fuchsia fragments

Week 5-6: Sisterly Fun

3/29/2016 02:26:00 pm

Wow-wee, what a quick, exhausting yet excellent 12 days it has been starting off with a 4:30 AM wake up for me to fetch my lil sis from Haneda. And so begins days of fun with minimal sleep and lots of walking a day!

Lucky for me it was a long weekend on March 21 so we went to Hokkaido. A stark contrast to our visit 7 years ago when it was very warm in the peak of summer. This time it was cold, grey and bleak with bits of rain and lots of bitterly cold wind. Nevertheless, it's always fun to see snow and walk through snow covered roads.

We visited Otaru where it was "Sushi and Chirashi Heaven" and stuffed our faces with seafood, soft serve and Hokkaido milk. The second day, after a bit of convincing from my side, we went to Mount Teine where we had a day of snowboarding. Well actually, I had around 45 minutes of snowboarding and decided that it really wasn't my kind of fun... fell down too many times but I wasn't in tears! It was still fun to go up the gondolas and stuff. Amazing to see lots of real snow and snowflakes.

We went to Sapporo Ramen Alley for dinner. So good... the broth was kind of sweet but not overdone and it was just the right amount. We got gyoza too and it the gyoza wraps were soo thin it was just crispy and hot and delicious.

We ventured a little further out (actually, I think it was inland) to a place called Yoichi. It feels very quaint and kind of off the tourist path. There are very few trains in the day so you have to plan the visit but the reason for this was the Nikka Distillery. Absolutely worth the trek. It is free entry with whiskey samples in their tasting room. It's like a piece of Scotland in Japan, just beautiful scenery and seeing the distillery in action is actually really educational. Like all of my other wine country trips, it does make you appreciate the product a lot more. The musuem kind of markets the story of the founder and his wife as a bit of a love story but there was a lot more to it than that... it was a story of believing that he could do something and change the way the Japanese thought about whiskey. Something probably really hard back in the 1900s especially with a foreign Scottish wife.

Was absolutely exhausted after this weekend and had 2 full days of workshops following and a team dinner. Haha, we always end up at the same bar in Roppongi... but they drinks are so good there. This time the boss came along so got special service!

Weeknights were dinners and expensive shopping. We were in Omotosando for handbags (oopsies), we tried a DIY okonomiyaki & monjoyaki place, we went to Andy's Seafood (amazing) and Shabu Shabu (so good we went twice) in Shibuya, Uobei Sushi was fun but the food is very average and ordinary. So much for 'I'm not going to shop in Tokyo'. As if that'll ever happen.. she ended up going home with 2 suitcases and a carry on and a backpack and a handbag (although it was my handbag).

Saturday was DisneySea. I LOVED IT! Yes it was busy and it was cold but it was so different and the rides were so much cooler and we managed to do most things. The park is not huge and the water surrounding the park actually means you have to walk around. The performances were cheesy only in a way that the Japanese can make it cool and all the popcorn flavours were yummy (I really really wish they still sold Milk Tea flavour). We have been awesome if there were shorter lines because I would have loved to go on some of the rides twice. There's always next time.

Sunday was Ghibli Musuem which is definitely worth the trip. You do have to secure your tickets in advance and it is more expensive to purchase them outside on Japan through a travel agent. I was surprised at the number of tourists here as well but the short movie was so cute and delightful. I bought another ticket for this weekend (as I actually bought the two tickets from Yahoo) so I might go again to see it. Then it was shopping around Shibuya and people watching at the famous crossing. Going home to pack and assess luggage space - turns out we could have bought more. Still have 7 kg in check in luggage had we wanted to! Should have bought more Perfect Whip...!

Monday was work again for me and staying local and seeing the Cherry Blossoms one last time as well as going to lunch... 1000 Yen for a yummy Chirashi bowl or 10 pieces of AMAZING sushi. Shame that the weather was grey again because it is an absolutely stunning day today. I'm gonig to walk to my language class this evening through the Cherry Blossoms. Excited!!!

dinner

Week 4: Winter is still hanging around

3/13/2016 10:18:00 pm

drinks

Week 3: Making s-l-o-w progress

3/06/2016 10:49:00 pm

This past week, I've been reviewing quotes! I've been asked questions... and and and I'm going to get my own accounts instead of feeling like a 'consultant'. WOOHOOO!!! Albeit, the reason behind this is because there has been a resignation. But it's not for another 6 weeks so there will be (hypothetically) plenty of time for a handover.

Got my first taste of late nightlife in Tokyo. We had a few drinks with some colleagues and then a colleague and I went on to another bar for one more drink. And it really was one more drink! Tried to get the boss to come along but not this time. Anyway, we were hanging around Roppongi and there were not-so-welcome touts on every corner on the streets in Roppongi. So not cool and I would personally never venture to that part of town in the evening on my own. Anyways, we went to a Brazilian bar which did all these different types of Capirinhas - all looked really good! It wasn't all that busy for a Wednesday night so we had a bar table to ourselves and had a good chat. Good thing I remember things cause it will help me with working with the team later on!

Thursday's language class was a bit boring this week. All the students were different except one girl which was strange to me. Maybe a lot of people rotate days... I think I'll just keep going on Thursday evenings until work commitments get in the way.

It is sale time in a lot of the shops! I got a massive haul at H&M on Saturday evening... wasn't a lot of items but the majority were less than half price. I need to build my wardrobe here so it was a GREAT start! Think I should also plan my weekends so I see more. I was in Ueno today (absolutely hated it) and then Ginza (much more refined). I didn't realise until reading up on it that Ueno is one of the most run-down areas of Central Tokyo and I could feel it. It was just crowded and dirty and not exactly pleasant. A bit like China or HK maybe?

I also started using my smoothie machine. It's so awesome!!! Except now my fridge feels overstocked cause of all the fresh fruit and veg I have in there for my week's supply of juice. I have a tiny tiny fridge... and also I made pasta so I have midweek meals. Speaking of housework, I have designated Sunday evening to be ironing night. I HATE IRONING. And the dryer makes your clothes extra wrinkly. NOT COOL. It would be wise to buy clothes that don't require ironing...

expat

Week 2: Playing Tour Guide

2/28/2016 09:47:00 pm

It's been an interesting week... things are progressing slowly in the office but at least I'm no longer twiddling my thumbs all the time! Hooray...!

I also had two visitors from home so there were two familiar faces in the office. It's a welcome change but personally, I think I prefer it when I'm there doing my own thing. I feel responsible to entertain them and low and behold, spent my whole weekend with them. I didn't mind so much but a day and a half with the same company can be a bit stressful and challenging - especially when I get the feeling they don't completely embrace the culture or the customs. I am liking wandering around on my own and it's a lot harder to 'fit in' with the locals when I have two Caucasians with me who are absolutely fascinated by well - everything.

Lady colleague and I had a wonderful day in Hakone visiting the Open Air Musuem and doing the loop around Hakone by rail, ropeway, cable car, boat and bus. It was mightly fresh though! Very glad to hop on the Romancecar back to Shinjuku in the evening. And it gave me ideas of what to do when my parents arrived. Hopefully the volcanic activity will cease and we will be able to visit the stop where they do the funny black (sulfur) eggs!

Today was going around town - Shibuya and Harajuku because that's what people think of when they think of Tokyo. We did Takeshita St, Daiso and then we were at Yoyogi Park waiting for almost an hour for a few Elvis impersonators to dance. Interesting but doesn't really catch my attention. Then we had kaizen sushi in Ometesando which I thought was average (and a bit of a tourist trap really) before they went back to their hotel. I dropped by the Farmer's Markets to pick up some groceries and got these tri-coloured carrots. They were so crispy when I cut them up for my soup this evening and delicious.

A Japanese colleague told me to go outlet shopping (apparently it's the right time) and it sounds like a great idea. Some of the streets are paved with those funny cobblestones and I have worn through my pair of black wedges... so sad because they were Nine West and relatively new. :( So I need to find a replacement pair.

chinatown

Week 1: Settling In

2/23/2016 06:19:00 pm

Arriving at 5 AM has its advantages such as no traffic in the morning and being able to rest for a few hours and freshen up before the new day. I certainly think red-eye flights are the better ways to go as it saves a potentially a day and if you are travelling, that's potentially one night's accommodation you save. The jetlag is another story but I've been getting use to working to my bones up to the time that I travel that it's not overly difficult to catch a few z's when flying. It doesn't mean I don't have jetlag though but it beats being bored for hours on end. This is the third flight in a row where I have not watched any of the entertainment on-board and declined meals/drinks - maybe I could do the whole budget traveller thing?

So I've gotten through week 1 - settled into my apartment. Got some essentials and realised as I was unpacking that I didn't actually pack as much as I had thought. Excellent news, means I can shop more! Here's the part where I hope the Aussie dollar starts making up its lost ground and fast.

This week has been about meeting the team again and I can already sense a firmer barrier between us that last time. I know that they are shutting me out. However, everyone is telling me to let it go for now and that I should plan lunches instead. So I have been!

I've already managed to secure two harder-to-find bottles of whiskey (Yamazaki 12 & Hibiki 17) so that is a major item off my list. Can't wait to try it. No good wine in Japan means I am learning to drink whiskey. It's not so bad as I am starting off with like 1 part whiskey to 10 parts ginger ale. I happen to like ginger ale. But bad whiskey is well... really bad. My sister is planning to visit in March and I'm wondering if we will have time / want to go and visit the Nikka distillery in Yoishi.

I visited Yokohama on the weekend. It rained out so was a bit boring. Also, the Chinatown isn't as cool as the ones in San Fran or New York. It probably doesn't even stack up to Sydney. It was all about the buns and Shanghai dumplings it seemed and very tourist orientated. I walked into one of the Asian grocery stores and it was really only selling snacks and drinks and a few dry goods. A little bit disappointing. One thing I really wish I'd brought with me is a jar of mum's chilli!!!

I'm not liking the current season's clothes at Zara or H&M or Uniqlo so haven't stuck into the shopping yet. May go and venture out on the weekend. My colleagues tell me it is outlet sale time... I kind of need to get paid first...! Can't bankroll myself forever.

Have already tried a few interesting things in the supermarket. I bought what I thought was fish cake which turned out to be this rice or tofu cake thing. Wasn't particularly pleasant. And then this is my bad as I should have known when it said 700g but still stupidly thought it was milk when it was drinking yoghurt. At least with the yoghurt, I can pour that over my granola!

Generally and especially with the exchange rate, I am finding most things expensive. Except alcohol as you'd expect as they don't have additional taxes etc. But fresh fruit, veg and meat will cost you $$$. Their strawberries are AMAZING though. Got a couple of familiar faces in the office with me this week so should be an interesting week. We have a team dinner tomorrow and then I'm off to Japanese Language school on Thursday evening!

asian

Ending with a Bang

2/16/2016 09:45:00 am

It has been a very busy final few days in Sydney with barely any downtime at all.

Had three full days of workshops and training at the Spit. It is a beautiful location however needing to get to the office by 8 AM is kind of hard. And the bus actually left without people – wow. The first day we had 8 hours of training plus a dinner and networking evening. That was excellent but getting home from Chowder Bay is again a difficult feat. The training is definitely ‘transformational’ and unlike any other seminar that you would expect Finance experts to go to. Another thing about these events is that you will never go hungry… in fact, I’m pretty sure there is a high probability that you will gain weight. There’s breakfast Danishes and yoghurt on arrival, freshly baked cookies for morning tea, lunch buffet with an extensive range of salad and two hot options followed by fruit and cheese platters and afternoon tea is usually another sweet option. Of course, always served with a huge selection of tea, coffee and other cold beverages.

On the last day, we were treated to a team event and my boss may have potentially blown her yearly budget on this one afternoon! A chartered 4 hour cruise with canapes and drinks on a boat! Wow so amazing – we are definitely very fortunate to have her look after us (she is sacrificing her business class travel this year to save money!). The weather was hot and sunny with a cool breeze at times – absolute perfection. I really enjoyed myself and the boat was certainly big enough so you only had to chat to the people that you wanted to. This was followed by drinks at Bungalow 8 and it was over a year ago that I’d been there during the Christmas Party the year before. It was not going off… nevertheless, was there for a few hours and good to get to know other colleagues from interstate, especially those that I don’t work with directly.

Friday was the day where running around doing chores really takes it out of you. it was a hot day and driving around Sydney in Friday traffic (who would have thought?) makes everything seem so much harder. Got to have lunch with my parents and sister though – Vietnamese!!! I am going to miss pho and crispy chicken and bbw so much in Tokyo. I reckon Vietnamese is one of my favourite types of cuisine. Picked up my tank of helium which was enough to fill 100 balloons and about 20 enormous foil balloons that I bought off eBay. Winning… my sister was really concerned that we wouldn’t be able to use the existing nozzle on the tank and that we were going to run out of helium. Neither of those things happened but the back up plan was to go get them filled up in the shop and pay for it. We got our whole pig for the spit… and you are definitely desensitized when you see the animal. Salted it, iced it, dried it and got it ready for the morning to throw on the spit. Roasting a whole animal is a challenge: they are heavy, its raw, the spit is HOT, the rod needs to go through the animal precisely… it really is harder than you imagine. Anyway, I really want to say a huge thank you to my coz and Albert for helping on Friday and Saturday. Seriously could not have done it without you guys.

Saturday: party time! Can I please have more sleep? Got about 5 hours but getting up at 7 AM to get the fire going and mount the spit is kind of weird. We got it on just before 9 which meant we were on time. Our basting sauce had too much sugar and soy so it turned the pig black pretty quickly (it wasn’t burnt but you can really tell that the skin was charred) and we probably tried to over insure ourselves too much by getting the fire way hotter than it probably should have been. No matter because by 6 PM the pig and cooked and moist and freaking delicious. And yes, we had CRACKLING! And as usual, Asian mother means 50 people invited – cater for 100. The food. And Asian people don’t listen!!! NO GIFTS means… NO GIFTS! And it was not bring a dish. Why was everyone bringing a dish? Appreciated but it means you all have to take boxes of food home. We seriously could have had a lunch session and a dinner session and we would still have food leftover…

I am being quite hypocritical when I say the above as I actually made lots of things for a dessert table knowing that it will go to waste – I just wanted pretty pictures. The cake pops were made from the tops of the cake and the macarons were the culls from an event a few weeks earlier. The kids loved the jelly and the strawberry tree was so pretty but again everyone was so full of the meat and seafood that they barely had any room left for sweets. The best part of the night was spent outdoors by the spit and then playing with bubbles and sparklers with the kids and Maxxie. What I wouldn’t give to be 4 or 5 again… or a well-loved puppy. Such a carefree life!

Taking photos was another fun part of the night as we had a very keen amateur photographer in Carmen’s father. Thank you uncle! You bring humour and professionalism to the role in spades! It really was a great party and I think everyone had a really good time. The kids got to take balloons home (hilarious when you try to fit two gigantic helium aeroplanes into a Kluger already seated with 7 people… hahaha), everyone doggy bagged, cake was a hit, kids had fun (Ethan did a poop just before leaving and his parents had already packed his bag in the car… he seemed really proud of himself too which made it more funny), dogs had fun and the clean up began! This was one event where I was glad most things were disposable but there was a lot of garbage bags at the end of it. I was hydrating myself during the party more than I was eating. They say that the organisers of a party do not get to enjoy themselves – I kind of see where that comes from as you are too busy making sure everyone else is well fed and hydrated and having a good time!

Needless to say Sunday was a day of doing nothing except packing. My bag ended up being 30.3 kg talk about using up your allowance to the max! Who knew it was so hard (I actually think I did not pack any casual sweaters… oops, guess I will have to buy one on the weekend). Everything seemed to fit which was good. I guess I should look forward to unpacking now that I have arrived? I requested an upgrade but was declined – the flight was absolutely full which was so sad for me. I had an aisle seat but I actually think the window seat is better for sleeping. I didn’t get much sleep as there were constantly people walking up and down the aisles. Thankfully, we arrived early so I got to catch 3 hours in the apartment before work. It feels weird to sleep until 9:20 on a weekday (11:20 Sydney time no less). So lucky I got to rest as I think I would be shattered otherwise.

So looking forward to every challenge and experience over the next 5 months.

catch up

Catch ups to tide me over

2/06/2016 11:23:00 pm

I never considered myself to have a full social calendar. I love the occasional (some, more frequent) catch-ups with my friends and this week has been a full week of coffees, lunches, dinners and drinks with some of my favorite people - thank you so much for organising these, for the hugs (and a couple of tears), for the the laughs, for the gifts and for the excitement you all feel for me. I am so grateful and lucky to have the chance to see you all.

As eventhough I've switched off in the office, there is so much I feel like I need to do in this final week. It's Chinese New Year! It's my dad's birthday! I haven't packed... what am I going to do???

Last night, I had a fancy (overpriced) dinner at Black followed by drinks on the Sky Terrace at the Star. I couldn't think of a better Friday night to see the Sydney skyline afterdark and I couldn't think of better people to spend it with. I am going to miss my two blondes terribly... and I am absolutely hoping that Madison's bf will have a trip to Tokyo soon so she can visit with him. We would totally wreak havoc on the bars in Tokyo!!!

I actually didn't realise how much I'd had to drink until I got home. I pretty much crashed and woke up with a headache/ hangover. A needless reminder that I am no longer as young as I use to be. So it was quite a painful morning to get up and be in Cabramatta for Yum Cha with another bunch. The drive there and parking were a nightmare and I wondered if I should have been driving at all. I was fine once I got to the place and we started shoveling food like it was our last meal. You should have seen the overflowing lazy susan...! We all love to pick on Jack (sorry Jack). Brunch/lunch followed by my second official tour of Cabramatta where we went to get Avocado and Durian shakes, Red Lea chips (famous for its Paprika Salt) and Pork Rolls. And we finally found the shop selling Oriental Lillies for Li. We walked up and down each mall until we finally found them in BKK! Yay! Can't wait till I'm back for Rusty Chef and Christmas in July!!!! Woohooooooo. Definitely going to miss this bunch.

Then I got home to crash for an hour or so before CNY dinner at a family friends place. So stuffed there was steamed fish, abalone, chicken, prawns, roast pork and some traditional dishes. Then there was sesame glutinous rice balls and watermelon seeds and sugared candies... so much nostalgia. I think this is the first year where we've really felt the red exuding from a dinner. The luckiness and the tradition. I even got to see Lion Dancers at the Star on Friday night. And lanterns everywhere and crackers and so much more than I expected. So happy.

Another few full days. Let's see if I will have time to write about it. Time for bed.

Recent Posts

fuchsia fragments

Week 5-6: Sisterly Fun

Week 4: Winter is still hanging around

Week 3: Making s-l-o-w progress

Week 2: Playing Tour Guide

Week 1: Settling In

Ending with a Bang

Catch ups to tide me over

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