New Year with Sis

Also another long long long overdue blog. 23 days has passed since the beginning of year 2005. What did I do and what did I achieved in 2004? Ermm.. thinking back.. some ups and some downs.. but still.. not a bad year.

Lets see:

January -
Ended my 1 1/2 years relationship. :( Sad month. Change of job scope and need to build new relationship with customer (very difficult and taxing!)

February -
Chinese New Year celebration. Still trying to accept the fact that I am single and celebrated Valentine's Day and Friend's Birthday with a bunch of single gal friends. Went for a company trip to Sabah end of Feb.

March -
Received letter from Japan embassy telling me prepare to leave for Japan. Resigned. Started crazy shopping and packing. Tried to make mental preparation to leave home for the first time. Attended farewell after farewell...gained lotsa weight from all those food.

April -
Arrived in Japan and started my journey challenging the unknown and unfamiliar! Met new Malaysian friends. Friendship with other international students blossomed. Adapting to new life. Rejected the start of a new relationship. Started Japanese classes...

May -
Started travelling in Japan. Went to Kyoto, Osaka, Nara for Golden Week. Experienced Japanese culture for the first time. Stayed with friend's host family. Went on School trip to Himeji Castle.

June -
Tired of classes. Started to skip class. Had to study for tests and exams everyday, every week... very very tired! Beginning of a very hot summer in Japan. Experienced horrifying typhoons.

July -
Beginning of my life as a 23 year old young lady! Celebrated birthday with a bunch of friends. Played fireworks.. hehehe. Studied for final exam. End of Japanese course. Canadian friend went back home.. :(. Another friend gone!

August -
Had a new haircut with new hair colour! Taught English to a bunch of kids. Went to Wakayama with my sensei and people from my lab. Had some fun but got sunburnt. Extremely painful... Lobster Angel!! Hehe. Studied like crazy for my entrance examination. 2 whole weeks of hell... exam and the interview was total madness..

September -
De-stressed after the horrible exam. Went on crazy shopping spree for souvenirs. Went back home to Malaysia. Ate like nobody's business. Had all those food that I missed.. durian, prawn mee, curry, bak kut teh, crab....etc etc. Put a stop to the possibility of reviving a previous relationship. :( Met up with friends and ex-colleagues... had a whole lot of fun. Was informed about the results of my entrance exam.. "I passed"! Earthquake in Wakayama. Luckily I was home.. was really scary.

October -
Came back to Japan. Started life as a research student in my lab. Participated in a few international cultural activities. Met lotsa people. Had my first Halloween Party with some kids. Earthquake in Niigata.. darn scary coz was experiencing some minor tremors here in Kobe as well. Beginning of my string of bad luck!

November -
Continue doing some experiements in the lab. Pretty bored with lab life. Lab life not very productive. Read lotsa journals. Went for International Student Camp and Educational Trip to Tanba. No hot water in the room... computer problems... frustrating month!!

December -
End of the year. Attended Christmas Party, Dance Party, Bonenkai (End of Year Party). Had fun with mum and sis. Brought mum n sis around for shopping, sightseeing, good food. Tsunami in Indian Sea. Saw my first snow in Japan. Welcome year 2005.

I am hoping for a good year 2005. For a peaceful and prosperous 2005 with less natural disaster and better economy. :)

What did I do to usher in 2005? I celebrated the New Year with my sis. On the eve of New Year, we went to rokkosan after my sis insisted that she wants to play with snow when she saw the mountain covered with snow from the balcony of my room.

Then at night, I brought my sis to the Shrine near my dorm. The Ikuta Jinja in Sannomiya. Japanese people normally go to the shrine to pray for luck during new year. We were stuck in a sea of people for 1 1/2 hours before finally getting into the shrine. But my sis did not complain. She was so excited. She said, " It is better to be stuck in a crowd in winter as compared to being stuck in a crowd back home in Malaysia! Sweaty and sticky!". I can't agree with her more!

We decided to take a photo of ourselves stuck in the massive crowd! :)


Me N' Sis


Take a good look at the amount of people. So many many many people....


Lotsa heads


Can only see heads, heads, heads and more heads!!! We both bought ourselves a charm each for good luck. Then we left the shrine for a drink with my friends in the English Pub. Wow.. it was a good experience. At least now I know how Japanese people celebrate the new year.


Head, heads, heads!


Though we slept at 4am, we woke up around 8am to go to Osaka. Wanted to visit a shrine or temple before going to Ah Fu's place for lunch with some Malaysians. Here.. look more people queuing up to make new year wish.


Shrine


Then we spotted this. The year of rooster. In Japan, the rooster year starts on Jan 1. But for the chinese, it will only begin on Feb 9. Being a rooster gal.. of course I must take a photo right!! :P Year of Rooster... meaning I'll be 24 soon... errr... old old old d!!


Chickens!


Then when we were heading to Ah Fu's house, my sis saw this Kimono girl in the train station. She wanted a photo with the gurl. So I asked the girl... ehhehe From behind... she was so beautiful.. but when we saw her.. ermmm.....


Sis N' Kimono girl


On the next day, the great Bargain begins in Japan. Everyone was out for crazy shopping. Was initially suppose to wake up early and head for the mall. But being lazy gals, we slept till pretty late. Went to Sogo and saw the crazy Japanese crowd.


New Year Sale!


After New Year shopping, we went to Yamamoto-san's house for New Year dinner. Yamamoto -san invited me to her house for dinner and I brought my sis along to experience traditional japanese new year. It was also my first time experiencing Japanese New Year food and culture. Very interesting indeed. Photo of my sis and Ling.


Sis N' Ling


My sis was so fascinated with this fish. This fish is known as "tai" (i am not sure if it is the sea bream or the red snapper). Sis wants to know the way of making this fish coz she wants to try making it for Chinese New Year back home in Malaysia. Look at those "gigi"... I think the fish needs braces!!


Fish with gigi..


Finally, a group photo.. Yamamoto's Family.. Nice New Year dinner. Good experience..


Dinner at Yamamoto's
Sent by the lost angel