Home Sweet Home!
Nothing beats the feeling of home!!
I'm super thrilled to be home! Had an uneventful flight home on Valentine's with a K2, and Alwyn's wife J and 3 year old daughter. She is such a precious kid and I'm glad I asked J to take the same flight as me so I could help her with the kid on the flight. Though I asked, it had never really occured to me how tiring it really is bring a child on the flight. J had to spend almost all her time entertaining the child, keeping her occupied, making sure she is comfortable. Even bringing the child to the bathroom is a huge operation. I'm glad 彼 and I have an agreement that if we ever have kids, we're not bringing them to travel with us until they are in primary school. lol
彼 came to pick me up at the airport, with a wonderful cup of bubble milk tea and my favorite curry puff and sotong stick from Old Chang Kee XD. Being able to see him already is the best Valentine I could ask for. We didn't get to celebrate our 1 year engagement anniversary on 13th February, because I had to work late to finish all my work before leaving Japan, so maybe we can do something over the next few days. But it's great knowing that it has been a year since he proposed in Hokkaido, and we're 252 days from our wedding. There is still a bunch of wedding preparations to be done, but it will be much easier now that I am home.
We had dinner with my family at home, and then 彼 helped me unpack my luggage too~ XD
I will still need to look through my closet and cupboards and throw out stuff though -there are so many things here that I don't even remember exist... and honestly whatever I had not needed in the last 2 years, I most likely wont need for the rest of the my life, and are thus disposable items... Will need to clear out space 彼 and I can redo my room for when he moves in after our wedding until we get our own place perhaps the 2nd or 3rd quarter of next year.
Reunion Dinner!
I went to work on CNY Eve because it is a work day for our company. Many companies offer half day since it is CNY Eve and many families would do family dinners in the afternoon/evening. For my company, we don't do half-days because our company gives us holidays the weekday after if a public holidays falls on a weekend. By law they are only required to give us a holiday on the weekday after if a public holiday falls on Saturday, but our company does for both Saturday and Sunday, so Monday is a non-workday for me XD).
In any case, there weren't much work to be done because everyone is in a holiday mood, plus I spent the bulk of the day setting up my PC, testing connections to Japan's shared folders (nothing worked), and installing softwares for my work. Japan HQ is also aware that I wouldn't be doing much work for the day, so there weren't any instructions from them. To put it, I basically spent the day setting up my worktable, and running around the office catching up with my girls - damn I missed them all so much - E, PS, SY, D, A. I'm thrilled to back in Singapore and actually look forward to going to work to spend time with them ~ XD
CNY reunion dinner. Yu sheng, chinese cabbage soup,scallop with brocolli, rose wine steamed chicken, dad's famous fried pork and braised duck, mom's new invention of the year - strawberry rice, fish maw and mushroom stew. And super good chilli~ 盆菜 too which i forgot take photo.
Mayu's colleague placed his dog with us for CNY! Lovely very guai pom totally unlike our cat-like Bobby~
CNY 初一！
For CNY, my dad drove us in to Malaysia to their hometown. It's been 2 years since I went visiting for CNY because I've been away in Japan, but also 2 years for our family because my dad had been recovering from his surgery and relearning how to walk/drive over the last 2 years. So it is with great joy that we're able to join our relatives in Malaysia to celebrate CNY this year!
For us, CNY always means Prata and Satay~ It is not a tradition for other families, but for ours... because Chinese shops would be closed for CNY, so we will have Prata for breakfast as there are the only shops opened.
And then my 2nd Uncle will have a satay bbq party at his house every year and invite friends/families/employees of his company over~ The satay is what I look forward to every year.
Goodbye Yokohama
My last few days in Yokohama.
Monday was a public holiday, I went to meet Tenka-chan at Daikanyama. We chat so much and she cried when we finally had to go our ways. I still remember the first time we met in Hokkaido 10 years ago in our dorm. We didn't have private bathrooms and had to use a shared bathroom, and there was only 1 for each floor (about 8 girls). She was queuing for it and told me it was her turn next and that she would knock on my door when she was done. From there we became close friends over the next one year, sharing our joy and sadness. I still remember her crying when HJ and I left Japan. She had extended her stay to graduate from Hokkaido university and stay for Masters. Eventually she would move to Kyoto for her PHD and I met her there several times when I was in Kobe. I met her again after I came to Yokohama and as luck would have it, she moved to Tokyo with her husband last year, and we got to meet more frequently. Now she may be moving to Hokkaido with her husband next year. From girls, to women, from students to working adults. We've gone through so much together, I will miss her much, but I know we will see each other again ;3
十年的朋友。一辈子的朋友。我们还会再见面的，虽然不能常见面，每次见面都是聊不完的话，叙不完的旧。衷心祝福你我都幸福快乐!期待下回的见面!
In the evening back in the dorm we had another farewell party lol (how many farewells from the sg gagng), but it was lovely. KK cooked mala and everyone came to my room. We chat, laughed and had fun. I will miss these bunch of pple in Japan, but I know they will be back and mean time I will have E and the rest in the SG office!)
The morning of departure. The sky was really clear and I could see Mount Fuji in the far distance. I'm not surprised, but I actually didn't feel a tinge of misery leaving the place. My mission is accomplished, I'm more than happy to say farewell. I will be back to Japan one day I believe, in the not so near future, for short holidays, so till we meet again~
I'm super thrilled to be home! Had an uneventful flight home on Valentine's with a K2, and Alwyn's wife J and 3 year old daughter. She is such a precious kid and I'm glad I asked J to take the same flight as me so I could help her with the kid on the flight. Though I asked, it had never really occured to me how tiring it really is bring a child on the flight. J had to spend almost all her time entertaining the child, keeping her occupied, making sure she is comfortable. Even bringing the child to the bathroom is a huge operation. I'm glad 彼 and I have an agreement that if we ever have kids, we're not bringing them to travel with us until they are in primary school. lol
彼 came to pick me up at the airport, with a wonderful cup of bubble milk tea and my favorite curry puff and sotong stick from Old Chang Kee XD. Being able to see him already is the best Valentine I could ask for. We didn't get to celebrate our 1 year engagement anniversary on 13th February, because I had to work late to finish all my work before leaving Japan, so maybe we can do something over the next few days. But it's great knowing that it has been a year since he proposed in Hokkaido, and we're 252 days from our wedding. There is still a bunch of wedding preparations to be done, but it will be much easier now that I am home.
We had dinner with my family at home, and then 彼 helped me unpack my luggage too~ XD
I will still need to look through my closet and cupboards and throw out stuff though -there are so many things here that I don't even remember exist... and honestly whatever I had not needed in the last 2 years, I most likely wont need for the rest of the my life, and are thus disposable items... Will need to clear out space 彼 and I can redo my room for when he moves in after our wedding until we get our own place perhaps the 2nd or 3rd quarter of next year.
Reunion Dinner!
I went to work on CNY Eve because it is a work day for our company. Many companies offer half day since it is CNY Eve and many families would do family dinners in the afternoon/evening. For my company, we don't do half-days because our company gives us holidays the weekday after if a public holidays falls on a weekend. By law they are only required to give us a holiday on the weekday after if a public holiday falls on Saturday, but our company does for both Saturday and Sunday, so Monday is a non-workday for me XD).
In any case, there weren't much work to be done because everyone is in a holiday mood, plus I spent the bulk of the day setting up my PC, testing connections to Japan's shared folders (nothing worked), and installing softwares for my work. Japan HQ is also aware that I wouldn't be doing much work for the day, so there weren't any instructions from them. To put it, I basically spent the day setting up my worktable, and running around the office catching up with my girls - damn I missed them all so much - E, PS, SY, D, A. I'm thrilled to back in Singapore and actually look forward to going to work to spend time with them ~ XD
CNY reunion dinner. Yu sheng, chinese cabbage soup,scallop with brocolli, rose wine steamed chicken, dad's famous fried pork and braised duck, mom's new invention of the year - strawberry rice, fish maw and mushroom stew. And super good chilli~ 盆菜 too which i forgot take photo.
Mayu's colleague placed his dog with us for CNY! Lovely very guai pom totally unlike our cat-like Bobby~
CNY 初一！
For CNY, my dad drove us in to Malaysia to their hometown. It's been 2 years since I went visiting for CNY because I've been away in Japan, but also 2 years for our family because my dad had been recovering from his surgery and relearning how to walk/drive over the last 2 years. So it is with great joy that we're able to join our relatives in Malaysia to celebrate CNY this year!
For us, CNY always means Prata and Satay~ It is not a tradition for other families, but for ours... because Chinese shops would be closed for CNY, so we will have Prata for breakfast as there are the only shops opened.
And then my 2nd Uncle will have a satay bbq party at his house every year and invite friends/families/employees of his company over~ The satay is what I look forward to every year.
Goodbye Yokohama
My last few days in Yokohama.
Click to viewMonday was a public holiday, I went to meet Tenka-chan at Daikanyama. We chat so much and she cried when we finally had to go our ways. I still remember the first time we met in Hokkaido 10 years ago in our dorm. We didn't have private bathrooms and had to use a shared bathroom, and there was only 1 for each floor (about 8 girls). She was queuing for it and told me it was her turn next and that she would knock on my door when she was done. From there we became close friends over the next one year, sharing our joy and sadness. I still remember her crying when HJ and I left Japan. She had extended her stay to graduate from Hokkaido university and stay for Masters. Eventually she would move to Kyoto for her PHD and I met her there several times when I was in Kobe. I met her again after I came to Yokohama and as luck would have it, she moved to Tokyo with her husband last year, and we got to meet more frequently. Now she may be moving to Hokkaido with her husband next year. From girls, to women, from students to working adults. We've gone through so much together, I will miss her much, but I know we will see each other again ;3
十年的朋友。一辈子的朋友。我们还会再见面的，虽然不能常见面，每次见面都是聊不完的话，叙不完的旧。衷心祝福你我都幸福快乐!期待下回的见面!
In the evening back in the dorm we had another farewell party lol (how many farewells from the sg gagng), but it was lovely. KK cooked mala and everyone came to my room. We chat, laughed and had fun. I will miss these bunch of pple in Japan, but I know they will be back and mean time I will have E and the rest in the SG office!)
The morning of departure. The sky was really clear and I could see Mount Fuji in the far distance. I'm not surprised, but I actually didn't feel a tinge of misery leaving the place. My mission is accomplished, I'm more than happy to say farewell. I will be back to Japan one day I believe, in the not so near future, for short holidays, so till we meet again~