An Epic Begins Here...

- Never Stop Dreaming -

Finally after the long wait it's finally over...or is it just the beginning? I was in Tokyo over the weekend after trailing some charts resembling economic supply and demand representations here in Nagano for over a month. Met up with another fellow SGrean in Tokyo, A, another avid photographer. A was amazing laid back, suave and blended into the Japanese community just like me...but deep in our hearts, we are still very much the Kampung Kids from back home craving for the occasional Laksa and Mee Siam.

The temperature and humidity in Tokyo was relatively similiar to that in SG and despite me coming down from Nagano (dressed to kill), I soon found myself at the mercy of the intense heat. I was literally melting as the scorching heat zapped me of my life-sustaining fluids. To preserve my egoistic image in Tokyo, I disrobed my Jacket only to lost the Iphone I found 6 months earlier, !"#$%&'! Found it and lost it...guess like I am not fated to be with it. Walked around with A following my crumpled map with faded colors printed from a not so decent printer. Kinda reminded me of those SAF topo days...2 of the locations were stripped of the gem I was desperately seeking. I had brought hard cold cash...20 odd pieces of freshly scented Japanese bank notes with no crases ready to spurge them. Finally after sweating so badly, A and I made it to the 3rd and last location which I had mapped. 2 pieces left and I was unable to do a physical check.

Counted those 20 odd pieces of bank notes and handly them reluctantly to the shopkeeper in exchange for a white glossy box in a brown paper bag. A bit relieved since my main motive for this trip down to Tokyo was fulfilled. The nearby Mac at Akiba was the obvious choice for a well deserved break where I unboxed the gem and tested it out. Had brought along a 35L to do the test because of the shallow 1.4 depth of focus (think creamy buttery smooth blurred background with the subject in crispy clear focus!). The shutter count read 0 which of course meant it was brand new and not tested (I presumed). Vid went smooth, pictures were sweet and the sound of the mirror flipping was a little more beautiful than my old one. After the initial checks, I went to Akiba to grab some nice P.L.D filters before parting ways with A who had to attend to personal biz. Anyway a really BIG thanks to A who accompanied me thru this sweaty ordeal.

A mixture of anxiety and dispair filled me as I made my way to Harajuku to meet M, my model from Kyoto. Chilled out for a while at a sweet cafe in Harajuku before heading to Shibuya for my dinner alone since M had a dinner date with her family. Aldgate, which I found thru the net was where I wanted to go for my dinner since I have been craving for decent Fish and Chips. Besides Aldgate was a British Pub with a rather rustic medieval setting. The Fish and Chips were not as fantastic as what the net had described but the British Ale, (Aldgate's Ale) was amazing. Along the years my alcoholic escapades had led me to salivate over a pint of Old Irish or British Ale and this place surely didn't disappont. Kilkenny(s) were superb and my all time favorite but still nothing beats a local British Ale. Too bad such an exquisite taste is not a fad for 1 huge hairy beast of the forest, the Mighty but Tiny Bear...Haha! :p

Since I was alone, drinking alone in a pub would be one of the last thing I want to do. Went over to another table of 3 Japanese girls to join them for a drink since everywhere else were either non-Japanese or Japanese guys. Was really really really taken by surprise to discover that one of the girls was actually the daughter of a Japanese teacher in the next town from mine in Nagano where my friend, another foreigner, taught! What a coincidence...brats! Came some 246km from Nagano to Tokyo and only to find another fellow country bump like meself...how hilarious!

After that, I kinda wanted to do some partying to re-discover my dancing roots but in the end, I skipped that since my funds were slowly being depleted and I had to start getting aquainted with my new TOY!. Well, initially I had planned to party thru the nite to conserve funds but the amount of dirt that I had built up after all that unpleasant sweating experience in the day was just intolerable. All I want now is a nice comfy bed and a shower. Had a confirmation with C that I was granted permission to crash at her place and I knew God had heard my thoughts eventhough I didn't pray. So grateful to C for lending me a shelter for the night for free so I obliged to her request for watching a DVD with her. Her choice was Batman The Dark Knight. At her place, before the movie began, I was testing out my uber expensive TOY for dead pixels on my Mac...thank God there were none visible (Maybe I was testing it wrongly...not sure). Played around a bit more with the 35L 1.4 at movie settings before sealing it back in the bubble wrap. Then the movie began and I snoozed 3/4 towards the end till the morning. While in my little dreamland, I could vividly hear C calling me to wake up and watch it as the plot got deeper. Her disturbance got no further...Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Woke up in the morning covered in sweat...dang! Took a fast shower and conveyed my gratitude to C who was still in her zombie sleep before taking off. Boarded the 12.30 bus and continued to snooze till I hit Nagano and then my humble mountain shack. Popped in the battery and it was here where the epical journey of the Canon 5D Mk 2 begins....