New Year's Eve

It's new year's eve, everybody ! I am waiting for my sis from her work and she will meet me at this internet cafe. Outside, at the times square, people are crowding much ( need to say more?), polices are around, can't walk, can't take pictures, just too many people ! And this is not 5pm yet, i can't imagine what it is going to be like when midnight comes ! anyway, i dont think i will stay in manhattan until then, better stay at home and watch tv about what going on.

SO, today is the last day in 2003. What have I achived in this year? Hmm, nothing to say about job. I travelled with Ua in Japan, I lost 10kgs of excess weights ( i feel proud about this one, haha ) and now I am in USA.
There are some new year's resolution I'd like to make ( and try to keep them) which are :
1. earn money
2. stop doing un-necessary shopping
3. lose more weights
4. find a prince charming ( yeah )

Me in NYC

Okay, so I am here, in the Big Apple city. The weather is cold but the city seems so warm to me ( well,at least for the moment..hahha )...

I had a good flight from osaka - tokyo- NYC, i seat next to a half Japanese American guy who looked very interesting to me. He's got this funky look and read kind of 5 or 6 japanese manga ( comics ), took out his laptop and tried to do his work (or something ) then probably got bored and changed to billyard games instead. Most of the time, I saw him chewing candies but finally we had a little talks that he studies in tokyo but his family stays in NYC. Anyway, as the plane landed, our talks ended... : )

At this moment, I am looking forward to my life ahead. I am staying with my sis now, got my own room ( as big as I got in my own home in Jakarta ), I just need to decorate it here and there. No problem !

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year

Well well well, what to say ? I am leaving Japan very soon, exactly in 12 hours ! Just wanted to wish everybody Happy Xmas and Happy New Year !

On Xmas eve, we exchanged gifts, well...except that Henry didn't prepare anything to Ken and I, but it doesn't matter at all...: ) Then today, i had sushi with Yamashita san and Ken ( very delicious and could be my last Japanese meal until at least next year ). Then again, tonight we just had a very delicious thai meals with Meena joining us ( followed by cheese cake made by Meena and ice cream ), I could say that I am totally full and satisfied for christmas ! Hah !

Somehow, it's not that easy to leave here, especially when i had so much great times here and it seems hard to leave people here, especially with Henry and Ken. Well, I am very much sure we will meet again soon or later. Yeah !

Well then, this is my last post before leaving, see you later. Bye !

Japan's Trips

Well, finally the two weeks’ tiring trips had over two days ago. Ua has left yesterday’s morning and three of us sending her off.
The whole trips were great even though during those two weeks, there were some unspeakable bad feelings towards each other ( maybe it’s just normal, it does happen to many people, I guess ) Anyway, it’s just a temporary feeling when you stick too close to each other. Despite this one, we cooperated much. She’s good at reading maps, while I can use Japanese in communicating with people. Hah !

Now about the trips: we have visited Kyoto, Mt Fuji, Kamakura, Tokyo, Nagasaki, Nikko, Hakodate, Kobe, Nara and of course Osaka. I don’t have any new experiences for Kyoto, Tokyo, Nagasaki, Kobe and Nara since I already visited them when I was here but for the rest of the places, they were incredible.

We saw the very clear shape of Mt Fuji (with half of the mountain covered with white snows) and it was even snowing! It’s really beautiful! If only we could get nearer (the mountain is open for climbing only in summer).

For Nikko, we paid much to get into the shrines, but it was worthy as it’s the most beautiful one as I ever seen in Japan. And the city itself is small yet nice, and surrounded by mountains (white ones when we got there). But it also cost us a lot for the souvenirs.

Hakodate was great. It didn’t matter if we had to take 9 hours of trains to get to Hokkaido. We were supposed to visit Sapporo as well but we just didn’t have enough time and it was really cold. The Xmas fantasy in Hakodate was great, the sea was beautiful and even its seafood are well known in Japan. We ate the crab rice and cuttlefish rice (delicious even though we had to pay very much for it)

During these trips, I didn’t take notes for places I have visited, it’s too tiring. We slept only like 5 or 6 hours during nights and the rest on the trains. Buying the JR pass was worthwhile; we got to from the North to South islands of Japan, riding on regular trains and shinkansen (bullet trains) most of the times, so it really saved up our time on roads.

Before sending Ua off, we bought the “18 kippu”, the cheap tickets that allow you to travel all Japan in one day. We got 5 tickets. After from the airport, Henry was too tired that he decided to get home earlier while I and Ken continued to Nagoya. We could only see the Nagoya castle and walking in the evenings. We met with Ken’s friend, Yamada san and for dinner, we went to Izakaya for meal. The izakaya called “Gomi dori” which I don’t think I will ever forget it for a long time. The name is extraordinary (if you don’t see the kanji, you might think Gomi is garbage). It’s famous for chicken wings but of course we also tried the others. It was really expensive yet very delicious.
Me and Ken have a plan to visit Izu Peninsula this Wednesday, using our left ticket. The place looks interesting and I’ll tell you later, ok?

In Osaka, meeting up with Ken and Henry are a very pleasant thing. I am still staying at their places and will leave this Friday if I don’t extend my stays. Last Sunday, we had dinner with Yamashita san and Meena, a friend of Ken. Yamashita san is still as healthy as the last time I saw him. The day before, I also met with Satoko and as usual, she took me to one good sushi ya san. Too bad that that was the only chance I could see her as she had to fly to China the next day.

A few days ago, we had plenty of snows here in Osaka and Kyoto and other places. Never seen that much snows before, haha...even the scenery to Nagoya was fulfilled with white snows all over. Very beautiful !

Goodbyes

This is gonna be my last post before leaving for tomorrow's flight to Spore at 20.20pm and then on 6th of dec, i'll be leaving at 23.00pm to Tokyo. Gosh, can't believe i have to leave so soon. Strange but true, I don't feel anything special, do not feel sad or happy..I just don't know, perhaps this isn't my first time leaving for such a distance. Iam almost finished with my packings tho.

For the last few days, i've been eating out alot. Last night, i had a farewell dinner with Lily and Mery, tonight with my family and then followed with Ua, Indra and Atju and tomorrow's lunch with my boss and colleagues. I ate so much already, already gained back 1 or 2 kgs.

Already got goodbyes calls from Agnes, Elly, Edward and sms from Jenny H, Abdul and Ricky. And probably will get more tomorrow !

I think the hardest thing i can feel at this time is leaving my family behind, especially mom, Derren and Maretta ( she 's getting cuter and loves my companion ). And i think the greatest thing I might face soon is a new life experience in New York City.

So anyway, I just wanted to say good bye and post my last journal. Will come back soon, bye !