2017年 01月 03日 (火)
Relegating no particular activities to the day, I embarked on the "BICest Tour". Since the JR Pass expired today, I was going to get my money’s worth and utilise it anywhere and everywhere tfw you only use Yamanote. Allowing myself to have a moment of comfort, I carried very little - camera and bare essentials. It had been so long, I forgot how nice it was to not bear the burden of a backpack.
So... what does the “BICest Tour” entail? I wanted to gift my beloved brother with a Gunpla kit; a Perfect Grade RX-178 Gundam Mk-II (AEUG Colours). We both love our model kits but Australia loves to screw me over with pricing on any hobbies/interests I have. And sourcing for cheaper alternatives online can only get you so far. Previously, I mentioned Gundam Front's daylight robbery and the fact that BIC have Gunpla for cheaper. However, chain stores aren't carbon copies of each other, and thus the "BICest Tour" was born.
It was going to be grand, discovering all the unique places surrounding each branch.
First store in aaaaaaaaand it's already over.
Not wanting to carry a giant box around, I returned home and lost the dead weight. Abandoning the tour, I shopped around and picked up "some" more books for my library. It didn't take long for them to absolutely wreck my wrists. Holding onto the few I had was enough to cause discomfort.
⏩ to night. I’ve munched on some Pablo minis (delicious) and met up with Alex and Vivian for some BBQ. It felt like fooooreveeer since I've had a meal that wasn’t just with Carolyn. Though, she joined us and was okay throughout the whole night.
Regrouped, we settled ourselves in No Meat, No Life, a cook-it-yourself yakiniku bar. Being quite literal with their name, it wasn’t a great experience. Each expensive platter had slivers of meat at best; there was just little value to be had. Then there was the issue of orders coming very slowly, and sometimes not at all. Truly no meat and thus no life. It's not all negative though; the beef, as little as there was, tasted good and I came out smelling great.
Relishing the last night in Tokyo, we hit up the プリクラ before knocking out some quality time glamming up and packing.
2017年 01月 04日 (水)
Even after staying up 'til 4:00, I have yet to finish packing. Continuing the pack in the early morning, I grew increasingly worried about my weight (baggage). Lifting my luggage felt like a tonne... not forgetting, I still had my duffel and PG kit (I went over the limit but got the 👌).
Splitting off, the others left for their last minute shopping and I was left to myself, contemplating how to spend my last ~¥120. Visiting the local supermarket, I tossed it up between some fried foods or a bag of chips. I wanted something more substantial but wasn't going to withdraw or spend more than I needed to. After some laps of hard thinking, I chose fried goods. Shouldn't have to be debated, really.
Snacking away, I sulked around the neighbourhood, knowing I won't be here for a while (2020 Olympics, baybaaaaay). As the friends appeared one by one, we walked to the station. Conveniently, we were situated near the station with the fastest way to get to Narita airport: the Keisei Skyliner 39. In a short 40mins, I was devoid of any happy emotions.
Taking a cheeky snap of this guy
Skipping past the unpleasantries, I'm now strapped in the death trap plane. Too many times have I fallen victim to the plane’s vicious uncomfortableness. Not this time. Popping a sleeping pill, I was out cold. However, I was torn from my slumber many times for the crappy meals... Waking up, I felt sooo groggy. My whole body felt sore and tender all over, like after an intense exercise. I also found myself rubbing my pectorals... a lot...
Sadly, we landed, cleared customs and returned to our respective homes. Well... here we are, the conclusive end of Japan 2016. Even with the many ups and downs and overlooked activities, I had a complete blast and cannot wait to revisit. Thank you for reading. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this as much as I have been writing them.