Viva La Tokyo

My fourth time in Tokyo and my first by Pokemon air travel.

the plane was half-empty but everything from the curtains to the seat covers was bedecked with pokemon and his furry friends (wait, are they fur or fibreglass?) so there was really little want for company. funny but when i landed, the train that picked me up was drenched in pokemon as well. guess the yellow thing's got a chokehold on all means of transportation in tokyo.

this time, i made it a point to see stuff that i havent yet seen on all of my other trips to the metropolis. i visited kamakura (renamed "kane-kure" 金くれ henceforth, which means "more money please" because everything there comes with a pricetag. even trying to view flowers on the temple grounds will cost you.), went to shimo-kitazawa and kichijouji, two bustling towns for tokyo youth, took in all three major museums and finally ate a krispy kreme donut.

everything was done on me-time so i rested whenever i wanted, met with whomever i liked and ate everything i fancied. but you know a place has crossed the line separating "holiday destination" from "just another town" when you dont stop to admire the rainbow bridge or the tokyo tower, or even bother with taking pictures. the shopping's great, the people are beautiful and the air still crackles with electric tension, but when everything was done i just really wanted to head back home to sleepy okinawa.

my lack of tourist sentiments notwithstanding, i still managed to make some (important) observations during my trip.

1. want to be fashionable the tokyo way? stick a huge bow on your head. a ribbon from an hermes scarf says you have money, a bow made of fake hair says you listen to lady gaga. any other bow and you have only just met the minimum requirement for keeping in touch with the trends.

2. we're all familiar with the term "ikemen" イケメン (shortened from "iketeru menzu" イケてるメンズ), a title bestowed upon good-looking members of the male species. personally, i find that the term translates beautifully into the singlish phrase "can-make-it". lately however, the lack of a precise definition has caused the term to suffer from gross misuse. seems to me that the "cannot-make-it" men of the city have been passing themselves off as better-looking people by hiding behind painstakingly teased and styled locks, goatees and beards, not to mention sharp suits and shoes. take off all that hair (facial or otherwise), render them naked and tokyo might actually be bereft of good-looking men.

3. they dont kiss or hold hands in public because yes, they are japanese that way. but if their boyfriend is ang moh, they instantly get a free pass to public displays of affection. like, they cant possibly be japanese if their boyfriends arent.

by the way, i lied when i said i didnt take any pictures.

Air Pokemon

Krispy Kreme, Shinjuku (did i mention that they were giving out free original sugar-glazed donuts?)

The Great Bronze Buddha in Kane-kure

Sunset at Eno-shima 江ノ島, Kane-kure

Grow a heart and body of cold metal and you'd be freezing too.

Plum and sakura blossoms at Hase-dera 長谷寺, Kane-kure

False Alarm

Over the phone last night, he asked me what size I was.

my heart skipped a beat, my breath caught in my throat and the joy in my voice became openly discernible.

turns out he saw a coat in a vintage store and wanted to buy it for me, but no, i wasnt a size 10.

all i really wanted to say was: my dear ken, my ring size is a US 6 (but in case it doesnt fit, we can always re-size it?).

i am starting to heap all my eggs in one tiny basket once again, despite the constant reminders to myself not to do so.

on a lighter note, i went looking for my graduation kimono (hakama) last week and i'm pretty happy with what i picked.

Em from Thailand and I:

The Bridezilla is Back!

This is possibly a very funny thing to contemplate, but there are so many pretty dresses in the world and only one wedding in every girl's life. imagine the gravity of the situation. pick the wrong dress and you'll never get a second go again.

bingeing on creamy confections on brides.com now that i can afford more time for meaningless surfing on the internet. reem acra takes the cake for autumn 2010. her dresses are light, fluffy and above all, ethereal.

Squeezed Like Blood From a Stone

I'm very probably belittling childbirth here, but I seriously think that if I can give birth to this, I can pop at least five real babies.

wanted to take a picture of my baby but there were people in the room so i thought it'll look stupid (will post some shots later when i get it back for further corrections.)

here are my baby's vital statistics:

date and time of birth: 18th jan 2010, 11.28am
weight: 109 pages, 171,930 words, 5,245 lines and 1,169 paragraphs
sex: feminist girl
name:　沖縄におけるフェミニズムの新しい可能性を探って―「杣山訴訟」の事例からみるフェミニズムの多様性と交差性

hell, if i can do this, i can even climb mt. everest with five kids and a husband in tow.

ピリ辛豚どんぶり

I'm not quite aiming to be the next domestic goddess, but there is something about sitting in front of a PC for hours on end, draining your brain juices over an academic exercise that makes you take sudden and renewed interest in cooking and eating.

i'm not a fussy eater and i dont like complicated, time-consuming recipes because if it takes you up to an hour to prepare and cook it, you're better off heading straight to the restaurant for the real deal. i also like hearty and tummy-filling meals, so thats why most of the dishes that i've blogged about so far are big on carbs and meat.

i came aross this recipe in a local magazine while waiting for the car to be washed at the gas station, and i gave it a go that very evening. it was simple, quick and surprisingly good so i thought i'd share the recipe here.

ingredients:

100 gm of sliced pork

chives (i didnt have any so i substituted with about 10cm of scallions)

lettuce (about 3-4 large leaves)

cooking wine (half a tablespoon)

doubanjiang (half a teaspoon)

cornflour (half a tablespoon)

sugar (half a teaspoon)

soy sauce (one tablespoon)

salt, pepper

1. lightly season the pork with salt and pepper, and add the wine, sugar, soy sauce, cornflour to the meat. slice lettuce and cut chives.

2. add cooking oil to a frying pan and lightly fry the doubanjiang on medium heat.

3. add the pork and stir-fry on high heat. add chives when meat is fully cooked.

4. fill a deep bowl with rice, lay the sliced lettuce and top it with the pork.

and this is what you'll get:

Empire State of Mind

New York, where dreams are made.

Jay-Z can move from brooklyn to tribeca, have his courtside seats for the Knicks game and cruise down A street in an off-white lexus, but he'd still be "'hood forever".

orchard road will never be times square and the merlion is definitely no statue of liberty, but like jay-z, i am most definitely from where home is.

i wasnt raised in the projects and my streets arent new york, but i love my city too. i love everything from the money-making air in shenton to the noisy chatter and raw smells down at the wet market. why drink starbucks in the morning when you can have teh with kaya toast? fine dining is lovely, but then again, so is dinner at the zi-char stall.

we can all learn to appreciate the finer things in life while staying close to our roots.

so yes, i'm from the heartlands and i'm keepin' it real, cos there is no way anyone can take the singapore out of this girl.

Serinah's Fried Chicken

Move over Kentucky, SFC is here.

i think i've managed to figure out how to make my very own colonel's fried chicken! and what's better, my version's baked in the oven so it's probably a healthier option.

here's how i did it:

preheat oven to 220 degrees.

while oven's warming up, mix three tablespoons of fine breadcrumbs with three tablespoons of grated cheese (powder version is completely fine as well) and three tablespoons of olive oil. add a generous amount of chopped basil (dry version also okay), a pinch of salt and cracked black pepper.

cover one large piece of chicken thigh meat completely with the mixture above and pop it in the oven for 20 minutes, skin side down. (no turning over required)

if you want to make the meal healthier, toss in some cherry tomatoes ten minutes into baking. the above mixture also works for white-meat fish.

an extremely simple and easy recipe. the end result was baked chicken with crispy skin and very juicy meat. and it really tastes like KFC!

Happy Birthday to Me

I thought I did a pretty good job of turning 29.

i got up, went to school just like any other saturday. ken had the day off so after class we stuffed ourselves silly on all-you-can-eat yakiniku and spent the rest of the afternoon in the zoo.

the next day i had lunch with ken's family and potlucked with some old friends in the evening.

i think i'm just about done with my 20s. every now and then i might moan about growing old, but deep down i'm really just looking forward to hitting my next decade. if the first ten years are about being a girl and the next twenty are spent learning how to be a woman, i guess 30 is the year when i let the meaning of the word "woman" seep into my skin and into the core of my being.

because even when you're officially an over-adult at 29, you can somehow still make the fatal mistake of eating too much grilled meat with your 30-year old boyfriend and suffer from a bad tummy for two days straight. (the 30 year old man is now suffering from gastric flu. we are swearing off yakiniku until stupidity takes control again.)

some shots from my birthday:

lunch with ken's folks (clockwise from behind me: grandpa, mom, aunt and uncle)



beautiful red roses from ken's grandpa and a magnifying face mirror from his aunt and uncle

katsura and i blowing out the candles on our cake (she turns 34 on 3rd dec)

Autumn Afternoons

A mug of hot tea and cookies from my favourite patisserie.

Nina Simone on the hi-fi and a light breeze from the balcony.

No one at home but me.

My idea of a lovely autumn afternoon.

Grousing

Let me add two new items to my list of pet peeves.

#1
I love helping people but that doesn't mean you can treat me like a 24-hour mobile translation service. my zeal for accumulating good karma by assisting those in need does not involve translating a ten-point CV at 1am in the morning via my mobile phone. just try imagining the amount of english text i have to input letter by letter on a tiny keypad before you even think about asking for help. or at the very least give me more time.
also, the fact that i can understand japanese doesnt mean i am at your disposal for all tasks to do with japan and japanese. that includes writing requests for franchise rights to japanese retail chains and reading your medicine bottles.
#2
It's fine if you don't usually contact me, because there's always the excuse about me being away from Singapore. it's also fine that you only chose to email me when you've broken up with your longtime girlfriend. nevermind the fact that i heard nothing from you thereafter and had to find out from other people that you managed to salvage the relationship eventually.
so if i'm the person that you only very occasionally contact, why am i the first on the list of free lodging options when you are considering holiday destinations? for crying out loud, you asked me if snow has accumulated in okinawa because you wanted to ski. at the very least try finding out a little bit more about the place that you are intending to visit instead of deciding your options on the amount of free mileage you have and the number of friends you can impose on.
my home is a hotel to my friends but that decision lies with me. oh, and by the way, i hated all your jokes and jibes about okinawa. the only time i'm letting you come here is after i've moved away for good.

My 100th Post

To commemorate, I thought I'd come clean with certain things that have been on my mind.

I was at tower records last saturday (the only place in okinawa i know of that is kind enough to allow customers, or non-buyers like me, to browse through US editions of fashion magazines) catching up on my monthly fill of fashion and gossip taking place on the other side of the world when i came across my horoscope in the november issue of harpers bazaar.

i dont normally read horoscopes and i never thought i'd believe in them, but for some reason i had stopped at the page on my way to the fashion spread. the horoscope read:

"A period of private review helps clarify your goals and philosophy, but don't lose touch with those who give good advice. If you are engaged in studies, long-distance and travel issues bring with them big news. Dreams are large and may strip down your bank account, but financial prudence can enable future fulfilment of desires."

this might be me over-thinking things again, but when i read it i was sure i had an epiphany.

but before that, lets just back up for a minute and review my present situation.

yes, after i graduate next march i have absolutely no plans for what's to happen next.

i turned down a job offer in september and while working in okinawa is still very much an option, the less-than-competitive job conditions here means that job-searching will involve a large degree of compromise on my part.

i say i want to go to america but i really am unsure about when it will really happen. it isnt the amount of preparation that scares me, but the lack of financial freedom that comes with a student's lifestyle that does. on the other hand, if i were to marry ken and settle in okinawa, i am afraid that america might just never ever materialise.

then again, marriage isnt on the cards and i dont know what ken is thinking. i am hopeful on one hand but am also fearing the worst.

i have decided on going home next march but i have no idea what my return will mean. i dont know how long i will stay and i dont know what sort of options i should be considering during my time in singapore.

so there, i have found myself in quite a situation. ideally speaking i would have liked to mull over a set of smaller, less frightful options in the final year before i turn 30, but then again i realise you can only plan for so much. life can pretty much spiral out of your hands even as you think things are proceeding according to plan.

my epiphany? for all the uncertainty that awaits me, i have decided that the best way to deal with it would be to embrace whatever that is to happen. despite the inertia that comes with taking the path less travelled, i have also found the reason why i shouldnt be giving up on my american dream.

my knowledge matters to me and so does my love for okinawa. there has to be a way i can put the two together and create something positive. i believe that the wrongs of this place should be put right, and perhaps i might have a role to play in educating people about this part of japan that so few people really care to learn more about.

america will happen with or without marriage and kids.
in the meantime, i will devote all my efforts towards my thesis and continue loving my man.
everything else, i'm leaving in the hands of time.

Amusement

Just when you think the state of English in Japan cannot possibly get any worse, this arrives in your letterbox.

the irony? the guy who sent the wedding invitation actually majored in english in university.

made myself a jumbo sandwich the other day and crammed it full of lettuce, bacon, sliced tomatoes and topped it off with a sunny side-up and cheese. it's hard eating a sandwich this size without messing things up but i was kept full the entire day!

Happy Birthday

A man's 30th birthday should be celebrated with pomp and passion so I pulled out all the stops.

thesis presentation notwithstanding, i booked us a hotel stay at a spa hotel and packed an overnight bag without ken's knowledge. when we got there i told him it was just a spa appointment and he actually believed it.

there was dinner kaiseki style, a surprise birthday cake and buffet breakfast the following morning.

with all the smiles and adoration i earned, i'd say the pricetag and effort were all worth it.

happy birthday ken!

Caution: Spoiler Ahead!

Everyone knows about the new SATC sequel, but if the buzz around the movie is anything to go by, the new installment might be disappointing for some fans.

apparently, big loses a huge chunk of cash from the financial turmoil after the crash of lehmann brothers and the result is some unhealthy spousal squabble between the finally-weds.

charlotte walks out on harry with her two daughters after she accuses him of having an affair with their new nanny.

miranda, on the other hand, quits partner at the law firm after getting embroiled in a breach of privacy issue at work and tries to set up a restaurant with steve.

and samantha might end up in UAE with a new foreign lover.

side-plot wise, carrie's all-time gay friend stanford might just be marrying anthony, charlotte's two-time wedding planner.

a lot of meat for the new film, but i really dont want to see miranda quitting her job or big and carrie fighting again.

sometimes i wish they would just leave a good series as it is instead of subjecting the four women to a circus of tribulation. (and yes, i talk as if these women are real.)

more real-time SATC spoilers here.

Fashion Roadkill

You know, we've all had days like these.

a quick run to the supermarket or gas station beckons so we run out of the house barefaced, oily skin and blemishes exposed, with an untidy ponytail and mismatched clothing to boot. we think to ourselves: who cares what other people think? it's just five minutes and no one even looks anyway.

then we find ourselves wanting to shrink into nothingness when a perfectly coiffed, groomed and attired lady stands behind us at the checkout counter, smelling of roses and waiting to pay for her organic tea and plain yoghurt while we're lugging a huge basket of frito lays, instant noodles and a family-sized carton of ice cream.

and if instead of the lady there had been a gorgeous man queueing behind us, we'd be feeling a lot more sorry for ourselves.

looks like lindsay is having one of my days:

change of topic but this is what alexander mcqueen came up with for new york fashion week recently.
if not for the legs sticking out from those things i wouldnt have known they were shoes.

Stuff

Thought the nice people who read my blog might like a look at my life as it unfolds.

here's a picture of my work desk right in the heat of action:

most people know that i love my chicken, and when stress levels climb, the girl must find ways to get her mitts on some good poultry.

here is what i made for dinner last night:

there were six wings in total and i finished them all!!

If We Lived in a Perfect World...

I would say yes when you tell me you want to move somewhere far away.

And you would leave with me too if I chose to go away.

No one gets left behind. In a perfect world, that is.

Dreams

Last night I dreamed of someone I havent met in the longest time.

we were almost best friends in secondary school. by "almost" i mean i wasnt meant to be her BFF because she was already promised to another. the realization that we were never going to be exclusive best friends upset me and made me jealous of the other girl, who was naturally, as do most stories go, bright, talented and popular.

but we were close. and she shared with me the details of her every crush, the one where she fell in love with the back view of a boy she happened to be on a tour bus with while she was holidaying in indonesia with her family being the most memorable of all.

i was always at her house, an apartment in geylang with its very own elevator landing that opened up into the living room. she had a poodle named alpha, and while i was never a big fan of poodles i cried along with her when alpha died.

she loved keanu reeves and boyzone, so we watched every movie that keanu reeves starred in and i listened while she raved about the latest boyzone single.

then when we left secondary school, she started a relationship with a boy she met every morning in the train on her way to junior college and i met my first boyfriend in school. we were young and didnt know anything about juggling priorities in love, school and friendship, so we drifted apart.

for the next six or seven years our contact was reduced to the random phone call, the rare text message. she quit JC and switched to polytechnic while i entered university. from there, our paths forked.

a year before i was to come to okinawa, she asked me out to dinner. it turned out that her relationship with her divorced boss crumbled when he fell for the new secretary, and she was looking to rebuild her friendships, which she said she had neglected over the past years. but for some reason, dinner didnt blossom into a resurrected friendship and until today, i still dont know why we never became more than almost-best friends.

ten years on and we've moved on to new friendships and new lives. last night's dream reminded me of how straightforward everything used to be. perhaps it's because i've forgotten what it's like to think simple. or maybe it's because some friendships dont last past a certain expiry date.

in any case, i do hope she is doing fine.

Life

If anyone knows what the phrase "living your life" actually means, I'd be more than happy to find out.

open to suggestions on how to "life my life" without worrying about money, separation, unfulfilled promises or broken dreams.

Random Tidbits

Everyone living on their own has a few tricks up their sleeves on how to clear leftover food from the fridge.

so far, my favourite solutions are fried rice (anything and everything goes!), stir-fried noodle dishes and sandwiches.

the other day i had a box of rapidly dying mini tomatoes, some rocket lettuce leaves, frozen minced meat and a slice of cheese. so i turned it into taco rice, the okinawan take on mexican tacos. i didnt have worcestershire sauce at home, so i substituted with oyster sauce and it still works. plus it's healthy so i didnt have to feel bad about finishing the entire plate on my own.

in between daily stabs of painful torture also known as thesis-writing, i have taken comfort in trying on the new shades of nail polish that i bought from the face shop on my last trip to singapore.

cheap, fast, good and goes on easy. it actually looks like i had it professionally done if you dont look at it too close.