Morning, Narita! I stayed at 9 Hours Capsule Hotel in Narita Airport Terminal 2 because I had to catch an early morning flight to Taipei for work. Early morning flights will be the death of me and till today, I try to avoid morning flights as much as I can. I woke up at 5am to take a hot shower before checking out and heading to Narita Airport Terminal 3 for my 9am flight.

It was 2°C in Narita, but I decided to dress lightly because I expected Taipei to be ~20°C

Had to take a shuttle bus to Narita Airport's terminal 3 and people were giving me incredulous stares because of the way I was dressed — long sleeve top and jeans when everyone else was in several layers of huge coats.

12am.

I was there when at 14, 17, 20, 21... But never to listen to waves crashing against the shore, never on serene nights like that. I chattered endlessly for I was certain if I stopped speaking, someone would've heard my palpitating heart. I don't know why I agreed to something my usual cautious self would have never dreamt of. It seems that, no matter your age, heartbreaks turn you silly and mindless.

1am. 

I'm not sure when would our paths will cross again after that night, but meeting him reaffirmed my belief that we came from worlds apart. I liken us to two zigzag lines, crossing paths once in a while but deviating further after each time. That wasn't to say I regret him. I'd always be thankful I let him in, thankful he taught me so many lessons, thankful he allowed me to feel love again.

When his gaze met mine, everything felt the same. My world brightened up again, with just his pure existence.  But his arms are so used to someone else now that they felt awkward around me.

That night, I saw her — the girl I could never be. I hope she grows to love him as much as he adores her. I hope she loves him the way I wanted to. I hope she never breaks his heart. I still wish him happiness. All the happiness in the world that I wanted to, but couldn't, give.

2am. 

I'm too young to be having quarter-life crisis.
Have I made the right decisions that will lead me to become a better person?

I'm too old to be trying something new.
Every decision I made this year made a turn for the worse. I feel so inadequate and, in turn, scared.

3am. 

I spoke of my first love, my longest relationship. Our dates revolved around hanging out at the pathetic shopping mall near our school. We threw the word 'forever' around — didn't we all thought we'd marry our first love? The corner of your lips turned upwards, because you did too.

I don't remember how he tricked my shy teenage self into holding his hands, I don't remember how my heart probably went wild when we first hugged but I remember the location of our first kiss. The unromantic location, in hindsight, is the only reason my first kiss remained fresh in my memory.

How is he doing? I'd never know. It's true that your first love hurts you the most.

4am. 

What do you do when a girl's first supposed hero happened to also be a villain in disguise? I spent the first few years of my life tossing and turning in bed at night until he carried me down the streets of Clementi, teaching me to read signs with his limited vocabulary. 20 odd years later, I still battle insomnia daily; instead of him, now I seek solace in books and occasionally, laying words down side by side.

The night faded. Y2K, suddenly I was four again, the crybaby who was afraid of school. A gross mixture of mucus and tears smeared my face as I begged, "I don't wanna go to school." Those two hours in nursery felt like days; days grew into months, months into years. My desire to become a student 17 years later, ironically, became the cause of our most recent confrontation.

5am

It hit me when I took a whiff of his cologne.
Some things a girl never forgets.

6am. 

He was my second. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. What have I done wrong? I'm sorry. Speak to me. Tell me what's wrong. I will be better for you. I'm sorry. I'm begging you. Everything he took from me during the two years we were together... I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth. He returned my all — every bit of my heart, my love and my pride — with prevarication.

I never want to remember, but I always do. The sweet surprises, his first book out, nightly phone calls during his BMT, action movies I always fell asleep watching, every book in, his POP / POC / ORD. Then, words that stung more than the things hurled across the room, constant yelling, a broken phone on the floor, and the steep descent from  "you're my motivation"  to "I stopped trying to love you."

The waves got stronger as they attempted to cleanse me of my fears. Had I imagined it?
Hearts heal, but scars always remain.

7am. 

And then there's you.

Going by Singapore's logic of, "Where there's queue, the food is good", I found myself at
bills Omotesando. bills Omotesando is a popular Australian breakfast place in Tokyo loved by many Japanese. Located on the seventh floor of Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku, right opposite Harajuku Street, bills Omotesando is usually crowded with people and you an expect to queue up to five hours without table reservations.

Address
Japan, 〒150-0001 Tōkyō-to, Shibuya-ku, 渋谷区Jingūmae, 4 Chome−4−30−3

Opening Hours
8:30am to 11pm daily

Phone Number
+81 3-5772-1133

Reservations
ikyu.com (Website is in Japanese)

Nearest Tokyo Metro Station 
Meiji-jingumae 'Harajuku' Station
Chiyoda Line (green) and Fukutoshin Line (brown)



I arrived between lunch and dinner time, at 3pm, and waited only about 30 minutes before it was my turn. I was initially assigned an indoor seating but requested for the outdoor table so I could watch the sun set.


Although I was on a budget and bills Omotesando is on the pricier end of a meal in Tokyo (just a cup of coffee can cost up to SGD $10!), the brunch restaurant was dubbed the best breakfast place in Tokyo. I can't say I spend a day in Tokyo if I walk away without trying bills Omotesando!

Guest post wrriten by Sagar Kole.

Contrary to popular belief, any woman can walk around Dubai at night — solo or with friends — knowing she’s safe from harm, making Dubai one of the safest places for an all-women’s adventure holiday. Dubai’s many fabulous attractions and multi-faceted adventure options will keep you and your girlfriends sated. It's time to get your girlfriends together, pack your bags and book tickets on the next flight out to Dubai — we have a list of 8 top adventures for you to enjoy in Dubai. Have the ball of your lives adventuring in this glittering, flamboyant city of thrills!

1) Adventurous Desert Safari


Gather your gal pals and head out to the desert safari, the ultimate adventure you can enjoy in Dubai! The tour operators usually offer options for morning, evening, or overnight desert safaris. If you love a good adventure, take advantage of the day tours to go dune bashing, dune driving, sand boarding, and quad biking and camel riding. If you prefer a dining under the stars plus entertainment, opt for the evening and overnight desert safari. At night, you can even enjoy some sunset photography, desert exploration and night wildlife study.

2) Magnificent Dhow Cruise 


Go on a cruise along Dubai’s coastline in a renovated dhow that was once used for trading and smuggling in Dubai’s older days. Enjoy varied onboard entertainment ranging from belly dancing to Tanura show. You can even gather your girlfriends for a matching henna painting session or sit back and smoke a shisha pipe while watching Dubai’s magnificent landmarks flash by on the coast. Get up close to the Palm Jumeirah and World Map islands as you watch the multi-colored LED lights of the city reflected in the water like fairy lights.

3) Exciting Hot Air Balloon Ride


Hold on to your hats, ladies, and get ready to soar over the splendid Dubai desert before sunrise in a hot air balloon. Look down a distance of 2 kilometers or more at the undulating desert dunes that give over from black to red as the sun’s rays light the way. Each hot air balloon basket carries 24 people; you can hire a private hot air balloon just for your girls to make the experience more intimate. There’s nothing more exciting, more freeing, than viewing Dubai’s amazing desert from miles above, during cooling hours of the early dawn in a hot air balloon.

4) Adventurous Deep Sea Fishing


Dubai is the default destination for many renowned sea fishing enthusiasts and mariners every year, a paradise for deep sea fishing enthusiasts. In fact, you’ll find some of the biggest sailfish — Trevally, Cobia, Blue Fin Tuna, Sherri, Sultan Ibrahim, Barracuda King Fish — in Dubai’s waters. Enjoy the rich adrenaline rush as you seize your prizes out of the deep blue seas with your girlfriends.

5) Scuba Diving For Pearl Oysters


Arabian Gulf’s bio-diverse underwater life makes it paradise for underwater photographers. You can sign up for scuba diving tour packages, complete with equipment, with hotels or tour operators. Explore Dubai’s stunning underwater world that is home to more than 65,000 marine habitats. You'll definitely enjoy watching sharks, ray fish, and hundreds of shoals of colorful exotic fish swirling around old ship ruins.

6) Grand Views From A Seaplane


The best way to experience Dubai’s incredible architecture and newsworthy skyscrapers is via a seaplane ride. Sign up for a 40-minute Cessna seaplane flight with your girlfriends, and swoop over the incredible Burj Al-Arab, Dubai Frame, Dubai Canal, Burj Khalifa, the Palm Islands, the World Islands and other major Dubai landmarks. You can request to fly over your favorite spots repeatedly for Insta-worthy photos and brag about your adventure on Insta Story!

7) Amazing Water Adventures


There are endless possibilies when it comes to water activities in Dubai. Hurtle through the turquoise waters of Dubai at 70kmph on jet-ski scooter, surf the waves till you’re tired, do some energetic parasailing, banana-boat riding and more. Adventure-lovers would love adrenaline rush each time you crest over a wave or water board behind a speeding vessel! You can enjoy various water sports in Umm Suqeim, Jumeirah, Al Mamzar Beach Park and Ghantoot beaches and Dubai Marina.

8) Mountain Exploring


Dubai city doesn’t have mountains, but just 1.5 kilometers away, in Fujairah, lies the magnificent Hajar Mountains. Here you’ll find all the adventures you want if you’re into mountaineering or rock climbing. Explore the incredible trails via foot or bike, and climb rocks to your heart’s content. Check out the ancient fossils that still line the rocks, and take your rest at the many waterfalls and brooks that you’ll find deeper into the mountains.

Conclusion

Leave the boys at home for this all-girls adventure trip. Enjoy zip-gliding, tandem sky-falling, bungee jumping, beach-bumming, swimming, snorkeling and sightseeing. And ladies? Don’t forget to shop till you drop in Dubai ;)

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If you're interested in contributing a guest article, you can send an email to tsingpekyj@gmail.com (your article will be subjected to approval and further edits).

I planned to do all my souvenir shopping on my last day in Japan. Harajuku is a street filled with endless things to do and I decided to spend my last day in the major fashion district of Tokyo. The top things on my to-do list in Harajuku street were: trying Harajuku's famed crepe, explore Japan's drugstores, shop at the world's biggest Daiso, and buy snacks from Calbee Plus and Croquant Chou ZakuZaku.

Harajuku Shopping Street (Takeshita Street)

Address
1-19-5 Jingumae, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo

Neaarest Tokyo Subway Station
Meiji-jingumae 'Harajuku' Station
Chiyoda Line (green) and Fukutoshin Line (brown)

Opening Hours
Shops typically open from 11am to 9pm


I stopped at the first crepe store I saw in Harajuku, Cafe Crepe 1977, because my stomach was rumbling. Little did I know that crepe stores were a dime a dozen in Harajuku and the one that I bought from wasn't the famous crepe store travellers usually queue up to buy from T_T



I got the Strawberry and Cookie & Cream Cheesecake Crepe, consisiting of cookies and cream cheesecake, strawberry, oreo, whipped cream, and one scoop of either vanilla or strawberry ice cream. Cafe Crepe 1977 is supposedly the oldest specialty crepe shop in Harajuku.

Cafe Crepe 1977

Address

Opening Hours
Monday to Friday: 10:30am to 9:30pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10:00am to 9:30pm

Price Range
On average, ¥450 to ¥590 (SGD $5.60 to $7.40)

Telephone Number
03-3497-0030

Side note: the famous Harajuku crepe stores are Angels Heart (Japan, 〒150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya, Jingumae, 1 Chome−２０−６) and SANTA MONICA Crepes (1 Chome-168 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan). They're located right opposite each other.

I tried so bloody hard to not think about you. How your smiles made me sick to the stomach, weak to the knees. How this cynical girl is still helplessly in love with you. I stopped believing in love but you came in, made me fall, then you left. I'm telling you right now, you were bloody selfish.

But I miss you. Damn hell, I do.

I miss your laughter, it made the world stop spinning.
I miss your smile, how I break into a smile when I see yours.
I miss the warmth of your embrace, how you made everything alright.
I miss your words, how my stomach knotted when I read them.
I miss the comfort you brought me, how you were my home to return to.  
I miss you, all of you, and the way you felt.



When I'm done erasing you from my memories, I will never feel again. I will never allow myself to feel again. I was the one who let you in to hurt me and I blame no one else for that, but I hate that I let you break down my walls. I've had enough, I don't want to fall in love again.

Not anymore.
Not after you.

Tokyo was a disappointment — there I said it. Tokyo was my last official stop in Japan, and I had high expectations for the city seeing how Singaporeans flood to Tokyo ever so often during the holiday season. However, Tokyo was underwhelming to me in ways more than one.

Japan is almost synonymous to Tokyo, and rightfully so too. The capital of Japan, Tokyo is the life of the party, where the action of Japan lies. Ironically, for the same reason, this is why I don't like Tokyo. Tokyo reminded me too much of bustling Singapore. Commuters rushing from station to station, people running all over places to get work done. No one has the time to stop and chat, or help a lost tourist.

Compared to warm cities like Kyoto, Hiroshima or even Osaka, the citizens of Tokyo are cold and aloof — much like urban Singapore. A lot of Tokyo citizens can speak English or Chinese, but would rather not because stopping for a minute takes up too much of their time when they could be doing something else for themselves.

I'm guilty of that too in Singapore. You don't see me helping lost tourists often because I'm always in a rush. Travelling my next meeting, work, meet my friends etc. Since my return from my Japan solo travel, I made it a point to try helping lost tourists as much as I can even with my poor sense of directions.

The detachment of Tokyo was only magnified after I witnessed the majesty of Hakone and Mt Fuji, but I was determined to make the most out of Tokyo since I already travelled there. I checked out of Tokyo Imano Hostel early in the morning at 10am, and was disappointed to learn that they couldn't keep my luggage for me.


No worries though, because Japan is filled with lockers catered towards tourists or business travellers that can fit your luggage! I carried a 28-inch luggage with me and never had a problem finding a spot although some forums I read online warned that it might be harder to find locker space for a 28-inch luggage.


Locking and making payment for your luggage locker is easy too. Just fit in your luggage, lock it, proceed to make payment at the machine and you're done! You'll be issued a receipt with a QR code. To retrieve your luggage later on, you just have to scan the QR code at the machine and your locker will be unlocked.

Took a photo of where I left my receipt because I'm known to be muddle-headed

As there are masses of lockers available around every station, especially major train stations like Shinjuku, I always made sure to take photos of my surroundings after locking my luggage. If I were to forget which locker spot I left my luggage, I could easily get directions with these photos — beats trying to overcome the language barrier with sign languages or a vague description.



After locking my luggage, I made an impromptu trip to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in spite of the fact that it was right smack in the middle of Japan's winter and nature was presumably at the peak of its gloom.


Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is so humongous that it has three gates: Shinjuku Gate, Okido Gate and Sendagaya Gate. I got lost trying to find the gate that is nearest to Shinjuku train station as some parts of Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden was under renovation.

Tip: Load Google Maps wherever you are, key in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden's address and let Google Maps lead you to the nearest gate.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Address
11 Naitōmachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tōkyō-to 160-0014, Japan

Opening Hours
9am to 4:30pm (last entry at 4pm)

Admission Fee
Adults: ¥200
Students: ¥50
Children: Free

Telephone Number
+81 3-3350-0151