Photo Blog : Castle Ruins

It was our last touring day today and because of the vastness of this place and the lack of proper transport, we decided to visit the Nakagusuku Castle ruins which is about 30kms away from Naha city. BUT after scouring the internet for a way to get there without any success, we decided that the bus company at the bus terminal might have a better idea. They did. We managed to communicate somehow as their English wasn't good and our Japanese was near non-existent. We hopped onto bus #30 which took us in a roundabout way (1.5 hours ride) to a point 2.2kms away from the site. I think the lady even called a taxi for us because a couple of minutes after we arrived at the bus stop, which was in the middle of nowhere, a taxi came from the opposite side of the road, made an illegal u-turn over the double lines and stopped in front of us without us having to hail it. Did we look that lost?

Nakagusuku Castle Ruins ~ West Gate

Nakagusuku Castle Ruins ~ The Curved Wall

After spending an hour and half at the ruins, we wandered off to find the Nakamura house. It was a short walk away, about 10 minutes, but we didn't go in because the entrance fee of Y500 turned us off. Besides, there are plenty of photos online. So we browsed the souvenir store instead and found a fridge magnet that we think totally encompasses Okinawa, a couple of Shisha's on a Hibiscus.

Okinawa fridge magnet

Railway System

I was a little disappointed with the lack of a rail system on the main island of Okinawa. It's a pretty huge island, contrary to what it looks like on the map. It took us a little more than three hours to get to the Aquarium from Naha city by public transport. This involved a two hour journey to the city of Naga and a change of bus from the bus terminal for the hour long ride. And that's just one way. Six hours in total to travel. It would be alright if the frequency of the bus was more, but no, the last bus back from Naga to Naha city was at 1800hrs. That just cut our day shorter than it already was and we only ended up doing one thing after the three hour ride.

If they had a rail system, I think there would be more tourists and local citizens taking it, no? Because the frequency of the public transport was few and far between, making it near impossible to take in the surrounding area without having to worry if we'll make it back to the Naga to catch the connecting bus back to Naha city.

Photo Blog : Hibiscus Ice-cream

It sounds strange, but this is Okinawa, they can make ice-cream with all sorts of ingredients. I don't think the Hibiscus is this particular prefecture's flower, it's the national flower of South Korea. Been seeing the flower in all sorts of colours and in a lot of places.

Hibiscus and Vanilla Ice-cream

Here's a really nice mix of the Hibiscus. It was spitting drizzle today, made for a lovelier photo.

Mixed Yellow Hibiscus

Food Blog : Okinawa Buta

As the famous saying goes, when in Rome...

The hubs and I decided to try a random restaurant just off the main shopping strip (Kokusai Street) of Naha city after walking up and down and peering at all the menus the other restaurants displayed. I don't know what was so different about this particular restaurant, maybe it was the plastic dishes that was being displayed on the window.

Okinawan cooking is a little different from the rest of Japan, so everyone says. Food listed on the local menu include a square cut of braised pork (Rafute), complete with skin and fat, stir fried bitter gourd with tofu, various ways of cooking belly pork, 'popping' seaweed, ramen and stir fried somen noodles. Anyways, this restaurant had it all so we tried a little of everything.

The below is Rafute. Never mind about the meat, but the fat and skin melts so easily in your mouth. Hours of cooking will do that to the meat. Gravy/seasoning was similar to the nyonya way of cooking this particular dish, herby but there wasn't any taste of vinegar.

Okinawa Rafute

China Airlines

I think I have been travelling on too many budget carriers of late. For our vacation this week to Okinawa, I decided to go with the shortest route possible (which happens to be via Taipei) and the only carrier that does that is China Airlines (Taiwan's national carrier).

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the seats weren't as rigid as Delta Airlines was (when I took that flight to Tokyo a couple of weeks ago) and the on demand entertainment system has 16-tile mahjong as one of their 'intellectual' games. It was easy for me to wile the 4.5 hours away inbetween the meal services. The inflight main meal wasn't all that yummy, pasta really doesn't keep well, but it came piping hot.

Maybe I'll take this carrier to Taipei, if I ever get around to taking a vacation there.

Quick Post

The hubs and I are off for our vacation tomorrow and it feels like we haven't done any homework on our alternative destination after giving up our seats to Edinburgh. It'll probably be a shock to our system as I keep hearing that where we're going, people aren't all that well versed in English. Well, here's hoping that at least the signs and public transport has roman letters.

But the panic hasn't kicked in (I haven't even packed!) as all I'm aiming for is an easy vacation.

MSG-laced Dinner

I think I've been living in Singapore one year too many. My throat has begun to reject MSG. I thought that with the frequency that we eat outside cooked food, my body would accept the instant-phlegm-causing ingredient, but no. I think the more we eat out, the more it has formed a rejection to.

Tonight's dinner proved to be the last straw. We decided to try a new Cantonese restaurant located at Ion Orchard. Munching on the boiled peanuts while waiting for our dinner to arrive started it. I didn't think they would boil peanuts with MSG. By the end of dinner, my throat gave up on me and we had to settle for heaps of tea to clear it. Thank goodness for tea!

Waftingly Delicious

As I was cleaning the house today, my neighbour decided to start her preparations for dinner. Whenever she cooks this early, it's usually an indication of an upcoming big gathering at her house. On the menu today, delicious stir fried sesame chicken. I needed to resist the urge to walk over to her kitchen and steal some pieces of chicken.

My neighbour is a brilliant cook. She's also very Nonya-Cantonese in her cooking so most of the delicious wafting smells that come from her kitchen are recognisable. Sometimes she'll even cook a sambal dish... *yum*

Gotta stop talking about food... dinner is supposed to be in a couple of hours time only!

Volcanic Ash ~ Part 3

After taking much precautions, which everyone has mixed feelings about, the ban on the UK and European airspace has been lifted. Test flights proved that the volcanic ash, which is dissipating, has no effect on the airplane's engines and the authorities have decided to lift the ban, to a mild sigh of relieve for everyone all over the world.

You don't realise how much travel is involved to Europe until something like this happens. Heathrow, being a major airport is unable to handle the overwhelming number of people arriving on a daily basis and alternative airports have to be opened to handle the stranded people. I'm sure it's an operation nightmare, but people will be able to make their way on land after.

The hubs and I were supposed to depart tomorrow night, but we decided to give our seats up after hearing that some stranded people will only get on the plane sometime next week! I guess it was not meant to be that we visit Scotland this round, although I do feel a little sad that I'll be missing it. Maybe next year...

Corelle Ware

A friend of mine mentioned that no one should buy Corelle ware as they are expensive but more so because they last and last and last.

I accidentally tested out their durability today. A cereal bowl was wedged with an ordinary plate which was misplaced on the dish dryer. As I was replacing that plate, the bowl slipped from the dish dryer, hit the tiled floor a little more than 1 metre from where it was, bounced and rolled a few times, making some interesting tinkling sounds, and finally stopping.

Corelle ware is light in weight, ceramic-like and they boast to be break resistant and chip free. I picked up the cereal bowl, whole, ran a finger around the edges to see if it was chipped, turned it around in the light to look for fine cracks... nothing. A normal ceramic or glass bowl would have shattered! Especially since it fell straight from that height without anything buffering the fall before it touched the floor.

My Corelle ware has passed it guarantee year of 10. I can't believe it didn't break or chip *grin*

Volcanic Ash ~ Part 2

The travel ban on the UK and European airspace has been partially lifted, to the sigh of relieve for some stranded passengers. I cannot begin to understand the amount of stress they're going through, having to cough up an exorbitant amount of money just to get home, among the other expenses they have spent making their stranded stay as comfortable as they can.

I'm sure the phones have been ringing off the hook for most of the airlines and they have stopped answering. This is understandable as people do become a little unreasonable when they are desperate. But what about their customers who have confirmed non-essential travel on their flights? Is there an outlet for them to willingly give up their seats? Maybe the airlines should have thought about that too, to alleviate the aggravation the airport staff are facing.

Brilliant Legacy

I finally finished watching the Korean drama Brilliant Legacy and thought it's worth a mention. Sometimes it's difficult to give credit where it's due, but this is a show I could watch over and over again.

The storyline wasn't all that complicated and unbelievable (the writer didn't make every bad thing that could happen, happen) If you haven't watched it and are thinking of, go watch it. It's 28 episodes long, a little more than usual and Korean drama serials are usually slightly over 60 minutes long, without advertisements. Check out Wikipedia's synopsis.

I love the fact that in almost every episode, something gets revealed and the entire 28 episodes didn't feel draggy.

Ultimately, the songs that are played within the drama poses a big part of its attraction. There was a recurring theme song (Love is punishment, *grin* Even the title sounds painful) which was played over and over again, which had the following lines and even if it wasn't translated properly, it does fit the series so well : A love that cannot be spoken is a punishment from heaven.

I guess you'll be able to sense the amount of struggle the characters had to portray with that song. Good acting. Great choice of actors, especially the evil, evil stepmother.

Volcanic Ash

The volcanic eruption of Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland last Wednesday has caused one of the worst disruptions worldwide. Flowing lava is not the immediate concern as it's being cooled by the glacier, but the ash rising from that has floated to the skies. And with not much wind in sight to dissipate it, it has caused havoc to UK and European airspace. An airspace ban has been erected as the authorities think that this cloud of ash will harm an airplane's engine if the engine comes into contact with the cloud.

On the extremely bad side of this, people are stuck at airports all over the world, en-route to Europe or the UK. Grant that it's not the summer holidays at the moment, but people who do not have kids would take this opportunity to travel overseas and even within the European countries. Goods, fresh produce, can't be sent anywhere and might just have to rot in cargo. A number of businesses that do not have the luxury of relying on the internet to solely do business have been grounded to a halt.

On the flip side, the hotels near airports where people have been left stranded have been milking this for all it's worth; Car hire companies in Europe have all their fleet rented out; Trains are packed; Touring coaches have been turned into transportation coaches. All for a premium, I'm sure. People are ruthless, aren't they?

What's your legal name?

I've recently been asked what my legal name is. Maybe it's because I haven't been dealing with the authorities all that much (immigration forms only ask for my name as per passport) and find this strange.

Looking it up on the web came up with a few interesting answers. Answers dot com tells me that it's a name used for official purposes and not a nickname. What if my nickname was my legal name? And what if I'd like to use another name for official purposes? I guess Wiki's explanation is pretty clear. It's the name that appears on your birth certificate and/or marriage certificate. Women have the luxury of taking on their spouse's family name when they get married, most western women do. I haven't met a guy who took on his spouse's family name yet!

It's not that difficult to change your name in some countries, as long as you're not changing your name to avoid responsibility or to deceive anyone. These days, I can choose to call myself 'The Retired Girl'.

The only thing you can almost never change is the name that appears on your birth certificate. Parents have to put in a lot of thought when they name their kids. Someone with the 'wrong' name could end up having the worst life.

Adelaide rocks!

Well, it's a different kind of rocking. There was a mild earthquake in Adelaide about 20 minutes ago, near where my parents place is. Scary as that sounds, I'm wondering if I should have been there feeling it.

16 spokes

I brought a brolly back from Tokyo, actually, I brought back 2 brollies. It's not usual for someone like me to bring back a brolly because it's just cumbersome and not like we can't get brollies here, but it's Japan, and they have pretty interesting brollies.

For Spring and light rain, they're big on the transparent canopy brollies. These are usually between Y250 - Y300 for a one person sized one as they're made of plastic and will not last forever. For Summer and blocking of the heat, they have very pretty patterned ones in all shapes and sizes. Those will cost a bit more.

One of the brollies I brought back was a pink 16 spoke one. I thought more spokes would make the brolly more sturdy, as we sometimes experience torrential rain here. The pink canopy is plain when it's dry, but if there's water on the canopy, little cherry blossom petals start to appear. Amazing, isn't it? And it only cost me Y1050, bargain!

16 Spokes

Photo Blog : Sushi Display

They say a picture tells a thousand words, what about window displays? If not for it, I don't think a lot of tourists would be able to eat as only a handful of their restaurants carry an English menu, especially in the rural cities. I've noticed that they're starting to bring these display food into Singapore. If the pictures are appetising enough, it does make for people to want to walk in to eat, doesn't it? This elaborate display of sushi was seen while walking towards the Naritasan Shinshoji Temple.

Day 7 Sushi Display

Photo Blog : Hardy Sakura

The Sakura has been in bloom for more than a week. It was spitting drizzle the whole of yesterday, not to mention the wind and yet, this is a survivor. Maybe it's protected by the Jodo shu at the Zojo-ji.

Day 6 Hardy Sakura

Photo Blog : High Jump Dolphin

It was spitting drizzle the whole of today, so not a lot of outside photos. Lucky I did all the parks and shrines before today. Here's something that kept me warm and entertained for a couple of hours at the Epson Aqua Stadium.

Day 5 High Jump Dolphin

Photo Blog : Sakura on the side

Outside the Imperial Palace, another nice place for families to gather and be out and about.

Day 4 Sakura on the side

Photo Blog : Sakura Snow

The Sakura flower only lasts one week after blooming. Then they will either get blown off the tree or wilt away. Every time the wind blows, petals start to fall, the trick is to try to catch them before they fall to the ground. Everyone gets excited with every gust of wind that comes.

Lovely weather for a picnic at Shinjuku Gyoen.

Day 3 Sakura Snow

Photo Blog : Sakura with Cats

It's such a wonder. Found this while walking through Ueno Park. How cute are they?!

Day 2 Sakura with Cats

Photo Blog : Sakura

Love the cold weather.

Day 1 Sakura

Short post

Short post today as I have to pack for an impromptu trip, sleep in 15 minutes time as the alarm will sound in 6 hours, and catch a flight!

The retired girl who doesn't travel enough is finally travelling again *wide grin*

Rave Reviews

The internet is an amazing tool. If you haven't fully discovered it, I suggest you do. You'll be amazed at what you can find! Information that you didn't even know would be up, is up. Can you imagine, if everyone puts in a unique truthful information, there are more than 6.5 billion people in the world, that's 6.5 billion different bits of information. It might be too much for one human brain to retain.

But, yes, you sometimes wonder if what you're reading on the internet is true, some people will abuse it.

Anyways, I believe in the goodness of people, so I've been scouring it for feedback on hotels which I haven't stayed in, in the planning of my vacations. I can't imagine where I'd go to find the information had the internet not exist. The only choice I would have would be to ask the hotel to snail mail me some information about the hotel. I vaguely remember fact sheets...

So put in your two cents, everyone, it might turn back to help you in the future.

Cat and Mouse

The cat's away and the pseudo mouse... is sitting in front of the computer trying to see if she can go away too.

Recently a couple of my friends made a comment that their hubands are 'dog' people. What exactly does that mean? That they are men's (and now women's) best friend? Or that they need to be walked once a day? Or that they need some form of human contact? Or looking on the brighter side of things, that they love unconditionally and blindly?

I think I'm a cat person. Not only do I not fancy dogs, growing up surrounded by mad, untrained barking dogs will do that to you, but I don't mind spending time by myself. I think the hubs is a cat person too *grin* We don't have the need to spend every minute together when we're both at home. He's got his computer and I've got mine (I wonder what olden day couples did when they're not working or in the kitchen). Not that we don't spend time together, at all, just not every free minute that we have.

Meanwhile, this pseudo mouse is still looking for a place to park herself for the next week.

ps. I already miss the cat

Golden Oldies

I used to be pretty up-to-date with my music. Driving and catching the train the work gave me the time to listen to the radio. These days, I don't really turn on the radio. Partly because I don't really like the songs of the 00s and the radios don't play much of the songs from the 80s. It was during a car ride today that the hubs made an observation.

The 80s is now an oldie! Eek! Are we really that old? Considering that the 80s was thirty years ago, I guess you could say that we're old-er.

*sigh* wasn't it just last year that I graduated?

Suffice to say, there's a new radio channel for us to listen to, Gold 90 FM, which will be playing music from the 70s and the 80s.

Photo Blog : Government Housing

It's been a while since I put up a photo. Took this today in the suburb of Ang Mo Kio. It's one of the oldest suburbs here in Singapore.

As Singapore is a small country with heaps of people, there came a time where not everyone could be housed on landed properties. Not only was space a limitation, but there was just no where else to build houses. The government came up with some housing flats. And looking at the picture, you can tell that they've spent some money and effort to keep it looking like brand new. No signs of weathered moss on the walls or rusty window fittings.

These days, one can still tell the age of a particular housing block by the length of the block. This one is one of the older ones, I count about 25 units on one level.

Government Housing Block

Good Friday

Go. For. Mass?

April Fool's Day

Back when we were kids, April Fool's day was pretty much dreaded in anticipation. We didn't know what kind of prank was going to be pulled in school and whether we would be the main star of the prank, so to speak. I can't remember if there was any that was played on me. Sometimes being inconspicuous helps.

These days it's just another day, the start of the second quarter of the year. While I was working, I don't remember anyone playing any pranks within the circle of work mates. Maybe it's because the day is not so widely 'celebrated' here in Singapore.

I hope everyone's having fun today, especially those getting married, celebrating anniversaries and birthdays.