ものすごく広い平野

Isn't this the life? Lying on the grass watching the clouds go by, as u hear faint screams in the distance from the people taking the roller coaster, the ferris-wheel scraping the sky, dogs, children, people picnic-ing nearby... ahhh..

This is Uminonakamichi and today's a special day with free admission, which was why we cycled all the way here heh. I will always remember this day, because i will always remember us picnic-ing on the lawn when it started to drizzle, and getting through the amusement park gates totally estactic thinking that all the rides are free as well, wenqiu saying "shui pao jui hou shui jiu shi wu gui" (last person to reach the roller coaster is a tortoise) and how xiaolei's camera stopped working after it dropped (that was largely my fault i think) and yet she was so magnanimous about it and did not kick up any fuss, (without naming names seriously not everyone would react as well as Xiaolei did), which allowed today to be as wonderful as it was. I am lucky to have them here this semester :) Boey was a hoot (as usual), and Tianfang came to join us for the international matsuri that was also being held in the amusement park grounds. What a wonderful day today was..



Slacking on the grass, talking about everything under the sky: that's how life should be.

自転車で海ノ中道へ

Cycling trip! with Singaporeans



Spring has begun to pull its weight, the weather was mild and we cycled towards Uminonakamichi. It was like cycling through East Coast Park, just much nicer :) .



With Xiaolei and a deceptively stationary-looking JR train in the background. Great job, wenqiu for managing to take this pic! I think I will organise another cycling trip again soon, spring is really subarashii

タイのレストラン

Happy 30th Birthday! to my good friend and brother-in-christ Jason
Yea, when Im 30 will I be an established lawyer like he is? Only time will tell.
Judge Chindawan brought us to the Thai restaurant that we liked, and boy, did I miss Thai rice. Aroy mak! Anyway Judge told the thai cook not to "Japanise" the food, meaning not to hold back the chilli, and wow.

夫と婦：ラバース。ロック

Lover's Rocks
Another great sight of Shima-machi
The bigger rock is supposed to symbolise the husband and the smaller one the wife




I told myself I'd come back here with the love of my life, in summer, where the sun will set in between the rocks and the rays will shine right through the gate

志摩町

Exausted after a long trek up toward the observatory, but it was well worth it. View of sunset road is awesome

芥屋の大門

Retirement heaven. Everything's nonbiri, nonbiri, yukkuri, yukkuri



Fog over the boatyard
Us law school people decided to hire a boat for a trip to Keya no Ooto, a very famous rock formation near Shima-machi



Keya no Ooto. Looks more majestic in real life.



I like this one. Everyone looks so happy :)

会席料理

Japanese Fine Dining



One of the things I have always enjoyed in Japan is Kaiseki Ryori where we eat Jap style on tatami with immaculately prepared dishes, in which the local tastes are embodied. Here in Karatsu, next to the sea where the seafood is extremely fresh, especially known for its squid



Local speciality, freshed splayed ika. When my friend's chopsticks touched it, the tentacles moved! wtf! You should have heard the girls scream. You said you wanted fresh?



I had Sashimi. The shellfish tried to squirm its way off my plate when i sprinkled lemon juice on it, so I popped it into my mouth and gave it a good chew. NASTY!!

唐津

View from Karatsu Castle
small, quaint little town

野球試合の夜

At Fukuoka Dome, cheering on the Hawks



Chihiro helped us get tickets for the SoftBank Hawks game against Hokkaido, first time watching baseball live in Japan! If you get bored watching the game, (it was 0-0 all the way till the 11th inning), you can amuse yoursel by waving the clappers (they call it the megaphone) in sync with the rest of the fanatic fans.



The 7th inning is "Lucky 7" where all the spectators blew up (pre-bought) balloons and release it after some anthemic song. wow. and i thought the kallang roar was impressive.



With my Uzbek and Belarussian friends. :)

I can't remember why Singapore got kicked out of the Malaysia cup so many many years back. I mean, watching the S-league does not give me half as much kick as watching Singapore thrash Perak/Pahang/whose-ever's ass. Those were glory days.

大阪城

Osaka castle

大阪の景色

Nanba - Shinsaibashi stretch, Osaka



Osaka Bay cruise.


osaka bay. takoyaki. writing postcards. missing home.

奈良

This is Nara



ancient capital of Japan



where deer roam free

京都

Top 3 favourite sights in Kyoto


1. Fushimi Inari Shrine


anyone who has watched "Sayuri" would remember this scene where she was running down a path of torii-s. This is it

2. Ryoan-ji


Zen, zen, zen. Rocks, and pebbles. zen, zen, zen

3. Kinkaku-ji


is this real gold? i don't know. could u believe that Kyoto was on the shortlist for nuke-dom? all these... gone?

Kiyomizu Temple


with Lingyan and Helen

花見

Sakura: A tribute ~Spring 2006~

HANAMI: Cherry Blossom Viewing



With the JTW students, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 1st April




Path of Philosophy, Kyoto 4th April
Not yet in full bloom....



Osaka Harbour, Osaka 8th April

Sitting beneath the trees with my law school classmates, chatting and drinking and eating bento while the occasional wind would blow a sakura petal onto my lunchbox, admiring the splendour of sakura in full bloom. THIS IS THE LIFE!

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Sakura by Night, Kyoto





It looks different by night, doesn't it. Occasionally the geishas come out of their geisha-houses to view the splendour as well

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Sakura after the rain, taken at Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto

あゆ

Ayumi Concert @ Fukuoka Marine Messe: Teenage-boyhood dream come true :)