Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts

Recap of 2015: A Whirlwind Year of Unpredictable Changes

At times, 2015 felt like a marathon on an unpaved and risky road. This year- I've hosted multiple visitors to Tokyo, quit my job at Rakuten, moved to San Francisco unemployed, reached out to countless individuals for career advice, found a summer internship, signed 2 job offers, and logged in many transcontinental milages. 2015 was a whirlwind of a year and honestly speaking, I am so grateful and so lucky to have things unfold the way they did. 

I'm going to split my recap into 3 parts:

  • Jan-June- my time in Japan
  • June- my brief trip to Korea
  • June-Dec- my time back in America


 Looking back at 2015 (1/3)  ✿ 

JANUARY 

Beautiful fireworks on the waterfront of Hong Kong rang in 2015 for me. We were in the middle of our Southeast Asia trip and scheduled it just so to ensure we don't miss the spectacular New Year Countdown in Hong Kong. I still remember the confetti-filled air filled with the cold breaths of tourists and locals alike (with advertisements of Line characters in the background). I cannot think of a better way to start off 2015.

Happy 2015!

Hong Kong at Night



Immediately after we return to Japan, my sister jumped across the pond to visit me. We did so much in the week and a half she was over that I might have to dedicate additional posts to them. One of the more memorable things was our overnight trip to Hakone where I introduced onsen (hot-springs) and ryokan (Japanese-style inn) to her. We were also able to overlook the majestic Mt.Fuji from our room and add black sulfur eggs that are said to prolong your lifespan by 7 years.
Cony and Brown at the Line Store in Harajuku.

Mt.Fuji in all its glory.

Kyari Pamyu Pamyu's 22nd birthday party in Ageha (one of the most popular clubs in Japan) marked the end of January 2015.

Happy Birthday Kyari~

FEBRUARY 

We celebrated our 100 days with our Rirakkuma. Since then, our addiction to Rirakkuma has deepened so significantly that the character permeated through our daily lives with its presence on our pencil cases, stationeries, messaging apps, and so forth.

Happy 100 days <3. 




In this month, there was also a pop-up Pikachu cafe in Roppongi Mori Tower. Any Pokemon fanatic would thoroughly enjoy this event as you can find original sketches of scenes from the show and order food in the shape of Pikachu.

Me with my Pikachu Curry. 

Near Valentine's Day, we participated in Tokyo Restaurant Week when we were able to dine in a Michelin Star restaurant- Monna Lisa, located nearby Tokyo Station. For only $50 per person, we feasted on a luxurious French meal.

It's so beautiful. 



MARCH 

Following Valentine's Day, there is White Day. It is a day when the men have to reciprocate the girl's love on Valentine's Day. My most favorite present is a huge Rirakkuma pillow that I still use everyday. We also made a trip to Kawaguchi-ko where we had an overnight stay in a ryokan and a delicious sukiyaki dinner. The next day, we headed to the Fuji-Q amusement park for some g-force fun.
Welcome to the family, Rirakkuma <3. 
That month, we also had the rare opportunity to test-ride a Tesla. The car was so silent and smooth that the experience was unlike any other.
The quietest car ever. 
I will definitely write a separate post in regards to this, but a couple of friends and I experienced a Butler Cafe for the first time. Unlike their more commercially successful and renowned maid cafes, butler cafes were a little bit more obscure and dare I say it- high class. It's incredibly interesting how we were not able to even head to the bathrooms without an escort nor pour our own teas.

Us in front of the Butler Cafe as we're not allowed to take photos indoor.

APRIL 

Spring is officially here and you know what that means. It's sakura (cherry blossom) season!
Depending on the temperature and your location in Japan, hanami (cherry blossom viewing) season can come sooner or later in the springtime. If you're a sakura fanatic, you can even chase them by traveling throughout the country to view the flowers at its full blossom.
It's sakura season!




April was also a time when I finalized my decision to halt my adventures in Japan to find better opportunities in America. Despite my love for the country and the countless amount of fun and adventure I've experienced in Japan, it was not sustainable. My salary was too low, which made paying back my student loans and building up a savings/retirement account near impossible.

Near the end of April, we went on a trip to Western Japan, specifically around the Kansai cities- Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe. The trip was very fast and we didn't spend time in each city as leisurely as I'd like, but it was a very productive trip where we hit some of the most famous landmarks and tried their trademark delicacies.

Don't let the cuteness fool you. They're vicious. 

MAY 

We continued to enjoy our Golden Week in Japan. This time- we explored Tokyo by exploring some popular and iconic places. Ueno Park, Roppongi, Omotesando, etc were all places we've visited or revisited. I also tried fishing for the first time in an aquarium. The aquarium was so huge sub -sectioned into many parts filled with many activities.
Ahhh, help~ 
My first attempt at fishing.

In May, I also helped organize an education hackathon with some co-workers. It was my first time even participating in a hackathon so it was a great learning experience. I was amazed by the quality of the apps some developers created. This opened up a new world of ed-tech that I researched and hoped to be a part of in my next career.

The midst of the hackathon.


JUNE

I enjoyed my final 2 weeks in Tokyo by overloading on shopping, traveling, revisiting favorite places, and eating my favorite Japanese food. I also met up with many friends and bid good-bye until the next time we meet. Before I knew it, I was on the plane with my suitcases without knowing at all what will happen in the next few months. I made a layover in Korea before heading to San Francisco.

Sayonara~ Jiyugaoka. 



...To be continued~

You Might Also Like

A Lazy Saturday


Guess what I found in Jiyugaoka today! I saw pictures of this bridge and little canal on guide books about Jiyugaoka, but I was never able to find it until today. It is a lot smaller than I had anticipated, but it looks like a small slice of Europe in my backyard. Once again, I'm reminded of just how thankful and blessed to be living in this neighborhood. 






One of the most interesting things about this neighborhood is the juxtaposition between the trendy, European influences and the reminder of old, traditional Japan. The canal shown above is right next to the Kumano Shrine. 






I also tried Nana's green tea for the first time~ I had the　白玉あんずき抹茶ラッテ. It costed about 600 yen for this. Quite expensive, but I think it's worth the value, especially if you like green tea. 



There's also a shop that specializes in nuts and beans. I bought this strawberry- flavored cashews. It's so good! The shop itself is also extremely trendy with samples of the products hanging down so you can see what's inside the package without opening it.  


Today, I woke up, did my chores. Afterwards, I just strolled Jiyugaoka, taking my time to really take in everything this neighborhood has to offer to me. Jojo and Lei met up with me a little later and I took them to see the shrine and the canal. Afterwards, we walked to this store called Accent Style where they had funny looking bunny dolls and stuffed animals. Jojo bought a Fuku- bukoro- a big bag of mystery products. The things inside were extremely cute and I kind of want to buy one of my own! 
Then, they came over to my place. I love playing host and I would like more people to come over so I can host them ^-^.

Later, Emma joined us and we had Thai food. It's deemed authentic and judging by the 40 mins we had to wait, it's super popular. Although I was not terribly wowed by the food, it was pretty good. The music there was also great. 

You Might Also Like

Random Things from the Weekends

Tokyo usually have everything that I crave for. But one thing I noticed was that bubble tea was not very popular... I have a hard time finding good, tasty bubble tea with soft, chewy tapioca pearls. So I was ecstatic when I came across this jem.  

In Jiyugaoka, there's this gorgeous street call Green Street that's lined with trees and trendy shops and cafes. Among the trendy shops, there's a food cart that serves crepes and bubble tea! It was too cold that day for me to order the crepes but they had a ton of flavors- sweet and savory. Instead, I ordered the Coconut Milk Bubble Tea. It was much better than I expected! I was genuinely surprised. The prices are a little bit high- around 300- 400 yen for the bubble tea. 



 


Another great thing about Japan is the quantity of 100 yen and 300 yen shops. I bought this fake flowers from a 300 yen shop call Cou Cou filled with cute items, aimed to young women. You'd be surprised at some of the things they offer. The quality of their products exceeds the price. 
These flowers are now adorning my genkan. 



 Wait! Can we talk about the existence of Sakura flavored Ice Cream?? This is so good! The ice cream was interlaced with vanilla and jam. It did not taste woody as some of my friends claim Sakura- flavored items to taste like. 


Oh, this 100 kcal soup rice is also much better than I expected. All you have to do is microwave it. You don't even need to take it out of the box. After you microwave it, you just have to put it on top of rice and you have your dinner! Low calorie and fantastic!


Ok, so I've been raving about what I love. Let me tell you what I was kind of disappointed about. In Tokyo, there's this cosmetic store call RanQueen and RanKing that sells products that makes it to the top ranks of popularity. They also have a short description of each product, explaining its benefits and the reasons behind its popularity.

I came across this eyeliner. It immediately caught my eye because one end is a regular eyeliner while the other end is powder. What you do is line your eyes and then use the powder to smudge it out for a smoky, soft look. The powder is consisted within the cap so you'd have to twist it a little bit before uncapping it. It sounded super convenient and it was ranked Number 1 in Cosme so I bought it.

I was utterly disappointed. =[ The liquid end did not dry fast enough so when I try to smudge it out, the powder end would rub off the liner, leaving shards of eyeliner around my eye. Maybe I'm just bad with make- up, but even so, I expected more from this.  



On another note! I went to the farmer's market nearby Aoyama Gakuin, in front of the United Nations University. You can access it from Exit 12 of Shibuya Station. After you get out from the exit, you'd have to walk down a street, but it's not very hard to find as it's smack- dab in front of the United Nations University. 

I love going to the farmer's market. The food is usually much tastier and fresher than what they sell in the supermarket. The price is not so bad for a farmer's market! They're super reasonable. An added plus is that you get to interact with the farmers and get to know about the food's origin. I've been to this farmer's market a handful of times already and I find myself having a great time every time. ^-^ 

My friend, Terasa recommended me to try this Hinako Mochi. I bought this pack for 300 yen and I can't wait to try it out! 


One farmer brought her pet goat. This dog was super interested in the goat. lol



Oh! Almost forgot to mention this. They also have tons of food trucks that offer really yummy, mostly organic dishes. I ordered this vegetable bowl- contained of fake meat, scrambled tofu, multigrain rice, lettuce, cabbage, and other healthy goodness. This was super filling. I felt stuffed after finishing this. I would definitely recommend stocking up on your groceries and then try the food trucks when you come to the Farmer's Market. 



Yesterday, after I went to the Farmer's Market, my friend Akihiro invited me to his friend's place for a house party. I've never met them before so I was extremely nervous. However, everyone was so nice and so courteous that I felt bad for being so nervous and quiet. 

One of the fun parts of the night was that we decorated Kumamon cookies! Can you tell which one I decorated? lol 



They're so cute. 


The host and hostess made this amazing dish. I was like is it ok for me to eat this?? We've just met and everything, is it really ok? D=

But I ate. It was absolutely delicious.



~drumroooll~ My Kumamon.... xD poor Kumamon 

You Might Also Like

A Rainy Day in Jiyugaoka

I woke up this morning to dreary, gray clouds. I always tend to oversleep on days like this. It started raining and I just laid in my kotatsu for a good 30 mins hoping for the skies to clear up.

I don't know how much the weather affects your moods, but I'm just like, "what's the point of even moving~". I'm always reduced to an unproductive, lazy bum on rainy days.
But I eventually got up, ate my yogurt with granolas and grapes. After that, I bummed around some more until I mustered up enough energy to put together my bookcase.
Soon afterwards, my parents texted me on WeChat and we started talking for almost an hour! I was able to talk to my mom, dad, and my brother. Usually, it's just one or the other, but today, they were all together. We video chatted and I showed them my apartment and reassured them I live in a safe, comfortable place. I really think they worry too much. But I think one day when I become a parent, I will worry just as much about my future kids.

I finished up putting together my bookcase. Puji kindly informed me on the correct ways to arrange books lol. I put them down with the label facing up. He noted that the normal way to place books is so the labels are clearly visible. It's a bit hard to explain, but it was so funny at the time xD.

Afterwards, I invited Emma to lunch and we had some delicious Thai Lunch Buffet at this place call Bangkok Kitchen. I saw a few of this Thai restaurant throughout Tokyo. The food there is absolutely delicious and their spicy dishes are actually spicy. Japanese people don't normally eat spicy food so a lot of the "spicy" food are just mildly tingly, hardly spicy. So I am very pleased with the spice level here.

For appetizer, we had spring rolls sprinkled with tangy & sweet chili sauce, summer rolls stuffed with crunchy veggies, and vermicelli that's packed with flavor.


For the entree, we both chose Spicy Seafood Rice Noodles. While eating this, I've noticed just how low my spicy tolerance dipped. I had to make trips to the water counter at least 5 times. 


I forgot to take a picture of dessert, but I had lychee, cream puff, and a tiny chocolate cake. So scrumptious!

After parting with Emma, I used a coupon to buy a book into my Kobo. It's a book call "Delivering Happiness" by Tony Hsieh, a Taiwanese- American Internet entrepreneur. It's about his journey establishing Linkexchange and becoming the CEO of Zappos.com. Lately, I have been lacking inspiration to do something that I really like or enjoy. I feel like I'm letting everyday pass by so easily without living to my fullest. Therefore, I wanted to glimpse into his passion for his work and his life. Hopefully, after reading this, I will be inspired to start something that I am passionate about.

After downloading this book, I headed to Starbucks to read it where I bumped into Emma! I was so surprised! I thought she went home already haha. But she saved a table upstairs where we were able to read and ponder over some thoughts.
Oh btw, I ordered the Limited Sakura Chocolate Latte- the first few sips were really good! It's just a little too sweet for me. I needed a cup of water in order to drink the whole thing. Also, I think I've been in Japan too long. The Grande size I ordered looked wayyy too big. I was like, was this always the size?? lol


It was a dreary, rainy day today that had me in low spirits, but by the end of the day, my mood has lifted and I feel a strong sense of thankfulness for life and for the people around me. 

You Might Also Like

Taiyaki + Croissant= Taiyaki Croissant!!

Trains that actually come on time, bustling streets laden with attractive shops and restaurants, amazing food... there are so many perks that comes with living in Tokyo. And did I mention amazing food??

One of the best perks is the easy access to creative and wonderful food hybrids. Today, I went to Shinjuku to try one of the latest culinary inventions-  Taiyaki Croissant!

My friend, Emma, and I met at JR Shinjuku Station East Exit. It's literally one minute away from the East Exit. Once you head outside of that exit, in front of your eyes should be a big shopping mall- Alta Studio.


As you walk towards Studio Alta, you will see Croissant Taiyaki right in front of the entrance. You cannot miss it. Aside from the big "Croissant Taiyaki" across the banner, there are those side- flags indicating what's sold there. The moment you step near the store (which is located outside btw), you can smell the powerful scent of the sweet pastry. It smells amazing!



The Croissant Taiyaki is by Gindako, a popular chain takoyaki restaurant. The Croissant Taiyaki are also sold at certain Gindako spots- you can check the website here http://www.croissant-taiyaki.com. 







I bought one for 200 yen and it was worth every yen. You can also purchase a set of them to bring home and share with your friends and family or eat them all by yourself! 
The Croissant Taiyaki is made from croissant puff pastry sheets and pressed in Taiyaki mold. On top, you can see sprinkled drops of hard, crystalized sugar. 


The inside is filled with warm Anko (red bean) filling. The crispy outside and the soft filling complements perfectly. It's sweet, warm, and delicious! 
I recommend this to everyone who loves sweets and food in general~ 

You Might Also Like

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)