Konichiwa Tokyo!

10 Things I Like About Tokyo:

1. It snowed the day i touched down! A city covered in beautiful sheets of white. I heard it hasn't snowed in the month of March for the last 7 years. Tokyo must love me! Lol.

2. Lai Xiuling and Yang Wenzhi, for your hospitality, warmth, and fun-loving sprits, and more importantly, for putting up with my thunderous snoring night after night. Tokyo wouldn't have been half as fun without you guys. Miss ya.

3. Odaiba, where the pirated Statue of Liberty stands, has a romantic, almost dreamlike ambience that one feels there should be a lover's hand to hold as the night falls and the stars shine bright. A haven from the hustle and bustle of the city and please, please, please Stroll, not brisk walk here!

4. Although I'm not quite used to Japanese speaking Donald Duck, it was quite a childhood dream came true to have visited Disney Land. For those who didn't think you'd be quite as excited and delighted seeing your favourite cartoon characters presenting themselves live before you, believe me, you would. It's the Disney magic, don't ask how, don't ask why, just be sure to click, click your cameras pronto, before the parade comes to an end. :)

5. Had Oyakodon on 2 occasions, enjoyed it to the very last grain of rice, Agus would say otherwise, but i say give me 2 stomachs!

6. Smokers alert! Be aware of cigarette vending machines, they come in 2's sometimes 6 in a row. Cigarettes of all brands, colours and flavours, its the only thing you can buy without burning a hole in your pocket. I would have smoked myself crazy if not for the well-mannered Japanese.

7. Talk about good breeding, wouldn't it be nice to shop and dine in a city where there are no bitchy sales girls and brusque waiters/waitresses? Dining in Tokyo was a pleasant affair, you'd be greeted with warm (can you picture that?!) welcomes and (I truly believe) genuine smiles. Plus, there's always a jug full of iced water and a boxful of tissues for your convenience. How thoughtful!

8. One thing I couldn't resist was buying the exquisitely gift wrapped candies, cookies and cakes of all sorts. They seemed to be calling out to me, take me home, I may not be nice to eat, but am definitely nice to look at. Lol, only a glutton like myself could understand the agony of having to close my eyes each time I passed them by.

9. This may sound a little weird but i kind of like the fact that the girls in Japan cannot afford to be lazy. No respectable girl would leave the house without having their faces impeccably made up. Brows drawn, lashes curled, blemishes concealed and lips drawn. It's not entirely vain, its a form of courtesy, besides, they do look good, and thats how we had the impression that Japanese girls are pretty, its really mostly about diligence and discipline.

10. Lastly, i know i wouldn't have had the chance to tour Tokyo the way i did if not for Agus. Thank you for taking me to the temple and park in Narita, where i've made the very first snowman of my life. The imperial palace where the beautiful bare trees lined the streets, the high-end district of Ginza, the aerial view of Tokyo from Tokyo Tower, and the gigolos of Shinjuku. The "inexpensive" and hip Harajuku, dinner at Izakaya followed by karaoke, coffee in Shibuya, char siew bun in Yokohama, the flea markets of Ueno, Rainbow Bridge in Odaiba, and not lets not forget the rollercoaster rides in Disney Land. Domo Arigato Gozaimasu!