June 30th ~ Japan Day 3 ~ Nagoya/Expo

wooa.... the expo is really crazy... for those who have been there or is in with the hype will know what i mean... first of all.. about a month ago.. we already had to make reservation for 2 rides... which again was crazy.. trying to log in to the site and all... anyways.. long past...

today.. we took the earliest Shinkansen (Nozomi bullet train, the fastest) from Tokyo to Nagoya ... it took us 1 hr and 30 min... so fast... normal by car is about 6 - 7 hours.. anyways.. when we got to nagoya we still had to make subway/train transfer to the expo site.. taking us another 45 mins... when reaching the site... it was packed with ppl waiting in line to get in ... sigh.. we waited.. we thought.. oh my.. there's no point in going in...

but.. we were lucky.. we got in.. started our browse for short line ups.. and any chance for early reservations... first we saw the mammoth exhibit.. oh my... its a must see... a real mammoth fossil.. full skull.. with tusks... right before your eyes.. i couldnt believe how beautiful it was... so complete.. the ivory was so pretty...

so..after that.,.. we made our way to the pavillions... and through out the rest of the day .. we lined up.. and saw show after show.. kinda like disney land type of hype... we rode gondolas, new fuel cell buses.. and magnetic type trains... so cool.. all this new tech stuff.. and the best is... the Toyota Pavillion... the robots... are just amazing.. they joined together to play a song... a robot orchestra.. so cute... then we visited the robot station...pretty much a place for kids.. but there are all sorts of robots there for u to play with.. the cutest is the nanny robot.. haha..

after a long day.. the longest line up was for the train to leave the site.. back to nagoya... anyways.. we finally made it .. after the longest day of my life.. to our nagoya hotel... -->

June 29th ~ Japan Day 2 ~ Ueno, Asakusa, Odaiba

haha... today .. is my birthday.. the original plan was to go to Hakone (see Fuji mt).. but.. because of rain, change of plans brought us to Ueno.

Ueno is a museum, park, art district... all the museums and art and culture events are centered around here, making it convinient if you're looking for this type of stuff... for us.. we didnt have much time.. so we skipped all of this stuff and just walked around on the exterior... we then headed for an area north of Ueno called Yanaka... this is the only remains from the last major earthquake that destroyed all of tokyo... there are lots of shrines in this area...

after Ueno, we went to Asakusa... the area is known for its great temple... and the district that is filled with little shops... a wonderful tourist filled area.. we had lunch here.. yum yum.. me had a chirashi... so different than the ones in canada.. but very good... then from Asakusa, we took a river cruise on the Sumida River to get to Odaiba...

Odaiba is a new waterfront district filled with shopping, entertainment and a man-made beach (sand from australia).... not too impressive... but anyways... we went to the Fuji Television station (amazing building)...and went on the largest ferris wheel in the world (what a ride).. hehe.. and then had dinner there.. we ate japanese style pizza.. its like somewhat cross between a pancake and pizza ... very interesting.. and yummy...
thats its for that day... off to Expo tomolo -->

June 28th ~ Japan Day 1~ Shinjuku

our flight for tokyo left hk at 9:30...we arrived in tokyo at 2:30...took a limousine bus to our hotel (Shinagawa Prince Hotel)... then alex and his brother met up with us and we headed for shinjuku on the JR Yamonote line...(190 yen)...there we met up with karin and waidy...

it is so neat to meet up with friends at a foreign place.. haha... we were so worried we wouldnt be able to meet up.. be we were smart ppl... haha... we found eat other and is so warming :)

we spent that night eating dinner (noodles... yum yum)... and shopping... and trying to win dolls... those machines where u pay 100yen.. and use skills and luck to try to clip a doll up.. hehe .... the dolls are so cute... but we werent very skilled... it was fun anyways.. but karin's bf waidy was incredible.. and won a lot of dolls... hehe... and even gave me one

so.. that was it... pretty good for first day.. learning how to get around tokyo.. buying tickets.. taking trains.. navigating... not bad... its alright... onto day two -->

June 26/27th

just before i headed to Japan, i visited some relatives and "Tai Koo Sing" a mall in hk that currently has a display of dinosaur bones from china. The fossils are from the dinosaur museum in Beijing, and its making a special exhibition here in hk for a short time. The fossils are so complete i was amazed. I couldn't believe how many they brought to display, plus the sizes of some of them.

I will load some pics later..

HK~June 25~Pictures Update

These are pictures from yesterday:

Dim Sum (lunch) with my great aunt and uncles (its complicated the relationship) haha, chinese people have many relatives. The shirt I'm wearing is the one I bought with Karin. (read previous blog)

Causeway Bay~ people crossing the road ~ I took this on the way into causeway bay on the tram. I always take the tram cause its the most convenient type of transpo from Wanchai (where I live) to Causeway Bay. Its also cost only $2 for adult (thats like 30 cents CAD), and pretty much u can ride for as long as you want. It is also just over 100 years old, 101 this year i think.

Tram Ride From Causeway Bay back home to Wanchai~ We got on an empty tram, so good, its very rare... so of course, i got front row seats... haha.. have to take a pic.. in fact .. i took many... too bad i didnt have my SLR camera... oh well... other opportunities later on... below are a few that i took...

Tram~ artistic photo of on coming tram~ i like this one, when i was taking it, i didnt realize or attempt to capture the reflections.... but it is what makes this photo so nice :)

Johnston Road, Wanchai ~ This is the junction where the Wanchai Playground is (for those who know Wanchai)... this tram station right in front of you is the classic one which i always used to catch a ride... but now.. they've closed it down... nooooo! why is it so classic? well...this tram station is right in front of my grandma's electronic store....u can still see the sign to the right (the two blue signs, the higher one is the name, the lower one with "philips lighting" is the brand we carry)... well.. all of this is the past lu... so is the station.. so is this junction... i live now just down the road further, right where the road begins to turn.... my grandma just sold the apartment... 40 years... thats how long my family has been in this area... its so sad she has to sell it... everything began here... sigh....

Anyways.. that was a big note above for a pic... but i think i will take more pics of this area in memory... later ba... and go back to my other house... which i grew up in and take more pics... that will be for days to come.. hehe..

so that was yesterday.. just running back and forth from wanchai to causeway bay... actually lunch was at north point.. I also applied for my "return to china card", its like a pass to enter china without having to get a visa with my canadian passport.. hehe..

so.. i booked my ticket to Taiwan la.. I'm leaving on the 7th.. haha.. i come back from Japan on the 5th.. only have one day 6th in hk... and i'm off again on the 7th.. till about 26th or 27/28.. still deciding.... i cant wait!!!

c ya later!

HK~ June 24~ Rain..nothing AGAIN!!!

errrr...
its been raining for everyday since i've been back!!!
well.. i've still managed to go out and shop gea.. haha.... i've had time to get over my cold.. i think its well under control now.. a few more days should be all good... its hard to fight your cold when hk air is so stuffy.. and its humid warm outside at the same time as freezing cold air condition inside...

well.. i'm lost in keeping track of time.. dun exactly know when is what... haha.. what is today again? oh yeah.. friday.. so...how many days have i been here? haha... i think it was 22nd that i went out for the first time... just shopped around.. bought phone card... some necessities... nothing much.. went shopping.. but browsed.. didnt buy anything...
then.. 23rd... yesterday.. went to get my "hk identity card" in the morning.. and then afternoon went out with KARIN!!!! ~ remember Karin everyone??
she's moved back to hk for good la... so.. i'll be seeing her a lot while i'm here in hk... we went to causeway bay yesterday.. and shopped!!! i bought a lot ar... its so easy shopping with karin.. we always buy stuff.. and its like.... my first real day of shopping...so.. will buy the most ...

in short...
i bought a pair of shoes... very pretty and cute... yellow color...
a shirt... green ... sleeveless... nice "v" cut... with gold stars... hehe..
a bag... karin bought for me as my b-day gift.. hehe.. its yellowish brown... very nice ga.. i love it.. thx karin!!!
and... some undergarmets.. haha.. so good in hk... absolute perfect fittings.. :P

oh.. and must note.. some one thought i was "mixed" today.. haha.. (mixed: meaning I'm half chinese and half something else).. what that something else is.. i dunno.. haha.. they male sales thought i had a "healthy" skin tone wor.. haha..."healthy" haha.. i answered him... "do u mean dark colored/tan?" haha... he just insisted... healthy.. haha...its not normal for hk girls to be dark.. all the products here are like "whitening this.. and whitening that"... sigh... why cant a healthy tan be good? anyways.. i'll never understand...

so.. i will take pics wearing these things today.. and post them tomolo.. ahah...
i hope the rain stops.. but doesnt look like it will.. me go out la.. bye

HK~ Day 1~ June 20th/21st

Got on the plane at 9am on the 20th and headed for HK!!! a 15 hr flight, direct flight, all the way to HK!!!

B4 taking off, I already felt kinda sick.. u know.. the beginning symptoms... i knew the ride would be no good... anyways.. i had no choice.. i had to take the flight...

As soon as I was on air, the worst all came... sneezing started... then dry coughing.. then runny nose... then just one big cold/sinus congestion/sneezing/coughing/runny nose...
for 15 hours...

no sleep, dry, hardly any water.. kept bugging the flight attendants.. haha... i asked for a big box of kleenex.. haha...and.. so it went on.. 15 long dreadful hours.. couldnt even enjoy the entertainment of the personal tv... sigh..

finally... we landed... and the hk stuffy weather didnt improve my situation...
i got home.. took a hot shower... ate some bread.. took some medicine.. and headed straight for bed!!!! woke up... only for more medicine.. and kept sleeping...

now.. 6 in the morning... of 22nd... i'm feeling much better!!! sleep is good.. i drank lots of water.. and now ready for my first REAL day in hk!!!

Day 3 New York

Columbia University

Church, really pretty one near Columbia University.... a hidden treasure

Day 2 New York

Allen, Me, Irene, James, Alex, us all in famous TIMES SQUARE!!!

Statue!!!!

We are the statue of liberty!!! haha

Day 1 New York

MOMA!!!! new MOMA!!!! (museum of modern art)!!! it was friday night.. free night... so many ppl

MOMA again!!!

last MOMA!!!

Rocketfeller center!!!

at some artistic fountain/waterfall/tunnel... between two buildings in NY...

Day 3 Boston

Us, Lobster eating... ops.. resized too small :P

nice art gallery in "witch town" near Boston. You would never have guessed who the architect is..... Moshe Safdie... yeah.. him.. in the middle of no where in this weird town... there's a building by such a well known architect!!!

us mini golfing... this is the final hole.. and the score... all over par... haha

me can in second after allen, and alex is last place.. haha

Day 2 Boston

Harvard!!!



near the docks



Quincy Market, in Lobster hats: allen, me, irene and alex



Quincy market, just me

Boston Day 1 (Pic)

Me at the Chinatown pay phones

Boston Day 1

After driving for 9 hours, without a proper map, guessing our way into Boston, we arrived at West Roxbury, Boston at 3am. It was amazing we properly navigated our way through the dark. The signs are horrible, giving incorrect information, and leading us all over place. Anyways, we arrived safely and had a good night sleep :)
So... the first real day was today. We visited an outlet mall nearby and I bought a pair of Adidas shoes!!! only $20 US, no TAX... so good!!!
Then it was onto dinner at chinatown... the lobster was only $10 for 2!!! I think it was suppose to be $10 each (which is still a good deal), but they probably forgot to charge us for the 2nd one ba... or.. it was $10 for 2... who knows... but it was good!!!
then... on to Italian town for dessert!!! but before that.. while walking to the dessert place, i bumped into a fire hydrant and bruised my leg real bad... looks like i wont be wearing shorts for the rest of the summer!!! haha... its all alex's fault!!! haha.. i like to blame him :P
thats all for now... laters