Holiday thing | Stephanie's Closet

Because It’s My First Time… in Japan

I felt secure and fell in love with the country. In 2019, I finally visited Japan. It was an unplanned trip that began when my cousin randomly checked air flight tickets on a travel website. Suddenly, she shared a picture of cheap airfare from a well-known airline.

“7 million rupiahs for return tickets Jakarta – Japan – Jakarta” — What crossed my mind at that moment was, “Let’s go!” It was around October or November, and after some back-and-forth on dates, we decided to spend our New Year’s in Japan. The primary reason for traveling during the high season was to have a different New Year’s Eve experience, considering we were budget-conscious travelers. In my sensible years, I never traveled during the high season. Even domestically, my golden budget travel tips were to book well in advance and avoid peak seasons. However, this time, we threw caution to the wind. We only had two months before December, and that was considered the high season.

In our preparation, after going back and forth on hotels and destinations, I had to abandon some ambitious plans because we only had seven days for the trip. Originally, we planned for three destinations: Tokyo, Osaka, and Hakone. However, since the travel time between Osaka and Tokyo was a whole night, I decided to let go of Osaka, allowing us to enjoy Tokyo and Hakone more. Goodbye Hogwarts, and hello Disney Sea.

The day arrived, and we took an early morning flight with Cathay Pacific. For me, an early flight meant a night of delayed sleep because I couldn’t sleep at all the night before. So, before taking off from Soekarno – Hatta, I had already fallen asleep on the plane. Upon reaching Hong Kong for a 3-hour transit, we felt somewhat refreshed (after a good sleep :p) and, after another good sleep and not-so-good in-flight food, we looked for food. Thank goodness we had our credit card because our cash was just too good to be spent at the airport.

After another round of sleep and watching a movie (another 4 hours of flight), we landed in Narita, Japan. It was night, and we felt a bit jet-lagged after the long flight. I got nervous as we needed to reach the Klook counter to get our sim card before it closed at 22:00, and we landed at 20:30. The sim card was crucial as it was our only guide in this adventure.

My anxiety increased when we reached the immigration gate, and only one counter was open to service about 200 people. I told my cousin, “I am afraid we can’t get to the Klook counter on time. If we can’t get there before 22:00, we’re doomed.” Fortunately, we got through immigration at 21:30, and we were saved. The Klook representative was still there, and we got our sim card.

One thing to note when choosing a sim card over a wifi router is that Japan sim cards don’t work in any brand of Android phones. If you only have one phone (and it is Android), it’s better to check the website to see if your phone can be used in Japan. Luckily, I have an iPhone, so I relied on my iPhone with my Japan ‘Docomo’ sim card. My Xiaomi phone (I just found out) couldn’t be used at all, not even for wifi. So, my Xiaomi was only for the camera. Oh, you can work with tethering the Android phone from your iPhone, but that’s just so impractical.

My solo travel to Europe had given me a lot of confidence to travel without a travel bureau. I felt freedom. When I connected to the internet and Google Maps, I thought the rest of the travel would be fine. I was so wrong. First landing on Japanese soil and getting my connection to Google Maps, we needed to get our Suica card. I love this Suica card. It’s an IC card that makes life easier; it can be used as payment for trains, buses, and convenience stores. Essentially, it’s like e-money here but on a whole other level. Suica is a brand name. There are many other IC cards besides Suica, but I chose Suica because that’s what most travel bloggers use.

I won’t say it went smoothly to get to our hotel from the airport, no sir! First, we needed to take the sky train (Shinkansen-ish but not as expensive as them), and it only took us to downtown. From there, we needed to travel with JR (subway/MRT/Metro) to get to the hotel. This is where we got confused. To get on the JR train, we needed that Suica card. But first, we needed to get out from the sky train platform to the JR train platform. We didn’t know that. I thought changing platforms meant just getting out and getting in since we had already paid such an expensive price for the sky train.

So, I used my sky train ticket to get out from the platform and enter another platform. Actually, the gate did not allow me, but I trespassed it. That’s when the station officer called me, even though I was already on another platform. My cousin just laughed seeing what I did. The train station officer caught me in the act. Luckily, he knew we had just landed, forgave us, let us go, and told us to get a Suica first. But it was a bit of a loop. We asked the train station officer, he told us to go to the counter, we asked the counter, they said they don’t sell cards, only top up, so they directed us to a machine. The machine they pointed out turned out to only be for topping up, not for new Suica cards. So, we asked people again, and it went like that. Gosh, I think we spent almost an hour just to get a Suica card.

Yeah, we finally got the card (after long, confusing conversations with the other train station officer who was younger) and understood English a bit better. Yeay! It was another Paris moment. We went round and round just to get to the hotel. But we did reach our hotel, and before we could scream and jump that finally, we were in Japan, we had already given up and fallen into bed to sleep.

Disney Sea, Tokyo Tower and New Year’s

If you’re a fan of theme parks, Japan is the place to go (in case a trip to the US is not in your budget). They boast Disneyland and Universal Studios. Their Disneyland surpasses the size of Euro Disneyland in Paris, where I’ve also been (not very humble of me, sorry). In Japan, you can choose between Disneyland – the land of fairy tales, princes, and princesses – or a bit more adventure, meaning Disney Sea. Since my cousin and I have moved past the princess phase and don’t relish competing with babies, we opted for Disney Sea. :p

So, behold, we had fun with numerous queues (though the queue itself wasn’t the enjoyable part). We anticipated long lines, as we went on the last day of 2019 – December 31st. Every time we wanted to try a ride, we had to wait in line, and the queue could take almost 1.5 hours for a 5-minute ride. What an adventure, right? Despite tired feet and freezing weather, we were happy. I think that was the best day of our trip.

Okay, maybe I made too early a conclusion about the best day part. After Disney Sea, around 18:00, we headed home. I didn’t want to leave, but we only had a day pass, and people with after 6 tickets were already waiting at the gate. They were literally sitting in the parking lot, patiently waiting. That evening, the wind wasn’t pleasant at all – freezing and windy. But they all sat there, waiting patiently. Yes, they had prepared well to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Disney. I don’t know, but someday I will experience it too.

In short, we spent our New Year’s Eve in front of a shrine. We followed the crowd, and the crowd led us there, a shrine whose name I forgot. We were drawn to it because we saw Japanese monks preparing for a ceremony according to Shinto practices. They were all wearing robes with attractive colors. Seriously, they were beautiful robes. My cousin and I just stood there, waiting for midnight.

We watched them chant prayers, and when the clock finally struck midnight, the monks rang the big bells. Happy New Year! The crowd cheered, wishing each other a happy new year – friends, partners, couples with them, or those they called on the phone.

Happy New Year 2020! And there we were, among strangers, just the two of us. We had finally made our dream come true – celebrating New Year in Japan. However, that fact also struck me. Although we made our dream come true, personally, I felt lonely and missed home.

Shibuya, Kimono and Mount Fuji

One of the things I was most looking forward to on our trip to Japan was experiencing Shibuya Crossroads, Mount Fuji, and wearing a kimono. Hmm, okay, that’s three :).

Finally, we reached Shibuya. What surprised me was that it’s essentially just a large intersection, albeit a significant one. What makes it interesting is that when the pedestrian green light turns on, all pedestrians cross in all directions simultaneously, like a swarm of ants. That’s why Shibuya is famous. Many tourists were attempting to capture photos with the bustling crossing people in the background.

When you’re in Japan, it feels almost essential to give yourself the chance to try on a kimono, at least in my point of view. Fortunately, we had the opportunity to do just that.

Despite having a fever and seriously catching a cold (with symptoms like fever, cough, and a runny nose), I didn’t spend much time outdoors. However, I still managed to make it to the Meiji Shrine and capture some pictures in a kimono.

somewhere with Tokyo Skytree as backround

One thing is for sure, Mount Fuji is breathtakingly beautiful. I didn’t mind the long journey to get there; it was absolutely worth it.

To reach Mount Fuji, we had to go to Hakone. We took the JR (Japan Railways) to a station whose name I’ve forgotten, and from there we boarded the shinkansen, or bullet train. Shinkansen tickets are not cheap, costing around 5000 yen for a single trip. Although we couldn’t reach Gotemba, it was okay because that day, we had the privilege of witnessing Hakone Ekiden.

It was an awesome experience, and I must say, ‘Wow!’ The people of Hakone came out to the streets, filling the sides to cheer on the Ekiden participants. Despite road closures due to the event, we were quite fortunate to witness it.

In Hakone, there is Owakudani, known for its black boiled eggs. It is believed that eating one egg adds seven years to your life. Well, I indulged in three eggs… hahaha. I guess I not only added 21 years but also increased my cholesterol level beyond the safe line. Hahaha…

My first Snow and Snow fall

Being a typical tropical creature, when visiting a four-season country, the desire to see snow is quite cliché, I know. But there’s this longing to taste it, feel it, and that’s why we planned our trip in January. I just wanted to make a snow angel in that fluffy white snow.

For our next adventure in Japan, we sought out a place with snow since Tokyo doesn’t experience snowfall, despite the cold. We headed to GALA Yuzawa Ski Area to find the snow. Once again, we had to use the Shinkansen for the round trip because it’s quite a distance from Tokyo.

Even though I still had my fever, the excitement overcame me. My cousin and I simply enjoyed our time with the snow and the falling flakes. It still feels surreal when I think about it now, but it happened – my first encounter with snow.

Another Visit

My 7-day trip to Japan felt more like a brief introduction than a full exploration. Japan, with its undeniable cold weather and higher living costs, still captivated me with its convenience, friendly people, delicious food, and unique ambiance. Despite the limited time, the experience left me longing for more.

I find myself curious about experiencing summer in Japan, particularly enjoying a fireworks festival in a Yukata. It sounds like a magical adventure waiting to unfold. I make a promise to myself that someday, somehow, I will return to Japan for a more extended visit.

Cheers,

Because It’s My First Time… in Paris

I never thought of undertaking this journey alone. I am not that type of person, or at least, that was what I thought of myself. Until now, travelling has always been a fun activity for me, where I am not afraid of ‘being lost’ in that place. I vividly remember when I went to Singapore a few years ago with my friend. I heavily relied on her for directions, destinations, and even how to communicate. Well, Singapore, being the nearest neighbor, is still relatively easy for solo travel. But at that time, I did think, without my friend, I would surely be confused and lost.

Then, the opportunity arose. The chance to visit Europe again. This time, without the fear of getting lost, I gathered up the dreams that had been postponed since 2011, the first time I set foot on the continent.

Charles De Gaulle

We arrived at Charles De Gaulle International Airport in France at 21:30 Paris time (if I remember correctly). Still half-conscious from the long hours of flight, my travel companion and I followed the flow of other passengers to collect our baggage, contemplating how to get from Charles De Gaulle to Chessy, a town located an hour outside Paris.

Even though it was only 21:30 local time, airport activities like the information center were already closed. We were greeted only by stern-faced security personnel. None of the male or female security officers gave a ‘welcome’ expression to either of us. In my thoughts, I pondered how ‘cold’ this city seemed.

At that hour, Charles De Gaulle Airport didn’t leave a ‘Wow’ impression on me. I didn’t even have time to observe the design or architecture of the airport. The two of us were solely focused on figuring out how to get to the train station and head towards Chessy. Our ‘homework’ was not only to find out how to get to the train station but which train to take and how to purchase tickets. Honestly, I was of no use at that moment. Despite efforts to inquire here and there, I relied on my friend :(. After wandering around the airport for over an hour, we finally found clarity. Yes, we eventually found the train that would take us to Chessy

EuroDisneyland, Paris

Although it’s called Euro Disneyland, Paris, it is not located in the city of Paris. Euro Disney is situated in Chessy, a small town outside Paris, requiring approximately 1 hour by train to reach our destination. Yes, because we also participated in the Half Marathon event at Run Disney 2018, we had to stay near the event location.

The atmosphere changed as we exited the subway towards the surface. Cold air immediately hit us. Luckily, I was still wearing a hoodie and training pants, so I got some warmth, but it didn’t last long. Long story short, we arrived at the hotel named New York Hotel at 23:30 locale time. Hungry and cold, but our tired bodies conquered all. We all collapsed on the bed.

I will share about the Half Marathon event in a separate post.

Paris, We are Here!

We moved towards the city of Paris after the Half Marathon event because there were several seminars taking place in downtown Paris. However, Mon Dieu! The journey with the subway, or called ‘Metro’ in Paris, was not as picturesque as I imagined.

Dragging the suitcase, which weighed almost 20kg, was indeed exhausting. Not to mention, I also carried a backpack with a laptop. Initially, it was enjoyable (at the airport), but when entering uneven and rocky terrain, I had to balance between keeping up to avoid losing my friend and ensuring the suitcase wheels didn’t break. Moreover, many Metro stations in Paris turned out to have no escalators, so we had to go up and down stairs with a considerable number of steps. And here we are, pushing the luggage in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Parisians.

Heading to our hotel on Notre Dame de Lorette Street was full of challenges. Stairs adorned our journey every time we changed stations. We sweated profusely in the cold autumn air. However, I couldn’t hide my admiration for the surroundings. I watched Parisians busy rushing for the train—although no one helped us—with amazement. I was also amazed by their train stations.

Finally, we arrived at the last station, and from there, we exited the Metro. Once I reached the surface, I was faced with the beautiful city as I had imagined. I remember vividly, in front of the exit of St. George Metro station, there was a roundabout, with a fountain in the middle, and although the roundabout was small, the surrounding buildings had beautiful Parisian architecture. And then I just realized, we were in Paris!

Metro, Roof Tops, Sidewalk Cafe & Stones road

I can’t explain how beautiful this city is. I know earlier I complained about the Metro in Paris. But after wandering around with the Metro and buses in Paris several times, I found enjoyment in this fashion city. Eiffel, Louvre, or even Versailles is beautiful, but what makes me like the city are the ordinary sights that are everywhere in Paris.

A little fact that I know, after sufficient exploration. Every Metro station has a different theme. I didn’t have the time to ask my friend about this, as I only realized it later. Some are ordinary, some are themed. Each station leaves an impression and becomes an object of my observation.

The cobbled roads that I complained about are a witness to the age of a city. I found that stone roads are part of the history of the city. I discovered the beauty in every cobbled street I walked on. I feel like I want to explore every street in the city of Paris.

A busy and beautiful city. I know, many films showcase the lifestyle of Parisians with rows of sidewalk cafes. That’s true. When night falls, the beauty of this city transforms. The city is filled with lights and the sparkle of light reflecting from wine glasses. Not to mention the handsome Parisians, both in their faces and their unique fashion styles.

I didn’t want to miss out. Trying to adapt to the style of the Parisians, we sat in one of the cafes in Le Marais, a trendy area in Paris. We enjoyed wine and savored the night.

Eiffle, Louvre, Versailles and Père Lachaise

Magnificent! is the word that describes each of these places. Each of them has its own beauty.

Le Louvre, as the Parisians call this museum. Consisting of 3 parts, you can find famous works such as paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci, including the Mona Lisa, here. It took us 6 hours to explore all 3 parts of the Louvre. And for your information, I didn’t see all of it. Some parts I just walked past without seeing what’s in it. The ticket, around 20 euros, is truly worth it.

Thank God. I have a friend in Paris. His name is François, and he has a car to drive me to Versailles. Turned out it was located outside Paris too. It took around 1 hour by car.

Versailles is a superbly magnificent and extraordinary compound. Even from the gate, it already left me in awe.

La Tour Eiffel, surely you must know. A landmark that you must visit when you’re in Paris. Unfortunately, I had a bad experience when visiting this landmark. However, that experience taught me to be more careful, especially when I separate from my friend later.

Lastly, there is Père Lachaise. If you’re not familiar, it is a cemetery area. Don’t imagine graves like in Tanah Kusir or Jeruk Purut. Père Lachaise is more like a museum than a cemetery area. You need a map to navigate this cemetery area, especially if you want to find the graves of famous figures. Mentioning Frédéric Chopin, Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, Marcel Proust, and even Jim Morrison. Père Lachaise is the largest cemetery area in the city of Paris. I don’t know why, but of all the landmarks I mentioned above, this place is where I could most enjoy during my visit.

Those little things

Beside all the tourism experiences, there are many small things that actually make me want to stay longer in Paris. The greeting “Bonjour Madam” every time I step into a shop or restaurant during the day. Or the aroma of bread from boulangerie shops and how they are very strict about the opening times of the restaurant (though it’s only 5 minutes away, they forbid us to enter the restaurant :D). Or how they speak to each other in French. Even the cheese shop where my French friend and I shop for groceries, I found it interesting and will miss it dearly.

I would love to go back there, but the second time, I don’t want to solo travel again. There is indeed tranquility and freedom when you’re solo traveling, but there is also a feeling of loneliness when you need to discuss something you see while you’re traveling or when your inner child is eager to go out and do random things and be spontaneous. Well, that’s another goal that I must achieve before I die.

Cheers,

First 5km

Tanggal 30 Juli 2017 adalah saat bersejarah untuk kehidupan olahraga saya. Iya, saya mengikuti 5km pertama di ajang event besar skala nasional yaitu Pocari Run West Java Marathon 2017.

Mengingat ke belakang, saya ingat sekali, saya pernah berkata, saya tidak akan mau berlari kecuali kalau dikejar anjing. Apalagi kepikiran buat jadiin lari olahraga rutin. Ewwww…! begitu saya suka berkata kepada orang-orang. Hahaha.. never say never. Sepertinya dek Justin Bieber kalau denger cerita ini, pasti menertawakan saya. Saya yang kemakan omongan saya sendiri.

Dulu memang saya akui, saya pernah berkata seperti itu. Tapi kemudian terjadi metamorfosis “badanku dulu tak segini..” dan saya membutuhkan olahraga rutin. Saya pernah zumba, yoga, gym, pound fit, tapi semua itu tidak long lasting karena memerlukan pengajar dan tentu saja tidak murah. Lalu saya lihat teman saya olahraga lari dan latihan 3x seminggu, dalam 3 bulan turun banyak.

Alhasil, mau tak mau (asli ini semata-mata karena awalnya saya pikir lari adalah olahraga mudah dan murah) saya coba-coba ikut olahraga lari. Saya dibawa teman saya, Epat untuk ikutan #NRCJKT , klub lari dengan sponsor dari Nike. Pengalaman pertama ikutan #NRCJKT, saya ditawari menu. Sayangnya bukan menu babi panggang dan nasi gurih plus sambal bawang (seadainya beneran :p ) tapi menu kecepatan. Oalaah, saya yang nubie tentu saja bertanya, apa itu. Ternyata para pacer ini (orang yang mengatur kecepatan lari) bertanya saya mau ikutan di kecepatan mana. Pilihan menu keepatan ada pace 4 s/d 8. Misalnya kamu pilih 4 berarti kecepetan per Km kamu adalah rata-rata 4 menit. Karena pilihannya paling cepat adalah pace 4, saya tentu saja cari paling lambat. Saya minta pace 10 tapi ternyata maximal 8. Ya sudah apa boleh buat.

Diluar dari hasil kesan pertama adalah saya mengutuk-ngutuk para pacer yang membuat saya megap-megap kehabisan napas dan berharap saya bisa pingsan. Tapi di satu sisi, ikutan #NRC itu memberikan informasi tehnik berlari dengan benar. Diajarin pemanasan yang benar supaya ga cedera, atau streching juga latihan core muscles supaya kencang perutnya. Minus larinya, latihan core muscle itu yang bikin saya mungkin bisa suka #NRCJKT.

Awalnya gak rutin, tapi metamorfosis ‘badanku sekarang jadi segini..” bikin saya mau tak mau harus berolahraga. For the sake of ukuran celana dan ukuran baju. Mulai dari situ, saya jadi rutin. Kadang kadang Sabtu pagi juga lari, tapi lebih sering seminggu dua kali setelah selesai bekerja di kantor.

Ikut satu race, jadi ketagihan ikut race-race lainnya. Tapi ternyata ga murah ya olahraga lari itu. Apalagi kalau event-nya besar. Rata-rata diatas Rp. 100,000 rupiah untuk event besar. Kalau sebulan ada dua aja, sudah Rp. 200.000 an. Belum kalau harus pagi-pagi ke venue, biaya transportasi (harus taxi karena tidak akan ada yang anterin saya) dan apalagi kalo race-nya di luar kota. Hahaha.. ini saya belum hitung dengan perlengkapan lari seperti celana dan baju dry fit yang rata-rata Rp.600.000 (padahal cuma celana pendek / kaos oblong). Saya belum sampai ke gadget tracking seperti Garmin watch, Sunto, dll. Luarrr biasa pokoknya.

Tapi sudah kepalang buat mundur, pun goal saya juga belum tercapai. Lari buat bisa dapatin bikini body. Gak gampang, karena ada latihan muscles dan diet. Amin-amin amin semoga tercapai. Di samping itu saya coba nikmatin saya. Saya memang tidak berminat jadi atlet lari atau pengen tembus marathon gituh sih, jadi olahraga lari ini saya gunakan untuk jaga badan dan kesehatan.

Sekarang sudah Agustus, awal September besok sudah ada race menunggu, setelah itu tunggu saja, saya pasti akan ikutan race lagi.