Strolling in Tokyo, Japan - Day I

Japan is beautiful, her culture, government and people makes her so mesmerizing. The weather fell between 9- 15 °C in November it's the best time to travel. It's cooling but no cold cold, that's what I like my gal (TT) to experience. Although it rains most of the time, but we enjoy just walking on the tokyo streets. No, no umbrella, we don't carry any, it going to spoiled our journey. However the last thing you want to do is getting your kid sick in a foreign country so please make sure your kid isn't got drenched and wear them thicker than you do.

 

We woke up around 8am each day, dress up, breakfast, we depart from hostel at 10.30am. Guess what? Since we planned to "dress to kill" (ha...kill camera -lah), plus the weather condition, it does take us almost 2 hours to ensure we're well covered. at times we come back for more clothes if the weather is so unbearable, especially TT. But, if you're on tour, you'll unable to enjoy these luxury time^^. See the hat she wore, it's a thick knitted winter hat plus a layer of nylon inside, that help to keep her warm.

 

 

Remember we checked-in midnight? The first thing I do was to find internet connection! Japan tourist centre populated at many places, at least I got no problem in locating one. There were so helpful and friendly. One of the assistance asked "are you from Korea?" ^^. haha. Oh well. I know I get asked many times back in my country haha  

 

Hotel Ò Uguisudani  鶯谷 Ò Tokyo National Museum (东京国立博物馆)

 

So to get to know Japanese Culture, the best place to go is Tokyo National Museum (东京国立博物馆）. We went shop a little and lunch before heading to National Museum, by the time we reach there it was already 12pm. It was rainy day, I insisted to travel, however I didn't get to see much other than the archeology. More so, that grow boredom out from my gal, but she didn't complain, cause I promised to bring her to Her places (where? tell you later).

 

 

 

 Yeah, our first stop in Tokyo, we made our way here!!

 

 

 

 

I like how orgarnize they pinned those dug items against the map, you could tell clearly the location of each. Surprisingly, she enjoys and intrigue to find out the history of these artefacts! She went from from gallery to gallery, item to item, she made my museum visit more interesting and delightful (she's such a wonderful, isn't it?). Entrace fee is only USD7 for adult and FOC for children (what? so cheap?) Yeah, I find it is worth to spend a trip there, we gain insights and knowledge.

 

 

 

 

 

It was dark by the time we get out from Museum, clock ticking at 4.30pm, rains still. We ducked and walked in the rain about 100m to train station (Make sure your kid is well covered, in this case TT has thick hat and her waterproof overcoat, of course plus multiple layer of stokins on her legs.). We decided to end our day and go back to Hotel and spend bit of time in planning our next itinerary.

 

 

 

 
I've landed in Tokyo National Museum~

 

So tired after hours of visiting~

 

 

An artefacts..xoxo

 

  

Dinner place..

 

 

Novevember month is the best to travel, however due to this condition, the day begins early and end early as well. The sky is getting dark at 4pm and completely dark at 5pm, we didn't get to go other places but National Museum. To me, that's more than enough.

 

Kechara Soup Kitchen

What's your perception about the homeless? drugs addict? Beggar? Mental illness? Or they are just indolent people. They sleep on the streets, benches, public toilet, mosque/temple, under the bridge. To them, hardcore tiles are their bed, bridge are their roof, carton box are their blanket. That's their home.

Whilst some perceived aiding the homeless is a form of encouragment, I found values in this decent act.

Ever thought who doesn’t wish to live like an ordinary human who has a job, home to live, plentiful meals. They are just unfortunate folks who bounced to bad influence, being abandoned/lost. We hope someday the drugs addicts will back to society to live like human, government able to provision a better shelter to the beggars, and mental illness being taken care of, whilst hoping these will be happening, the least we could do – give provision to their hunger.

Kechara Soup Kitchen enable more findings on the unnoticeable facet – some chose to be homeless. Whilst we live in comfortable shelter, these people just want to save their rental and food for family not once but for more than 10 years. Whilst some old folks abandoned by the own kids to old folks home, they chose to live within their means resentfully. Whilst some left home to get a better job unfortunately being robbed in a foreign country. There are varied races, age, nationality on the streets but all you could find is – dirty and stink.

Do these people have a choice? Yes they do, they could choose to revert to original state living own home but with limited means, they could adhere to their kids to lead a "discipline" life in home care, but these people wish to live a better one by taking a chance in their life. Fortune isn’t strike on everyone. Whilst we hope they would live life better one day, we merely aids them when needed.

Everyone knows hunger suppressed morale, induced depression, aggravated loneliness, by aiding with food, we resolved their least necessity. We show them - HOPE.

..and… This is our values.

Travelling with Kids

Single mother travelling can be quite an uphill task, not to mention if this is your first time. I brought her to Universal Studio, Singapore with my family, she was happy and that's my goal. Simple.

The true challenge arise when I decided to go on trip with her alone, for the first time we traveled by only two of us. I was quite skeptical about Cambodia as it's  new and doesn't appeared "safe" to me, so it's a challenge to go without other adults along. However I was kind of fascinated towards the Angkor Wat where "Tomb Raider" took place ( I later found that it actually took place in another temple, can't recall the name). After a few research and feedback from a Globetrotter, it become more appealing to me so I went ahead for booking which cost me about RM1800 for two persons in a 4 star hotel (why do I spell out the cost and the hotel rating? Read more).

So you must be amazed how do I travel with a kid, Alone. Usually, travelling alone perceived as unsafe, needless to say taking a kid with you amidst travelling in such chaotic country? Well, I must say I'm excellent. My travelling preparation was parfait, at least I never felt lacking during my whole trip including my kid, she was 9 back then, our travelling was comfy and no complaints since things needed are intact. I summarise my ground preparation as follow:

Get Ready

Taking care of a child single handedly is already an arduous task, so don't over stress yourself, if you're not ready to travel with child, push it to another year. As for me I begin our travelling plan starting only from her 8th. Three reasons: She able to comprehend things surrounding her, she can appreciate travelling of course she can be independent. Remember travelling can be quite hectic when you need to keep an eye for your luggage, personal belongins on top of supervising them. Children can be super active and careless, so to avoid tragedy e.g gone missing, make sure you're mentally & physically prepared.

Set your Expectation

Expectation is the foundation for you to begin with, so no one will be disappointed at the end.You must determine whether the trip is meant for her or yourself, If this is a trip for her there must be places which interest her because her happiness is your ultimate goal. Nothing comes free, I impose certain conditions before she could go travelling i.e. Score well in her study. It doesn't really work though but will figure out something else.

Set your Objectives

Set your objectives right whether it's meant for leisure or fun or educational. Although many of my friends objected this trip (Siem Reap) as it's  historical places where doesn't appeal to kid unlike theme park, funfair but I think otherwise. I prefer her to learn something out of the trip. So to trigger her interest I use an angle which she could relate to - "Tomb Raider" online game. I do tell her bit of history and the background of the place we're visiting, I also googled her some pictures and the game she could relate on. Needless to day, those weren't interest her. But at least you did, children may not show a lot of interest there and then, but if you wish to instill her with interest in history perhaps you need to start somewhere. Whatever it's set your objectives right.

Set your Budget

As I was quite sceptical towards a third world country, I booked a package which includes accommodation and tickets. Along with this, I get recommended hotel. I chose a higher rate hotel as I wanted her to stay comfortably and feeling safe. Though I find the package I got from AirAsiaGo Travel was quite good as compared to booking it separately, it was considered EX!! Gosh! With the rate I'm paying I could travel to Japan!! Well. So I learnt, to save money, book 6 months ahead is essential. Travelling to Seam Reap can be as low as RM 750 for 2 persons!! Tricks are book ticket during Air Asia big sales and stay in hostel!

Research around or get in touch with these Globetrotter might save you more money on tour and transportation. I spent USD30 a day as transportation and tour guide fee other than entrance fee. In a nutshell, it's truly cost saving!

Set your Itinerary

Researched the places to visit before embarking to ensure I've optimised my stays filled with places i wanted to go. For this trip, we spent a day to visit Orphanages and Floating Village, it's an educational trip I planned to. She gets to learn about unfortunate one and conditions of living. Trust me, she was amazed with what she had seen and she became more appreciative of what she's getting! We went historical temples in Siem Reap on day two.

Packing

This is most essential element in your entire planning, you'll get dampen when your packing isn't complete with necessary items. To play safe, I use the L size luggage. Good preparations for us include...

1. luggage. Got ready my luggage starting from the weekend so i have buffer for a must item.

2. clothing. (researched from Internet) to ensure comfy travel including in airplane and on site

3. shoes. for a long walk, at least she never complaint:)

4. medicine. to spare in case of discomfort resulted from the weather/food

5. cosmetic. of course to make sure I look good in the photos,

6. toiletries. to make sure my daily washed items are equipped

7. skin care. to make sure I've necessary treatment resulted from exposing under the sun, so i must got ready with water mask and sunblock.

8. Accessories.s like hairband, clip & hair accessories mostly for the little one

9. snacks. for orphanages visiting

10. Phone and camera chargers. to avoid battery turn flat

11. Books. make sure she isn't bored on the plane

12. Food. on the airplane

Anyways, she look forward and excited to go on a trip. She couldn't sleep on the night before and she woke up early for preparation. Surprisingly she was quite independent in airport from check-in to boarding. Below are some pictures taken in airport. Although we lose all the pictures taken in Siem Reap but memories live in our mind even stronger:)

 

3.30am arriving at airport - her mischievous look.....

6.30am in airplane, she was excited

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Siem Reap located northen region of Cambodia. The name - Siem Reap denotes flat defeated Thailand. The economy  is equivalent to a township in northen region of Malaysia however limited traffic lights.

There were only 4 traffic lights in the whole city supporting 20,000 populations. These traffic lights are an sponsored item by the large hotel located within the city. Three major modes of transport are car, motorbike and bicycle (mostly), no helmet and at times three passengers in one motorcycle. Many hotels located near the airport, decent restaurants are plenty in this city. You'll find similar set up like Pizza Hut in Siem Reap call "The Pizza Company" attached to a shopping mall probably in the scale of Leisure Mall (Cheras, Kuala Lumpur). Well, this post is not so much about this developing city but the suburb I traveled to.

Whilst the citizen in the city lead a decent life, the villagers in the suburb one barely have clean water to survive, ironically it's only couple kilometres away from the city.  Thousands of houses along the river bank heading to Tonle Sap Jetty, they cook and drink from the same source - River. 

Kids are smudgy by glance, I pressume it was due irregular wash. They often play at the river and they look just dirty from face to the toe. Most of them hardly with clothes  on as washing and bathing are luxury chores.  I wonder how to keep up their hygienic factor without clean water.

Houses are made of straws and woods and only a few made of concrete cements and bricks. The tiny houses are the place where they live, cook, sleep, play, raise kids. Due to large publicity, water pump built at every two houses. Villagers derive the limited source of water for their basic cleaning. Donors are mainly from Italy, Germany, USA, some wealthy Cambodian etc. Where are the donors from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand etc? I got no idea, perhaps fund raiser never reached Asia Pacific. 

  

 I feel heartache by seeing them leading an unhealthy and unhygienic living conditions as compared to where we're today. Orphanages are also a common phenomenon in Siem Reap not to mention in this village. Most parents died resulted from war, handicap resulted from land mines, poor living conditions. Glad to learn few orphanages has been supported by some religion community, at least they have shelter, food and little education athough poor condition as compared to their neighbourhood - in the city.

Flood just swooped them few months ago, villagers travelled in muds. Walk or cycling are mode to school took approximately an hour. They look very adorable but deep in their eyes there were many queries. They got no difference from kids in anywhere in the big city, but why are they suffering? Don't be surprised they look smudgy all year long (my unreconcile empathy arise again><). This is life I guess, a bit cliche but true, they couldn't choose the country to born to just like we couldn't pick parents to begin with.

  

By passing the 10km journey, we finally reached the jetty heading to the Floating Village (Tonle Sap), it's 30km from the jetty, cost USD20 per head. The lake is stink like public toilet however in larger scale. As we travel nearer to the destination the smell is unbearable but imagine nearly 2000 of populations living by this stinking lake day by day, year by year. These are Vietnamese who stranded in Cambodia resulted from the chronic war. Fishing to survive, the mother and kids are usually ridding in the boat or some in a steel made pail to beg for money from the tourist. 


Whilst fortunate one snuggle in nice warm bed and unlimited nutritious food supply at home, babies counting by months have to beg for living (They required to cry, crawl on the platform to attract simpathy). What an irony is that the government turn the life of poor villagers into tourist attraction.

Many tourist 'feeding' the poor by the platform attracted more  villagers come by, there were mostly mother and children. Tourist thrown some packet junks which I believed are snacks (hopefully), causing a slight commotions. Where are their father? They could be died from the war resulted single mother with babies/children to beg for survival. Watching the scene from the lookout point (no I didn't join the rest at the 'feeding' platform', I find it humiliating as if feeding the fish in the pond). One question lingering in my mind, is that ethical to feed the poor in that manner if you have a helping heart?

I stopped by a floating kiosk, brought some mineral water at higher price (according to the vendor, the profits made will be supporting the poor around this region) and some instant noodles (there is no crackers and breads) and deliver to a christian school also an orphanage as depicted, one and the only. I hope my little donation able to keep their stomach warm for sometime?

A 9 x 8 feets boat is basically their shelter for bedding, dinning, playing, drinking, bathing and toileting.  What's more to those strieving for few thousand feets bungalow? kids as small as 5 years old carry out their chores by travel  slightly further to collect clean water but from the same lake.

To my surprises, there are orphanages living by this stinking lake.  How would these orphans live when other kids who has own home (boat) are barely survived? They are dirty at glance ( I know I mentioned this many times, perhaps I have the urged to clean them up), living in the lake where no clean drinking water often resulted stomachache and diarrhoea. Wet and stink are part of their life. Where are their parents? Where is their home? What's their future?

At the end of the story, you might wonder do these vietnamese (mostly) has a choice to go back homeland? Answer is, Barely. They classified as illegal immigrants and barely have the fund to go back nor they still have a home back in their homeland.

  

Well. This is life of poor villagers in Siem Reap. The chronic wars resulted poor country, the chronic wars resulted homeless kids (orphan), the chronic wars resulted poor living condition. 80% of the villagers are fishing to survive, these people are more unfortunate compared to some rural province in China, if you've been to any.

Although the stories are sad, however there found hope - natural resources - OIL. I sincerely hope the country would develop well like other third world countries. Citizen no longer suffer and kids have healthy growing environment like the precious children in many cities.

Notes:

I extracted this from my FB notes, wrote sometime back after my trip in Nov 2011. Whilst clearing my notes, I decided to share it here. It was written based on the mental Images  from the trip, ya we lost the camera on the last day of travelling. Post images garnered from local tourism sites as a reference of what I see. It's eye-opening for myself and my little one, it brings enormous educational and personal values. 

 

Mariage Journey Begins II

I found this from my previous journal. Something I wanted to share with you.

"why spending the unnecessary on Valentine's Day?"  said, a friend married with one kid.

"Have you ever buy her anything during your courtship?", I asked.

"Nope", he answered firmly. "but I bought on her birthday", he added.

"How about now?" , I never give up.

"Nope, but I make efforts over the years to develop our future". He said.

To develop the future for the family, he fell into the stereotype of marriage which I covered  in my recent post -  Relationship Ended, Marriage Begins.

 

" When are you getting married?" I was so amazed with people who ask this question, especially those who are married.

" I already married once, I'm not in the hurry now." I replied using my usual line, I realised life is more than just getting married.

"Are you happily married" I asked. The usual reply will be "quite good, our live is progressing". No one will reveal the truth. Matter of fact, people who ask this question show a sign of doubt in their own situation - why would I get married in the first place.

So what's my ideal marriage? Do I really want to get married again?

Marriage is not something easy to manage unless fundamentally both parties are committed (C) and willing to compromise (C), consider (C) & comprehend (C) along the way. Overtime it can be diverted else where, that's where the problem arise.  Essentially it's takes strong LOVE to sustain the Marriage 4Cs elements, when the loves die everything else were just an empty shell. However misperception from most people is that's a natural process.

"How to sustain the ROMANTIC LOVE amid life challenges?" Most of the time LOVES died along the way.

Back to basic. Hormones draw us attracted  to someone who can complement ourselve.

However most people enter into marriage for wrong reasons be it pressure from peers, family or society. This is another topic by itself, but if you able to assess your needs and wants, you make thing less complicated. Sometime we got blind folded to see what's ahead and what's beneath when Loves come in strong wave, only the strong one will power one would able to flip the coin.

Let's make a simple analogy.

Marriage Journey Begins I

Many people had misperception that marriage is the end of relationship, not to mention when kid arises. Surprises are luxury, little sweet talking is waste of time, time for two is scarce. Husband and Wife become the slave of stereotype marriage - They work hard, save money, buy house, buy car, baby, then save more money, buy bigger house, bigger car and more babies.

The elderly said, " Financial is the foundation of marriage, wait till you're ready." This is somehow true but not entirely true.

Back to the topic.

Worse still, some couple refused to see the end of their love, some stay on for the kids. I don't understand this, my kid could sense my emotion even I don't talk. What makes you think the kids are ignorant about what's going on? The kids play along with the pretentious game until it broke for good one fine day.  Do you think kids were innocent or the adults were naive? or are they just selfish due to the uncertainty? ................Or the rotten love. Who suffer the lose and the most? 

When we were younger especially the LOVE devotees, how many actually comprehended advices like this? The pledge of LOVE is Everything led marries without further considerations. God knows LOVE would die when the romance and sparks are gone. Work, financial, children and pressure resulted frictions in marriage. Continuous arguments steer to the verge of breaking up, I don't have to illustrate what ended the marriage because you're intelligent to think on your feet.

Essentially, how many marriages are happy amidst the challenges elaborated? How many are pretending? How many are struggling? How many in the midst of getting out? How many already exited?

Wow, sounded so negative. Yes I was very skeptical toward marriage.

Now, If you ask me do I want to get married again?  Yes, I want to but........^^

Stay tune. brb ^^.


Related Posts:
Relationship Ended, Marriage Begins II