Back home

Okay so this blog wasn't updated as frequently as I thought it would be (or as it should be), but I'm back home!

Arrived early Monday morning, took a nap before heading to school for the Placement Test and bumping into alvin/wanwei/junyan despite not having a phone (I need one sooon!).

Things do feel a *little* different - English signs everywhere, people *not* standing on the left side of the escalator, people blasting the cellphones and talking out loud in the trains... but I'm happy to be back - food, friends, family!

Hanabi!

Japan's summers are hot - but there're fireworks festivals （花火大会）held nearly every other day in late July and August all over Japan - and this is the REAL deal. They last from one to two HOURS (Singapore's rarely go beyond 10 minutes -_-) with all kinds and colours of fireworks that never fail to draw gasps from the crowds.

It's also the perfect excuse to walk around in your yukata (summer robe?), just like the people of the old used to do when they watched fireworks a century ago.

Wish I could upload them all (they're too big), but here's one of the more spectacular single shots I've seen - this one at Enoshima on Tuesday. (we were seated right in front of the waves at the beach!)

Do it at the beach.

Japan is full of "persuasive" posters - there are few signs that say "No Eating" or "No rushing for trains" - instead we get things like "Do at at the beach" (above). Which is hilarious. Maybe such soft approaches do work. Probably not in Singapore though.

Final week

I have no excuse for not updating the blog but... it's my last week in Japan!

Just got back from Osaka (on a 7 hour overnight bus)... which wasn't the most comfortable but still it was good. This time I completely forgot to bring my camera charger (baka da ne..) so there really aren't any pics (until I get some from the others).

Things I did there:

1. Some (final?) shopping at Shinsaibashi/Namba/Umeda
2. Watched fantastic fireworks in Tondabayashi
3. Checked out Kobe, Himeji and a bit of Nara
4. Spent good time with friends
5. Ate 100 yen (for eight!) takoyaki
6. Sweated it out (it was hot hot hot!)