Sunday, August 30, 2009

Thoughts for the day

Some of us have high human interaction daily while others hardly has any at all.

Its important that should another person cross our path even for just one day. At least make you the highlight of that person day even if its just one day. There's always a first time and a last time. Make the encounter last.

Maximize the impact of good things. Miminize the impact of negative things.

Smile , Humor & Creativity. Some ingredients of making a memorial encounter.

The simplier things in life is, the happyier you can be.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Japan - Kyoto 1 Day Tour

It’s been awhile since I carry on with my blogging of my Japan trip. But the memory is still fresh when I look back at the photos I taken. As the saying goes, pictures are worth a thousand words. Enough of Osaka for now and I hop over to a day trip I had in Kyoto. Kyoto like animations I watch evolving samurai’s era is a place of worship. In Kyoto itself according to the tour guild there are over 1000 temple or 2000. (The figure slip me, but its many many to be able to finish in 1 shot.)

The temple I visit on Kyoto often have big court yard. Clean and neat, spacious with a sense of tranquillity. The name of temple if I make a direct translation would be “temple of the thirty three.”





The rows of white paper at the bottom left are actually ‘predictions’ which is bad in luck and thus devotees tied the paper to the rope for better bless where as if the ‘prediction’ paper you got its good. You keep it!

After the first temple visit, we stop by a restaurant with a nice garden for lunch. Shoes has to be taken off though.











The food display is definately exclusive in my view but its a tad too fine lunching for me that I felt hungry after finishing the set. After the lunch with some time left to spare. we went about to explore the restaurant and found a big garden back yard.






Thats about all for one post~ 

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Japan - Osaka Places of Interest

Places of interest that I visit in Osaka is limited due to time constrain. First on the list is Osaka Castle which is located at Subway station Morinomiya, where we have to walk across a nice big park to reach the castle.







Its a relative cool and long walk from the train station to osaka castle. Took me about 15 - 20mins of slow walking. Like all castle, there is a outer perimeter and like most shrine I have visited in Japan, there always a well for 'cleansing' at its entrance. (Not recommended for drinking thought pointed out by a friendly local)









The castle is quite prominent from far and the entrance fee is 600 yen per adult.

There’s a total of 4 or 5 level with the highest being able to have a view around the castle. In the lower floors are videos and arts works playing out the epic history of Osaka Castle. No camera are allow on the higher floors inside the building thus picture of samurai areas are lacking. Its take about 2 – 4h depending on how much you like to learn about the castle to finish a tour.



At the top of the roof and the 4 corners are a mystical creature with the head of the tiger and the body of a fish which is say to ward off evil and bring luck. I wasn’t paying attention then to remember more.


Another place of interest which we visiting is the Umeda Tower ( Floating Garden Observatory ) which is 700 yen per adult open from 10am to 10pm. We were late for the night view and thus ending up going back in the day. The view would have been much wonderful at night I believe. It give a 360 degree view of Osaka and its freezing up there at 11 in the morning. Even Osaka castle can be view from the Umeda Tower.







The Tower is like a spaceship saucer-like dome located at the top of 2 standing building. Access is via entrance on the 4 floor and up a lift follow by a long flight of escalator.







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