My stay with host family in Osaka, Japan

The apprehension of meeting my host family in Osaka will remain crystal clear in my mind as it was the most nervous moment throughout my trip in Japan. I could still remember worrying over simple things such as removing my shoes, taking a bath and so on. And I had mixed emotions when I met my Okasan at the Shinkansen station.

The minute I stepped into the house, I was greeted warmly by the house dog named Poochie and we became good friends instantly. The houses there are smaller as compared to those in Malaysia but they still exude the comfort and coziness of a home. During dinner time, I became anxious as I was afraid of making mistakes. The notion of learning from mistakes then evaporated from my mind.

I could feel the intensity increasing immensely whereby I needed to be aware of my every single move but very quickly, my host family put my heart at ease. I ended up enjoying every single meal during my entire stay. They were kind and hospitable and made my stay enjoyable. Among the many types of Japanese dishes prepared by my host mother, I also tasted some popular food like Okonomiyaki, also known as Japanese pizza and Soba, thin Japanese noodles made from buckwheat, served either chilled with a dipping sauce or in hot broth as a noodle soup.

Besides attending school and going to Universal Studio, I got to visit places where I had hands-on experiences. The first place was a soap making shop where my host mother works in. I made my first soap there and brought it back to Malaysia.

Next was a special shop that served Japanese tofu. The interesting fact about this tofu shop is that the shop remains the way it was, preserving the structure of previous century. In addition, there was a collection of antiques. The shop owner allowed us to take a look upstairs where the collection was kept and I was fascinated with the traditional kimono, Japanese musical instruments and paintings. There were also varieties of cups and pots on display.

The last place was the mochi shop where I was given the opportunity to make mochi (Japanese rice cake) and attempted tasks like pounding the rice, preparing the ingredients and stuffing the red bean paste.

The time spent with my host family was the best experience in my life and I even tried on a real kimono. But the most important part of all is the bond that I’ve established with my host family. I will never forget them and cherish the unforgettable moment I had during the entire home stay. It was blissful, educational and fun. God bless my host family.

Japan (AFS JENESYS Program 2009)

I would like to start off by thanking and praising God for such a wonderful opportunity to be able to visit Japan. In October last year I was awarded the “JENESYS Program Scholarship” to Japan for two weeks, from 2 December to 17 December 2009.

JENESYS program is not only a once in a lifetime experience but it is also a learning process for me. Besides learning the Japanese culture for example, saying ‘Itadakimas’ before having a meal to moral values such as tolerance, forgiveness and endurance, JENESYS has given me something more valuable and that is friendship.

Throughout the program, I have made friends from all the seven participating countries namely, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Australia and New Zealand, not to mention the host country, Japan. Although it was a short duration of time, the bonds that we established are so strong to the point where friendships of two weeks seem like a lifetime. Below are some brief write-ups on the various study tours.

Tokyo - Did not see much of Tokyo because the group I was in headed to Hiroshima. However, I was thrilled with the ride on the Shinkansen, also known as the bullet train. The people are friendly and the food was scrumptious.

Kyoto - Visited the famous temple named Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion). The place was so breathtaking that I found my hands glued to the camera as I could not stop taking pictures of the picturesque sceneries. Kinkakuji is indeed one of the most beautiful temples I have ever seen. The other places we visited were Arashiyama and Kiyomizu-dera. I’ve learned much about the history of Kyoto which definitely got me more interested in the development of Japan from past to present.

Hiroshima - Visited the Peace Memorial Park and Hiroshima city Naka incineration plant but I missed out Miyajima as I had to attend the cultural dance rehearsal for the JENESYS Festival. The Peace Memorial Park has left an indelible impression on me. It was the only point in JENESYS program where I felt a huge sense of sorrow and grief. I have learned much about peace and will strive to maintain that in our world today.

The JENESYS Festival was a memorable event. I was among the ten students who were chosen to represent Malaysia for the cultural dance performance . It was indeed a proud moment as I was able to share our culture with the other countries as well. At the same time we were able to observe the different cultural dances of other countries. This has certainly increased the enthusiasm to learn more about other countries and their traditions.

Osaka (Host Family) - The home stay was the best time during my entire trip. I had so much fun and experienced so many new things with my host family. I’ll be doing a separate post on my stay with them.

Kanagawa - Visited the Yamashita Park, Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line where we were given the opportunity to board a display ship which was one of the first ships to be manufactured in Japan. Then we headed to a hill-like open air complex. There were shops selling clothes and restaurants. Next we proceeded to the Mitsubishi Minatomirai Industrial Museum where we were introduced to the present and future scientific technologies.

Understanding Other countries - Indeed JENESYS has taught me a lot about all the other countries involved in this program. I’ve learned to respect the traditions of other countries and I am happy to say that I had the chance to make friends from all the different participating countries, including my own country. This trip has also shown me the truth in the saying... ‘There is no right or wrong… only difference.’

In a nutshell, the JENESYS program has been and will always be one of the peaks in my life. Much has been learned through study tours, tears and laughter. JENESYS has not only taught me values but also a lifelong lesson. Heartfelt thanks to AFS Japan and AFS Antarabudaya Malaysia for making this trip possible for me.

Gold Coast and Brisbane

It has been 8 months since I went to Gold Coast and Brisbane in Australia. I regret not writing about it earlier as the recollections now seem to be kind of blur. The few things that still remain clear are the BURGERS which were super awesome, best theme parks I've ever visited and, of course, the strong accent of the woman saying "beer or lemonade?"

I covered 3 different theme parks, namely Dreamworld, Seaworld and the best of all... Movieworld! I know many of you guys would assume Dreamworld is the best as they have record breaking rides but honestly, they weren't that good. The main thing I enjoyed in Dreamworld were the wet rides and for this reason, I regretted not going to the Wet and Wild. They have rides which would literally flush you down a hole, just like a toilet bowl and even slide you into a tilted cone-shaped structure. Seaworld, on the other hand, was actually pretty boring. There were 2 cool rides which were the Jet Ski coaster and the Cockscrew... *The one in Genting is seriously much better @.@*

And finally... Movieworld!!! Yes, this theme park not only has an interesting layout but AWESOME RIDES. The best ride of all is Superman Escape. It is a rollercoaster which launches you from a stationary position to 100km in just 2 seconds. You can feel your face moving all over like what you see in race car movies. Here is a simple description from some website I found... "SUPERMAN ESCAPE is an unprecedented rollercoaster ride experience which travels 0-100 kilometres in just 2 seconds! That's not fast, that's SUPERMAN fast! With 760 metres of vertical climbs, weightless drops, head spinning twists and giant G-force turns, SUPERMAN ESCAPE completely redefines the coaster experience."

The next best ride was an indoor rollercoaster called Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster. This ride is a combination of both a haunted house theme and a nice rollercoaster experience. For those of you who have been to Genting with me, you will know that I am scared of the pirate ship ride. Let us just say that this was worse... much worse!!! As the slow and scary ride took off, I thought to myself, "Did I just queue for almost an hour for this stupid ride?" Just as I was about to tell my sister and cousin that we had wasted our time, we reached to a point where we were elevated while still being seated.

When we reached to the top, there were laser lights running all over the place and the Rocking Scooby Doo theme song could be heard. While we tried to focus on what was beyond the cloth in front of us, we suddenly found ourselves rolling backwards and by the time we looked around, we were headed for a "backward drop". This was the first time I experienced it on a rollercoaster so it was freaking awesome! After that, our car rotated and the ride continued. I went for about 4 times or perhaps more on this ride. Haha...

There was another ride called the Batwing Space Shot. It has the same concept as the one in Genting but this one launches you up. I understand that the Space Shot in Genting used to do that also but not anymore. Anyway, this ride was a total letdown. My heart didn't feel like bursting and I could breathe normally and could even talk to my sister during the ride... =.= There were two more rides that were good but I won't go into it. They are the Lethal Weapon which is a rollercoaster that leaves your legs hanging and Wild West Falls Adventure Ride which beat the Log Flume at Sunway Lagoon as well as the one at Genting anytime.

Another memorable thing was Infinity. It is a place that manipulates lighting, reflection and any other thing that has to do with tricking the eyes. It is just like a kaleidoscope except that you are not looking into it but inside it. There were many different types of rooms. Some look as big as the galaxy while some seem to have no floor. The cool thing about Infinity is that it is a maze kind of concept. You are supposed to find your way to the next room without any help at all. Some rooms are really challenging, for example there was this room that was pitch black. There were many roads inside but only one leading to the way out. And there were tentacle like things dangling from the ceiling with sticks and rubber gloves sticking out of the walls. This not only makes it harder to find your way out but creates a sense of fear as well. I would highly recommend this place but would suggest bringing along torchlight or phones if you are those who are easily scared.

Two other unforgettable experiences were the Glow worm cave and the Outback show. The Glow worm cave was something like a hike where it took about an hour drive deep into the jungle, followed by a 15-minute hike to reach the cave where the glow worms clustered all over. It was a breathtaking view. Near the cave was a waterfall and we had a hilarious moment there. It was really funny because there was this elderly Chinese lady who couldn't understand English and kept taking flash photography of the waterfall and the glow worms when it is not supposed to. This is because the flash will kill the worms. Although I think she easily killed multiple glow worms, I've her to thank for because if not for her, I would never get to see the waterfall in the darkness of the night.

As for the Outback show, it was great... a show like no others. There were horses doing tricks and live farm animals. The coolest part is that we get to enjoy our meal (dinner) during the show and were given a cowboy hat each for souvenir.

Well, that's it... a simple wrap-up of my trip in the shortest way possible as there were so many other things that I experienced, such as riding on the Wheel of Brisbane, river cruise, kangaroo feeding, etc. Anyway, take care and God bless peeps~

My trip to Taiwan

(MH 094 - my reflection on the screen)

The holiday adventure started at our very own KLIA. We (my mother, aunt and I) had a snack at Delifrance, the same shop where I ate when I left for Korea last year. On this flight, every passenger has a screen for games, movies and music so it did not matter even though the air-hostesses weren’t pretty. Just joking… =) During the flight (5 hours plus to reach Taipei), I played games such as chess, tetris and even bowling… yes, bowling…! I also watched the ‘Mummy 3’ and ‘Mama Mia’ movies again.

After checking into Riverview Hotel upon arrival, we kicked start the holiday by walking through Taipei city on our own. The next morning we had breakfast at the Rhine Banquet Hall overlooking the Danshui River. The view was spectacular with highways, buildings, mountains and, of course… the river…! Although we visited many places of interest, I am going to write about those that I enjoyed most.

Shangri-La Leisure Farm is the coolest place among the others. This is because there were really cool events where I could take part in, such as spinning the traditional top, making glutinous balls and bubbles. I got to know my new friends there and how the games poker and ‘cho tai ti’ started nightly. The next place is the Naruwan Theme Park situated in the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village. There were only three rides that seemed exciting enough which caught my attention. The Maya Adventure was closed for renovation. The rides I sat were Space Mountain, Waikiki Wave and UFO. Space Mountain was fun although it did not consist of any loops but only helixes, sharp turns and speed. The Waikiki Wave, on the other hand, was mildly thrilling. Finally, the UFO… the scariest and coolest ride there. Basically, it is the same as the Space Shot in Genting with the difference in height and larger seat capacity. It also rotates as it elevates. I also watched the aboriginal dance which portrayed the lifestyle of the mountain tribes in Alishan.

(Go to rontjx.multiply.com for more pictures)

The rock formations at Yehliu is another of my favorite visiting spots. It is famous for its exceptional geological features. All the rocks there were formed by natural erosion. Some looked like giant petrified mushrooms but the main attraction was the Queen’s Head. From a certain angle it looks perfectly like a queen’s head with a crown, nose, mouth and all. The view of the sea was also spectacular. Waves hitting the shore strongly splashing water all over. And finally... THE NIGHT MARKET…! (Both Fong Jia and Shilin) Why? Reason being the food, clothes, etc are all nice and cheap. My favorite food in the night market is baked potatoes - so soft, tasty, yummy and just thinking about it makes my mouth water. Yep, it’s that good…!!! I tried the tempura there and it tasted so much better. Even the fries tasted good for some reasons. Haha...

Well, those were the places that I really had fun in Taiwan. They were not only fun filled experiences but also memorable ones. Overall my trip was great and I give it an 8/10 =) Ciaoz…

My Trip to Korea

During the holidays in May, my mother and I went on a six-day vacation to Korea. After six hours above the clouds, we landed at the Incheon Airport. During our stay in Seoul, we visited many tourist spots such as Yangju - MBC Studio (the most famous drama in Korea (Daejangguem) shooting place), Nami Island (the original site for the famous drama "Winter Sonata"), Mt. Sorak National Park (one of the most beautiful parks in Korea), Shinheung Fortress and the Sitting Buddha. We also took a ride in a cable car right up to the mountain and I tasted a live squid at Daepuhang fish market. It was quite an experience... ;p

One of the attractions that I enjoyed most was in Yongin Everland. It's a festival World Park which offers thrilling rides, jungle safari and seasonal flower shows. I took a ride on "Rolling X-Train". It has two massive loops and one gigantic cockscrew. The ride was awesome. I would have tried more rides if not for time constraint. The other places we went were Walker Hill Casino and Dongdaemun Market. The city attractions were Kyongbok Palace (built in 1394 - the main palace by the first king of YI Dynasty), Folklore Museum and Blue House (the presidential residence of Korea)

The next destination was a Ginseng outlet followed by an Amethyst Factory where I bought my sister a cross pendant, War Museum and Namsan Park (located in the center of Seoul with a panorama view of the city and Seoul Tower). We also shopped at Myeongdong (reputated to be one of Asia's largest open-air markets). It was at this place where we saw a korean guy holding up a poster written "Free Hugs" and several girls went up to hug him. The final destination was the Kimchi Center where I took some pictures wearing korean traditional outfit and had fun making kimchi. Overall, it was a splendid holiday. Oh, we also went for a korean martial arts comedy show entitled "Jump". It was super hilarious. Here's the link:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APtiPUzqQL8&NR=1

You can view my pictures and video clips at:-

http://rontjx.multiply.com/