Japan was great, absolutely fantastic. I'm too tired to blog now, a full post will come later. Just some of the highlights of the trip:
Swensens at Changi T3
Munchkins while waiting for the plane
Sour plum breakfast
Todaijin temple and the deer park
Fire extinguishers
Breakfast and lunch buffets
Bubble-wrapped instruments
Osaka Toin school and their symphony hall
Japanese comedians
Crazy baritone sax players
Huge bands of >100 players
Universal Studios Japan and Hollywood Dream
Giant crabs
Kiyomizu Dera and Kinkakuji
Wandering around Osaka, Kyoto and Fukui
Magnificent Harmony Hall in Fukui
Concert packed lunches that put ours to shame
Tojinbo beach
Mr Jee and Mrs Tan's date by the beach
Paul and his puppet shows (e.g. P1, P2)
Ofuro in Fukui hotel
Sour plums
Meeting Japanese students and talking in Japanese and Troll
Concert to almost a full house
Illicit taxi trips to random aircraft model shops
Yodobashi Camera, that huge electronics megastore
Kansai International Airport
Mountains and lush valleys on the long road trips.
Shining blue oceans and scenic rivers
Food, of course
Shopping for random kamikaze headbands, 5-in-1 instant geisha kits and other random souveniers
Heart attacks as the 4 J1s I was responsible for kept disappearing
and so much more.. What a great trip! The thing I enjoyed the most though, was the quality time I spent with Paul and Shuotian, the 3 of us being basically independent from most of the band as a close-knit group of 3. I couldn't have asked for more. Detailed picture account of our journey coming soon, I hope.
Monday, June 16, 2008
RIMB Japan Trip: Day 7
Well, this would be the day we left Japan and returned home to Singapore. But of course, breakfast and last minute packing was in order.
The rather messy desk in our room
The desk again
The last of the many photos I took from our window. The room we got was actually next to the original room we got.
4073 right next to 4072
The hotel room corridor
We packed up everything and left the hotel to board the Chuki buses for the last time. The buses rolled out, and headed for the floating aircraft carrier that is Kansai.
Chuki bus
A random house
Signs pointing us to the airport
ANA signage
Random city view of Osaka
Trees lined this particular highway
Spaceballs?
After a long drive, in which Paul slept, the rest of the bus gambled and I soaked in my last views of Osaka and Japan, we made it to the long bridge leading to RJBB/KIX/Kansai
The long bridge
We crossed over the bridge for obvious reasons
On approach into RJBB
Dear friends of Jinjun and I
Beginning to see too much of ANA
The buses pulled up outside the terminal's departure area, and we proceeded to check in and try to sort out our seating plan. Eventually I got 52A, a nice seat just behind the port wing. We then proceeded to immigration and entered the terminal. There's not much to elaborate on for now, I left the rest of the pack and proceeded to do some spotting with Bertrand and a bit on my own.
The edge of the terminal building reminiscent of KJFK's T4 which I would visit in 2009
Why can't the green be yellow or red... I wouldn't even mind blue
Checking in took quite a while
Instruments ready to be loaded up
A screen showing the flight departures for the day
A Japan Airlines MD-90 hanging around
A view of the aerofoil-shaped terminal building that makes Kansai famous (other than the fact that it's floating)
This is an interesting advertisement
Korean Air aka Pepsi Air 747-400 joins the fun
Another JAL 767, they have loads of these it seems. This one is a 767-300ER
Joyriding the skytrain
Our aircraft, 9V-SRP, a 777-212ER
The nose of a KLM 777-200ER bound for Schiphol
Her slightly darker Vietnamese cousin
Gate signage
The front end of the KLM again.
After a while, it was time to board. I proceeded to rendezvous with the rest of the band at gate 41, where SQ617 would depart from. Today our aircraft was 9V-SRP, a 777-212ER in a 2 class config, similar to 9V-SRL, which brought us here. Gate 41 was also the same gate, so I guess SQ uses 41 all the time? We took some photos and noted that a Japanese school group would be flying with us before boarding was called, and I stepped off Japanese soil and (legally) back home into Singapore.
Bertrand and I in front of a 777. Spot the not-so-hidden 747
Shuotian and I staring down each others' lenses.
After the aircraft had boarded, the doors were closed and armed and the safety video was played. The aircraft was pushed back out of gate 41 and the twin Rolls Royce Trent 892s were started up. One thing I had been looking forward to seeing was the traditional send off given by Japanese ground crew, and I was not disappointed. They first waved to the pilot and the passengers before saluting and bowing, then turning to bow to each other. Professional, no?
The wingview from my seat
Ground crew sending us off.
We taxiied around to RWY 6R and made ready for takeoff. As the plane rolled down the runway and soared into the sky, I felt a pang of longingness to remain in Japan with my friends there, wishing to remain longer and savour the experience, but all good things must end. The plane did a turn, following one of the SIDs that would point it south, and I got a good view of Kansai airport as it did so,
One of the tails from our welcoming party also featured here
Just before takeoff at RJBB
A view of the newer runway
Aircraft carrier
The rich blue ocean around Kansai.
The flight was decent by SQ standards, nothing too outstanding but nothing to complain about, excellent food and comfort but slightly lacking IFE, and all I watched was Top Gear. Lunch was a triple grilled meat selection which was excellent, and the presence of my favourite food on SQ, the soba, made it even better. The green tea ice cream was interesting too, although it's a taste I don't like all that much.
Paul looking cute
Mr Oura!
Peanuts, get your peanuts here! Only $600 000 a peanut!
Superb food on Singapore Airlines, as usual
All too soon the plane began its decent into WSSS's RWY 20C, and I found out that we would sadly be arriving at Terminal 2. Not that I don't like Terminal 2, but arriving in Terminal 3 would have been much more fun. The landing was smooth and uneventful. We flew over Tekong Disneyland, then over Changi Beach, a route I had seen many times. Although at this point, I felt the usual sense of being back at home that I enjoy, this time there was a hint of sadness to it too.
A random coastline near Singapore
North shore of Tekong
The happiest place on earth!
Disneyland Tekong
Flying over Singapore itself
Short finals
Rolled out
9V-SWP
Jet Airways NC A330
You're a great way to fly
T2
But no A380s come here anymore...
Taxiing into F33.
Upon arrival, we all cleared customs and collected our baggage. Outside the arrivals, we found that we had an unexpected welcome party consisting of Kirk and to my surprise, my batch. We moved stuff over to the bus park outside T2, and took some photos before loading up and headed back to RI.
Baggage claim
Paul in T2
My batch and Mr Oura
The last photo we took on the trip, my batch and some crashers.
We headed down the PIE back home to the RI band room. After moving stuff up, we closed off the trip with not one, but two band cheers. I also expressed my thanks to Mrs Tan and Mr Jee, and would have done so to Mr Oura if I had managed to find him. I popped by RJ for some food, running into Calvin and Lynette, before heading home.
I will post more detailed reflections on the trip later, but overall, I really enjoyed myself and learnt a lot. I wish I will have more chances to go for such things with my batchmates and my juniors, though unless they all join NUS, that's not likely, sadly. Flying, band, Japan and my friends have always been major loves of my life, and this trip had them all, what more could I ask for?
The rather messy desk in our room
The desk again
The last of the many photos I took from our window. The room we got was actually next to the original room we got.
4073 right next to 4072
The hotel room corridor
We packed up everything and left the hotel to board the Chuki buses for the last time. The buses rolled out, and headed for the floating aircraft carrier that is Kansai.
Chuki bus
A random house
Signs pointing us to the airport
ANA signage
Random city view of Osaka
Trees lined this particular highway
Spaceballs?
After a long drive, in which Paul slept, the rest of the bus gambled and I soaked in my last views of Osaka and Japan, we made it to the long bridge leading to RJBB/KIX/Kansai
The long bridge
We crossed over the bridge for obvious reasons
On approach into RJBB
Dear friends of Jinjun and I
Beginning to see too much of ANA
The buses pulled up outside the terminal's departure area, and we proceeded to check in and try to sort out our seating plan. Eventually I got 52A, a nice seat just behind the port wing. We then proceeded to immigration and entered the terminal. There's not much to elaborate on for now, I left the rest of the pack and proceeded to do some spotting with Bertrand and a bit on my own.
The edge of the terminal building reminiscent of KJFK's T4 which I would visit in 2009
Why can't the green be yellow or red... I wouldn't even mind blue
Checking in took quite a while
Instruments ready to be loaded up
A screen showing the flight departures for the day
A Japan Airlines MD-90 hanging around
A view of the aerofoil-shaped terminal building that makes Kansai famous (other than the fact that it's floating)
This is an interesting advertisement
Korean Air aka Pepsi Air 747-400 joins the fun
Another JAL 767, they have loads of these it seems. This one is a 767-300ER
Joyriding the skytrain
Our aircraft, 9V-SRP, a 777-212ER
The nose of a KLM 777-200ER bound for Schiphol
Her slightly darker Vietnamese cousin
Gate signage
The front end of the KLM again.
After a while, it was time to board. I proceeded to rendezvous with the rest of the band at gate 41, where SQ617 would depart from. Today our aircraft was 9V-SRP, a 777-212ER in a 2 class config, similar to 9V-SRL, which brought us here. Gate 41 was also the same gate, so I guess SQ uses 41 all the time? We took some photos and noted that a Japanese school group would be flying with us before boarding was called, and I stepped off Japanese soil and (legally) back home into Singapore.
Bertrand and I in front of a 777. Spot the not-so-hidden 747
Shuotian and I staring down each others' lenses.
After the aircraft had boarded, the doors were closed and armed and the safety video was played. The aircraft was pushed back out of gate 41 and the twin Rolls Royce Trent 892s were started up. One thing I had been looking forward to seeing was the traditional send off given by Japanese ground crew, and I was not disappointed. They first waved to the pilot and the passengers before saluting and bowing, then turning to bow to each other. Professional, no?
The wingview from my seat
Ground crew sending us off.
We taxiied around to RWY 6R and made ready for takeoff. As the plane rolled down the runway and soared into the sky, I felt a pang of longingness to remain in Japan with my friends there, wishing to remain longer and savour the experience, but all good things must end. The plane did a turn, following one of the SIDs that would point it south, and I got a good view of Kansai airport as it did so,
One of the tails from our welcoming party also featured here
Just before takeoff at RJBB
A view of the newer runway
Aircraft carrier
The rich blue ocean around Kansai.
The flight was decent by SQ standards, nothing too outstanding but nothing to complain about, excellent food and comfort but slightly lacking IFE, and all I watched was Top Gear. Lunch was a triple grilled meat selection which was excellent, and the presence of my favourite food on SQ, the soba, made it even better. The green tea ice cream was interesting too, although it's a taste I don't like all that much.
Paul looking cute
Mr Oura!
Peanuts, get your peanuts here! Only $600 000 a peanut!
Superb food on Singapore Airlines, as usual
All too soon the plane began its decent into WSSS's RWY 20C, and I found out that we would sadly be arriving at Terminal 2. Not that I don't like Terminal 2, but arriving in Terminal 3 would have been much more fun. The landing was smooth and uneventful. We flew over Tekong Disneyland, then over Changi Beach, a route I had seen many times. Although at this point, I felt the usual sense of being back at home that I enjoy, this time there was a hint of sadness to it too.
A random coastline near Singapore
North shore of Tekong
The happiest place on earth!
Disneyland Tekong
Flying over Singapore itself
Short finals
Rolled out
9V-SWP
Jet Airways NC A330
You're a great way to fly
T2
But no A380s come here anymore...
Taxiing into F33.
Upon arrival, we all cleared customs and collected our baggage. Outside the arrivals, we found that we had an unexpected welcome party consisting of Kirk and to my surprise, my batch. We moved stuff over to the bus park outside T2, and took some photos before loading up and headed back to RI.
Baggage claim
Paul in T2
My batch and Mr Oura
The last photo we took on the trip, my batch and some crashers.
We headed down the PIE back home to the RI band room. After moving stuff up, we closed off the trip with not one, but two band cheers. I also expressed my thanks to Mrs Tan and Mr Jee, and would have done so to Mr Oura if I had managed to find him. I popped by RJ for some food, running into Calvin and Lynette, before heading home.
I will post more detailed reflections on the trip later, but overall, I really enjoyed myself and learnt a lot. I wish I will have more chances to go for such things with my batchmates and my juniors, though unless they all join NUS, that's not likely, sadly. Flying, band, Japan and my friends have always been major loves of my life, and this trip had them all, what more could I ask for?
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