I don’t know where to start. It was a last minute decision to tag along my boyfriend’s business trip. We managed to visit his parents which was nice.
Osaka -> Kyoto -> Gifu -> Osaka -> Nagoya -> Tokyo
I didn’t plan anything and I just went. Did my own walk around the cities though.
The first advice I got from my first trip to Japan in 2005 was not to take a cab. It’s unbelievable expensive. However, after this trip, the advice I would give, “Never lose your shinkansen ticket”. It’s expensive too.
He works 24/7 so I guess it is okay for him to take a nap. Breaks my heart to see him so tired. He doesn’t have much time for me but I don’t mind. Honestly, I actually like to be alone.
We went to Park Hyatt’s New York Grill. The view was amazing. Tokyo night view from the restaurant. The steak was good. At the end of the dinner, he bend down to grab something. For one moment, I thought my boyfriend would propose to me. I was thinking too much. He was grabbing for his wallet…
We visited Tokyo Disney Sea and Osaka Universal Studio. I was happy that we can spend time together since we don’t get that much time together.
Best part of Japan, food! Japanese food in Singapore doesn’t taste that good anymore. I can totally relate to boyfriend’s comments on Japanese food in Singapore. The service was fantastic too.
On the last night of our trip, I booked an apartment through Airbnb. It was my first time and I glad I did. The host was Japanese but spoke fluent English as he stayed in Australia and USA. Below is his profile:
https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/3844463#host-profile
The apartment was really cosy and nice.
The tips i got online about Airbnb, read about the host’s profile. He was very detailed and seemed to have told everyone about his entire life. He was kind and passed us the key a day before because we are heading out for a road trip and will only be back really late.
I will use Airbnb again.
The apartment was memorable because my boyfriend proposed to me. He was trying to talk to me but I was busy getting ready to hit the bed. It was 2am and we had a flight to catch in the morning. He caught me off guard. I was confused to see ring because he told me he was giving me my birthday present.
Thank you for everything for the past 2 years. You have always been so kind and simple. Thank you respecting my values. Your thoughtfulness and perseverance made me realized how fortunate I am.
Being single for 6 years was worth the wait. So sick of getting from one relationship to another just to “recover” or demand the other half to meet my requirements. Wait for someone who deserves you. I always give the same advice to my friends but they seem to ignored and hope that the other half would change. Just be honest with yourself.
Really excited to start a new life as a married person. Intermarriage is gonna be fun. I will be a gaijin wife and will be heading to Japan more frequent! I should look for a job that covers APAC instead of South East Asia…
Jessica Tamaki 