sugoi nihon experiences

as i start to cross the t's and the dot the i's of my life here in nihon by thinking and preparing my list of things to do before i leave, i thought how about the best experiences Ive had on this country so far.

So here they are in no particular order:

HOKKAIDO RAMEN at Lake Shikotsu
While ramen originated from China, Japanese made it their own! it is a must-try when one visits Japan. There are several variations, but so far the one I had in Hokkaido is still the best-tasting Ramen, so yummy that it merits a place on my top nihon experiences! Topped with snow crabs and other seafood delights it was still pocket friendly.
COST: Less than 1000 yen
BASE: MISO soup


WEARING YUKATA

Hanabi is summer tradition of fireworks display in Japan. I had been to several Hanabis including the famous walking hanabi by Sumida river in Tokyo. But what complete my Hanabi experience is the chance to wear yukata - summer kimono, while watching the fireworks display at Chiba Minato.
WHEN: SUMMER 2009




5th Station MT. FUJI
I know the typical goal is to scale up the mt. fuji and watch the sunrise from its summit. But hhhmmm, i am not up to the rigors of climbing to the top of the mighty fuji-san. Not while i am slaving in nihon and have to work the day before or after the climb. However, the chance to be at Mt Fuji, even only up to its 5th station, is more than enough for me. The daytrip to Mt. Fuji as well as the chance to wear yukata is courtesy of a younger female engineer in the office. She is a friendly, pretty and smart lady, i hope T will not steal her zest for life.


A WALK IN KAMIKOCHI
A walk rather than hike is more fitting as the Kamikochi trail is mostly flat terrain. My desire to see Kamikochi can be traced back four years ago when a former colleague at sumitomo told me about this place. So it was on top of my list when I got back here in nihon. The experience did not disappoint, the fresh air and the clear river waters are testament of japan's other attraction, its nature. I might still wonder how it would like with the japan alps capped with snow during winter, but for now I consider Kamikochi experience checked and completed.


L AUBERGE, a French resto at Tokyo
Tokyo will definitely give Paris a run for his money in terms of Michelin starred restos. and while I cant say that L Auberge is the best resto I had been to in Tokyo, this is where i had my priciest lunch.ever. I was with a very good company too, with my three single (that time) very good friends. It was a sort of rite of passage for the four of us, racking up $620 tab for a lunch, that we felt we're entitled to "ladies-who-lunch" sash! :)

SHINKANSEN RIDE - Nozomi
A long stay in Japan is just not complete without a bullet train ride!! And Nozomi is the fastest of em all. I`ve only taken shinkansen three times, during my kyoto-hiroshima trip, autumn 2008, and i think two of those rides were inside Nozomi.
Shinkansen does not come cheap, however for visitors who are in Japan just for sightseeing, consider purchasing Japan Railpass. It offers unlimited shinkansen rides for a selected period of time (Nozomi lines are excluded). For foreigners who are working here, JTB tours is the way to go, with its accommodation plus shinkansen packages.


MATCHA AND WAGASHI
Green tea and sweets, these are usually offered on small teahouses inside japanese parks. I tried this first time at Hama-Rikyu garden. Their matcha, or green tea was very good, i can still remember how it tasted, so smooth even up to the last drop and without that bitter residue. What made it more fun is them giving us instructions on how to properly drink the tea (how to hold and turn), and that is probably the closest I get to an authentic tea ceremony.
After that experience, it has become a habit to check out the teahouses inside the parks that I visit.


HANAMI
Many has extolled the beauty of sakura. whether in famous places in tokyo, yokohama or lesser known parks in chiba, sakura viewing in its full bloom and splendour will never disappoint. After a gloomy winter, there is nothing more that can perk the moods of workaholic japanese more than the chance to laze around and under the beautiful blooming sakura trees.

KOYO
Fall is my favorite season. The explosion of orange, red and even yellow colors would be my poignant memory of Japan. If there is one activity that I will probably never get tire of (yet) here, it is chasing koyo during autumn.



There are lots of small things that i could probably only experience in Japan. And part of me knows that I will somewhat miss being here. I am grateful that i have these experiences to carry with me, it is just that life is a series of moving-on. And i feel like i have overstayed my welcome in this land of the rising sun.

X, L and F

of all the things that i get to discover on my ex-crushie, the fact that he cross dresses, is the bomb that kill the remaining infatuation i had on him! he is still one funny guy, but now I cant remove the image of him on his friend's wedding wearing sexy (his words!) dress.

tonight we had a short beer drinking/team building in the project, and it was just held in the vicinity of the office. though we all know, there were tasks waiting on our desks after the drinking, it was still a breather from all the work stress. we all had our turn for laughters. i was seated between ex-crushie and a younger korean guy.
what actually turns out as a pleasant surprise was knowing that the younger korean lived in London, studied English near Hammersmith (Bechtel's nearest tube station) and stayed in Ealing Broadway, just few stops after Gunnersbury which was the nearest tube station to where I lived. He told me how that at that time he already got his chemical engineering degree, but worked parttime making pizza, and treasured that experience. and together we each related the good times of being in London. We both admitted that looking back could be both tricky, as we normally just retain the good memories. But the fact that another person, in a different circumstance, longs for the environment of London, somehow validated my separation grief with London. I am actually over L now (i think). maybe not the over forever kind, but at least i can reminisce, read about it without feeling like i am missing a lost love. Hearing how this younger korean plans to look for opportunities in UK, and how he hope to work there next year, made me visit the UK skilled migrant program website again. I checked his chances, with his age, and work based in Korea, and found out that he can probably meet the points. And that thought cheered me up. If it does not happen to you, its a consolation to know that it can happen to someone you know. Although i know the results would be different for my case, i still checked but even with the help of strong yen, overtime, free accommodation, higher points for earnings in Japan is just quite difficult to achieve. I thought of another friend who is based in Korea, who also got the L bug but like me, has already recovered too. I hope it warms her to know that once she completes her one year in Korea, she will have the L option if she so desires.

Even if it appears that L is not one of my options right now, I am rather optimistic about my future. I guess i feel like this quagmire i am in cannot be any worse. working with hardly any motivation! working because i have to, feeling burdened, rather than being inspired or challenged. and yet have to be grateful that i still have this job. so yes i cant wait for my contract to end. to do some of the things that i enjoy, to look for a career that may not pay as much but will allow me to the work-life balancing act properly. to see that blush back on my cheeks and not all these signs of stress, and hopefully gain back the few pounds i lost due to this stress-related syndrome that i have.
there will be lots of things that I will miss in Japan, but hey it is not like its doors will be forever closed to me. Its a good place to travel, but not to work. So maybe in the future, I will visit J again. But i want a proper closure this time around, so for now i will work on crossing out, one by one, the list on my things to do before i leave J.