JAPAN Day 0: Planning for winter trip (12 days)

Assalam.

Post ni akan tersiar pada 2018 masa aku di Japan tapi sebenarnya, planning kami start lamaa dah since 2017. Kami pergi 7 orang dan yes, without travel agent. Semua plan dan redah sendiri.

A) Flight ticket
Kami beli tiket masa AAsia promo bulan March 2017. Return ticket KUL-TOKYO dan OSAKA-KUL RM750+/- dan after tambah luggage return, makan 3x and pilih seat, ticket jadi RM1,100 macam tu. Seriously, nak dapat ticket murah tips dia:

1) Pilih tarikh yang off-season. Ramai yang pergi Japan masa autumn and spring. Price wise, mahal sikit la tapiii kalau korang sejenis yang bertapa depan laptop 24/7, maybe boleh dapat harga tu.
2) Beli time promo kaw-kaw... Rakyat marhaen memang akn tunggu promo la kan macam aku. Kalau ada extra bajet, boleh beli from MAS or JAL. Tepat 12am, aku and Nurul berperang depan handphone untuk dapatkan harga promo. Memang mencabar keimanan dengan line slow, high traffic dekat AA website... Tapi, memang berbaloi la...

Ticket dah secure, so apa lagi?

B)  Accomodation
Seriously accommodation adalah sangat mencabar sebab group kami ada sorang lelaki. Takkan nak tido bergelimpangan kan? So, this is our criteria when selecting for apartments:

- walking distance to public transport.
   Aku compare jarak dalam km and minutes. Sometimes tempat tu dia kata 10mins to train station tapiiii dalam km boleh tahan jauh jugak. And imagine korang nak kena seret beg + jalan kaki dalam keadaan sejuk
- Atleast 2 rooms that can accommodate 7 people.
- Size apartment yang besar (imagine 7 orang + 7 luggage)

Bukan senang untuk jumpa apartment yang betul2 menepati citarasa. Jangan tengok gambar je, study jugak comment orang, route dan basic facilities nearby (penting ni kalau malam2 lapar nak cari nasi, ada convenience store jual instant rice. hehe...)

Aku survey guna airbnb, agoda and also booking.com

Untuk 9 malam di sana, kami stay 4 jenis apartment di 3 'daerah' berbeza:

1. J23 apartment, Nippori Tokyo
2. Tokyo petty burgoies, Nippori Tokyo
3. Kawaguchiko hotel, Kawaguchiko
4. Airbnb apartment, Nipponbashi Namba, Osaka

C) What to wear?
Next step, start study pasal weather di Japan...

December to February adalah winter season. Dapatkan weather forecast from accuweather just untuk standby (baju tebal, hand warmer, foot warmer etc.,). Period yang kitaorang pergi ni paling tinggi suhu pun 15 Celsius and paling rendah 1 Celsius.

Masa bulan January suhu Malaysia turun 21~23 celcius sekejap pun dah rasa sejuk semacam, just imagine suhu rendah lagi...

Checklist wajib:
1. Long john or thermal wear
2. Winter sock yang lebih tebal dari biasa
3. Winter jacket
4. Winter gloves
5. Hot pad for hand and body
6. Muffler (to cover your neck and face)

Setiap accomodation ada washing machine so clothes wise, tak perlu bawa banyak. Cuma, no. 1, 2, 5 tu yang kalau ada lebih bawak lebih sebab we never know kat sana macam mana..
Barang2 ni aku beli dari lazada, winter fair, bundle shop (e.g., jalan jalan japan).

Winter boot tak wajib kalau kawasan korang nak pergi tu minimum salji. Aku beli winter boot di Lazada for less than RM70. But some people prefer beli dekat sana sebab katanya murah. Depends la masing2.

Untuk bajet barangan winter, bergantung korang beli dekat mana. Tengok bajet masing2 lah kan cuma aku nak share bajet aku based on survey sendiri sebagai reference korang:

1. Long John / thermal
Lazada sepasang dalam RM30++, decalthon baju dan seluar asing RM20/selai, Sport Direct pun jual asing (time offer) 2 for RM69, Uniqlo pun asing dalam RM30~RM50/selai, kedai winter dalam RM80++ sepasang.

Uniqlo nampak canggih sikit sebab ada specific untuk suhu berapa celcius tapi depends pada badan masing2 jugak. Aku beli from lazada and decalthon je. If tak tahan sejuk dekat sana, kedai Uniqlo banyak...


2. Socks
Lazada 5pasang thick stocking dalam RM20, cashmere stocking dekat winter expo dalam RM37+ (harga asal RM75)

3. Winter jacket
If korang tak kisah pakai bundle, beli dekat bundle wayyyy cheaper than kedai winter lain. Harga bundle boleh dapat from RM30~~ depends pada kedai, quality, tebal etc.,

4. Winter gloves
Aku beli winter gloves dekat bundle outdoor RM35. Gloves ni biasa orang guna untuk hiking Mt. Kinabalu. Dekat decalthon pun ada harga dalam RM30++

5. Hot pad for hand and body
Hand warmer (10pairs) and body warmer (10pcs) ni beli dekat winter expo. Harga RM35 (harga asal: RM70). Last time masa dekat Busan, hand warmer laku keras dekat pharmacy diaorang so sebagai precaution, this time beli siap2 dari Malaysia...

6. Muffler (to cover your neck and face)
Beli dekat bundle JJJ boleh dapat RM5/pcs. Ada banyak design yang cute2. Aku beli dalam bulan 10 sebab takut stok habis orang nak pi winter trip T_T

D) Itinerary...
Sebenarnya, ni sepatutnya 2nd step lepas beli tiket. But memula tu aku macam tak tau mana nak start, belasah je booking accomodation dulu. In the end, accomodation banyak ubah sebab iti berubah.

Real planning start from September 2017, and by December, baru nampak clear mana nak pergi etc., Aku rugi 600+ sebab booking hotel yang non-refundable but terpaksa cancel jugak sebab change plan. Kalau korang nak booking jugak sebab nak grab price murah, book la yang ada free cancellation.

Tips untuk plan iti adalah google and baca tips yang ada. Sumber inspirasi aku mainly group fb Road To Japan dan website japan-guide.com

Basically, korang kena faham negara Jepun ni macam mana. Dia terbahagi kepada regions, prefectures (macam negeri), peninsula (macam daerah).

Trip kitaorang cover region:
1) Kanto - Tokyo prefacture
2) Chubu - Niigata (only Yuzawa), Yamanashi (only Fuji) and Shizuoka (only Izu)
3) Kansai - Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Hyogo (only Kobe)

Kalau rajin. aku akan buat entry untuk setiap prefacture.

E) Travelling pass

Japan ada macam-macam pass yang suit different needs and places. Thats why pentingnya ada itinerary atleast rough idea mana korang nak pergi, pastu baru boleh decide nak beli pass apa.

Based on iti kitaorang, pass yang kitaorang beli adalah:

1) 72H Tokyo subway pass - cover subway from Haneda airport and subway sekitar bandar Tokyo. Kitaorang beli pass ni dekat klook and tebus kat sana. Sometimes klook lebih murah tapi alert ya dengan currency SGD sebab payment is in SGD.

2) Tokyo wide pass (TWP) - cover places yang kitaorang nak pergi dekat Chubu. Sangat2 berbaloi sebab two way nak pi Yuzawa je dah 13,780yen. Harga TWP adalah 10,000yen and boleh cover dari hujung ke hujung Chubu (refer map)

3) 2 days Kansai Thru Pass (KTP) - Kansai pass ada banyak depends korang nak cover area mana. Since kitaorang nak pergi Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, jadi berbaloi sangat amik KTP. If bayar guna IC card untuk satu2 places, harga dia dekat 5,000yen sedangkan harga KTP hanya 4,000yen.

4) 2days Osaka Amazing Pass (OAP) - Ni pun berbaloi sebab entrance fees untuk 20jenis attraction adalah FOC. Tak termasuk transportation cost covered under OAP.

5) Overnight bus from Tokyo to Osaka. Dari satu region ke region yang lain sangat jauh. Lebih cepat perjalanan kau, lebih mahal kos pengangkutan yang kena bayar. Option yang paling laju (naik shinkansen) adalah JR Pass. Tapi, memandangkan iti kitaorang tak berbaloi pun beli JR Pass, option yang murah adalah bas. Kitaorang amik overnight bus terus so jimat travelling time + accomodation :)

Harga tiket bus starting from 4,200yen (promo untuk pembeli terawal) dan naik dalam 200~300 yen untuk next penumpang. Average 7orang punya price dalam 4,800yen @ RM178.25 beli from willerexpress.

Pass2 ni aku takkan cerita sekarang, dah balik nanti bila betul2 cover semua baru cerita berbaloi ke tidak. hehe

Travelling insurance
Some people rasa travel insurance tak perlu sebab dah ada health insurance kat Malaysia. Tapi, tak semua health insurance cover oversea punya expenses. Cuba check balik especially limit etc.,

Ni aku buat summary based on pemahaman aku. Kalau ada terkurang, boleh komen.

Now some travel insurance ada offer 25% discount and kitaorang pilih AXA VIP hanya bayar RM58.50 je

Coverage	Single trip
	AXA VIP	AXA Classic	Silver Etiqa	Gold Etiqa	Platinum Etiqa	Tune Protect
PTD / Death	300,000	100,000	50,000	100,000	500,000	300,000
Loss of sight of one eyes or both eyes, limb	300,000	100,000
Medical expenses	300,000	50,000	300,000	500,000	1,000,000	300,000
Compassionate visitation benefit due to hospitalisation or death	7,500	5,000	-	-	5,000	5,000
Alternative medicine (physio)	1,000	-	-	-	1,000	1,000
Medical treatment in Malaysia (within 90days of return)	30,000	10,000	5,000	10,000	30,000	50000 (max 30 day)
Hospital allowance (max 20 days)	350/ day	-	150/day	250/day	350/day	350 (max 30 days)
Quarantine due to pandemic influenza (RM200/day)	2,000	-
Emergency medical evacuation	unlimited	unlimited	500,000	1,000,000	1,500,000	500,000
Emergency medical repatriation (bawak balik malaysia)	unlimited	unlimited	500,000	1,000,000	1,500,000	500,000
Repatriation of mortal	unlimited	5,000				500,000
Loss of luggage including articles worn or carried (up to RM500)	7,500	-	1,000	3,000	5,000	5,000
Personal money loss due to theft up to	7500 (max 800 for money)	-	-	500	1,000	1,000
Travel Documents			-	3,000	5,000	5,000
Baggage delay for 6hours	800	-	500	1,000	2,000	1,000
Baggage damage						250
Travel delay for 6hours	3200 (RM200 first 6h, RM300 every consecutive 6h)	-	-	250 ~ 2,000	250 ~ 5,000	3,000
Loss of deposit or cancellation	20,000	-	-	20,000	50,000	20,000
Trip curtailment (cut short)	20,000		-	20,000	50,000	18,000
Hijacking inconvenience	1,000	-	-	250 ~ 500	250~1,000
Missed departure due to train rosak nak ke airport
Loss of credit card	5,000	-				5,000
Personal liability (orang sana saman due to negligence)	1,000,000	-	200,000	1,000,000	1,000,000	1,000,000
Home care benefit (rumah kat malaysia kena rompak or terbakar)	5,000	-				3,000
Kena culik	100,000	-
Price (RM)	78	36	35	62	94	62

Total basic cost
Flight               RM750
TWP                RM364
Tokyo subway RM55
OAP                RM119
KTP                 RM156
Insurance        RM58.50
Overnight bus  RM178.25
Accomodation  RM763.84

= RM2,444.59 @ RM203/day

2017: Year of roller coaster.

Assalamualaikum,

Setahun dah berlalu. 2017 has been challenging physically and emotionally. But, Alhamdulillah semua okay. Aku tulis di sini sebagai kenangan dan maybe, if in future aku nak give up, bila baca balik coretan ni, I know all is well :)

January - 

1. First engagement with fitness class. Pada orang lain maybe not a big deal tapi pada aku, it was the reason kenapa aku boleh complete kan banyak lagi adventure yang aku tak terfikir nak buat sebelum ni. 

Walaupun aku ada join badminton and running, tapi tu tak dapat pun buat aku fit. Dan rupanya fitness aku sangat teruk ya. Breathing alone was difficult during work out. 

2. Travel ke Jogja. Short and sweet escape to Jogja experiencing borubodor and makan risoles for the first time. Ini ada special entry kat sini. 

February - 

3. Travel to Bandung via Jakarta. We learnt it the hard way that Jakarta's traffic jam is so bad. Masa kami banyak dihabiskan di dalam kereta especially travelling to and from Bandung.  We spent 4 hours ++ from Jakarta to Bandung and hanya ada solid 2 days untuk berjalan which is tak cukup. Definitely will come back :)

March
4. Salah satu wishlist 2017 aku adalah untuk expand my knowledge luar dari Internal Audit. Dah tepu buat benda yang sama je for 5 years (2.5 years consultant, 2.5 years in-house). Kalau tak dapat explore department lain, aku pernah consider untuk explore company lain. hehe... Tapi Alhamdulillah, ada rezeki aku transfer department lain and belajar benda baru :)

April
5. Complete hiking Irau for the first time!! Walaupun pewai giler dan ada konflik sikit tapi I made it :) Entry Irau di sini.

6. Another milestone achieved bila aku dapat complete kan Viper Challenge. Other people maybe dah berderet pingat tapi untuk si tembun ni, macam menang trophy besar je aku rasa. Alhamdulillah atas kekuatan yang Tuhan bagi untuk aku jadi finisher :)

May
Bulan yang penuh dengan pelbagai emosi. First time hiking and camping di Ledang, breaking personal best timing for 10km dan kehilangan ayah pada 22nd Mei 2017. Arwah kena stroke masa 2011 dan kesihatannya makin teruk sampailah 2017, akhirnya meninggal dunia pada pagi 22/5.
Part of me sedih tapi another part lagi lega sebab berakhirnya penderitaan beliau. Semua anak2 (kecuali adik aku yang di Australia) dapat balik, jenguk dan sempurnakan pengebumian arwah ayah aku. Saudara mara yang jauh di Kuantan, KL pun sempat turun dan ziarah buat kali terakhir. Semoga Allah ampunkan dosa-dosa beliau.

June
Tak ada apa sangat kecuali busy puasa dan raya. Kami masih teruskan tradisi arwah yang akan balik raya ziarah adik-beradiknya. Dari Seremban - Batu Pahat - Kuantan - Pekan - Bentong - Seremban.

July
Promoted to senior executive when I less expect it. Alhamdulillah :)

August
Travel to KK dengan kawan2. Seriously, KK sangat seronok sebab cuaca nya dingin

September
Performance down masa NPE 10km sebab salah pilih kasut. Kasut tu ngam2 je and bila lari, dia jadi super ketat dan tak selesa T__T

End of September, we welcome new family member - my sister's husband :)

October
Majlis menghantar belah lelaki dekat Chini yo~~

November - Month of love :)
Completed Vertical run and super league.
3 of my friends got married
3 times birthday celebration (during appreciation dinner, dengan team and dengan the girls)

December
Move it - move it
Alhamdulillah after so much drama, satu family akhirnya pindah ke rumah yang atas nama kami sendiri. Walaupun masih a long way to go untuk settlekan loan, tapi atleast bila aku meninggal, mak aku ada tempat berteduh :)

2017 was not all flower and sunshine. Banyak juga drama and sedih tapi let put it aside and appreciate all the good things that I'm blessed with.

Untuk 2018, sempena menjejak the big 3, aku berharap agar rahmat dan rezeki Tuhan masih berpihak pada kami sekeluarga.

I did it again

Just a random rambling,

More of blaming myself for----

not learning from past mistake. 

I have always been vocal,

especially to those who is so dear to me,

At times I just cant control it because I feel they need to know what I really feel inside,

but truth is, the more I talk, the more it backfire to me. 

Depending on situation, most of the time I am hard to get along with people

Of course, within time, this has improved but it doesnt change me completely to a chirpy friendly human beings.

So, when I do get along with people, I am more open to them - physically, emotionally and verbally. 

And without I realise it, my openness hurt them or cause a misunderstanding which end up affecting our relationship.

When I open up to the people around me, I expect:

1) that they will understand me better; and 

2) they will be more open to me

which, sometimes it works well but other time, I am (figuratively) killing this relationship. 

The more I tried to explain my situation, the more complicated it seem which put a gap or distance between me and the other party, and killing me inside.

It happen then and it still happen now.

Which is why I am overwhelmed with emotions right now because I feel like I didnt learn from my past. 

The last time I feel bad of being me (I was so vocal about how I feel until what they hear are not my inner feelings but just an annoying voice trying to kill them), it takes me a long time to trust myself again to be close to others.

And after I recover, I didnt realise I had slip into becoming the 'vocal' me again. 

Today, it happens again.

And I am not sure how to deal with it anymore. I dont trust myself to face it because I'm afraid it will cost our relationship. 

I believe in two-way communication. 

Which means when I talk, they listen and vice versa. 

But today, I am not sure anymore. 

Maybe more silent and less expectation is better. 

or complete silent and zero expectation?

The question now is how? How Ida? Are you going to lock yourself in a room and disconnect every communication with the outside world?