will i am's delayed diary

Breakfast in Biei was a simple affair at home. Mum boiled eggs and blanched some asparagus that she had bought from Furano Marche, while sticks of coffee premix was provided by the host. The second day of our trip turned wet with constant drizzle.We didn't have far to go, as all of the planned sights were within Biei city limits. Hokusei Hill Observatory wasn't very impressive. Once again, its because we came in the wrong season. Took leisurely walk around it and ascended the unique Observatory that looks like a pyramid squatting an a grassy hill. At the top is a great vantage point of the surrounding landscape. Next came the tree-hunting. Doesn't sound exciting, but the drive around the rolling farmlands of the Patchwork Road is really beautiful. One of the famous trees in the area is the Ken and Mary Tree , a talllllll poplar that was made famous in a 1977 commercial. Another tree was the Seven Star Tree . Due to age, it doesn't look as lush anymore, b...

Similar to my last trip to Hokkaido, the adventure began in Furano, a two-hour drive away from Chitose. Amazingly we made no highway oasis stops. Got into town just in time for lunch. Parked at Furano Marche and went looking for food. Mostly just snacks there, so we walked across the road to Furano Marche II and found a black curry omu rice restaurant that looked really good. The black curry was delicious, and omelette was so light and fluffy. Interestingly, that dish is paired with a bottle of  local milk. Bro ordered the hamburg, and that came with an interesting sauce that's bursting with the flavour of cooking wine. Farm Tomita was the first POI on my list. A few years back, I had visited this flower farm with KH. This time round, the tulips had wilted, but they had planted a field with several types of poppies, and carpet bugle. School kids were also all over the place, and the boys were so playful with each other that I started getting yaoi fantasies in my head...

It's never easy task planning a family trip especially when my sister has her kids to consider, my brother is working in Singapore, and I have my own work commitments. Our last trip together was in 2012 to Hong Kong. In order to make things work, my sister took the lead and declared that she would be ditching her kids and hubby. Just the four of us. That made travel arrangements a lot easier. Secured our tickets three months before our flight period in late May. Another summer in Hokkaido for me, which was low season ( cheaper flights, cheaper lodging ). Temperatures are still generally pleasant, but flowers aren't in full bloom yet. On the day of departure, my brother flew in from Singapore and he practically camped at KLIA2 for half a day ( since he was there early, he helped me collect the TravelRecommends WiFi hotspot ). Mum, Sis and I took a cab from home after dinner. I was hoping for my usual cab driver's Estima, but for some reason, he sent his brother instead a...

One more day and I'd be off on my second trip to Hokkaido, Japan. Pretty excited because it had been a long time since our last family road trip. A little anxious too because I'm the designated driver and tour guide! Quite stressful deciding on the itinerary ( that's why I always push the job to KH haha ). Bro would be meeting us at KLIA2, so mum took the initiative to get some lemang  and rendang from the Bazar Ramadhan for him. He's usually not in KL during the Raya season, so he misses all the good Malay cuisine. But these days, there's usually more misses than hits in the quality of food from these food bazaars. Good to see that MPSJ started a cooking oil recycling campaign this year. A proper container is prepared for food vendors to dispose of their cooking oil. No more pouring into the drains.