Japan Log Pt 2

Kombanwa! Am currently at Ibusuki in Japan where I just had a wonderful wonderful Hontoni Subarashi 20-course Japanese meal. Am so so so full now haha. It`s getting pretty hot as we move South now, but Ibusuki is as far South as we go. As I`m typing this I`m currently wearing a simple polo heh, as opposed to the scarf, beanie and sweater-jacket combo that I usually wear at other cities. As I contemplate the variety of Japanese sashimi floating in my tummy, I can`t help but feel that I really really love Japan, so much so that even before my current trip is halfway through, I`m already planning to come back here immediately after I`m done with NS. Will probably assemble a little group of 4, which is the idea number for travel in Japan, to make use of hostel dorms and such. I hope my future wifey will be keen to come here for a honeymoon as well! Heh.

Anyhow, I plan to master Japanese, or attain a reasonable level at least within the next two years when I`m in army, so that the next time I come I will be able to communicate effectively with the locals. My Japananese apparently isn`t tremendously bad, considering I`m hundred percent self-taught, or should I say anime-taught. Hurhur. I can get around quite easily in Japan as well as purchase stuff and talk simply with the locals. Today I was complimented twice for my Japanese because I held up my end of the conversation with an old obasan and a taxi driver. Thankfully they didn`t progress into anything complicated and I was able to understand them 100%.

The scenery here isn`t by any means tremendously fantastic, and I`m having to use all the photographic tricks at my disposal just to produce pretty photos. Frankly,China is much more scenic, but what makes Japan really really enjoyable is the beautiful culture here. People here are tremendously polite and super nice! Just this morning, the old obasan walked my family to the local market, because we were lost. It was a good 1 km at least and I was like hontoni hontoni arigatou! I truly love the people here, and the culture even more. The food is fantastic too, even though I`ve been eating mainly bento sets from the supermarket. Those thrash Singapore Jap restaurant food by the way and the presentation of the food is super nice too! Gosh, I love it. Unfortunately, I`m breaking out terribly from the dry weather as I always do. I look terrible =`( but it`s ok cos I still love Japan!

The only thing that mars this trip is my parents I guess. It`s really tough travelling with them cos we argue about almost everything. They tend to rush everything too so we spend more time on the train travelling to as many places as possible without actually seeing the places. I complained about it yesterday and got scolded, so I decided to make the best of whatever time I`ve got. I`ve taken to touring the cities on my own because my parents tend to waste a lot of time, rendering sightseeing impossible. I typically meet them at a appointed time after I`m done. The winter days make this problem worse too; it currently gets dark at 530pm heh, so since we typically reach a new city at about 3-4 pm, that kinda sucks for sightseeing. I`ll definitely be looking forward to coming back here with company I really enjoy in future, who will prefer to sightsee rather than to travel on trains.

Anyhow, have bought some tasty sweets from Japan for the lot of you, hope it`s enough. My suitcase currently has no more space so that`s as much as I can get. Hontoni Kome.

Clara, is Kose ok? Heard it`s a good brand. Mail me k? I`ll be in Osaka to buy the stuff soon. Looking forward to pool when i get back =)

Xu, get ready to makan at Parkview! Yea! Btw,want to chiong Jap with me anot? Am counting on you as a Kaki for the Japan trip after NS.

I`m typing all this in a hotel lobby so I gotta go, have been standing here for about an hour between CS and this, so yea, quite paiseh to hog the com. Ja-ne.