I’m blogging from The Gallery Hotel in Singapore — I arrived yesterday afternoon from a 12-hour journey that took me from Tokyo to Nagoya to Singapore. It’s very nice to be home. I’m already speaking Singlish at top volume to cab drivers and fruit sellers at food courts.
The parents were keen to squeeze in as much makan (eating) time as possible. Food is the way they express their love and they sure did put in a lot of effort to make all my favourites.
Last night, we had popiah (rice paper veggie wraps with a mean chilli dip), sayur lodeh (Malay veggie curry), our family veggie stew (it’s usually made with deep fried chicken slices in a tomato stew of peas, onion, carrot and potato but there was a separate vegetarian version for me), Chinese spinach soup, and durian for dessert. My dad drove all the way to Bedok (an eastern suburb in Singapore; we live in the north) to buy creamy Malaysian durians for me to feast on. Awwww….
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If you are serious about your pizza, Da Isa in Nakameguro is just the place for you. The credentials of its chef will send a shiver of anticipation up your spine, too – apparently he got into the top echelons of the Pizza World Cup in Naples for three years in a row (Metropolis review here). He was also cooking over at famed Italian joint Napule where Italian expats dine at.
But I’ve to warn you that this is definitely not a fancy place nor a restaurant you would plan a romantic date. It’s got fluorescent lighting and an open-air eatery feel to it and a feverish never-ending bustle.
It suited my Singaporean gal pal and I just fine because many of the eateries back home have this same “kopitiam” (coffee shop) style and it’s really all about the food. Singaporeans don’t care if they are eating in the dreariest, dirtiest of surroundings, as long as the nosh is fantastic.
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Two weekends ago, I headed up to Suwa, Nagano for a birthday party at a lodge — that always means loud music and lots of food and booze in the middle of nowhere. I’ve developed a soft spot for such lodge stays because they are so much fun.
On a Friday night, a bunch of us zoomed up from Tokyo to our friends’ apartment and we chatted till late. It certainly felt like a holiday, especially when we were greeted by this:
To be served breakfast not made by myself was such a luxury. The spinach with crumbled sesame seeds and ponzu sauce was my fave.
Unfortunately it was quite rainy but I actually enjoyed lazing around in my friends’ living room till it was time to shop for food and head up to the lodge for the party.
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“Let’s enjoy brushing”
You can find kawaii-ness, even in a dental clinic in Japan. Why had I taken so long to get health check-ups in Japan? Well, the medical world is not a familiar one to me in the Land of the Rising Sun. I’ve got this paralyzing fear that if I cannot navigate my local post office with smooth savvy, then how could I possibly understand medical-related terms?
Thank goodness I’m in pretty good health, so I have never ever stepped into a hospital or medical clinic. But I thought my teeth could use a bit of attention because….I haven’t seen a dentist in, like, four years. I know I’m so gross but my pearlie whites seem okay. Really.
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Yep, the kangaroo is away on business, and as usual, he’s gone for five to six weeks. “Don’t you get lonely?” is a question I get asked more often than I’d like to count because it’s uncomfortable admitting something so “weak” but it is a huge problem in the trailing spouse world.
If you’ve got a regular job, this may not be such a big deal, because the key concerns of a trailing partner without a standard 9-to-5 job is the lack of human interaction and self-fulfillment.
I started thinking about this again when I read an article about Naoko Yamazaki, Japan’s first mom to catapult into space. Her training spanned several countries so her husband, Taichi, quit his space controller job to keep the family unit together (they have a daughter). They nearly got a divorce because Taichi was deeply unhappy with his role as a homemaker — even suicidal — compounded by the fact he couldn’t find a job in the US.
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The shoe sizes I’m familiar with are single digit ones (US) and 30-something ones (EU), but in Japan, your shoe size is the length of your foot in centimeters.
I’m a size 23.5 (size 6.5 or 7; 36.5 or 37) in Japan, if anyone cares.
I always find it amusing that shoes are lined up on the shelves according to sizes in Japanese shoe stores. I guess it’s an efficient way to show what they have in your size. If it’s there, it’s there. If the design is not available in your size, it just won’t be on the shelf. Also, both shoes in the pair are on display, which is not the case in Singapore, so you can just try them on both feet without having to call for any assistance — cool.
Another only-in-Japan thing: you don’t need to pay at the cash register at a department store. The salesperson would go to the cashier and get the receipt and you just need to wait where you were when you asked for service. You can then keep browsing as you wait and that’s certainly more interesting than standing in a queue.
If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you will know that I have been slowly training for the Tokyo Marathon next February. I know, the application process hasn’t even started and I’m telling people I’m running it.
Well, I’m fairly confident of getting it even though it’s a lottery-style selection process, because word has it that all foreigners who apply for it will get it, like all.
Most guides or experienced marathoners will tell you three to four months is enough to train for a marathon. I would have to agree it is enough if you are consistent and careful with your running schedule.
So why am I starting to train now? In fact, I made up my mind in January and have been on the look out for half-marathons or other long distance running events to take part in. Taking off by yourself on a 20km run can be a bit dull, plus I wanted to get used to the whole process of Japanese marathons — from the application process to getting to the location.
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This is a continuation of Part 1 of my ultra-fun US trip in April – May this year….
#6 Hanging out in Harvard Square
By coincidence, we were in Boston on May Day, and every year, there’s a May Fair at Harvard Square so we did a sticky beak (that means to go take a look in Aussie slang).
This was a chalk-drawing event for a charity but I forgot which. It was amazing that all these people came out to draw colourful creations on the road in the sweltering sun.
I spotted two pugs….awwwww….Did I mention I have a fixation on pugs? The kangaroo: are you reading this?
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Hi everyone, I’m running my first-ever blog giveaway on my beauty blog, Beauty Box. It’s a shameless plug but it IS Japan-related…
You get to win a FREE bottle of Mandom Cleansing Express Agecare Q10 (300ml or 10.14 fl. oz.) for one lucky reader.
This amazing cleanser will remove makeup (even waterproof mascara) in a jiffy. You don’t even need a toner or facial wash so you can fall into bed as soon as possible.
To take part in the giveaway, click over to Beauty Box.
As a trailing partner, I do get some amazing perks like travelling to exotic places with my road warrior kangaroo. It wasn’t easy leaving work behind but it was worth the stress and preparation. From mid-April to early May, I flew from Tokyo -> SF -> Las Vegas -> NYC -> Boston -> NYC -> LA -> Tokyo. Aren’t I lucky? Here are the top 10 highlights of my trip:
#1 Got to meet up with my gorgeous gal pals
We gossiped, gaggled, and ate good food together. I also ran, did yoga, watched Broadway shows, checked out an art exhibition — all in the company of my gal pals. Sigh, those were some good times.
#2 Hugged the tallest tree in the world
From San Francisco, we drove to Las Vegas and stopped by the Sequoia National Park to say hello to the tallest (and oldest) tree in the world, General Sherman. It is more than 3,000 years old and it was mighty impressive.
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