Okinawa Photo Diary July 2015 Edition

 

[Okinawa Island, July 2015]

  

I was very lucky to be able to visit Japan for 2 weeks on July 2015. It has always been a dream of mine to travel around Japan. This is my 3rd time visiting Japan but it is my first time venturing to other cities rather than Tokyo only. I managed to visit a total of 7 different cities in a span of 2 weeks. 

I planned this trip some time during the end of may and I must add that, it was on a whim and I have no regrets. I booked a flight, flew solo, to Tokyo Haneda. I took the tiniest luggage I had which is a typical carry on size, that had 2 weeks worth of clothes that included my sister's. (Yes, my sister travelled with me but arrives later on) Stayed in an airport hotel, Royal Park Haneda Hotel, for the night before jetting off in the morning again. 

Le Bff whom I met in the UK, was kind enough to host me during my time in Okinawa. So I saved up a lot. I haven't seen her for almost an entire year so I didn't shot much whilst there, I was just trying to catch up with her as much as possible, so this will be a short post. The next time I return to Okinawa I will make sure to take as many photo's as possible. I spent a total of 3 days and 2 nights in Okinawa.

The first day was spent bonding with Le Bff so I didn't do much except walked to a few places and did some mini shopping while catching up with her. I really didn't bother taking any photo's on the first day. I didn't plan to at all.

[Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium]

If there is only one place I had to visit in Okinawa, it would be this place. I argued with my Le Bff that one of the world's biggest aquarium was hosting whales not sharks. She kept arguing with me insisting they were sharks. I was in doubts because Le Bff was a local but insisted it was whales because I remember reading about it. Turns out we were both right, they were whale sharks. *face palms*

 

I really am not good with shooting in low light conditions hence I only shot a few, when visiting the aquarium I would suggest to just enjoy and take a few photo's (WITHOUT FLASH) thats all.

 


Le Bff and her Grandfather brought me to eat a local delicacy of Okinawa called 'Okinawa Soba'. Different from the typical soba, this was more chinese noodle like. It was pretty good, I would eat it again if I ever visited Okinawa again.

 

Toured around the Island a little more but forgot the names of the places I visited (FML) and the weather suddenly turned pretty bad. Le Bff's grandfather scared the hell out of me when he climbed these pretty steep rocks. I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest. He's strong compared with those same as his age, but I still worried. The wind was pretty strong and I thought it was going to blow him away. Yup, I was sincerely worried. 

 

[Shurijo Castle, Okinawa]

The 3rd day was my final day in Okinawa. My flight was some time during the evening and Le Bff's mum had a day off and took me to a few places to sight see. Shurijo Castle is where the Okinawa Royal Family used to lived in. Unlike traditional Japanese Architecture, it is heavily influenced by the chinese culture with tons of red. I was actually pretty surprised how it's castles differs from the mainlands. Nonetheless, it was an eye opener. 


 

A photo of me and Le Bff, I was suffering from the side effects of flying, hence my eyes looked pretty swollen. For some unknown reason ever since I flew to Taiwan during June, my eyes has been getting a reaction after flying. It's dry and itchy around my eye bag areas. 

I had lunch with Le Bff's mum and her after that, I forgot to snap photo's in there because the food was so delicious I literally forgot. The place also felt pretty zen so I couldn't be bothered with disturbing others who were enjoying their meal. 

After that we visited another local sight in 15 minutes, it was a 'see and get out situation' (hence no photo's) because I almost missed my flight to Osaka and I cannot afford to miss that flight because I was picking up my 14 year old sister who was flying alone to the airport. I was actually quite worried during those moments. But I MADE IT!

I always thought it would be difficult to put down my camera and not take any photo's but it turns out I didn't need to put any thoughts into it, I was too busy catching up and talking to Le Bff. But I must say Okinawa is STUNNING. Words can't describe how beautiful that place is. 

EXTREME GRATITUTE to Le Bff, her grandfather who volunteered to drive us around on the 2nd day and her super duper nice mother who bought me souvenirs and drove us around on our last day. Thank you her entire family for bringing me out for dinner. T___T Words cannot describe how grateful and happy I was during the entire trip. 

I will visit Okinawa again when I have the chance in the near future. 

NOISE

[LEN, Kyoto, Japan] 
 They say that Jealousy is a form of flattery and I believe so. I'm not a perfect person and so I definitely have flaws. I find it alright if a person says that they're jealous of someone, what I call innocent jealousy. There is bound to be someone we 'admire' and envy them for it. Simple, nothing else. But being jealous of a person and putting them down at the same time, just shows that you're nothing but a spiteful little person. Hence, the title of this post is called 'NOISE'. Just replace these noise with some good music and eventually it'll go away, soon they're not even there anymore. 
Surviving Society ~ xxx

CALM

[American Apparel Crop Shirt, Topshop Skirt, Jill Stuart Hat, Bag from SALAD]
I spent 2 weeks in Japan, 15 days to be exact and it is definitely the highlight of my summer. I got a tan which is irritating for me, don't get me wrong I love golden tan skin but my skin gets complicated when it gets tan. I not only easily get pigments but I get this rash when I go under the sun for too long. To be short, the sun and I don't get along very well.

2 days after I came back home, I had to go to Singapore to handle some business with my mum. I came back last night and winked out. Woke up at 3pm, not good, but all the travelling took a toll on my body. I seriously needed to sleep. So I'm honestly and seriously planning to do something with this space. I'm editing photo's right now from the Taiwan trip back in June and after that the Japan trip which I would break into few post because I was in many places for that 2 weeks.

I'm currently loving my Jill Stuart Hat that I bought in Taiwan. It was a life saver while sight seeing in Japan under the blazing hot sun. It's going to be Summer gear until I find another new love. I realised I've been picking a lot of Blue and white pieces this year, I guess I seriously enjoy the combination of these 2 colours. I have a feeling it's all thanks to the trip to Santorini, Greece during last summer. It sincerely made me realised how beautiful blue can be. 

 Till the next post, xxx

I thought....

[Going crazy during my sister's birthday, Mid-April'15]

I planned to abandoned (harsh but yes) this blog. Because I simple do not have the time (just plain lazy) to blog. So I opted for tumblr instead. It was somewhat easier being able to post from the phone without needing to go to flickr first and then copy the url over. But Tumblr just gave me an impression of more of a upgraded version of Instagram. I love tumblr however the conventional addiction for re-blogging seems to have managed to enter my human anatomy. I know there are other options but flickr seems more pleasing to the eyes as it doesn't seem dumb down the quality of the photos. I absolutely shouldn't be blogging now, I'm in the midst of exam month. I've been saying this over and over again about trying to blog often, I seem to keep failing. However just to keep things interesting, here are some photo's of what I've been doing in the recent months. 

 

CNY Day 1 & 3. It started right about this time I turned narcissistic. Back in the UK I have a tripod, so even when I snapped with a remote control, it still seemed natural because while I was snapping away, I was actually sincerely distracted. 
 
I couldn't resist not posing for with this hat that I purposely bought for the sake of one day rocking it whilst walking in Japan. (specifically Tokyo. Why Japan? I have no idea.) 

Pretty & ugly Polaroid with the bunch, sometime during March for Law Ball. (Yes, I've never said it but I'm majoring in the Law Department) It was awesome until I got a little ill half way. FYI, i was wearing a dress, I realised Hotel Blankets are always awesome to camouflage everything when you're wearing a halter dress. 
I have to honest, I've been pretty addicted to polaroids recently. I find film photography much more versatile. (Took me a while to realised this). Planning to get a legit film camera. 
Until the next post I guess. - xxx

Story Time : The Heir of Fire

I've been really sick of Dystopian books lying in every single bookshelf when I walk pass a bookstore. It's so difficult to find something really good. Kudos to The Hunger Games that really blew up the concept of dystopian societies appearing on every single book shelf. Thanks to that, my plans to actually read Divergent went into the drain. Because let me repeat, I am really sick of dystopian themed books, movies and anything dystopian. Kinda harsh, but it's gone way too far. 

P.S, I usually don't do book reviews but when I do, It means it's a pretty darn good book.

SPOILER ALERT. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. 

|| A Little History and Info about this Series ||

The 'Throne of Glass' series was in fact called 'Queen of Glass' and is written by Sarah J.Maas who was member of fiction press. Wikipedia all this for more information. Thank the lord, a publisher picked up a story. Now we have this work of amazingness. The Story? Blew my mind. 

Book 1 : Throne of Glass

Book 2 : Crown of Midnight

Book 3 : The Heir of Fire (Photo Above)

The main character Celaena Sardothien is not your typical, emotion driven (maybe a bit) assassin. She knows what is wrong and what is right. She knows pain and she knows what it feels like having nothing, but she knows how to enjoy the little things in life too. Ah-hem... she has a passionate obsession over books and wanting to feel beautiful. CLICK HERE for good reads and summary. 

The series is full blown of Magic, Fae, Witches and awesome creatures. 

|| First Impression ||

The first time I came across the first book, I thought the cover was the coolest thing I ever seen. It left a lasting impression.

|| My Thoughts ||

What really made me love the book was that Celaena felt real, she wasn't made into a character that fantasises about Happy Endings, her ultimate goal was survival and freedom and using whatever methods it would take. Her refusal to seek the truth or understand her 'past' was contrast greatly from typical book characters who usually try to poke their nose in everything they wish to know. (Most of the time)

However I am not a fan of Celaena's Love interests, Chaol and Prince Dorian. This is just my personal point of view. I understand there's actually quite a number of Team Chaol fans, but Chaol didn't actually stand out to me from the beginning, his character actually made me want to smack him for his 'indecisiveness' by Book 3. I understand that his position makes it difficult for him but sometimes I felt that he could have actually said 'Yes' or 'No'. Even so the series isn't done yet, I will only make the Final Verdict after the series has ended but until then he isn't that impressive in my eyes. 

Whereas for Prince Dorian, he was charming at the beginning. I wasn't really in his Team either. I felt that Celaena and him did connect at one point but it just wasn't enough. Considered what happened at the end of 'The Heir of Fire', I am anticipating his growth in his character. It was quite cruel of the King to kill the girl off. (As cruel as it sounds, I wanted her dead because she was a little unnecessary) 

Rowan totally won me over, but I'm pretty sure he won't be Celaena's love interest at all. It happens every single time. The guy who deserves it never gets it, despite him being married before. I'm looking forward to see more of Rowan. 

|| My Verdict || 

Book 1 - Book 3 :  9/10. 

The reason for not receiving 10, it's because it's incomplete and the 'love interests' just didn't work for me. (For Now) I'd rather Celaena ended up a Queen without anyone, that way I can pretend she ended up with Rowan. Or even better, she ends up with Rowan. (LOL) 

A book that will make a reader feel whirlwinds of emotions and leave you craving for more. Lord of the Rings + Games of Throne combined = Throne of Glass. Perfection, my two favourite series became one. 

“She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.” 

― Sarah J. Maas, Heir of Fire

Mini London Photo Diary

Yesterday I woke super early in the morning and chuck down meds to ensure my meeting with my friends would go smoothly without any of my sneezing and coughing interfering. Took a train down to London in the morning and arrived in the afternoon, my schedule was pretty pack on the day. I was meeting two different groups of people and at the same time get some errands done in between (mainly finding a new pair of jogging shoes). I wanted some kind of "western" meal for lunch and so the night before I was researching a lot until I stumble upon Lily Pebbles's blog post about "The Breakfast Club". Decided to give it a go and headed to the branch tuck hidden in London Soho. There was definitely a que but a 20 - 30 minute wait for me is something I don't complain often because I believe good things comes to those who wait. Got seated at the corner of the restaurant. The ambiance was really casual, something I really appreciate, it was a slight escape from the busy streets of London as the restaurant was quite close to the infamous Oxford Street and Regent Street. I was too engrossed talking with my friend and hence the DSLR was forgotten once the meals arrived (quite fast in fact). I ordered The All American Pancakes which was scrumptious, the bacon was so good. Drools. 

After that, I kiss good bye to my friend telling her I'll see her in Japan soon. (Gonna miss her loads) I decided to just take one hour to look for a pair of trousers and shoes. I was prepared to spend but not much. Urban Outfitters currently has my heart but the prices are always ridiculous and hence after a short visit, I left with a heavy heart. But I'm happy to say I found a new pair of Jogging shoes and at Schuh with a student discount. I was a happy girl until I decided to head to Costa to grab a cup of tea for my throat before meeting with another bunch of my friends, my wallet/purse was missing. I was shocked, beyond shocked, I've never lost my belongings before. I always have a habit to check my bag every single time. This could only mean one thing, I was robbed/pick pocketed. I was so distraught that I called my mum who was sleeping back in Malaysia. However, thank God that I have a habit of storing important documents/ID's/Credit Cards/Debit Cards separately. I did tell myself before if I ever loose my purse, at least only the not-so-important items are gone. I was glad I was sensible enough to do that but it was still a shocking experience. To the person who stole my purse and there was only £10 and lots of pence in it, I hope you had a good meal. 

I met up with my friends a bit later because of this incident, I spent an extra hour on the phone with my mum. (I LOVE YOU MUM) I met up with my friends later than planned, had a good laugh and being comforted. Ate Chinese Food at Bayswater before heading home during Midnight. It was in fact a great day but loosing my purse definitely killed it slightly for me. Anyway, right now I'm purse-less and thinking of getting a new one during my trip to London again some time next week. That concludes a very interesting yet exhausting day in London, I came home and my sneezing and coughing returned, full force, now I'm tuck in bed, resting and getting some studying done. It was a long post but I needed to vent and share my experience to make myself feel a little better. Just another one of my life stories I can share in many years to come. 

The Weekend Update #01

My 1st attempt to a weekend post. Splurged on a very expensive Yankee Candle in Pink Sand. The reason I bought it it's because it reminds of the Beach and I love Pink. Clearly it did not smell like the beach, it was sweet but not overwhelming. (Thank God) I've been sick for the past week, I don't get sick very often, but I do know once it hits, it's going to be Harsh one. Besides staying in bed, blowing tissues and coughing like crap, I decided to be a little productive by doing some filing. Exams are coming soon, so I need all the necessary notes to be ready and easy to be access. 

Also, In order to comfort myself, I decided to make myself some pretty easy to do pancakes. Sliced some banana's and top it off with whip cream and honey, VOILA! Not the most conventional food for the sick but it totally made up for the bland food that I had for the past week. On a side note I'm heading to London this Tuesday to visit two different group of friends, one for lunch the other for Dinner. Pray to Lord that at least I will be better by then, I've canceled all my weekend meet ups, I want to at least make it for the upcoming one. I'll try to make an effort to bring my DSLR, depending whether my health has improved or not. Til then, toddles! 

P.S, I hate the filters I did for the candle but I'm too sick to bother to adjust.