The third book that I have finished reading is named "The Indigo King". It was written by James A Owen. It is quite an exciting book with many turns of events. Just when you think a problem is solved, you find out that there is more stuff to do. The book keeps you reading it so as to find out what will happen next. The main characters are John, Jack and Chaz.
The story begins with John and Jack meeting with Hugo to inform him that he would become a caretaker of the Imaginarium Geographica which is the great atlas of a world called the Archipelago Dreams. In this world, fantasies and myths are real. When they tell Hugo, he thinks that it must be a joke. They go for a walk in the park to let Hugo digest the information. Suddenly, a door drops out of the sky. Hugo goes through the door and disappears into the past. This starts to cause history to change. John and Jack try to follow but it does not work. Out of the blues, the Animal Rescue Squad, which is made up of badgers, appears to lend a hand. The leader, Uncus, and his son, Fred, closed the open door that Hugo walked through. In an attempt to stop them, Jack and John touch the door and are thrown into the past. After an uneventful encounter with giants, the gang hid from a Wicker Man. Chaz who is the Charles of that time line saves them. Chaz brings them back to his abode, and later, they set off to see the version of their mentor, Bert. After the reunion, the evil ruler of the land, Mordred appears having been informed by Chaz earlier. He performs a ritual and binds all of them. Fortunately, after he leaves to call his minions to take care of them, Uncus uses the silver from a coin to free them. Bert gives them a box that gives you what you need most, called the Serendipity Box. Bert stays behind to try to hold off the minions while the rest of the gang, including Chaz, set sail for Noble's Island, also known as the Sanctuary, the only place not subjected to Mordred's rule.
They are given a warm welcome by a fox called Reynard. They find a device called a Lanterna Magica left by the deceased Jules Verne as a means of going into the past to find Mordred's real name in order to bind him. They use the first of the five slides of the Lanterna Magica which opens a portal, for 24 hours, to ancient Greece. They find the younger version of Mordred telling stories. They meet his teacher and are invited to his house. They find out that "Mordred" has a twin brother. The real names of the twins being Mardoc (false name Mordred) and Myrddyn. Before they return to the Sanctuary, they find out that one of the brothers is the Cartographer of Lost Places. They use the next slide and travel to ancient Alexander. There, the meet Archimedes a mechanical owl made by Pythagoras. They find Ptolemy the king. They discover that Myrddyn tried to steal the Holy Grail but was caught. They free him and find out that he is the Cartographer of Lost Places and that it was actually his brother who tried to steal the Grail. Myrddyn repays them by binding his brother and exiling him. When the travellers return to the Sanctuary, only to find that nothing has changed. They use the third slide to travel to England to find a boy called Thorn and Archimedes. They help Thorn travel to Camelot to compete in the competitions to become king. In the mean time, Hugo meets Hank a time traveller. They become fast friends. Once the number of competitors is reduced to 7, Mordred come to compete. He defeats 6 of them leaving Merlin. After overhearing a discussion between Merlin and Taliesin, the Lawgiver, Hugo finds that Merlin is not all that good. As they are about to fight, Hugo throws a dagger and injures Mordred. Taliesin declares that Mordred lost as his blood was spilt first by Hugo who wears Merlin's colours. Merlin is disqualified for cheating as Hugo threw a dagger at Mordred. Merlin is also revealed to be Myrddyn. Thorn arrives, draws Caliburn and becomes king and in doing so, his name is changed the Arthur.
The gang, now reunited with Hugo, return to the Sanctuary only to find that again nothing had changed. They use the forth slide and travel back to England. They find Arthur and Mordred arguing while enemies are attacking the castle. Mordred accidentally kills Arthur and flees. Chaz discovers that the Holy Grail can resurrect Arthur. They journey to Avalon where Chaz stays behind and becomes the Green Knight to let the Holy Grail, a young lady called Rose, to follow John, Jack and Hugo back to the castle where Arthur died. He is resurrected and calls the dragons using a ritual at Stonehenge but not before meeting up with Merlin who orchestrated the rebellion but who later changes his mind and joins them. The dragons help restore order and Arthur is made king again. Arthur binds and exiles Merlin so Merlin can do some soul searching and find his way again. The gang return to find that the world outside the room with the Lanterna Magica is now an empty void. They use the 5th and last slide and meet a monk called Geoffrey. The new Green Knight shows up and bring the gang, Geoffrey not included, to the Keep of Time. They meet the Cartographer who answers their questions. Fred opens the Serendipty Box to find a key. John, Jack, Uncus and Fred use it to open a door back to their time. John, Jack, Charles and Bert have a talk with their enemy Burton. They discover that it was he who placed the door in the woods. Burton takes his leave and Bert answers Jack's and John's questions. The story ends there.
The character John is cautious and yet slightly overconfident at the start of the book. He is the Caretaker Principia. I find that the reason why this title is bestowed upon him is not clear. He is also a caring father. His daughter gave him a beautiful watch that hardly works and yet he only uses that watch as his daughter cried when she saw him carrying another watch. He has a somewhat inquisitive mind. He was also trusting toward Chaz despite his betrayal. He also keeps the group together. He is compassionate and level headed
Jack is quite inquisitive. But, he was not so trusting towards Chaz in the beginning. He is level headed. He is quite brave when he talks with the giants. He is protective towards his friends. He defended the badgers when Chaz wanted to cook them in a stew.
Chaz is quite rude at the beginning. He even betrays his companions to Mordred. Slowly but steadily, a change comes over him as the story unfolds. He becomes a trusted friend. He is apt at learning languages. In the end, He sacrifices himself and stays behind on Avalon so that Rose, the Holy Grail, can leave Avalon.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Book reviews Part 2
The 2nd book that I have finished reading is known as "The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches III". It was written by Robert Stanek. It is quite entertaining. Despite not being action packed, it has been written in such a way that it captivates me enough to read on. Mr Stanek can paint scenes quite well. Seeing as this book is already quite entertaining despite not being action packed, I am looking forward to reading his other books and have high expectations of them. The story told in this book can be followed despite not reading the other books although there may be a bit of confusion. The main characters are Adrina, the third and youngest daughter of King Andrew, and Vilmos, a human mage in training.
The story begins with Adrina returning home to Imtal while being escorted by the Klaive's Keep Knights. The rest of the trip home is uneventful other than a harmless confrontation. In the mean time, Emal, Son of the King's Knights, Captain Ansh Brodst and his father's company are ambushed while escorting the elves Seth and Galan. The two elves are nearly killed and quite a number of the men were slaughtered. Elsewhere, Vilmos and his mentor, Xith, journey to an inn where they receive a vision from a crystal ball. They decide to journey to their destination, the Under-Earth with greater haste. Emal and a few other captains are charged with the duty of rebuilding the garrison that was destroyed in the battle. Vilmos wanders off in Xith's absence and befriends a stranger who reveals his name to be S'tryil. S'tryil brings Vilmos to watch competitions where people fight for the glory of becoming the personal guards of Lord Geoffrey. Xith reappears shortly and drags Vilmos off. The Under-Earth is actually a barren desert and the plants that can survive are sickly. Back in Imtal, Adrina is attacked. She kills the leader of the assassins by throwing two daggers but not before her two guards are killed. Fortunately, the assassins retreat.
Back in the Under-Earth, Vilmos and Xith are attacked and the two are separated. In the mean time, Adrina and Emel look for the item the leader of the assassins had used to silence Adrina's call for the guards. They find a magical orb. Seth manages to recover enough to heal Galan who is at death's doorstep. Back in the Under-Earth, a bunch of hooded figures and an armoured warrior fight over Vilmos. Emal leaves for the territories to do some souls searching. Vilmos awakes to find himself in the inn of Edward the armoured figure who reveals himself to be a half troll and half giant. After that, Galan reveals the magical orb to be Dnyarr's orb. Edward teaches Vilmos how to play King's Mate, a board game. Vilmos proves to be an apt learner. After Seth and Galan recover somewhat, they talk to the council of the Kingdom Alliance. The elves try to get the aid of the Alliance in a war but the council does not want to be involved. In the mean time, Vilmos and Edward are attacked by Hunter Beasts. Edward sacrifices himself for Vilmos to escape. Vilmos manages to escape only to fall in to the Hunter Beast's trap. Xith's spirit comes to alert Vilmos that he had fallen into an illusion trap. Back in Imtal, the Seth and Galan fail again to persuade the council to aid the elves. Romance builds between the couple. During the third and last meeting, Seth uses his powers to let the Queen of the elves, known as the Queen Mother, to speak through him. After persuading the council, Seth nearly dies from the effort. Galan uses all her power and sacrifices herself so that Seth may live. This served to hardened the resolve of the council to help the elves. Adrina nearly commits suicide but is saved by Emal. And that concludes the story.
Adrina is the kind of character who supports her friends. This can be seen when she appoints Myrialas housemistress when she finds the previous housemaster bullying her. She also shows her concern for Seth and Galan when they were grievously wounded. When Emel decides to go to the dangerous territories to do some soul searching, Adrina tries to persuade him against it. Another trait Adrina has is that if she is determined to do something, she will do it to the end. For example, she fights with the council to give Seth and Galan more time to recover before the meeting. Also, when she was looking for the magical orb that the leader of the assassins dropped, she was not discouraged by Emel trying to stop her. But she can be a bit emotional. This is shown when she wants to jump off the castle wall and fly like a bird to escape from all the stress.
The character Vilmos displays doubt and uncertainty towards magic. After receiving the vision from Xith's magic orb, he insists that magic destroys and is evil. But, Xith manages to persuade him that it depends on the welder's motives. Vilmos also displays great power when his friends are in danger. When Xith is thought to have been slain by his attackers, Vilmos kills all the attackers easily. His mind though is still that of a child. This can be seen when he pleads with Xith to let him see a real brawl despite them being in a dangerous place.
The story begins with Adrina returning home to Imtal while being escorted by the Klaive's Keep Knights. The rest of the trip home is uneventful other than a harmless confrontation. In the mean time, Emal, Son of the King's Knights, Captain Ansh Brodst and his father's company are ambushed while escorting the elves Seth and Galan. The two elves are nearly killed and quite a number of the men were slaughtered. Elsewhere, Vilmos and his mentor, Xith, journey to an inn where they receive a vision from a crystal ball. They decide to journey to their destination, the Under-Earth with greater haste. Emal and a few other captains are charged with the duty of rebuilding the garrison that was destroyed in the battle. Vilmos wanders off in Xith's absence and befriends a stranger who reveals his name to be S'tryil. S'tryil brings Vilmos to watch competitions where people fight for the glory of becoming the personal guards of Lord Geoffrey. Xith reappears shortly and drags Vilmos off. The Under-Earth is actually a barren desert and the plants that can survive are sickly. Back in Imtal, Adrina is attacked. She kills the leader of the assassins by throwing two daggers but not before her two guards are killed. Fortunately, the assassins retreat.
Back in the Under-Earth, Vilmos and Xith are attacked and the two are separated. In the mean time, Adrina and Emel look for the item the leader of the assassins had used to silence Adrina's call for the guards. They find a magical orb. Seth manages to recover enough to heal Galan who is at death's doorstep. Back in the Under-Earth, a bunch of hooded figures and an armoured warrior fight over Vilmos. Emal leaves for the territories to do some souls searching. Vilmos awakes to find himself in the inn of Edward the armoured figure who reveals himself to be a half troll and half giant. After that, Galan reveals the magical orb to be Dnyarr's orb. Edward teaches Vilmos how to play King's Mate, a board game. Vilmos proves to be an apt learner. After Seth and Galan recover somewhat, they talk to the council of the Kingdom Alliance. The elves try to get the aid of the Alliance in a war but the council does not want to be involved. In the mean time, Vilmos and Edward are attacked by Hunter Beasts. Edward sacrifices himself for Vilmos to escape. Vilmos manages to escape only to fall in to the Hunter Beast's trap. Xith's spirit comes to alert Vilmos that he had fallen into an illusion trap. Back in Imtal, the Seth and Galan fail again to persuade the council to aid the elves. Romance builds between the couple. During the third and last meeting, Seth uses his powers to let the Queen of the elves, known as the Queen Mother, to speak through him. After persuading the council, Seth nearly dies from the effort. Galan uses all her power and sacrifices herself so that Seth may live. This served to hardened the resolve of the council to help the elves. Adrina nearly commits suicide but is saved by Emal. And that concludes the story.
Adrina is the kind of character who supports her friends. This can be seen when she appoints Myrialas housemistress when she finds the previous housemaster bullying her. She also shows her concern for Seth and Galan when they were grievously wounded. When Emel decides to go to the dangerous territories to do some soul searching, Adrina tries to persuade him against it. Another trait Adrina has is that if she is determined to do something, she will do it to the end. For example, she fights with the council to give Seth and Galan more time to recover before the meeting. Also, when she was looking for the magical orb that the leader of the assassins dropped, she was not discouraged by Emel trying to stop her. But she can be a bit emotional. This is shown when she wants to jump off the castle wall and fly like a bird to escape from all the stress.
The character Vilmos displays doubt and uncertainty towards magic. After receiving the vision from Xith's magic orb, he insists that magic destroys and is evil. But, Xith manages to persuade him that it depends on the welder's motives. Vilmos also displays great power when his friends are in danger. When Xith is thought to have been slain by his attackers, Vilmos kills all the attackers easily. His mind though is still that of a child. This can be seen when he pleads with Xith to let him see a real brawl despite them being in a dangerous place.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Book reviews Part 1
The book that I have read is entitled "The Tin Princess". It was written by Philip Pullman. The book describes a political struggle between Germany and Austria over nickel in the mines of the small country of Raskavia. The book is very intriguing. There is never a dull moment. The main characters are Becky, a translator, Jim, a detective and Adelaide, wife of Prince Rudolf of Raskavia. The book intrigues because, with the background in a fictional country of Razkavia, there are plots against the throne, mad princes locked away in dark grottos and assassinations.
The story begins with Prince Rudolf, who is going incognito at the time due to his secret marriage with Adelaide, hiring Becky as Adelaide's language tutor over the phone. Upon meeting Becky, Adelaide reveals her husband's identity and they become fast friends. Not long after, Prince Rudolf returns and a time bomb in his carriage goes off. Fortunately, the prince gets away unscratched. He sends Jim, who had been secretly watching over Adelaide at the time, to catch the culprits. Not long after, the crown prince of Raskavia is murdered and Count Thalgau is sent to get Prince Rudolf to return. Soon, the elderly king of Raskavia passes away and Rudolf is crowned king. There is a ritual where the new king has to bear the flag of Raskavia to the Rock where a famous battle took place. Rudolf is shot dead and Adelaide carries the flag to the Rock and is crowned the ruler. After gaining the support of the people, she has to contend with Austria and Germany which had sent their negotiators to persuade her to relinquish more nickel. Through flattery and other means, she subtly sways the negotiators to accept her terms in the form of a treaty.
In the mean time, Jim discovers the original crown prince, Leopold, who was long thought deceased but had actually been imprisoned. He was apparently shifted due to his captors wanting to use him to seize the throne. Unfortunately, the long years of seclusion had driven him mad. After securing the aid of Leopold's wife, Carmen Ruiz, Jim and his gang of students try to spring Leopold from his cell. But, their plans are foiled and Jim is captured. Around the same time, Adelaide discovers that her food is poisoned through the death of her kitten. The chamberlain captures her and Becky, and attempts to stage a coup. Fortunately, the trio are held in the same building and Jim manages to spring all of them. They meet up with the students and they take the historical flag of Raskavia to show that Raskavia is still free. While escaping on a train, it crashes due to sabotage and Becky is injured. They make it to the Rock. Otto von Schwartberg, Rudolf's cousin, along with Count Thalgu and some men, come to offer their aid. During their imprisonment, the Germans had invaded and had tracked Adelaide's gang to the Rock. A bloody battle ensues. In the end, the trio are sent to hospital victorious. But they soon find out that Adelaide has been painted in bad light by the press and that Bleichroder, Prince Bismark's banker, had overturned the treaty to outflank the German parliament in a struggle. The author failed to introduce Price Bismark properly - this is a weakness or an oversight.
The hero, Jim Taylor, is a strange combination of a gambler and private detective who loves excitement, danger and violence.
The heroine is 22-year-old Adelaide who is beautiful, tough and illiterate, and who is secretly married to Prince Rudolf of Razkavia. When Adelaide becomes Queen, she does the job surprisingly well. With enemies plotting against her, Jim and Becky have their hands full as they try to stay ahead of the schemers.
Philip Pullman's fluent and descriptive story-telling and his wealth of the details bring the period to life. The story concocted by him is a good read and held my attention to the end in an admirable fashion. I would recommend it for people of all ages who would enjoy this classic story which cleverly weaves mystery, romance, bravery and adventure in a complicated yet believable plot. The story champions the trait of emotional toughness in the face of no easy choices and no safe paths. All of us can learn a bit about life from this make-believe tiny kingdom of Raskavia caught up in the empire building of Germany and Austria before World War I. Perhaps, the greatest lesson is that it tells the painful truth that good does not always triumph over evil but good people can still act courageously and honourably. I am touched.
The story begins with Prince Rudolf, who is going incognito at the time due to his secret marriage with Adelaide, hiring Becky as Adelaide's language tutor over the phone. Upon meeting Becky, Adelaide reveals her husband's identity and they become fast friends. Not long after, Prince Rudolf returns and a time bomb in his carriage goes off. Fortunately, the prince gets away unscratched. He sends Jim, who had been secretly watching over Adelaide at the time, to catch the culprits. Not long after, the crown prince of Raskavia is murdered and Count Thalgau is sent to get Prince Rudolf to return. Soon, the elderly king of Raskavia passes away and Rudolf is crowned king. There is a ritual where the new king has to bear the flag of Raskavia to the Rock where a famous battle took place. Rudolf is shot dead and Adelaide carries the flag to the Rock and is crowned the ruler. After gaining the support of the people, she has to contend with Austria and Germany which had sent their negotiators to persuade her to relinquish more nickel. Through flattery and other means, she subtly sways the negotiators to accept her terms in the form of a treaty.
In the mean time, Jim discovers the original crown prince, Leopold, who was long thought deceased but had actually been imprisoned. He was apparently shifted due to his captors wanting to use him to seize the throne. Unfortunately, the long years of seclusion had driven him mad. After securing the aid of Leopold's wife, Carmen Ruiz, Jim and his gang of students try to spring Leopold from his cell. But, their plans are foiled and Jim is captured. Around the same time, Adelaide discovers that her food is poisoned through the death of her kitten. The chamberlain captures her and Becky, and attempts to stage a coup. Fortunately, the trio are held in the same building and Jim manages to spring all of them. They meet up with the students and they take the historical flag of Raskavia to show that Raskavia is still free. While escaping on a train, it crashes due to sabotage and Becky is injured. They make it to the Rock. Otto von Schwartberg, Rudolf's cousin, along with Count Thalgu and some men, come to offer their aid. During their imprisonment, the Germans had invaded and had tracked Adelaide's gang to the Rock. A bloody battle ensues. In the end, the trio are sent to hospital victorious. But they soon find out that Adelaide has been painted in bad light by the press and that Bleichroder, Prince Bismark's banker, had overturned the treaty to outflank the German parliament in a struggle. The author failed to introduce Price Bismark properly - this is a weakness or an oversight.
The hero, Jim Taylor, is a strange combination of a gambler and private detective who loves excitement, danger and violence.
The heroine is 22-year-old Adelaide who is beautiful, tough and illiterate, and who is secretly married to Prince Rudolf of Razkavia. When Adelaide becomes Queen, she does the job surprisingly well. With enemies plotting against her, Jim and Becky have their hands full as they try to stay ahead of the schemers.
Philip Pullman's fluent and descriptive story-telling and his wealth of the details bring the period to life. The story concocted by him is a good read and held my attention to the end in an admirable fashion. I would recommend it for people of all ages who would enjoy this classic story which cleverly weaves mystery, romance, bravery and adventure in a complicated yet believable plot. The story champions the trait of emotional toughness in the face of no easy choices and no safe paths. All of us can learn a bit about life from this make-believe tiny kingdom of Raskavia caught up in the empire building of Germany and Austria before World War I. Perhaps, the greatest lesson is that it tells the painful truth that good does not always triumph over evil but good people can still act courageously and honourably. I am touched.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Japan Trip Part 2
The second leg of my trip started from day five. After a buffet breakfast, I was one of the fortunate few to receive a maple leaf from Auntie Jude. Ironically, I lost it further along the trip. Soon, we arrived at our destination which is the 5th station of Mount Fuji. I bought a key chain and magnet of Mount Fuji as souvenirs. Alas, I was caught in a heavy downpour on the way back to the bus. We visited the famous Asakusa Kannon Temple, which worships the Goddess of Mercy. On the way back, along the Nakamise Shopping Street, my friend and I shared a bag of red bean pastries. They were heavenly when eaten warm. After that, we visited the Ghibli Museum which is a commercial museum featuring the anime works of Studio Ghibli. It was very small and did not have very many things of interest. A bit of an anti-climax really. We ate a tepanyaki dinner. And that marks the end of the 5th day.
The next day, we prepared ourselves for the next school visit at Tsukubadai Fuzoku Secondary School. Unfortunately, together with almost all of my schoolmates, I did not bring a school uniform and made the mistake of wearing cotton clothes during the visit to this esteemed school. We were split into three groups upon arrival and each group went to observe separate classes. My group observed a lesson on maths. Following that, we tried our hand at solving a secondary three maths brainteaser. Later, we visited the Tokyo University. I had a hearty lunch of chicken with shredded vegetables and curry rice. We toured red gate (Akamon), Sanshiro pond (Ikutokuen), Yasuda Auditorium and Chuo Refectory. We also saw 3 cute Lego models of the university. That afternoon, we walked the streets of Harajuku which had a large variety of goods for sale. And that marks the conclusion of the 6th day of my trip.
On the last day of our trip, we took photos of a park while waiting for lunch. We had chicken, toufu, vegetables, soup and rice for lunch. After that, prizes were given out for those who wrote the top 10 reflections. I was one of the fortunate few to receive a prize. Following that, we went to the Singapore Embassy. We toured the place and took photos of the beautiful scenery. We learnt more about the embassy such as its duty to inform Singaporeans of any natural disasters. We went to a shopping mall where I bought two boxes of chocolate mozhi and a box of green tea mozhi. Finally, we arrived at Narita International airport, cleared the customs and boarded the aeroplane for home. We arrived in Singapore at 1.40pm on 19th November 2008. I found this trip very meaningful as I have learnt many things from the history of Japan's famous monuments and how the Singapore embassy is run. I hope that I will be fortunate enough to enjoy another trip to Japan. During the trip I have learnt to be more independent as well as to value and take care of the environment. And with that, I conclude my blog on my Japan trip.
The next day, we prepared ourselves for the next school visit at Tsukubadai Fuzoku Secondary School. Unfortunately, together with almost all of my schoolmates, I did not bring a school uniform and made the mistake of wearing cotton clothes during the visit to this esteemed school. We were split into three groups upon arrival and each group went to observe separate classes. My group observed a lesson on maths. Following that, we tried our hand at solving a secondary three maths brainteaser. Later, we visited the Tokyo University. I had a hearty lunch of chicken with shredded vegetables and curry rice. We toured red gate (Akamon), Sanshiro pond (Ikutokuen), Yasuda Auditorium and Chuo Refectory. We also saw 3 cute Lego models of the university. That afternoon, we walked the streets of Harajuku which had a large variety of goods for sale. And that marks the conclusion of the 6th day of my trip.
On the last day of our trip, we took photos of a park while waiting for lunch. We had chicken, toufu, vegetables, soup and rice for lunch. After that, prizes were given out for those who wrote the top 10 reflections. I was one of the fortunate few to receive a prize. Following that, we went to the Singapore Embassy. We toured the place and took photos of the beautiful scenery. We learnt more about the embassy such as its duty to inform Singaporeans of any natural disasters. We went to a shopping mall where I bought two boxes of chocolate mozhi and a box of green tea mozhi. Finally, we arrived at Narita International airport, cleared the customs and boarded the aeroplane for home. We arrived in Singapore at 1.40pm on 19th November 2008. I found this trip very meaningful as I have learnt many things from the history of Japan's famous monuments and how the Singapore embassy is run. I hope that I will be fortunate enough to enjoy another trip to Japan. During the trip I have learnt to be more independent as well as to value and take care of the environment. And with that, I conclude my blog on my Japan trip.
Japan Trip Part 1
On the 12th of November 2008, I left on a trip to Japan, subsidised by my school. I did not go with high hopes as good hotels in Japan are expensive and I was unsure if good hotels would be provided. After some last-minute checks that my luggage was complete, my parents and I left for the airport. We arrived 15 minutes early and had to wait for the other students. After checking in our luggage, we took a group photo before bidding farewell to our families. Following immigration clearance, we waited at the departure/boarding lounge, for an hour or so, before boarding the aircraft. The take-off was moderately smooth. The flight went better than expected despite not getting enough shut-eye. And that, if you would consider it, summarises the first day of my trip.
The next day, upon waking, I discovered that I had only slept for 3 hours on board the plane. Following that, I proceeded to play battle ships and chess with my classmate and fellow traveller, Joseph. Later, I played a game of insane aquarium by myself. My memory failed me when I tried to recall what was served for breakfast. But, I do recall that it was delectable. After disembarking and clearing immigration and customs, we met up with our tour guide, Auntie Jude. We proceeded to board a bus and travelled to witness the Nishijin Kimono Show. It was situated in a small shopping mall with a great variety of traditional Japanese products. The kimono show was most enjoyable as we witnessed quite a number of beautiful traditional kimonos each with its own unique design. Following that, we travelled to the Kiyomitu Temple. We sampled many traditional Japanese goodies from the stores that lined the way to the temple. I had to eat a lunch of pork cutlet and udon before entering the temple itself. From the main hall, we could walk out to the veranda which commands a breath-taking, panoramic view of Kyoto. Upon entering the temple, our attention was drawn to a well which is said to bring good luck. We toured the temple. It revealed its splendorous scenery and needless to say we took countless photos. We were then honoured with the experience of taking the famous Xing Chang Cheng bullet train. After the exhilarating ride, we proceeded to Osaka Shinsaibashi shopping mall. Sadly, I found nothing of interest. For dinner, we ate a buffet. And that concludes the second day of my trip.
The next morning, we toured a fish market. After that, the next destination was the famous Osaka castle. We had to transverse the winding path around the castle walls to finally reach the castle grounds. It was a real feast for the eyes. Having no chance to drink from a well in the previous temple, I finally managed to drink from the well in this temple. The water was cool and refreshing. We had to wash our hands with the water there before drinking the water with our hands and not the laddle. The inside of the castle was like a museum. I made three impressions of Osaka Castle on two pieces of paper with a rubber stamp and took them home as souvenirs. Photos of the dazzling scenery at the top of the castle were taken. After that, we had a lunch of hot pot. Then, we visited Kouyo Junior High School in Kishiwada. We received a warm welcome. We observed a maths lesson before watching the school band perform. The school band performed many beautiful pieces of music. We responded by performing the magic tricks that we learnt at an earlier camp. Subsequently, we played a game of scissors paper stone. The loser follows the victor who plays against the next person, and then the next victor leads all the previous losers to challenge the next person, and this is repeated until no more opponents are left. When the game ended, we were grouped in pairs and had a discussion with other pairs of students from the high school. I felt that the students were very welcoming and that they warmed up to us with astounding swiftness. We had a dinner of udon and hot pot. And that concludes the third day of my trip.
The following day, I awoke to a hearty buffet breakfast. We took a cruise on the serene and famous Lake Ashi to view Mount Fuji. It would have been perfect if the weather had not chosen to play spoil-sport. We ate tempura, salmon and udon. Later, we went to the sulphur valley. The rancid stench of sulphur pervaded the air. I nearly managed to make it to the area where they boil the eggs. Unfortunately, I was forced to turn back as I was buffeted by a cloud of concentrated sulphur dioxide. Before reaching our hotel on Mount Fuji, we were educated on the use of the hot springs. Due to time constraint, we did not go up to the 5th station of Mount Fuji, Fujisan. To enable me to catch some much needed sleep and rest my weary body, I was unable to enjoy the hot springs. We slept in an authentic Japanese tatami room that night. And that concludes the fourth day.
The next day, upon waking, I discovered that I had only slept for 3 hours on board the plane. Following that, I proceeded to play battle ships and chess with my classmate and fellow traveller, Joseph. Later, I played a game of insane aquarium by myself. My memory failed me when I tried to recall what was served for breakfast. But, I do recall that it was delectable. After disembarking and clearing immigration and customs, we met up with our tour guide, Auntie Jude. We proceeded to board a bus and travelled to witness the Nishijin Kimono Show. It was situated in a small shopping mall with a great variety of traditional Japanese products. The kimono show was most enjoyable as we witnessed quite a number of beautiful traditional kimonos each with its own unique design. Following that, we travelled to the Kiyomitu Temple. We sampled many traditional Japanese goodies from the stores that lined the way to the temple. I had to eat a lunch of pork cutlet and udon before entering the temple itself. From the main hall, we could walk out to the veranda which commands a breath-taking, panoramic view of Kyoto. Upon entering the temple, our attention was drawn to a well which is said to bring good luck. We toured the temple. It revealed its splendorous scenery and needless to say we took countless photos. We were then honoured with the experience of taking the famous Xing Chang Cheng bullet train. After the exhilarating ride, we proceeded to Osaka Shinsaibashi shopping mall. Sadly, I found nothing of interest. For dinner, we ate a buffet. And that concludes the second day of my trip.
The next morning, we toured a fish market. After that, the next destination was the famous Osaka castle. We had to transverse the winding path around the castle walls to finally reach the castle grounds. It was a real feast for the eyes. Having no chance to drink from a well in the previous temple, I finally managed to drink from the well in this temple. The water was cool and refreshing. We had to wash our hands with the water there before drinking the water with our hands and not the laddle. The inside of the castle was like a museum. I made three impressions of Osaka Castle on two pieces of paper with a rubber stamp and took them home as souvenirs. Photos of the dazzling scenery at the top of the castle were taken. After that, we had a lunch of hot pot. Then, we visited Kouyo Junior High School in Kishiwada. We received a warm welcome. We observed a maths lesson before watching the school band perform. The school band performed many beautiful pieces of music. We responded by performing the magic tricks that we learnt at an earlier camp. Subsequently, we played a game of scissors paper stone. The loser follows the victor who plays against the next person, and then the next victor leads all the previous losers to challenge the next person, and this is repeated until no more opponents are left. When the game ended, we were grouped in pairs and had a discussion with other pairs of students from the high school. I felt that the students were very welcoming and that they warmed up to us with astounding swiftness. We had a dinner of udon and hot pot. And that concludes the third day of my trip.
The following day, I awoke to a hearty buffet breakfast. We took a cruise on the serene and famous Lake Ashi to view Mount Fuji. It would have been perfect if the weather had not chosen to play spoil-sport. We ate tempura, salmon and udon. Later, we went to the sulphur valley. The rancid stench of sulphur pervaded the air. I nearly managed to make it to the area where they boil the eggs. Unfortunately, I was forced to turn back as I was buffeted by a cloud of concentrated sulphur dioxide. Before reaching our hotel on Mount Fuji, we were educated on the use of the hot springs. Due to time constraint, we did not go up to the 5th station of Mount Fuji, Fujisan. To enable me to catch some much needed sleep and rest my weary body, I was unable to enjoy the hot springs. We slept in an authentic Japanese tatami room that night. And that concludes the fourth day.
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