SE's Graduation from Primary

SE has finished Primary school. :)  As usual, for me that evoked memories of when she was just a tiny baby.  How she has grown, sniff.  The move from a Chinese-medium school to this mostly-English medium private school, was definitely a good one.  She went from not being able to follow lessons to actually acing some of her subjects.

The graduation event was not quite as grand as her graduation from kindy.  Which was fine with us lah. 

With the Papa

With the Mummy

Lining up to get scroll

Getting my scroll and awards

All done!

She received additional awards for being second in class, as well as in Moral and Mandarin.  Well done my little one!

Other doings in 2024

 Last catch-up post for 2024.  Went over to Midvalley for the 'Winter Forest' Xmas deco.

Snow bunny at the back

Owl at the back

I'd expected photo 'booths' at the Gardens section like there were previously.  But deco was rather simple this time.

White trees

My brother turned 50 and decided to have a grand makan for the whole family.  Which is always a nice thing. :)

Happy birthday!

And we come to the final day of the year.  Our helper cooked up 'special food'.  With the grated cabbage I told her SE enjoyed so much in Japan.

Last dinner of 2024

For me, it was a tough year with many worries due to SE's eating disorder.  I am thankful that work-wise it was easy, which allowed me to spend more time with the family.  We managed to have fun - holidays at Sunway, Melaka, Sekinchan, Ipoh and of course culminating in our great Japan trip.  Another blessing this year, both kiddos are doing well at school - advancing to near the top of their respective classes.  

Now to face 2025.

Quick trip to Genting

The day we arrived back home was the day we were supposed to go up to Genting for 4d3n.  :)  Genting was booked way earlier but took a backseat in the planning for Japan. We decided to skip the first day.  We drove up the next day, only to find the good rooms hubby had booked had already been released.  Oh well.  Made do with FWH rooms where you get a pack of bedsheets/pillowcases/duvet cover to  make your own bed.  Haha first time have to do 'work' at a hotel!  At least we still had accommodation, much better than having to travel back home immediately.

Then... there was a water interruption the second night.  Another first at a hotel!  Managed to take a quick shower with the help of water taken from the water dispenser.

At Palsaik Korean BBQ - meats were good

To my surprise the kids did NOT want to go to the arcades. Phew.  I was always tired tagging along supervising them while they tried out various games.  Then the next day, they did NOT get the day pass for rides, only paid for a few selected rides.  Now this kind of Genting holiday is much more palatable for me!

Take this scary ride!

Had a buffet breakfast at the re-opened Coffee Terrace the morning before going back.  Hmm it's not so good already - my favourite yam kuih was no longer there, coffee from the machine was no longer available, a bowl of margarine was provided for toast instead of butter.  Won't bother with this place next time. 

Japan trip epilogue

Whew it's been a month since Japan. What a trip!  I still think back to various parts of it.  Guess it's mostly me as I was the one invested in the planning and execution.  I tried asking the others where they would go if we could return - JE didn't have an answer, SE said hmm the pig cafe.  Hubby started a litany of complaints that we didn't stop to rest enough, we walked too long... whereupon I said oi, think better don't ask you anything haha.  For me, while I would love to BE there, there isn't any place I would want to re-visit either.  Maybe the Kyoto bamboo forest since it looked like there was way more to see, together with the kimono experience we missed.  But to go all the way back for that... nah not for now.

Well I agree we did push ourselves a fair bit. I'd originally planned to make a stop at mid-morning and teatime for hubby to rest, and SE to have a snack.  That generally didn't work out as we started the day pretty late and it being winter, the days were short. There also didn't seem to be many places to have a coffee break. 

Some things learnt from this first overseas trip with both kids:

1. The 20kg checked-in baggage we bought on the outward trip via AirAsia, and 25kg return was good enough.  Of course each person also had the 7kg hand-carry allowance, plus another small bag.  We cannot carry more anyway.   We actually utilised less... might even consider reducing checked baggage in future!   

2. No need to pay for seat selection upfront.  Do web check-in early to get the seat assignments, then change seats if needed.  We managed to get seats together.   

3. Ten days for the trip was a good duration.  Longer would be tiring.

4. Be conscientious about taking vitamin C and definitely bring medicines along.  Falling sick made this trip a bit tough.  

5. Involve the kids more in the planning of the trip. 

We are tired but happy

A final photo.  While we were searching for JE's Smiski figures, saw this shop with a fake burger filling up most of the floor area.  Wonder why, when it wasn't relevant to what the shop was selling! 

Huge burger, I will eat you

All right.  Really sayonara this time.  :)

More on Japan eats

A bit more which couldn't fit into the main posts.  

The only food we bought and couldn't finish was this dango in soy sauce.  The chewy balls were fine but the sauce tasted too strong.  

NO to this dango

Japan people must have a sweet tooth.  There was so much variety of ice-cream, pudding, cream-filled buns, mochi etc available.  

Creme brulee ice-cream

Finally, I was amused by the signs there.  No mistaking the main item sold by these shops.

 

Sushi!

Gyoza!

Crab!

Takoyaki!

Day 10-20/12 Tokyo - Ueno

The last day!  Our flight home was at midnight so we still had a full day to enjoy.  Our apartment was walking distance to Hamamatsucho station which had a direct monorail to the airport.

Leaving our home of 6 days

The plan was to place our luggage in lockers like we did in Kyoto.  We discovered that lockers in Tokyo are more expensive, smaller in size and harder to find heh.  We took ONE locker in Kyoto and FOUR in Tokyo when we only had one extra bag containing shopping.

Taking the top locker, here the bottom one and must find another two

Job done, now to jalan-jalan with just Piglet

Took the train to Ueno.    

No we didn't go to Ueno zoo

Spotted these fruit sandwiches which people on Facebook were hunting for.  Plenty at Ueno station heh.  Tried a strawberry one - nice, strawberries in cream as filling for the soft bread.  Shared one only since it didn't come cheap at 604yen/RM18.  

All kinds of fruit sandwiches

For lunch we walked around and ended up having chicken katsu with rice, takoyaki as a side.  

Lunch first

Then we stepped out into Ueno park.  This place would be glorious come spring.  The crowds would be full force for sakura season though, so visiting in early winter has its advantages.

In Ueno park

Panda creatures

Ameyoko street is supposed to be a good place to buy things at decent prices, but we didn't buy anything.

At Ameyoko street

Had dinner at one of the shops.  Indoors was full so we sat outside.  

Halfway through dinner hubby decided it was too cold and walked off.  Of all of us, he was the worst at withstanding cold while JE was the best.  We had hot beef soup (too salty), assorted meat skewers (too salty), ochazuke (yums) and soba (ok).

With food

With that, it was back to the station to retrieve our luggage and proceed to Haneda airport.  There was a bit of drama when I thought we were on the wrong train and decided to get off.  SE stepped out first... and the doors closed!  There was no emergency stop button.  I motioned her to stay as the train pulled away, and she nodded.  JE checked that it would be 20mins to the terminal.  Oh no... 20mins there and then 20mins back to SE?  Luckily there was a nearer stop.  We got off, managed to cross over to the opposite platform, boarded a train back.  And there was SE calmly standing towards the back, reading her isi karangan book (yep she brought this to Japan. On holiday).  Collected her and resumed our journey home.

Goodbye to Japan!

Day 9-19/12 Tokyo - Shinjuku, Teamlab

Traipsed down from our apartment at 12.30pm after the previous late night.  Ours was the top dark brown section accessed by a narrow steep staircase.  I'd say this place grew on me.  I like that it was so nondescript - felt that I could just live there and nobody would know there was a pretty-large (39m sq) dwelling upstairs.

Our home for 5 days

I initially didn't like that the nearest subway station was a small one and we had to change lines so frequently for destinations.  What the booking didn't mention was there were actually 2 other stations within 15mins walk which offered direct lines to some destinations.  Anyway, if we were to return to Tokyo, I would try out a different accommodation in a different place.  This was near Tokyo tower... which we didn't go since we weren't that interested and tickets were expensive.

Tokyo Tower

SE and me with new jackets

Hubby disappeared in Uniqlo on our way to the Shibuya giant 3D cat.  He was supposed to be waiting for the girls outside the toilet but when they came out, he wasn't there and we couldn't find him anywhere.  He wasn't picking up the phone.  My irritation turned to worry.  I asked a staff if he could check the male toilet.  What felt like an eternity later, hubby reappeared - apparently was trying out something in the changing room.  He then fiddled a while with the automated system paying for his new hat.  Grrr.  It was getting late.  We managed to find the 3D giant cat - couldn't take video/photo of it though.  SE spotted the Godzilla head which I wasn't even looking for haha.

Godzilla head behind us

We couldn't shop earlier in Osaka and Kyoto since that would have meant carrying purchases to the next city.  Now that we were already in Tokyo, it was time to shop!  Bought various things in Don Quijote (called Don Don Donki back home) - JE found the Smiski figures she was looking for back in Osaka,  I got snacks for my work team (was specifically instructed that I must do this haha) and we also got additional snacks.  Luckily JE carried these bags.  Hubby cannot carry much due to his impaired mobility and strength after his surgery 3 years ago.  SE was not far out of her anorexia days so I don't want her doing so much for now.  Me, was already the main beast of burden.

The Don Quijote penguin in various colours

It was later than my given time when we left Don Quijote.  It was past lunchtime but there was no time to eat - this from a family being extra careful with meals for SE's sake.  Why the rush... coz we had tickets to teamLab Borderless!  I contemplated taking a taxi but didn't know how to download Uber etc.  We rushed with trains.  Arrived and asked the staff whether we could have lunch first and enter later.  Eventually found out that our tickets was an hour later than I thought.  WHAT... hurried like crazy for nothing!  Important thing is we made it - didn't want to waste our almost RM400 tickets!  

At teamLab already

teamLab is touted as a 'world of artwork without boundaries'.  It's basically projection of digital art in various types of rooms - empty ones, or with props like a hill, giant cubes, glass globes, water vapour jets, plates etc.  There was music playing.  Definitely a cool experience!  Didn't have many good pictures as the place was overall dark.  

In the glass string room

In the biggest room - projections change

In the infinity room with mirrored walls and floor

In the glass globe room

We went for the artwork room partly for fun and partly to rest weary feet.  You choose a picture to colour and the finished one would be fed into the projection onto the walls in that room, joining the rest of the moving display.  We have done something like this back in Petrosains/Pusat Sains back home, just that this one had much better projection quality.

 

JE's jellyfish, hubby's squid, my jellyfish, SE's seahorse 

Do these move or not

I'd thought the artwork would be interactive, changing with our movements.  At the end I'm not convinced if they don't actually do that, or do that slowly.  We spent about 3 hours in teamLab - there were probably some rooms we didn't find.  It's purposely without a map so it would be 'borderless'.  Rating: Good.  It was interesting and fun, worth going at least once.

Only thing, it was 9pm and food outlets were already closed.  That night we bought dinner from a convenience store for the first time.  Actually... food wasn't too bad - onigiri, fried chicken, katsu chicken on rice, seafood cheese set - heated up in our apartment microwave.  So tired.  We had to pack though, our holiday was ending. 

Day 8-18/12 Tokyo - Kappabashi, Asakusa, Akihabara

While waiting for JE to surface from the toilet, SE picked up a couple of leaflets on attractions in Tokyo.  I noticed Kappabashi, the area Japanese chefs go to buy kitchen stuff.  I'd read about this place earlier but it wasn't on my list. From the leaflet, decided it looked interesting and made a note to go the next day.   :)

Got lost heading to Tawaramachi station.  We couldn't see the correct line upon reaching the interchange Hibiya station so walked to the Ginza station.  At Ginza, the kids couldn't get in using the tickets (purchasing individual tickets for them - the day passes I wanted could only work with Pasmo IC cards and we didn't see where to buy Pasmo cards). We found out we had to TAKE THE TRAIN to Ginza, cannot simply WALK haha.  So we walked back to Hibiya to do that.  While walking, read Whatsapp messages that my brother had already reached home.  At this juncture, being lost/cold/tired, I was actually thinking being home wouldn't be so bad!

We did sort things out but reached at lunch time heh.  Yoshinoya was good for the price - I had beef on rice (salty), SE had beef on salad, hubby and JE some soup with rice.  Hubby was doing this throughout the trip, asking JE to order something and he would just share.  I'd pass over some of my food despite those two being ungrateful and sometimes objecting haha.  Looking at SE's bowl now, I see broccoli - the only time it appeared.  We hardly had fruit/veg while in Japan.  Whenever any veg appeared in our meals, it would be cabbage.  Soups might contain some leek, onion, daikon, spring onion.  No leafy veg was ever seen.

Beef on salad

Kappabashi was a place only I had interest in.  I was thinking maybe a knife, sauce plates, a fake food keychain, at least take a photo of the chef head statue.  The knives started around RM400 - no need lah.  Didn't see any nice sauce plates.  Google maps led us to some backlane instead of the chef head.  I was in a not-so-good mood dragging everyone along to nowhere.  When hubby stopped to buy strawberries, told him I'd go look for a fake-food shop.  Again Google led me astray.  Fortunately the others stumbled upon the shops on the opposite side of the road.  Now I know these items don't come cheap - the steak/chips/veg on a hot plate at the top left of the photo cost RM630.  The keychains were expensive and not that nice.  I shall categorise this trip as 'at least have been there' over 'it was a waste of time' heh.

 

Fake foods

Next, took the train to Senso-ji temple.  We approached from the side rather than from the famous Kaminarimon gate.  There were crowds of people.

At Senso-ji temple

Scene worth of a postcard

The Kaminarimon gate

Oops I should have taken photos closer to gate.  Also didn't look up at the base of the lantern to see the dragon engraving.  When travelling by yourself, if you don't read up enough on what to see and where to go, you would just miss out on sights and insightful information sigh.  In hindsight, also should have bought things from the many shops nearby.  Like hand cream for each date in the calendar, mix-and-match rice crackers, other food items.  Hubby bought strawberry daifuku again.  Dunno... I was tired I guess.

Next was Akihabara for JE the anime fan.  We wandered around looking for the anime shops in the wrong place.  I was VERY glad to sit in Vie de France bakery with SE while hubby took JE off hunting for figurines in the cold.  Ahhh a hot coffee (ok I believe I was slightly sick) and a warm smoked cheese bun while resting my tired feet.   We procured a couple more buns while waiting.

Hubby and JE returned happy, having found the shops and purchased a figurine.  'Collected' our breakfast from this bakery for the next morning.  Prices between these specialty bakeries and convenience stores aren't much different so bakeries seem more worth it for baked goods.

Take photo before Mummy attacks the food

We went to GU to get jackets (the ones were wearing being actually not enough to withstand the temperature) and then hunted for dinner.  There was a standing sushi shop, but my feet were always tired so the last thing I wanted to do was stand throughout a meal.  These seemed popular enough though.  We finally decided on a place and got our food at 9pm.  Later hubby said, eh so expensive this place.  Ya wor... my chirashi bowl and SE's sushi platte were over RM90 each.  Somehow didn't count properly?  But to me the food tasted especially good. 

Expensive but nice food

Trudged back to our apartment after dinner.  Stayed till 2am playing on our phones - too tired to move.