28-29JUL2007

Midnite flight to Tokyo Narita international airport.. 7hours flight journey.. arrive early morning.. but gotta take 1hr bus journey to Haneda domestic airport.. another 1.5hr flight journey to Hokkaido Chitose airport.. half day gone.. -.-!!! had some free time at Tokyo Haneda domestic airport while waiting for connecting flight.. somehow japanese love to package their stuff till nice nice so attractive.. but taste nice or not i dunoe lah.. haha! tried those stuff with samples.. and their samples are in very generous portion.. very nice loh..



first thing upon arrival Hokkaido is lunch! haha.. hungry hungry.. 2pm then can eat.. the seafood here are really large.. look at the scallop and compare to SG pathetic ones.. -.-!!! their melons here are famous and are charged in crazy price range.. 1 melon for something near SGD70 to 100.. and 1 slice is about SGD$3.. but as u can see from the colour.. it's darn blardy sweet! haha..



First and last destination for the day.. Live volcano.. so smelly.. the sulphur smell so strong.. but sulphur is good for skin.. proven by me.. haha.. i was standing in the spring water quite a distant from hot spot so it's not that hot lah.. not that i "si bah" ok.. haha! the view is nice.. but i believe NZ one will be nicer..



First nite stay at hot spring resort.. had the traditional hot spring meal for dinner.. need to wear yukata following their custom.. after dinner we went out to walk around the resort.. the period we visited coincide with their Matsuri festival.. they dance the traditional dance and have fireworks after that.. but not as nice as SG's.. kekez.. so we left halfway to go for the hot spring! thinking that there will be lesser people coz most will be outside viewing fireworks.. who knows it's the opposite! the people are very open about walking around naked in the hot spring area.. once they reached the bath hall.. they start stripping off their yukata inmmediately.. be it there's people around or not.. -.-!! so i can see alot of different "papayas.. watermelons.." and "bushy forest and deforestation" =X ROFL!!! but that's only in the bath hall.. i can't wear spec into the bathroom.. it will fog up.. wear oso cannot see anything right!? =X haha! anyway.. FYI if u ever go jap to soak spring bath.. 1st strip everything off urself! haha.. then go in bathe urself cleanly.. they have shampoos.. conditionals.. body wash provided.. some resort even have makeup remover and toner provided.. after washing up.. bundle hair up in towel to avoid in contact with the spring water.. i dunoe why.. but if u dun follow.. the japs can come and scold u.. that's what the tour guide said.. after short 15mins of soaking.. i started to feel giddy.. haha.. so gotta shoo.. and when i return to hotel.. i check my legs start away.. coz i dun believe spring water really that miracle.. but indeed it is.. just that short soaking.. my cracked ankles now looked so smooth and soft! avoid the hassle of buying those cream and applying them everyday and stuff just to heal it.. budden leh.. now that i return.. and didn't maintain by applying moisturizer.. so it’s starting to crack again.. haha! But one thing for sure is that u’ll sleep very soundly after that.. *grrooorrr*



30JUL2007

Everyday gotta wakie at 6am.. -.-!! but the seagulls gave us morning call at 4am!! Grrr!! On the way to the first destination for the day.. the bus stopped by a small sunflower field for us to take photo.. this group of tour people were so flower craze “花痴”.. a bit of flowers also “wah!”.. BTH! First destination.. the Bear range.. kekez.. although very ugly.. but very cute.. They will stand up and wave at you to attract your attention so that you’ll throw them their favorite biscuit.. I only have 1 in hand coz I didn’t buy.. haha! Got it from tour guide.. so I didn’t throw that to them easily.. I took and wave here and there.. after enough fun at one cage.. I shift on to another to wave again.. most of the bears were very hardworking waving around.. till sianz already.. I decided to throw back facing.. and the stupid thing was that it landed straight in face at the lazy ones!! Wah idiotic man.. poor hardworking bears.. haha! =X 守株待兔 really works eh!? -.-!!



Beside the bear range was this Live volcano.. it’s still actively growing in height.. kinda scary eh? Who knows when will it explode while touring.. haha! =X



Next destination is this Elder Village.. just to look at the lifestyle of the olden days and there’re still villagers living there.. and they have 4 bears there too.. bigger than the one at the Bear range.. but they’re lazy.. lying there sleeping.. stupid! And there’s 4 fierce dogs there that look cute.. but in fact they’re brave dogs that dare to bite the bears in their ass.. haha! In the olden days.. hunters bring at least 4 of those dogs into the forest to hunt for bears.. so u can see how fierce and brave were they.. other than that.. is the live snake catching “show”.. not a daily rehearsed show.. somehow someone spotted a water snake near this woman washing her laundry along the lake.. so she went to ask another guy to catch it.. I videoed it.. so no pics! Haha! Anyway it’s a small snake.. not a big deal.. I’ve my first ice cream here.. and I’ve, at least, 1 ice cream everyday here.. kekez..



Lunch for the day.. かになべ　“kani nabe”! lolx! Meaning crab steamboat! Hokkaido somehow I concluded that the attractions are the gigantic crabs and bears.. becoz everywhere have either crab or bear or both on display.. and this restaurant got 1 big crab and big bear on the roof as design..



Although there’re 3 pathetic crabbie legs included in the steamboat.. but coming to Hokkaido of coz gotta eat the actual fresh giant crabbie right?! So u gotta pay for that urself.. luckily this trip have my Ah Kim’s side family.. together with her niece and 2 other gals from the tour group.. we shared a medium-sized crab costing YEN10000 about SGD128!! Haha.. few ways of eating the crab.. but the best way would be steamboat.. to enjoy the actual taste of it original.. for the legs.. they were meant to be eaten in sashimi style.. first time in my life I tried raw crab meat.. so dunoe how to describe the taste.. haha.. anyway i tried 1 leg threw the remaining legs into steamboat.. haha.. scare tummyache..



After lunch.. head for this Sake making factory.. they’ve free Sake tasting after touring around.. but it taste yucky! I felt poisoned after the first sip.. they have a water system that draw spring water to the factory for the Sake making.. the generous factory also have a corner for the folks in this town to collect mineral water for their daily drink.. believe me this taste sweet and you will never taste that in bottled mineral water..



Dinner at Ramen village.. just a short stretch with many Ramen stores.. it’s just a place.. long long ago when population still low.. the Ramen stores started operation on this island.. luckily the place is small or the tour guide will be in trouble.. cost dinner is included in the package.. but we got the option to choose which store to dine in.. so the tour split into many small groups.. and the tour guide gotta settle every one of our orders due to the language barrier.. haha.. u can imagine all the hand sign they can make just to order.. haha! the big bowl of Ramen as expected.. definitely taste nicer than SG.. not only that. The Gyoza taste fantastic.. so darn nice.. 1 person per plate.. my Aunt only took 1.. so I finished hers too.. haha!



Tonight’s hotel is in a city.. so free and easy at night.. but shops here close rather early? 8pm.. nono.. should say we reach the hotel late.. so most shops already closed or closing.. anyway stuff in Japan are expensive.. their people buy branded in SG.. so who will want to buy in Japan?! We walked around look see look see.. lots of branded shop but all looks the same worldwide.. except for Burberry Blue label series which is only made and sell in Japan.. the original Burberry isn’t cheap.. so come Japan don’t buy the wrong Burberry! Haha! Went in their Pachinko too.. something like their jackpot?! But they’ve jackpot in there also.. anyway we dunoe how to play.. a lot of oldies sitting there with tubs and tubs of metal balls.. I think that’s their winnings.. Near the Pachinko store.. there’s a weird looking display from “Howl’s Moving Castle” the movie.. dunoe why it’s there.. anyway movies from Chibi Studio are my favorite.. kekez.. after that we went to get ourselves sundae at Mcdonalds.. haha! They’ve mango and strawberry flavor! SG got strawberry flavor I think!? Definitely not mango! Kekez.. and ah.. their automatic door gotta press to open loh.. stupid us didn’t see and still there to figure out for quite some time.. so throw face.. haha!





31JUL2007

the main aim for the whole trip is to see flowers.. so first.. visit sunflower farm.. hmmz.. the period we're touring is just nice the transition from Lavender to sunflower .. so the flowers not fully grown up yet.. still quite shorty.. well grown sunflower can be as tall as 1.5m! since the lead for this stop is sunflower.. of coz must buy something related to it right!? so i got the choco coated sunflower seed.. rofl! i know SG sells that too.. budden leh.. plain sunflower seeds doesn't seems appealing to me leh.. haha.. and the tour guide treat us drink this plum drink.. wah very nice wor.. gassy de..



on the way to the next flower viewing destination.. the driver specially stop by this place for us.. just to see flowers.. haha... seriously i'm going crazy this trip.. while the rest admire the flowers.. i take my beautiful mountain pictures.. haha.. luckily not only the flowers.. i spotted huge pumpkins on the ground.. so i took some pics of the pumpkins too.. but just not the flowers.. lolx! noticed on the way.. along their road have this arrow thingy.. that's for the drivers to be aware of the road edge during the snowy period where snow can be as thick as 2m!



still got lots of large Lavender plantation.. haven't chop off yet.. Farm Tomita is the most famous place to see flowers at Hokkaido.. they have large plots of land alocated for Lavenders and also using different flowers together to "plant" a rainbow..



Heehee.. purple lavender.. purple crumpler bag.. purple tube top! lolx..



of coz not forgetting to try their lavender flavor ice cream.. wah shiok! best..



ended the day with waterfalls 10mins drive from hotel.. 2 waterfalls side by side.. "meteor waterfall" and "milky way waterfall".. weird name?!



tonite's accommodation at hot spring hotel.. another night of hot spring treatment! yeah! yeah! kekez.. this time the hotel even better.. look even more traditional than the previous hot spring hotel.. and their toilet accessory so cute hor?! haha..



01AUG2007

Near the hotel.. about 5mins drive.. there's a small mountain.. gotta take gondola up and walk a distance to take chair lift.. best part is the chair lift no safty bar.. haha.. anyway.. it isn't scary becoz it's near the ground.. can hop off to walk and climb back onto the chair lift if u dare.. haha.. Up at the peak.. can see nice continuous mountains range.. and if u're unlucky wild bears too.. haha! bought the cute toilet accessories here also.. funny eh!? why is a toilet accessories found on top of a mountain souvenirs shop.. -.-"





on the way back to the city.. had a stopover at this castle-look-alike place for lunch.. and also ice cream again~! hahaha.. this time the black sesame ice cream was reccommended by the tour guide.. and indeed taste very nice.. basically i think all their ice cream flavors taste very nice leh.. =X haha.. bought cream puffs also.. the display looked delicious.. so you know you know.. haha..



today is a shopping day.. 3 places to shop.. 1st to the "tu chan dian".. well it's jsut a small shop selling lots of Hokkdaido must get stuff without tax and have additional 10% discount.. so thoughtful of the tour guide.. yet they don't get to draw any commissions from the earnings.. bought lots of stuff.. few boxes of Bai se Lian Ren.. some volcanic soil thingy made Shampoo.. Melon poky.. white choco coated dried strawberries.. their tibits are really darn yummy.. must buy if u guys get to go Hokkaido the next time.. the 2nd shopping place is at the clock tower.. minature version of Eiffel tower.. Japan underground is full of malls.. haha.. not surprised to see such big shopping malls.. unlike our citylink.. so lousy.. but as u can guess.. Japanese fashion is way too weird to follow.. so bought nothing~! haha.. the main aim is to get the "Burberry Blue Label" here.. darn cheap.. and only sell in Japan.. the designs are also tailored to the japanese taste.. so i bought a wallet! kekez.. since i have too many bags.. and don't have any proper wallet.. 1st come to mind is to must get a wallet! kekez.. luckily Aunt buy for me.. if cannot buy i will sad si xia.. "Blue berry" wor.. my fav brand.. anyway Aunt bought a sling bag for herself too.. bascially the whole bus of women bought stuff from the Burberry boutique at this shopping stop.. can u imagine how rich they were and how cheap the Burburry is?



so move on to the next shopping place.. this is like our Bugis?! there's large shopping malls linked to the subway and nearby there's a large electronics mall like our SimLim.. tempted to buy the camera there.. but i don't have $! all my spendings sponsored by my Aunt.. haha =X 8.2megapixel with 5X zoom.. hmmz.. $700+? slightly cheaper than SG.. and it's MADE IN JAPAN!!! hahha.. that's my main aim actually.. made in japan not cheena products.. kekez.. And there's a Burberry Black Label boutique here.. new series.. but is for men.. so as expected.. this time the guys bought stuff.. and some richie women continue their 2nd round of buyings here.. so darn rich.. bth! not forgetting their 100yen shop... like the $2 shop but at least better quality.. haha.. didn't buy any stationary nor daily needs stuff.. bought tibits instead.. muahaha!



done with shopping.. now it's time to fix our tummy.. tonite we're having bbq seafood dinner..



and after dinner.. headed to the hotel to unload our luggages.. and time for driver to knock off.. since we're staying in one of the big city in Hokkdaido.. there's lots of night activities out there.. Hotel for the night is located at their "Geylang".. but of coz unlike SG Geylang they're more classy and open about it.. will see lots of sign boards and boards advertising the gers and guys they have.. there're also large screen advertising.. the gers of coz hidden in the club.. their PR wear suits and ties giving out fans with the gers faces printed on.. so cool ah.. haha.. those aunties in the tour dunoe still happily take the fans from the guys.. till tour guide told them it's their way of promoting their gals.. those aunties reaction so funny.. BTH..



02AUG2007

Visit to their wet market.. "Er Tiao Shi Chang" -.-!! just a short stretch of shops.. for some others is another place for buying for Hokkaido tibits.. somehow this tour group people always got things to buy where ever they go.. so rich..



the bei se lian ren choco factory look so fairy tale.. castle-like out look.. and inside so grand.. dun look like factory loh.. that place mainly for display i feel.. full of those greek pictures.. and toys collection.. only a small section to view from top on the manufacturing belt.. every hourly there's also music ensemble..



next.. visit to the clarke quay.. unlike our clarke quay.. full of clubs and pubs and wateva.. they preserved the buildings and surroundings totally.. and they even have youngster to pull the trishaw.. just to make the place look more real to the olden time..



Lunch.. "kani nabe" steamboat again.. haha! this time with fresh abalone as the additional side dish.. too bad lah.. i dunoe how to appreciate.. fresh and can abalone still taste rubbery.. haha! live abalone look so ugly.. blackie! totally differ from canned abalone..



weather changed suddenly.. started raining! luckily it's the last 2nd day already.. let us enjoy so many days with the good weather.. so quite ok lah.. just that gotta hold umbrella and not convenient to take photo loh.. at the music box place.. once u step in.. inside really flooded with music box.. can DIY own music too.. but my art F9 lah.. so i only picekd my fav music and fix it onto a base.. and place a crabbie beside since it's one of the famous thing at Hokkaido.. kekez.. sweet and simple.. rofl! bought another simple ready-made music box for accessories.. one thing is that the music box is limited.. so if the music u like no more means no more! -.-!! so i can't get my "Beauty and the Beast" music.. they've lots of "Pinochio".. so no choice loh..



still have a little time.. went over to this cafe house.. where you buy coffee and u can wash the cup and bring them home.. of coz you can also buy the cup itself at slightly lesser cost.. kekez.. so i bought a hello kitty mini cup there.. can't drink coffee.. i'll puke..



Quite an early dinner.. buffet style.. like Seoul garden liddat.. tried cow's liver accidentally =X and found out it actually much more tastier than pig's liver.. =X haha! so i went to get more! haikx! cow eat cow =X haha! but for those who can't take beef.. they didn't even knew it.. but didn't tell them.. if not they will feel very sinful.. anyway.. bu zhi ze wu zui mah.. for dessert.. i made my own cotton candy floss.. haha.. so funny loh.. my cotton candy all tangled up.. can't even twirl onto the stick.. -.-!!

add-on stop not included in the itinery.. so good of the driver and tour guide.. haha.. knowing that the whole bus is full of shopping maniac.. on the way to hotel.. stopped by Rera shopping mall.. it's like their DFO.. all the brandeds in there.. and best thing is that they've sales going on! but only 2hrs to shop.. 3hrs actually.. but till gathering time then we realise they extend another hour for this sales.. too late loh.. everyone gathered on the bus already..



Although hotel is in the city.. but this is only a small suburb.. so the city doesn't really looked like a city.. but no time to shop.. gotta pack all the shopping goodies.. bought too much and luggage too small.. lolx! but no worries! i'm a packing expert! haha.. when i almost finish packing.. i suddenly remembered i haven't buy mama's chewing gums.. lolx.. with all the remaining coins and cash.. i faster run to their 7-11 store to grab some.. haha.. so i gotta re-pack to hide those stuff.. -.-!!!

03AUG2007

Last day~! Flying home from Hokkaido transitting at Tokyo.. last chance to shop and buy stuff found only in Hokkaido.. and most importantly the Hokkaido cheesecake!! so yummy!! SG cheesecake seriously lousy to the core after tasting Aussie and now Hokkaido's.. also grabbed.. yes grabbed!.. few boxes of the fries tibits.. hmmz.. it's reported on their news to be Japan no.1 top selling tibits.. and it's always out of stock..

The domestic flight we took from Hokkaido to Tokyo is very unique.. pokemon theme Boeing 747.. everything onboard is about pokemon.. haha.. i even kapo the flight seat paper cover =X





lunch at Narita airport and dinner onboard.. i don't wanna leave Japan~! -.-"



All the stuff I bought.. other than those in the pics.. still have a lavender "memory" pillow and lavender beanie for eye..

Royce dark and white chocolate.. Merci white chocolate coated dried strawberry.. Pocky melon flavor.. "Bai se lian ren" choco biscuit.. by the same manufacturer the dark choco bar and choco mini cake.. Choco bar gift from the music box place..



Wasabi pistachio nuts.. Prawn crackers.. Hot and spicy chips.. Crispy Fries snacks..



Hokkaido cheesecake..



Accessories music box.. Music box souvenir.. Hello kitty tea cup.. Totoro accessories.. souvenir pins..



Miss Sixty top.. Roxy bag.. Burberry Blue Label Series Wallet.. 2 Fancl wash powder.. and toilet accessories..



that's all for my buys.. Started work on monday the following week.. sianz.. gotta travel to NTU.. so far loh! grr! if pig send me to work.. then that will be 40mins journey.. if i go work by myself.. that will be 1.5hr journey!! my routine now is literally work home sleep.. too tired to play comp.. everyday reach work early.. and OT.. so hardworking hor?! =X

25AUG2007

kekez.. after much consideration.. me and pig signed up for Fittness First.. lazy bum like us nid to spend $ to get our ass moving.. lolx!

26AUG2007

first visit to Fitness first with pig! kekez.. went for the body combat intro and class session.. so fun~! haha.. and i wore the Zhang Shan Wei FC de tee.. "Tong shou tong jiao" and i really tong shou tong jiao alot of times loh.. look so idiot.. ROFL.. after that i actually wanna continue on to body jam intro and class session.. but that pig say next time.. -.-!!.. so we went to use the gym facilities loh.. walk + jog for 20mins... then cycle for 20mins.. and playing around with the skiiing thingy for 5mins.. haha.. but leh.. dinner quite heavy?! =X lolx! anyway.. got move my ass better than nothing right.. kekez!

27AUG2007

kekez.. 2nd visit to FF after work.. today Viviz come FF do nothing.. just to spend time?! -.-" so we talked while I exercise.. lolx.. and Viviz intro trainers to me.. like the "NETT!?".. haha i dunoe how to spell.. and her Raymond.. seriously joker lah.. if he my PT i cfm miss count alot time.. -.-!! some more eat infront me me! mei li mao! i haven't eat dinner yet wor! wat an evil trainer.. -.-!! anyway for those who frequent FF.. come at nite leh! haha.. accompany me exercise.. =X

31AUG2007

Weee! got my 1st pay!! kekez! i worked 3weeks but they gave me full! lalala! yeah yeah~!

06SEP2007

Oo.. got free movie tickets from boss.. coz previously he helped A*Star with some stuff.. so in return they gave him movie tickets.. hmmz.. but i don't like to watch movies! haha.. so i think they will be wasted..

07SEP2007

wahaha~! for nothing i earn myself a 2GB thumb drive.. today boss asked me whether i have thumb drive or not.. i told him i'm using the 64MB one.. the 1GB i lend to friend.. who knows the next thing is he gave me $50 to go get one at NTU's computer shop.. haha.. and arh.. i realised that NTU's computer shop sell pirated made in cheena thumb drive.. the original "scandisk" brand.. their's "Sandisk".. and the "imation" brand.. their's dunoe wat brand.. but packaging and colour stuff really almost the same.. if never see properly u will think why so cheap for those good brands.. anyway.. the 2GB "Sandisk" thumb drive cost $40.. that's the biggest space i can get with the $50 budget although i can buy over the budget then claim the excess from boss.. haha.. on thinking back it's kinda not worth it becoz it's pirated! and made in cheena.. lolx! .. but it's not my $.. so nvm lah.. i think boss can claim back the $ from his project grant..

13SEP2007

Kekez.. i finally bought PSP!! after such long consideration.. lolx.. pink colour de wor~ haha.. since my father strike 4D.. of coz must chop something ex and wanted alot.. some more my bdae this month leh.. advance bdae pressie.. rofl! clever hor.. lalala.. $424 for the psp + 4gb memory + screen protector + casing + 1 game + mod psp.. should be ok?! anyway.. my father pay lah.. nvm so much.. =X *blahz*

16SEP2007

Muahaha! today i really very hardworking wor.. kekez.. went for combat class and later 2hrs of badminton!~ perspire alot.. so shiok~!