My Tokyo Drift

When I first arrived in Tokyo, I had the complete Lost in Translation experience.
Imagine having to encounter signs like these everywhere...

Well, to be honest, one of the great things about Japan is that they are resilient about maintaining their culture and traditions... and that includes their language. All their signs are in Kanji, and barely anything is written in alpha numeric. It's great for Japan and I mean that with all my heart. It's just a little challenging for tourists like me to get around, not knowing a lick of Japanese language apart from the basic "Ohayou Gozaimasu" and "Arigato!"

I was very lucky to be staying with my best friend from high school who has been there for 10 years and speaks the language quite fluently. As long as I was with her, I was okay. :)

The first thing I wanted to do was EAT. I love Japanese food, and I wasn't going to waste a minute in Tokyo without eating Sushi and Ramen. 

 Their Ramen was so good, it literally hurts to eat it. I inhaled most of the things I ate there!

Whenever I visit new places, I usually explore their local grocery stores. You can find out a lot about a country's culture by what they eat... and based on this photo below, you can tell the Japanese like sweets :) So do I! :) Yum!

I also pay attention to "signs". Figuratively, and in Japan, LITERALLY. :) Their "Engrish" signs are so cute! :)

After I've had my bit of fun with food and signs, I went over to one of the main things that drew me to Japan in the first place: The Hachiko Statue at the Shibuya Station. :)

The Hachiko Statue was built in honor of a faithful Akita called Hachiko, who is remembered due to his remarkable loyalty to his owner, even after death. Yes, I've seen both movies: The Japanese and American versons. :) If you haven't, you should! Both are really good... they brought me to Japan, didn't they? :)

And being the true celebrity magnet that I am, I found myself in the middle of the Japanese Paparazzi - who were waiting for this guy...

This is Lee Byung Hun... a Korean superstar who's been in several American films, like GI Joe! :) I didn't really know who he was, but all the ladies around me were going nuts over him!

I didn't care much for him... but I DID get super excited when I bumped into this guy!

A Sumo Wrestler!!! Isn't that amazing? He looks a little skinny for a Sumo, but I was all too happy he obliged for a fan photo! :)

I also bumped into a bunch of ladies wearing Kimono's. I was surprised there were still a LOT of women wearing Kimonos all over Japan. I thought it was brilliant! They look so beautiful in them! We all know I love those things, right? Especially when you get served some tea afterwards? :)

I tried my luck in meeting the Emperor too, but I wasn't as fortunate. I did manage to snag a photo of the Imperial Palace though... Even from afar, it looked really beautiful. 

Other things that kept me occupied were...

Jump Shots in busy Tokyo Streets...

Adoring little Japanese school girls - in a non creepy way. (Look how cute they are though!!!)

Adoring cute and fashionable Japanese girls in Shibuya (and wishing I were as sassy as them)...

Exploring and getting lost in Japanese Gardens...

And lastly, admiring the beautiful city of Tokyo at night...

Tokyo really is a magnificent city. It reminds me so much of Manhattan... the lights, the people, and the manic energy! The food is amazing, the transportation is very efficient... and even if there is a language barrier (no matter how much I've been told that people in Tokyo speaks a lot of English, I have discovered, that no, they do not) the Japanese are *soooo* nice and helpful, that they will do their best in assisting you, even if it means standing with you for 10 minutes making up a new kind of sign language, just to be able to help. I love the Japanese.. they are amazing people!

So that is my Tokyo Drift in a nutshell... I did spend time in Kyoto as well, and that place deserves a post all on its own. Kyoto is *so* different from Tokyo - in a good way!

I spent about 8 days total in Japan, and I had such a great time. My advice for people who are planning to visit --- try to learn a little Nihongo before you go. The basics like - hello, how much, where is the toilet, how do I get to this station, can you help me find this temple, - will go a loooong way. That, and go on a diet before your trip. You'll want to eat as much of their food as possible. ;)

My 2013 Travel Destinations - Part 1

As I get closer to my “launch” date, I’m getting more and more nervous. I’ve been so busy getting myself excited about the round the world travel I'm doing this 2013 that I think I’ve forgotten about how big a deal this is. So then I’ve started panicking, and I’ve been spending my days dazed and bewildered. There’s SO much I still need to do. My mind is literally one big clusterfuck of to-do lists that I feel like I can't tick off!

Incidentally, something completely cosmic happened to me the other day. I got pulled over by a cop for “running the red light” (but I really didn’t!!!)
When my pleas for him to send me off with a warning didn’t work, he asked me to take my sunglasses off and he looked me square in the eyes. He said, “I want you to listen to me. Do me a favor, okay? I don’t know what’s going on in your head right now. I’m not sure if you’re zoning off, or if you just have a lot on your mind. Whatever it is, I just need you to pay attention, and focus. Can you do that?”

It wasn’t until I was driving away from him that I realized he might actually not be talking about the road.

Eerie, right? 

I tried to be as cute as Vanessa Hudgens in this photo, but it didn't work. 

And so I am choosing to take his advice (which will cost me about $500) and get my act together. I shall focus on what needs to be done, and I’ll start by giving you an outline of what my year could potentially look like. :)

Every travel website I’m subscribed to have come up with their top 2013 destinations, and I thought I’d join the bandwagon! I haven’t really talked in detail about my plans for this year… I guess because I’m not even sure about all my stops myself. I do however, have a rough itinerary, PLUS a ‘wishlist’ of countries/places I want to visit on this round of the world tour. For visualization purposes, I’m going to divide my trip into three legs:

First Leg – The Friends and Family Discount

This is the leg of the tour that is pretty much absolute. I’m buying my plane tickets in the next week or so, I’ve arranged my accommodations with the people I’m visiting… in other words, this one’s a sure thing.

PHILIPPINES

I’m going home, amigos. A month in the Philippines of doing absolutely nothing.

OK maybe I'll be doing some of this...

My friends and I on a mundane Saturday night at my house

AUSTRALIA 

Sydney! Photo from worldplacez.blogspot.com

Melbourne! Photo from Wikipedia

I’m traveling to Sydney and Melbourne with my travel buddy, Karen, and we’ll be staying with my family in Sydney, and her friends in Melbourne. I’ve never been, but always loved Australians and their spirit! I have absolutely no expectations, just excitement!

NEW ZEALAND

Gorgeous New Zealand Landscape

Hobbiton! YAY!

I’m even MORE excited about New Zealand! I’m going to visit Hobbiton! I hear so many wonderful things about this little country, and I’ve become very good friends with a Kiwi, so I’m definitely expecting to fall in love with NZ! I even have the ONE RING of power to guide me through this adventure – courtesy of my Kiwi bird, Jackie!

JAPAN

One of my best friends from high school is taking me in! I also have a sister who lives there! I’ll be staying mainly in Tokyo, but will visit Kyoto for their temples as well. Honestly, I just want to see the statue of Hachiko.

The Statue of Hachiko in Shibuya!

Gorgeous Kyoto in Autumn

DUBAI & ABU DHABI

Sex and the City anyone? I doubt I’ll be traveling in the same fashion as they did, but I’m looking forward to some desert moon adventures!

Desert Safari in Abu Dhabi

Dubai

UNITED KINGDOM

I’m flying to the UK after Dubai and I’ll be staying with Abby & Kit (AKA Mom and Dad) as usual! The UK will be my “homebase” because I’ll be spending most of my backpacking in Europe. If I ever get lonely or sad or broke, I’ll just train it back to the UK and stay with mom and dad in Cardiff and work for them as a babysitter/entertainer! At the end of June though, we are going to attend Glastonbury -- one of the biggest music festivals in the world! It’s like Woodstock! We’ll be camping over there for 5 days in proper hippie fashion, and will be rocking out to the best music from the best musicians!

Standby for a photo of ME covered in Mud this June.

The Glastonbury Festival in England from lollitop.magicate.eu  

I will also most likely be spending time with my friends in London and Scotland. I haven’t worked out the details yet – so, friends from London and Scotland, if you’re reading this, let’s hang out, OK? :)

And that concludes the first leg of the tour. I will be on all of the above from April to July. Aaaagh I can’t wait! Let’s hope I don’t blow off all my money during this period!

Stay tuned for my next post where I talk about the second leg which I’d like to call: The Helpex Backpacking Europe Experience! On that post, I will talk about the potential countries I’d like to visit while I “work” my way through Europe with free board and lodging with the help of Help Exchange.

Till next week! TTFN! :)