Japan Part 4

Maaf sebab lama tak menjenguk rumah sendiri (rumah orang lain apatah lagii). Jadual penuh sejak 3 minggu lepas dengan kedatangan keluarga ke London. Semalam depa dah balik, jadi mula terasa sunyi, sepi & sedih.. Masa pun terasa banyak sangat, ni yang mula resume tugas-tugas khas yang tergendala.

Kisah di Jepun tak habis lagi. Post kali ni nak kongsikan gambar-gambar yang masuk kategori caca-marba :D

Ni bilik hotel kita. Booked di booking.com. Katanya single room, tapi bila masuk jadi kebingungan tengok ada 3 katil single, 3 pasang selipar bilik, 3 yukata, 3 tuala. Dudukla sorang-sorang dalam bilik untuk bertiga ni. Nasib baiklah penat & jet lag teruk kat sana, memang tak sempat nak pikir kot-kot ada makhluk lain tidur atas katil sebelah. Hee

Maafkan aksi kejakunan ini. Tiba-tiba pandai pulak pakai yukata. Main belasahh 

Lunch pada 24 Mei. Mula-mula dah masuk sushi restaurant, lepas tu tengok menu semua tak faham, keluar balik. Nampak supermarket, pi lah beli makanan bungkus. Jimat pun jimat :P

Menu dinner 24 Mei - Angel hair spaghetti with seafood & kimchi. Sedap oii. Restoren Jolly Pasta ni dekat benar dengan hotel kita

Ni dessert malam tu. Saja nak cuba, beli bawak balik ke hotel. Menatang alah ni ada sweet potato kat dalam dia. Portion kecik, kiut sangat. Gambar ni nak tunjuk depa bubuh ice pack kat dalam kotak tu..

Pemandangan malam hari dari balcony bilik. Sebelah kiri lagi ada jetty yg ada banyak yatch. Dekat sangat dengan pantai

Ni satu hot spring kecil di Beppu Station

Beppu Hot Springs - must visit. Nasib baik ter-pergi

The man called "Shiny Uncle" who loved children. Sapa ni, cek tak tau...

Pilihan roti & pastry manis beserta harga. Kot-kot nak buat rujukan berapa harga donat di Jepun :P

Dann.. Yang wajib tunjuk untuk yang tak biasa tengok - tandas di Jepun (yang ni di Haneda Airport)

Tandas yang di luar airport pun sama canggih macamni jugak. Butang untuk bunyi air mengalir, bidet untuk cuci depan & untuk cuci belakang. Cuma di Haneda airport ni ada satu extra butang blow dry - untuk keringkan bawah. Kelakar pun ada :D

Souvenir dari Jepun - purple sweet potato KitKat

Kuih berbentuk anak ayam yang dibeli sebab comel sangat - dalamnya takdak ayam pun :)

Habis sudah kisah di Jepun. Coming soon cerita jalan-jalan dengan keluarga pulak. Jenuh nak pilih gambar.

Japan Part 3

The reason for flying to Japan. Alone.

Last year, based on my research I was chosen as one of the international award winners by Japanese Association of Laboratory Animal Science (JALAS). Sadly, I had to turn down the invitation because the event took place right after the tsunami & nuclear reactor disaster. And I just had a miscarriage at that time. It was just not meant to be.

Earlier in February this year, the contact person contacted me by e-mail, saying that JALAS president would like to extend his invitation again, since I could not make it last year. I was surprised! Again? How's that possible? Needless to say I spent days deciding - to go or not to go? My family is arriving at about the same time and of course, a trip to Japan in the middle of the planned Europe trip with family just won't work. My budget will surely go haywire. I was informed that JALAS will give a cash bursary of 100,000 yen (about 800 pounds) but that's still not enough. The flight ticket alone costs about 1,200 pounds..

After long discussion with DH, Noelia & my supervisor, I decided to go. 2nd chance does not come easily, I should be grateful. My supervisor suggested that I apply for a bursary from the UK Laboratory Animal Science Association (LASA), but he said that I shouldn't put a high hope on that. Imagine our surprise (and joy) when the application was approved a week later.  Alhamdulillah.

My presentation on the morning of May 24th. Only international award winners & their session chairman presented in English. Sessions for locals were done in full blown Japanese. Couldn't understand a thing

My research abstract

Award Ceremony in the afternoon of May 24th

In my certificate, the printed year is 2010. Others have 2011 printed in theirs

The cash bursary. Frankly, after receiving the cash I felt like flying back to London already :P

After the award ceremony I went back to the hotel to catch some sleep, before going out to explore Beppu town in the evening. The next day was spent visiting the "hells" (didn't attend the conference at all), but at night I went back to the conference venue to join the banquet. Makan-makan, maunya cek tak pergi, kannn..? :P

Persembahan pembukaan. Wow!

Tah berapa kali tepuk tangan, tak ingat dah. Hebatt

A speech by I-don't-know-who yang tah apa butir kandungannya. Bila orang tepuk tangan, kita pun tepuk lah

A picture with the person I've been communicating through e-mails, Assoc. Prof. Dr Nobuya Sasaki

Let's dig in, people! Di Jepun banyak seafood meals, jadi takdelah kurus-kurus tak makan

Sebahagian international award winners. Wonderful bunch of people. Must keep in touch for future collaborations :)

Rancak berborak. Masa ni Japanese dah mula mabuk-mabuk

Persembahan penutup. Pukulan gendang powerful dari makcik-makcik. Hebatttt

So, that's the work portion of my Japan trip :)

Japan Part 2

I went to Japan for a conference, but since every presentation by the locals was done in Japanese, there was no point of attending presentations that I could not comprehend. So a friend & I went on the Beppu Jigoku Meguri (Beppu Hell Tour) on the 2nd day of the conference :P

Waiting for the Kamenoi bus to pick us up at the tour office. Even the staffs here have basic English skills. Cabaran sungguh..

The 1st stop, Umi-Jigoku

It was raining.. Kidnapped the hotel umbrella :P

Umi-Jigoku. So called because it resembles the sea. This 200m deep pond of boiling water emerged 1200 years ago after a volcanic explosion

Hot spring for the legs katanya

2nd stop - Oniishibozu -Jigoku (Oniishi Shaven Head Hell). 

The large and small bubbles of hot gray mud look like the shaven head (bozu atama) of monks, hence the name Oniishibozu -Jigoku

3rd stop - Yama Jigoku (a mini zoo with animals relaxing in warm water)

4th stop - Kamado-Jigoku

5th stop - Oniyama-Jigoku

This jigoku is the home to many crocs

6th stop - Shiraike-Jigoku (The White Pond Hell) - the colourless water that naturally spouts from the ground mysteriously turns creamy white

The tour guide explaining things (in Japanese)

Walking back to the bus. My friend & I were the only two foreigners among  a bus full of Japanese tourists

8th stop - Tatsumaki-Jigoku, a geyser

After 20 minutes of waiting, here it is!

The Jigoku Tour is highly recommended, a must do In Beppu :) Beautiful, beautiful views.