My First Post... Yet again

Here I am back in the Narita Express. The last time I took the Narita Express was 3 yrs back.. since then I have been in Japan several times but never had the chance to go Tokyo city so there was no need to take the Narita Express. I could remember how I felt back then when I first travelled to Japan. After the Narita Express left the station, I remembered that I was amazed by the nice padi fields and neat houses they had over here in Japan. Then I was alone taking the train. Today I was alone again. But back then, being my first trip here, I didn’t know what to expect. I was carrying a big luggage for a stay of 2 months in Hiroshima and I insist on lugging my luggage with me near my seat in the train and I did not even dare to leave my belongings unattended for a short trip to the washroom. Today, I am back in this train with the same scenery.. same luggage perhaps slightly smaller… but different mindset, different mentality and different understanding.

That is what I like about travelling. You always get to learn something new and something which sets you thinking. You see different cultures, meet different people and gain different experience. Of course I hope more good experience than bad experience. Through travelling, I leant to appreciate what I have and what is given to me. Through meeting different people, I came to realize that the world does not revolve only around me. Through different experience, I try to understand what happiness is all about.

I had originally wanted to name my blog bits and pieces. But because someone says that I could be sued for copyright.. i decided to change it to little bits and pieces ;p not very innovative huh? Well, but these are really like bits and pieces of memories that I think I myself will like to read about and laugh and remince once in a while. So I think the name bits and pieces has some symbolic meaning for this blog. Hope you enjoy my joy and laughter too :)

cheers,

von

Taichung - Typhoon Saola

One day before my flight to Taiwan for a business trip, I decided to check out the weather just to be sure I do not need to bring additional clothes. To my surprise, what I saw on the weather forecast website then was a typhoon warning on the week of my trip. I verified it on a second weather forecast website and didnt see the same typhoon warning. So I thought that it was probably a wrong piece of information. I set off for the trip. I arrived in Taichung in the late afternoon and was in the hotel to check out my mail. As my colleague has not yet arrived, I decided to do a little walk and visit the night market in the evening. Weather was nice and soon I put the typhoon warning out of my mind.

Local specialty - Fried chicken cutlet

I even settled my dinner while touring the night market and buying famous local specialty food along the way. We started the next day at work and that was when the bad news dawned upon us. There was a possible delay in the agenda as there is a typhoon warning the next day. So the weather forecast was right!! I wonder why I did not believe it. And this would be the first time in my life facing an impending typhoon. I did not know what to expect.

That very night, during dinner at the restaurant, the winds and the rainfall started. Typhoon Saola is arriving. It didnt look and sound so scary at first. Just heavy rain and wind but i noticed that the wind was warm. As the night progress, back in the hotel, I can hear the wind howling outside. It did not feel so bad inside the hotel. However, the next day when we were out and on the way to work, we saw fallen branches, broken glass/ pots... fallen road signs... I could imagine what a disaster it was the night before..

It was still raining heavily... I learnt about the term "typhoon national holiday". It was declared a public holiday for Taichung that very day due to the typhoon. We decided to take the risk to go to work because my colleague had an "important" appointment for that weekend and he did not want to change his flight. The roads were empty. I am not sure if I should be glad to know that. But most people were indoors, and we were one of the few cars on the roads. However, it was because of this we arrive way before our targetted time and we could start our work early.

Heavy floods and damaged traffic signs

As it was a national holiday, the office was actually not really operating. Only a few of the locals and us were there. We had to forgo also some items on our agenda. However we were glad that things come to an end and we could get ready to go home. I had the flight the following day. Which according to the locals, is better to fly the following day when Typhoon Saola will leave Taiwan and head north. However for my colleague, there is still an uncertainty. Due to the floods, it was unclear how much time is required to get to the airport and if he will be able to get there at all.

We bade each other goodbye and soon he is on his way home. I returned back to the hotel and turn on the tv. There was no where I could go anyway. All the news were about Typhoon Saola and the damage she caused. Bad floods were everywhere, especially in the easter side of Taiwan. Crops were damaged. Houses need repair. People were trapped. Some lives were taken. I switched around the channels... On one channel, they were showing the movement of Typhoon Saola from the time she entered Taiwan, moved out of Taiwan and back and her current location and forecast movement. It was a lot of information, but no good information. The only good news seems to be that Typhoon Saola should be gone by the next morning.

I woke up the next day, to find a raining day again. I did a quick check with the reception and check if the roads to the airport are good. After breakfast, the weather seem to clear up quite a bit. The rain stopped. I booked the car for the afternoon to get to the airport. However I did not stop thinking of the worst situation until I was on the plane.

It was until when the plane took off, and I could see that I am above the clouds that I realize I am finally on my way home. Back to the arms of my disaster free homeland.

PS: The last I heard from my colleague - his plane was cancelled and he was stranded at the airport. I did not have the chance to talk to him since then.

Taipei - Yangmingshan Flower Festival 2012

This trip was totally an impromptu trip. I was in Taipei for a business trip earlier this year but it was originally planned for a week. It ended up with a few extensions and it resulted in me having to spend one weekend in taipei with no pre-arranged plans. Well, I guess I could easily go shopping around in Taipei. However it was the spring season, with nice weather and being in a foreign place like Taipei where language is not such a big problem for me, I wanted to try something different - something that I will not be able to do back at home.

So there I was still deciding up till that very morning if I should visit Yangmingshan for the flower festival or to go to the hot springs at Beitou. I found that it happened to be the flower festival in Yangmingshan which is not so far from Taipei. In this period, the cherry blossoms are in bloom, so I decided that I should not miss this chance to view it.

There are many special bus services from various MRT stations like Jiantan, Taipei Main Station, Beitou going to Yangmingshan during this flower festival. There were some jams along the route to Yangmingshan, but I realize that you will still be trapped in those jams even if you take the cab or drive. Hence I would say the special bus transport are not such a bad choice after all.

Frankly, I was expecting much more after watching the numerous travel programmes about cherry blossoms in full bloom. Along the way, you could see the signs of spring with occasional cherry blossom trees popping out every now and then. However when I arrive at the Flower Clock area at the top of Yangmingshan, it was really crowded and it was not so easy to get nice pictures. Furthermore, being unprepared for any sightseeing, I was in my heels and it was really difficult walking in them in such "terrain". I spent my time there till around noon (i think i was there up in Yangmingshan only for slightly more than an hour), then decide to leave for Beitou, but if you decide to try this also the next time, do take note that the bus transport down could be a little chaotic. So do remember to leave some time for figuring out the right bus to the respective MRT and also the queue!

Frankfurt - Hotel Ziegelruh

I wanted to write about this hotel because it leaves a rather deep impression on me - be it the room, the stay or the people in charge.

It was early in the wee hours of morning when I arrived in Frankfurt airport after a 12 hr flight. It was my first time in Frankfurt and I had to find my way to Babenhausen, a town which I totally have no idea what to expect of.

The next thing I knew I was on the cab, showing the address of my hotel in Babenhausen - Hotel Ziegelruh. I was almost dozing off in the cab when the cab turned into this long stretch of road with 2 rows of trees along the sides. The sky was not even bright yet but it certainly does not seem like there is civilisation nearby. Then before I knew it, some houses came into view. The cab driver told me "We are almost there". "Almost there?", but it does not seem to be any hotels nearby. I don't think I missed any tall buildings. As I was still trying to look out of the car window for a hotel, the cab came to a stop and then I saw the sign Hotel Ziegelruh. It does not look anything like the hotel that I had imagined. It feels like a home. I open the door and walk up a small flight of steps. There was no one at the reception. I smelled food. Hungry. I walk towards the direction of the smell of food and I saw a lady arranging the tableware. I told her I will like to check in. She moved quickly to the reception and made some calls. Apparently, the person in charge have not yet arrived, so I could not check in. She invited me in to the cafeteria for breakfast. Wonderful. It was winter season and a nice warm breakfast is just what I will really appreciate.  

After my breakfast, the person in charge was already waiting for me at the reception. She explained that the room I had booked was not yet ready for check in. But the good news is, she could arrange for me to stay in an apartment hotel just a few blocks down the road just so that I could catch some sleep till my hotel room is ready. Within the next few minutes, I was shuffled in a convertible (a special service by the lady at the reception) and I arrive in front of this block.

I got a room on the second level. It was an apartment with a 2 nice rooms and there is even a sauna inside this apartment hotel! After a good nap, I made my way back to the main hotel building. All around I saw only houses. I was told that there was no restaurant in this hotel but I could reserve and pay for dinner which would be served in the cafe. However there is only limited sets of dinner that would be prepared. Another option would be to get my dinner in the restaurant opposite the hotel. Other than that I do not know where is the nearest restaurant nor how to get there. 

I finally checked into my hotel room. When I open the door to the room, what greeted me was a very big Marilyn Monroe poster. There is also a sauna in this room and there was also a little balcony. It was quite cosy and interesting. The only problem I had was with Marilyn Monroe looking down at me when I was sleeping and I did not feel very comfortable with that. So I had to shift her to look away from the bed. Though I was there only for 2 nights, it was overall an interesting and memorable experience.

Cafe Prinzess - Regensburg

One of the simple pleasures of life is to enjoy a cup of afternoon tea/coffee with a nice cake in a quiet café, looking out of the window (preferably from the second level) and with some nice life music in the background. The only place I could experience all these is in Café Prinzess in Regensburg. One of my favourite cafés. I have always enjoyed sitting in a café enjoying a cup of hot tea or coffee on a lazy afternoon, be it in any country, any season or in any weather… Even when I am alone, on business trips, I always look forward to the time for afternoon tea during weekends or while I am waiting for the train or plane. It is so simple yet a luxury. It is not something I can afford to do everyday (for sure you need both money and time ;p), just sitting there dazing or reading, with some relaxing background music .

At Café Prinzess, I also like a lot the apple strudel, because they can warm it up for you and I would usually also like to have it with vanilla. You can select your cake of choice when you enter the bakery, it looks like a cake shop from the first level. It is opposite the old town hall and is the oldest confectionary in Regensburg. The café is on the second level where you can order your drinks. In summer, they also have alfresco seats outside the confectionary, and you can sometimes get some nice accompanying music.

Kyushu - Takachiho 1

I was twice in Kyushu for vacation - once in Summer and once in Autumn. On both occasions, I spent at least a night in Takachiho. I have always wanted to see the Sea of clouds in Takachiho but never got the chance so far. I remembered how we saw the postcard picture of the waterfall on the tourist map and that's how we decided to make a trip the first time.

However we didn't expect the journey to be so long and time consuming. By the time we arrived, it was late evening at around 4pm and we have not had a hotel reservation. We struggled to have a decent conversation with the tourist information, and eventually they seeked help by calling someone on the phone. Several minutes later, a man appeared and he helped us with the translation. To our surprise, he actually owned a japanese inn and there was actually available rooms. As it was already late, we didnt even bother to find out how the inn looked like. It was sufficient to have a roof for the night. Anyway, the idea of staying in a traditional inn sound nice and even if it would be bad, it would be just for the experience.

The name of the inn is call Kaminoya. When we first entered, it looked very small and I wondered if the rooms would be decent. However it has a very traditional decor and I was amazed by the different decorations they have. I like especially the traditional fireplace that they used for cooking food. It is more of a decor today but we are still allowed to sit on the bench for a drink. We were then treated to some welcome drink before we were shown to the rooms.

Hotel "Lobby"


The room was also of the traditional kind but with attached shower and toilet. We were soon enjoying our evening tea before dinner time.

Our room

Dinner was included in the accomodation price. But dinner was really beyond our expectation. We were shown to a big common room where separate dinner sets were prepared. It was the traditional Japanese dinner. There was a big spread for each of us, but this was not all. Dinner seemed to be never ending. Dishes were always served as we began eating. For a while, we did not know where to begin. The owner then described to us each type of food that was on the table. During the chit chat, we found out that this was a family owned japanese inn. Dinner was really delicious but it was simply too much.



After dinner, we needed to use the Internet (well, we are just typical Singaporeans). We asked the owner if he could help us and he showed us the reception. We learnt that there was only one terminal that has the internet connection and it was there at the reception. The funny incident happened. The owner informed us that he will be out for a drink with friends and we are welcomed to use the Internet for as long as we want. And then he left us on our own. As we hang around behind the reception, trying to search on the terminal for the necesary information for sightseeing the next day, the hotel guests come and go. Some said hi to us and some even passed us their key for safekeeping! This was really funny and soon we were posing pictures as the hotel receptionist. A couple of hours passed and the owner was back -- and a little drunk ;p He said hi to us who were still hanging behind the reception and he was telling us of the story about him and his drinking friends. We did not manage to find out how we can do some sightseeing the next day and we decided to try our luck with him though we were not sure if we could really trust his words now in this situation. However according to him, we could get a sightseeing taxi for the next day and he would help us with it. We didn't really have much of a choice and we decided that we will do it as he recommended.

We were told to meet at around 7 for breakfast and then the sightseeing will start at around 8am. Breakfast was again amazing.

Breakfast

True enough, after breakfast, we were told that the sightseeing taxi was already waiting for us. We had again a nice experience with the sightseeing taxi. With him, we learnt different ways of communication. He brought us to the highland area to see the Sea of Clouds but weather was no good and there was no visibility. He then brought us to a tea house for a cup of mushroom tea. There we manage to made some simple communication through writing in Kanji.

Next, he showed us the postcard waterfall. And he told us that we could also do a short boat ride if we wanted. This sounds interesting to us. Anyway, I didn't have to row the boat. So I am fine with it :)

It was really much cooler when you are in the valley. We said hi to the other boat tourists. It was not so easy to row a boat I realize. We keep bumping into rocks and the boat does not go in the direction we wanted to. But eventually we manage to move at least 50 meters and then back the same way.

After the boat ride, we were shown around Takachiho. This is a place full of myths and legends. And our guide, tried to tell us the story by acting them out! Though most of the time we were guessing what he is trying to tell us, we still appreciate the gesture and it is through such interactions that make the trip more interesting.

Dinners in Hiroshima

Dinners were usually a simple affair for me when I stayed alone. Unless I am out with friends, I don't usually go for fancy dinner when I am alone. In Japan, I found that there are also many options for dinner. There are definitely the fancy restaurants around, but also I could find dinner easily in supermarkets where there are bento sets or sushi sets which goes on a highly discounted rate after 8 pm.

Another option I had was to do my own cooking. Even so, there could be different choices.

When I am lazy, I cook the packet noodles (which is easily found in Japan and is one of my favourite dishes too) adding an egg and some vegetables.

When I am in the cooking mood, I also tried different recipes from Mum and Grandma. In Japan, I experimented cooking rice using the traditional method without the rice cooker. It was not so easy. Rice became porridge in the first few attempts. Finally I could succeed with the right amount of water and time.

My favourite dishes were fried rice and fried noodles. Sometimes it was a simple chinese meal.

Staying alone always makes me miss home cooked food. No matter how many experiments I tried, the food will never taste the same as Mum's or Grandma's cooking. However with every try, I can relive the memories of looking at Mum and Grandma cooking.