Life in Kyoto | 10th Month
Just like that winter has ended, days are slowly getting warmer as we shed those thick layers that makes us look like round polar bears. I can proudly scream out loud that I survived my first full winter in Japan. Not your 1 week cold holiday but full 3.5 months of it, sorta cheated abit la by escaping to Malaysia for 1week + during CNY and that also I was complaining how humid Malaysia was and would rather freeze to death in Japan lol.
Chinese New Year
Our visit down to Malaysia to celebrate Chinese new year with my family, it's the danna's 2nd time joining our family reunion, the 1st one he asked my parents for their permission to marry me lol, shocked them out of their own skin because they weren't expecting that after all we only knew each other for 4 months. This year we have lil penguin with us that made everyone extra excited because she's considered the "1st" grandchild of the family and my grandmother upgraded her title to "great grandmother". My side of the family is huge compared to the danna's because my mom has 5 siblings including herself and everyone has their own kids, so i have 16 cousins lol. The more the merrier indeed, and i miss them all so much! It's even harder to meet now since i'm living in Japan, i know we hardly see each other despite us being a phone call away (we probably meet like 3-4 times a year), now it's like 5000km+ distance.
We did encountered a little hiccup during our trip, not sure if staying in Japan has raised my cleanliness standards but the hotel we booked in Melaka was horrible! Totally different from the pictures shown online and we booked it because of the decent reviews (tons of Malaysians say it's good) but after checking in and seeing how run down (leak marks all over the walls) the place was and our toilet wasn't even working fine, the worst was when the hotel's maintenance guy "forgot" to lock our room door which anyone could have gone in and stolen our stuff. Luckily none of our things went missing while we were out for dinner. We lodge an official complaint and asked for a refund for the night we weren't staying and that itself took up to 1 month+ with no follow ups, just me constantly spamming their email asking for updates on my refund. Seriously don't ever book Avillion Melaka, the place is pure crap. "Luxury hotel" my foot.
I can't find the words to express how much i missed my mom's cooking, nyonya dishes and other Malaysian food; ate so much during the one week visit that we probably gained 2-3kg lol. Malaysian food is definitely not healthy but it's just too delicious to resist.
This round i didn't managed to go grocery shopping because our schedule was jam packed with family & friends visitations, so i couldn't stock up on my Malaysian sauces T_T
I tried making fried rice with Japanese shoyu and it did not end up well..ugh. I need Chinese light soy sauce!! Need to make another trip to Malaysia back soon and this time solo because mom need's a break some time too.
Kanagawa
The world is strange especially with it's "hidden forces", remember my previous Yokohama entries?
It is a very good example of what i wanted came true and best part i bumped into an old friend during the trip as well. The world knows how to put things in life into place, it depends on how much you want it and how much effort you put into achieving it.
Also i've finally visited Jean in Fujisawa (another place in my bucket list, next Hakone) and got to meet her cutie pao Ma-kun!! Glad to see she's handling motherhood well compared to me who's constantly stressed out and moody, i sometimes wonder what went wrong here. Miss having a friend close by to go out with, it would be great for mom dates instead of being stuck at home 24/7.
Thank you for hosting me and for those looking for LEGIT (has license) Airbnb accommodation in Fujisawa, do stay with her! Her house is comfortable and clean, best part it's not too far from Enoshima as well. Check out her listing: Homestay in Fujisawa 123
This one was a funny and rather unexpected experience for us, out of the blue while i was browsing Instagram around December last year, this baby modeling ad suddenly popped up so i forwarded it to the danna for laughs and he said no harm applying for it. Fast forward in Jan we received a letter (yea, snail mail kind lol) inviting lil penguin to attend the next round of casting in Osaka which she unfortunately didn't pass because she wasn't something the agency was looking for. Obviously her mom (me) would be furious, how dare they think she isn't cute enough to be on commercials, but nah.. wouldn't want her to go down the same line as i did. Life in front of the lens isn't always so glamorous but if she does get it, good for her so she can earn some funds for her college fees lol. Not too sore about being rejected but it's definitely something to tell her next time when she's older, wonder how she'll take in that news. The danna on the other hand says the agency is gonna regret not taking her in, not sure what plans he has in mind but we always joked that who knows she might run for Miss Universe Japan someday haha!
Chinese New Year
Our visit down to Malaysia to celebrate Chinese new year with my family, it's the danna's 2nd time joining our family reunion, the 1st one he asked my parents for their permission to marry me lol, shocked them out of their own skin because they weren't expecting that after all we only knew each other for 4 months. This year we have lil penguin with us that made everyone extra excited because she's considered the "1st" grandchild of the family and my grandmother upgraded her title to "great grandmother". My side of the family is huge compared to the danna's because my mom has 5 siblings including herself and everyone has their own kids, so i have 16 cousins lol. The more the merrier indeed, and i miss them all so much! It's even harder to meet now since i'm living in Japan, i know we hardly see each other despite us being a phone call away (we probably meet like 3-4 times a year), now it's like 5000km+ distance.
We didn't bring our baby stroller down because KL isn't exactly a stroller friendly city unless you are in a mall, so our TULA baby carrier is the way to go!
seriously loving the pastel floral motifs!
1st lou sang of the year!
All the grandaunts fussing around lil penguin
This round i didn't managed to go grocery shopping because our schedule was jam packed with family & friends visitations, so i couldn't stock up on my Malaysian sauces T_T
I tried making fried rice with Japanese shoyu and it did not end up well..ugh. I need Chinese light soy sauce!! Need to make another trip to Malaysia back soon and this time solo because mom need's a break some time too.
Her Godma dedinitely gonna dress her up macam hello kitty liao, habislah lol
Aunty Yingtze super scared of babies haha, see her struggling to smile for the camera XD
Finally visited Salon76, Tribecca to get my hair done!
So nice of them to allow me to use the private room as i needed to nurse lil penguin as well, you guys should check them out! Heard that they even do haircuts for children 0-5 years old for free (exclusive service for members only). Thank you Cheesie for recommending Salon76!
Hama-san (director) did a great job on my hair, i seriously had no idea what to do with it so i told him to "omakase" for me lol, he layered my hair since i mentioned that i was having postpartum hair loss and he also kept it shoulder length so that i can style it easily up or down. It's so light now that i don't feel a thing, and whenever i style it with hot iron everyone thinks my hair is so thick thanks to the volume illusion lol, in reality when i tie it up; turns out to be a slim ponytail. They have a salon branch in Tokyo Omotesando too!
Kanagawa
The world is strange especially with it's "hidden forces", remember my previous Yokohama entries?
It is a very good example of what i wanted came true and best part i bumped into an old friend during the trip as well. The world knows how to put things in life into place, it depends on how much you want it and how much effort you put into achieving it.
The beautiful warm & friendly family running an Airbnb & restaurant business in Fujisawa
They speak Japanese, English, Mandarin & Bahasa Malaysia as well!
Thank you for hosting me and for those looking for LEGIT (has license) Airbnb accommodation in Fujisawa, do stay with her! Her house is comfortable and clean, best part it's not too far from Enoshima as well. Check out her listing: Homestay in Fujisawa 123
Will make another entry for Enoshima soon!
Casting Call
Also found this super cute cooler bag from Nitori!
You'll never guess it contains baby bottles because it looks like a normal bag lol
Honest Feelings
To be honest i initially wasn't planning to update my blog on last month because I'm honestly felt kinda burnt out from constantly updating my blog like i'm chasing some kind of invisible marathon. Started to question myself all over again, why do I do this and maybe I should consider calling it quits to focus on being a mother. Trust me I tried to be the whole do nothing but watch my kid 24/7 housewife for a few months and I end up feeling more depressed than ever because the gloomy & messy home environment + lack of intellectual conversations (babies babbling doesn't count).
I believe that even us adults are constantly learning, whether it's knowledge or even just working on ourselves is a form of learning.
There's really nothing much to update about my mundane life because I'm either busy with being a mom or work, that's about it. It felt like a low month for me somehow, like something was missing or something but I couldn't put a finger to it.
It started with me always wanting to go back to Malaysia to work full time again, it's easier for me to go back to Manager position job compared to Japan, these thoughts never subsided and to quote my mom (best person to turn to for advice).
"Time to let go of what you once had, the life of fame & excitement, you'll need to accept the new changes. By learning to let go you can finally be at peace with this constant struggle of unhappiness."- Mom
True ..I have had my fair share of fun experiences back before everyone was so obsessed with building their numbers and curated staged contents on social media. I've always been a sandwiched generation, I was between the time where blogs were a big deal and a decade later Facebook & Instagram were the new cool platforms so trying to manage all 3 at the same time (don't get me started with YouTube please) is actually exhausting. You constantly need to generate exciting contents (real or fib) to keep up the engagement and with whatever tricks these big companies are pulling just to get you to pay for more "reaches", you'll definitely feel like saying "enough is enough".
Yes I might have been a runway model, graced magazine pages, been an ambassador, featured in store pop ups, invited as guests to events at some point but now I'm just an average mom with a spare tire belly that refuses to go away regardless of how many planks & sit ups I do. My concerns have shifted to being worried whether my useless oppai is producing enough milk to feed my baby instead of how I look. Well muffin tops are definitely here to stay, might as well embrace it.
Heck, learning to embrace this whole new changes is harder than it seems, it's not something we can just go "oh that's my life now, deal with it" because part of us will definitely yearn for those fun years we had, this transition isn't an overnight sh*t. It might take me some years, with rebounds maybe but I know I'll eventually get there because we humans are adaptable to changes.
In summary, time to be less self centered.
My life isn't about me anymore, because I spawned a mini me like how those cells under the microscope multiply lol
Sorry that my 10th month's update seems rather heavy just like the gloomy winter atmosphere so here is something to lighten the mood.
Sorry that my 10th month's update seems rather heavy just like the gloomy winter atmosphere so here is something to lighten the mood.
Tips to Surviving Winter in Japan
Warning: it might sound rather useless when you first read it but trust me, you'll thank me for it.
1. Avoiding Winds
Winter is actually bearable without those darn cold winds, the place might be pilled up with snow but you won't feel like dying compared to a continuous gust of strong icy cold wind threatening to blow the life out of you. When you are outside especially at the crosswalk waiting for the lights to turn green, stay in the middle of the crowd, chances of you being hit direct by the wind is lesser as everyone around you act as your shield. When walking around, walk BEHIND a big/ tall person so that the wind hits them and not you lol, that's why I always walk behind the danna.
2. Surviving Outdoors
In Japan it's possible, take advantage of every single (literally) konbini you pass by down the road for a little warmth before heading out. I usually stand in one (or in any building) while waiting for the crosswalk light to turn green. That was I can at least warm up at little before reaching my destination. Also underground routes are your best friend, you wouldn't need to even step outside to reach your destination.
3. Clothes
I always thought that laundry will dry faster during winter because the air is cold and dry, but unfortunately it doesn't so the fastest way to dry it without any additional cost (dryer is expensive)is hang it in the same room when you are using the air conditioner. This will help humidify your room at the same time too. Unless your clothes is stored in the same heated room, expect them to be freezing cold when you put them on after showering, to lessen the coldness take the clothes you want to wear and warm them in the heated room or better just bring them inside the bathroom while you shower. I had a shock
4. Bath time
Every couple love bathing together, even parents with their young children but during winter you'll do everything to keep that warm clothing on as long as possible. Unless you have 2 shower heads usable at the same time don't bother showering together because while you wait for your SO (significant other) to wash off that shampoo you'll be freezing your butt off. Despite being in an enclosed small area somehow the hot water (almost 50 degrees to) heat just cools off almost immediately.
I can never understand outdoor onsen during winter right now after experiencing my first long winter here, it's so cold the minute you step out of the hot shower and have not managed to completely dry your body yet! Imagine having to walk OUTSIDE and get into the onsen without freezing to death on the way. I wonder how some people are able to do it T_T
5. Toilet
1. Avoiding Winds
Winter is actually bearable without those darn cold winds, the place might be pilled up with snow but you won't feel like dying compared to a continuous gust of strong icy cold wind threatening to blow the life out of you. When you are outside especially at the crosswalk waiting for the lights to turn green, stay in the middle of the crowd, chances of you being hit direct by the wind is lesser as everyone around you act as your shield. When walking around, walk BEHIND a big/ tall person so that the wind hits them and not you lol, that's why I always walk behind the danna.
2. Surviving Outdoors
In Japan it's possible, take advantage of every single (literally) konbini you pass by down the road for a little warmth before heading out. I usually stand in one (or in any building) while waiting for the crosswalk light to turn green. That was I can at least warm up at little before reaching my destination. Also underground routes are your best friend, you wouldn't need to even step outside to reach your destination.
3. Clothes
I always thought that laundry will dry faster during winter because the air is cold and dry, but unfortunately it doesn't so the fastest way to dry it without any additional cost (dryer is expensive)is hang it in the same room when you are using the air conditioner. This will help humidify your room at the same time too. Unless your clothes is stored in the same heated room, expect them to be freezing cold when you put them on after showering, to lessen the coldness take the clothes you want to wear and warm them in the heated room or better just bring them inside the bathroom while you shower. I had a shock
4. Bath time
Every couple love bathing together, even parents with their young children but during winter you'll do everything to keep that warm clothing on as long as possible. Unless you have 2 shower heads usable at the same time don't bother showering together because while you wait for your SO (significant other) to wash off that shampoo you'll be freezing your butt off. Despite being in an enclosed small area somehow the hot water (almost 50 degrees to) heat just cools off almost immediately.
I can never understand outdoor onsen during winter right now after experiencing my first long winter here, it's so cold the minute you step out of the hot shower and have not managed to completely dry your body yet! Imagine having to walk OUTSIDE and get into the onsen without freezing to death on the way. I wonder how some people are able to do it T_T
5. Toilet
Don't be the first one to use the toilet in the morning because the auto bidet usually takes some time to heat up and after almost 8 hrs of no one using it, the first butt it kisses is gonna be an icy one. And those toilet seat covers from Daiso helps keep your butt from freezing too, make sure to stick those on!
6. Icy Mornings
Like every single morning without fail, cold toothpaste and icy tap water, your mouth is definitely gonna feel as if you just had minty slushie for breakfast. To avoid washing/ gargling with cold water, let the water run for abit before it becomes warm (make sure your sink knob is facing the heated mark). Yes, the coldness might be a "refreshing" wake up call for some of you but some of us aren't too fond of it so i'll rather wait for the water to heat up before using. Hallelujah for heated water but boo for high heater bills (can't always win).
7. Free Fridge Everywhere
It gets so cold during winter that you wouldn't even need to worry if your fridge runs out of space because you can just put your groceries at the entrance of the house where it isn't heated. I remember accidentally leaving my starbucks goma muffin in my bag at the entrance for a week+ and by the time i found it, it was frozen solid with no signs of rotting lol. Well preserved indeed!
And whenever i forgot to make ice and i need my drinks chilled, i'll just leave it outside for 15-20mins and it's cold enough to be served lol. Foods seriously lasts longer outside compared to inside the fridge, even my large bag of mikan lasted for 2 whole months before it started to rot, by that time we were down to our last 2. Even our leftover foods, we pack it into containers and leave them at the genkan and it's still good to eat for the next 2-3 days, lol might as well switch off our fridge for winter but unfortunately we still need the freezer to store lil penguin's frozen breast milk. But if you don't really use the freezer then that's one way you can save on electricity during winter.
8. Shock Die You
Like seriously, i can't get by a single day without being shocked by static at least once and lil penguin is one electrifying baby, so it's a series of shock from every contact i have with her. This is apparently common during winter so if you see those "anti shock" bracelets, do get one. It might not work 100% but at least prevents you from getting shock every single second unlike me. It's sibeh painful sia..
There are actually other methods to lessen static shocks you can google and it really requires alot of "changes" which seems rather mafan* for me so i'll just stick to the anti-shock bracelet alternative lol.
*tedious
Hope you guys had a laugh at all my "useless" advises, it would probably be useful for those who have not experienced living in a winter country before, traveling to one doesn't count because your clothes are always in the same room as the heater and won't experience any goosebumps the minute you put them on.
8. Shock Die You
Like seriously, i can't get by a single day without being shocked by static at least once and lil penguin is one electrifying baby, so it's a series of shock from every contact i have with her. This is apparently common during winter so if you see those "anti shock" bracelets, do get one. It might not work 100% but at least prevents you from getting shock every single second unlike me. It's sibeh painful sia..
There are actually other methods to lessen static shocks you can google and it really requires alot of "changes" which seems rather mafan* for me so i'll just stick to the anti-shock bracelet alternative lol.
*tedious
Remember that after every ridiculous cold long winter, spring would be around to greet you next
Hope you guys had a laugh at all my "useless" advises, it would probably be useful for those who have not experienced living in a winter country before, traveling to one doesn't count because your clothes are always in the same room as the heater and won't experience any goosebumps the minute you put them on.
And a moment of silence for my favorite limited edition Mister Donut 😭
So sad that they are no longer selling this, they should seriously consider making this a regular since it sells pretty well 😭
If you have not tried Mister Donut, please go get yourself a damn donut today, it's fluffy, not oily & the right amount of sweetness that makes you want to chow down a couple in one sitting.
Yours Truly,
So happy u came! And we will definitely meet again soon!! And the winter static got me much too! Hate closing the car/house door coz always got shocked!!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see you guys soon :)
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