Hullo Hullo!

Did you miss me? It has been awfully quiet around here hasn’t it? So much has happened in this two months. Our belated honeymoon in Italy was so amazing. I was in Italy! I still can’t get my mind around it. We ate so much pasta, pizza, and drank bottles of Lambrusco (admittedly, not the finest wine but after a hot day of wandering, it is simply, the best). Our tour began in Venice and we made our way by train to Bologna, Parma, Cinque Terre, Pisa (just to see, you guess it, the Leaning Tower), Florence and finally Rome.

After Florence and Rome, we really felt a little burned out (in the literal sense too! It was the height of summer). In the hindsight, we should have done the busier cities first and finished up with calmer towns like Bologna. But we’ll know better the next time. We are definitely returning so we can explore more of the Tuscany countryside, and eat more rustic Italian food. YUM!

We’re finally back in Melbourne and everyone’s asking me how does it feel to be back. Hrmm… it’s a mixed feeling. It’s definitely good to be in one place for now. We were travelling so much in Europe it felt a little unsettling at times (but I really can’t complain). I’m a home girl and I like doing things at home, baking, cooking, blogging, so having a home business makes a lot of sense to me. At the same time, I miss seeing all these amazing places and meeting interesting people, tasting all those foreign delicacies that I could only dream about years ago. I am immensely grateful and fortunate to have had that opportunity!

Right now, I’m putting a lot of attention to Etsy and business is picking up! The other day we were featured in A Place For Twiggs, the features here if you like a good read over morning tea. There are lots more good things coming our way and we’ll let you know when that happens. I don’t know why I’ve started using ‘we’ when I talk about my Etsy shop. I guess I think of Happee Monkee as a person. A very happy and creative person. And we’re all good friends.

In regards to food… it’s taking a long time for me to get the momentum. I’ve started baking the other day – an rhubarb & apple chocolate tart with a touch of rosewater essence. It was a Donna Hay recipe and it was excellent! But I just couldn’t muster the energy to take food shots. I’m so sorry! I will eventually get there but at the mean time, please be patient with me. I will start food blogging this month and that’s a promise!

Have a great weekend folks! It’s a beautiful cool spring day in Melbourne now and I’m sending some sunny thoughts to those who are in the autumny areas!

XOXO,
Mable

Wow, is it almost the end of July already? This month has been a little crazy (in a happy way, of course). First, my bestie and I met up in Paris for a weekend and then traveled to visit the Queen in London. It was an amazing one week of adventure and it couldn’t be in better company. In Paris, I finally went to the Chateau deVersailles and it was absolutely, fantabulously awesome! Everything was just dripping in decadence. Saw some amazing museums in London, sat on hot red double deckers and ate fish and chips in Hyde Park. It was like being a kid again!

I met up with my former editor, and she spoiled us rotten with her awesome cooking. She made her version of pan mee for us because she knows how obsessed I am with the stuff. It’s seriously addictive. Then the next night, she made curry laksa. Oh-my-gawsh, I was in Malaysian seventh-food-heaven.

It was the little things that got my bestie and I excited. Like going around places and spotting Monopoly squares – Mayfair, Pall Mall, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Street – we would debate if it was yellow, magenta, green… it was an awful lot of fun. We’ve been playing the online version of Monopoly on Facebook you see, and yeah, we’re a little nutty that way.

Alas, all good things came to an end and we parted ways – she, back to Malaysia and I, back to Sweden. Then I had to pack up the apartment because we had to leave for Stockholm for the remaining three weeks of Mr. G’s project! Phew, I never thought 6 months could fit in a box back to Melbourne, but it did (thankfully)!

It was really sad to say goodbye to Linköping. For the remaining week, Mr. G and I cycled around the little town-city as much as the weather allowed. Because even though it’s summer now, there were some miserable Melbourne winter-like days.

With all that’s going on, I’ve been trying to juggle some copy writing, editing a book, Etsy, planning for our honeymoon, my trip to Prague all in this action-pack month! Which explains why there’s so little going on this blog lately. Next month we’re going to be in Italy. From Venice to Parma, Cinque Terre , Pisa to Florence and, finally ending the six months of Europe with a bang, the incredible Rome. So I must apologize in advance that August will be a little quiet as well.

I’ve got some exciting news too! Our Facebook fanpage has reached a phenomenal 225 fans in one week! A lot of it thanks to Lani of Elle Dee Designs. She’s having an amazing giveaway and we’re giving away a Happee Monkee handmade item too. Check out Elle Dee Designs’ Facebook fanpage to win some gorgeous items!

To celebrate this and welcome our new fans, I decided that the best things in life is to give, Give, GIVE! (And of course, we have to be gracious receivers too when the time is right). So, I’m giving away one of my precious and favourite photos, and 8×8″ worth $30, to one lucky winner. All you have to do is like our Happee Monkee fanpage, and if you’re already a fan, not to worry, just holler on my wall and I’ll put your name up in the draw. Oh, I almost forgot, the giveaway ends on Sunday (31/07/2011).

Loving you all and wishing you a safe, beautiful day.

xoxo,
Mabs

I wrote this on my iPhone on our way home from Moscow: “I would love to hate Moscow.”

There were some frustrating and intimidating moments like when I was held back longer than necessary at the border security and questioned rather rudely by the officer, only because, we think, I held a Malaysian passport.

We weren’t allowed in the Red Square nor were we given reasons why, while others were let in. The same thing happened again at the Kremlin.

We were told off at the airport while waiting patiently for our turn to get our boarding passes — for, get this, waiting a little too patiently. The lack of respect and friendliness was an enormous turn off.

So yes, I can find many reasons to dislike Russian hospitality.

But, that would be taking the easy road out and not all our experiences were so unfortunate.

When G. and I were obviously clueless at the metro, a kind person noticed and asked us in English, if we were lost. She then gave us directions on how to catch the right train line to our hotel.

One time when I was on trigger happy mode, I took photos of some soldiers as they marched by, a few of them turned around and waved at me. Even gave me a big smile.

And when I dropped my camera cleaning cloth, an elderly lady pointed it out to me until I finally understood what she was trying to say.

All that may seem like small gestures to some, but it counts as something in my books.

So, I could hate Moscow but that would cancel out all the kindness we received from the people we met. They took the effort to be kind and therefore, I will make the effort to remember their kindness and generosity.

Mind you, these are my own experiences and not necessarily true for others. Don’t strike Moscow off your travel list just yet. It is interesting and perhaps we would have a better time if we spent more days in the city. As it is, we only had a night and a day in Russia. So, we’d barely scratched the surface.

They had a few local delights like crêpes with salmon roe and a soda that looked like Coke but tasted anything but. In fact, it tasted a cross between root beer and soy sauce.

I loved the metro stations. They all looked very grand central to me. And I like their pasties, cheap and tasty.

Would I visit Russia again? No, personally I would not. It was far too much hassle for us even to apply for the visa and also, it cost too much. Tourists pay quite a sum to see the sights, and you know, maybe that’s why I’m so cheesed off. Maybe if the Russian authorities were slightly friendlier and respectful, for all the efforts we’ve made to see Moscow, I could at least try to like the city a little more.

I will still love Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky and all the great ballets ever written. I’ll still love vodka. I’ll always love the St. Basil’s Cathedral. And I’ll always be grateful and appreciative of the locals but no, I will not return to Russia*.

*Note: Unless I’m paid a ridiculously amount of money and treated like royalty, then maybe, I’ll consider.

I’ve added some of these photos on my Etsy shop, have a look-see! Happee Monkee’s Etsy

I now understand my husband’s love for the beach. They are quite beautiful in Australia. G. tells me that Rottnest Island in Perth is one of the best he’s been to. I love Kangaroo Island in South Australia. It’s wild and unpredictable. The ones in Victoria aren’t bad as well.

Two weeks before our wedding, G. and I took a break from the wedding haze and drove to Inverloch, Victoria. It felt so good to be away from everything even if it rained most of the weekend. Doing nothing, reading in a quiet room, ordering take-out was one of the best things we did for ourselves.

For those who have upcoming weddings, here’s an advice: Take a weekend off before the Big Day and relax with your future husband. Do a massage together, take a stroll by the beach, have a lazy Sunday breakfast… it does wonders to your stress levels.

This is Kangaroo Island. I personally think it’s one of the best places in the world. The sand dunes, the wildlife, the untamed landscapes are breathtaking. It’s not a romantic, soft sort-of place. Well, that’s not true, some parts of it are. But my memories of K.I. are truly indescribable.

You just have to see it for yourself to know what I’m talking about. And I hope you do.

xoxo,
Mable

Note: If you like these photos, you can have them as 8×10 inches (20 x 27cm) prints. Drop by my Etsy store, and say hello!

When I was a little girl, I found a crusty old English – French dictionary that belong to my mother. I was fascinated with it. I studied it. I wrote notes. I was intrigued by France. Many years forward, the country still holds a spell over me.

I found some old photos of my too-brief weekend in Paris and I thought it was time to dust the bunnies off it and rejuvenate it with a little Photoshop love. Since I have the pleasure of being in Europe again, G. and I are taking the chance to travel to Paris again. It’ll certainly will be a trip to look forward to. This time, it’ll be summer and we have a few more days to spare discovering what we missed the last time and, last but not least, we’re going to see Gilliebean!

I’m definitely very excited — French food, French wine, Eiffel Tower, Louvre (I want to spend the WHOLE day there this time!), French markets, French gardens, French people… ohhhh I’m swooning.

Can you smell the croissants already? I can!

Speaking of which, I should attempt those one day. Till then, à bientôt!

P.S.: If you like those photos and would love them in your home, you can! I’m printing 8×10 inches photos. Do come by my Etsy shop and have a look-see. Or, click on any of the pictures and it’ll automatically take you to my Etsy page

By now you would have heard about the tragic news in Japan. I was glued to the TV for hours watching the news with disbelieve, sadness, shock and worry. I have met so many incredible people and was treated with warmth and kindness. Thank goodness for Facebook and Twitter, I’d manage to get hold of friends in Tokyo,where all the phone lines were down. If you have friends and loved ones in Japan, I do hope they are all safe and well.

This is my tribute to Japan – to its beautiful, fantastic people, amazing food, glorious sights.

All that anyone told you about Kyoto is true (the good, that is). It’s the cultural bit of Japan, much like how Melbourne is to Australia. As soon as we got to Kyoto, we headed to our ryokan in Fushimi-ku by train (approx. 10 mins). Our hostess at Karatachi Ryokan was amazing! She spoke a bit of English, German, French, Italian and we had a lovely time chatting with her in our broken Japanese. After tea, we went on our walkabout. It was time to find some geishas!

It wasn’t easy. The back streets of Gion was a labyrinth. With narrow streets and mass of tourists, we’d managed to avoid the crowd and jump into a small street where there was, lo’ and behold, a beautiful maiko, or apprentice geisha. It was like spotting a star for a briefest photo second.

Apparently, we chose a good weekend to visit. It was the weekend of Shichi-Go-San (seven-five-three), a passage of rite custom practised for three and seven-year old girls and three and five-year old boys. It’s usually held annually on November 15th or around the closest weekend. You can read more about the festival here.

The Yasaka Shrine was packed with parents with their little darlings, maikos and weddings. It was a busy, busy day in Kyoto.

Japanese weddings are such solemn, mysterious affairs practiced with much elegance and probably every ounce of self-control. Watching the events was fascinating. There were constant fussing over the bride (not unlike other weddings around the world I’d suppose) – adjusting, re-adjusting, prepping – gentle acts of smoldering. It was so beautiful to watch. (Why is it that the men never get the same attention?)

One of my favourite bloggers, She Who Eats lives most of her time in Japan. I’ve been following her blog for years now and her photography never fails to Wow me every time. Through Twitter, we’ve managed to exchange a few helloes, most of all, I’ve been able to give her some support (a-tweet-at-a-time) through this difficult time.

Chika’s raising funds for the Japan earthquake survivors, and her post will explain everything. She has made it easy by setting up a site where you can donate any amount you’re comfortable with. As a thank you gesture, she’s even giving away some sakura (cherry blossom)-flavored baking ingredients to a few winners whose made a donation.

“… And it has been about 36 hours since that deadly shake, and I’ve spent those 36 hours pretty much in front of the TV, glued to the news, barely having any sleep. I am extremely fortunate that I know all of my families are safe and well. I was, and still am in Nagano, where the damage has been minimal (though a northern part of Nagano has had its own big quakes). And over those 36 hours, things seem to have gone from bad to worse, as the full extent of damage gradually unfolded.”

-Chika from  She Who Eats, March 12 2011

I’ll continue my post about Kyoto in a later post. Till then, to all who are reading this, I hope you’ll share this with your friends and family to help Chika raise funds for the earthquake survivors. Retweet this, share it on Facebook… do what you can.

I leave you with this beautiful quote by Steve Maraboli:

“There is no greater force for change than people inspired to live a better life.”
- Steve Maraboli in Life, the Truth and Being Free

Much love, faith and hope to all,
Mabs

January came and gone. I saw Melbourne and left. Said my hellos and goodbyes (to some friends within the same day). And the only time I’d managed to catch my breath was during my 26 hours plane ride from one end of the earth to the other.

Once we got to Stockholm, we took the next train down south to Linköping (pronounced something like, lin-cho-pin). Even though we could see our new home from where we stood, the fatigue, cold and our suitcases begged for us to take the taxi.

It is good to be back in Sweden and also, I’ve forgotten how terrifyingly cold it can be. Good thing we’ve passed the darker days and daylight is certainly a lot longer. And hooray, we can stuff our faces again with semlor and overstocked Julmust from Christmas!

When Mr. G told me that Linköping would be a lot smaller than Stockholm, he wasn’t kidding. This place has just about 140,000 inhabitants and the fifth largest city in Sweden. Think Ballarat as a rough description. There is a train station which goes in and out of Linköping. The main public transportation here is the bus. And I have not taken a bus for, hmmm … let’s say, six to seven years? We believe, from our map study at breakfast this morning, besides the city centre the only other shopping mall is in Tornby, north of Linköping.

So, what’s there to do at Linköping?

Well, I know for a fact that it’s a university (read: pimply, sex-keen, nicotine-laced young adults) and high-technology town. I am pretty impressed with the buses which are powered by bio-fuel i.e. recycled food waste from restaurants, cafeterias, hospitals, hotels etc.

The cold and the ice on the streets are preventing the ‘enthusiastic tourist’ in me to venture beyond the warmth of my apartment. Last week, it started to snow and it got as cold as -17C. The only time I do go out is for groceries and the gym (which is next door to the apartments, but heck, why couldn’t they just build it within the building!). Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, I have managed to be pleasant and social with the locals and some of Mr. G’s colleagues.

We hear it’s really pretty in summer. One week down, and oh, maybe about 11 weeks to go.

Speaking of which, can you believe I’ve actually met two girls from Malaysia in this tiny, tiny town? I think I even went to college with one of them 10 years ago (And now that you know how old I am, I will have to kill you).

I was researching online on things to do in Linköping when I found an article written by MH on a Swedish community website. We shared a few emails back and forth and decided to meet up. We were accompanied by two very jolly, chatty girls and had an exceptional fika, until we almost forgot the time. I had this one delicious bun, it had sprinkles of cardamom and cinnamon sugar on it and was drilled with this incredible creamy custard. Oh-my-gawd, I was in heaven.

Anyway, it’s good to blog again. I needed a distraction from my assignment and Mr. G has gone out bowling with his colleagues. I should get back to ‘work’. By the way, have you been on Etsy lately? You never know but you might see something of Happee Monkee on it soon.

xoxo,
Mabs

Note: Rather disappointingly, we don’t have an oven in our apartment and hopefully, we might be able to get a toaster oven this weekend at the electrical store. I do hope I get to bake something or else, it’ll be a very dull 6 months for me!

“Do you see? Do you see?” That’s becoming G’s favourite line. Seeing Mt. Fuji was one of his missions ever since he knew he was returning to Japan. And, boy oh boy, was the big guy excited when that weekend finally arrived.

We’d planned to leave Tokyo as early as possible to get to Kawaguchiko. However, I was having trouble sleeping that night and when I finally nodded off, the alarm rang. I shot straight to the bathroom and in midst of soaping my head, G. gently knocked on the door and said, “Honey, do you know it’s just 4 a.m.?” What I didn’t realized was my phone (which I’d used as an alarm) was still set on Australian time and it was two hours ahead of local time.

So, we got on the first train towards Kawaguchiko, from Tokyo station on the JR Chuo Line to Otsuki (approximately 70 minutes by direct limited express) and changed from Otsuki to the Fujikyuko line. Kawaguchiko is another 50 minutes train ride and we could see Mt. Fuji very clearly from our seats.

There is plenty to do at Kawaguchiko. The autumn leaves were spectacularly red and I read that it’s also a good time to go during spring when the cherry blossoms are out. We opt for the Kachi Kachi ropeway (700 yen round trip) and the Lake Kawaguchi excursion ship (900 yen). The view from Mount Tenjo was amazing but I’ll let the pictures speak for itself.

There’s a funny legend about Kachi-Kachi Yama involving a raccoon (tanuki), an old couple and a rabbit (usagi). I found a great English version (albeit, rather disturbing) on Wikipedia (got to love Wiki).

“As the story goes, a man caught a troublesome tanuki in his fields, and tied it to a tree to kill and cook it later. When the man left for town, the tanuki cried and begged the man’s wife to set him free, promising never to bother the fields again. The wife freed the animal, only to have it turn on her and kill her. The tanuki then planned a foul trick.

“The couple had been good friends with a rabbit that lived nearby. The rabbit approached the man and told him that it would avenge his wife’s death. Pretending to befriend the tanuki, the rabbit instead tortured it through various means, from dropping a bee’s nest on it to ‘treating’ the stings with a peppery poultice that burned.

The title of the story comes from the especially painful trick that the rabbit played. While the tanuki was carrying a heavy load of kindling on his back to make a campfire for the night, he was so burdened that he did not immediately notice when the rabbit set fire to the kindling. Soon, the crackling sound reached its ears and it asked the rabbit what the sound was. “It is Kachi-Kachi Yama” the rabbit replied. “We are not far from it, so it is no surprise that you can hear it!”. Eventually, the fire reached the tanuki’s back, burning it badly, but without killing it.”

“The tanuki challenged the rabbit to a life or death contest to prove who was the better creature. They were each to build a boat and race across a lake in them. The rabbit carved its boat out of a fallen tree trunk, but the foolish tanuki made a boat of mud.

The two competitors were evenly matched at first, but the tanuki’s mud boat began dissolving in the middle of the lake. As the tanuki was failing in its struggle to stay afloat, the rabbit proclaimed its friendship with the human couple, and that this was the tanuki’s punishment for its horrible deeds.”

In the recent years, Lake Kawaguchi replaced nearby Lake Yamanaka as the most popular lake visited in the Yamanashi Prefecture. The lake is really pretty especially with all the autumn colours and on a clear sunny day, Mt. Fuji is everywhere you turn.

From the ropeway you can walk to the other attractions like the teddy bear museum, Kitahara Happy Days museum (toy museum) and the Herb Hall. We weren’t really interested in any of the museums so if you do go, let us know what it’s like!

Food, I hear? We tried a variety of stuff. And I’m sorry. I was too hungry most of the time to shoot decent food photos (or note what we ate). But we had some delicious noodles for breakfast. It was hearty and hot and perfect for a cold autumn morning. There were so many soft serve places I just had to grab one (grape and salty vanilla). G. had a greasy curry bun which didn’t look as good as the poster, nor was it very tasty.

One word of advice, try to go as early as you can to Kawaguchiko. One, you’d want to catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji before the clouds head in and two, there will be bus loads of tourists climbing to get to the places you want to go. There are better things to do in life than to be stuck in a queue.

Signing off.

xxxx,
Mabs

With two months to spare in Tokyo, I had to do something in order to stay away from boredom i.e. go stark crazy. As I flipped through the Tokyo Lonely Planet guide, I saw a small mention about GRUTT pass. The GRUTT is a booklet filled with free and/ or discounted entries to some 70 art galleries, museums, zoos, and other attractions around Tokyo. The cost of the booklet is a 2000 yen and it is valid for two months. The book is worth more than its cost after 5 – 6 visits.

Some places were really fascinating and others weren’t. Unfortunately not all attractions are English language-friendly but others have English-speaking guides available. So it’s a hit or miss. I’ve discovered quite a few great places that’s definitely worth a visit even though it’s not on your itinerary; it’s a great way to learn about Japan, its history, its future and its people.

01. National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan)

“Long ago when our ancestors first devised tools from stone and bone, human beings have also wished to live with greater abundance and convenience, and so they made all sorts of things that help improve their lives. Knowledge and technology accumulated, developed, and formed civilizations.

We now have civilizations, in fact, precisely because desires have driven people’s imaginations and, through the process of trial and error, they eventually succeeded creating satisfying answers to those desires.

The future of science and technology may seem a dream, a dream whose time has yet to come to realized. Looking back on the trail of technological innovation that we humans have achieved, we gain confidence. One day our dreams will come true. After all, they always have before.”

- Quote at Miraikan’s Innovation & the Future’s exhibition entrance.

Miraikan is definitely suitable for children and adults alike. The hands-on museum is an incredible place to learn about past innovations, current ones and also the future. I have to hand it to the Japanese for making science so cool and fun. I’m not a science fan but I certainly had alot of fun at the museum. Unfortunately, we missed the Dome Theater but I’d definitely recommend it. There are English and Japanese-only science shows so please ask staffs for screening schedules.

How to get there:

You can use various modes of transportation to visit Miraikan, such as the Tokyo Waterfront New Transit YURIKAMOME, the Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit RINKAI LINE. It is 5 minutes walk from “Fune-no Kagakukan station” and 4 minutes walk from “Telecom Center station”

02. Edo-Tokyo Open Air Museum

I was asked to visit the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Museum three times by the same person, so admittedly, my first reason to go was so it would satisfy her. However, having been to a couple of Edo museums in Tokyo, I’ve developed an interest of the Edo era so I was definitely more than happy to visit the open air museum.

The museum is surrounded by beautiful park land and is indeed open. A number of historical buildings from the Edo period were actually brought here to be preserved – some of which were residences of famous local figures. It is like walking down an old neighbourhood. Do expect lots of shoes on and off when entering the houses.

I loved traditional Japanese homes – numerous windows allow plenty of natural light into the house which gives it a certain warmth and homeliness; wood is a key component in Japanese architecture, an inspiration quite similarly to Sweden, allowing us to feel close to nature.

The museum grounds are spread out into West, East and Central areas. The west zone is mainly reconstructed residentials, while the east zone is more towards Meiji period retails like shops, bars and etc. The founder of Ghibli Studios, Hayao Miyazaki have used numerous exhibits around the museum as inspiration to his animated movie, Spirited Away (e.g. the public baths and tram).

How to get there:

The open air museum is located in the western part of Koganei Park, Koganei City, 25 minutes west of Tokyo’s Shinjuku Station by train. From Shinjuku, you can either access it by the Seibu Shinjuku Line (260 yen to Hana-Koganei Station) or JR Chuo Line (290 yen to Musashi-Koganei Station). From either station, the park is a 5 to 10 minute bus ride or 15 to 30 minute walk.

I discovered this quaint little town on this blog – Tokyo Reviews. I was looking for places to go to with my GRUTT pass (another day on that) and stumbled upon S.I.’s very handy blog. So, if you’re planning to travel to Tokyo, this blog makes for great research.

So one fine lazy Saturday, Mr. G. and I clambered out of bed and made our way to Ome. We were feeling Tokyo in our bones – you know the feeling – too much concrete and too little nature. Mr. G, especially, needed some good ol’ sunshine, greenery and country air.

One delayed train, a long lunch and coffee break later, we finally arrived at Ome around 3.30pm. It didn’t give us much daylight or time to do some museum-crawling so we targeted the ‘Retro’ museum and the Retro Diorama World which are on the main street of Ome. There is one other museum, which you can read up on Tokyo Reviews, and an Ome Museum Pass to visit all three mini-museums for visitors with more time.

According to legend, in the year 900, a prince fled to the district of Ome with the aid of a plum tree cane. The cane took root, and the fruit on the tree it became always stayed blue. So, the area was named ‘Ome’ which means ‘blue Japanese apricot’. There is a famous plum tree garden, ‘Yoshino Baigo’, which is best visited from the end of February to the middle of March when the blossoms are in full bloom.

Tokyo Reviews

Mr. G and I had a good time pointing out which items looked familiar to us; which game we’ve played when we were kids; how much fun those days were. (And yes, feeling very old in that process).

For the sake of Coca-cola collectors and fans, they have a window full of it.

On the way to the diorama museum, we passed a lovely temple on top of a hill from the main street. The sun was slowly setting and gave it a mysterious air as it was quiet and a little lonely.

The town must have some sort of affinity with cats because we saw statues of kitties everywhere. The bus stop was designed as a ‘cat bus’ with cat passengers painted on the back of the shelter and a little cat bus driver on the lefthand corner. Very cute. And when we were in Retro Diorama World, we saw one with little cat people walking in a cat city.

The Retro Diorama World features handmade masterpieces of Takaki Yamamoto. Each display is a fascinating and curious little world with amazing (even cheeky) details.

By the way, the entrance to the diorama museum is a little unassuming and the only way we’d recognized it was from Tokyo Review’s pictures. The entrance is in fact a shopfront, that sells multiple photos and postcards of olden days celebrities.

It was an afternoon well-spent, even if there was very little English explanations and we were the only foreigners (well, Mr. G anyway because I blended in. Heck, anyone Asian can look Japanese) around.

Then we took a nice stroll to the next station by foot and caught the train back to Tokyo.

Getting there: Take the JR Chuo Line from Shinjuku, it takes exactly one hour if you get on one of the express trains that does not end in Tachikawa.