5 things I would never care to notice if im in Singapore

Back in my mother country, i would not care less of certain issues about myself and surroundings. I realised what i could not notice then begin to trigger my interest or evidently become important in my life.


1) Daily usage skincare products etc.

Previously be it i was working or not, i would just casually apply basic products like moisturiser and sunblock if i am heading out or even none if i will be stay at home. Usually i will be sheltered majority of the journey whichever im heading to. At night, if i feel like it, i will put on mask or if not simply just go to bed without applying any skincare products.

However, being here make me realise I absolutely must protect my skin. For instance, if i do not apply lip balm, my chapped lip will crack and bleed. If i am lazy and fail to put moisturiser, my skin will start to protest by developing a dry rash.

Now it takes me 15 mins twice a day to do all these basic steps with the cold and dry winter i need to constantly apply even more so!

P.S i think its unfair that Shota seldom apply anything and still have such good and glowing complexion. He always said because he is born in cold country. How i wish i can throw him in our scorching topical climate and watch him sweat and smell while i can giggle at his side.

2) watching daily weather forecast

Ya, what's new about watching weather forecast in Singapore. Its either sunny or rainy with occassional haze during June, July with no thanks to our neigbours. Oh that's right, now certain districts will be flooded as well.

Here, we need to pay attention if there are typhoon coming, so far i have seen typoon warnings from typhoon 18 - 26! Imagine there are already 8 typhoons in 5 months since i been here. The weather change drastically, sunny now and start snowing by noon. When tv flashes storm coming, its really destructive which causes landslide and buried houses. So uguys better stop complaining about how the floods inconvenience daily routine and start counting your blessing as other country citizens had it 100 times worse.

3) Singapore News & Stomp


   

In the past, i was the type that only read the headlines and read entertainment news. I rarely update what's new happening and my parents or my brother will tell me if there is. Here, i crave for my home country local news, i check stomp daily and start reading news from mypaper app or straits time. My information are much faster than my friends and family which leading them commenting how come u know about this?

Of course, i still skip whatever it seems boring to me! Old habits never die lol!


4) Excited what tv variety show will be appearing btw 7pm - 9pm

We all know how "interesting" our local television channels are, not to mention how late we work off from work and are exhausted preparing for the next hectic day again. Since i become a housewife *1 that is hopeless in cooking*, i love most of interesting variety shows appearing between the golden hours. The picture below is 1 of variety show showing once a week showcasing Japanese wives that migrate to overseas and what are the different culture and obstacles they faced in that country. My Japanese listening skill improve greatly because of this.

http://www.mbs.jp/japa-zuma/

5) Daiso

Finally, the 1 store that i thought of if i ever want to buy anything at all haha! Here is 105 yen for each item after tax which equals to $1.40 sin. Its even cheaper than Singapore Daiso selling $2! Since it is originate from Japan, there are plenty of alternatives than spore version! 

Stop feeding me!!

I was looking back my past photos around my wedding time in June. In just short span of 5 months, i have become so much fatter!! Before my wedding, it took me months to cut down on my diet and slight exercise, i usually walk around in Singapore so at least that's a form of exercise.

Ever since i got here, Shota have been constantly feeding all the time or when he wants to eat, he will also wants me to eat along. If i refuse, he will get angry.  My friend saw my recent pictures and commented that Shota is really following what he promised during the wedding which is to feed me with oishii food.

At this rate by next year, i might be officially obese.

I WISH TO GO BACK TO MY MORE SLENDER SELF BEFORE I CAME TO JAPAN! SHOTA, ONEGAI!!

Im so proud of my aunt!

    Recently my mum told me that her sister appeared on the chinese newspaper. After reading it, i am so proud and touched by the article.

In my mum family side, there are 8 daughters and 3 sons with my mum being the youngest of all. My mum lost her mum when she was young, when they shifted out from Kampong and moved to HBD. She had to moved to various sister's house to stay over, luckily they didn't mind and my mum helped to babysit my cousins as well. However, ultimately that was not her home even though she was welcomed to stay.

We were poor when we are young, my dad did not earn much and had to work 2 jobs in order to struggle by. My aunts would pass down their children's clothes, books, bag or bring food and drinks over to our house. Especially my 2nd aunt that appeared in the papers. She has a caring personality with a loud voice that can be heard miles away haha! In my old flat, we stayed near to the end of 5th floor whereas the lift is on the 6th floor in middle of flat. I never failed to recognise her voice from the lift and we will open the door before she even reach our house lol!

She has been working at the school for as long as i remembered and like us she was also struggling to raise up her 2 kids by herself especially when her husband passed away due to cancer. She would bring food and gave us money even though my mum refused to take it. Thereafter, they would start to quarrel and push the money back and fro while i be waiting for whom will emerge victory. Those were the days with all the memories rushing back to my mind when i read the article and how much hardship my aunt overcome to raise her kids up.

Even till now, she insisted to send me to the airport when i was leaving to Japan even when she had swollen ankles and could not walk much. In midst of my farewell, she started to tear and so did i and the rest that came to send me off. My mum told me that my aunt will be operating her leg next year and hoping that she can visit me in Japan.

er yi, pls take good care of yourself and after you recovered from your surgery, you can come anytime with my mum to visit me.

Lunch @ Acciuga

Had a nice lunch right outside the Misawa Airbase on wed. It was nice to able to do couple stuff together, be it watching movie, dinner or simply hanging out together. 

Previously we were in a long distance relationship for at least 3 years, at times like Valentine Day where shopping centres were swamped with couples, I could not help but lament why my other half was not here to accompany me. Its like being married, ethically you are not supposed to cheat or do anything that will let other party down however, the important person in your life is not there physically to share your ups and downs. Majority will have issues with that. 

Spending time together makes me understand our characters more and create more memories of us doing stuff together or laughing when we are doing silly stuff!

Cake shop

already ready for xmas

cream puff! delicious!

Interior of Acciuga. 

Onion soup, salad with passion fruit juice. we chose lunch set @ 1100 yen

half sweet pizza drizzle with honey, other half with cheese n pepperoni

yummy pasta!

chocolate cake 

the outer appearance might be soso but the food is good!

Oirase River Salmon Catching Festival

Remember that i said previously that i will go to other salmon festival if i have time. I almost forgot about it until the last day of event. To my surprise, this was alot bigger than i expected. This time i was able to have an unobstructed view for the salmon catching event. For uguys, i forsake eating 1st and wait for the event get started.

In comparison of the Rokkasho event, this event was twice the size and the audience whom are not participating but wish to catch glimpse of event had better view of it. Although the food stalls are also double in size, i felt that the food was more unique and tastier in former than the latter. Latter had more repetitive stalls so did not have interest to buy the food thereafter.

My parents in law joined us after we finished touring around the event, all along they have been waiting for me to get the military base pass and able to enter together with them. I didn't realise that till Shota told me about it. I knew my father in law love military stuff, in fact he is the 1 that developed Shota's interest in it. When Shota was only 2 years old, he would say out different navy ship's names and their model numbers instead of reciting hiragana. So that goes to show you how crazy they both are. Hence i felt bad instantly that my father in law waited 3 months for me to eventually get my id. I am blessed with such wonderful in laws and we all know how rare that is. 

Entrance for the event. 

yummy salmons

small area for ppl to try out catching salmons. Poor salmons, they must be cursing and swearing at us

Entrance for catching event

Little did they knew that their life was going to end

There was a English host for the event as well, he should be from ALT program. Assistant Language Teaching program where selected foreigners are posted to school to assist the teacher during English lessons. I find it funny that he also wore salmon on his back,

Participants waiting to catch the  salmons

if you notice the yellow ribbon on the fish, the boy whom caught it will get a special prize in addition. He's good since he came all the way to our opposite end and grab it so quickly. I wonder how he knew the salmon came to our side. 

Strong father grabbing his kid in 1 hand and trying to catch the salmon in other! Shota pls don't follow bad example k!

Look at the crowd! 

how cute to see babies and kids having fun 

1200 yen to catch the salmon.

SASEBO NAVY BURGER 

Local taste miso mochi

Mochi thats make on the spot and allow you to try as well.

kinako *grind beans* mochi. super fresh!

eagle flying in the sky, how carefree!

lake view from the base facing Aomori

my club sandwich lunch set. 

rare pic of my parents in law

Lakeview grill

golf course is just beside it

Back to my in-law house

We went back to Aomori to visit my in laws and obbachan for a day. They brought us to visit obbachan siblings. Obbachan including her has 8 siblings, however only 3 are still alive, 2 elder sisters and 1 younger brother. Out of the 3, 2 siblings are living in Aomori city. We visited her elder sister 1st and she can speak English perfectly.  It turnout that she was married to a American and stayed there over 30 years, however her husband passed away and she decided to move back to Japan. We talked briefly and went over Obbachan's younger brother house. 

Her brother is a quieter person and he look alike with obbachan. His wife on the hand is more talkative, indeed opposites attract. I have seen so many husband and wives that are usually have opposite personality of each other. He was a retired junior high school teacher and taught most of Shota's friends. I was happy to know more about Obbachan and able to ask basic questions about her in my lousy Japanese. In the past, i was not able to understand her and vice versa. When i asked Shota, he was not sure about the history hence could not tell me much. I need to buck up and learn more words to converse and understand them more. I have so much to learn from them especially Obbachan whom experienced the devastating war and survived out of it.       

If only i am tall enough to reach it! 

Helping Okkasan with korokke! she make the best korokke!

another limited edition mango-orange ice cream

P-chan!

he's old consider his bird age. Not sure how old but he had outlive his peers life expectancy 

Shota raised him since when he was only an egg.