Sushi Express

Monday, February 25, 2008

1 and only 1

Last friday marked many "first's" - First Lou hei in Japan; first time the Singapore Jamco guys come to my room for a gathering; first time 13 people had to squeeze into that small confined space otherwise known as room 208 and jostle with each other for that precious salmon sashimi or hotate; first time the Sg Jamco guys meet up with the new Jaders who just flew in on thursday, first time we old Jaders (I am 2 month lao-jiao ok) meet the new Jaders; the first time for many of them to eat a fruity lou hei (inspired by Evon's family); and the first time I had a halal lou hei.

Well, just enjoy the pictures, though there are not that many. It was definitely one good night people!






With the wave of my chopsticks, I hereby declare that Lou-Hei-cum-dirtying-my-room begins! *Frenzied swish swooshing of chopsticks with bits of carrot strips flying around*

Yeah definitely do-able once more!

And I finally got my handphone yesterday, although 90% of the time I was lost in translation, or rather, lost in conversation. Totally confused by the japanese providers. Too many functions for a simpleton like me. Watch tv, use GPS for navigation in Japan, scan at train stations or shopping malls using the phone ala ezlink, surfing the internet, heck they even have online porn on the handphone! Too many functions really. And too many models to choose from, making me so damn blur everytim i step into an electronics store. So I just decided on the simplest choice the HL way - get the cheapest phone.

So there you go, enjoy looking at my 0 yen phone! The only good thing about it that I know is that it has a 5.1 megapixel camera and it looks cool. And it has internet capability. And anyone can email my phone from the internet. And with a microsd card, plays music or videos. And twist 90 degrees.





Seriously, Singapore handphones are a notch below those in Japan. Buy one back and use!

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Unpredictable

Life is so unpredictable, don't you think so.

I'm gonna try live my life to the fullest from now on.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Farewell

You will always be remembered as a friend, who fought alongside me in many battles during that 2 years.

This post is dedicated to you, for bringing us countless smiles and laughter along that rocky road. For helping out even though we knew you didn't want to. For straining yourself with that heavy son of a gun 84. For filling the void of the night, otherwise known as silence, with your witty jokes and heaving of chest from the cigarettes.

Most importantly, for being a friend.

Take care, my friend, it's a long road out there. You will be remembered.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Doh Natsu rampage

It's official: Donut craze has hit Japan. (maybe the craze has already swept japan long ago, but I dunno lah ok) They are everywhere. Any happening place wouldn't be complete without a donut shop. Which means that Ushihama, the place I'm staying at now, is unhappening.

Friday, so decided to unwind after walking around Lumine (a department store at Tachikawa) at this cafe-cum-donut-place called Mister Donut. Seems familiar this shop. In Sg have right I think. Or is it that all donut shops' shop names are all alike, like they got share a similar word or something. Oh, maybe the word is 'donut'.

Lo and behold the mighty Mister Donut! Sg has Missy donut or something stupid name like that right. And surprise surprise! No queues! Yay that's what I call a shop. Not like those in Sg where people buy donuts like queueing up for Toto or hello kitties.


Stacks and stacks and stacks and stacks of donuts. Get prepared for Carbo overloading time...

What to eat! Spoilt for choice!

The cafe inside. Think its a good idea to bring over this concept to Sg. Make it like a Ya-kun shop. They sell good tea and coffee too.

My Bitter Chocolate donut. 5/5!

My Matcha donut. 4/5. With Red bean paste. Yummy.

Snacking away means dun bother about image, not even if he's in front of a camera. Toohan calling to ask about the possibility of brining the franchise over to Sg.

Pose first before eating.

Yummy yum yum. Jun and Brendan are the culprits who wanted to come here in the first place. If i grow fat I shall point my stubby fingers at you two.

Good snack!

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Getting the cook bug

With too much time on my hands, due to everyday coming home after work and reaching home by 7, had decided to make better use of my hands other than holding on to too much time. Beginning to hold onto cooking ware and utensils lately. Going to supermarket quite often too. Always see the same cashier. Give me some more time they sure can recognise me. "Always this weird guy with office wear coming here to buy vegetables and meat.", they would surely think. Couldn't agree more - I cut an odd figure among those old aunties and housewives in the queue.

Tried something different yesterday. Adventurous in fact. A dish that ranks highly in the danger scale - run a very high risk of smoking out my entire apartment. Thankfully nothing of that sort happened while this delectable plate of fried rice with tomato and egg was prepared. Topped with a fish steak. Unsure of what fish it is. Could be cod. Nevertheless it has a nice tangy feel to it. Fresh could be a word to describe it. A huge success, considering its my first time frying rice.


Today was something more hearty - a portion of spaghetti large enough for 2 big eaters, with slices of ham and onion and tomato included to give it an extra dimension of taste. Looked unsuspectingly healthy if not for the fact that it's cooked using instant pasta, the sort with msg powder to be used for its sauce. Shrugs off the unhealthy notion with the addition of large chunks of onion: Reason being onion being able to neutralize the harmful effects of msg, hopefully.

Bon appetit!

Again, the last 2 slices of fish steak bought from the supermarket yesterday. Admittedly its enough to feed 2 person once more. Must had unconsciously cooked everything in 2 portions today. Perhaps its the curse of Valentine's Day - On Feb 14 every single person staying overseas will try to cook an addition portion hoping another person will turn up. Well someone did turn up eventually - the postman. At my doorstep. With a package consisting of sauces and bak kut teh powder and spices from Sg. Courtesy of Evon. Appreciate them lots! Good v day present i must agree.

The fish in the sauce that was air flown in.

Eat up, lonely-single-alien-guy-living-in-tokyo.


Cooking is kind of tiring.....

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Board of life

Tochigi is totally different from the resort we went to in Nagano. Being nearer to Tokyo, with only a mere 3 hours drive separating the two cities, Tochigi proves to be a much more popular destination for the locals.

Just take a look below and compare.

Nagano - What the hell the only person ski-ing is Charlotte. No Japaneses in sight.
Tochigi - Freaking-alot-of-Japaneses-with-7-Singaporeans queuing up for the inermediate course cable car to the very top.


Outnumbered. When i saw this, i already had a vision in mind - Today is gonna be the day where I will bang into alot of people.

Fear not! The folks from sunny singapore will conquer Hunter mountain on this very day.

A nice breezy ride down hill.... Still looking good....
ALAMAK. My hump.. my hump... my hump....

Sekki concusses in the snow and began to grow snow tits.

Meanwhile, Soffiah tries to drag me and Charlotte down into the snow with her.

Who cares if people are looking? We are tourists! (pointing at you Sekki)

Got the photos mixed up. Have i mentioned how unconvenient blogspot's picture upload system? Urgh. Talking about convenience, here we are at a Konbini where we stock up our bodily fuels for snowboarding.

Girls on a diet deciding to rot in the 10 seater van that we rented for this trip.

Back to the mountains we are, smirks Tiru.

Or is he smirking at the sight of me changing in the van? Must wear red pants so can huat during this CNY weekend. For good fortune and most importantly, as little bodily damage as possible to be suffered from this snowboarding day.

Pictures mixed in a wrong order again, here we are at the Ryokan (Japanese traditional inn), in a smoky hazy room. Whole day snowboard + only 1 ho
ur of sleep in toe-crunching cold in the van the night before = Potent combination.
After a good bath and dinner (pls refer to previous post), a family photo with the Sing Jamco folks.

A scary moose head lurks in the lobby of the Ryokan.

Muhtar's glad that all this is over. Being able to curl up in the futon is pure bliss, I must agree.

A bath first together with the guys. A good chance to get chummy with each other and size each other up.

After the hot bath, out we go to the outdoor hot spring! It was actually snowing when we dipped ourselves skinny in the hot spring. Amazing experience...

Although man-made, it's still a wonderful time spent in this boiling pot of spring water.

The next morning...

Breakfast!

A rather scary picture. Some pale face looking out from a room.

Going back home... Muhtar decided to get all adventurous, hence these emotion-evoking pictures.. Sob.. I miss the place already...



A group photo under a cute tree before we leave this fantastic ryokan.


Our lives hanging on a thread... Singaporean driving. And it wouldn't hurt to put BOTH hands on the steering wheel, Soffiah.

Pretending to be calm and happy while Soffiah drives. Ok Tiru looks troubled.

Stopover for lunch. Tiru still looking troubled from the traumatic drive.

So troubled that he went mad and became a girl and got Charlotte to propose to him.

Come on Tiru! Smile! Sekki's driving next!

Remember those bubble thing that we used to play with when we were young? Bought from mama shops, these intoxicating-rubber-smelling-rubber-bubbles used to provide me with alot of fun last time. Soffiah found them in Japan. Sadly not from Mama shops. Zannen.

Soffiah goes optic-blast mode.

Hontoni tsukareta mina-san! One more time soon before the snow melts!