Full day in Odaiba

On our last day in Japan we decided to go to Odaiba because we didn't go there the last time.

I really do think if you were to spend a month in Japan we barely even graze the surface of what Japan have to offer to a traveller.

So since I have mostly boys and I had been planning all our trips (except USJ) that caters to my whim I decided the kids should have fun in Odaiba because they have Gundam and cars and stuffs.

LOL.

Anyway we started off early but arrived almost noon. It took close to an hour to go to Odaiba. And it was a harrowing train rides because Sharif wouldn't stop crying. We have no idea what he wants.

I suspected that he doesn't like crowds because he only cried during that time. It gotten so bad, we got off for a while to a station to calm him down because the Japanese does not appreciate any loudness in the train. But he started right back again after we got on the train. -_-

When we get to Odaiba, not a peep.

A gloomy day 

We head straight here for the kids to take a pic.

Since it was almost noon, and I googled there was a halal soba place nearby we headed there terus. Nasib baik we went just before 12pm because after 12 there quite some queue.

It was quite a good meal except for my husband who ordered some fishy fish that smells which he loathed. But I can eat almost anything so we swapped.

It had been quite some time since I have soba come to think of it.

Then we spent quite some time in the Gundam Base.

Up to this day I have no idea what that colorful tube things are.

Then we went into the Toyota Mega Web where they have museums showing cars from different ages, and then a new car showcase which we are like wishing why can't Toyota sells them here.

There is also a queue to go onto this, got my husband to get into this as my kids watched. 

I really like this car and wished they have it here in Malaysia, so cute and compact but also roomy. 

Afterwards we went to the car area for kids where kids can play some kiddi care and 6 yr old and above who understand English (or Mandarian, Japanese and French or German kut ) can also have a lesson in driving a mini car.

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#akhtaraziz got his first driving license and passed with flying colours..

A post shared by Shamani Samin (@shammin) on Oct 5, 2018 at 12:19pm PDT

Went shopping afterwards for some beauty products. Have no idea what I am looking at nor looking for. So I don't bother to show it here. The mall is pretty though.

The kids like looking at the robot. It will move if you speak to it. I think or waved? Can't remember. 

Malas layan pose bebudak ni. 

One of my plan is to ride a giant Ferris Wheel in Japan. Tak sempat nak gi ke Osaka punya, ingatkan Odaiba can. Sekali tutup

Afterwards we went to Ameyoko to window shop. Everything is the same and nothing interest me until the shopkeepers malas layan aku dah.

Gomennasai.

Laki aku beli lagi chiken man which what we ate the previous last night. Can't remember why, but I think because we enjoyed it the first time we ate it.  But I remembered I don't quite enjoy it for the 2nd time.

But it was getting cold and we are all tired. So beli je la ni.

Oh sebelom we head to the hotel, I did manage to find a cute bag and skirt at a train station in Ueno. I think all the pretty inexpensive stuffs are in the lil shops in the train station. I really love those shops. The tourist spots will all be selling the same stuffs for all the same shops. I jadi tak syok nak browsing. So depends on what you are looking for I guess.

So that's the last day we were in Japan.

We head out really early the next day because our flight is at 10.30 am and we just barely manage to buy the express train ticket to the airport. I mean it was really crazy that the train ticket would be snapped up so fast. Nasib baik sempat!

It was a good journey back home because we were travelling with JAL. If MAS were to be bought by JAL I should say go for it. Everything from service, food and seat was great..

No airplane pic from me because I am drowsy out of my mind.

And that conclude that last year holiday. I do not want to blog about it but I feel it is a shame if I didn't because I really do love re-reading my old travel trips.

Osaka -> Tokyo.

On the last day of our stay in Osaka we decided to go to the famous Osaka castle.

The owner of the apartment very kindly let us to check out any time we want so we can manage a visit to Osaka castle and head to Tokyo after noon.

We took a train to the nearest stop to Osaka castle and walked. A bit far tbh. When we got to the park we decided to just take a buggy because we don't wish to waste a lot of time. Also the kids were also a bit tired from the walk from the train station.

The outer gate

The magnificent Osaka castle. It was a really really pretty day. Shame that we can't spend a whole day in Osaka city. 

My husband and the kids at the top tower of the castle. 

I really like Osaka castle on how informative it is. I actually am not very familiar with any of Japan history and did thought to read a bit but I gotten lazy. But the museum is still very interesting. Much of the exhibits focused on a particular battle between 2 shoguns so I like that it was specific. But still a whole lot more I didnt know. 

And we only manage Osaka castle. I honestly don't feel like I really even briefly visit Osaka. There is so much more I haven't seen. I like Osaka from the brief time I manage to see here and hope I can come back again to see and experience more. 

After the visit, we took a taxi for a halal food place in Osaka, Naritaya Osaka Minami. 

Ordered the Mazesoba and followed the instructions on the wall!

The fried chicken and fried dumpling which was delicious. 

After eating, we head back to the apartment to get our luggage. Then took a taxi to the train station for our next brief stop. Tokyo. We took the JR train to Tokyo which took 3 hours. I don't know why but I don't feel comfortable in the bullet train. It was hot and I don't feel comfortable and nauseous.

We got to Tokyo around 6pm and it was getting dark so it was good that we took a hotel near the station.

It was a new hotel; the Mimaru Tokyo Ueno Inaricho, had opened just a couple of weeks just in fact. So everything was brand new.

A very comfy hotel with comfy beds and the sofa that is beside the dining table can be changed into a bed so we get 2 more extra beds. Perfect place for family. 

My husband and the kids decided to go out to eat while I stay in because Sharif had a fever.  He got back with chicken and rice from a halal place nearby afterwards.

I have to say this place is quite a nice place to stay in Tokyo. Near a major train station and of course near a lot of attractions too.

USJ in a day

Note: (super late throwback post)

I was excited to go to USJ for this Japan trip, because I can't wait to get to the Harry Potter theme park side.

We went around 9 am, and just manage to get in after the gate opened. We went straight to the Harry Potter fame ride.

Walking to our first ride

Early morning no one is taking a pic of this. Afterwards there will be a long line. 

Hogwarts!

Lining up to our Harry Potter ride. As I lined up as a single rider it was faster for me, less than 10 mins of queuing. 

Some stuffs I seen here while waiting. Those who don't want to go to the ride can also toured the castle as my husband and kids did. It was a very Hogwarts-like. Mostly just to be amazed on the talking portraits. Unfortch it is all in Japanese though so we can't understand a thing. 

So I got into the ride and TBH, it was not my favorite ride. Because it is so jerky that at one time I was seriously thinking that I could puke. So anyone who have motion sickness, maybe should popped in some mint candy just before the ride to lessen the motion sickess effect. 

Aside from the motion sickness, it was quite thrilling, Dementors and flying and whizzing through the castle was exhilarating. The space provided for the ride was really huge so it does went on for quite a time. The graphics are well done too. 

After the ride, I caught up with the rest of the familia and the husband went with one of the kids to the other Harry Potter roller coaster ride. It was a mild ride for kids and we all enjoyed it. 

And of course a trip to the Harry Potter theme park , we have to have the Butterbeer. Taste somewhat like root beer. We can have the options either to buy the mugs together with the drink or just the normal plastic cups. I wanted one of the mug so I chose the less expensive mug.

Taste like root beer tbh, more vanilla-ish

Then we hang around Hogsmeade Village because it was pretty.

Then afterwards we went towards the Jurassic Park-like area.

We didnt ride the Flying Dinosaur even though it looks like fun because the wait is more than an hour, even for single rider. As we didn't bought fast pass we decided on the other water ride. It was an okay-ish queue. 

Bought the kids one of the park minions popcorn holder. At first each of them wants one, but it is crazy expensive and it is just a popcorn holder. And heavy. So we asked them to share. 

Different stalls have different minions, there were Tarzan Minions, Pirate Minions, the usual minions , Mummy Minions and I picked this for them. 

The single rider for this ride was only like for 5 mins, I accompanied a sleeping Sharif and Saif outside while Aziz and his father went on this ride. Saif can't ride this yet. After the father and sone emerged, I went in alone.

I love this ride! It have a cooling mild ride at the beginning, then it become slightly crazy at the end.

For lunch we decided on pizza and sit at this pretty place . But it pissed me off actually that people are like smoking around eating area full of kids. As I was not sure of the smoking policy inside here I malas to make a fuss, but honestly. Use your head lah.

After lunch, it was mostly kiddies ride and it seems like I didn't take a pic because when the kids was in their kiddie ride I put in my IG story. LOL.

But Sharif had fun on his balls pit area and we moved to some other kiddie ride. Even there the queue was long so we took a fast pass for one and the kids manage to got on a kid car ride. They had fun.

We went to the Minion Park and it was PACKED. The minions ride queue was 1 hour and my husband have to take them while I bummed around with Sharif.

The Minion Park was plenty cute but I don't care to shop so I mostly just sit around.


Our last ride was the Spiderman 6D sorta thing. It was FUN! This was maybe my favorite ride. I love the 80-ish cartoon graphic and it was thrilling but do not give me nausea. Always a plus.

After this ride we mostly walked around. As it was near Halloween, a zombie parade started and Aziz was terrified. He was closed to tears. He is absolutely terrified of zombie after he watched Train to Busan. LOL. 

We shopped around in the big gifts shop and bought some clothes for the kids and some usual gift stuffs mostly for ourselves. 

Baba refused to take a picture but only wants to shake hand with Elmo. He is a very polite boy. 

We went back quite late. And was super hungry because we just ate a slice of pizza. We tried to go to a bbq halal place but it closed like half an hour early. Very unrecommended. (if I can remember the name). 

We manage to find a halal ramen shop and ordered ramen for all. Everyone finish their ramen and it was delicious even if the cleanliness is yeuch. 

There we cockroaches crawling at the walls but we were too hungry to care. Our servers and cooks were a couple of young Indonesian ladies and there were nice enough to open late for us to eat. So we 'tutup mata' je la. And hey no food poisoning! LOL. But this was pretty delicious honestly.

We got back and way too tired to care. It was a good day though but I don't think I would be going again. I hate queueing.

Holed up due to a Typhoon in Osaka

On our last day in Kyoto, it was hectic. We got a security message saying typhoon is coming and all public transport will be halted the next day.

People who have to travel via train, mainly us tourists were at a loss. We were planning to go to the Railway Museum in Kyoto on the last day so that plan went out the door. We need to catch a train to Osaka ( and of course all attractions are gonna be closed) we just manage to do that. We were panicking a bit thinking that we can't get ticket but we manage to just barely get the ticket on the last train . Phew.

Got to Osaka, all local trains were halted. So we grabbed a taxi to our apartment.

The view from our apartment. Roads were empty as there were announcement everywhere to stay in own home. 

The above is our apartment. It have more rooms ( I forgot to take pic of the kids room) but tinier than the one in Kyoto. 

It was pretty nice place to stay. Near to train station and many places to eat. We should have stayed longer in retrospect. We dont get to explore much of Osaka even though we were staying in a prime location. 

More so because on the day we arrive is the day of typhoon so it is raining everywhere and most stores are closed. 

We tried to walk around the Dotonbori area but it was mostly empty and closed. It was starting to rain heavily and we are looking for food without avail. 

Did manage to loiter around here and there, there were very few people around. If not for the typhoon this place would be packed so looking at the bright side we got to experience an empty Dotonbori!. The rain had stopped a bit so I manage to get a clear pic. Was happy that I manage to get a pic of this Glico man mostly because this iconic image reminded me of my then love of jdrama.

It was deserted see? Baba was in a bad mood and do not want to be in a pic and Aziz complied to get in the pic. I wished I gotten a closer look at that ferris wheel. 

It was raining heavily again and we were taking a shelter outside a Family Mart while my husband bought some rice and eggs for our dinner to be eaten together with some Brahim curry I bought for emergency. We also bought some fish burger in McDonalds but that was not enough as we had not eaten in a day.

So around 5 pm as advised by the authorities, we just mostly holed up in our apartment and looking out at the window wondering how bad is the typhoon. It feel like a typical rain storm in KL tbh, but the typhoon coming in Osaka was weaker , around Category 2, so it just feel like a rain storm. It did go on all night long though and hoping the USJ will still be opened tomorrow.

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Still on the edge of Trami #osakajapan

A post shared by Shamani Samin (@shammin) on Sep 30, 2018 at 5:26am PDT

New template because it is due

I had been using the last one since I only have 1 child. Now I have 3 and multiple cats. Can't be arsed to make a new header. I hate to buang the old header because any pics of Kurap is precious to me, but I saved it. And my profile pic is still a pic of Kurap looking inquisitively at you, so it will remain.

I like the clean look and also I prefer the dark template although I like the look of a white template even more. I prefer the background of stuffs I am reading about in black I guess. We are getting old. 

But none the wiser still. Maybe a lil bit though.