Leaving Saiwai-ku

Just feeling a touch sentimental now that I have moved out of the dormitory into my airbnb for my last four days in Japan. I have to say that I didn't really like where the dormitory was located at first, but as time went by, I grew to appreciate it for its laidback and sub-urban feel. I'm not sure what prodded me to dust the camera off and lug it with me on the day of my Pokemon adventure, but I'm glad I did it anyway. I would never have found this verdantly green angle of the town I had been living in for four months otherwise. 

Unlike Singapore, Japan (or what I have seen of Japan) is less about manicured, government-planned landscaping than unexpected pockets of wild greenery or the colourful blooms cared for by a green-thumbed neighbour. Where I lived, residents grow flowers by the sidewalks out of styrofoam boxes. In most places in Tokyo there is not much of a footpath to speak of, much less grass patches shouldering roads. This isn't a discussion about which style is better - I think both intentional neatness and organic haphazardness have their charms.

View from Yumemigasaki Zoo Park

Yumemigasaki Zoo Park 夢見ヶ崎動物公園

Last Friday, Pokemon Go took me to the zoo near my dormitory, a place which I would not have visited otherwise.  I have to admit I went there more for pokemon than animals, but I still managed to take breathers from virtual pokeworld long enough to take photos in the real world. I'm not that kind of a pokego addict yet. For a free zoo, it was very quiet for a Friday. Aside from the zoo's caretakers, I was probably the only human soul there that day. Not that I'm complaining. 

Yumemigasaki Zoo

Review: Sushiro Sushi

Regine, my exchange buddy and fellow food addict will never be able to eat at the sub-par kaiten sushi joint right below her apartment ever again (not like we have much time left in Japan though). We have Sushiro スシロー to thank for raising expectations. 

To 'bribe' her to help lug some of my books back to her apartment for shipping home,  I treated her to lunch at Sushiro, where we stuffed our faces for a blissful two hours.   

Sushiro is one of many kaiten (conveyor belt) sushi chains in Japan. Every plate costs 100 yen before tax (108 after tax) with the exception of some premium items. Singaporeans should not confuse this with the similarly named Sushiro in Singapore famous for its affordable chirashi dons, but the Sushiro here deserves just as much recognition for serving great sushi at a great price.  

Plates of deliciousness

Grocery Shopping around Plume IS

Plume IS, the Keio university school dormitory which I have been living in, is located in a somewhat inconvenient location for grocery shopping.  The Lawson 100 round the block, which I mentioned previously, is good only for a last-minute run for the odd packet of spaghetti sauce, the bag of tamanegi, or in the worst-case scenario, a cup noodle dinner.  It however deserves credit for keeping generations of Plumions alive, and for satisfying my sweet tooth with its mitarashi dango.

Being an inveterate cheapo and determined cook, I have spent a good chunk of my free time exploring grocery shopping options in a rather wide radius, in the process scraping a good 5mm off the soles of my 1500 yen sandals.

Shin-Kawasaki Station, which is a main node of transport for Plumions, is conveniently located between two large supermarkets. It is great, until you realise you have to drag your groceries back for a 20min walk back to the dorm. In Spring it was pleasurable enough, but during Summer this option should be quickly forgotten.

Gaga Over Granola

Inever used to eat breakfast regularly, but the range of strange and exciting breakfast foods here in Japan has changed that. It seems like granola here is very popular with the locals. Kellogg's Japan alone has at least 6 types in its granola product line, and they all come in convenient resealable packages. Why has this packaging innovation not made its way to Singapore yet? Lazy me hates having to hunt for an empty air-tight box after opening a box of cereal, and then having to squeeze the packet into the box, crushing the cereal in the process. 

Say hello to my granola collection: 

From left to right: Kelloggs all-bran fruit mix granola, Kelloggs fruit granola half-fat, Nissin uji matcha granola

Food Adventures in Tokyo

Ihave been too lazy to blog recently due to the deluge of exams and homework and other boring but necessary stuff. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother to be a good student while on exchange, but I guess it is not easy to just shirk off my innate Singaporeaness. Whatever, I have still managed to work towards my main goal. 

I chose to come to Tokyo mainly for the food, and glorious food I have eaten. 

Champon at Ringer Hut. Decidedly too bland for my tastes. Extremely filling and chockful of vegetables. 

Day Trip to Kawagoe

I t took a bit of persuasion to get my lazy beanbag self to make the trip to Kawagoe since I'm not one for historical type touristy activities. Somehow I succumbed to peer pressure and managed to roll out of bed at 630am and drag myself there. We bought the Kawagoe return pass for 700yen from the JR ticket office at Ikebukuro Station and took the express train on the Tobu Tojo line to Kawagoe Station for around 30min. 

Kawagoe is said to be a town in which you can feel like you have time-travelled back to ancient Edo.

I think that is a bit of a stretch from the truth, but this town located in Saitama prefecture does retain some semblance of old world charm. That said, it is almost impossible to photograph any part of this town without some jarring element of modernity creeping in. Observe this in the photo below.

Thou shalt drive slowly. And yes, that sky was that dreary. 

Review: Satsuma Imo Sweet Potato Pretz

Ihave always been more of a Pocky than Pretz person, but the awesome Pretz flavours here in Japan have brought me over to the snappier, naked side.  Every single time I go to Donki and see the towering stacks of Pretz, I invariably lose control and grab at least 4 boxes of assorted flavours.  But sometimes, a flavour is so good that you devote your entire Pretz quota to it. 

I accuse the following for the curse of chubbier cheeks:

Yup all 3 boxes are mine. Don't judge. 

Quarter-life Crisis

One thing I wanted to find while on exchange was a clear sense of purpose. Free from the crushing weight of school projects and the droning voices of disinterested professors, I thought I would have more head space to think about me. I fantasised about pensive moments while sipping a perfectly-foamed latte; pen poised over notebook, eyes focused at infinity - and then - sudden flashes of inspiration, frantic scribbling, the tingling warmth of dawning realisation. 

Fast forward to the halfway point of exchange: I have found that perfect cuppa, but I have yet to find me.

Being an insufferable hipster at Streamer Coffee Co, courtesy of Leonard's beautiful Mamiya 645

Dorm Room Grub - Pancakes and French Toast

There's nothing like a stack of fluffy pancakes on a lazy Sunday morning. This 100yen Showa Hot Cake Mix I bought from Don Quixote is my new best friend and has rightfully earned its place as a pantry staple. I was too lazy to read the instructions so the consistency of the pancake batter probably wasn't totally accurate - but hey, it turned out perfectly ok. My pancakes just weren't as thick as those shown on the box. The 300g of mix was sufficient for 3 uses. 

Look at those sexy air pockets

Plume IS - Keio University Dormitory

I applied for a Keio University dormitory room for one semester and was assigned to Plume IS. My first choice was actually Motosumiyoshi dorm because it is newer, is in a better location, and best of all has a much lower monthly rent. I guess submitting the housing application only 10min after it opened was an oversight on my part. Future Moto applicants take note: Camp at your computer and make sure you have the dorm application url at the ready. And, hot tip - take into account the time zone difference.

My friend's room at Moto shares the same general layout as a Plume room, just that the outer room where the pantry, washroom, and entrance are located is slightly larger.  But, other than how rooms here lack a microwave, and how our washroom is tiny compared to the ones at Moto, Plume is a pretty decent place to live overall.

Really, it is. Just try not to be overwhelmed with jealousy when you visit your lucky friends at Moto.

Update: Check out Regine's post on Motosumiyoshi here!