Narita 28Jan - 31Jan09

Ohaiyo Nippon! 4 days in Tokyo, 4 days to complete one mission. Explore the famous Shinjuku like what you really see in Jacky chan's movie, the Shinjuku incident. It is really a one hell lot of mission especially when the weather is wet and cold like 10 degrees... Pokadots... If you don't believe, check out my thick thick jacket and my lovely pink umbrella haha... It is getting more of a trend now especially for guys to carry bright pink umbrella.

First thing I must comment about is the human traffic in subway train station in Tokyo. They are so so packed and horrible. People are walking all over the directions. Not only that which I personally don't like about, it is also the language barrier which I am facing not only when I am there for leisure but also when I am at work... They just simply look like holy symbols to me. This can be quite a chore. So lesson learnt. I need to learn how to speak Japanese, but not from the Japanese language for dummies book. haha. Trust me, they don't really help much. Shopping is always an in thing for me and plus shopping in Japan is rather expensive but I still buy a lot of nonsensical stuff haha. That is why I love to go on a holiday. Don't you see the fun in it?

Anyway, I am a big big fan of Japanese food so sushi and unagi is a must try food for me. Simply love the taste of it. There is this supermart and a famous Japanese store in AEON Narita that sells really good food and groceries. Right now when I think of it, I will still drool a little. hehe. Smoking in the streets of Japan is prohibited. Only allocated places near the malls or subway is allowed so smokers like me will have a hard time looking for one especially when it rains, but who cares, it's Japan!

Something you should know about Tokyo, Narita, Japan.

Tokyo was originally a small fishing village named Edo. In 1457, Ōta Dōkan built Edo Castle. In 1590,Tokugawa Ieyasu made Edo his base and when he became shogun in 1603, the town became the center of his nationwide military government. During the subsequent Edo period, Edo grew into one of the largest cities in the world with a population topping one million by the 18th century. It became the de facto capital of Japan even while the emperor lived in Kyoto, the imperial capital. After about 263 years, the shogunate was overthrown under the banner of restoring imperial rule. In 1869, the 17-year-old Emperor Meiji moved to Edo. Tokyo was already the nation's political and cultural center, and the emperor's residence made it a de facto imperial capital as well with the former Edo Castle becoming the Imperial Palace. The city of Tokyo was established, and continued to be the capital until it was abolished as a municipality in 1943 and merged with the "Metropolitan Prefecture" of Tokyo.

Central Tokyo, like Osaka, has been designed since about the turn of the century (1900) to be centered around major train stations in a high-density fashion, so suburban railways were built relatively cheaply at street level and with their own right-of-way. This differs from many cities in the United States that are low-density and automobile-centric. Though expressways have been built in Tokyo, the basic design has not changed.

For these all and all, I should say I still heart Japan! Too bad due to time constrain I can't make my way down to the Disney, Oh well, I shall leave it for next time then. My ratings:

Sceneries - 8/10*

Shopping - 7/10*

Food - 9/10*

People - 5/10*

"Jimmy taking a train in Subway"

"Jimmy finally found his smoking area in Tokyo"

Amsterdam 12Jan - 16Jan09

I amsterdam... this was the picture that Melissa, my batch girl showed me. I am so so jealous of her going to such nice places. haha, but never did I expect that I was actually going there on my next trip!!! Netherlands here I come!!!

Met a SUPER WUBER NICE bunch of people on board. We clicked like instantly and the next thing is EXPLORING Amsterdam!!! Natalie who happens to come from my home town which I found out on board, was along side with me. No wonder a sense of familiarity. First stop into the shopping streets of Amsterdam to grab my fridge magnets, food is a must. I don't want to die of starvation at night plus it is a 6 hours difference in Gmt.

First day was pretty much done after exploring the town of Amsterdam, Sex shops, Ann Franks' house and of course the Shopping street. Also my current favourite pork ribs stall at the corner of the Shopping street. Lovely taste! Second day, Into outskirts of Amsterdam! Cheese farm, Windmill, Animal farm, Clog maker and Seamen village. Amsterdam is famous for it's clog (wooden shoe) as they are always in rainy season most of the time. They are also rich in history of the water extraction programme which is the usage of the windmill in their land reclaimation programme. Very special indeed. One thing to note, Food is pretty expensive there. People are all over friendly and it is a safe country compare to other European countries.

Notes about Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Amsterdam is the capital andlargest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. The city, which had a population of 1.36 million (with suburbs) on 1 January 2008, comprises the northern part of the Randstad, the 6th-largest metropolitan area in Europe, with a population of around 6.7 million.

Its name is derived from Amstel dam, indicative of the city's origin: a dam in the river Amstel, where the Dam Square is today. Settled as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, a result of its innovative developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading center for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded and many new neighbourhoods and suburbs were formed.

One of my Favourite spot in Europe. Beautiful sceneries will make you fall in love with this country. One must go places in Europe! Don't worry about language barrier as most of the people there are over friendly and they speak good English. Travellers must take note. My ratings:

Sceneries - 9/10*

Shopping - 8/10*

Food - 7/10*

People - 8/10*

"Jimmy at the Animal Farm"

"Jimmy at the Windmill Station"

"Jimmy with the famous sign I amsterdam"

Adelaide 7Jan - 9Jan09

First trip after the holiday season was actually a drag to me. I miss all the fun celebration. Especially Christmas. Being lazy is one of my forte too. haha. Well I am born in the year of boar you see, so of course I am a lazy piggy. haha.

Was surprised to see Joan, my batch girls' sister. We had hell lot of fun only when she don't complain to me about her booby problems haha. Cast that aside, we had a memorable time in Adelaide, Australia. Shopping was our first priority as the shops there closes really early. Like after 5pm, the whole shopping streets of Adelaide turned into a ghostly cold ripped town. Not that I am too over the matter, but it is true. Joan agrees with me too.

I bought my fridge magnet as usual. One star wars t shirt and lots of "ling ling long longs" along side with Joan. She spends more than me, another shopaholic in action especially the discount bargain part. Christine, if you think that I am worst, take a look at your sister!!! haha. Food is pretty hard to get after 5pm. No time to really look around. For lazy people like me, maybe I might like this place because they really stop work on time haha.

Facts about Adelaide, Australia.

Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth-largest city in Australia, with a population of more than 1.1 million. It is a coastal city situated on the eastern shores of Gulf St. Vincent, on the Adelaide Plains, north of the Fleurieu Peninsula, between the Gulf St. Vincent and the low-lying Mount Lofty Ranges. It is roughly 20 km (12 mi) from the coast to the foothills but sprawls 90 km (56 mi) from Gawler at its northern extent to Sellicks Beach in the south.

Named in honour of Queen Adelaide who was born in Germany, the consort of King William IV, the city was founded in 1836 as the planned capital for the only freely settled British province in Australia. Colonel William Light, one of Adelaide's founding fathers, designed the city and chose its location close to the River Torrens in the area originally inhabited by Indigenous Australians of the Kaurna tribe. Light's design set out Adelaide in a grid layout, interspaced by wide boulevards and large public squares, and entirely surrounded byparkland. Early Adelaide was shaped by religious freedom and a commitment to politicalprogressivism and civil liberties, which led to world-first reforms.

If you are thinking of going to Adelaide for travelling, my advise, go there once, been there, done that kind is enough. Good place to retire though. haha. My ratings:

Sceneries - 4/10*

Shopping - 6/10*

Food - 6/10*

People - 7/10*

"Jimmy at the Shopping street in Adelaide."

Auckland 30Dec - 2Jan09

"Calling all die heart Gucci fans out there! If you want to get really cheap real Gucci stuff, then Auckland, New Zealand DFS shopping mall is the one stop area that you must go. Not only that it is cheap due to $$ exchange rates but also an additional of 20% discounts!!!"

It is the brand new year of 2009. Another cross over, another new beginning. Hopefully by now all our wishes might have come true. I'm pretty done with mine. haha. Fifi and I of course went shopping as usual one the first day after touch down. I tell you she is really a hardcore shopaholic. If there asian version of the movie, she will surely get in as the main cast. Haha.

Cheers and loud music was everywhere as it is New year. Went down to the harbour of Auckland to have our dinner then we headed straight to the casino at sky tower for our major celebration. Partying like crazy straight 8 hours till morning. I always loved the New Zealanders, they never fail to make me laugh my head off, but I always think the food there is really bad.

Notes about Auckland, New Zealand.

The Auckland metropolitan area, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with a population approaching 1.4 million residents, 31 percent of the country's population. Demographic trends indicate that it will continue to grow faster than the rest of the country. Increasingly cosmopolitan, Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world, and has seen many people of Asian ethnicity move there in the last two decades. In Auckland's name is Tāmaki-makau-rau, or the transliterated version of Auckland, Ākarana.

The 2009 Mercer Quality of Living Survey ranked Auckland 4th place in the world on its list. In 2008, Auckland was classified as an Alpha- World City in the World Cities Study Group’s inventory by Loughborough University.

My opinion for people who intend to stay there for good, it will be a very nice, fun and quiet environment, plus stress free. Travellers for holiday, maybe not all the time if you get what I meant. My ratings:

Sceneries - 6/10*

Shopping - 7/10*

Food - 4/10*

People - 7/10*

"Jimmy and Fifi at the Harbour of Auckland"