Gosh. Finally, i have internet. So, i can finally update my blog! Well, actually i shouldn't be writing right now (once again) because i need to wake up at like 6.30am SG time tomorrow and there're other people who need to use the computer. But i don't think i'd have any time to post on my blog on friday or saturday since i'm gonna be so damn busy and stuff. So i'll just try to make it quick.
Anyway yesterday was totally great because we went to a hot spring inn to spend the day! A really fun and cultural experience. And the trip to Akihabara was awesome too and i ended up spending quite a bit there! Although most of it went to a FF7 collectible item that set me back SGD150+...okay don't ask me why i bought it...i can only say that i was in that sort of buying mood that i hardly ever get. No 18+ adult items though. As in seriously hahaha!
It kinda made the whole trip worth all the trouble, carrying luggages and taking the train under the hot, hot sun and melting crowds. I started this vacation hoping that it would end faster, but now i'm pretty sad to leave here. It's been really enjoyable. Towards the end. And without all that public transport and walking. And i really wish i had more luggage space!! >.<
The service staff here are really great too! It's true that tourists will find it hard getting around Japan, because hardly anyone here speaks proper english (and most can barely speak a word or two), and apart from the signs belonging to big establishments, like the JR train line and a few others, most of the signs on the road - not to mention the restaurant menus too - are in Hiragana/Katakana, which would make no sense at all to the regular Singaporean tourist.
But the service here more than makes up for it! The people here are exceedingly nice, and they stick to very strict rules that allow for no tipping; they'd refuse your tip even if it seems like no one is around to see them take it. (Or maybe it's because they think tipping them is like being rude to them.) They try their best to communicate with you, never giving up even when the language barrier is obviously standing like a GIANT in the way (did that make sense). FURTHERMORE, EVERY SINGLE JAPANESE PERSON IN JAPAN STANDS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ELEVATOR, WHETHER IT GOES DOWN OR UP!!! EVEN WHEN THERE'S NO ONE ELSE ON THE ELEVATOR (something which i don't do myself)!!! They only go to the right side if they plan to walk or run on the escalator...and i highly approve! :) For reasons that most readers here would know, of course lol. The only people i saw who stood on the right side (aside from my family and myself initially of course :p) were like a few tourists from China. Man, this here's a cool place huh.
Today, i left my wallet on the train (it like fell out of my pocket because i did check the seats before leaving), and i found that out when i was searching for my train ticket at the barriers. I ran back to search for it, and the train was still there; the staff were cleaning the train - they never slack from that job. I asked around and sure enough one of them had found my wallet. And they gave it straight to me after confirming my identity. Anyway, i don't have the time to explain further (my dad's rushing me a lot) but hey, just an example of the awesome-ness of Japanese people (lol i'm such a convert).
I'm leaving tomorrow, by the way. I'll be going to the airport for a flight back to Singapore, which departs at 11.30am. To my dear readers, i'm STILL trying for find gifts. Still. To jac (and diana, as an extra service on my part), i couldn't find that cat thingee. I'm sorry. Ooops. Well, i bought two of these cat thingees which LOOKED like the one you (jac) showed me. But they probably aren't. So there you have it. Just in case i couldn't find it, i decided to buy two Code Geass hang-from-your-handphone thingees that you (and diana) can have. I'm not even sure you watch Code Geass but there you have it. One of them's Karen and the other's Lelouch (yeah, well i kinda support Karen x Lulu and not CC x Lulu although i WOULD've gotten CC if they sold one of her instead of that lameass Suzaku). So both of you get to have either one of them...post on my tagboard which one you want, first come, first serve!! XD
There were also two people who wanted ancient traditional umbrellas, but try as i might, i couldn't find such a thing on sale, and even if i did, i couldn't have possibly fit it into my luggage bags! So that one's out of the question. Then there was the Pocky that someone sorta
hinted that i should get, but i could only find one flavour that i don't see in Singapore. Butter-milk flavour seems to be gone from supermarkets in Tokyo for good. Whoopsies.
Anyway i really gotta go now (no time to check for spelling/grammatical errors again)! So many things to prepare for but so little time! First things first, i gotta take a shower! I'll reply to the tagboard stuff tomorrow! :):):)
