit in the soil and place wood and stones in it. They light a fire in it and if it's ready for cooking, they rearrange the stones so that the food to be cooked can be placed on top of it properly. Then, they cover the pit with dried leaves. Our food for lunch was cooked in that way.

They also showcased how Fijian mats and artworks are made. For the mats, they shred or pound pandan leaves to make it thinner and weave them together. These mats are considered traditional gifts. As for the artworks, they use ink from mulberry. They pound mulberries and use the extract as ink. They add charcoal to that extract to create a black ink and they add clay to create brown ink or just use the pounded mulberry extract as it is. They also have handmade fabrics, which, similar to the mats, are used as gifts for a wedding or funeral. If I remember correctly and hopefully, I am not mistaken, I think it is also customary for them to give gifts at funerals.

They showed how they open coconuts, which is very similar to how it is done in the Philippines, and what they do with the coconut byproducts. They use the coconut husk to make their roof while they use the coconut shell as a pot/container for cooking as well.

Our guides also explained their native weapons (such as neckbreaker and cannibal fork) and meaning behind their symbols (e.g. putting a flower on your left ear means you're single while placing a flower on your right means you're married). I loved this part. A lot was discussed but these are the only ones that stuck in my head as I write this.

We also visited a village pre-school and met some kids who sang us both welcome and farewell songs, which was really cute.

Then, we had lunch and ate the food that was cooked earlier. Their food is somewhat similar to Filipino food. There were noodles with vegetables (like pancit), a dish that looks and tastes like laing but not spicy (I forgot what it was called), rice (Yay!), fish in coconut, curry, pumpkin. We thought we would have extra time after eating lunch so we also had our name listed for a quick massage but we cancelled it because we had to go straight to our next activity.

I tried and ate most of the dishes offered.

Before leaving the village, my friend and I bought some souvenirs. We quickly slipped on our rashguards and aqua shoes as well. We deliberately left all out things at the village for this part of the tour. We canoed down the Navua river to visit Navua's largest waterfalls. I didn't notice that it was a 45-minute trip because I was busy looking at the villages, rainforests and waterfalls that we passed by. It would have been nicer if the weather wasn't gloomy. But at least we didn't have to worry about sunburn or heat.

After reaching our stop, we trekked further into the forest to reach the waterfalls. We had a quick dip. And I had a little accident before that. I was stepping on rocks to get slowly into the water and as I walk one step further, there were no more rocks! I somehow slipped into the water. There was like a gap in that spot/a sudden dip and the water is fairly deep for my height. Luckily, there was a man nearby and he grabbed me by the arm. I was split-second close to panicking and I wouldn't have been able to swim! Whew. He then pulled me to a safer spot where it was not too deep. Oh, my goodness. I was super grateful to him.

We capped off the tour by riding a bamboo raft, which was their previous means of transportation, back when there were no roads and before motors were introduced.

Chinese cuisine for dinner

We canoed down the river again and went back to the village to grab our things. It was a good call to leave our things in the village because it was a hassle to carry things and worry about our gadgets while canoeing and trekking. We were driven back to the cruise ship port on time. Everything in this tour went smoothly. Now we know that we can safely book tours outside the cruise line company. They are efficient and they are way cheaper, too!

Next port stop will be in 2 days time!