Japan, Hokkaido - Day 2

Woke up super early so I can go to the onsen again before going for breakfast. 

Our sumptuous breakfast

Met the lady from dinner and she remembered us. I wonder how many hours do they work everyday. 

Ate so much fish there that my fish quota was met for the year. I love the egg rolls that they served, and I got 2 servings! because Eunice doesn't eat eggs.

After breakfast, went back to pack and it was time to board the bus at 10am to head to Sapporo. Thanks to the onsen, I had such a good sleep on the bus.

We had sometime before check-in time so we went to explore sapporo station and to get our train tickets from the JR office. The sapporo station is quite big so it can take some time to orientate yourself. 

After checking in, we went off to Shiroi Kobito Factory. 

No real reindeer, fake one will do

It's christmas, so they had christmas lightings set up inside.

When at shiroi koibito factory, even if the weather is freezing and you feel like your nose, ears and fingers are going to drop off, you still have to eat their ice-cream.

After that bought lots at their shop. Bai se lian ren is like a must buy when in Japan, even in Tokyo, so what's more at their homeland - hokkaido. Buy everything, bombed 9727 Yen there. I quite like their chocolate drink, is very rich and chocolatey. Actually if you are just looking for the normal biscuits, there are many places in Hokkaido that sell them, so don't necessarily have to buy there. But I guess sometimes, it's just the feel.

After shopping, went up their toy exhibition to take a look.

Pikachussss

Their sky turns dark very early, about 4 plus 5 and it will be dark already.
Took the train down to susukino station because we wanted to have a sumptuous dinner of crab at Sapporo Kani Honke. But when we reached there, it was fully booked. So if you want to go there, remember to make it booking before hand. They are not only full on Sundays because when we passed by the Sapporo branch on Tuesday, it was also fully booked.

Initially we were thinking of eating it another day after we booked, but we past by a random crab place and decided to just eat there.

King Crab Shabu Shabu - 5400 Yen per pax

So precious

648 Yen

I ordered their rice where they will cook the rice in the broth after you are done. It taste abit like our lobster porridge.

School is starting on Monday, journey to the west starts all over again (and this time no hostel!). I guess blogging will have to take a backseat again, but I hope I continue blogging because when I read back on my post, it brings back not only memories, but sometimes gives me insight on my emotions too.

Feeling fat and ugly

Bought a dress a Chatuchak yesterday and fml, cannot fit. Even though when held up against my body look like it can fit, it can't.

I'm really super fat. Usually people say no you're not fat, but I think I'm actually fatter than I look. Or people are just being kind. I always cannot wear free size clothes unless it is elastic or is suppose to be loose fit. Dont know why this time I buy, must be feeling sad that I have no clothes to buy. And when I buy clothes with size, I'm seldom an m size, usually an l size and sometimes an xl. So, I'm fat.

So now I know I have no clothes to buy in bkk, I can only buy shoes and bag for my myself. And of course food.  And skirts too, because their skirts are elastic, previously bought a few, this time didn't ?manage to buy any, don't have the design I'm looking for.

Not only am I fat, my eyes also so small, not only small, but also one small one big. Then my skin condition also not good. Then hair also not nice. I solemnly promise I will never buy free size clothes until I become skinny..always cannot fit. Look like 💩. Really faints.

Okay, rant over. Going off to bed.

Hello 2016

Haha, this is so true. So 2016 is just round the corner, and as with every year, it's time to review my resolutions for 2015 and make new resolutions for 2016!

Resolutions for 2015
1) Lose 8kgs. Haha, I didn't even lose 1kg. 
2) Work hard in my job and give my best to the students. SPIN - know their Strengths, Prior knowledge about them, Interest and Needs.
3) Study hard when I go into NIE. Although I procrastinate a lot, I think I have worked quite hard. My results are okay, except one module that is super disappointing.  
4) Go on 2-3 overseas trips. Went to Taiwan in March and Japan in December :)
5) Drink more water, slowly and steadily increase my water intake. I still need to work on this, I drink coke, bubbletea, kickapoo, milo, milk ... yet I don't drink plain water frequently.
6) Continue to keep my room and wardrobe neat. My room looked as if a tornado went through it before the holidays but now it's still messy but much better.
7) Be more positive and less naggy. Am I?
8) Find a boyfriend. However, according to my horoscope, this year likely I can't find one. Don't have, I don't even want to add it in my resolution next year.
9) Don't forget my Korean, continue to practice my Korean. I was still practising until june, hopefully next year I will do better
10) Blog more. I feel that this year my frequency of blogging wasn't very good. Maybe 3-5 blog posts per month. Quite good, except during the time I was in school when I was rushing out assignments, so forgivable?
11) Achieve work life balance. Work hard and spend time with my family and friends. Yep, I think generally I did. 
12) Be more sociable and expand my social circle. Smile smile and be more open. I made some new friends in school, but I think I am still very shy.
13) Be more courageous.
14) I really really really hope that I can be somebody who give and totally 不求回报. Unconditional giving to me is really not easy, I guess I'm too self-centred. I think I am trying, although I have not reached it yet, I will keep trying. 
15) I know previously I kept making resolutions but I will just forget about them. So hopefully I can buy  quarterly review of them. I only reviewed it once, oops.

Resolutions for 2016
1) Engage in a healthier lifestyle - drinking more water, have a better sleep routine, exercise walk more...
2) Be kind, have courage. Also, be more positive, patient and smile more! :) Think more for others, be less self-centered.
3) Save more money.
4) Continue to practise Korean.
5) Study hard and work hard.
6) Continue to spend time with my family and friends and show them my love more.
7) Take the HPV vaccine. I have been wanting to take it this year but I kept procrastinating due to my fear of injections.
8) Get rid of my phone addiction and limit my phone use. I think I have been using too much of my phone.
9) Expand my horizon - be it through reading, travelling, attending courses...
10) Love life, love myself.

I won't say I'm all prepared for 2016 but I will try my best in 2016. May 2016 continue to bless me with joy, happiness, love and wealth.
Leaving behind the bad in 2015, let's all move towards an amazing 2016!
Happy New Year and see you again in 2016!

Gardens by the Bay - Christmas Wonderland

Met Cheryl on Monday for k session and a visit to Gardens by the Bay. I have never been there cause I am not the type of person who can fully appreciate flowers, but the lighting there for christmas is very attractive (and to many people too, judging from the crowd).

 

Went to Teo Heng at Katong in the afternoon. It seemed like many people were going to Teo Heng that day because Suntec and Renzendous Hotel were fully booked for 1pm that day. Enjoying the k session but the room they gave us was super problematic, something wrong with the sound system and the next down was just plain loud. I think because their rooms were all fully booked they also couldn't change the room for us. I think their system at suntec is much better.   

Went to Chabuton for dinner at Millenia Walk before heading down to GBTB. 

Went to visit the conservatories (Cloud Dome and Flower Dome) first where tickets are needed. Can check online for cheaper tickets. The most exciting part of the cloud dome was this waterfall. They placed the peak right at the entrance which made the other parts of the exhibition just meh~.

When I looked at this photo, I realised that I am really short.

Cloud Dome

Don't you think the bottom right plant looks like the pokemon that gives off a smelly smell while the bottom left one is Victreebel. I didn't realised the plants in the middle top photo (which consists of the bottom right photo plant) was made up of legos until Cheryl mentioned it. I thought they were real!

Wefie~

Flower Dome

Next we went to the flower dome, so as the name suggests, there are lots of flowers in there. There is also christmas lighting setup inside the flower dome.   

After that we went to explore the lightings outside.

Love the 3-D Deers

They have quite a few activities available there but need to pay and pay. Don't know why we didn't see the carousel though. They do have free lightings outside, where they have light shows and fake snow at specific timings. But otherewise I think be prepared to pay and pay. Pay to enter the two conservatories, pay to take the ocbc skywalk, pay to ice-skate, pay to take carousel, pay to take picture with santa claus...

Japan, Hokkaido Day 1

Took the flight to hokkaido on 5th December, transiting at Incheon Airport. I think we are one of the rarer ones who take Korean Air to Japan, but I love Korean Air, and it is cheaper than JAL! There was a slight delay on our way. I think their service has actually went down since the last time I took it but still good.

Korean Air Flight Meal

Breakfast on plane, we chose seafood fried noodles. The other choices were omelette and porridge. Their noodles was good. Why don't they give supper though, I prefer the flight back to Singapore because they give dinner and supper and there's ice-cream!

Flight meal to Hokkaido

Didn't quite like the meal from Incheon to Chitose, cause is pork with potatoes or beef.

landing in hokkaido

I can see the snow!!! Quite exciting because this will be my first experience with real snow.

At the Chitose airport immigration, I am very impressed with their service. Their immigration officer is really nice and it made me feel very happy to be there. The person before me was Korean so I guess he thought I was Korean, so when I went over he said "annyeonghaseyo" then I smiled. Haha, but when he saw my passport he said "sorry, ni hao". So nice! They are also very efficient because despite the long queue, the queue moved very quickly.

After touching down in Hokkaido, activated our sim cards for data. I was damn stupid because I kept thinking why am I not connected, it was actually because I forgot to off my flight mode. Then bought our bus tickets for our Ryokan.

Things we do while waiting: Testing how cold is the weather.

The bus to the interchange was okay because they have space for luggage storage, but the bus from the interchange to the ryokan didn't have space for luggage so it was quite troublesome and made my big and heavy luggage a burden.

After settling down, we went to walk around the area to see what they have.

Hokkaido Mascot - Bear

Hell Boy Mascot?

It was snowing quite heavily outside.First we get hype over it and take photos, and then we froze.
After walking for about an hour, went back to the hotel to hide. Then we had some time, about one hour before dinner, so I went to the onsen. Previously when I was in Tokyo, I didn't go because too shy, I only went to the one in taiwan because swimsuits are allowed. Japan, you have to go birthday suit. Decided to go this time because I have paid alot of money to stay here, so I have to make my money worth. Eunice couldn't go, so only me, myself and I. I guess that made me less shy because nobody knows me and I know nobody.

They have I think 7 different onsens which are supposed to serve different purposes. Haha, but I think they all serve one purpose for me, to make me sleep better. I felt damn sleepy after I went for onsen, especially when I went again next day in the morning. They have an outdoor onsen too, quite interesting to soak in hot spring while it is snowing. However, the thought of walking out to the hot spring and walking back was quite scary, but I did it!

Was almost late for dinner at 6.30pm, so rushed back to the room to meet Eunice before going down to 5th floor for dinner.

Our dinner was Japanese fine dining, very atas and the service was so good that it stressed me.

Menu

It has been (I think) 10 years since I last ate sashimi. I don't really like raw food, but since I'm in the land of sashimi, I decided to try. It was okay, very soft and not fishy, but I dipped in loads of the soy sauce.

Melon Soda

Order any drink but melon soda. It actually tastes like medicine.

All ready to eat!

Steak

Very lazy to rotate the picture and reupload, why doesn't blogger let us rotate our pictures. It is supposed to be with applesauce? but I didn't taste any applesauce. It is not bad though because usually I don't really like to eat steak.

Fine dining means very small portions of everything. I thought I wouldn't be full because of the small portions, but in the end I was satisfied. Haha, I guess because there was rice also.

The food was a good experience but the service was even a better experience. One of them accidentally just dropped lightly one of my plates and apologised profusely and after the meal, when we were leaving she apologised again. I already forgot about it. Despite their limited English, they will try their best to provide the best service. Haha, but the service comes with a price tag.

After dinner, we went to explore the ryokan, there was a drum performance, and the girl was good. The performance and the strength, daebak!

Eunice trying out Onsen drink

They have an area where you can try out onsen drink too!

Our Yukatas

All prepared to sleep now!

Angst Mode

Went to change money at Arcade for my Japan trip today.

Since I was there, I decide to change Thai Baht also so that I don't have to go back, hopefully the rate doesn't change.

Changed at People's Corner Money Changer.

I took two envelops because I wanted to each currency in one. Then the person was like "no, you can only take one. Another one 20 cents." So I said but I'm changing two currency then he said I can put both together. So fine, I put back the extra one. The envelops I don't think they bought it anyway, I think NTUC income gave it to them because they had the advertisement for their travel insurance printed on them.

Then after that I was counting my yen, then he ask me to faster move away, don't block. BUT HELLO, YOU HAVEN'T EVEN GIVE ME MY THAI BAHT! So I said he haven't give me my thai baht, luckily I didn't blur blur walk away. Then he the way he put it is like they already gave me the money, until he asked his colleague (who was actually the one who was counting and giving the money while he just sit there and open mouth), who I guess said no, since after that they gave me the money. He also didn't apologise, make me super angst. I think I am somebody who cannot be accused cause I will feel super yue wang which will make me very angst.

It is damn weird, because they want us to count our money and check that it is not counterfeit at the counter but yet they don't give us the time, wanting us to move away to make way for other customers. Then, who will be responsible if the amount is wrong or the money is counterfeit?

Today is not my day, because after that I went to Watsons and they previously message me that I have 30 points expiring by the end of the year, however when I went there and said to use the points, apparently the card only has 14 points so cannot redeem.

Okay, rant over. *take deep breathes*

Holidays!!!

It's one week into my holidays now. I'm really enjoying rolling around in bed.

When my modules were ending, I was feeling abit sad because it means that I won't get to see some of the lecturers anymore, and next semester will be a very short semester. Haha, it's a conflicting feeling, because on one hand, I feel sad to see them go, but on the other hand, I can't wait for all the assignments to end and the holiday to come. I still have one more assignment to submit by 27th November and then I'll be free!

Wednesday went back to my pre-trainee school and it feels good to be back as a visitor, because everybody are working and I'm there as a visitor. But it is good to see all my ex-colleagues and some of my ex-students (not bad, they still can remember me). I think I am really attached to the team that I worked closely with, that is why when I left I cry until xi li hua la. I went back on a wednesday thinking that there will be prawn noodles, but horrors!!! No prawn noodles :'(, so I settled with gua tiao gan. Can't believe I actually spent 3.80 in the school canteen.

After that I went to cut and rebond my hair. Everytime I cut my hair, I think I will always regret. Rahh, now my hair is so short. So I have decided, in year 2016,  I will only trim my hair and not cut my hair. I kind of miss the long hair I had a few years ago, but recently I think I will cut a few inches off every year.

Like this length

 Haha, but karen was saying "shorter hair will look more lively and younger" then I told her “我走淑女路线！”