Kaori Square Feet

The Henderson Waves in Singapore

Have you seen a more beautiful pedestrian bridge?

I first saw the Henderson Waves featured on the instagram blog (here) and thought, Wow!!! It was so unique and you know I love all things made of wood. In this case, Yellow Balau wood.

Henderson Waves is the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore and is located in the Telok Blangah district. It connects Mount Faber Park with Telok Blangah Hill Park, stretching 36 meters above Henderson Road. (more here)

I was beyond excited about getting to go there and seeing it in person while we were in SIngapore. We took a taxi from our hotel and asked to be driven to Henderson Wave Bridge. Our fabulous Malay taxi driver informed us that we would have to walk part of the way, which was fine. He had a load of interesting information regarding Singapore and we chatted all the way there. I love taxi drivers in Singapore!

We were there in the late morning so it was pretty hot. But the tall trees gave us shade as we walked along the trail to Henderson Wave Bridge. I noticed you can hear the birds chirping away. There were a lot of runners on this trail, although it seemed like we were the only tourists there. After awhile we turned a corner and suddenly we were there!

I really wish I had a wide-lens camera to show you how gorgeous this place was (still saving my pennies…or yen, if you will). But you get the idea. The entire bridge is structured like a wave. We had a great view from above but my eyes were constantly drawn to the beauty of the wooden slats. So beautiful. We pretty much had the whole bridge to ourselves and it was fabulous.

At night, the bridge is lit up with LED lights. It sounds gorgeous, doesn’t it? Next time I’m in Singapore, I’m definitely coming here to sit around and watch the sunset. X

Here are some photos:

(photos by R)

(photo by R)

The Honya B&B in Shimokitazawa

In many parts of the world, B&B would stand for bed & breakfast. Or in some rare cases, bread & butter or even Beavis and Butt-head (shout out to the 90s!).

But in the streets of Shimokitazawa? B&B stands for…books and beer!

On their website, Honya B&B mention that they aim to become the urban bookstore of tomorrow. It’s a relatively small bookshop but the selection of books covers a wide variety of topics, all of which you can enjoy reading with a drink in hand.

Obviously, as it’s included in their store name, they serve beer. Draft beer, in fact. (I’m not a beer person so not really sure but beer is better on tap, right?) Their drink menu also includes wine, non-alcoholic beer, and other soft drinks.

And I know what you’re thinking, trying to read a book with a beer in hand can get a bit tricky. But no worries, the bookshop has lovely tables with seats and a number of chairs scattered around for you to use. I should mention that most of the vintage furniture (shelves, tables, chairs, etc.) inside the bookshop are for sale, too.

It really is a cozy set up.

I love that the books are arranged together by topic, instead of author or publisher. You can browse until you find a corner that interests you, and then dig in.

You just never know what kind of book is waiting for you here!

Here are some photos:

Honya B&B (本屋 B&B)
Dai-ni Matsuya Bldg, 2nd Floor
2-12-4 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo JAPAN
東京都世田谷区北沢2-12-4 第2マツヤビル2F
TEL: 03 6450 8272
HOURS: 12:00pm-12:00am

The Plain Vanilla Bakery in Singapore

What is better than finding an amazing bookstore?

Finding an amazing bookstore, walking out with your new book, and stumbling upon a bakery with a mouth-watering selection of cupcakes! The Plain Vanilla Bakery on Yong Siak Street, I later found out, is quite popular. They had nine basic cupcakes and a couple more seasonal ones. I was very tempted to try all of them but somehow manage to limit myself to just one, the carrot flavor.

It was so good.

There was a seating area right outside of the bakery. It wasn’t a very large space (just two large tables) but I loved the simple and rustic decor. It was the perfect place to just sit and relax while reading my new book. And I have to say it again, the cupcakes were delicious!

Here are some photos:

PLAIN VANILLA BAKERY

1D Yong Siak Street, Singapore 168641

TEL: +65 6465 5942

OPEN: Tue-Fri 11:00am-8:00pm

Sat 9:00am-8:00pm

Sun 9:00am-6:00pm (closed Mondays)

The BooksActually in Singapore

You know I love stepping into local bookstores during my travels.

Well, I had heard about BooksActually (on this list) even before I knew I was going to Singapore. I think it’s one of the most well-known independent bookstores in the world, or getting there. So when the talk of stopping by this sovereign city-state came up, I immediately jumped on the idea solely because I wanted to stop by this bookstore.

I didn’t take very many pictures because I spent most of my time poking my nose in every corner of the bookstore, not to mention a handful of books and magazines. They specialize in fiction and literature but you can also find everything from typewriters to original stationary. Oh and did I mention the cats, too? (Although not for sale.)

I think the owners have a very unique and eclectic taste when it comes to selecting books for their bookstore. It had an amazing selection of novels by local writers, which made choosing a souvenir book for myself all the more difficult. They also publish books under their own brand, Math Paper Press, and hold events such as book launches and readings, which I would definitely go to if I were local.

BooksActually made me wish I lived in Singapore.

BOOKSACTUALLY

No. 9 Yong Siak Street, Tiong Bahru, Singapore 168645

TEL: +65 6222 9195

HOURS: Mon 11:00am-6:00pm

Tue-Fri 11:00am-9:00pm

Sat 10:00am-9:00pm

Sun 10:00am-6:00pm

The 7 Things I Love About Singapore

So I’m finally sharing photos from my stay in Singapore!

I almost forgot about this trip. Which is ridiculous because I had the best time. After my trip in Melbourne, I had a layover in Singapore. So my friend R and I decided to take a day or two to explore and relax in Singapore before we head back home.

Best. Decision. Ever.

It seemed like the internet leaned toward “boring” when it comes to describing travel in Singapore. But I have to disagree because I had a blast. We didn’t do anything especially exciting, but exploring the streets of Singapore was so much fun for me. So much to see in this little country. I was taking photos at every corner!

Here are some of the things I especially liked about Singapore:

1. The Airport – I’ve always liked airports but when one has unlimited free wifi, a swimming pool, AND a butterfly garden? I was in heaven and actually wished I had more time at the airport. Next time I am definitely trying out their swimming pool.

2. The Architecture – The buildings in Singapore were so beautiful! With many different cultures living amongst each other, it’s inevitable that Singapore would have an abundance of unique architecture, both old and new. It made walking around the city all the more interesting!

3. The Tropical Weather – If humidity is not your thing, you may actually pass out in Singapore. But I am not one of those people and didn’t mind the humidity that came with all the beauty of the tropics. Palm trees, year-round flowers, and best of all…no need to moisturize your skin morning, noon, and night (I’m looking at you, Tokyo)!

4. The Shops and Food – I found a treasure filled bookstore and an amazing cupcake shop on my first morning there! It was hard resisting the urge to buy and eat everything. But I quickly realized that I would need more than a couple of days to see and taste everything I wanted to. In that sense, the shopping and food scene are close to Tokyo with lots of variety!

5. The Transportation – Whether you take a taxi, train, or even a cable car…it was all easy peasy! The taxi drivers were the nicest people ever, giving us suggestions on where to go and answering our questions. So sweet. And there’s also no need to worry about the smell of durian fruits on trains, it is apparently forbidden 😉

6. The Pool – Because the cool summer messed with my plans to make this year all about swimming, nothing could have made me happier than an outdoor pool! And yes, I truly did swim in it, from one side to the other. I need this swimming pool in my back yard (which is also on my list of things I want)!

7. The National Museum of Singapore – I didn’t know very much about the history of Singapore, which is why I was so happy to discover an exhibit about the history of Singapore here. It actually started the day before our visit. Our timing was seriously spot on!

Have you ever been to Singapore? What were your favorite things about Singapore?

The February Link Love

Hello February!

The shortest month of the year is already here and it is going to zoom past, I fear! (That’s right, I started this paragraph with a rhyme because sometimes that’s how I roll.) But I’m actually looking forward to days whizzing past right into spring (officially only 47 more days to go!), aren’t you?

I don’t think I ever mentioned it but this year my resolution-ish goal is to do things that scare me. Not really awful things but just things that I would hesitate to do at times. Such as trying something new that I’ve never done before (that swimming class at the gym) or being a little aggressive (pushing for more responsibility at work).

I’ve come to realize that the older I get, the more cautious I become…especially in my head. So this year, because I have a feeling it’s going to be a great year anyway, I’m going to try to challenge myself. (I mean, it’s about time, right?) And weirdly, I am looking forward to it!

How is your 2015 going? Hope you have an amazing February! x

——————————————————-Link Love——————————————————-

– Did you hear? This is how to fall in love.

– Travelling on a shipping container is a dream of mine.

– Bring the conveyor sushi to your home.

– These words.

– What New Yorkers read on their commute.

– Understanding Japanese onomatopoeic words through chocolates.

The New Years Back in Tokyo

I know I am pushing the limit by still posting new years related photos.

But I promise these are my very last. They were all taken after coming back to Tokyo and slipping back into reality. Cold windy days. So to brighten up my days, I did what any normal person would do and stuffed myself with delicious food and snacks! Oh and flowers!

Here are some photos:

The whiff of smoke is said to heal the places is touches.

regional omiyage // hozomon // omikuji drawers // strawberry daifuku

My omikuji…so crazy but I got dai-kichi (大吉) again! (three in a row!)

The ingredients for Nanakusa-gayu (七草粥), traditionally eaten on January 7th.

chinatown sweets are the prettiest // plump white flowers with a shade of pink

Nothing like gorgeous weekend flowers and snowflake nails to start of this year right! x

The Chi-no-wa at Konno Hachimangu Shrine

You don’t know how happy I was when I saw that Ru had written about Konno Hachimangu (金王八幡宮) in her recent post. It reminded me that I had a few photos of the same shrine from the end of the year so I thought I’d just let you go to her post to learn about this lovely shrine. You know I love reading about something a hundred times more than writing about it. (It has a surprising connection to mathematics, which I did not know!)

Because it was the end of the year, they had the Chi-no-wa (茅の輪) set up. It is a large ring, used as part of the purification ritual called Oh-harai (大祓い) to get rid of all the bad luck in the past year.

It was my first time seeing an actual chi-no-wa so I had to read the instructions. You start by walking through the ring, then go around the left and walk through again, then go around to the right and walk through for the final time. (You can see the instructions in the photo below.)

I think it had instant results because I picked an omikuji (おみくじ) and I got dai-kichi (大吉), the best one! Hurrah!

Here are some photos (and read about the shrine here):

The Random Snapshots from Okinawa

The wind in Tokyo is insane and I am cold to my bones. But the countdown to spring has already begun so I am staying optimistic that this cold dry season will pass soon enough.

Until then here are a few more photos of Okinawa:

Blue skies on my way to the supermarket.

Missing those warm white-tshirt-no-socks kind of weather.

Isn’t this the loveliest entrance ever?

So many bright colored flowers and buildings here.

Did you know karate originated in Okinawa? (I had no idea!)

Driving along the sea on our drive up to Naijin (今帰仁).

Fresh daikon outside the soba shop we went to for lunch.

Our uncle’s home is wonderfully in the middle of nowhere.

They had tons of siikwasaa (シークァーサー) trees. Yum.

Okinawa has mountains, too.

Okinawa habu (a venomous pit viper) is my worst nightmare. Argh.

Our family couldn’t fit into one car so here we are driving in two separate cars.

It felt a little odd seeing palm trees surrounding the shrine torii.

There was an omikuji vending machine!

Naha city is a whole lot of white.

Last sunset in Okinawa. It was the best week ever and I can’t wait to go back!

You know you’re back in Tokyo when a kid yells “SAMUI!” the minute we step off the plane.

The Year End Family Get Together in Okinawa

I’ve mentioned before that our family rarely does anything tourist-y in Okinawa.

It is one of the top vacation spots for domestic travel in Japan. And I’m quite curious to explore this motherland of mine (I was born here). But I can count on one hand the number of times we’ve actually eaten out, much less hit the tourist attractions.

The reason for this is: family get-togethers.

We have a lot of these. Especially when we visit during the holidays. Okinawa is said to have a very strong sense of family and community, which means everyone comes to these gatherings. It can get very lively and last late into the night.

This time it was just my grandmother’s younger sister’s family and us (because there just wasn’t enough space to invite my grandmother’s other two sister’s families). We spent the entire day getting ready for the get-together, cleaning the house and cooking, cooking and cooking some more. Apparently, there really is no such thing as too much food on occasions like this. Or at least that’s what my grandma says.

We rarely get to spend time with our Okinawan-side of the family so it was really nice to have the time to catch up with all my relatives, especially with a feast like this! Oh, what a night!

What are your family get-togethers like?

Here are some photos: