Yangon 2019
2019/12/26-12/31
恐らく人生初(少なくとも25年ぶり)のインフルA型疾患後の静養トリップ。好奇心も活力もだだ下がりの中、義務感からメジャー処だけを掻い摘むトリップ。
Yangon Central
Shwedagon Pagoda
Bogyoke Aung San Market
Wa Cusine (@Root)
Greece 2019
Family-visit/fulfilling a filial piety (by bringing a 67-y/o mother) trip to Greece by taking a 10-day paid leave (such an un-japanese like). Gained 6 kg over a mere 12 days of unconstrained gobbling. Not much of Athens, but turned out to be a fun hopping-around trip over Peloponnese peninsula.
四捨五入したら70のお母さんと一緒に最後の欧州(より移動時間的には遠い）孝行旅行。半年前から計画していたものの、予期せぬ引き継ぎなどでゴタゴタの中有給10日程消化という周りから顰蹙を買いそうな中トンズラ。それでもあんまり炎上しなかったのは、所詮雇われ人など（大統領でもExxonの社長でも誰しもそうだが）代替可能なわけで、それを肌で感じれたのが、望外の収穫でした。絶好のクライミングロケーション各所を目の前にして傍から眺めるだけだったのが一番の心残り。
Memo:
Climate (Mid-Sept.): Sunscreen is must. Slightly less hot, thus less high-season than preceding months in Sept.
Folks: Friendly, hospitable and good with children (with no exception as far as I recall). There seem to be many (in proportion to the entire population of 10 M) people engaged in service/tourism industries, and the dystopian preconception of debt-crisis was almost non-existent in the eyes of a beach-hopping tourist.
Weight gain: Eating dairy products to the point of feeling bloated (a while after every meal) is surest way to gain the weight.
Delicacies:
Greek Yogurt: Thick and sticky and goes well without any sugar, but also goes pretty well with honey
Greek Salad: Initially palatable, yet slightly fed up with feta cheese at the end of trip
Tzatziki & Taramo Salata: Yogurt & Fish egg pastes as an appetizer
Seafood: Pricier but worth the higher cost
Moussaka: Greek Lasagna
9/5-6: Voula(nearby Athens), Glyfada
9/7-8: Gythio > Diros Cave
9/9: Monemvasia, Elafonisos (island)
9/10-11: Kyparissi, Leonidio, Krioneri
9/12-13: Nafplio, Mykines, Epidavros, Corinth Canal
9/14: Voula, Athens (solo)
9/15: Voula, Chamolia (No picture)
9/16: Voula, Athens (with mother)
Terradets (Bruixes) / Siurana / Margalef 2018-2019
My previous overseas climbing trip to Frankenjura in July was so fun and fulfilling that it naturally led me (as a single dude with no partner/family obligations) to plan the next trip around year-end/new-year holidays. The last (and “1st” for me) solo trip was hippie and fun, but slightly inconvenient logistically and performance-wise (without having a car and accompanied partners). As much as the climbing trip to Barcelona sounded enticing, my Japanese psyche kept me from telling my boss (@ recently changed job) that I take a stretch of leave days before finishing my probation period. The cost of my indecision took me approx. 500 USD (escalation of flight tickets in the space of 1.5 months or so), but bandwagoning the trip with similarly spontaneous (2) folks expectedly turned out to be fun and memorable.
年末年始の岩旅を画策していた所、
Terradets (Paret de les Bruixes):
12/26 – 27
Whatever work-related memories have been obliterated right after a last-minute lousy handover to my boss on 25th (followed by Christmas party@office). During the flights to Barcelona, I watched “Crazy Rich Asians” (whose title seems to lack another adjective: “Chinese/Oriental”, for the sheer sake of political correctness in ethnic representations). The movie adeptly utilizes and defies stereotypes of “Chinese”, and as it features Singapore (where I stayed for an exchange program @ University), it was entertaining throughout the whole movie. Aside from that, the last strings of ups-and-downs are well composed and very moving (even though I seldom watch/enjoy romantic kinds).
It was 7:30AM and still totally dark when we landed Barcelona Airport. Headed straight to Hertz counter and by the time we went outside the car park with a compact Citroën’s C3 as our company vehicle for the trip, we were greeted with a typically and expectedly-Spanish warm sunny winter weather, which furthered our already hyped-up expectations toward our upcoming 8 days (how short!) trip.
However, after circa 1 hour into the direction of Lleida (mountain side), it got inauspiciously foggy. Having made a shopping trip at Carrefour (for foods) and Wala (sports gear shop @ south of Lleida for procuring a gas can), it was still 14:30 by the time we bumped into the ginormous curtains of rock cliffs at Terradets.
Despite slightly cold (4c) temp and ostensibly seeping rocks at the parking area, we hurried to the Bruixes wall (the approach to Bruixes is short: 10mins and obvious, once bolted ladder leading to the path is identified) purely out of excitement. As Bruixes wall gets in the sight our steps got quicker and each stride got longer till the joy culminated when we arrived at the bottom of the wall and realized it’s entirety.
The glory to go for 1st try was bestowed upon me by rock-scissors-paper result, but 7b (which seems to be a limited few of up-routes in this crag) is my OS grade in Japan, and OS trying without limber-up (moreover with the pressure to send/fall quickly by awaiting overly eager 2 climbers) added an extra hurdle (“excuse” in case of failed attempt) to me.
Nonetheless, I managed to conquer the route with excessive over 20mins of clinging to the wall (which understandably should have irritated the ensuing 2 folks) and overly pumped-up arms. By the time all 3 of us did 1 round it was getting darker, so I finished with a drenched 6b+ as a cool down. The approach-back was a bit scary under the slippery surface (even with bolted ladders), so the caution is advised (especially when it gets dark).
From the parking (next to the bridge of the dam), it takes approx. 20km to reach the small town of Salàs de Pallars where we booked a reasonable accommodation just before leaving Japan. (There are a few bookable-via-web options at Cellers and more at Tremp, but we didn’t mind driving extra 10km or so just to save some cost.)
The hotel (Alberg la Solana) looks rather chic with its antique facade and facilities are sufficiently comfy and neat. Moreover, the uncle is very nice and mellow with his peaceful dog.
どうやら行き当たりばったりなのは他2名も同様のだが(安堵)、シュラフ、テント無しで寒空の下宿無しとなるのは是非とも避けたいのは満場一致なので、成田にて出発直前にSalàs de Pallarsという岩場基部から30km程離れた宿を抑える。WiFiと暖房環境の乏しい8時間のトランジット@北京を経て、7時ではまだ夜明け前のEl Prat 空港に到着(所謂「日の出」は8:20頃)。左ハンドル、マニュアル運転、時折のラウンドアバウトに慣れてもらい、バルセロナからLleida(スペイン語ではLが重なると「J」の発音に近くなるため「ジェイダ」がしっくり来る)に向かう。
出だしは冬晴れで気持ちの良い天気だったが内陸部に進むにつれ霧模様。道すがらのカルフールで当面の食料を買い込み、若干遠回りとなるがガス缶入手のためLleidaのWalaという馬鹿でかいスポーツショップ(80mロープも売っており、日本より安く買える)に立寄りTerradetsに向かう。
Terradets界隈に入ると、これまた馬鹿でかい岩壁に期待を膨らませながら岩場基部の駐車場に着いたのが14:30頃。ボルトラダーから続く15分弱程のアプローチを経てBruixes壁(スペイン語で「魔女」の意)に到着。幸か不幸かOSジャンケンで勝ってしまったのでいきなり7b (Jam Sesión) に取り付く事に。20分以上の奮闘(と恐らくは後続2名の苛立ち)の末、無事OS。3人でロングルートを回すとトライ数も限られるため、びしょ濡れのダウンをもう一本だけ出して登攀終了。ウェブ検索で一番コスパが良さそうな基準で選んだAlberg la Solanaにて宿泊。1人(+1匹)で宿を切り盛りするお爺さんが親身でほっこりする。
12/28
The fog was much deeper than the day before and the temp in the car indicated 1c, but that didn’t stifle our eagerness to climb, so we were at the crag by around 9AM. Having carefully observed massive (sport-routes in Japan rarely exceed 25m) overhang lines (many of which are too hard for us), we selected to try Energia Positiva 7c+. The 35m line exemplifies what hyper-strenuous route takes to be. On the flip side though, each part is relatively manageable with occasional cruxes (though concentrated after mid-end sections) and rest points. Having anticipated this much long route requires sizable time to digest, especially taking turn with 3 persons, I gladly let go the privilege to crack the beta for the other 2 folks. Thanks to this sneaky tactic, I managed to send the route on the 2nd try (possibly clinging onto the line beyond 30mins), which was a sufficient accomplishment for me to end the day. It had been all foggy and the evening temp seemed to be around freezing point, so there were only 2 other parties at the crag during the day.
期待していた冬場でも太陽が降り注ぐスペインのポカポカ陽気とは
12/29
The fog and cold temperature even furthered (lowest: -2c!!) and convinced me (with previous day’s exhaustion) to take a rest. I requested to have me dropped off at the town of Tremp, but it didn’t take more than 15mins of freezing wandering before I started to regret. It was more of seeking around AC/insulation-equipped shelters rather than sightseeing, but the rest day was well deserved and appropriate. After the climbing of the rest of party, we headed to “Siurana Camping”. As we didn’t make a booking in advance and it was after 10PM by the time we got the camping, we were almost left stranded under the freezing Siurana, but barely admitted in the “Communal room” where there are approx. 10 beds inside a cabin (with a stove).
寒さと霧は益々悪化し、レスト日和なのでTremp観光、
Siurana
12/30 (Can Melafots & Ca La Isabel)
Breakfasting outside was more bearable than I had imagined and the gradually rising sunshine helped a lot. “Can Melafots” is within 10mins walk from the camp and populated with many climbers (and general tourists alike) assumingely thanks to the south-facing warm location and relatively climbable line-ups. In contrast to Bruixes’ juggy tufas, Siurana is generally characterized by smaller and non-juggy crimps. Despite having some hard time to adjust with smaller holds and the initial bouldery moves (due to the cliff formation of the crag that has overhangs in the beginning), enjoyed some nice and technical routes.
またまた氷点下付近の寒空の下、Siuranaでは野外で朝食。
12/31 (El Pati, El Cargol & Esperó Primavera)
Combining a mandatory (as a climber) visit to La Rambla, we climbed at the crags nearby El Pati. However, my climbing pathos/eyes didn’t seem to be matured enough to be able to identify the La Rambla line. Each of us tried long routes, nearing 40m scale at El Cargol and Esperó Primavera area. Though these areas are adjacently located and there are many options, but many of manageable (around 7c or lower) are constantly populated with climbers all day long (possibly due to the soaring lines and vibes enabled by long routes). As I might have eaten too much liver pate (which I usually enjoy during overseas tours because of rare availability in Japan) at the dinner, I was too drowsy (with a slight feeling to throw up) to stay awake to celebrate the countdown, but the rest of my party didn’t bother to stay awake either.
La Ramblaの有るEl Patiに参拝させて貰う事に。然しながら、
Margalef (Racó de les Espadelles)
2019/1/1
Left Siurana Camping for Margalef in the morning, which took around 1 hour winding drive via the town of Cornudella de Montsant (where a mountain shop: Goma Ⅱ is located).
It is possible to drive back and forth between Siurana and Margalef, but the abundance of accommodations at Margalef (though not many seem to be bookable online) dictated us to find some place to stay at Margalef (as the remaining last 3 days was planned to be spent here). As expected, it didn’t take much time to bump into Refugi de Margalef (El Racó de la Finestra) and booking on the spot has secured the shelter for the rest of our stay in Spain. (To be precise, this Refugi turned out to be very comfy with a very reasonable price and generous facilities)
Now that we got unencumbered by the possibility to spend a night in the refrigerated car, we headed straight to; Racó de les Espadelles, the biggest area (during winter time when another big “Racó de la Finestra” is in shade) in the crag where we eventually ended up spending the remaining 3 days. From the town to the parking, the hill-climb by car (approx. 2.4 km after the noticeable recycle bins at the skirt of mountain) is pretty steep, winding and narrow (to have a 2-way passage, so it should be safe to assume the path is practically one-way in accordance with the rest of climbers’ flow: up-morning, down-evening) . To our fortune, our apparently feebly powered car (Citroën C3) managed not to get stuck there, but the caution is advised especially during early morning and late evening when the path could potentially get icy.
The approach to Racó de les Espadelles is obvious and short (less than 10 mins until the left-edge of the area) with a bit of fix-roped slope. As obviously noticeable by exterior, the rocks here feature juggy and in-cut pockets that almost-literally bite deep into your skins. Finger skins deserve care and preservation if climbing over consecutive days is planned. Maligna 7c line was very enticing with juggy roof climbing but seems to require plenty time and dedication for me to send during this trip (so gave up after the 1st try). Nonetheless enjoyed the edgy pocket holds combined with steeply hanged walls. Dining space at Refugi de Margalef was in a festive vibe with climbers from various countries clustering around in the same room.
これまた元旦らしさは皆無で淡々と朝飯を食べ、
冬場に登れるセクターとしては最大級の Racó de les Espadellesに向かう (冬場で無ければ日陰主体の Racó de la Finestraも大きいエリアの模様)。
1/2
Blessing of sunny weather over the last few days at Siurana and Margalef had totally lowered our guard and the foggy and freezing morning inauspiciously reminded us of the hard-cold valleys at Bruixes. Nevertheless, having been pressed by the time constraint of remaining 2 days of climbing, we were at the foggy crag by 9AM. It was when I almost decided to take a rest day before the sky cleared up around 11AM. The accumulating fatigue and worn fingertips didn’t necessarily encourage me to try hard routes, so I enjoyed relatively manageable OS tries. Though our last supper during this tour would be the next dinner, but the departure to airport would be early in the subsequent morning, so we cooked a sumptuous dinner to celebrate the end of a short but cherish-able tour.
Bruixesを彷彿とさせる朝霧に戦々恐々としながらも、
1/3 – 1/4
The absence of fog in the morning assured us to go ahead to the crag and utilize the last day. The OS tries continued, but with more emphasis on grasping jugs to the point of self-inflicting the laceration on my fingers to satisfy my masochistic climber’s psyche. The 5th day of climbing in a row was more doable than I had imagined but the worn-out fingertips make it harder to grip edgy holds. Leaving aside the desire to abandon the flight ticket and just extend the stay, we mournfully left the crag to prepare the early departure to El Prat Airport in the next morning.
この日は朝から好天に恵まれ、最終日の追い込み日和。
Topo/Guidebook:
Since “Tarragona Climbs” & “Lleida Climbs” cover a varieties of crags in the region, these are more suited for hopping around multiple crags. For huge crags, such as Siurana and Margalef (that has 82 areas!), the dedicated guidebooks cover more routes and information on each area (sun/shade, recommended season etc.)
備忘録:
- 年末年始のバルセロナ界隈の日照時間は8時以前,及び18時以降がほぼ真っ暗。太陽がお出ましにならない朝夕は霧が多く温度が低いため岩場で登るのは10〜17時位が快適。山間部は朝靄や霧はしょっちゅうだが、雨は少ない模様。また霧が出ていても10時頃には好天が訪れるパターン(特に@Margalef)が多いとの事。
- 太陽は偉大。有るか無いかで夏にも冬にもなる。今ツアー1週間だけでも岩場での体感温度差レンジの振れ幅は20度以上。
- 分かってはいたが、3人だとどうしてもトライ数・時間が限られる。ロングルートだと更に顕著なので、2人か4人以上(というか3人以外）が望ましい。一方で連登するなら、3人位でのらりくらり回すのも寧ろペースを抑えられて結果オーライであったかもしれない。
- Google Mapはオフラインでも目的地履歴を残してナビ可能なので、宿でWiFiにありつければ、ロジ(宿/車/買物)関係は十二分。
- 年末年始はどこの岩場も混雑。 クライマーの出身地も点々バラバラ（大体欧州内だが）。場所によっては駐車場や宿にあぶれる可能性もあるレベルなので常にPlan Bを念頭に置いておくのが吉。
Climbing Log:
| No. | RP on | French | USA | Route Name | Result | Felt Grade (USA) | Crag | Area/Rock | Days tried | Atmps tried | ☆ |
| 1 | 12/27 | 7b | 12a/b | Jam Sesión | MOS | 11d | Terradets | Bruixes | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆☆ |
| 2 | 12/27 | 6b+ | 11a | Madroño | MOS | 11a | Terradets | Bruixes | 1 | 1 | ☆ |
| 3 | 12/28 | 7c+ | 12d/13a | Energia Positiva | RP | 12c? | Terradets | Bruixes | 1 | 2 | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| 4 | 12/30 | 6b | 10c | Perseidas | RP | 10d | Siurana | Can Melafots | 1 | 2 | ☆☆ |
| 5 | 12/30 | 7a | 11c/d | Pizza de Pinya | RP | 11c/d | Siurana | Can Melafots | 1 | 2 | ☆☆☆☆ |
| 6 | 12/30 | 7a+ | 11d/12a | Cromañón Climbing | RP | 12a | Siurana | Ca La Isabel | 1 | 2 | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| 7 | 12/30 | 7a | 11c/d | Ni me n’entero | RP | V4 | Siurana | Ca La Isabel | 1 | 2 | ☆☆ |
| 8 | 12/30 | 6c+ | 11b/c | Garbatx Despistatx | MOS | 11b | Siurana | Can Melafots | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆☆ |
| 9 | 12/31 | 7a | 11c/d | ¡Ay Mamita! | FL | 11c | Siurana | El Cargol | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆☆ |
| 10 | 7b | 12a/b | Welcome to the Team | 12a/b | Siurana | El Cargol | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆ | ||
| 11 | 12/31 | 7a+ | 11d/12a | La Morena del Montsant | FL | 11c | Siurana | El Cargol | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆☆ |
| 12 | 1/1 | 6c | 11a/b | Setareh | MOS | 10d | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆☆ |
| 13 | 1/1 | 7b | 12a/b | Draculín | MOS | 12a | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| 14 | 7c | 12c/d | Maligna | 12c/d? | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆☆ | ||
| 15 | 1/1 | 6c+ | 11b/c | Repós actiu | MOS | 11a | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆ |
| 16 | 1/2 | 6b+ | 11a | Tastavins | MOS | 11a | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆ |
| 17 | 1/2 | 7a | 11c/d | Qué pasa Neng? | MOS | 11a/b | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆ |
| 18 | 1/2 | 7b | 12a/b | El carasapo | MOS | 11c/d | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆ |
| 19 | 1/2 | 7a | 11c/d | Franja de ponent | MOS | 11b | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆☆ |
| 20 | 1/3 | 6b+ | 11a | Turmellosi | MOS | 10d | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆☆ |
| 21 | 1/3 | 7b | 12a/b | Amb pal no dóna pal | RP | 11d | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 2 | ☆☆☆☆ |
| 22 | 1/3 | 7b | 12a/b | Zona mixta | RP | 11d | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 2 | ☆☆☆ |
| 23 | 1/3 | 6c | 11a/b | abanibí | MOS | 10d | Margalef | Racó de les Espadelles | 1 | 1 | ☆☆☆ |
Cost Summary (1 EUR= 124JPY):
クライミングジム遠征メモ (Singapore & Manila)
20170711 – 0728
訪問ジムは3箇所 (Spore:2, Manila: 1)で計4日(平日夜:3、休日:1)。リードは無し(いずれの国もCertificationが必要)で、ボルダーとトップロープのみ。オートビレイ初体験(最初の内は手が離せずクライムダウンしてしまった)。3日に1回は登れたので、帰国後の調子もまぁまぁ良好(朝食ブッフェの肉食い過ぎで腹下しを起こしたものの)。日本との大きな違いはいずれもクライマー年齢層が若めで40歳以上位の人をほぼ見なかった事。普段やらない緩傾斜ばかりだったけど、OS祭りで中々良いモチベーションブーストとなりました。
Onsight
場所: National Stadiumの近く。最寄のMRT(Aljunied or Mountbatten)から恐らく15分程で結構遠い。
施設: 立派。特にリード壁は最長15m位のスケールで登れなかったのが悔やまれる。ロープ壁,ボルダー壁(80-130°位)それぞれ10面程。ボルダーの1面(130°)のみまぶし付け、後は課題付け。キャンパや懸垂設備も充実。旧バドミントン場を転用したものらしく、隣には体操施設あり。エアコン無し、扇風機のみ(幸い東京より蒸し暑さは穏やか)。シャワー有り。混んでるのにスタッフはフレンドリー。
値段: 18SGD(1,440円程)、登録料無し？？
課題: V0からV7まで。リードはぱっと見7c位まで。V5以上はドカン系(飛ぶのが前提、165cm以上用)多め。ただ細かいホールドもあり、デッド・スタティック想定課題(マントルとか)はバランシーで面白い。カンテやボテを使う課題が多いのだけど、カンテの凸角に隙間があって,それを使って登らせるような(??)課題もあり。
客層: 男も女も強め、若め。広いけど人多め。ダイナミックな課題を肌露出多め(AC無しのため)で登ってるせいかみんな学生みたい。日本人クライマーは全般的に強いと思ってたけど、シンガポール人はそれ以上。日本語スピーカーもちらほら(5人程)。
登果: V6以上は1dayは無理そうなので、冷やかしで触る程度。
V5 1 (3撃: 1、敗退: 4-5)
V4: 5(OS: 3、2撃: 1、5-6撃: 1)
V3以下: 10本位
Climb Central (Singapore)
場所: 同じくNational Stadium近く(隣接)。Kallang より徒歩20分程。
施設: 立派。こちらもリード壁は最長20m弱位(モールの4階分位の高さ)で圧巻。ロープ壁は20面超。オートビレイも10機程。ボルダーは5面程で控えめ。初訪問の際はベルトコンベヤー式のsafety orientation 有り。トップロープのビレイは床にATCが埋め込んであり、床下の支点を軸にビレイする。安全確保の諸々が省略されていて不安ではあったが、床下の支点の摩擦が結構効くため、万一手を離してもフリーフォールにはならない感じ。とにかく効率(多くの初心者に煩雑な説明をミニマムにして登ってもらう、そして再訪してもらう)を重視しており、シンガポールらしい。
値段: 32 SGD (2,560円程), 10 SGD (800円) は登録料。立地も良いだけ(National Stadium隣接)に値段高め。
課題: ボルダーは同じくV0からV7まで(未トライ)。どうやら難度のカラーはシンガポールで統一している模様。ロープは優しめ(7a以下)多め。普段やらない緩傾斜しかトライしていないので何ともいえないが癖のある課題は少なめ。
客層: Onsightとは対照的に初心者多め(多分ボルダーエリアが常連)。値段が高いのと、立地もあるのだろう。
登果: 緩傾斜の7b以下を20本位ひたすらトライ。オートビレイ初体験。最初は怖いが慣れれば快適。
Climb Central (Manila)
場所: Shangri-La Plaza近く
施設: 立派。8m位のトップロープ20面程と10m位のリード壁3面程、ボルダー壁は3面のみオートビレイ6機有り。シャワー有り。同フランチャイズのためか、Safety orientation や床下固定ATCなどSingapore店と諸々同仕様。
値段: 600 PHP (1,350円程) 登録料200 PHP込み
課題: 最難でも7bまで。リード壁(トライせず)以外は緩傾斜(100°以下)。リード壁は立派なのに課題が6本位まばらにあるのみ。ボルダーはざっくりしたグレード感(例: V4〜V6)で>V5まで。ロープもボルダーも若干易しめのグレード。
客層: ビギナー多め。常連もビシバシ登る、というよりはトップロープでfun to climbな感じ。2日(日曜含む)に亘り計9時間位いたもののリードやってたのが計3 party位。Safetyの説明ではボルダーはビギナーには向かないと言っており、確かにボルダーエリアは比較的閑散。
登果: 2日いた事もあり、トップロープは6a以上(7b-まで)は全制覇(7a１つ除き全OS)。ボルダーは2つの>V5(全4つ)を除き完登。
Singapore 2016
2016/11/18 – 11/20
It was hardly surprising to see how city has changed, but much more surprising was how little I remember how things used to be after a long space of 5 years+. Nonetheless, it was good to see how people I met haven’t changed much despite different circumstances we have gone through (with exceptions of slight business-like demeanor of YSH, which was actually very courteous and sleek). It was indeed a good brief getaway to indulge in my nostalgia attached to this country. Now that I am no longer young and energized enough to travel abroad just for the sake of traveling, attendance to a wedding became a good justification to go.
Memorandum (chronological);
1. Departure on Friday after work is doable and efficient, provided that you are dexterous enough to secure 3-4 hours of sleep despite intermittent interruptions during the flight.
2. In strict accordance with my preference to price over convenience, Air China was the cheapest choice at the time my reservation. Despite offering the cheapest fare, Air China was pretty good and decent in terms of; 1) allowing 2 hand baggages + check-in baggage (which I didn’t ask), 2) spaciousness of seats, 3) politeness of CAs and 4) offer of in-flight meals (even within the short distance between Tokyo and Beijing).
3. More often than not, people say that in-flight meals are not good or unworthy of eating, but I denounce such pomposity. On the other end of spectrum, my impulse to eat whatever served and offered, is not helping me either.
4. Changi is always comfy and accommodating, and I’m always tempted to take more than 1 candy at the immigration.
5. It’s refreshingly impressive to see different varieties of people (as in appearance) in the MRT.
6. Of course never heard of Downtown Line when Circle Line is under construction in my mind.
7. Whoever came up with drawing red and green arrows (for incoming & outgoing passengers) on the MRT platform floor is a genius. The competition and mess surrounding the train arrival seems to be much moderated (if not non-existent) . Singapore is ingenious in designing & institutionalizing systems that nudge people to do intended behaviors (whether people like it or not)
8. Should have hurried to set aside the time for check-in & taking shower after arrival, but i didn’t risk it. Better to be sweaty and oily than late though.
9. Every MRT station is immaculate. Contrary to popular perception, stations in Japan are not as good as MRT.
10. UNESCO is adding world heritage sites like giving out freebie nowadays, but Botanical Garden is a good hideaway from the hustles and bustles and deserves accreditation.
11. The venue of wedding was the church to which I was taken to once by the groom. As I only knew his family (parents & brother), it was somewhat awkward to be in such a ceremonial mood. but it was an audacious move of striking a conversation with an auntie who happened to sit next to me that brightened up my congratulatory vibe.
12. Without exaggeration, I was deeply impressed by the number of genuinely smiley faces who showed up for their big day (200+) and how virtuous and lovable the bride and groom must have been to magnetize each of attendee. Witnessing such a jovial mood had solidified my determination not to throw a big wedding (if at all), considering how self-absorbed and individualistic I have been for others to even care.
13. I always wondered how the bride and groom look alike like siblings, but it turned out that it wasn’t only me.
14. I like how TT tends to be portrayed as clumsy.
15. (It was the case for every speaker on the stage, but particularly) the Pastor was a really good orator. The tagline of the wedding was “Two is better than one”, and the pastor nailed the pointlessness of pursuing solitary achievement. (forgot the details)
16. Eventually I ended up relatives’ table for lunch. It was very nice of them to have me on the table and loop of chatting. Singaporeans do it naturally and easily, but it is remarkable how they switch languages as soon as they spot the presence of people who don’t speak the local language (Even if the talk is not directly addressed to such non-local speakers). LKY (& heterogeneous communities he instituted) should deserrve the biggest credit for having made this possible even among uncles and aunties , but the attentiveness of Singaporeans is simply admirable.
17. TT’s mother is 4th among her 5 siblings, and 3rd uncle and his wife kindly took me to my hostel by car. Later, he also gave the ride back to my hostel after the dinner. It is such a shame of me to forget (or didn’t try to remember from the outset) their names.
18. Despite how much I had enjoyed thus far, 2-hour nap was an inevitable consequence.
19. It took me a while to realize that Lavender (nearby from my hostel) was where I applied my residence permit back when I arrived Singapore In 2010.
20. I am grateful again for the relatives for having let me in at their table during the dinner session.
21. It must have taken a lot of planning and rehearsals, especially for the dancing part where the groom’s dancing skill is described as “atrocious”.
22. It was probably the 1st time for me to eat Sea Cucumber over the course of previous 10-15years, and I came to like it much better than the initial encounter.
23. Overall, it was an exhausting, yet fulfilling 1st day.
24. As it took me an almost an hour from Lavender to Kent Ridge (inclusive of 20 mins walk), Singapore is much bigger than I had remembered.
25. Upon exiting Kent Ridge, I could barely feel that I had been there once, but couldn’t recognize where it was at all. The downward slope to PGP was indeed recognizable, though.
26. Many bits of PGP still remain as I knew, and it was reminiscently enjoyable walk through PGP. (I don’t even remember what PGP stand for)
27. NUS bus still emits rubber-ish artificial smell, which gives me a slight car sick.
28. Climbing gym nearby YIH which I used to go every other day, was no longer there.
29. We walked through YIH > Central Library > Art’s Canteen > library again > U Town (to eat lunch).
30. I feel left behind and detached from the recent trends, but seem to be able to care less. What I can assure is dumb phones are better not only in terms of battery life, but also how they make life easier and convenient.
31. Ice Kachang: 1.5 SGD @ food court above Kent Ridge.
32. Spontaneous visit to the newly relocated Google office was possible because Google.
33. Google (& its office and culture it embodies) is anything but what I know of corporate life and its bureaucracies .
34. I shall learn to moderate my frankness that sometimes goes too far. Though (I think) I am capable of conducting myself with maturity and sufficient political correctness like a decent human being under the formal/normal context, but I seem to assume the level of frankness positively corresponds with that of friendliness. Anyhow, I should have refrained from using “pretentious” to describe a friend that I hadn’t met for some time.
35. However I relish eating at hawkers, suggesting to dine at a hawker with a young lady was not a good idea, and I realized this when we went to a hawker in Bugis and almost got splashed some gravy from the leftovers of the preceding diners on the table.
36. “Fluxx” is on the shopping list for my next Singapore trip, however later it might be.
37. In general, there isn’t much point of holding onto the past. But occasional indulgence in reminiscence is how I replenish my energy to crawl forward, and this trip was full of nostalgic remnants. Aside from the emotional attachment, it is always pleasant to drop by this island as I get to take glimpse of multi-cultural communities and vibes.
38. 1 SGD = 77 JPY
Hong Kong 香港 2016
2016/09/02 – 09/04
The trip has given me lasting impressions on how fabulous it is to get together with friends after long years + despite different circumstances (And how exorbitantly pricey and small Hong Kong real estates are).
Attendance to a wedding is always a valid justification for getaway to overseas, so I am looking forward to squeezing my schedule again to be present at such a big event, wherever it may be.
2-Sep:
As my last-minute preparation before travel has been well entrenched into my psyche and I underestimated how distant (700m) the Narita’s budget airline terminal is located from the main one, I was almost rejected from getting onboard as a penalty for being 2 minutes late after the designated time (50 mins before the departure). Thanks to the overboard of my sweat after the running of that 700m (outside: non-aircon), I was permitted with a slight reprimand from the staff, who would have rejected me had I gracefully walked in without helluva sweat.
Taking a budget airline after some space (3-4 years) has made me realize that the maximum bearable flight time with an cramped seat would be somewhere around 6 hours (which approximates to Tokyo – Spore). Beyond that would be torturous for me (or pretty much anybody else, considering my cheap-ness inclination at the expense of comfort), but the 4.5 hour confinement in a upright seat was reasonably tolerable this time.
Mainly because of my accelerating forgetfulness, it was refreshingly exciting to see piles of containers, ginormous loading arms, high-rise buildings with tiny compartments (windows), bamboo scaffolds, signboards sticking out from buildings etc, as I approached to the city center.
After figuring out the 3 dimensional maze of “Chungking Mansion” where a bunch of non-HK folks hang around, to reach the guesthouse, I was stunned to step into a literally 4 sqm (1m*4m, inclusive of a tiny bed and unit bath) room with a bare minimum living space for 1 person. Having actually slept 2 nights in such a confined space under the pitch-black darkness (sunlight doesn’t come in even in the morning) has re-defined how I see how difficult for HK residents to afford a place to live, especially for the young. I had some idea, but it surpassed my prior expectation by a large margin.
Anyhow, the first night was marked with a small pre-reunion with NUS folks and it was kind of them to introduce me to the local delicacies (congee with pidan, Chinese doughnut with pork liver, black sesame soup, glass jelly soup with sago etc). Despite the space of approx. 5 years and changing circumstances, it was good to see how we haven’t changed.
3-Sep:
Waking up without any trait of arrival of the morning was a strangely interesting experience. There was no natural clue to grasp the sense of time. After a short brisk walk to see the Victoria Harbor, I suited up and went to HKU (香港大學) as a gathering point. Even after taking a glimpse of the outlook of hill-rich HKU campus we arrived 1 hour early, and the church wasn’t yet open, so we climbed up to the adjoining residential area to have a short tea break at a cafe. The church was crowded by the time we returned 30 mins later and the decorations and giveaways (brochures & photogenic cards etc.) had been set up, waiting for the appearance of bride and groom. As I had little idea of how the Christian ceremony would proceed, I noticed that with the exception of relatives and groomsmen, I was probably the only person suited up. it is always better to overdress than underdress, nonetheless.
After a notice of the bride & groom’s late arrival due to traffic congestion (everyone laughed), The groom came in first to have some final checks, followed by appearance of the heroine with that recognizable fanfare.
As much as I would like to tell how fabulous the ceremony was, I was somewhat oblivious to what was happening amid the mix of Cantonese & Mandarin (and occasional English) procession, which reignited my passion for studying Mandarin (probably this motivation won’t last long). The ceremony ended with group photo sessions with smiley faces.
As we had a few hours to kill, we headed to Central to have a noodle lunch, then have a nap at the lobby of another friend’s hotel. Though some others were dozing off, it was a somewhat daring attempt to take a siesta as a non-guest, so I bought a snack to compensate the sense of guilt.
With a refreshed mind, we headed to Times Square where we were supposed to meet with other NUS folks. After a brief moment of reunion and photo shoot, we went up to the dinner’s venue: Heichinro (which is also famous in Japan). As we gathered much earlier than we were invited to, we had a plenty time to celebrate and chat with the couple, which wouldn’t have been possible had we arrived at the designated time.
With over approx. 200 guests, the celebration commenced with a cake cut (we could barely see from our seats though), and we enjoyed a lavish dinner course (including abalone, which happened to be the first time for me to eat in 10-15years).
With the help of partial English translation and visually changing cloths, I wasn’t as oblivious as I was in the church. The ceremony was not much different from Japanese ones, and we also enjoyed a videoclip of their life footage and re-union conversation.
As somewhat anticipated from a bunch of Asians’ get-together, a lot of picture were taken before extending wishes to the couple at the end of ceremony. On our way home, we took a group photo for the last time, in front of Times Square, wishing the future reunion again.
4-Sep
We are supposed to go up to the Peak, but the slight rain and a thick layer of clouds forced us to reconsider and we ended up going to the Big Budda in Lantau Island, instead. The ropeway to the Budda from the nearest station was under repair, so we took a 30 mins bus ride to reach the bottom of Budda.
After a comfortable 100+ steps, the hilltop Budda was not as far as it appears from distance. After climbing down, we ate Doufuhua (豆腐花) at a stall and that summed up my short, yet memorable trip to Hong Kong. As I had a budget air (Vanilla Air) flight in a few hours, we headed right back to MTR station, where we ate a brief lunch and I hopped on to the bus to the airport.
Expense Memorandum:
1 HKD = 13.4 JPY
Vanilla Air Flights (Narita – Hong Kong): 28,630 JPY
Hotel * 2days (Room of 4 sqms): 7,674 JPY (3,837 JPY/night)
Bus (Airport – Tsim Sha Tsui): 33 HKD (442 JPY)
high-end Mooncake (Aroma)*6: 175 HKD
Qatar 2016
Snapshots from the last days in Doha (over the course of 3 years’ stay):
Qatar 2015
Having even fewer things to do after getting used to the life in Qatar, there is nothing much other than expanding my cooking universe, which has become delectable enough for self-serving purpose, but still lousy to be presented for others. Some of non-cooking photos below:
London & Cambridge 2015
2015/10/16 – 2015/10/21
The trip was characterized by family&friend rendezvous-cum-arty&sporty
The multi-faceted city is charming enough to keep me roaming around for hours without dampening my enthusiasm, and comfortably bustling in a way that is not too haphazard.
The privilege of being able to chat with folks with national rugby uniform was another coincidental appeal of the city that I wouldn’t have in any other time.
However, 1) Splurge on one-off events, 2) JPY (very weak at the moment) conversion benchmark ingrained in my mind and 3) exorbitant general price level in London, have all made it imperative for my penny-pinching psyche to skimp on every other spending opportunities imaginable.
As for Cambridge, there wasn’t much too see other than the University as duly expected. However, since the university is immense in terms of its history and impact on the city, I could have enjoyed longer than a half day. The solemnity of architecture and history combined with snobbishness & courteousness of people seem to serve the integrated landscape of the city.
All in all, thanks to the one-off events that I would not get to encounter every so often; family&friend gathering, Rugby World Cup, Les Miserables and concert of Radwimps (my favorite Japanese band), this money hemorrhage trip has offered me way beyond what I had to pay.
10/16 (Fri):
20-minutes packing seems to have equipped me just right amount of stuff that I need, as with all other previous last-minute trip preparations.
After a 2-hour layover at Istanbul, the arrival at an unidentifiable airport (in England) made me realize how naive I was to assume that budget airlines are allowed to land on a periphery of a major airport (as opposed to an airport in the middle of nowhere). No offence to Stansted, though..
Despite the lack of prior research (which I usually do), spontaneous roam-around from Liverpool Street has given me a glimpse of bits and pieces of London.
Ending the first night with Les Miserables was categorically stunning, and it is by no means an overstatement. I would particularly recommend for those who are not keen in musical to watch the show .
Opting to walk for 40 mins to save the money, I disturbed the sleep of my brother-in-law (who is studying/interviewing in London), my sister, roommate and roommate’s wife by ringing the doorbell at 23:20 (which is moderately annoying, but the fact that it was a Friday night shall deserve some annoyance discount)
Stansted Airport – Liverpool Street St – Royal Exchange – Bank of England – Millennium Bridge – St. Paul’s Cathedral – “Temple” – Kings College London – Somerset House – Covent Garden – China Town – “Les Miserables” @ Queen’s Theatre – stay nearby Regents Park
10/17 (Sat):
Officially took a moment of reunion with my sister and her husband in the late morning. Though my sister lives in Barcelona at the moment, it was worthwhile to suggest this family rendezvous for this occasion. Ensuing the late morning catchup, we went out to London Business School in the vicinity till St John’s Wood where posh residences cluster and we had an English Breakfast as a brunch.
After a tube (or metro/subway/whatever transport with rails underneath that non-London people prefer to call) ride to Green Park, we had a slow cozy stroll, covering major tourist spots into the busier part of the city.
As per my strong request, we stopped by at a random pub to watch RWC: South Africa vs Wales. Deservingly, Wales seemed to have garnered a larger local support, but the cheering for SA was also present in the pub. In contrast to somewhat declining interests of my company, the match (South Africa vs Wales: 23 to 19) has multiplied my enthusiasm as well as the sense of regret for not being in the Twickenham Stadium (especially despite being in London).
Together with a friend of the husband, we had a lobster munching dinner near Royal Exchange, and that was superb too. After the dinner we moved to SOHO to join the birthday party of another friend of his. Despite my initial attempts for being a decent human being, it didn’t take long to re-confirm my social ineptness and abscond from the bar.
London Business School – St John’s Wood – Green Park – Hyde Park – Buckingham Palace – St James’s Park – Big Ben – 10 Downing Street – Trafalgar Square – Covent Garden – RWC watching @ The Coal Hole – Millennium Bridge – St. Paul’s Cathedral – Burger & Lobster near Royal Exchange – Bar @ SOHO
10/18 (Sun):
Due to some morning ruckus caused by a call from Doha, I wasn’t able to see off my sister who was leaving in the morning, but that’s fine. As our family’s diaspora living style is likely to continue for a foreseeable future, we do seem to take if for granted that we would re-group again, wherever it might be.
Even though the RWC match in the previous day has cemented my determination to go watch at Twickenham, the exorbitant price on the official site: 215 £ had been deterring me from making up the final mind, and made me constantly re-visit the website for every 5 minutes to see if the lower-priced tickets got available. My stinginess has finally paid off and I managed to secure a 150 £ ticket, saving by 65 £. However, later I found out that last-minute ticket sellers were abound near the Twickenham, desperately seeking to sell the tickets for 50£ (Granted, the seat might not offer the nicest view, but I shouldn’t have asked the price out of curiosity).
The high sentiment on the upcoming match was palpable at Richmond St, which is still approx. 2km away from the stadium. After watching the first half of Argentina vs Ireland at a Fanzone (public viewing space for RWC) in Richmond, I hopped on a free shuttle bus to Twickenham.
Despite being 1.5 hours before the match, the stream of people to the stadium was unceasing from Twickenham St.
Having undecided which team to root for, I asked to have my face painted with Japanese flag at a random booth that was giving a free face painting.
The seat of my last-minute purchased ticket barely allowed me a comfortable view (likewise, the people seated in my row seem to be all the last minute purchasers.), but I was just euphoric to be able to feel the rising sensation of the stadium right on the spot.
The initial 5 -10 minutes gave me the apprehensive hunch that the match would be dominated by Wallabies’ relentless forwards, but Scotland demonstrated the consistent defense, and managed to turn the tide, ending the first half with a few points lead against Australia.
Inspired by their tenacious play against the odds, I took a Scottish side by this time.
As with any other audience of the match (probably regardless of location and team to cheer for) , I was glued to the 2nd half with the mix of frenzied excitement and slight foreboding. Notwithstanding the final result (Australia vs Scotland: 35 to 34), the match had a series of climaxes and it was indeed valuable to feel the vibe at the stadium. Sincere kudos to Scotland and Australia.
Paddington – Richmond – RWC Fanzone @ Richmond – Twickenham Stadium – Gourmet Burger Kitchen @ Baker Street
10/19 (Mon):
Another day of touring around London, but this time by myself. It seems to have become my self-imposed duty to see as many touristy spots as possible during the stay.
Cultural facets and changing landscape of London kept me going, but I grew tired by the evening after the day-long wandering. The additional 2 hour long queuing and waiting for the concert didn’t make things better, to say the least, but as soon as the band appeared my exhaustion had totally vanished.
Though I wished to have witnessed the greater proportion of non-Asian audience representation (which would have been the proof that the band has a broader range of universal appeal), the live was a total blast.
Piccadilly Circus – National Gallery – Waterloo – London Eye – National Theatre – Borough Market – London Bridge – Monument (of Great Fire of London in 1666) – Tower of London – Tower Bridge – Angel (N1 Center)
10/20 (Tue):
After the morning dash to Baker Street, involving sister’s husband and inadvertently robbing 4.8 £ as a tube fare to Liverpool Street, I safely arrived Cambridge around the noon.
The city resides in a University, and because of the abundant history and implications of the university, the city is generous in exhibiting its solemnity and pomposity (as demonstrated in the open permission to let visitors into many colleges and facilities of the university).
Notwithstanding the noticeable lack of enthusiasm for reunion with me, my last mission of visiting a 2 decades-long (rounded up) friend of mine from elementary school has been accomplished.
Liverpool Street St – Stansted Airport – Cambridge – Polar Museum – Fitzwilliam Museum – Cambridge Rugby Football Club – King’s College – Clare College – Trinity College – St. James’s College – – Stansted Airport
10/21 (Wed) – 10/22 (Thu):
My longest layover spent at Sabiha Gokcen airport. Purchased “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell, and finished two-third of the book. It was that long, and I’m a quite slow reader.
Benchmark expenses:
1 GBP = 185 JPY = 5.6 QAR = 1.5 USD
4 clusters of bananas: 1.3 £ (the very first thing I purchased in England out of modest starvation and frugality)
National Express Bus (Stansted Airport – Liverpool St) : 8 £
Les Miserables @ Dress Circle: 97.5 £ (plus 10 £ as a booking fee. Box office tickets are cheaper, but with a limited availability.)
English breakfast @ posh cafe in St John’s Wood: 10 £
Lobster @ Burger & Lobster: 20 £
RWC Category B ticket: 150 £ at official site
RWC Category D (lowest) ticket: 50 £ at the last minute sale around the stadium (official price: 90 £)
Rent in 2LK apartment near Baker St: 2,000 £/Month (which necessitates room-sharing for young inhabitants)
Utility for such flat:200£/Month
Radwimps Concert (which could also be abbreviated as RWC): 35 £
National Express Bus (Liverpool St – Cambridge): 12 £ (which could be as low as 6 £)
Chicken Burger + Chips : 5 £
Train (Cambridge – Stansted): 12.7 £
“Blink”: 27.5 Turkish Lira (approx. 10 USD)
Fast food meal @ Sabiha Gokcen: 20 TL (approx. 7 USD)
武士がぶつかり合うラグビーの見応えといったら、シミュ
常人が入り込める精神世界ではなく、プレイヤーとしての
言ってしまえば、蚊帳の外から左団扇で羨望してるだけ。
そんなラグビーの根幹にはノーサイド (ホイッスルがなれば敵味方隔てなく皆兄妹) とアマチュアリズム (商業主義に走らない) があるのですが、(芋臭いオーストラリアとスコットラン