ただいま、新疆

Xinjiang was the first place I ever traveled to in life. I was a year and four months old. Though I was small and only spent about a year there, I think a lot of me has been influenced by the place, such as my taste buds, what I like and my acceptance of flavors that most people would find strange.
Th last time I came here was over ten years ago. After that, my grandparents moved to Shanghai and since then, we never had a reason to go back (though I always wanted to><)

My first time boarding a plane like this. like a superstar ^_<

I feel like I've been flying in the air forever these days. I can never sleep on a plane, so I end up super tired. (x_x)

But alas! Urumqi Airport! Small, but cozy. I miss seeing Arabic letters. :)

And the pretty architecture. Feels like a fairy tale☆.

We went straight to our hotel from the airport. I have no clue where anything is because the roads are being reconstructed.

hotel lobby and private party room

And here's a glimpse of my dinner. xD

From left to right, top to bottom: 乳鴿 pigeon, 涼粉 cold noodles, 刺身 sashimi, 海參 sea cucumber, 白水蝦 shrimp.

+10kilo:(´ཀ`」 ∠):

Arrived in Shanghai in the late afternoon today. Sad to say, my mom didn't recognize me! >< Well, I wouldn't blame her; after all, I am +22pounds heavier and +6shades darker. And for some reason, I felt taller, too. o_0

But yeah, still feeling bleh because I really didn't want to leave Japan, but I guess all things come to an end. I'm gonna really miss that place. On a happier note, I can look forward to traveling in China and spending time with my grandparents, who I haven't seen in over a year. What's gonna real suck, though, is not having internet access. ToT

老鴨粉絲湯，生煎包

soo~ delicious :)

One thing, though, I thought Japan was hot, at near-40°C weather, but Shanghai is even hotter!!
There was actually a news report about this deadly heat. Some guy was pushing a cart of fish to the restaurant the other day and the entire cart fell over. After about twenty minutes, the fish were cooked!

さようなら、また会う日まで。。

I never expected anything special.
..to meet so many people..
..to cry in public..
I never knew I had it in me to make so many friends.
I never expected to become so attached.
...
These are just a few of the countless number of things that the past four and a half months have taught me.  When I was in New York, I had no time to breathe. I always kept myself occupied with work and school, work and school. My reasons for coming to Japan were also work and school... I always knew in the back of my head that something was missing in my life, but time had made me withdrawn and I convinced myself that I didn't need it, eventually losing grip of it completely.
The solidarity I felt in this world, as if I was alone--and perhaps I really am--since people are always coming and going.. now, I know that that's not entirely true; at least at one point, I was not alone.
It's not even about the place or things anymore; it's about the people and relationships. Though we say, "we'll surely meet again," and "let's keep in touch," somehow, I feel insecure. This is probably the worst part of it all. I never expected anything here, so I didn't think of this day when I decided to study abroad.
Though I still have trouble maintaining relationships, and maybe we won't see or hear from each other ever again, I am thankful that our lives crossed at one point. Although it had only been a short span of four months, I think I have grown up a bit. Aside from gratitude, I have relearned a forgotten emotion, and I wish I could have told each of you, I love you! and thank you. Thank you for everything.. really. There will never be a time where we are all here together again, but I am grateful that it happened.

ニューヨークにいる時、私はいつも忙しくて、息つく暇もなかった。毎日学校とアルバイト しか何もしなかった。日本に来る理由さえも学校と仕事のためだった。私の人生の中でずっと何かが欠けていることは、うすうす分かっていた。でも、時間が立つと徐々に内気になっていて、それがいらないと自分に言い聞かせようにした。
私はずっと自分が一人でこの世界に生きていると思っていた。本当はそうかも知れない、人がいつも行き来しているから。でも、日本で会った人のおかげで、それが違うと分かってきた。
重要なのは時間と場所じゃなくて、人との交流だ。私たちが「きっとまた会える」とか「連絡を取り合おう」などを言っても、私は何となくまだ不安を感じている。留学することにした時、何も期待がなかったので、この日についてぜんぜん考えていなかった。
関係を保つことはまだよくできないし、多分消息もだんだん絶っていくかも知れないけど、みんなと会ってよかった。この四ヶ月間は短かったが、私がもう少し成長したと思う。皆さん、ありがとうございます！またこのように一緒にいることが二度とは起こせないが、もう起こしたから本当にありがたい。

byebye

This is it. Counting down the minutes now before I leave this place. Of course, I couldn't sleep last night. After taking the last train home, I did some last minute packing and cleaning, and met up with Kouji. We talked for a long time.. Kouji was probably the first person I met when I came here. We hit it off really well since day one and have gone out on various trips since then. Indoor climbing, Nikko, Kinugawa, karaoke, yakiniku, hair salon....etc. Not to mention, the times we spent relaxing in the dining room.

So we decided we weren't going to sleep tonight. Instead, we would spend the last hours at Hot Hands (for a massage! <3).

Before we knew it, it was already morning. I checked out of DK House and headed towards the train station....

Kouji :)

riko ^^ I can still remember the night we both arrived at the same time.

Nok-san, my Thai friend! Can't wait to see you in the autumn! ♡

I can't express how I feel in words. I cried so many times these days that I'm surprised tears could still come out. Somehow, I grew attached to this place. Though DK House is kind of secluded (in location), it was peaceful. I had a little trouble adjusting to the place at first, as it was annoying having to carry all my toiletries to the bathroom, utensils to the kitchen, etc., but I will never forget the beautiful sakura-lined pathway to the station.

Forever Room 237, forever warrrrabi♥

if I had one more day..

My last full day in Japan has, at last, arrived.
There is still so many things to do, so many places to go, and so many people to see, yet at a time like this, I'm at a loss for where to start.
Anxious, is there something important I'm forgetting?
Afraid, is there anything I'm gonna regret?
Flustered, every second seems to be passing by twice as fast.
Alas, the most important thing to me are the people I've met.

A couple of friends and I decided to meet up at Tokyo Dome City in the morning, but because of some miscommunications and the vast selection of exits at the train station, we were all delayed an hour. In that one hour, Naomi and I wandered around frantically in search of Jay. Since we both are leaving tomorrow, we already cancelled our cellphones, so we had no means of communicating with Jay. We walked around and somehow, after a couple attempts of calling Jay through the public telephone, and asking the train staff for directions, we managed to meet up.

The Cursed Teeth

We all agreed that we wanted to go to a haunted house. I admit, after experiencing the haunted house at Fuji-Q, I find these things quite thrilling. This one was not as large or long as the haunted hospital, but it was still fun getting scared, collecting teeth, and whatnot.

Since Naomi had to leave soon to meet up with Mireille, we decided to end out Tokyo Dome visit with the ferris wheel. I realize this is the third ferris wheel I've been on in Japan. :D

I used to think that all views from high altitudes, be it ferris wheels, observation towers, or the top of a mountain were about the same–generally, all big cities look the same to me–but I realized today that the time in place really makes the difference. Looking over Tokyo today, I had a different feeling–a feeling that I'm really gonna miss this place.

roller coaster~ I wanted to ride it..

byebye, Naomi! I'm gonna miss your 「ええと、ええと」!笑

After that, we proceeded to meet up with Sammie in Shinjuku. The day was quite messy and unplanned, so I feel bad about that, but honestly, I couldn't plan it. The only thing on my mind was just to be with you guys. It didn't matter what we did or where we went.

We ended up going to a cafe and just hanging out there, chatting. I'll admit conversation was awkward, but it was because I was so nervous, my subconscious mind was counting down every second of the day.

We finally took our purikura, the three of us. I'm gonna miss you guys soooo bad.

 

And before we knew it, it was already time for Sammie to leave. My kaiwa partner, my seishun buddy! We have soooo many memories together, it's insane. I couldn't help feeling sad. And my tears fell right after you passed through the ticket gate.

Jay and I spent the rest of the day walking around Shinjuku, looking through shops at Isetan, etc. It's strange that I was unable to think of anywhere I really wanted to go. 

 

We happened to come across a night street fair. Not really sure what was the event or holiday, but it was nice seeing food and game stands again. 

We left on the last trains returning home. I took my time walking down the quiet path from Nishi-kawa guchi station to DK House.

Then, I did some last minute packing.

Cleaning up all my papers, this is the stack of all the homework that I have done this semester. I'm proud of the fact that I have handed in every single assignment, taken every single quiz and exam, and written all the writing assignments. Besides a couple classes that I've missed, I've been in school 98% of the time.

Some people call me crazy and wonder how I get so much done when I go out and travel so much. Looking back now, I agree, but the best advice I can give is, don't forget your duties. The only reason why I came to Japan was to learn Japanese, as a student. While everything around you is new and interesting, you might slack off and start to neglect your studies, but don't forget your original motive! Don't forget that you're still a student. I think it takes a lot of time managing and prioritizing, good judgment and also hard work. I was always an overachiever and I don't accept anything less than perfect, so I always make sure my work is done before I go out and have fun. Yes, I did sacrifice a lot of sleep and pull many all-nighters, but it was worth it for the things I gave it up for.

In the end, it's all about self control.

hanabi

And so, the countdown begins. As I'm nearing the day of my departure, I'm feeling increasingly anxious. There are still so many things to do, places to go, people to see..

So I'll tackle things one at a time and see how far I get.

Late summer is the season of fireworks festivals in Japan. This year, the Koto Fireworks Festival 江東花火大会 is held on August 1st. What people usually do is dress up in their yukata and gather to see the fireworks.

The weather forecast said that it was definitely going to rain that day, so I was quite bummed out, but I didn't let it stop me! I still put on my yukata and everything.

I met up with my friend Ayaka early in the day anyway to just hang out and chat.

And then, dinner at つるとんたん! There are only a couple of restaurants that I went to more than once and this udon place is one of them. Once again, I'd like to emphasize how amazingly delicious this place is. If there is any restaurant I have to recommend to anyone traveling in Tokyo, this will be it. The homemade udon noodles are so chewy with just the right amount of resilience, and the cream-based sauce it comes with gives it the most unique taste and blend of cultures.

Of course, it comes with many other sauces and flavors, even in the traditional broth.

The orders come in different sizes at the same price, so you can choose your portion. Being the hungry greedy beast that I was, I ordered everything in the largest size (I was thinking everyone could share, hey!), and that was the biggest mistake I could have made. There really was too much, even with four people! The bowls were so enormous, I felt I could swim in it! It was still really delicious, nonetheless.

When we were all filled, it was already almost 19:00. My bad for the poor timing. With the festival starting at 19:30, I realized that the place must be really crowded by then, so I decided on a whim to just ditch the festival and make one! Fireworks are banned in New York City, so I've always been itching to do hanabi in Japan. We went to ドンキホーテ Don Quixote (a large discount chain store) to purchase our own hanabi.

Our choice of location was the Sumida River. With Skytree in the background, we created the best memories!

And you see, this is the power of perseverance! I was able to change the weather forecast! Not a drop of rain fell today.

It was really windy and the air was moist, so it was hard to light up the fireworks. In the end, we decided to just create a fire by burning paper (lol Jay).

なちさん setting up the fire

It was the best! Infinite times more fun than watching fireworks.

最高な思い出をありがとう！