Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Take a long time to upload pictures! faint!!! =p

Finally can rest after settling at Ninja Tokyo Hostel! Just exploring outside the hostel.
Asakusa area! all the souvenirs!
Bought a cute bowl here!
Caught a Sumo to take pic with me! Ai yo... scary....=p
So many arcades for japanese to vent their frustrations here.
My heavy heavy lugguge! Shouldn't have bring so many things to Japan!
Bullet train Nozomi behind me!
This is the bed that I slept on at Ninja Hostel.... Domitary style! haa... nice experience if I didnt need to carry the heavy lugguge!
A look at the corridor inside the room leading to my bed behind.
This is the living room at Ninja hostel. Actually out of 10, I will only give 6-7 for my experience here. Still prefer K's house! At Mt. Fuji and Tokyo. =)

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

different Hello Kitty hat! =)
Yellow cab !
Spiderman! wrong hand!
Peterpan... no show that day!
Hollywood dream........... scream my heart out! Fun! legs shaking before & after the ride!

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Japan adventures part 2

Snoopy world at Universal Studio!
Very fantasy world!
Jurassic Park! The ride!
Standard merry go round!
The pink cafe! Pink panther! =)
Cute shop logos are common along Shinshabashi streets osaka!Love this street!
After Dinner by District manager Daisy Wee, she spent $10,000 yen ($130) for each person here. Generous boss!
We make it! AIA 12th Mini convention! =)Davy Goh is my manager standing behind me. Boss Daisy and funny uncle Jimmy.
At the dinner!





Day 3: Universal Studio adventures!


AIA is great to have given us 3 options to choose for our tour. Kyoto day trip, Kobe beef trip or Universal Studio! Don't have to think much, I have chosen option 3 and never never regret my decision!


AIA provided a return train ticket to Universal Studio, the entrance ticket and meal coupons of $3000 yen! Wow, how generous are they! =)


Had a great time there but ended up with a sore sore feet.. nearly fainted from walking too much! Had the most wonderful and exciting rollar coaster ride! It's called "the hollywood dream". =) Fun indeed!


Caught 2 toys at Osaka Shinshabashi!!! Minnie and pooh!! thanks to the sales assistant who helped me! Spent less than $10, abt $6 for each toy. =)


Eat very nice Ramen!!! So nice!!! Thanks to S for the treat! =)


5th sep is the day I travelled to Tokyo from Osaka by the Nozomi bullet train! Fastest train in Japan! Took about 2.30 hours to reached Tokyo.


First lesson to learn: Never bring alot of things when you travel! Keep your luggage as light as possible! Ha.... I didnt know why I brought dozens of clothes, shoes, jackets and skincare in my big luggage till my dad is wondering if Im going to be away for a year! haaaaa..... and my brother told me that I should be bringing things back from Japan and not bringing so many things to Japan! haaa...... In the end, I have to pull my heavy luggage from the station to my hostel in Tokyo!!! Its torturing!!!! and thanks to 2 Japanese I saw at the station who helped me to carry my luggage up the long stairs... Really sorry to see them "suffering" too.


Finally at Ninja Tokyo Hostel! But 2 poor ladies (The receptionists) have to help me carry my luggage up 5 levels. Oh, ke lian!!! I was supposed to stay with Kassey and wife at their apartment in yohohama but because of Jac, I stayed with her in a hostel instead. It's a domitary style bed that we have chosen 'cos it's cheaper. But I ended up in bruises... haaa....


Had the most dramatic event the next day. To be continued....

Friday, September 19, 2008

September - continues....

With Laura, just arrived at Japan! 7am
My plane food (Japan airlines)
After changing into something comfortable, at our hotel, New Otani Hotel Japan
Hello Kitty shop at Osaka, shinsaibashi!

This week has been a good time catching up with long time no see friends. Met up with Huishan on Monday at her place for some catch up. Shandy came on Tuesday and had a good time catching up with my Japan adventures. On Wed, met up with long time no see friend KC who came back from Korea and said that "The face shop" products are super cheap there! =) Yesterday met up with Li li. She is getting married on 11th Oct, coming soon and I will be her bridemaid! Haaa.... seems like all my good friends are getting married! Coming up, I will be attending at least 5 Weddings for the rest of this year!



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JAPAN ADVENTURES 1st Sep to 11th Sep



Having sat on Japan Airlines plane for the first time, I felt that Singapore airlines did a better job in term of facilities and food. Japan airlines not that fantasic afterall except that the Japanese Air stewardess is much more friendly and service oriented. Japanese service is always rated top.



Had an overnight flight and I did not manage to sleep soundly throughout the flight and was quite tired the next day! Arrived in Japan in the morning at 7am! And all is bright! The weather is hot! Hotter than Singapore I think. Nonetheless we proceed to a Spa resort and I had my first experience of what's a Japanese Onsen is like. Their Hot spring. Ha... but not experiencing it 'cos all the people (gals only) are required to bare it all in order to go down the pool of hotspring water. I just requested to take a look inside and had a feel. I decided to only do it when nobody is around or when there are only Japanese strangers, definitely not friends. So pai sey! =p



Went to Shinsaibashi Osaka the first night. It s the best place for shopping! Especially for skincare and comestics! Cheap and good! and all the shops are very interesting! Very nice outlets of shops. Tried their Mos Burger, nice place and tender chicken! Coffee comes with pain water too!



2nd day is the convention plus Gala dinner! The food wasnt nice but everything else was okay! Oh, and I didnt have a chance to put on the yukata that I borrow from Sze. Sad! But its okay. There will always be a chance. =) anyway, i found one similar red yukata at a shopping mall at a 70% discount! $500 yen! That's abt $7. Very cheap. Normal price at $3000 yen!



i better put up some pictures before i continues next time..... ciao!!!

Preparing to go out for my mee at s11 AMK now! Going to Vision Rally at night! =)




Thursday, September 18, 2008

September 2008 - exciting month

Back from amazing Japan last week. And this week started with lots of commotion over AIG & AIA news. What an exciting month for me! =)
I have so much to blog, but I have to wake up at 730am tmr! Cailing gal, if you
are reading this! I'm very sorry to miss calling you on your birthday yesterday! Was busy with doing customer service (handling customers calls) and chatting with a galfriend at home! So sorry! Will catch you soon to play okay!!! =)

I am actually not afraid at all with the recent AIG news. If you ask me, I really think that it's only through tough times that you know how tough a person/company is. Many people (Hundreds) queue to redeem AIA policies yesterday without knowing what is happening. Just hearing rumours from friends and some news from the net/papers. But AIA is doing just fine EVEN WITH THESE PEOPLE SURRENDING THEIR POLICIES. AIA is very strong indeed. See that? If this happens to another company, it may not be able to take the risk. But AIA has more & above sufficient capital and reserves to meet all obligations. I have great faith in such a great company.

By the way, according to the Business Times "AIA policies a different animal from Lehman's Minibonds" by GENEVIEVE Cua, it states that AIA could well be the most conservative of local insurers. What this means is that the life fund (when we pay our premium mthly or yearly, these money goes into the life fund. All insurance companies have a life fund) that AIA holds are invested in very conservative instruments unlike other local insurance companies that invest more aggressive in equities markets. This is important because this life fund determines the future payout of bonuses and claims. We can't afford to lose life fund money and AIA is the most prudent local insurance company to do that. (Check out MAS/LIA website if you are not convinced) Attached something to read on below. Full version at http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/sub/specialfocus/story/0,4574,297222,00.html?

"On the issue of its stability and financial strength, AIA has more than enough capital to meet policy obligations. In an interview last October, AIA general manager Mark O'Dell told BT that its aim was to maintain a capital adequacy ratio above 200 per cent - 'which is well within the strongest band'. 'We're easily within the 230-240 per cent range,' he said then. The MAS's required minimum is well below that.
Of course, insurance funds are not shielded from market risk or loss. But AIA could well be the most conservative of local insurers. As at end-December last year, its participating fund was valued at $14.8 billion. Almost three-quarters of that is invested in fixed income securities. Only 10 per cent is in Singapore equities and 4 per cent in mutual funds and foreign equities.
As for policyholders who have put money into investment-linked AIA products (ILPs),
there is even less of an issue in terms of the vulnerability of their assets to AIG Inc's problems. ILPs are effectively unit trusts where investors own the units and bear the market risk.
Of course, the asset values of those funds will reflect the mauling that global markets are currently enduring. But panicking and redeeming units at this time will only exacerbate the falls in the funds' asset values.
Insurance - particularly policies with substantial sums in protection value - is a long-term commitment where the decision to terminate should not be made lightly. This is because an individual in poor health may not be able to secure protection elsewhere.
What's more, the contracts are structured with long breakeven periods. So, early termination is usually done at a heavy loss.
AIA's policyholders should sit tight. This crisis is painful, but it will pass."


Enough of AIA reassurance.
Tough times don't last. Tough people (AIA) do!

Shall return with my Japan trip adventures!!! God bless! Praise the Lord!!! =)