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Lioness in Japan
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This personal blog charts my move from Singapore to Tokyo. I talk about trailing partner issues, Japanese culture, relocation ups and downs, and my progress as a writer on the go.
Recent Posts Tagged With 'expat musings'
What a way to spend a Sunday
Though I expected my JLPT 2 Test to be hard, it was still a surprisingly tremendous flop. I agree with my friends who said this is the test that really gives you a reality check on your actual level in Japanese language skill. ”Sugoyi (Excellent)!...
How to make learning Japanese less painful
It’s the time of year again for the dreaded JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test; you can read about my experience last year here). I have a love-hate relationship with language learning: I need the skill, but it is f—ing hard to master...
I’m inspired to run a marathon
I finished reading Murakami’s What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, and it just made me fall in love with long distance running again. In this quirky memoir of sorts, he talks about how running shaped his life as a writer. There’s an...
Pigging out at the Azabu Juban Matsuri
As I look back on my folders of photos on my desktop, I’m amazed at how busy my summer was. While chilling out on my futon enjoying the cool autumn air, I wondered where my three months went. I finally understand the idea of “summer fun”. Comin...
Our neighbourhood bar
Whooo….I’ve been missing for a bit, haven’t I? August was an insane month so I’m just starting to sit down and think about blogging again. Lots of news, so stay tuned. Here’s something that makes my neighbourhood feel l...
Looking at Tokyo from the water
We’re so busy in the summer in Tokyo — there are so many fun things to do! A friend organized a Yakatabune boat cruise dinner party (details in English here) that sails through the Sumida River in the evening and it was a great way to enjoy a Ja...
Do you ever get expat paranoia?
I’ve to confess that I finally started using Japanese toothpaste. Yes, after three whole years of living in Japan. For those of you who did your homework on what’s available or not in Japan, you will know that Japanese toothpaste and tap water h...
Found a little tree house in Harajuku
Hideaway Café & Bar is a cozy nook away from the craziness of the crowds in Omotesando and Harajuku on a weekend. What’s special about it is the café has a thick tree in the middle of its premises. The canopy sticks out above the building. I...
Let’s be more progressive, please?
See this ad over here? Yes, two Caucasian women with big balloons stuffed down their tank tops and smiling happily for chic Harajuku shopping mall, La Foret. It is no wonder Japan is one of the lowest ranked in terms of gender equality in the develop...
A girl’s right to fruit
For any fruit and veggie lover, getting your heart’s desire in Tokyo is extremely challenging. Okay for any fruit-mad individual (like me) from Southeast Asia would have this problem. Fruit in Singapore is ridiculously, stupendously affordable. SG...
My granny cart
This is how I lug tons of groceries from a supermarket 20 minutes away on foot. And up the steep hill back to my apartment. I’ve experienced run away veggies and oranges when I over-stuffed this steel machine on wheels. Not only am I digging Tokyo ...
Sometimes it’s nice to sit and stare
I’ve been getting out of the house more and am feeling good about it. On Tuesdays, I teach almost all afternoon so I tote along some lunch to eat while taking a short break in Hibiya Park. It feels like an oasis in the middle of huge skyscrapers an...
I have a new sensei
Right now I’m kind of sulking over the loss of my previous sensei — she injured her back and can’t teach any more so the Japanese language school gave me a replacement. I’m not sure if I like her. She enunciated her words as if I was deaf an...
I had to face the horror of losing my house keys…
Last night I had to pop down to the post office along Aoyama-dori to post Beauty Box orders and I was in a trance of sorts. ”What shall I have for dinner?” “My raw ravioli looks quite disgusting.” “Shall I have a cooked dinner instead? I...
12 Things I love and hate about going home
I always feel a mixture of excitement and dread before I fly back to the Lion City. Why? A fellow expat friend described the expat experience as a transforming one: you’re a weird hybrid creature and you don’t fit in anymore. Singapore is no lon...
Day out with the kangaroo
“Babe, let’s get out of the apartment and DO something!” suggested the kangaroo in his towel as he emerged from his shower around noon last Saturday. He had a good week back in Tokyo and was itching to get out of our comfort zone. Dates are rar...
Japan blogs I love tuning into
My RSS reader is packed full of blogs on various topics and the category “Japan Blogs” is pretty long. But, despite this habit of collecting blogs, I only really read and look forward to new posts daily by the blogs listed below. There are many...
Watching cherry blossoms in Yoyogi
This is one of my favourite times of the year (hanabi, or fireworks, in summer is also top on my list) and I shot out of bed to prepare yummy goodies for the picnic we were going to with friends at Yoyogi Park. Our friends nabbed a good spot where ...
Why do you want to live in Tokyo?
Most folks would be envious or impressed when I tell them I live in one of the most exciting cities in the world, but there are people who genuinely don’t get it, and ask me, “Why do you want to live there?” Believe it or not, this question stu...
A trip to the tax office
For the first time, I filed my taxes in Tokyo. I feel like a citizen of this town! I just wanted to remember this because it was actually a very good experience. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had painful, bureaucratic encounters, which l...
Understanding Japanese women
I stumbled upon this e-book, Understanding Japanese Women, as I was surfing around yesterday for English teaching material (yes, I’ve gone back to teaching conversational English as a part-time thing) and I perused it with the expectation that this...
How to survive Tokyo as a Singaporean
This post has been germinating for a very long time. I haven’t published it because I kind of lacked the time and energy to write a “thinking” post for a while. Things at BB Headquarters are abuzz and there’s lots to do daily. But today ...
My new humidifier saved the day
This winter is so dry in Tokyo that it actually makes my skin feel prickly, my lips chapped, my poor cuticles peel from lack of humidity. This happens just when I thought I got the hang of it all. Actually I wasn’t sure if the parched air was the p...
How my JLPT test went
It’s a relief that my JLPT 3 (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) test is over. Although I love learning languages, there is a fair amount of stress that comes from mastering a complex language like Japanese. I tried to set a Japanese study schedu...
The lazy girl’s guide to showing people around in Tokyo
I had a few friends visiting Tokyo a couple of weeks ago but I was dead busy. Fortunately, I managed to clear my work and come up for air for a day, so how do I give the best of Tokyo in just one day without killing myself and my comrades? Torn betwe...
When you sleep alone
…Hokkairo (heat pads or pocket warmers) comes to the rescue as winter is creeping into Tokyo. Although temperatures at night are hovering around eight degrees, I still feel it’s too cold to sleep comfortably without some heat assistance. A mon...
More weird and wonderful Japanese products
As I am growing my pet project, Meiji Amino Collagen, I have been keeping an eye out for lucrative Japanese items. Through my foraging, I’ve come across a couple of hilarious, and disturbing, things for sale in this land of high tech products and m...
The Emperor’s Digs
In my two years here, I’ve always wanted to take pictures of my favourite jogging area — the Imperial Palace. But digital cameras and sweaty runs don’t go together, so when we were doing some exploring with Mrs. Kangaroo, I went trigger-happy ...
Playing tourist at Studio Ghibli Museum
Many people are surprised to know that Mrs. Kangaroo is a huge fan of Hayao Miyazaki’s anime movies. She watches them on CBS in Sydney once a week and has even videotaped all her favourites, including Porco Rosso, and Kiki’s Delivery Van. Her gra...
Shibuya: Doko asobi masu ka?
This phrase means, “Where do you play?” but the meaning of that is “where do you usually hang out with your friends?” My answer to that is, “Shibuya.” My friends and I would usually have dinner at an izakaya and then head onto karaoke or...
