Japan 2013: Kitty Love

Just when I thought I've been to the happiest place on earth, here comes Sanrio Puroland to provide more happiness! This seriously comes close to being the happiest place on earth. Okay, maybe the most kawaii place on earth.

I wanted to go to the park the last time we were in Japan but we ran out of time. So this time, there's no turning back. Especially since we plan on hoarding a couple of Meiji Milk Cream spreads in the grocery store nearby. Haha Daddy had to pass though since he badly needed a day off to rest his aching feet. Note: boat shoes are not walking shoes. :p

Stocking up on Meiji goodness.

First stop: grocery store at Tama Center. Nee-chan studied for a year in Chuo University as a foreign exchange student and she used to do her grocery shopping here. This is where she discovered our oh-so-favorite Meiji Milk Cream spread. It goes with absolutely everything. You can even eat it on its own! Before my Peanut Butter & Co./Cookie Butter/Biscoff spread addiction, there was Meiji Milk Cream. We bought four tubs each of milk and chocolate variety. Why only four each you ask? Well, those were the only ones remaining on the shelf that's why! Haha We also bought some chocolate and custard-filled bread (which became another favorite) and some KitKat green tea.

Welcome to the cutest place on earth!

Then we started walking towards Sanrio Puroland. I love how Kitty-chan can be seen on every street sign. Too adorable! It's like living in a fantasy town. And we haven't even gotten inside the park yet. Since Sanrio Puroland is targeted towards a younger audience, we didn't bother buying Passport Tickets and just opted for the Welcome Tickets (good for entrance and all shows).

With Pokopon

Upon entering the gates, you will immediately feel the warmth of the place. All the staff are smiling and there are characters already waiting to welcome you. We immediately went up to them to get our pictures taken. I love how Pokopon acted a bit alarmed after seeing the faux fur on my jacket. Haha He kept stroking it as if it were alive.

Sugarbunnies

Since we were still lugging our groceries around, we decided to go to the lockers first before going back for more pictures. Luckily, the characters were still there mingling with the visitors when we got back. I especially love these two - Kirousa and Shirousa. Aren't they the cutest? I wonder how the people inside manage to move around in these costumes though. How can they see?? Or are they midgets?

With Kuromi

Here we are with Kuromi before going inside the park. Who says Sanrio Puroland is only for kids and girls? Look how Karly and Ayel seemed more excited than Nee-chan and I in these photos!

Inside Sanrio Puroland

We were having so much fun already even though we're still at the lobby! Haha When we got inside, the park looked like something that came straight out of a storybook. Very Hundred Acre Wood ang feel!

Japan 2013: Sea of Happiness

A trip to Japan would not be complete without visiting one of the Disney Parks. We've already been to Tokyo Disneyland so it's about time we visit DisneySea whose attractions are for older kids if I may say. It was a warm and sunny day so it's a perfect time to stroll around the park.

Unlike Tokyo Disneyland, you need to take the Disney monorail to get to DisneySea. So the Disney experience starts even before you reach the park. Being Disney babies, we were all ecstatic upon hopping on the mouse-themed train. Everything was so cute, I wanted to take the whole thing back home with me! Well, you actually can. At least the mouse-shaped handholds as they are available at the souvenir shop. Why not buy one so you will never have to worry about hygiene when taking the MRT or bus? Haha

All aboard!

After buying our park tickets, we went straight to the newest and obviously the most popular attraction in the park - Toy Story Mania! at American Waterfront. The queue was already crazy when we got there. And it's only for the fast pass! You see, Disney Parks offer fast passes to the most popular attractions so you don't have to waste your time waiting in line. It's like an advance booking to your preferred ride. Once you get a fast pass with a time schedule on it, you can try other rides and then go back to your scheduled time so as to avoid long queues. Pretty brilliant, eh?

While Nee-chan, Ayel and Daddy were waiting in line, Karly and I decided to go queue up for the StormRider at Port Discovery to save time. On our way there, Karly and I noticed that almost everyone had a particular teddybear hanging on their bags or clothes. There's even one whole store dedicated to this bear. Crazy! But more on that later.

Upon reaching the StormRider, we were surprised that there was no line at all so we decided to go back out to wait for the others. It was a funny scene since we didn't want to look like we chickened out so we asked for the nearest bathroom as an excuse to get out of there. Haha

With Mr. Incredible

When we got outside, we saw some people gathering around so we decided to check out what's going on. To our surprise, it was Mr. Incredible! Of course, I had to take a picture with him. I love how we didn't have to fight off other people just to get a decent photo. That's the Japanese for you. They'll patiently wait for their turn without photo-bombing other people.

After meeting up with the rest of the group, we went in to try out the StormRider. It was an Atlantis-themed ride so expect to get a little wet. We realized that a little too late. So in short, we got wet on our first ride in the park. Haha

Japan 2013: Celebrating 12 years of happiness...

Hooray for today!

...at Universal Studios Japan that is as they celebrate their 12th anniversary. Despite our comfy beds, we were still able to wake up early. By 7:00 AM, Nee-chan was already at the hotel's USJ counter in the lobby inquiring about ticket prices. She came back and told us they had an additional charge (which I thought was weird because they're one of the official hotels of USJ) so we decided to just purchase tickets at the gates. Since the park's ticket counters open at 8:00 AM (instead of 7:00 AM), we decided to grab some breakfast at - you guessed it - McDonald's! I ordered in English while the cashier replied in Japanese but it was all good. They managed to get our orders right except some meals weren't upgraded to sets. :(

Buying tickets

After breakfast, Nee-chan and Karly rushed back to the hotel to put on more layers (because it's so freakin' cold!) and to deal with some business. *ehem* Daddy and I decided to just wait at the park for them when we saw a line already forming at the entrance! Ibang level talaga 'tong mga Hapon. They are punctual with everything! So I just went with the flow and lined up with them. I kept on wishing Nee-chan would hurry up in case someone speaks to me. Haha

SK 2012: From Neverland to Everland

The first time Jona and I were in South Korea, our trip to Everland became more like a trip to Neverland. It was on our itinerary but we never made it there. We just didn't have enough time on our hands and the winter air was too harsh for outdoor rides. So this time, we vowed to go to Everland no matter what happens.

Bus #5002

Jona is our navigator for the day so she's responsible for all the commuting directions which felt really good as I can finally relax and just enjoy the trip. I've been having cramps since last night so today kind of felt like a day off for me.