Golden Week

...is the longest period of holiday in Japan excluding the season holidays (summer/spring/autumn/winter). It usually has a span over a week thus the name "GOLDEN WEEK".

Needless to say, i spent half of it in Tokyo. First night in Tokyo, I met up with a few friends, had dinner in Shibuya. "TGI's". Shibuya is the place where the infamous story of Hachiko the dog took place. Even meeting up with the friends at Hachiko was confusing because they didnt know that the place was called Hachiko Koen(Hachiko Park) because of the dog. We were supposed to meet by the statue itself but then there were many dog statues and stuff.. they didnt know which one.. but then again there is only ONE official Hachiko statue. sigh.. but then again we all had mobile phones.. not that difficult to swim through crowds, and if you are thinking, we are a bunch of foreigners how hard can it be? WRONG!!! the place is usually crowded with foreigners anyway...

In Tokyo, I bunked over my friends place, which is kinda "strict" being an all girls dorm.. but then again, last time I checked I'm a girl too... They have a curfew, no bringing friends to bunk over. I sneaked in several times but the second night I was busted.. so it was the last night at her place for me. Damn. I have 2 more nights in Tokyo and I'm already HOMELESS!!!! but then I received a mail from a friend asking if I wanna club tomorrow.. I'm like there goes one night.. Now all I need is a place to stay for one night. Invited another girlfriend over to club and decided to bunk at her place! PERFECT!!!

Now to the main story, CLUBBING!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT.. although the journey towards the club was kinda sleazy. We got the map on my mobile and it was not helpful AT ALL!!! ended up walking quite a distance than promised. (10 mins from the station) Not only that we had gone through many dark alleys with bouncers and men selling their "merchandise" behind their windows and rooms (catch my drift?) PLUS i was wearing my newly bought HEELS.. which are completely adorable I TELL YOU!!! i feel so japanese... THUS IT HURT!!! and I havent started dancing yet..

when we got there.. it was kinda disappointing at first because, it was just starting, not a lot of people and then the drinks were expensive.. My guy friend was like.. WHAT? you dont buy your own drinks... get guys to buy you drinks.. and then it DAWNED upon us.. WHY NOT? hehehe..

5am. Saturday. My girlfriend was drunk, me and the guys were sober, not saying that we didnt get any action done that night.. heh

Later that night, my friend mailed me again: "Wanna go clubbing tonight?". Both of us were like "ARGHHHHH" I wanted to go but I didnt have anymore clubbing clothes and not to mention that I was running low on cash. SO TEMPTED>>>> Why do you do this to me?!?!?! But in the end, we all decided to postphone it to this week. YEAH

Sunday. I need to get back home. Which means Akihabara!!! I was kinda screwed because I only had 1000yen left in me.. and that is not enough to get back. (To get back, I need 2000yen) But i was not worried after all I was supposed to meet another fellow Bruneian and my best friend in Akihabara later that day. BUT!!! of course SHIT HAPPENS..

firstly, I left the dorm late because I woke up late and the dorm was FAR from Akihabara, took me an hour to get to Akiba. And then my Bruneian friend told me that he had something to do back at his place.. so cant meet me.. but its okay.. because I made him wait for quite a bit.. so its my fault.. GOMENASAI!! and then so there I was in YODOBASHI CAMERA.. looking around for a new mp3 player. I was wondering around sony or ipod. SONY or IPOD?!?! i decided to get the SONY because it was cheaper. But then the lady told me.. it can only be used with a JAPANESE OS system.. fuck it... so Im back to the IPOD... and then while trying to decide which one should I get.. the shuffle, the new mini, the video. I wanted to take something portable, so I can jog with it.. shuffle looks good... but 14000yen for 1gb seems like a waste. and then i shifted to the MINI.. i wanted big memory space because I wanted to put at least all my songs in it.. so it has to be more than 4gb... I saw the 8gb mini ipod.. wow.. Okay that'll do i guess.. Can i have that in the pink please? WHAT do you mean that it only comes in BLACK!?!?! fuck.. then i get confused again... because the price of the 8gb ipod was only 2000yen difference from the Video IPOD 30gb... i mean like just another 2000yen you get 22gb and the ability to watch videos.. but then that crashes with the whole portability idea... and then the 60gb was just 10000yen difference.. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH what do i get?!?!? the 8gb or the 60gb?? IM SO CONFUSED?!?!?!?
In the end, Im not going to watch videos on trains that much SO i decided on the black 8gb mini IPOD.

haaa... that took a lot of decision making.. and then i called for the man to take my order.. and then he asked me whether i have internet connection. Im like not for the moment.. and he is like you need internet to access itunes.. and im like but i have itunes.. hes like itunes 7... I DONT REMEMBER my itunes version... DAMMIT..

BUYING AN MP3 PLAYER IS SOOOOO HARD!!!!

in the end I told him ill deal with it some how.. so I got it.. the black ipod.. and now.. the accessories.. ARGHHHH... more headaches... i need an arm band for jogging and I need a pretty cover... it took such a while because there are two types of mini ipods, the ver2 and the old model.. so yeah.. MANNNNNNNNNN... so complicated.. and when i reached the counter.. i took out my credit card.. and the lady slided the card over the machine several times and gave a troubled look on her face.. i had horrible flashbacks.. (during winter holidays... i tried to get an ipod video but i maxed my credit card...) SHIT>> its the beginning of the month.. I cant have maxed my card already?!?!?! but then she successfully got it done after several tired.. thank the lord!!!

right.. so there i was with my brand new ipod.. yahoo!

that still doesnt solve the problem that i have 1000yen left.. oh wait i kinda used that up too.. i went to a cafe to drink and wait for my bestfriend to come meet me.. so yeah.. bye bye 1000yen... i thought of borrowing money from her to get back to Tsukuba. but then she ALSO doesnt have money. why you ask? (Golden Week the Post Office banks are closed.. not even the ATM machines are open.. we get our monthly scholarship from the Post Office Bank) I personally thought that it was a normal Sunday.. thus we could get some money out.. BUT it wasnt a normal Sunday.. IT was CHILDRENS DAY... i thought that if it was a holiday, it would get pushed on to Monday.. but no.. not the Brunei system.. sigh...

then we realise that we have a different bank account. YES and that one works!!! but.. i checked my wallet... I DIDNT BRING THE CARD!! why?? (because i thought it would control my spending) well.. that sure did come in handy.. and my friend doesnt bring her card either because she uses the passbook.. we tried different ATMs with her passbook but they obviously didnt work. and she offered to go to a different station to withdraw money for me.. so there I was bumming in Akibas streets with 200yen.. sigh (enough for a McDonalds chicken burger and cola.. but Im not going to waste my last 200yen on food) I tried to look for Private bank ATMS which do work by the way.. and since I still have my HSBC and Baiduri cards.. and they are APLUS.. that means i can withdraw money overseas.. but the ATMS dont recognise APLUS... FUCK IT...

lastly, I sms-ed all my bruneian friends in tokyo, wondering if they can help me... my kouhai in Tsukuba was offering to come all the way to Akiba to pick me up.. but I couldnt do that to her.. its far and expensive.. no.. that wont do...

and then the others offered their help.. I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR THAT by the way... they came to Akihabara lent money to me so I can go back home safely.. sigh.. a long warm bubble bath was definitely in need of the moment...

and thus the end of my adventures and MIS-adventures in Tokyo during GOLDEN WEEK