Tokyo Day II - First Exploration

Day 2 is Sunday 12 November 2006. Due to the fact that I was super damn tired after the Menace of Dragging Luggages on Saturday, I slept till 12pm noon. I woke up. seeing not much light. You know why? Coz my room is at the basement. Sometimes can't even tell it's morning or afternoon. But at least can tell it's night time or day time. Coz still got one little window in my room which somehow connected to the outside world. hahaa..



After washing up with hot shower, I get myself ready to go check out the city area (Ikebukuro).
Partly reason of going to that city is to find out the path going to my office. I printed out the map while I was in Singapore. Google Map is really very useful, and very precise.
I paid 140 yen for 4 stops from my home area station to Ikebukuro station.
(To be precise, i paid 280 for the first trip for the day, coz I forgot to bring my map until I entered the train ticket gate then only remember. So i U-turn back, and go back home again. Wasted 140 yen. Eh! Don't laugh hor! Although 140 yen (SGD1.80) may not seem a lot, but still money lor! Somemore I damn poor lor. Every Yen also must spend carefully here leh! hahaaa... I must save as much as I can now, so that I have the money to go for more tours next year mar, plus I also wan to go for TGS next September lor! Die Die Must GO!!! hahaa.. so I have to save money now. Oh yeah, still got debt to pay also leh... you thought I come here enjoy enjoy arh? hahaaa.... )

Sorry, side track too much.. too many "lung-speech". hahahaa... well, if you know me well, you know I'm super talkative... muahaha... =P
Ok ok... back to my diary.

In Tokyo, they have different companies with different train services. Therefore, in order to interchange to other train, you have to alight the respective train, walk your ass out of the ticket gates, and go look for the exit or other section of the building to board another train. Before you board another train, you will need to go look for their respective ticket machines which only entitled for that specific train line / service. It's not like in Singapore, you just walk accross the other side to do interchanging between trains. Instead, all the trains are not friend-friend together one. Your train is one side, my train is one side. You want to interchange, you go walk far far n board the other train.... well, first time i felt fun searching around, but after few times, it irritates me now. Too much walking, too many exits, too many ticket machines, too many people, too many cute girls.. opppsss... this is not a bad point... muahahahaaa....

Side track a bit, yeah, it's really unbelievable that every morning or rather every day you will definitely get to see a lot of cute girls. Eyes big big, nice make-up (not too heavy), nice fashionable clothes. Anyone want me to DHL some for you guys? muahahahaa.... XD

Ok , come back to my journey. Hmm.. where was I?... oh .. yeah...
After searching for the map in the train station on how to do the interchanging, ( of cors including asking info counter for more details, but everyday my jap getting better n better..coz at least i gradually manage to catch more words in their speech... hahahaa...)

So, after bee-lee-baa-laa asking around for directions, i managed to reach the nearest station from my office area. I alighted at a smaller station named Hiroo. I saw some decorations of Christmas outside the streets. Very windy that afternoon, yet it's sunny. Nice though. I just wore 2 layers of clothes. I guess I'm strong although I'm skinny.. muahahaa....

I saw moving-balloon-santa-claus & 7-dwarfs. Singing english songs. People on the streets are also like in other places, walking fast but in orderly-fashion. THere are lots of bicycles riders on the pedestrians. Those cyclers are not just youngsters. Most of them are aged 25-40 salary-man (office workers) wearing coats and ties. Some pretty women with fashionable clothes, wearing high-heels, also pedalling along the pedestrians. You will see more during weekdays. hahaaa.... It's like so common here. You hardly see that in other countries lor, may be in China or Taiwan... but in malaysia, those who wear tie and coat, will definitely travel with at least a car. In Singapore, those ppl will at least travel in MRT train. hahaaa....
It's really interesting here in Tokyo. Really eye-opening. haha...

After found out my office location, i started calculating. Totally time-spent 1 hour10 minutes from my place to office including walking, and 3 interchanges of train services. Wow! I said that loud when i saw this result. But I guess it's quite common here to travel such time frame to work. Luckily my working hours is flexible. It's 8 hours per day, but most of the colleagues came in around 11am morning, and go home late after 8pm or 9pm. Well, I will tell you more of my office adventures on the next blog, which is Tokyo Day III. =)

So, after calculating the time spend on the journey, i calculated the fares. It's 3 interchanges. So it's 140 yen + 160 yen + 160 yen = 460 yen (one-trip). One day (round trip) would be 920 yen.
Not too bad, but good thing is, my office travel fare is covered by my company. Phew... no other benefits, at least got some little cover, also not bad lor.. self-comforting...hahahaa....

Regarding food here, one meal is around in the range of 500 - 1200 yen for normal non-special meals. Average is 1000 yen per meal. 500-800 yen usually can found in most small towns or residential areas. THose big cities, usually is 1000 yen above. But fast food are not too bad. Like Mc Donald, it's around 600-700 per meal. Well, don't convert lor. It's all like that here one lor. As long as i keep my daily meal budget below 1000 yen, i guess I will end up with some savings each month. Not too much I guess, but at least something lor. Will try not to buy too much junk food. Although most of them really very tempting n inviting..hahaa...

Hmm.. what else, oh yeah. I went back to Ikebukuro city and eat lunch+dinner (I missed my lunch since I overslept). I went into a small eat-shop, and I'm expected to insert coins into the machine where you choose your meal from the menu on the machine. It returned me a ticket and I sat down. I passed the ticket to the so-called waiter, and he brought it into the kitchen and start cooking. In no time, my big bowl of Ramen is ready. Yosh! Oishii ne! Really deliciious lor!
I like the atmostphere..... just like what you usually see from the Japanese drama. hahaaa...







After my delicious meal worth 800 yen, I moved on to tour around the shopping streets. Too many stuff to see. I used my video camera to capture some of videos while I walking. Actually wanted to capture some Kawaii girls one, but they all looking at me, and i afraid later I offend them, they will call police or crash my video cam. hahahaa... so I just take video while i passed by, but cannot focus too much on the people. hahaha... sorry, me coward. haha... ~ XD







After the walking journey for some time, the sky turned dark gradually. I checked my Nintendo DS to find out the time. (I don't have a watch then. haha..) It was just around 5pm. Man! 5pm here is like 7pm in M'sia/Singapore. Later i figure out it might be becoz of the winter season. Daylight Saving rite? Hmm.. not too sure about the terms. Something like that lar.. haha...



Later on, I went in a big Electric shop which has 7 floors in total. Each floor has specialised stuff. One floor is for mobile phones, one floor for gadgets like mp3 player, one for consoles and games, one for home appliances. etc. I went browsing and got myself a cheap watch. 1000 yen. hahaaa... I have not used a watch for like almost 6 years. Ever since my first mobile phone which allowed me to find out the time and date, I quit using watch liow. hahaa... now, i brought over my Sony-Ericson mobile, can see time lar, but since it's not working in Japan, I guess no point bringing along everday lor. Sooner or later I will get a plan here. Hopefully not too costly.

Well, after getting myself an analog watch, I went up to browse the games section. Man! Most of the PS2 games here are really cheaper than in Singapore lor! When it comes to promotion, it could get even cheaper! But of cors lar, they all in jap. hahaa.. There was this section allowing ppl to hands on Ps3 games. I was watching a guy playing Devil May Cry 4. Wow! The graphics & effects are TOP NOTCH! Very very Cool! Well, Nintendo Wii is releasing soon here on December. Of cors I dun have money to get one lor.. even i have money, I will wait for a year or so. Coz I bet the first batch always has bugs one lor. One or 2 years later, they will drop price also. So, why Don't wait? hahahaaa.... moreover, I have Nintendo DS now, I still have games yet to be complete. So what's the rush? Plus I dun think i have much time to play games here also lor. Coz everyday will work late. I will update you guys about my project in my next coming blog. Stay tuned ok....

I think i will wrap up here. Oh yeah, not yet finish my story above. SO, after i finished browsing in the city, I went back home and take hot shower and get myself ready to start work on the next day - MOnday. Remember to check out for my 3rd day Adventure. =)