Kuzuha Mall

On Saturday, I, the Lazy Queen, dragged my butt out of bed and went to Kuzuha Mall with Valerie, Diana and Lucia, my apartment mates. Okay, I spent the morning in school doing the Language Lab orientation (listening to my very weird Japanese pronounciation, and comparing it with the native Japanese speaker), took many pictures of the neighbourhood that I will eventually upload, and packed my bag in anticipation for the eviction today (yes, I am now in the computer lab, evicted and having nowhere to go till 3pm when my host family comes to get me because the Seminar House residents are having this meeting).

So, anyways, we took the bus to Hirakata City station. The bus system here is very strange. You pay a flat rate of 220 yen (rather expensive). You get on the bus from the back and when you exit, you pay the 220 yen right at the front of the bus (didn't get a picture of the front when you exit, but there's a picture here of the back of the bus, where we were sitting). There is also a change machine, where you put in your 1000yen and they'll give you a lot a lot of 10 yen (bloody heavy, my wallet, I can tell you).













1st picture: back of the bus. I don't know what that device is for, try as I might to figure it out. 2nd picture: Valerie and me. 3rd picture: Diana (left), Lucia (centre) and me.


Then we took the train from Hirakata-shi station to Kuzuha station (200 yen). Transport here is freaking expensive, I tell you! My 3rd train ticket! The kanji says, "Hirakata-shi".

Outside of Kuzuha Mall, we chanced into these two guys in power ranger look alike suits, who obligingly took photos with us poor gaijins.

I didn't take pictures of inside of the Mall, since it's like every other Mall (with a GAP!). Rather expensive, the entire place... Except, I found a 300 yen (with tax: 315 yen) stall. and bought myself a pair of sunglasses, an umbrella and over-the-knee high socks. :)








I also went to the rest-room and took pictures of the toilet seat. Yes, I'm crazy. But still! Look at the toilet seat pictures and tell me it isn't cool:













We all decided to go for dinner at about 6pm and ended up in this restaurant which sells claypot rice (well, sort of). I didn't order anything off the menu cos it was too expensive (actually, it isn't really all that expensive. 900 yen for a bowl... Is okay for Japanese standards) but apparently, the others said the food was really good:














1st picture: Lucia with her, erm, I think its chicken and mushroom rice. 2nd picture: Diana with her salmon I believe. 3rd picture: Valerie and her Japanese seafood thingie. haha. For lack of better word lah.


It was nighttime when I took this picture, so the Mall was not powered by solar energy. But in the day, I'd guess it would power-up quite a bit. Between my weak Japanese and weak Chinese, I was able to make out what it says on the sign board. It says, "Kuzuha Mall is supporting environmentally friendly practices (sth like that..) and so we're powered by solar energy. Now, the amount of solar energy powering the Mall is: "

And, by accident, I FOUND THE UNIGLO at Kuzuha Mall. OMG. I found uniglo. At downtown Kyoto on Friday, I asked my guide if there was a Uniglo anywhere near. *sighs* I really really was afraid that I wouldn't be able to find a Uniglo to buy Cher all her clothes... haha) Lucia is a fashion designer, or rather, studying fashion. So, she was examining the material at Uniglo and telling me that it's good material. Haha, BK you were right! You've got a fashion student agreeing with you! :P Ehem, so I ended up buying a dress (1990 yen) for today's meeting with the host family. It came up to around $26. haha. OOPS. I should have bought it, I know. But it was justttttttttt too tempting! :P And diana got one too, except hers was brown and mine black. Sister dresses! :)

Realised that Makino station (the station nearest to the Seminar Houses), and when I say near, I mean 30 minutes of walking, was just beside Kuzuha. So, we spent 150yen travelling back, instead of 420 yen. -__- Sighs, my heart bleeds for the extra 270 that we paid when we took the bus to Hirakata and the train from Hirakata-shi to Kuzuha. *sighs*

Back at home... Tired and sleepy, we ended up sitting at the kitchen table talking. And this is what happens to Amy when she's in possession of food:


My hands were shaking too much cos I was laughing and laughing and laughing. Ashley and I think it's a fantastic picture for advertisement. "This *insert brand* noodles is so fantastic that if you try to steal it from her, you'll get stabbed with the chopsticks" or something. hahahahahah. Amy's eyes are reallllllllllllllllly huge. And it makes her look deranged when she opens it wide. Interestingly, Ashley, Amy and their friends were at Starbucks, looking at the selections when they got thrown out of Starbucks! hahahahaha. the indignation on Amy's face when she recounted the incident is priceless. The two of them were also sitting near the traffic light when a political party's van with anti-foreigner slogans came along. hahahaha. According to Amy, the driver stared straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge their presence. hahahahahaha.

This is Yui! :) haha, the japanese girl who's staying in the same apartment as us. :) <3 haha, she's very kawaii! :) We all love the Royal Afternoon Milk Tea ( go go kocha). Daryn bought a whole bottle for 200 yen (I think) and left it for us cos she couldn't bring it along to her host family. So, between the flatmates, we finished it all up. [and because the cupboards are locked and we can't get at any cups/plates/pots or pans, we had to drink from the bottle. haha.]





I'm supposed to update on my Kyoto trip. But I took so many pictures I'll really need to sort it out. As of now, I've already used up more than 11% of my allowed picture upload memory in blogger. Let's just hope it can last all the way till the end of this december. Or else, I'll just open another blogger account, move my blog somewhere else. haha, then i'll name it hueyinjapan2.blogspot.com, and maybe even hueyinjapan3.blogspot.com. =)

日本がだい好きです！I really like Japan! :)