Day 6 & 7 in Osaka

Day 5 - OSAKA CASTLE/ DONTOBURI

We headed out to Osaka Castle as this was another recommended tourist spot in Osaka. By now, we were quite familar with the area around our hotel. Shinsaibashi Suji, which is a sheltered shopping arcade is just 2 small streets away.

Their streets are really narrow, single car lanes and there is hardly any space for pedestrains if there is a car on the street. People around here also travel a lot on their bicycles. There are designated bicycle parking lots everywhere we go and the people are really orderly and neat. Toilets are usually clean and the kids hardly complain about the state of the toilets unlike in Shanghai. No strange smells in the air and recycling trash cans were everywhere, so we hardly saw rubbish on the streets too. This is nice for a change...

Osaka Castle was a long walk from the train station though we could see the main tower from far. I think the kids are still too young to appreciate culture and architecture yet. Adah was expecting to see a real king and queen and when I told her they were dead long ago, she expected to see a castle like Cinderella's in Disneyland, so what she saw must be quite disappointing for her...We decided not to enter the main tower since the kids are quite unlikely to appreciate the exhibits too. We tried to look for the pier to take a boat ride around the castle but was given weird directions by a Japanese girl who kept trying to tell us that she is in charge of the train rides only...Anyhow, we did our usual 'been there, seen it from the outside, be happy and move on' stint and headed for Hankyu Entertainment Park to bring the kids on the small ferris wheel there but it was closed down until mid- October! Seems like nothing was on our side...

Asher was really tired and fell asleep on the way back to the Shinsaibashi train station, so we decided to bring the kids back to the hotel for their naps. Adah was getting tired too, after 2 days of fun play. Asher hardly stirred when I carried him from stroller to the bed and took off his jacket. Usually, he would have woken up and created a big fuss. While the kids napped, I walked around a little but was too tired and went back to the hotel after visiting the supermarket.

We met KS' colleage and his wife for dinner along Dontoburi and we were impressed with the number of restaurants along the food street. It was crowded with the locals and tourists and the variety of foods is unbelievable. It is also very vibrant with bright lights and displays and the kids were excitedly pointing out moving crabs, octopus, character icons on the top of the restaurants.

Day 6 - OSAKA SCIENCE MUSEUM

I wanted to visit one of their famous shrines but we couldn't locate the Nankai line to go on and so we headed for the Science Museum straightaway. We paid for a planeterium show which was only in Japanese. I think it must be quite nice except that we couldnt understand the language. It showed the stars and the solar system and the kids kept asking questions we couldn't answer. We explored the museum a little and headed back to Namba for lunch and intentions to take the boat ride.

We had the most expensive MacDonald's meal in our lives! We paid almost 2000 yen for 2 set meals without upsizing and a kid's meal. That is almost SGD30! For that amount, I can order delivery in Singapore or cover 2 delivery meals in Shanghai.

After lunch, we walked around a bit, trying to look for Americacura but we couldn't locate it somehow and we decided to forfeit the boat ride since it will take 1.5 hours. We wanted to head back to the hotel to rest but Asher had to wake up when we were almost reaching it. So we rested for a while before heading out to dinner with another of KS' colleague and his family who just arrived today.

Day 4 & 5 in Osaka

Day 3 - UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
I checked the weather forecast before heading out for the day and decided to bring the kids to Universal Studios since they had a disappointing day before without seeing the monkeys, and today was probably the warmest day on the week we were going to be in Osaka.

I think I still prefer Disneyland and Disneysea. The theme parks are more organised with more games and rides and shows. I feel like I am walking into an imitation of the resort and it lacks a certain vibrancy and magical feel that the Disney resorts have. The Disney staff were definitely better trained and could understand english better and were mostly cheerful and full of smiles and looked like they really enjoyed what they were doing...The universal staff were polite as with most Japanese, but there just wasn't anything special about them. Still the kids enjoyed themselves and both did not nap at all! They simply wanted to soak in the attractions and eveything about them!

Posing outside the Universal Studios...

My little big boy, who refused to ride the mini roller coaster cos' he was scared and I ended up walking with him around the Snoopy play area.


Asher really adored his jie jie. He was looking out for her all the time while playing and waiting for her to complete her ride with daddy. I played with him and brought him around but he really brightened up when she came out of the ride and he asked her to play with him!


On the merry- go- round. There were a total of 9 rides, of which Adah could do 4 and Asher, 3. We did not have to rush to complete them like Disneyland but there were long queues on the few we could go to...

Asher sitting on the ride in his pull ups. He wet his pants while watching the water show. The performance was quite nice but I think it was a little too scary for him as he was trembling a little at all the shooting and fighting scenes and he did not like the fire effects; so I dunno if he wet his pants because he forgot to tell us or if he was too scared...

The 3 Chong TV addicts...

Day 4 - KAIYUKAN/ OSAKA AQUARIUM
We decided to visit the Osaka Aquarium since thunderstorms were expected. We left the hotel when it was bright and sunny but by the time we got to the aquarium train station, it was beginning to pour.

It was still pouring when we completed our visit to the aquarium after lunch and shopping at the Tempozan Marketplace so we did not get to ride on the biggest Ferris Wheel in Osaka.

On the train ride to the aquarium.

Outside Tempozan Marketplace

Most famous original takoyaki balls with 70 years of history.

Day 1, 2 and 3 in Osaka

I thought I had better start updating my blog before we head back to Shanghai and I am blocked out of all these sites again!!!

Our flight to Osaka was at 6 pm in the evening on 28th October. It was quite a long wait for the day to get by, for us and for the two excited kids. By the time we got onto the plane, it was quite dark outside the airport as the sun sets earlier these days as we enter fall. We did not manage to get any 3 seats together so the kids had to be attached to each of us.

Asher was agreeable to sit with his father initially but some time after we took off, he started crying to sit next to me and Adah refused to change her seat with him as she was happily settled in. But it was really difficult to pacify a toddler and I told KS to lift the kids over to change seats and then, Adah started wailing. Of course, KS got very irritated as her crying just got louder and she was slapped by him. There was a lot of embarassment and yelling and commotion in our 2 rows for a while before Adah got distracted by her tv and went back to her dinner and tv again!

When we got to the airport, we had to get to the hotel quickly as we had to check in by a certain time and KS only changed a small part of our RMB at the Pudong airport and was still busy checking out rates at the Kansai airport. The only one counter that was open had a queue and we decided to make our way to the railway station. It was difficult to understand the railway/ subway/ train map as there were so many lines in Osaka as with Tokyo and some of them intersect and some do not pass by certain stations. I think the biggest barrier is that everything is in Japanese and we could hardly understand the words even though some of the characters are similar to chinese and we could half- guess them.

Somehow, we made it to the Nankai- Namba station and managed to get onto a cab to bring us to our hotel. That ride costs us 1000 yen just for a distance which is a 15 minutes walk away. We also waited for a long time to get to the hotel site from the entrance of the small road which we turned into! The hotel looked and seemed to be like a budget traveller's type and the room was so small that the two kids could jump from one bed onto another without falling. Needless to say, our first day out was not too smooth sailing and that was probably why we did not have any pictures taken...

Day 1 - OUT TO NARA
When I first planned the itinery, I was so full of ideas on where we should go visit, what are good scenic routes we should show the kids, and the places we could explore on foot. But I soon realised that our plans had to be changed quickly depending on the weather conditions and kids' moods.

Adah wanted to see the deers first when I gave her a choice of visiting the deers at Nara or the monkeys at Arashimaya, Kyoto. So we proceeded to Nara on our first day. Nara is another prefecture near Osaka and is about 45 mins away by train. Again, it was another round of confusion and chicken-duck talk as we tried to communicate our questions to the train station masters. I think the younger chaps are more helpful. We ran into an old man who looked at me and just kept waving me off when all I needed was for him to help me buy tickets since all their machines were in Japanese!

On our way to Nara...

A padi field with a scarecrow that we saw along the train ride...


Eager and greedy deers heading for the tourist's deer feed...they just flocked to him when they saw food!


Asher pretending to walk like Mr Plod!

A very scared Adah clinging onto her father even though she kept asking to feed the deers!

There were actually lots more to see at Nara. Some temple, shrine and a museum but with 2 kids and 2 aging adults, it was difficult for us to be adventurous and we were too tired from the long train journey to continue walking uphill to explore further. The Nara park is huge and on the map, the attractions look close but actually, there's a lot of walking, so we only saw the 5 storey pagoda and walked past the museum! The weather was looking bad and we decided to head back to the hotel area for dinner and an early rest.

The below pic shows the Chongs excitedly trying to catch the Care Bears from the UFO- Catcher game machine. We were here almost every evening, catching more bears. KS caught 2 on the first day, both in pink and gave them to Adah. Asher was a little disappointed that he had none and kept asking for his blue bear so we just had to return again. Then whenever one kid had one, the other wanted another. By the 4th day, we had 5 pink bears and 3 blue bears!

Day 2 - OUT TO KYOTO
I really wanted to visit Arashimaya for her scenic spots in Kyoto and try to spot geishas in the Gion area but the rain really ruined it all for us. It was still pouring by the time we got to Arashimaya station, this time after more than an hour of train ride and again, a few rounds of hand-waving, chicken n duck talk with train masters again. The kids were still excited at the prospect of seeing monkeys but were starting to bicker quite often. We tend to get more impatient with them after frustrations of trying to figure out the train stations we had to change at, manipulate umbrellas, hold onto Adah and push Asher in the stroller and watch out for the correct stations or spots!

Nonetheless, we managed to make it to the river and see the famous Togetsukyo bridge from afar. The mountains and the waters rushing down the river was so pretty and majestic and it was a part of Japan that I really wanted to show the kids. This is a part of nature and rural country living that they never had a chance to see but the rain really dampened my spirits and we decided to turn back because we dun need 2 sick kids on a holiday plus we have another trip back to Singapore at the end of the month!

KS spotted a man fishing despite the downpour...

The opposite side of the river, which we have to cross the bridge to get to...

The Togetsukyo bridge, which I had planned for us to cross over to see the monkeys up the mountains and walk through the bamboo grove behind it...we just have to come back some day to make up for it!

We headed on train to the Gion area as I was hoping to catch a glimpse of some geishas, but it was still raining even after we had our lunch at Takashimaya, so we decided to head back to the area around our hotel. We ended up at Tokyu hands instead!It was still ouring when we reached the Nankai Namba station and we had to hire a cab to bring us to Tokyu Hands and I think this is where the kids were the happiest for the day as they got to pick out some stickers for themselves!

In Osaka

Finally I can update my blog directly and not via some anoymous proxy. I wonder why the country I am in is so weird, blocking off blog sites and facebook and youtube? They dun want their people and foreigners living in their land to have any social contact with the outside world? How absolutely unreasonable and frustrating for us? But so typical of what living in Shanghai and dealing with the Shanghainese is like!

We are in Osaka and I am typing away while the kids and their father are knocked out. It has been a shock as the hotel room is really small and the facilities are so minimal, and it is right smacked in one of the busiest one way street on Osaka, I think! Anyway, we will be off to feed monkeys and to see geishas (hopefully) in Kyoto tomorrow! The kids, as usual, got tired on the long journey to the hotel. It was a 45-min ride to Pudong Airport, a 1.5 hour wait to board the plane, 2 hour journey by plane, 40 mins by a rapid train and finally another 15 mins by cab door to door!

Adah cried big time on the plane when Asher asked to have his seats swopped with her. Poor thing! She has been bullied quite often lately by the little one. She whined and sobbed so hard that she was slapped by her father. My heart aches for her man! Dun understand why the airline staff couldnt help to change the seats around so that we 3 can sit together...sighs...

Random Updates

The weather is turning warmer and Asher is sleeping lesser. I brought him to see Adah swim last wednesday but he was extremely reluctant to even touch the water with his toes! He asked to play at the playground and was happy running around. He kept asking for 5 minutes more when I told him it was time to leave!

Asher is being toilet trained. He has done pretty well though we still do not take chances and when we bring him out, we put him in diapers. So he was wearing one when we were at the pool then playground that day when he came up to me and told me he has to pee. They say when in Rome, do as the Romans do and when in China, do as the Chinese do. So I got Asher to pee pee into the bushes next to the playground. Unfortunately, he was wary of the grass and did not want to get too near them and ended up peeing onto the cement. So the below picture is the first of Asher's pee pee spot outdoors. And now pee pee is the excuse for Asher to get off his high chair at meal times and it is getting on my nerves especially when we are in a restaurant located far away from a toilet!

At the pool watching Adah's swimming class.

Adah and her new friend, Jesse. A sweet sensitive little boy just one month younger than her.

Adah's First Swimming Class

Adah had her first swimming class today. She had been so excited about it since 2 weeks ago when I finally confirmed a slot with the swimming coach and told her about it! She was asking about her swimming class everyday before the excitement of an impending Disneyland trip overwhelmed her.

It was not easy to get Danielle (the coach). She teaches only Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at Shimao and the other 3 mothers of kids whom I roped in to form a class of 4 to keep teaching fees lower all agreed that weekends was out. That left us only with a Wednesday slot since she is fully booked for Mondays and we only get the late slots like after 5 pm! I resorted to looking for other coaches before Danielle finally got back to me to inform that she managed to shift one of her students to a weekend slot and that leaves us for a 4 pm Wednesday slot!!!

So the day came...we rushed the kids to the pool after picking them up from the front entrance where the school bus drops them. For the first time, it was no trouble at all, prodding the kids to move faster and head to the pool immediately. The kids were all excited and giggly, and they jumped straight into the pool without caring if it was warmed up or not.

Adah enjoyed her class alot and Danielle was really friendly, fit and good with the kids. At some points, Carlinos was less confident and she managed to convince him to get into the water. She even ended the lesson with a very fun 'Ring-a-ring-a-roses' game when Lily swallowed some water accidentally and started crying in fear. She did that so that Lily will forget her little 'accident' and be encouraged to stay in the water next lesson. She was good with Adah too, staying cheerful and friendly with her. I wonder where she gets her stamina from. It was not easy handling 3 kids in a go and her enthusiasm was consistent throughout the 30 mins. She looked cute in her braces too! I really like her and the way she handled the kids, managed the class and introduced different water confidence techniques to the kids. They were still not too confident as the pool is almost as deep as their heights, but I think they will be moving onto to strokes eventually!

Injured

Adah got pushed off the slide by a bigger boy in her class at school. What's upsetting is that the teachers all claim that they did not know what happened and one even suggested that 'its a usual child's blame game' when I informed her that Adah had told me that it was that particular boy who pushed her down.

I was mad when I read her comments. How would I not know that a child at that age tend to exaggerate their antics and pushing and friendships? I was not looking for a child to blame. I see Adah and Asher in action together and I know mishaps sometimes do happen, but how could no one realised that a child has fallen and hurt herself that badly? Or at least keep the child who pushed her in check, since he is a big boy and tends to rough-play? There are 4 adults to Adah's class of 25 children and not one of them can explain what happened, claming that Adah did not even inform them! The pictures were taken 3 days after the fall and actually it looked really bad on the 2nd day when the bruise and bump appeared.

And finally, that's cheeky Asher lying on Adah. Both of them have been sent for time-out and spanking almost everyday last week for tantrums, fights and naughty behaviour. Asher snatches Adah's stuff all the time and Adah is losing her patience with him too. I wonder how did people in the old days cope with a football team? Really wonder how my grandparents could happen 10 kids???