My Autumn Sunsets Are Back

A thought that I shared in my facebook page when we arrived back from Japan at the start of March:

Left Sydney in Summer, Arrived in Japan in Winter. 
Left Japan in Spring. Arrived in Sydney in Autumn. 
Four seasons in two weeks. Amazing.

I'm fond of the changing of seasons. I like seeing the changes in nature when a new season comes and goes. In Sydney, the Autumn light bring different hues to our sunrises and sunsets. I don't know the Science behind it but it is what I've observed after living here for a few years. 

In Autumn, the sunset paints a deep canvas of pink and orange which lasts for awhile until the hues gradually become warmer.

Last day of March today. I've got two more months to appreciate my Autumn sunsets before Winter sets in.

The Shibuya Scramble Crossing

The famous Shibuya Crossing, known around the world and seen in several films and documentaries, is Tokyo's busiest intersection. It's also tagged as "The Shibuya Scramble Crossing" wherein all vehicular traffic stops so that pedestrians can cross in different directions.  

We spent a couple of hours here one Sunday, from afternoon until evening, to experience what seemed like chaos and magic at the same time. I was in awe. The Husband was in awe.  It was an amazing experience.

We've shared a couple of photos of our Shibuya rendezvous but the Husband also created a 15-second video so you can virtually experience crossing Shibuya with us. 

Hundreds of people intersecting for 50 seconds. To be a part of this collective energy was a gift of a lifetime. :) 

If you're in Tokyo, this is one place you shouldn't miss.

Stories and photos of our Japan adventure coming your way in April!

February on Ibyangram

Ibyang + Instagram = Ibyangram

While my instagram photos are shared on my twitter page and sometimes on my tumblr and fb page, I would like to have a monthly dump of ibyangrams on AWCL too. It is thru instagram that I share everyday moments and random finds. I use instagram as my real time mini-blog. Every end of the month, I'll be choosing a couple of photos from my instagram and share it here because I have something more to say about a certain ibyangram.

February was amazing! It was a month of getting things done and preparing for the best travel of our lives. The first half of the month was spent getting advanced work done at the office, seeing loved ones and preparing for travel.  The second half was spent in Japan! The Husband's childhood dream came true in just a plane ride that brought him to see the things he's loved in Japan from afar. This travel took years to happen and we' re very happy that it finally came true.

Here are a few highlights of our happiest February:

The best coconut drink I've tried so far. I love that it's made of 100% water from green coconuts and that it has no sugar. 

Sweet Surprise! While studying maps and bus routes, the Husband gave me a surprise: the new Kit Kat Cookies & Cream.

Pink Roses towering above our book shelf. It brings a lot of life and cheer in this space of our home.

The festival program for Sydney's Chinese New Year Festival. I love this artwork created by Hu Ming. The program holds a lot of information regarding CNY celebrations in the metro, new year markets, boat races, lunar feasts and more.

It's raining flowers on my desk! A workmate gave me yellow flowers yesterday. The boss gave me pink roses today. They're lovely! Cheered me up amidst these busy times at work. 

Meat galore at our lunch party with Sydney Tweehearts! Crispy Pata, Roast Pork, Buffalo Wings and Kare-Kare.

Lay-over in Incheon International Airport because we flew Korean Air. The Sunset in South Korea welcomed us. It was a beautiful sight. We had coffee at Caffe Bene where we ate the MakMak macarons we bought in Sydney Airport. Had fun taking photos with Hello Kitty, Charlie Brown and Snoopy to pass the time.

Magical time in Kyoto. Our first adventure in Japan started in Kyoto where we got charmed by our traditional home, a  ryokan. Saw thousands of torii gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine, an amazing bamboo forest in Arashiyama and the stunning Kinkakuji Temple. 

Morning walk at Nara Park and exploration of the Todai-ji Temple. To wall alongside deers was a fun experience. They're quite aggressive if they see you with anything brown, they always think that you're holding deer biscuit. We saw a huge Buddha inside Todai-ji Temple, such an astounding structure to behold.

Food tripping and a little shopping in Osaka. A day in Osaka where we filled our tummies with delicious Japanese street food. From Takoyakis, Gyozas and Okonomiyakis. We also tried Starbucks' Sakura Frappuccino and Sakura Chiffon Cake for afternoon tea.  

Ten glorious days in Tokyo! Such an amazing city. We went to see Gundam and Sanrio characters. We saw Andy Warhol's exhibition and chased sunsets in the afternoon. One evening, we watched the Tokyo Tower lit up and just spent a long time looking down at Tokyo's night view.

All around Tokyo. Felt like kids inside a store filled with more than 500 gachapons (toy vending machines) in Akihabara, had the best tempura dinner in Shinjuku, witnessed a Japanese wedding ceremony in Senso-ji Temple and got mesmerized by the thousands of people crossing Shibuya's famous intersection.

Fun times at Tokyo Disneyland and J-World.  Photographing Tokyo Dome.

Snow Day in Gala Yuzawa. Lovely winter scenery, creating a small snowman and having ramen with a view of snow-filled mountains. Ramen and snow? I think this can only happen in Japan. :)

Japan has the tastiest food on earth. Sushi breakfast in Tsukiji Market. Strong coffee in Almond Cafe. The best Strawberry Chiffon Cake at Henri Charpentier's Cafe. Tender and juicy Kuroge Wagyu Beef grilled on the teppan.

Last days of Winter in Tokyo. Freshly-baked Melonpan bread in Asakusa. Coffee klatch with IGmate and now friend, Agatha (with her cute baby Keito). Finding white, pink and fuchsia Plum Blossoms in the nearby park. Crossing Shibuya's famous intersection for the last time. 

And now we're back home. It's always bittersweet when an almost perfect travel ends. However, the keepsakes and our experiences will keep all our memories of Japan alive in our hearts. Most of all, we just feel very blessed and grateful that it has been a safe and wonderful journey.

If you want more photos of our Japan adventure, check out my instagram (@ibyang) and my Husband's (@keemps17). 

I will be writing about our Japan travel in the coming weeks. I hope you tune in to this blog. If you have any questions about travelling to Japan, please leave them in the comments and I'll try to answer them thru my blog posts as best as I could.

Hope you're having a great day!