A late-night/early morning mini-adventure before saying goodbye
Thursday
Start of Day 4
After my midnight soaking, I finished packing and then I dressed up, ready to go to the airport. I hate packing at the last minute, that's why. Then I went over to Lowenz's room to exchange pictures and stories, and wait for checkout time because we didn't plan on sleeping anymore. Here he is, transferring pics from my notebook to his.
He showed me the CD of the band he watched in Shinjuku. We listened to it for a while. He got to chat with the vocalist (the only member who spoke English) after the show, and he asked the band members for their autographs as well. He was also able to get a signed sketch of a Japanese artist he recognized. Cool, huh?
Kaye followed after a while, with coffee of course. (I can't last a day without chocolate, she can't live without coffee.) Kaye told us that she and Erika spent a long time in Akihabara, shopping, and then they stopped by Tokyo Dome City, where they pretended to be Power Rangers and then rode on the SkyFlower, a parachute type ride that took them up 60+ meters above the ground, twice.
You can tell I was hella tired and sleepy already, but I told them about going to Ueno with Rex, meeting Korilakkuma, seeing the cherry blossoms, eating streetfood, then ogling at the machines in the Tokyo Games Center.
Lowenz told me about this convenience store he discovered, which had nice food that would make great pasalubong (that's a Filipino word pertaining to a present usually given by one arriving from a trip). He offered to take me there, so we ventured downstairs to go to the store at 2:30am. Kaye wasn't done packing, and she got all her pasalubong already, so she stayed behind. The normally busy lobby of the Tokyo Dome Hotel was almost empty.
We didn't expect it to be catch-your-breath cold at that time of the night! We were shivering uncontrollably after a few steps outside, and the store was several blocks from the hotel. Brrr!
There it is! The FamilyMart. Note to self for next time: it's near Suidobashi station. Lowenz spent time in the magazine (ehem) section while I got my treats. Then we stopped by a vendo so I could get a Coke can before walking back to the hotel as fast as we could.
Here's what I got for my family, Aleq's family, and my friends: different kinds of chocolate treats, spicy nuts and crackers, and mochi, all for just around 100 yen each!
I needed a midnight snack/very early breakfast because we were leaving at 5am. I got Coke to keep me awake, plus an onigiri - I make it for bento, but of course I've never had an authentic Japanese one.
All red and bleary-eyed from the cold outside.
I took a picture of my arm to show how splotchy, tight, dry, and red my skin was after four days in that kind of weather. Shame the camera didn't capture it much. I looked diseased (we all did, actually).
I went online for the last time while eating my onigiri! I don't know what's in it but it was delicious! I think it had tuna, Kewpie mayo, and something else that I couldn't identify.
Time to go. I just had to take a pic of these cute elevator buttons.
Kaye and I were smiling, but we were actually feeling sad to be leaving already.
In the cab. Sigh.
A sakura tree! I was glad my companions got a glimpse of the cherry blossoms at least.
In the bus, also known as the Friendly Airport Limousine. Lowenz and I looked really dead here from the four days of not sleeping - but we were still smiling! After we took this shot though, we fell asleep and didn't wake up until an hour later when the bus arrived at Narita.
The Narita International Airport.
Breakfast - everyone needed coffee.
We split up and did our last-minute airport shopping. Check out the monster king crab - scary!
There's our plane.
Waiting for boarding.
Aaaw. Goodbye, Japan!
Lowenz and I didn't like this meal at all. We barely ate anything. It was just weird-tasting.
Erika and I spent 30 minutes sleeping and 3.5 hours yakking while Lowenz tried to sleep. This trip was fun right until the end.
When I got home I took pictures of my souvenirs. There's my Pocky (haha).
My bento paraphernalia - a Rilakkuma bento box and a blue Usagi bento box, a pair of clear chopsticks with blue checks, a pair of cased chopsticks with a puppy design, and a cylinder of little animal skewers.
A tiny kokeshi keychain for me, and a robo dacchu keychain for the bf.
Sushi erasers!
I got a text from Lowenz soon after I got home. It said "I'm eating tempura ramen right now... may Tokyo fever pa ko. :):):)" [I still have Tokyo fever.] I replied, "Lowenz, ang init dito, balik na tayo!" [Lowenz, it's so hot here, let's go back now!]
That's it. Mata aimashou, Japan! Sayonara.
End of day 4
Remember the Shibuya Crossing picture? I found a video that shows what exactly happens when the traffic lights turn red at the world's busiest crossing. It's pretty awesome when you see it in person. I was so amazed at the number of people there.
As I was walking down a towering alley, in the outskirts of the city, I saw beyond the blotched fog, a streetcar still sluggish from sleep, crossing over the sea. That's why I want to gather the wind (under my wings), gather the wind (under my wings), and run across the blue sky. As I passed through a beautiful sunrise, I saw beyond the empty-looking breakwater, a city with its day-colored sails up, moored in the port. When I was killing time one morning, at an empty coffee shop, I saw through the cracked glass, the rustling of the high-rises' silken clothes, brushing on the sidewalk.
Current Mood: good good
One last Japan post, and then we're back to regular programming.
Apr. 17th, 2007 at 10:17 AM
Remember the Shibuya Crossing picture? I found a video that shows what exactly happens when the traffic lights turn red at the world's busiest crossing. It's pretty awesome when you see it in person. I was so amazed at the number of people there.
PikPakBum has a post about this otaku (anime addict) cosplayer flash mob in Akihabara that happened just recently. They performed the closing credits of the anime, The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi. Take note, they all just agreed on the Internet to meet up and dance in the street. They didn't practice with each other or anything! The cops came though, and everyone ran away haha. I wish I could've seen it! The Japanese are such a crazy bunch. Take a look - the video is hilarious and cute.
Lastly, I'm obsessed with this track from the Lost in Translation soundtrack. It's titled Kaze Wo Atsumete by a Japanese 70s band called Happy End. I've been listening to the original track on my Walkman over and over. Here's a video showing a young band doing a tribute performance of the song. Some of the original band members from Happy End played with them. Music is universal. I found the song so beautiful even if it's in Japanese and I can't understand it.
machi no hazure no, senobi shita roji wo sanpo shitetara, shimi darake no, moya goshi ni, okinuke no romen densha ga, umi wo wataru no ga mieta n desu, sorede boku mo. kaze wo atsumete kaze wo atsumete kaze wo atsumete, aozora wo kaketain desu, aozora wo. totemo suteki na, asaake doki wo toorinuketetara, garan to shita bouhatei goshi ni, hi'iro no ho wo kakageta toshi ga, teihaku shiteru no ga mieta n desu. sorede boku mo, kaze wo atsumete kaze wo atsumete kaze wo atsumete, aozora wo kaketain desu aozora wo. hitoge no nai, asa no ko-hi-ya de hima wo tsubushitetara, hibi wareta garasu goshi ni, matenrou no kinuzure ga hodou wo hitasu no wo mita n desu. sorede boku mo, kaze wo atsumete kaze wo atsumete kaze wo atsumete, aozora wo kaketain desu aozora wo.
As I was walking down a towering alley, in the outskirts of the city, I saw beyond the blotched fog, a streetcar still sluggish from sleep, crossing over the sea. That's why I want to gather the wind (under my wings), gather the wind (under my wings), and run across the blue sky. As I passed through a beautiful sunrise, I saw beyond the empty-looking breakwater, a city with its day-colored sails up, moored in the port. When I was killing time one morning, at an empty coffee shop, I saw through the cracked glass, the rustling of the high-rises' silken clothes, brushing on the sidewalk.
Current Mood: good good
Current Music:Happy End - Kaze Wo Atsumete
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