PART ONE | #23daysinJAPAN

こんにちは、ひさしぶりですね!
hello, it's been awhile!

> click here for vlogs <

Obviously, by now, most people probably know I love Japan hahah
So, it's no surprise that when my mom asked me whether I want to volunteer in Japan, I replied yes!
Like, yes! yes! YES!

1ST to 23RD SEPT 2017

So, basically most of September 2017 became my first ever "solo" travel. This Japan trip was sort of impromptu actually hahah Emma (a friend!) came back to Malaysia from Japan for like maybe a month or so and my mom just suddenly suggested me to go volunteer work at the school Emma works at. Because this trip was so sudden, my plane tickets were not cheap hah. One would think AirAsia would be my go-to option but, to my surprise, AirAsia was the same price as ANA (largest airline in Japan). Two-way tickets costed me like around RM1700. *so expensive TT*

Although I've flew out of the country before, I never really paid attention to the airport procedures so I was actually quite clueless. It was my first time flying by myself and, for some reason, I wasn't too worried. Let's just say, my mindset was just: 顺其自然. So, I was "fearless" hahahahaha

Since ANA is actually a higher end airline, the leg space is bigger YAY there was a mini TV for every seat, and the meals were a little too big for me lollll. Seriously. I didn't want to waste food so I forced myself to finish everything and I had a nausea attack due to overeating :-) why do I have this problem. The nausea attack was quite bad, I almost called for a 空姐 to come and rub my back in circles hahahaha.... (it wasn't funny then.) The nausea attack passed after 20 minutes, and I proceeded to finish watching a movie :))))

(( it was NOT a pleasant 20 minutes. 20 mins of me just focusing so damn hard not to puke. ))

7 hours later, I landed!

After landing, bought bus tickets to Sano (RM160) and a SIM card: b-mobile (RM130: 5GB for 21 days).
and I was kinda stupid and 弄到自己很赶, 真的差一点就没有上到巴士 (thank God I rushed in time TT)
and I continued to be stupid, the SIM card needs to be activated with wifi but I was already on the bus.
So, I couldn't contact Emma when I reached :-)

So clueless and helpless at the small bus terminal in Sano lol.
I tried asking help from the counter girl but English....hah.
AND THEN, an angel, my saviour, appeared. TT
She speaks English!!!!!!!!!!
What's even more surprising is that she was actually taking the bus to the airport to go to Malaysia!
She works at Damansara lollll
Thanks to her, I reached Emma's home safely TvT
过后才发现她是我其中一个(日本)学生的阿姨 suchhh a coincidenceeeee!

Emma lives in Sano, Tochigi (佐野市) which is north of Tokyo.

It's a little town which is considered to be a kampung.

I would like to state that it's the prettiest and nicest kampung I've ever seen :-)

it's sooooo clean too my gosh.

连他们的longkang都很干净 what the 清澈到可以和 sg congkak 比 liao HAHA

there are paddy fields randomly everywhere around Emma's place lol

我们平时要去到sekinchan才看到的说 hahahah

那时每天早上起来出门就看到了 cuz 家门前就有一大块稻田 (photo above!)

For the first few days after I arrived, the school (Sano International School) haven't 开学

so, 我也只是 settling down.

附近有个park and it's pretty hahah
(another selfie lol heads up: manyyy selfies during this trip cuz solo travel ok)

没什么拍到照片, recorded video instead. (vlog coming!!)

I felt like I was in an anime the whole time there lol no joke.

Anime里面的画面都是照着日本人的真实生活画出来的

there was this dad teaching his kid how to play baseball in the park omo so cute TT

also wanna mention that their 美观很强

this small little corner in Emma's kitchen.

damn aesthetic weih hahhahaha

 went to help out Emma on setting up her classroom.

the school is actually super small.

the school is basically the second floor of the church.

there are only 3 classes for junior high. 6 ppl in Emma's class only.

不过这样也好啦 老师可以很仔细地教每一位小朋友

 the church.

there's a 7-11 nearby so 7-11 lunch y'all.

I loveeeeeeee Japanese convenience stores gosh. Especially 7-11.

Food, basic toiletries, snacks, stationeries, vitamins, tech accessories (cables), magazines, etc.

SO MANY THINGSSSSSS.

truly amazing. seeing a 7-11 is like seeing an oasis oH YES

I love that their PASMO/Suica cards (japan version of touch n go) can be used for basically everything
Can use for train fares, in restaurants, in clothes shops, vending machines ahh
soooOOOOOO DAMN USEFUL.
seriously can go cashless liao hahahahah

this is RIGHT outside of the church/school
and oh it looks so much like an anime scene hahhaha
the skiessssss too TT 天空是重点 ahhh

more prettiness TT

when you're your own photographer TT
really.. so many takes for this one sorta successful shot hah
so proud of this one lol

#shookt by iphone6s front camera focus skills wow. *claps*
showing only one eye cuz the other eye is completely blocked aka fail hahahah

dinnerrrrr niku-don aka beef bowl yayyy ((超大碗饭,, emma also couldn't finish it lol))

the teachers had some fireworks so we spontaneously had a fireworks party lol
the day after this was the first day of school! aka first day of volunteer work!
uh I'll leave that in the next post lol

END

끝