Go To – Sarong

When away from home, there are few things one can rely on through and through. This consistency adds a touch of calm to overwhelming times spent away from home. One of the things I rely on the most while traveling is my black sarong. I bought this for $10 at a hippie, beachside shop in Byron Bay, Australia, when I first visited in 2007. Since then, I have repaired a few wears and tears, but it has ultimately stood the test of time. Its versatility makes it essential to pack on every trip. The following is the ongoing list of uses I have discovered… blanket, towel, scarf, shoal, beach cover up, dress, hat/eye mask.

London Round 2

Hyde Park

Well I am back from my whirlwind trip to London. It was nice to slip into my old life again, as it felt like I never left. But it also felt weird to be a tourist in the city I used to call home. It was made more difficult by the fact that it was Easter holiday, one of the busiest times of year in London. My trip reminded me of a few more things to consider when visiting London.

Be Safe
Like any big city, theft is a problem. I recommend using a purse with a zipper or one that is difficult for someone else to access, as locals usually orient all openings closest to their body.
Getting around London by black cabs is an experience, but make sure the only cab you pick up on the street is an iconic, London black cab. These cab drivers have to pass “The Knowledge”, a test about every little, and big, street, road, court, etc. in London. However, mini cabs also operate in London, which are essentially unmarked cabs. These are a cheaper option when ordered by phone to a specific address, but are unsafe when picked up on the street. Addison Lee is a reputable mini cab company.

Go
Speaking of getting around, my favourite way to get around London is by bus. Locals either love taking the bus or hate it. But I think it is a great way to get to know London, as it helps orient one along the route, is cheapest, and sometimes faster than taking the tube. The route maps are easy to navigate at each major bus stop.
However the tube is also a good system, as the signage makes it easy to navigate all the routes and many tunnels. Just make sure to get an Oyster Card, as this is the most affordable option; but keep it in a safe place (I speak from experience).
The other way to get around London is by walking. Central London is not as large an area as one might think, and there is no need for a map, as easy to read city maps are scattered every few blocks. Just make sure to look right first before crossing the road, apparently one has to look out for cyclist now too.

A very British experience, tea and scones at the V&A

Must
When I first moved to London, I was lucky enough to have my aunt, a local, show me all the best places to get the essentials, such as groceries, clothes, makeup, etc..
Waitrose is the best grocery store, with the best products and freshest produce, but it is slightly more expensive than the other options.
Marks and Spencer (aka M&S) is the best bet for any last-minute emergencies, with anything from wine to stockings.
Although London’s department stores are quite famous, I find the not so famous one, is the best option. John Lewis offers great quality products for realistic prices.
And for any ailment issues, head to Boots, with anything a pharmacy could offer.
London is also scattered with pre-made sandwich shops, which offer fresh, healthy sandwiches and drinks for affordable prices. My favourite, and probably the most popular, is Pret a Manger (aka Pret).

New Favourites
My friends took me out to some lovely, little spots on this trip, which definitely took me back to the good, old times of exploring London.
Dishoom: London’s very own Bombay café, which has bottomless chai!
Yumchaa: Actually a favourite study spot of my friends and I during our MA, with the best tea selection and little treats to match, not to mention wireless internet and multiple locations.
Brindisa: My new favourite Spanish tapas spot, with multiple locations.
Southbank’s Real Food Market: All the food was tempting, but we took part in drinking sangria in public, which is legal in the UK.

Little Venice

Skiing in Niseko, Japan

Me and Mount Youtei

My first time to Asia was a ski trip in Japan with my family this past February. It was a remarkable introduction to Asia and I cannot wait to return. Though our trip got off to a rough start, as we arrived during the once in a lifetime snowstorm to hit Tokyo, closing down the airports and roads. After a night sleeping on the airport floor (not a big deal after experiencing this at Heathrow in December 2010) and navigating the Tokyo subway during rush hour from Narita to Haneda (a two-hour journey with ski luggage), we finally made it to Niseko.

My parents and I on Grand Hirafu

Stay
Since our group was a bit large and we were arriving from various cities in Australia and Canada, we stayed at Youtei Tracks and Landmark View apartments in Hirafu, the primary ski village in Niseko. Both apartments were centrally located, within walking distance to the Grand Hirafu Ski Resort and all the ski village amenities. We stayed here for a week and were more than comfortable with the accommodation.

Trying on antique kimonos at Sakura

Do
Ski
We spent everyday skiing, not just at Grand Hirafu, but also at the other resorts that occupy Mount Niseko-Annupuri. Our ski passes allowed us to easily access these resorts by making our way up and down the mountain. But Hanazono and Annupuri were our favourites for their tree runs and amazing restaurants (more on that soon). We discovered that when it snows soft, light powder, which is pretty much everyday, nothing is off-limits.
Half of us brought our boots and rented skis from Rhythm Snowsports, but it took a few tries to find the right equipment, as the conditions were like nothing we had ever experienced, in a good way. Like any ski village there are ski shops on every corner, so last-minute equipment can be found here.
Onsens
One day, we took the afternoon off and headed to an onsen, a Japanese bath. Since our group had both men and women, we decided the mixed gender onsen would be best and most Westernised. How wrong we were. The Niseko Grand Hotel, a typically Japanese hotel, is the only mixed onsen, located just outside of Annupuri. Women have to wear polyester, loose, tube dresses, while the men are naked. Men and women have separate onsens, with a communal one outside. Tradition is of the utmost priority at an onsen, so my mother and I were lucky enough to meet an English-speaking Japanese woman, who explained how to wash yourself before entering the baths, which ones were hottest, and where to go. But make sure to bring change for lockers and towels if you do not want to rent theirs. Besides encountering many naked Japanese men (in the outdoor onsen) and women, it was a beautiful setting and certainly relieved our muscles.
Shop
During another afternoon, my mother and I explored the shops, as any woman would. Though there were not many shops, what was inside took hours to explore. We found antique kimonos at Sakura, which was the best quality for an affordable price. We were then able to get all the typical souvenirs from the shop above Asahikawa Ramen Tozanken. And finally collected some antique sake sets from Cocoroya, along with a few other Japanese antiques. It was an education in Japanese tradition and culture, as these shops became museums for us.

Dinner at Kabuki 2

Eat
I do not think I have ever experienced so much good food in such a small area. Every opportunity to eat was more impressive than the last, seriously. For quick meals and snacks at our apartments we would pick up food from the few small grocery shops around town, which carried the basics of Japanese and Western food. But let us start with breakfast and work our way to late night treats.

Sake menu at Bar Gyu+

Breakfast
Most mornings we made our own breakfasts in our apartments, but on lazy mornings we enjoyed good quality buffet breakfasts from Yama Dining. The croissants were as good as the ones I have had in France. My mother and I also discovered the cutest muffin shop, Mariposa, which once again were the best muffins we have ever had. My favourite was the macha (Japanese powdered green tea) and white chocolate muffin.

The ‘Fridge Door’ bar

Lunch
We would have lunch on the mountain, trying to discover all the restaurants offered. But by the end of our trip we kept returning to Hanazono 308 for my favourite ramen noodles, made fresh in front of you, and Eclat Fusion Restaurant at Annupuri for its reasonably priced luxurious buffet. This buffet was of the best quality with food from Japan and around the world, but what impressed us the most were the slippers provided to give our feet a break from ski boots. We might have spent a few hours there…

Dinner at The Barn

Dinner
Kabuki 2: Yummy traditional teppanyaki (food cooked on iron griddle).
Bang Bang: Best yakitori (grilled skewered food) in town.
Kamimura Restaurant: Five star degustation for a treat.
The Barn: A little break from Japanese food in a beautiful setting.
Drinks
Bar Gyu+: The ‘Fridge Door’ bar with the best cocktails in town.
Wild Bills: North American style ski village bar.

My boyfriend and Mount Youtei

Go
Getting to Niseko is a bit of an adventure, but worth it! We all flew into Narita Airport in Tokyo, then connected to New Chitose Airport in Sapporo. From there, we took the shuttle bus two hours to Niseko. We were told it is a beautiful drive, but we saw it at night and in a snow storm. Once in Hirafu, everything is in walking distance, but to reach the rest of the mountain, not by skiing, shuttle buses run between each town. Taxis are also available, but are very expensive. Overall, everyone is very friendly and willing to help.

Taking a break in some tree runs

Creepy Crawlies

Autumn garden clean up

Living in Australia comes with its fair share of wild tales. A lot of my non Australian friends say they could never live in Australia because of the spiders and snakes. I used to think that was silly because one would never really encounter them when living in the city. But summer was in full bloom here and the creepy crawlies came out to play. This was my first summer in Australia living in an old house with a backyard and lush garden; we used to live in a modern apartment. The backyard is incredibly inviting on hot summer days, but it takes work to keep up. It was through my maintenance of the property that I came across spiders and snakes that finally made me question how Australians survive in this wild land.

A spider that is not afraid to hang around our house is the huntsman spider, which does not spin a web, but hunts its prey. You can see where it gets its name. But to give you an idea of its size, its favourite prey are cockroaches, and the cockroaches in Australia are not your everyday cockroaches. They come in all shapes and sizes, but most of them are large to my standard, and take full advantage of their wings (yes cockroaches fly!), flying into houses at night. Does it sound like your nightmare yet?

And I finally encountered snakes, something I honestly did not think would happen. One day I saw a long black snake with red radiating from its underside slither across our driveway. I mentioned what I saw to my boyfriend and neighbour, who should be accustomed to this stuff, but they were shocked, saying I should be careful, as that snake could really do some harm. Its name is a red-bellied black snake, another creative Australian title.

Later, I had another gruesome encounter, when I went to grab something from under our house (picture a house on stilts with the laundry, deep freezer, storage, and tool shed under the house) at night. As I turned on the lights to guide my way, there was a bit of a delay, but I kept walking and noticed something squishy under my foot. The light finally turned on to reveal I stepped on a little, grey, furry creature with big ears and a long tail, whom started to jump at my leg. I forgot what I was meant to do doing and ran upstairs screaming. We think it was a baby possum, the baby of the big possum living under our house. A few days later my boyfriend checked to see if the possum was still there, and it was gone. We originally thought I had scared them away by accidentally stepping on the baby, but my boyfriend came across some news a few days later that put all the pieces together and frankly, scared me even more.

Apparently, python snakes like possums, and are not afraid to hunt possums sleeping in houses. Here is another piece of the puzzle, the day after my incident with the baby possum, we woke up to the sound of kookaburra, which you might think is an everyday occurrence in Australia, but in our neighbourhood, it is not. Kookaburra actually make their lovely (annoying) laughing noise to warn the other birds that there is a snake near by, so the birds can protect their eggs. We think a snake might have had something to do with getting rid of the possum under our house. It could also explain why the baby possum did not move when it saw me coming, as possums are usually scared of people and see well at night, the snake could have already injured it.

So summer is almost over, even though it is still hotter than ever, and I have survived! But honestly, this is all part of the adventure of living abroad. I like to think I am a stronger and braver person for it, but now the fleas have invaded our house. The snakes don’t seem so scary anymore…

Via #1

Purchasing Japanese ceramics in the Tokyo Fish Market

I have craved travels around Asia for the past year.  My trip to Japan earlier this year was just the start of what I hope are many travels around this inspiring continent.  But in the mean time I am admiring these fellow travellers’ documentation of their Asian adventures, plus a few other interesting links.

Bali and Thailand travel journals
Thailand travel journals 1 & 2
Cambodia and Hong Kong travel journals
My boyfriend and I do this too
Untranslatable words, so cute