I wasn’t in Japan for very long, so how long can my reflection even be? My trip was jam-packed with so many things to do that I didn’t have much time to think about it or find more insight during the trip. Looking back now, I do have pieces of memories or moments where I had a ding! of realization.

Planning for the Trip:

I put a lot of time into planning for the trip, researching not only the tourist landmarks but also the cultural significance of them. I had done that with the hope that visiting these places would feel so much more important than if I just went to see how cool it looks. And looking back… it totally worked. My wish absolutely came true. Going to tourist landmarks with all this historical significance was a lot more fun than without. There was an actual purpose for the structures to be there, it wasn’t just for aesthetics. I had a greater appreciation for the landmark when I visited it — just because I read a Wikipedia page or two about it.

Planning for the trip included not only booking hotels and working at the itinerary, I had to learn about the cultural norms too. I had learned a bit of Japanese and learned about societal expectations, familiarity and ranking in Japan. Simple things like not stabbing your chopsticks into the rice, staying on the left, and not tipping were simple things to learn but I found that etiquette was hard to practice in real life. I’m so relieved to know at least the bare minimum though, it’s important when visiting someone else’s country that I don’t disrespect or offend them because of ignorance. Things like non-verbal communication and polite declination is incredibly important in Japan and I had to learn to respect those social norms.

the Trip

I’m not sure how to write the little things I’ve learned while in Japan, because they’re honestly things I should/could have learned in Canada.

• Be kind and respectful

Well obviously. But the respectfulness that the Japanese people have shown were different. They weren’t polite whenever they felt like others have deserved it, or because they felt obligated to. It was as if they did it because of the mutual respect that everyone had for each other. The consciousness wasn’t about self, it was about those around as well. An example of this would be to let others off the train first. Of course, it would be expected that the same would be done for you, but letting others off first indicates the respect that their space and time is as important as yours. There was the understanding that other people exist. Something as simple as letting others go first could be applied to situations at home, too. More importantly, assumptions and judgement shouldn’t be made on others, regardless of what their appearance or demeanor is, everyone has their own tastes, their own life (like… different strokes for different folks… if I’m using that right) People should be treated all the same. In other words, mind your own business.

I’m not sure if this was explained properly, it’s hard to omit things and keep in others without making it sound pretentious or too dumbed down.

Thank you for reading.

As for future plans, I plan on continuing to learn Japanese and wish to explore more cultures in the future. I wish to have more ding! moments and will do my best to share them more and in a better way. Okay, bye!

Life is full of uncertainties, perhaps one day some unforeseen circumstance would bring her into his life once more

Murasaki Shikibu

It would have been a huge regret of mine if I didn’t take the hour long train up the olde town road to Kyoto — the former capital of Japan. The train stations might as well have been the Narnia closets, because I arrived at another universe altogether. The train station was old, there were rickety stone floors that lead out the open station and to more rickety stone roads. Hiking up the streets, I constantly stopped to look at the shops face the road — most sold tourist items like masks, keychains, socks, etc. A lot had the religious items like amulets and beaded necklaces. I though that walking up the long road was enough — there was food at the end and the head shrine was astonishing. You had to walk through this huge entrance to approach the palace-like shrine. There were endless wishes and prayers hung or tied around the shrine and the shrine had people praying and ringing the bell. I looked inside the shrine and it was just as amazing inside. It was designed and built with so much dedication, you can practically see the guy carving the intricate designs inside.

I thought I was finished walking now. My legs were genuinely crying to stop walking and give them a break. Turns out I wasn’t even at the main event — the tunnels connecting to the other smaller shrines. And turns out, luckily for everyone, it was another hike up inside the “tunnels” (not even sure if it’s called a tunnel — more like a covered pathway?).

The small shrines were much smaller, simpler and in my opinion, a lot cooler. It was a little ominous every time I went to one just because of how empty it was standing in front of a single lit lantern facing mysterious amulets, talisman and wooden signs. I enjoyed it a lot better than the hustling and bustling of the crowded main shrine. There were also cats. So many cats.

After scaring myself half to death at each shrine, I headed down the mountain with my screaming legs, bought a traditional mask and hopped on the train to the main city of Kyoto. I went to the Nishiki Market, which had, again, special foods and specialty items for sale. I think candy and these Japanese jube jubes was a Kyoto item. Just cute things in general, actually. I ate a lot of sweets — the sucrose gods really blessed me that day… maybe I had accidentally wished for it at the shrine.

At the end of the market was the Nishiki-Tenmangu Shrine in the middle of a… strip mall? Shopping street? You could enter from here and leave on the other side to another shopping street that was outdoors. The shopping street was so much more modern that the Nishiki Market. Lots of modern clothing and little gadgets, accessories and such. I bought one of those electric fans that were considered sort of an accessory there. I was blown away by how cute it was.

In the evening, I walked to the Gion neighbourhood — the Ponto Cho alley and such to grab something to eat for dinner. The old timey, stone road atmosphere was strong even though the neighbourhood was in the middle of an urban area. There were geishas walking around and lanterns lit up the area instead of streetlights. And that concludes the end of the trip — a tummy full of good tsukemen noodles and a nice walk through the Hanamoji-koji Street.

Find beauty not only in the thing itself but in the pattern of the shadows, the light and dark which that thing provides.

Junichiro Tanizaki

The hotel in Osaka had a buffet breakfast as well. Served in a restaurant, there a variety of foods, both Western and traditional Japanese.

The hotel in Osaka had a buffet breakfast as well. Served in a restaurant, there a variety of foods, both Western and traditional Japanese.

They served takoyaki, mackeral, miso soup, and okonomiyaki. There were a lot more options and I filled myself up, returning to the buffet again and again.

After breakfast, I headed to the Shinsaibashi Shopping Street. It was a long street that sold a variety of items, from clothing to accessories to snacks. I went wild, I bought bags of socks, weird snacks, miscellaneous household items, etc. I can’t even remember what really happened. It took me more than an hour to reach the end of the street — I just couldn’t stop entering each and every store because they sold the most interesting things. There were pencil cases that came in different shapes and sizes, a store that sold only lace wallets and outrageous purses. It was like a fever dream.

I then headed to an owl cafe to freshen up and meet some night babies. There were a few different species and I kind of felt bad the longer I stayed there. I don’t think the owls liked being pet or around people too much. But they were taken care of nicely and they were so cute. There were a few big ones that were terrifying, especially the Great Grey Owl. The small ones were full of energy and snapped at anyone who tried to pet them. The one below is an older and larger one and let me pet her for a bit:

Moving along, with a loud stomach, I headed to the Kuromon Ichiba Market. It was filled with street foods like all kinds of fried potatoes, eels, crab, grilled imitation crab, oysters… it was a foodie’s heaven. A lot of booths also sold kobe or wagyu beef (A5 or some prestige like that). I ate some freshly grilled beef at a stall, and it was overwhelmingly good, I’ve never had anything like it before.

Afterwards, I’m not sure where we walked. There was a walkway connecting out of Kuromon that was lined with stores. Among those stores was Rikuro Ojisan Cheesecakes, a place famous for their fluffy, jiggly cheesecakes. There was a long line and the seating inside was filled. We got our cake though — absolutely worth it. I love cheesecake, it’s my specialty when baking. This cheesecake blew it out of the water. It didn’t focus on the soft cheese part, it focused on the fluffy egg whites, which was a different concept to me. Here’s a short video of how spectacularly fluffy the cake is:

At night, I headed to Dotonrobi, where I saw the Glico Running Man sign and walked the streets of food, arcades and crazy designs. I walked along the Tobbori River, it was really serene despite the crowds of people milling around. The buildings were so tall it was almost suffocating. I like the feeling of being protected by the buildings and lanterns hanging next to the river. I’m somewhere no one else can find me, where I can be in my own world.

We got to this Chinese restaurant called Chinese 8 Cafe. I know, stupid me, going to a Chinese restaurant in Japan? But it’s really popular among not only the locals, but the tourists as well for it’s tacky decorations and good food. The Peking Duck combo was pretty cheap considering there is a whole duck and a few side dishes. It was a flavoured and cooked differently than in Toronto, my mom disliked it, but I liked the change. It was still Peking Duck, just differently prepared. We also ordered soup dumplings, which shall not be critiqued as the effort was there.

And in a traditional fashion, the chef cut up the duck in front of us:

After dinner, I was looking for a more quiet atmosphere to settle down. I walked the Hozenji Yokocho, a shabby-looking alley, especially compared to the dazzling Dotonrobi right next to it. Although I felt serene in Dotonrobi, the silence and emptiness of the alleyway solidified the “away from the world” feeling. I walked past all the food places to get to the Hozenji Temple. I was feeling settled and calm when I arrived at the empty temple. The temple was beautiful — unlike the other temples that I have visited on my trip, the Hozenji Temple was simple. There was one shrine and just a few garlands of lanterns hanging from the roof. And best of all… there were cats. So many stray cats roamed around or just laid there. Some came up and let me pet them but most avoided me and ran away. I have never seen so many stray cats in an area before, I would have stayed there for the entire night if I could. I avoided going into the main area though, I didn’t want to provoke any cats or scare them away.

Here is my activity chart for the day:

Pessimism is a losing strategy. Leadership demands both confidence and optimism in abundance.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

It’s undeniable that Osaka Castle is a famous landmark — I would be a failure of a tourist if I didn’t visit the area. I went early in the morning to enjoy the nature and parks around it as well. Osaka is really loud in the morning, not the people, but the thousands of cicadas and crickets (I think) buzzing in the summer morning was deafening. I don’t know where I entered from, but it was a pretty empty place. The breeze was nice, there weren’t any sounds of an urban lifestyle and the castle walls faced me in all directions. The park ran alongside the castle moat too — it was exactly like a scene from the movies, I was a princess (probably peasant actually) walking towards my castle, or something like that.

As I headed around the park, I entered one of the seven hells — the Tourist Drop. I can’t really judge, I’m a tourist too. But the endless rows of tour buses were parked in the busy parking lot and there were so many different tourist groups with people from every corner of the world. Right next to the parking lots started the tourist traps. There were stalls selling big and various shapes of fruits like ginormous apples and square watermelons for about $10 per fruit. Walking along the trail, a mall of some sort appeared. It was filled with little shops that sold souvenirs and iconic Osaka foods like matcha ice cream, which I totally fell for. We continued walking down and entered the more traditional area. There was a well (the Gimmeisui Well) that has been standing since the Edo period in the kitchen as a source of drinking water from officials. Pretty cool, I pretty much met with the officials of the Edo Period.

Finally, I made it to the castle. Oh it’s so beautiful. Walking towards it on the paved path whipped me back into the 1600s, I was an army official making my way towards an important meeting. Although, climbing the steps up towards the castle ruined the immersion a bit, I don’t think the army officials took breaks while climbing up a few flights of steps. There was an elevator, but the army officials were a lot cooler than that.

There were seven floors in the castle, each showing a different moment of the castle in history. I couldn’t take many pictures but it was super fun learning more about the Japanese war lords and vassals that I’ve heard about for so long. People like Oba Nobunga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu were talked about in detail, it was like their personalities were coming to life. There were visuals and diagrams showing the building and different phases of the Osaka Castle. Baby Osaka Castle was adorable.

After walking around for a bit and then visiting Nishinomaru Garden, I headed towards the Shitennoji Temple.

Then moving onto the Tennoji area. I visited the Osaka Art Museum, not the architecturally impressive one, just a small, traditional one with art beyond my comprehension. Moving on, there was a small red bridge connecting to the Tennoji area that led us to places like the Tennoji Zoo, small restuarants, etc. I ended up at a modernly-decorated place that served lunch-like items. There was a bread buffet and drink bar (non-alcoholic, just a lot of juice) that came along with an amazing meal.

There was also a small grocery store next door that sold fruits and vegetables grown by the local farmers. There were pictures and little information about the farmers and caretakers of the food plastered all over the walls. It’s nice that many Japanese grocery stores sold local items to support the agriculture industry.

During the evening, we headed to the Shinsekai area for its nightlife. I ate some takoyaki and wandered around the area. I loved the lanterns that ligned the streets, it meshed so well with the neon lights, similarly, the modern buildings harmonized so well alongside the traditional Japanese places.

After a hearty (& risky) meal and a great walk around the streets, I headed towards the Tsukenkaku Tower. I had no intention of going up, seeing it light up was good enough for me.

Today was a pretty mild day. I had planned to head to the Tempozan Area after arriving at the Kansai International Airport and dropping off my luggage in my hotel. However, my flight was delayed (again) an hour and it took us an hour to get to our hotel. By the time we were in our hotel, the god of airplanes hath bestowed her wretched curse upon us once again, and drained me of any energy that I had. I was sweaty, frazzled, and could not walk one more step. We had gotten there pretty late, around 6, so I freshened up and went out to find something around the area to eat.

The area around Shin-Osaka Station was not a really touristy area, I mean, our own hotel was actually a business conference center. So, there were mostly locals and local-appealing restaurants and shops. Across from our hotel was a fast food restaurant. Fast food like local fast food, and not McDonalds’, burger and fries type of fast food. Nakau Nishinakajima is apparently pretty popular (according to Google reviews) as there were both an equal number of tourists and locals eating inside as well. The seating area was like a bar instead of a dining area; there was a single long bar and stools lining the counter. Ordering was different as well, instead of telling your order to a cashier or server, there was a machine at the entrance of the shop where your orders are selected, a ticket is printed out and then handed to someone on the other side of the bar. She cleaned up the tables and served the food as well so… a waitress? Not sure. There were buttons lining the counter as well to call for help if needed. So basically, a socially anxious teen’s dream paradise.

I ordered an eel and rice bento box with questionable vegetables on the side. I’ve seen this online and in many shows before, eel is a traditional Japanese meal for the locals. It tasted really good, unlike the frozen ones I would have back home.

Although I wasn’t able to go out, I’m glad I was able to have an immersive local Japan experience on my first day in Osaka.

My activity chart:

Our lovely hotel package came with a buffet breakfast, and since it’s a back-alley hotel that targets Japanese locals, they served mostly local Japanese cuisine. Food like gyoza, mackerel, miso soup and chicken curry being eaten for breakfast was really immersive:

The food was homemade, there was a chef behind the counter who made the food in big portions, it was more like a host family than a restaurant experience. The food was super good too, it tasted different from how it was made back home, and I enjoyed the Japanese touch to Western foods like the English sausage and scrambled eggs. There was natto there, which I tried for the first time. I do not enjoy it, it tasted and smelled like rubbing alcohol to me. It’s really unique though, how it’s made and how it’s served, the slimy texture can only be found on certain foods (not that that’s a bad thing). I tried a bit of everything, but ate a somewhat small portion to prepare my stomach for what’s coming next.

Heading out, I ventured out to Tsukiji Market a big fish market on the Hibiya Line (I got a one day Tokyo Metro pass, saves money) The Inner Market is closed to public, but walking the Outer Market was more than enough for me (and my tummy).

There were four main streets that sold all types of local food and snacks. The busy streets and loud store-owners made me feel much more comfortable on the streets and less like a tourist. Everyone was so kind, even with my incredibly broken Japanese. I ate tamagoyaki, cooked octopus, daifuku mochi and for lunch, a donburi bowl that served fresh sashimi and sea urchin.

Here’s a guy cutting some fish:

There were also some pretty incredible sightings on the streets:

After spending the morning with the fishes, I headed to Harajuku, the quirky vintage shopping area. I was really looking forward to this, I love how colourful it is, and from what I’ve seen, the fashion scene seemed spectacular.

I went to Laforet first. The department store had a variety of stores that each sold something different. There was a Sailor Moon store that sold overpriced merchandise:

I totally fell for it though. I spent my time oohing and awhing over my childhood dreams and ended up with a $30 pouch. There were stores that sold street fashion (baggy shirts, graphic tees, designer sweatpants), Lolita clothing, vintage clothing, etc. Accessories and makeup stores also targeted different people. The most interesting part to me though, were the people. They dressed in the most dramatic style, with parted pants, chains, baggy & sewn-together dresses, everyone had their own style and they were all comfortable in it. No one cared what other people thought of how they dressed or did their makeup. It was really inspiring to someone who has always been conscious of how I look to others. I shopped with more freedom, instead of choosing items on “is this trending?” and “how would others think if I wore this?” it was more of “do I feel comfortable in it” and “is it on sale”. In the end, I bought less than I usually would, as I was more meticulous on buying things I would actually like instead of things that others would.

I left Laforet and headed to Takeshita Street. It was so crowded that day, it was hard to walk. On the way, a band in a tour bus drove by and waved to the people. I have no idea who they are, but there were a lot of fans greeting them. They might have been world famous and now I can say I met a celebrities. As I entered Takeshita Street, a celebrity was exiting it. She was definitely some world famous star as she had paparazzi following her, she was greeting the fans face to face AND there was such a huge crowd following her. You can see the cameras on the edge:

The street was so long and filled with a variety of cheap stores. I definitely emptied my pockets here. I spent money on jewelry, clothing, miscellaneous items from Daiso, lots of snacks and a few pairs of chunky shoes. I was hoping to establish my own style here, and am pretty proud of my big haul. Also, new discovery: socks can make or break an outfit.

In the evening, after walking the whole street, I headed back to Kodemmacho (where our hotel is), and dropped off all my things in the hotel room. By this time, my feet and hands were sore and I was starving. On my itinerary, and on many other trips, it was recommended to go to the Kawaii Monster Restaurant, but I read many online reviews and just by passing it, I changed my mind. It was incredibly loud and the locals were telling me that it was a big waste of money. So I decided to fill my limpid, hollow log of a body with convenience store food instead, experiencing the life of a college student a year too early (affordable SHAD!) At the nearby FamilyMart, I bought a salmon onigiri and some pre-maid spaghetti and sausages. The noodles were microwaved for me and plastic utensils and a wet hand towel was provided as well, which is super nice.

In the comfort of the hotel room, I ate my dinner. The onigiri was so cool — there is a method to unwrapping the plastic. Basically, in order to keep the rice from making the seaweed moist and chewy, there is a plastic wrap separating the two layers. When it’s ready to eat, the middle is unwrapped first, and then the sides are pulled out to have a ‘fresh’ onigiri. After dinner, I took my sore body to bed and slept like a bear.

Here is my activity chart for the day:

Those who cannot feel the littleness of great things in themselves are apt to overlook the greatness of little things in others.

Okakura Kakuzo

We landed in Japan at around 3 PM and arrived at our hotel at 4. I was exhausted. Even with such comfy bedding, good food and the comfort befitting a duchess, or something, I felt gross. I guess nothing can really beat the o’ great god of airplanes. Navigating the shower was fun, the beds were soft, there were hotel-provided slippers… It was a super-nice paradise, even if it was the smallest room in a back-alley hotel. There was also a fire drill, where staff

At 7, I headed to Shibuya, one of busiest areas in Tokyo and incredibly famous for the Shibuya crossing. I used the Subway system using Google Maps, and I felt like a grandma being blown away by all the amazing advanced technology, the directions were so detailed, it even told me what gate to follow and ext from. Arriving just outside the Shibuya Crossing, I was so blown away by the sheer number of people and festivities around me. I couldn’t get a clear picture, but it was so amazing I walked the crosswalk a few more times. The buildings (and people) towered over me, I felt so tiny and this overwhelming wave-like feeling of “wow!” fell over me. Each and every person there had a separate life and story, alongside each restaurant, store, building, booth, etc, etc. Shibuya was amazing.

At this time, my stomach rumbled. Walking past all the smells of the foods, and showcases like this:

made me incredibly hungry. This is such good bait, even if you’re full, a second stomach grows while looking at all the fake food being paraded on the street.

I walked around for a bit more, enjoying the rowdy atmosphere, until I arrived at a ramen restaurant. I don’t know the name and I don’t think it’s known. I wanted to try something less popular, like something a local would do. There were students and officer workers in there already and I ordered just a plain bowl of noodles:

It was… really good. I’ve had ramen back home before, but this one really hits the spot. Maybe it’s just placebo, but the noodles were firmer and the broth tasted less like GMO + Salt and more like a variety of herbs and spices. The flavour was much more complex. Probably because I can see the chefs cooking them mostly fresh in the open kitchen.

I continued walking Shibuya after dinner. The place was really unique, an amalgamation of expensive stores like Bershka to little convenience stores lining the street. You could buy a $2 face mask in one store and then empty your pockets on a $500 serum in the store beside it. Walking up and down the endless streets, filled with neon lighting, felt like a dream, like I was in a snow globe.

Here is my entire day in a chart:

Flying is super not fun!

me

I absolutely hate flying, I abhor it — it’s crampy, it’s dry, it’s just blegh. I’ve flown economy/coach for all my life, having to decide which way to lean your head to maximize sleep comfort and minimize the risk of a disk slipping, sitting in an uncomfortable position for hours, flying is such a blessing. I appreciate and am grateful for it though, I can afford going to another country in a safe manner, something a lot of people can’t experience.

But this year, oh man! This year was a GIFT! A half-a-year-late present from Mr. Santa — I got super discounted tickets for a Business seat. Granted, it’s a standby ticket, but I am willing to take that chance! The planned flight (a coach flight) was to Minneapolis and then to Haneda Airport, Japan. Amazingly, our flight to Minneapolis was delayed by a half an hour! Amazing! So when it passed 11:30 while we were midair, I was in absolute despair.

Until I realized Minneapolis was an hour behind Toronto, and I had not missed my flight completely, I was just functioning on a single, dormant brain cell.

My next flight to Haneda was the big one — the Delta One seating. First of all, maybe I’m delusional, but the flight attendants were so much nicer, almost to the point of I-am-going-to-pretend-to-sleep-so-you-won’t-ask-me-if-I-want-almonds-or-cheese. It’s unfair, but I really enjoyed it. Second, the seat was a room, a cubicle — there was a door that separated me from the rest of the world. The seat reclined all the way down to a bed, and pillows and blankets were provided. There was an Iron Man-like panel next to me to control literally everything. I got a menu (!!) where there were options for the 3-course dining, snacks, wine and other alcoholic drinks. I felt giddy and all of a sudden really appreciative when I took in everything in front of me, it’s those feelings where you suddenly feel thankful for everything small and big, like door frames and cheap but amazing hardwood floor cleaners.

The appetizer came first, here is a video of me reviewing the corn soup:

Despite me saying how appreciative I am — here is me thinking I’m Gordon Ramsay with my picky corn soup eating (who do I think I am? I can’t even boil corn?)

The rest of the trip is the same thing of sleeping, eating, reading. Oh yes! I was reading. Summer is reading season, and I wanted to get the most books in as possible. I chose The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides. It’s really interesting, and I love the direct way that he writes, all the way from 460 B.C. I was engrossed the whole flight (when I was awake), and felt like an important member of some neutral kingdom listening in on all the decision making and war action.

Here is my entire day in a chart:

To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world.

Unknown (Chinese Proverb)

To prepare my trip to Japan, I bought a hefty book on learning the how to somewhat fluently speak Japanese, it felt bad last time to see people trying to explain things in English to me, they shouldn’t have to reach so far out of their comfort zone to accommodate me. Of course, I wouldn’t be able to complete it in a month so I planned to learn as much as I can up to the trip, then leave it collecting dust until I remember that it was $30 and pick it up again.

I sped through the simple vocab, grammar and enunciation pretty quickly, since it’s pretty similar to Cantonese, which I’m fluent in. I got stuck at the characters soon though. Honestly, in hindsight, I should’ve just skipped learning the characters since most tourist places in Japan includes a Romanji version under the signs.

The trip is in a few days, and I’ve learned a lot of common phrases such as “how much is it?” and “can I get a discount?” — the most essential of knowledge only, please. But at the moment, I probably can’t understand anyone or hold a conversation, the exact words can be repeated back to me and I would absolutely blank. Vocab is a lot of memorization, and unless I can put it to use, it just disappears from my mind.

Anyhow, I have the basic phrases and know how to read a little, and I’ll probably be relying on Google translate quite a bit during the trip, but I would be able to navigate Japan pretty easily and cause less problems for the citizens with my broken Google translations.

For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.

Benjamin Franklin

What a hopeful quote, makes me really want to put in more time to organize other parts of my life (although just the sheer horror of other people’s face is motivational enough).

Today, I spent my time preparing for the trip to Japan, it was really fun since I’ve always had a knack for such things. Honestly tough, I feel like I know the area pretty well know since I’ve been scrolling through Google Maps to find the best areas and stuff. Something to work on though, is my nit-picky habit. I really like to scrutinize the details, to the point where I get irrationally mad when things don’t go right. So, for this trip, I kept it more loose, without tight timelines and such. I also had to account for my mom’s tastes too, since she’s also on this trip. We’re like yin and yang, like fire and water, like beans and fruit… we just don’t like the same things. So! With a mind of a mastermind, I attempted to balance the amount of city exploring (aka shopping) and landmark viewing. And so! Here is my itinerary:

It’s pretty meticulous, the places are in order so that it’s convenient to travel, and timing for each event is important as well.