moNEy wIThdRAwiNG tROubLE

忠犬ハチ公-- His name is Hachi.

Sorry that I haven't updated my blog this week, I was having a big trouble withdrawing money from my bank account. I made sure I called service center to inform them that I will be traveling in Japan, but still I think they didn't update my physical status. As a result, they gave me a limit to withdraw money. And it was about time to pay for my housing fee, so it made me pretty nervous.

Yesterday, I called the service center in the States, I spent nearly 2500 yen, but I was on hold most of the time. So, to solve this problem, I decided that I got to made it to a full service branch, and asked them to call to the States for me. If you can recognise the dog, you will know that I went to Shibuya yesterday. The workers there were really kind and friendly, they made the phone call for me, and handed me the phone. The trouble was solved in no time!! I got my money, and I felt happy again!! Like I gained my life again. :)

iNDulGIng MYseLF...

Yummie fried pork bento for 550 yen.

Gotta have this in winter in Japan-- Daifuku.

Although it's not strawberry one, but it still satisfied me. This big one for 105 yen.

JuiCY frUIt!!

Since my Dad requested, I went to the market and bought myself two oranges. They were so big! But the skin was thick, too. And guess how much they cost for each? 100 yen!! No kidding, I should have found something cheaper, but I really felt like orange these days. Plus, the market flyer garanteed that it's sweet, and I think they were heavy. And they were indeed sweet and juicy. Like... "SPLASH!!" once you give it a bite.

Yum YUm dINneR

Semi-homemade beef bowl, adding an raw egg yolk as following Japanese style of eating. The finish touch was ridiculously delicious people!! Don't think that the raw egg yolk is dangerous, I'd rather have diarrhea, which of course never happened, than having the beef bowl without the yolk.

wALkiNG waLKinG WalKIng...

I must be crazy to go outdoor on a weekend!! I hope I'm gonna survive from being smashed by people on the streets or on the train today.
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Today started from Kichijyoji (吉祥寺).

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Chapeau Rouge for lunch-- famous on tour books.

Cream soup

The three shrimps with tartar sauce covered my salad. Served with rice or bread.

Dessert and hot tea.

The whole course came with all the above, and it cost 1,575 yen. Everything was delicious. I really wanted to have the shrimp heads, but because I went alone, I felt shy to be chewing the heads at the table.

Croquette(コロッケ) shop-- famous for its beef croquettes. Too bad I was way too full because of the lunch.

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I took a walk all around the place, found myself not interested in doing any shopping, so I took train back to Shibuya. Then, I walked from Shibuya station to Harajuku(原宿) station, just to find the famous street called Takashitedoori (竹下通り). Yeah, walk!!

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Does it look far to you? I took Meijidoori(明治通り) to get there. But I then found out I should have taken Omotesando (表参道), which is very famous for all the international brand shops. But you know me, I don't like shopping. So, Meijidoori was a good walk for me, too. And actually, there were a lot of stores along the way as well.

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And guess how long it took me-- probably about 25 minutes. Not bad at all!! If I can walk and save all the transportation fee I've spent, I would rather walk to death!

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Getting close to Harajuku station!! If you enlarge the image, you would notice that there's actually "people mountain people sea" (as a Chinese-English proverb goes).

Harajuku station. I didn't know it looks so nice!

The two-eyed landmark at Takeshita street.

And again, people mountain people sea.

A 365-birthdays shop. Selling little things with one date on each of them.

The famous 100 yen shop. It has 4 floors!! All Japanese style merchandise.

One of the four things I bought for myself-- Hakone(箱根) hot spring powder. And it says it's peach scented. I hope I will be able to go there in person, but if not, I would still be happy with the powder for my bath tonight.

Angle Heart Crepe Shop. Everything I'm eating today, I followed what the tour book told me to.

I was having mine at the end of this lane. Head straight and take a left, you will be on Takeshita street shopping again.

Processing....

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Finished product!! For 400 yen.

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Chocolate icecream with whipped cream. Different from Taiwanese crepes is that theirs are soft ones instead of crunchy ones, plus, their flavors are mostly sweets instead of salty ones, like bacon and cheese or ham and salad.

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Before I left this place, I went for a walk on Omotesan street. And I found this-- a public toilet!!

Gotta use it!! And please wave your hand for 25 seconds of water-flowing sound. Just in case you feel shy hearing/let people hear, you know, THE SOUND.

peACefUL ouTDooR Day

First stop-- Ueno (上野) train station, JR line, Koen(公園) exit

Ueno Zoo, the part that I didn't visit today.

However, I did visited a little snack stop in front of the zoo--Tonman 豚まん

Do you know what it is?

Yummee~~ Steamed pork bun!! The bun was so soft!! Awesome for a cold day outside like this.

A temple in the park

Tosho-gu (東照宮)

The fire of Hiroshima (広島)and Nagasaki (長崎)
　　 Thousands of origami (折り紙) paper cranes

Ema (絵馬) for your wishes

The last picture before I leave Ueno park today. I bet it'll be gorgeous in 2 months. I will come and visit again.

On the way to Asakusa (浅草)--I'm so gonna taste one of you before I leave Japan!!

Getting closer-- Kaminarimon ichi chome (雷門一丁目)

Almost there!!

Yo, yo, check it out, yo! Senso-ji (浅草寺)entrance-- Kaminarimon!

Do you see Raijin (雷神), the god of thunder on the left, and fujin (風神), the god of rain on the right? Maybe I should have taken a closer picture of both of them, because we have them in Taiwan, too. But I don't think this would be the only time I'm visiting. Plus, I missed taking picture of the Nakamise-dori (仲見世通り). But you can see a little part of it through the entrance of the gate.

Senso-ji

Aha... the place for dinner--Tsukishima (月島)

Their shopping street. Mostly monjia (文字焼 in full Japanese) and izakaya (居酒屋).

I chose a restaurant a little away from the shopping street, it was standing all by itself.

Nin-niku (onion) monjia along with calpis drink

It took me a while to step into the restaurant, coz I was really hesitating to eat alone. But I had no choice, and I came all the way all by myself just only for this. So, the heck to it, I went inside. Of course I couldn't do it myself, so I had the server helped me cook my monjia today. It was good, and the whole meal cost me only 1,200 yen (800 for the onion monjia and 400 for the calpis drink). But... I really prefer okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) Osaka (大阪)style better. Problem is I'm still looking for a okonomiyaki restaurant in Tokyo!! :(