I'm half way there.. kind of...

I really should start writing something different for my posts... but damn I haven't updated in a long time....! (I wonder who actually reads my blog, and notices... hahahaha..)

So, it's July 6th, and I've officially been in Fukuoka for 6 months. A lot has happened since the last time I posted... so I don't even know where to start... Well, first of all, I got sold out by my own parents, and Mammy and Daddy are no longer visiting me and taking me to Okinawa in August... (T_T) It seems like they don't miss me very much, because whenever I Skype home, I get responses like "Oh it's grandma's TV time right now..! If you want to talk to her you should've called earlier...", or "What? I am cooking! Why don't you try again in an hour when we finish dinner and your dad finish washing the dishes...?" So... I guess they don't miss me that much afterall. God, I love my parents. XD

The past couple of months have actually been kind of a blur. It's almost like it didn't happen. All I remember is going back to Hong Kong during Golden Week, and BAM, all of a sudden it was my best friend's wedding and I was back in Vancouver. Somewhere in there was a weekend to Busan and a trip to Kagoshima... Maybe it was because I was busy trying to finish my project management course, or maybe because I just wanted June to be over so I can go back to Vancouver... hahaha...

Busan shopping district at night

The wedding last weekend was just insane. I am not sure how my body kept up with me, but I am glad it did. I think in 4 days, I must have slept less than 10hrs. On the actual day of my best friend's wedding, I was awake for like 30hrs, before finally passing out on my flight from SFO-HNL. Seeing my best friend get married is certainly one thing I would not give up the world for, and it was so amazing for me to finally see her in this stage in her life. I am truly happy for her that she found someone she is so happy and in love with. A million memories crossed my mind as I see her walk down the aisle. It's been so many years and we've had so many fights, but I still love her to death, and I am just glad she is in good hands. ^_^

Going back also made me realize how much I actually miss my friends. They say you don't realize what you have until it is gone.... well, I certainly feel that way. I really didn't understand how much my friends meant to me, until sh*t went down, they were still all there to support me. I've been away for a while, but that certainly didn't mean they've become more distant in anyway. I can't really explain how I feel with words... but... you guys are the greatest friends that any girl could ask for. Surely I am the luckiest girl in the world to have friends like you guys...! *group hug!!!*

Blog-appropriate picture from the wedding (sort of). I love my crazy friends <3

All in all, my time here in Fukuoka is everything like I imagined. I miss my friends, and I miss my family, but nothing has really been unexpected.... All I can say, is that this is truly changed how I see myself. I definitely know myself better now and I am a happier person. HAVING SAID THAT, I have NO IDEA when I am coming back. As of right now, I am half way done my contract... but... it looks like I will be staying longer.... so... come visit me if you miss me!! o(^v^)o

Take care, my friends, wherever you are~!

Hanami with Mammy and Daddy ^_^

My parents and grandmama came to visit me in April (ok, so the title lied a little, but if I wrote "grandmama" too then it wouldn't rhyme. LOL!). I felt a little bad because my mom missed me so much that she booked this trip 2 weeks after I left Vancouver ^^" Anyway, they were just in time for hanami season in Fukuoka, and we went to Ohori Park when the sakura were in full bloom!

With Grandmama at Ohori Park (outside the Fukuoka Castle Ruins)

I think my parents feel better now that they've seen the city I live in, and what my neighbourhood looks like. They are happy that Fukuoka is so convenient, and yet it's not flooded with people everywhere. They also seemed to be glad that I live on top of a 24-hr supermarket and 1 min walk away from a 24-hr udon joint (I guess they know at least I won't starve lol).

We also went to Kumamoto on the other weekend they were here. There were still sakura blooming at Kumamoto Castle, and the view was stunning!

Kumamoto Castle

We stayed at a ryokan in Kumamoto which had access to onsen. Daddy loved the onsen so much and would not stop talking about it for 20mins! After a nice onsen experience, we had Spring Set Dinner at the ryokan. I think we must've had at least 10 courses!! The hotel is called 菊南溫泉 Hotel, and it did not disappoint! My parents and grandmama were super happy with Kumamoto! o(^o^)o

Booked a private onsen, with indoor and outdoor bath area

I think I gained some weight during my parents' visit. I kept mooching off of them for fancy dinners that I otherwise can't afford (like teppenyaki), LOL!!! Ohhhh I miss being Mammy's and Daddy's girl... hahahaha!

And now, back to survive on my own again... until August! Then, my parents are coming back and we are off to OKINAWA!!!! YAY PARENTS!!!! d(^v^)b

Weighing in after 3 months

It's been 3 months since I've been in Fukuoka! I can't believe I am 1/4 of the way through my contract!! Let me check-in with some highlights of my stay in Fukuoka!

Atomic Bomb Dome, Hiroshima

- I've been able to travel once a month on average! So far I've been to Beppu, Nagasaki, and Hiroshima / Miyajima. Still on my list are Kumamoto (which I will strike off after this weekend ^_^), Kagoshima, Mount Aso, Kurokawa Onsen, Nagoya, Kanazawa, Nagano, Busan... ... ...

Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima

- I've had some visitors already! My parents came to visit last weekend, and my friend from HK also came to visit yesterday. I played host for the first time in Fukuoka!

- I have a membership at an onsen which is a 20mins drive from my house. It is one of the nicest onsens I've been to...! I've been going almost weekly... hahahaha... why get a massage when you can soak in the onsen? ^_^v

My Japanese is slowly improving. If I concentrate hard enough I can understand what people are saying to me... the response, however, needs some work... hahaha... I'm working on it ^^"

The street outside my apartment at night

- I lost 10lbs since I've been here!! OMG!! I know that doesn't sound too impressive, but I didn't really do anything besides eating normal Japanese portions and cut back on fried foods...! I'm so happy hahahahha. Next, I will try to knock off another 15lbs in the next 3 months. My co-worker is very good fitness guy (actually, he's good at many different things, and I've often gone to him for advice lol), and he's started taking me to the gym and teaching me how to cut calories. I have a feeling that 15lbs goal is not too far out of reach!!! I gotta keep reminding myself - hunger and soreness is just fat leaving the body. LOL.

Plum blossoms, Dazaifu

Other than that, life is not much different from being in Vancouver. I work, I go out, I stay at home, etc etc etc. I do miss my friends and family very much... but... I'm glad I am here!

P.S. - Sorry for the random pictures... I don't have any that will go along with the post... hahaha... Anyways, come visit me soon!!! ^_^

Comfort Food Search: Din Tai Fung

One of the best findings for me so far in Japan is the discovery of a Din Tai Fung in a department store at Hakata Station. Good Chinese food is rare in this country, so I'm glad that my favorite siao long bao is only 20mins bus ride away...!

Din Tai Fung at the Hankyu Department Store in Hakata.

Siao long bao and dan dan mien lunch set for 1490円. The set came with 4 siao long baos; unfortunately one was consumed before this picture was taken. I guess it's still pretty expensive.. ^^"

I am quite happy that the siao long bao is quite close to the ones I had in Taipei and in Hong Kong Din Tai Fung. However, I'm kind of disappointed that they can't be bothered with putting the right type of noodles in their dan dan mien! I mean, the soup base was pretty good, if they used 陽春麵 for the noodles, then it would be perfect... it will taste just like the real stuff!! Now, it just tastes like Japanese style Chinese noodles... (-_-")

Dan dan mien, but not with the correct noodles. (T_T)

I also thought that they would have a menu for dinner, but it looked like the only thing they serve are siao long bao, steamed buns, noodles, and spring rolls... I was hoping to get my Chinese food fix there... I guess I have to resort to my own cooking (however good or bad that might be). ^_^"

Oh well, I am just happy that I FOUND REAL SIAO LONG BAO in Fukuoka...!! Maybe I won't need to come home afterall... (at least not yet)!! YAY SUPER HAPPY!!! o(^v^)o

OMG Hot Pot Revelation!!

Everyone who knows me knows that I am absolutely fond of hot pot. I know a few friends who love hot pot just as much as I do, but I don't really know if I know anyone who likes hot pot MORE than I (we) do. So, it has caught me by surprised that after 20+ years I have not discovered this until now. This is EPIC! I present to you: zousui 雑炊!!

Ingredients:

- Left over hot pot broth

- Rice enough for everyone

- 1 egg (per 2-3 people)

- green onions

Here is how you make it:

Leave enough hot pot broth in the pot to cover the amount of rice you have. Add rice. Bring to a boil.

Beat eggs. Pour it on top of the rice evenly. Stirring not necessary (just let it cook at the top).

Just before the egg is fully cooked, add green onions.

And then it's totally ready to serve! I know that usually at all-you-can-eat hot pots, we usually stuff our faces with beef, pork, chikuwa, and all the other good stuff. But, you've got to save some room for 雑炊! I think with Cantonese-style hot pots, this method is good for clear soup bases (chicken or something); it might be too salty for satay. None-of-the-less, it is definitely worth a try!

And that marks my official 2 months in Fukuoka. Nom nom nom... しゃぶしゃぶ が大好きです!! ^_^

離家出走兩個月

在福岡的時間過得很快... 真想不到我離開溫哥華快兩個月了! 我真的很喜歡這裡生活 - 我喜愛我的工作, 也愛我的自由。我最開心的是好像所有的東西都有一個新的開始... 在溫哥華的我是怎樣都不重要, 我可以將所有東西 reset 了﹐ 再試一次。沒有人因為我以往的不對而討厭我。是的, 其實我是一個很沒有自信的人。很多身邊的人覺得我很堅強, 很硬朗, 不理會別人的批評。其實內心的我比任何人脆弱... 我的外殼只是為了不讓人看小而已... 我不理會別人的批評, 是因為我不想理會自己對自己的 批評。 我真的是一個很自私的人。 我知道我不多不小都因我的自私而傷害了身邊的朋友... 所以我也覺得自己很討厭, 是一個不稱身的朋友...我又怎會有勇氣去接受別人對我的評價呢?

所以﹐ 爸爸媽媽﹐ 對不起。 容許我再任性一次﹐ 我離家出走了。雖然我不一夜之間不見了﹐ 但我也是一走了之。在這裡我真的覺得整個人輕鬆了,每天都可以努力做一個新的我! 其實我都很想念溫哥話的人; 也許當我玩夠了, 長大了以後 , 我會有勇氣回來面對以前的我吧...!!

温泉の旅 I - 別府 Onsen Tour Part 1 - Beppu!

Damnit, I'm terrible at this blogging thing...!

So a couple of weeks ago, my friend and I headed off to Beppu for the weekend. Beppu is located in Oita Prefecture, on the northwest side of Kyushuu. A town filled with pachinko machines and an extensive sex industry, this place also happens to be the one of the largest hotspring by volume in the world, 2nd only to Yellowstone National Park. With this in mind, I am off to a wonderfully relaxing weekend (in the onsens, of course!!)

JR Beppu Station, with the founder of Beppu

This city is pretty much gushing hot water from everywhere. There are pipes in the ground specifically used to re-direct the hot water elsewhere. As my friend MP puts it, the city is going to boil itself over one day...! So, when you come here, don't forget to bring a hand towel. You will need it when you see all the hand onsen around the city ^_^

Hand bath outside JR Beppu Station

One of the most famous tourist attractions in Beppu are the Jigoku Hostprings 地獄温泉. Literally translated in English as the Hells Hotsprings, these hotsprings include a steaming mountain, boiling mud ponds, and hotspring ponds that are of different colours. My favorite one is the red 血の池地獄 (Blood's Pond Hell), where the bottom of the pond turned bright red from the iron oxidizing and settling. There is also a foot hotspring for you to dip your feet if you get tired. The other hotsprings with the boiling mud at 鬼石坊主地獄 (Shaven Monk's Head Hell) and the steaming mountains of 山地獄 (Mountain Hell) are also quite impressive.

山地獄 Yama-Jigoku

血の池地獄 Chinoike-Jigoku. It got dark as the sun was setting on the other side of the mountain.

After a day of serious walking, it was totally time to head back to the ryokan. We had a Japanese-style tatami room for 4000yen per person. Included was free access to the private onsen in the ryokan; we just had to book the room in the lobby! Of course, I took advantage of that and booked in some private time for like 2 hours.... afterall, that's what I came to Beppu for..!!!

Private onsen, tehehehehee... ^_^

And that, my friends, was pretty much how I spent my first long weekend in Japan. ^_^ I'm looking forward to more onsen adventures in the near future, and of course, I'll try to remember to post more! A shout out to all my friends in Vancouver... I miss you all lots!!

Ta ta for now ^__~