Category: Asia

Trips in largest continent in the world

Zero meaningful connection on the road

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I am unfortunately a painfully shy person when it comes to strangers. I blame it on being ISFP, a personality trait aptly encapsultaed on this Web page:

[ISFPs] seldom speak with strangers because they’re reserved; that quality can make them seem standoffish and even unapproachable, despite their innately caring personality.

That’s why I never made any long lasting friendships while on the road.

But I did try to be friendlier and create a short lasting companionship with a fellow hosteller while in Luoyang China.

It didn’t work out. Continue reading “Zero meaningful connection on the road” →

Mental baggage during work travel

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Prompt #16: BAGGAGE
Mental baggage can weigh us down as much as physical baggage when we travel. How do you travel lightly – either emotionally or physically?

 One of the perks of my job is (if you do your work well enough), we get to fly overseas to cover events.

The first I heard of this, my eyes went wide and my brain starting imagining all sort of wonderful places I could go. But since I was a freshie, my boss didn’t let me go on any trips until I was about a year plus into the job.

It was to Taiwan, my mother’s home country. Coincidentally, my parents were also going there at the same period.

Unfortunately, it was a difficult event that I had to cover. It involved microprocessor chips, which I frankly was not that familiar with.

Anyway, I extended my work trip so I arrive in Taipei some days before the event for travelling with the folks.

It was the most stressful travel. Every day, I had to think of my work. “Have I finished all my preparations?” “Will I understand what they announce at the event?”

The trip was still fun and exciting. But every night in the room, I would panic over my work. I also had to do some work in the morning while my parents went in search of breakfast.

After that trip, I decided that it’s not worth a free plane ticket if I get so worried about work while I’m supposed to have fun. Since then, I only travel on my own expenses.

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This post is part of BootsnAll’s 30 Days of Indie Travel. Day 16: Baggage.

The rest of my posts for the project can be found here.

Stayed: Capsule Ryokan Kyoto

My mom and I stayed at Capsule Ryokan Kyoto for 7 nights during our 10-day trip to Japan in late-October.

This is my second time in Kyoto, during the last trip, my friends and I stayed at a hostel where the sheets smelled like the last occupant. I decided to switch accomodation this time.

After trusting my guts, I booked the Ryokan Ensuite at Capsule Ryokan Kyoto. The room includes two futon, a fancy space shower and a toilet cubicle right next to the entrance. It is really amazing how they manage to save space.

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Mom and I stuffed our luggage under our bed. We kept the futon rolled up when not sleeping to watch TV, do book keeping, eat rice balls.

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We reached Kyoto at 6am as we came on a night bus. The hotel officially opens at 10am so we hung around the station. While it opens at 10am, we could only shift in at 3pm so we kept our luggage and went off.

The lady at the counter spoke perfect English, in case anyone is worried.

Nishi Honwanji (西本願寺) is just around the corner of the ryokan so that makes it a great first place to go.

Price
7,980yen per night for two persons. Not a bad price for Kyoto. 

Location
The ryokan is indeed within walking distance to Kyoto Station but I would rather take the bus. If you bought the 500yen Kyoto bus pass, take the buses that stop at Shichi-jo-Horikawa (七条堀川), the ryokan is just nearby.

The location is good for sightseeing sites and there’s a direct bus to Gion area.

Internet
Internet connection is one of the most important criteria for me when choosing a hotel. This place does have Internet, but Wi-Fi connection is limited to the ground floor. Inside our room, we have a LAN socket (they have LAN cables).

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While I brought a netbook, there are things that felt better on the phone. During the nights when I update Facebook/mobile blog/check my horoscope on my iPhone, there was a family of what I guess are Brazilian-Japanese folks having dinner, being merry. I’m not the sort to mingle quickly with people so I kept to myself all the time.

Laundry
There is also some washing machines and one dryer at the fire escape landing. If all machines are full, there is a self-service launderette opposite the ryokan which charges a few hundred yen more.

If I go back to Kyoto, I would like to stay there again. But since the New York Times covered it, I seriously doubt whether I can get a room.

 

 

 

Tokyo, the milky way

Time to catch up on my travel blog.

Writing this post on the plane back to Kuala Lumpur. It is now 12.17am, October 26. I can’t sleep because the pilot has left the lights on.

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I’ve always loved the night view of cities. Tall buildings with lights on look like the night sky.

On the way to Tokyo, I had the window seat and I had the chance to see the goegeous night view of Tokyo.

The first thought that came into my head when I saw the lights sparkling below the dark land was “The Milky Way”. It looked exactly like the stuff we see on TV, where a swirl of white and yellow and red dots decorate the pitch black vacuum.

Unfortunately, my camera skills and my camera didn’t do justice to what I saw.

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I’ll still always love cities, especially the night.

 

Attacks of the deers

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I was sitting under my umbrella in front of Todaiji Temple when a deer (one of the hundreds there) decided to come around and see if I had food.
With its large doe eyes, it looked at me and poked its nose into my bag.
Of course, being the Gen Y that I am, my first reaction was to take a photo of it with my phone.
Unfortunately, by the time I dug out my Lady Madonna, the deer was attacking my magazine. I had to wrestle to pull the book back.
I changed my seat and the deer left me alone.
But this is not the end of the story! There’s part 2.
My mom bought me a postcard of Todaiji and I wrote the card I promised M. The mail described the deer attack. After writing, mom and I sat around eating persimmons.
The deers (another 2) probably smelled the juicy plump fruit and wanted some of them too. One even chomped onto my postcard and refused to let it go and I did a tug-of-war with it.
A guy standing near us gave the postcard-eating deer a pat on the behind and it let the card go.
But it went around for a bite of the magazine as well. :(

To Ōsaka

On rapid train (not shinkansen) to Osaka, the land of food and comedians. I am now wearing a pair of carrot orange tights which I bought last night at Uniqlo for 100 yen from the bargain bin. I suspect it’s too gaudy to be sold at regular price.

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Looking around the train, most people are wearing black tights. The only colored pair is wine red worn by an old lady.
The train supposedly will take 50 minutes to reach Osaka. That’s a lot of time to spare.