This blog is not dead yet

I'll be back, someday. :)

I want to be a billionaire

HDB resale flat prices up 3.8 per cent in Q2 this year
http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC100702-0000084/HDB-resale-flat-prices-up-3,8-per-cent-in-Q2-this-year

Private home prices surpass 1996 peak
http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20100702-224859.html

Survey shows Singapore is world's 10th most expensive city
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/414327/1/.html

Singapore inflation climbs to 14-month high
http://business.asiaone.com/Business/News/Story/A1Story20100624-223698.html

Hence,

Hokkaido Day 5 and 6 - City Lights

Saw some lovely ladies at the lobby of Grand Asahikawa Hotel. Realized that they were clad in Kimonos for their high school graduation ceremony.

Got wood? We headed to the Asahikawa Furniture Centre after breakfast.

That's the single picture that I took. Realized that photography is not allowed in there. In essence, the place showcases the furniture made by the skilled carpenters from Hokkaido. Most of it are made of oak. Very fine craftsmanship I'd have to say. If you pick up a copy of Home and Decor every month, then this is the place for you.

A confectionery selling Japanese treats at the AEON Asahikawa-

nishi Shopping Center...

...which was our lunch place. We settled for a family styled restaurant after much deliberation. I had omu rice along with a hamburger.

The entire afternoon was spent in transit from Asahikawa to Sapporo, Hokkaido's capitol. It is the agricultural hub and financial center of Japan's northern island. Around 2 million people live there.

Some sights of the city

Sapporo's iconic television tower - one of the most popular photography sights in the city

Susukino - Sapporo's equivalent of New York's Times Square. Plenty of lights, plenty of life.

Sapporo's underground shopping center, very popular during Winter!

Queensway in Sapporo!

My last dinner in Hokkaido was Shabu Shabu. Check out the marbling! For a sum, you can have free flow of beef for 1.5 hours. Price ranges from 2000 to 7000 yen per person depending on the grade of beef. www.mooshabu.com

Day 6 was a day spent in transit back to Singapore. Had my last Japanese breakfast in Hokkaido at JR Tower Hotel Nikko.

Good bye Hokkaido. Till we meet again!

Travel mates - Simon Tan from Attorneys Inc, me, Saito-san from Furano Tourism Association and Risa-san from Prime Travel and Tour. Thanks!

Hokkaido Day 3 - We're going to the zoo. How about you?

For day 4, it's Biei to Asahikawa. The countryside scenery was really quite amazing, so we had to get off the car and snap some shots.

This is the Ken & Mary tree that was used famously in the 70s Nissan Skyline commercials. Those of you in that generation may have an idea. I don't.

First stop in Asahikawa was a visit to the Asahiyama Zoo. We made it just in time for the penguin parade. They only do this in winter for obvious reasons. Everybody just went "kawaii-ne!"

Unlike the penguins, the polar bears are kept strictly behind moats and glass walls

The zoo built a vertical cylinder for visitors admire them in motion, up close. I don't know how to rotate videos, so do bear with this.

Red Pandas!

Here's the can of corn soup I had, courtesy of Risa-san. Wonder if this product will work in Singapore.

Found some nice drawings at the deer enclosure

After the zoo visit, we went to pick some strawberries. For about a thousand yen, you can pick and eat as many as you like.

The strawberries are "entrepreneurially" grown by Ishikawa-san. She runs a building business, constructing houses and sheds in the summer. All work ceases in the winter because of the cold, but the workers still need to be paid. To keep the cash flowing, she opens this strawberry farm for visitors.

For lunch, we went to this little shack for ramen. The entire place is run by the couple in this picture.

I was told that their specialty is miso ramen. The broth is very thick and hearty. Its noodles are springy, while the char siew melts in your mouth. A simple, yet very gratifying meal for both the soul and body.

After the great ramen lunch, we head to this Yukaraori Museum. It's the place to go if you are into traditional Japanese arts and crafts, namely cloth weaving.


Because of modern distractions and its labor intensiveness, fewer and fewer Japanese pick it up...

...which is why products sold there can be rather expensive.

Next, we walked to the adjacent Snow Museum

The owner of the museum is enchanted by snow and built a museum so that people can admire it all year round. It includes an ice chamber, has a room filled plenty of information about the formation of snow and even a theatrette for weddings and musical performances.

The 3rd and final attraction for the day is the Takasago Meiji Brewery. Here, we learn about the fine art of sake brewing, and even got the chance to taste the final product..hic!

We ended off the night with Japanese BBQ at 大黑屋, located in the city of Asahikawa. Lamb is this restaurant's specialty, but don't go ee as you don't really taste the gamey taste typical of the meat. In fact, it was flavorful, succulent and juicy. The accompanying salad balances the meaty flavors while the beer cools everything down.

Finally, we had post-dinner drinks at this quaint little English-styled bar. It exudes a fuzzy old-school charm. Sasaki-san is the distinguished gentleman who prepared all our cocktails.

As you can see, I was a little tipsy from the shots of sake, cocktails and whiskey.