The Land of the Rising Sun - Highlights 2 (Kimono Walk)!

 

All dolled up in Kimono for our Arashimaya Forest walk. All set, ready to go! 

Donning the kimono and transformed into a Japanese lady for a day! Konichiwa! 

With my travel companion, Alvina. We looked outstanding with our floral & bright coloured kimono. People kept looking at us and a few requested to take photos with us. We felt like celebrities. 😊😄  

Alvina said that I looked like I'm waiting for someone. Hmnn...maybe I am? ❤️

At Kimono Garden

 Another highlight of my trip is the donning of Kimono in Kyoto before heading to the Arashimaya Bamboo Forest. We almost didn’t do so as it was raining and we were feeling half hearted about it. The night before, my travel companion, Alvina was looking through Klook at the positive and rave reviews of a particular Kimono rental near Arashimaya Bamboo Forest that we could possibly go. We were walking from the subway station to the Bamboo Forest when I suddenly saw the Kimono Rental shop and told Alvina. She then exclaimed that it looked like the Kimono rental shop that she saw on Klook. God basically led us to the shop! He is Awesome! 😊I totally embraced the Nihon experience and felt like a Japanese lady for a day. 🥰 Konnichiwa! I’m blessed!  

                                

The Land of the Rising Sun - Highlights 1 (Chasing Sakura)!

Beautiful Sakuras of shades of white, pink & red at Shinjuku Gyeon National Garden 

🌸🌸🌸

Made it finally to see the beautiful Sakuras! I absolutely love this shot taken by my travel companion, Alvina. I'm blessed to have friends who are good photographers who always take nice photos for me. 😊

Can't get enough of the beautiful Sakuras. It feels so surreal to see God's wonders of nature.

Feeling like in the secret garden. 

Everywhere we went, Sakuras! Chasing Sakura! 🌸🌸🌸🥰

April was a fabulous month for me as it kickstarted chasing Sakura trip at Nihon. 🌸🌸🌸 My last trip was several years ago with my family when my nephews were small. After skiing at Hokkaido, we flew to Tokyo & Osaka for a few days, basically bringing my nephews to Disneyland and Universal Studios. I didn't get to really explore and doing sightseeing. So this time round, its really like a reset, and get to know Japan again. 😊 I've always like Japan - I grew up watching Japanese dramas & listening to J-Pop. I adore the culture, language & particularly the food. Oiishi ne! 😋 

This trip was rather impromptu one and really a God-send and blessing. Coz my initial plan was to go to London to visit my friend but unfortunately, she wasn't available. I was sad but I suddenly thought to myself "It would be nice if I can go to Japan to see the Sakura". So if I can't go to Europe this year, at least I can go to Nihon to see the beautiful Sakura. I wanted to go with another friend of mine but she's not available also. How sad. But I still have the hope that I can go. And then, one of my friends suddenly messaged me & asked if I wanna go to Japan with her. I was soooo surprised! God heard my inner desires and fulfills the desires of my heart! He is amazing! 🙏😊

That was in March, so within a month's prep, we set off for our 10 day Nihon trip. We visited Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. My main purpose and goal was to see the beautiful Sakura which blooms at this time of this year duing Spring. People around me kept telling me that I was so lucky to see the Sakura bloom this year, coz last year it bloomed early because of global warming. Before my trip, I kept reading news that the prediction that the Sakura would bloom towards the end of March. Inside my heart, I kept praying that the Lord brings the temperature cooler and let the Sakura in full bloom during the first 2 weeks of April when I would be there. I believed that if the Lord blessed me to go to Nihon, He would definitely bless me to see the Sakura! 🌸🌸🌸🌸 He over-answered my prayer & literally everywhere we went, Sakuras! 🌸🌸🌸🌸🥰 My heart bloomed with the Sakuras. Haha! 

Coming up - Part 2 of my Nihon Trip. 

Reflection of the Year 2023 (Part 3) - Cedric Grolet Singapore

 

The Matcha Mont Blanc is a Work of Art & taste exquisite!  With my favorite Matcha, chestnut cream& paste as well as Matcha soft biscuit. It looked so beautiful that I couldn't bear to eat it.     

The signature Croissant is sooo soft & airy. Délicieux ! Its bigger in size than the usual Croissant. Okasan said its resembles a escargot.  

I loved this shot that Violet-san took for me. Lovely background.

My Okasan is enjoying herself too. 😄

Photo taken by my Okasan of me & Violet-san. I must say that it's quite well-taken. 😄

Cedric Grolet Singapore opened in Sept 2023 and I had been waiting for the opportunity to go and try the famous French chef's unique and exquisite signature Croissant, pain du chocolat and pastries. Violet-san and I went on a Saturday to try our luck to walk-in but it was expectingly full. So I decided to go on a weekday instead. So here we are, during X'mas season in Dec. Thank God, we managed to get good seats. I really had a good and relaxing time. This must be what Tai Tai life is like. LOL. 😊 Authentic French pastries are really Délicieux! I hope and pray that I would get a chance to go to France to try the Délicieux food and pastries! 🙏   

Reflection of the Year 2023 (Part 2) - Bird Paradise

 

Inside the Penguin Cove. Saw many cute penguins. 🐧🐧🐧

Taking photos outside the Penguin Cove with the penguin statues.

                          While I was absolutely enjoying myself when the lories flocked to me for their breakfast, the home-made nectar, Miss Raani was totally freaked out but managed to squeeze and gave a forced smile for this photo. It was well-hidden by her shades. 😅

                                                         I am the Bird Whisperer! 😄🦜🐦🦜

    So many Pink Flamingoes walking elegantly. 🦩🦩🦩

                                                                We are at the Bird Show! 

                                                      Love this shot taken by Miss Raani. 

                              

               Love this shot as well, nice background. Miss Raani is a good photographer! 

                        How do Flamingoes feed? Hmnn...I wanna know. 🦩🦩🦩

                        Almost everywhere is a good photo spot, including this elevator. 😄

                                                        I'm a little hatchling! 🐣😄

                                                             Nice backdrop. 

                                                        Till I see you again, Bird Paradise!

Happy New Year 2024! I pray for a good & blessed year with all the good news and happenings! 7th day of a brand new year, I'm continuing my Reflection of 2023. 🙂 

I celebrated my birthday in Sept by going to the newly opened Bird Paradise which moved from Jurong to Mandai in May. I chose the right companion to go with, Miss Ranni and we enjoyed ourselves to the max, took many nice photos. 😊The new Bird Paradise is definitely more spacious and bigger in size than the old one. The new Penguin cove is quite cool & impressive too. My highlight always when I go the Jurong Bird Park and even Bird Paradise, is the feeding of the cute and colourful Lories and Lorikeets at the Lory Loft. I so love it when the collection of lories will flock towards me and my cup of home-made nectar. 😊🦜🦜🐦However, my companion, Miss Raani wasn't impressed, she was absolutely freaked out. 😅