My room in 2010

Back in April 2010

When I first come Japan

reached Narita Airport

alone with 2 luggage

My lovely senior from my scholarship association 

fetch me from airport to the Japanese school

where my dorm will be

★★★★★

The room is so small

is only 7.45 meter square!!!!

and there is no toilet or bath room in the room

There are common toilet and bathroom 

that can be used among the dorm students

★★★★★

First night in my room

nothing but only bed, bedding set with blankets and pillow

April in Japan is Spring

So the weather is quite cold

alone in a empty room

Frankly is very lonely

In the dorm Me and my Senior only are the Malaysian

Others are main from China (55%)

Taiwan (25%) Indonesian (10%)

Others (10% - England, France, Singapore, Vietnam, Myanmar..etc)

★★★★★

After that

My lovely seniors helped me get some second hand goods

like fridge, electrical pots, toaster, frying pan.....etc...

Then I got myself some daily goods from the 100yen shop

day by day

Everyday searching for daily supply

seriously is very tiring

as in Japan everywhere is on foot and train

I reduce 3-4kg after I reached japan in the first month

I will share my experience in Japan later

Here I will introduce my room

★★★★★

first when I open my door

I will see my small kitchen on my right

I need to save money

cos I am all on my own with my scholarship living expenses

My family cannot afford my living expenses in Japan though

So I cook almost everyday

So glad my mom force me to learn cooking when I was 14

I am so glad now that I have the cooking skill to survive

Here I use almost everything from 100yen 

and from my lovely seniors

So next to my small kitchen is straight away my table and bed

you can see that I do not have space to walk!!!!

The chair occupied the whole corridor!!

Well this room is quite cheap though

compare to rental

it is 27,000yen (RM1026) per month include gas and water

I use 2 types of shower curtain to cover the wall

as the wall is full of stickers and marks

that looks very dirty

I put all my shoes under the bed

So above my pillow

straight away is the wardrobe

so small!!!!

How can this small wardrobe can fit all my

winter, autumn, spring and summer wear!!!!

I dunno how I survive at that time

But I really survived!!

with this little small room

for 1 year

There is my bath robe and towel

Where I need it

to walk to the common shower room

even in the winter

Just imagine how cold it is!!!!

When the big earth quake in March 11, 2011

I was still in this little small room

In Kita-shinjuku

near Okubo

My thing was all in good condition

really thank god

I moved away straight away after the earth quake

as my contract in this dorm is only for 1 year

So

You all can see most of the Japanese room is very small
(although paid for almost Rm1k!!)

wan tumpang stay also dunno where to sleep

Sleep floor also no place LOL

well

It was really a good experience for me

【体験】小川和紙 Kogawa Japanese Paper

Field trip to Saitama

for making Kogawa Japanese Paper

well it is just to experience how to remake paper

We arrive a place call 

Ogawa-machi

小川町

Where a town  famous for Japanese Paper

和紙のふるさと

It is located 2 hours from Tokyo by train

(very far T^T)

There are lots of type of Japanese paper

such as

papers to make paper dolls

Hanging paper dolls etc....

Here our Japanese paper making starts!!!!!!!

The person in charge is explaining the process of making to us

In this process

we are making postcards

There are special mold

for making the postcards

first insert the mold into the special paper liquid

Then balance the liquid in every mold

Then the person in charge will help to press

away the excess water

and left the wet paper for us to design



Here is where we experience out Japanese postcard making



We are free to design anything

on the wet paper

This is my design

After finished design

just pass this thing to the person in charge

and they will help us baked the paper

to become the real postcard

that can be use

It will takes some time for the post card to be dry

So basically you cannot bring back your post card on that day

unless you have enough time to wait though

haha

well just a small postcard making experience for me

It is quite fun (^^,)

【鎌倉】Hasedera temple - Cave

Now after the hiking session

there is a cave too!!

300yen is worth the price though!

Back to the pond area

where you washed your hand before you head up to the temple

walk above the stone across the pond 

to the other side

You will see a road leads to the caves

For tall guys

Please be careful your head

For me

I am happy enough to be short 

I can walk through straight away

haha

There is a lot small sculpture

of Buddhas and Quan Yin Ma

The place is very humid

and is very cooling too!!

After finish a small walk in the cave

is also almost time for us to go back!!!

There will be a big happy buddha greet you 

on the way back

So this would be the end 

of Hasedera Temple

Actually this day

is firework day in kamakura

Thats why there are girls in Yukata

The firework in Kamakura is very special

where the fireworks shoot in the sky 

and on sea

where you can view a firework which is hemisphere

I would like to watch it 

But

Rain starts falling

and I am totally exhausted from the whole day walking

I hope I can go next year

or maybe I do not have time since I will be start working

Hope I do have time!!!

Just a simply snap on the way back

The flower is so pretty!

Back to Hase Station

and take the train back to Kamakura Station 

here we are at kamakura station

Here

we head back to Tokyo

and Sayonara!!!!!!

Nice trip!!!

But a bit tired though.....

summer is hot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please choose Spring or Autumn or Winter

The summer here is hotter than Malaysia!!!

The Humidity is so high!!!

My air conditioner is on 24hours at home

(If I am at home for 24 hours haha)

Please plan properly before come to Japan!!!

Enjoy!!!

【鎌倉】Hasedera temple - Hiking

Here comes the Hiking session of 

Hasedera Temple

This is the map of the hiking route

It seems quite big

but actually is not that big

so don worry

I go up with my platform though (platform is flat heels)

It took us 10 - 15mins to finish the hiking

haha

Lets go!!!!!!

At the entrance

It written the hiking session is until 5pm

so be careful the time

Down there there is a chinese character of 

Good dream

So after hiking

You might get a good dream

(I think... haha)

Long stairs to go

go go go!!!!

You might see lots of the Quan Yin statue all over the bushes

There is also the thousand hand Quan Yin Ma

There is more stairs!!!!

When you reached the top

you will see a good view from there

the Kamakura beach

and the weather is very cooling too!!

After enjoy the view on top

is time to go back down

Japanese loves bamboos too

I went to Kyoto's bamboo hiking spot

and it was awesome!!

will show you all later haha

although my mom always telling me that

bamboo is a place where the.....g.... the souls are staying......

well lots of chinese ghost movie 

will have bamboos inside

haha

cute happy buddha spoted again!! 

Back to the temple!!!

There is a unknown person

I dunno why he smiles at my camera

haha

PS: He is Indonesian though.. so he looks so Malay

This is not the end yet!!!!!

There is a small cave

where lots of tiny sculpture of buddha and Quan Yin Ma is

Next then!!!!!!

【鎌倉】Hasedera temple 長谷観音寺

Here would be the last spot I visited in Kamakura

There are too much photos to be post

so I would divided into 2 post though

So

Lets start the journey

On the way coming back from the Big Buddha

there is a junction turning into the 

HasederaTemple

長谷寺

Since kamakura is a historical town 

You may see thrishaw all over

with sexy short pants haha

Here is the entrance of the Temple

well here you need to pay a entrance fee of 300yen

Here is being awarded as one of the famous sight seeing spot

for foreigners

Well maybe you should have a try too!!

Well there is a pond just right after you enter the door

please do not try to pee inside the pond though haha

There is some girls in yukata resting in the garden

well when you see girls in yukata

high percentage that there will be a firework 

around the area when the sky get dark

This temple is very relaxing

because

there is lots of Japanese garden around

with ponds and greens

There is the stairs leads to the temple

In Japan

you will need to wash you hands and soak your mouth 

before entering a sacred place

This is the Japanese Culture

After being cleaned 

here we go!!

Go go go

Please look out for this cute happy buddha

The god of earth

This is the water god I perhaps

There is lots of small statue around

This area is for prayers to the young ones

Goddess of the babies and children

This spot where a scoop is being placed

so how does it works then??

First scoop some water and pour on the god's head

Like this

This temple has special charm

such as 

Watermelon charm 

for health and luck

(Why watermelon??)

Strawberry charm 

for dreams come true

(Why strawberry???)

Lady Bug Charm 

for Academic, Health and Safe Drive

(Bug????)

The charm sounds weird though

I found a love shape on a rock!!

How lucky am i!!

Here would be the main thing of this temple

inside there is a Big Quan Yin inside

No photos allowed

so..... sorry!!!

There is a small garden beside the temple

which will leads you to a higher level

where you will need to do a small hike

Japanese garden is very pretty for me

love to walk around

feel so peaceful

 There is more to go!!!!

Next will be the hiking area!!!!

Ciao!!