Day 2 (16th July 2011) - Sanrio puroland

Visited the Hello Kitty theme park in the morning. Was about an hour ride from asakusa.









first stop was at some hello kitty house







went in to explore myself since my clumsy friend went to throw away the entrance passport into the dustbin zzz so here's the interiors















hello kitty stuff at the souvenir shop, very nice crystals



and some show was going on but only managed to catch a bit of it



there were lots of LEDs though ahha



after She found his ticket back - the amazing part was when we went to the information counter to get a new one they actually managed to find it in the bins!!!! we went in the room again. realised there's a photo corner to exit, no wonder i didn't know the exit previously.



we then went to search for food, and saw many cute food which was just expensive x-x











didn't eat any and wandered to this place where you could play multiple games and us a 'piggy bank' to collect coins. in order to earn the coins, you just have to visit each station and finish the activity there. the activities include dancing, posing, answering questions, etc.



this is supposed to be the 'king' of the country, if you manage to gather all the coins, you inherit the kingdom.



this is the 'piggy bank' that stores electronic coins



first station requires you to shake as much as possible =.=



then you had to cross a mini path without the spotlight touching you



after that it's the posing. look how idiotic She looks bwhahhawh







after you are done with all the stations, you have to proceed to the last station where you bet all your coins to win double or lose all of them.



amazing thing is... we both WON!!! so now we're both kings lol. lucky!!



we then watched a nice musical based on a pair of lovers who attempted to go to the country of the stars.



was too crowded so we had to stand and strain our necks.



appearance of the sub-cast and the queen





the main stars, the lovers. the story is actually quite sad at the beginning, because the female lead is born from a flower, which will die in 3 days. she falls in love with the guy and when the guy realises that she was going to die, he searches for all ways to keep her alive. the only solution was to drink some potion from atop a mountain and stay alive in the country of the stars, which was something forbidden by the queen. hence, the queen stopped the guy by detaining him in the mountains when he went to fetch the potion. even though one of his friends died while trying to get him out, the guy didn't make it to the girl in the end. Touched by their love, the queen used her power to revive the girl and sent them to the country of the stars.







sorry the pictures are so bad, my cam ran out of battery =.=

oh, and there were acrobatics in between and the girl was just being thrown and split around by the guy. Her flexibility and balance is just wow O.o



went off to have a lunch/dinner at their foodcourt. $25+ per set... ok la...



Didn't manage to explore the other parts of the city as I was planning to meet shoko at 6 back at kudanshita, since there was some festival going on. However we didn't get to see each other in the end as it was just way too crowded and she had the timing wrong -.-

Stopped at shinjuku for te train transfer and saw a cool little dog going around with a donation box o.O too cute!



Headed over to Kudanshita next, and realised that it is actually where yasukuni is. (the shrine that pays tribute to the Japanese soldiers that died during Singapore invasion...) like all the festivals, the shops were aplenty with food, drinks, games, etc. Saw some interesting shops while climbing the pathway to the shrine.





The obayashiki looked really scary with all the chopped heads and I couldn't figure out what the other shop with all the porn like poster and weird big booby woman was exactly. 500-600yen entrance, so decided to skip it. finally managed to squeeze to the temple in an hour (usually with no crowds should take 5-10mins).







So squeezy it was hard to breathe and we literally had to inch our way across. thank goodness you could get out outside of the temple so you don't have to travel via the festival path. didn't manage to meet shoko in the end as the crowd was just overwhelming. Thought there would be fireworks but it obviously couldn't happen in shrines haha. After we were done with the festival, we headed back to our hostel.

Day 1 (15th July 2011) - Pre-departure to japan

This must be the longest day I have before the trip, to stay at work till about 3am before I leave for Changi to meet ben. =.= my website live date was already 3hours overdue when I left, and I was so afraid I won't be able to leave like my first year, where I had to stay cos one of my projects had a lot of screw ups. I'm glad I had my senior to cover me but I still felt bad for leaving (；´Д`A

Had a hot green tea with compliments from my cute little son before departure, and was happy that ben's mom said i looked like lee junki lol xD and got ready for the 6 hours of sleepless flight. Departed at 6am.



Delta flight was actually pretty good - had omelette for breakfast and some croissant like burger for morning snack. Nice!



Seat wasn't all that comfortable, I was barely able to sleep... Managed to watch the wimpy kid movie though. Lame but funny all the same.

Reached japan around 2pm in the noon and took a 2hour train ride to my hostel. just out of the station asakusa, you could see the new Sky Tree, which is due to open next year May.



And here is the hostel, called Khaosan Tokyo, at $37/night/person for a twin room. small, but affordable and the facilities weren't too bad!



Freaking hot weather, what a torture. Shoko came to pick him up at around 6pm so I was free all the way till She arrives at 8-9pm. Took a short walk around asakusa station and ate an ice cream then went back to the hostel to relax.

When my friend arrived, we went out for Mac pork and milk shake for dinner! and She had lots of devices i went crazy over. love this dual screen.

NDP 2011 was awesome! i love the new song, 'in a heartbeat'. the whole show was simple with lots of fancy float parades, lovely video background and there was no rubbish singing like the past (where they had so many singers to just waste time, and emcees to talk cok).

the place to watch is great as well, considering there's waters all around, so they could showcase the marine battalion.



when it was night, the pictures were lovelier...





there were laser shows and buildings lighted up like the victoria harbour in hong kong!!! and fireworks rose all over. very pretty.







i especially love the fireworks throughout the show, and especially towards the end. thought it would be the same out light bursts, but this time it just felt very different. <3









the weather was wonderful - no sun at all, and breeze from the beginning to the end! really made the whole event a comfortable experience.

took some pictures with the elephant before we went off.





and passed by a lighted banner...



and i believed everything led me to you. it can't possibly be a coincidence for me to be rejected by 20 others, all on the same day...!

anyhow, we went for dinner later on, as everything ended around 815. met up with daphne, junjie and chloe and had desserts at MOF! waiting for her pictures to come!

oh yeah, cosfest was a huge media attraction this year - look at the zao an nin hao program in the morning...

Everything has finally come to a premature end!

There are many people that I would like to thank in no particular order except the last one is the most important xD:

Nik, for driving our things to and fro, during unearthly hours, and for helping to pack and carry our things to and fro. and for cheering me up with all your lame stories and funny sound effects, and for helping my mom eat up all the food 8D

Shek, for helping with the circuit at such a last minute notice and for providing a place with all my junk, and all the trips you had to make driving the stuff to and from multiple places... Now that I'm mentioning it I feel so bad I think you deserve a big treat *_*

Kazu, for providing us a place to stay when we knocked on your doors at 6am!! (yes why are you guys still awake I wonder)

Miho, for helping us get the LEDs and getting lost when you couldn't find me - and all the PVC folding woes!

Night, for tolerating rina's nonsense and helping us with the n-th failed attempt at making that horrendous jar x.x

Kula and the other big guy at the event (I didn't even get your name!) for helping out at the semi finals, taping us here and there, stapling, gluing, sticking pins everywhere etc - we would have been super 手忙脚乱 without you!
Sara and yui, for being our wonderful helpers at the PK round. You appeared so miraculously when we needed you!!! What would we have done with lugging all the props ourselves I wonder...!! And I'm so proud of you guys!! You are Singapore's representatives!! You made it!!!

Yokey, for coming over with Nik at like 3am to lug all those stuff to the chalet - sorry we made your place so super squeeze with all those stuff and we even accidentally took back your wig lol hope you didn't have to restyle it much again!

Vio laokong for helping me lug those stuff in the rain and for arranging our background in the early hours during the day of the competition T-T

Judas for lending us the chalet to put our stuff even though i was so mean to you x.x oh no I think I haven't repaid you - have you gotten enough fill of the bakwa though?!

Tkh and steph, Jason, for organizing all of these and putting in the surprise pk round - it was the most strenuous time of my life but I do think it was a great experience anyway!! Cosfest 万歳! Even though I was disallowed to do some stuff it eventually became ok heh

Master Bao! I know we have failed you terribly, but thank you for helping us with all the action scenes and prop tips! To think I kena scolded more by you because I keep forgetting my actions -.- I fail blah 都已经说了教我们会是个坚苦的一条路...! But I'm still very glad we have you *_*

denzyl, for the night i needed you and for listening to all my woes... T_T

My family for tolerating all the mess that we created, the late night vacuuming, the noise, the dust... Etc. Sorry dad you had to sit in the kitchen and can't watch your shows because of us :( but I think you were the most tolerant of everyone, with the least complaints, and you even suggested ideas and brought home random materials for us TT I love you. And mom, always cooking lots of food for my friends and having a super hard clean up time because I wasn't as thorough - I did try though!

rina hamster! you really drove me crazy with all the rolling around, i swear you are the reincarnation of my previous nightmare. you pulled me into all this and doubled the monster in me. i may have dissedand chided and threatened to murder you off a gazillion times but you will still partner me all the same?!?!?!?! i don't know where else i can find such a tolerant partner ever again T_T and you were such a cute entertainment too >< *throws the kurobara corpse* i'm still quite sad i didn't get to see your individual though :( but i will still whack you next time hurhur

dearest team mate yvonne - you had absolutely no experience in on stage acting and fighting and making such glittery armour and stuff but you did a fantastic job!!!! all the late nights was worth it! even though we didn't win, i think you really deserve a resounding applause for the wonderful, wonderful costumes that you remade 3 times :D my bishie tin man <3i'm glad i have such a mature and understanding partner, and one who definitely shares the same sentiments as me and thinks the same way! i'm so glad i know you!!!!!!!

Yong jin, for the popeye that was not supposed to be paid by you... Lol sorry I had to take the fish burger from ya x.x and Noooooo you didn't eat the bakwa?! And please come back to cosplay more, you're really not that old!

고기, I hope I didn't destroy your hair... Sorry I didn't get to send you off... Really didn't know it was a different flight... TT and i regret I didn't get to take a picture of my masterpiece! TT you're really still a little boy even though you should already be 형.

바보, 너 프리쿠라의사진을 귀엽다! And I really don't know what I should do with the 2 boxes of souvenir, how can you dump them on me >8( but 관찮아! 나는 더 좋아서 기쁩니다. 나는 스털크가 아닌데 생각했어서 고마워요

00, for just being there! And... 그 선물을 줐어서 아주 기쁩니다!!! It was a really big power up for me!! And the best 선물 I've received T____________T but i'm so sad i can't bring you around for the extra 3 days you are here - I'm sure you'll be fine with your 부인 right!!! At least I got a farewell hug *_* heeheehee xxh, please make sure you notice I wasn't the one to initiate eh 8D

Nahahahah and 비밀ピックニック in the 아주 춥다 방 - yay!!! At least it felt like the wcs night, just that 용진 replaced 준구 ._. but still~~~ ♥

I'm glad I've achieved multiple objectives this time too (",)
너 정말 버렸어요!! 这次再也不会回去了。さようなら〜
너친구 失敗하는데 좋다! 不用称霸了！
나 혼자 도 잘해요~ 靠自己最好，别人靠你更好
ㅇ 봤서 같이 먹었어서 선물을 받았어서 이야기했어서 난 아주 행복해...! ♪♥

It has been a wonderful cosfest o(^▽^)o

oh my!!! i have kept this blog stale for 2 months!!! and i see a lot of spam on my tagboard =.=|||

so i'm just done with ACM and i'm getting my normal life back bit by bit, and formulating all kinds of grand plan for next year. This competition might have just drained half my life, but it was still pretty worth it since i did hit several objectives xD for those whom i've talked to, they will know...

i'm now free of the name!

actually i'm quite lazy to type what's been happening, but here's a clip of what we did for ACM semi finals



as you can see, many things failed and there were 3 groups who tied... so into the final PK round we enter! improved on the skit and made several changes, can you see the difference??? hahahah



and because i'm biased i shall only advertise the korea team here. first up is the guest performance by seungyong and myeongseon.



lots of mistakes, but still, spectacular mistakes hahahahah!

this is the winning malaysia team, wcs reps of this year - sky and yuan cross.



and the malaysia team with the awesome robot! it looks really neat up close. very awesome for someone doing mecha for the first time.



this is the winning team for wcs singapore this year, sara and yui - so proud of them!!! team SOS!!! hahahaha YAYYYYYYY. their skit was engaging, pretty and entertaining, really very nice!!!



and the winners of ACM 2011 $10,000 goes to.... KOREA!!!



and taeyeon's individual was just splendid! too bad they didn't get the individual. thailand did - their karas is really nice!
can't find it now, will update more laters~~

here's thailand's individual~ they won the best individual overall.



and kyungmin's one piece individual. very creative and cute skit, with a dramatic end



i quite like zoey's individual too - lots of fans! although it was a bit long for some parts.



and taeyeon's individual is pretty awesome too!!! she transformed from her lavish gown to an awesome robot!! and i love the transition. if only she'd cut down the repetitive sword slashing in front and change faster, would be perfect