20110925 - 1 Year Japaniversary

So, it's been one year already, exactly one year ago, I arrived Tokyo on a Saturday afternoon, alone. Still remember that day I arrived with 1 big suitcase, and 1 hand-carry luggage.

Then, I started off with just myself, 2 luggages, and some blessings of family and friends from Hong Kong. Rather than reckless, I'd call it brave and faith. Throughout the year, I faced loads of unexpected cultural shocks, expected work stresses, interesting people, exhausting adventures. Sometimes I do feel tired at heart and mind, but overall I found myself coping surprisingly well. So far, so good. Roller-coaster might explain the ups and downs. C'est La Vie / これが人生です (This is Life)...Can't complain really...

Now, today, I am celebrating it with some of my best friends I made in Japan since I arrived. Not to mention some others that aren't able to join, I really appreciate their friendships, treasure the love and care they have given me so far. Yes, I am always the one whom they worried about, hahaha.

Life is filled with laughters and tears, joy and sorrow, gratitudes and complaints. I have learnt to love and laugh, show and share my emotions, with all my heart, as long as friends are around, family and friends supports from afar, who cares, what matters! Whatever! Carpe Diem (Seize the Day)


Am speechless. So, Friends, I love you all!!  Thanks for sharing my Japaniversary with me. If you are not free today, Grab me for a cup of tea or some dinner asap! 一期一会

20110923-24: Volunteering Weekend

OK. For the first time in my life, 2 days of volunteering consecutively, 2 trips of overnight bus rides consecutively. Not that I deliberately booked them that way, it's all happening coincidentally.


So my itinerary as follows:
9/23 10:00 - 13:00 
>> YMCA Charity Run with colleagues, together we did 10KM relay in Kiba Park in Tokyo. 

9/23 13:00 - 20:00
>> Rest at home and packing up for the Ofunato Volunteering trip.

9/23 22:00 - 9/24 06:50
>> On the bus, heading towards Ofunato, Iwate, Japan.

>> Arrived at 7:00 at All Hands Ofunato Quarter, see who's there, Roland my colleague!! He's at the charity run with me yesterday too, but he arrived earlier coz he took the Shinkanzen instead!

9/24 08:00 - 16:00
>> Volunteering at a local house, my job for today is to clean up the dishes collected from a total of 4 household in the area during the tsunami. Pack them and put them on storage for the lady - Mrs. Miura.

I also helped out in cleaning up and sun-bathing the tatami sheets. Geez, they are very heavy, need two of me to carry one!


Having fun with the kitties and a cow, got plenty of mosquito bites tho, as usual, am the FRESH blood!

9/24 17:00 - 21:00
>> Dinner, chilled out and get ready for return bus to Ikebukuro, Tokyo. So tired, but still high in energy with Mio, Miho and Kaori!

9/24 21:20 - 9/25 05:50
>> Arrived in Ikebukuro safely! And sunrise near my home...

I am so glad that I did all these within this short period of time. It sounds crazy and unbelievable, yes, I can barely believe it myself. So freaking tired and exhausted. Yet so happy that I finally got to do something at one of the most severely impacted site of the Tohoku Earthquake. 

"Everything means differently to different people at different times.
On this first anniversary of mine in Japan,
(yes, I arrived Japan on 25 Sep 2010), this means a lot to me...
A short journey that will last a long lifetime..."