This has to be the most extravagant Starbucks that I have ever been to, to say the least. As for now, it is crowned as the biggest Starbucks in the world, Tokyo Reserve Roastery was opened just as recently as in February 2019. I first knew about the place via a FB post of a friend of mine. Not that I am a Starbucks fan, but since I was in Tokyo, I thought might as well go for a visit.
We visited the Roastery during evening, and judging from many Youtube videos, I guess lucky for us or may be the hype had died down, we didn't have to queue hours to get into the premise. Located appropriately in the hipster area of Nakameguro, the four-storey Roastery looks more like a church than anything else to me. What more to say about the Roastery: the lighting, the grandeur, the emblem of a star above a 'R', the criss-crossing conveyer tubes, the overall golden hue that is almost too bright for the eye. Every deco, every corner, is highly instagrammable. Every barista, every worker, is dressed impeccably for you to take photo.
The drinks there are, as expected, pricier than other Starbucks chain. I can't really judge if the coffee quality is better because I'm the kind of guy who is accustomed to the slightly burned and oily kopi kaw in a traditional Hainan kopitiam. Regardless how good or how unique the drinks there are, I don't think it is a good environment at all to enjoy a drink. This is a place built to impress, crowded with tourists is not a side effect, it is the intention. I just feel very uncomfortable having a coffee there, with everyone passing around me with phones on hand for the perfect picture. But who can blame them. I myself also unconsciously took out my phone to snap a few. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." So when in the branded coffee church, do as instagrammers do.
The only difference between "awe-some" and "awe-ful" is the ending. I was definitely awed when I first saw the place but my overall experience in the end was just a shrug of shoulders. I would say it is worth to visit, but for once only.
Whenever I tell people I went to Tokyo, people always ask: "Did you go to Disneyland?" My answer would always be: "Why Disneyland when you have Fuji-Q Highland!" May be due to my personal experience with Paris Disneyland because it bored the shit out of me, I would say that Disneyland is for the kids and tourists, good for pictures and souvenir-shopping, and nothing else. Meanwhile Fuji-Q highland is for thrill-seekers!
Fuji-Q Highland is not as near as Disneyland if departing from Tokyo downtown. We took the bus transport to and fro from Shinjuku + 1day entry ticket package, which amounted to 8000 Yen (~RM320). I have never heard of Fuji-Q before. Little to my knowledge, the amusement park used to hold or still holds multiple Guinness world records for the roller coasters and amusement rides in the park. The fastest, the tallest, the most twist-and-turns, everything, Fuji-Q currently holds the records or at least once holds so.
We arrived there at 10am. After a light breakfast, we first tackled the infamous Haunted Hospital. No queue is needed but an extra 1000 Yen and time slot booking were needed. Each time slot was limited to 4 people and between each group there was a 20min gap. Our wait was not that long though. It started off with a short clip to introduce the "history of the hospital", and then we were left to walk through the hospital on our own pace. Our strategy was to hold shoulders, single file, and trying to walk as fast as
we could. Even walking
really fast, it still took us more than half an hour to finish. In the end,
we didn't get as much jump scare as anticipated. But the hype before
going in, the creepy and unsettling atmosphere, and our own wild imagination
scared the shit out of us. We were just so relieved when we finally got out. Thumbs up for this scary shit!
After that we took the Red Tower to slowly ease ourselves into the 4 main rides of the day: Fujiyama, Do-dodonpa, Takabisha, and Eejanaika. Our first one: Takabisha with its world record 121 degree drop. Out of the 4, I would say that this is my favorite. The ride could really be separated into 2 parts, each part was unique in itself. What's memorable about the ride was it went against all my expectations, such as it straight-away started off with a few drops and inversions in the dark, and the 121 degree drop was not the first thing we did; it was actually in the second part of the ride. The design of some inversions was very unique but the highlight must be the 121 degree drop: 90 degree vertical climb to the top and then brief stop at the apex of the 121 degree drop to let you see your doom.
At the apex of the 121 degree drop. We are all smiling,
while the row behind us, their expressions are just GOLD!
Takabisha
Next: Do-dodonpa. The world fastest acceleration ride, 0 to 180km/h within 1.56s, subjecting the passengers to 3.3G. That's more than astronauts who are subjected to during space shuttle launch time! The figures and the facts were not very telling, until we sat for the ride for ourselves. That world record acceleration was just not something one could get used to even after a few rides. Even with a count down, the G-force still could hit me unexpectedly. Unexpected because it really packed a punch. But besides that acceleration, there was nothing much it offered. Don't get me wrong, it was still very very impressive.
We then tackled the Fujiyama - the flagship ride of the park. One thing for sure: it was huge. In fact, the Fujiyama track dominated the skyline of the park, the first thing you would see when you entered the park. It used to be the fastest and the highest roller coaster in the world in the 90s but right now it became the "tamest" of the 4. To survive the other 3, I would say that you must first pass this test, because although "tamer" in comparison, the height and the speed would still deter many people. For me, I was laughing during the entire ride, because the two girls sitting in front of me were shouting so damn hysterically.
And finally: Eejanaika. This is my least favorite because it gave a headache after the ride. I think my sister puts it the best: the entire ride is like a memory loss. It is what so called 4-dimension roller coaster, so this is not conventional in any way possible. First the seat is independently rotatable. Second the track itself is intense enough without the rotatable seat. So combining both element, you have a vomit inducing ride. The whole thing was just so fast, so disorienting, I didn't remember anything from the ride except that I was flipped and rotated around in all sort of unexpected directions. Just before I was able to grasp what'd just happened, the ride just ended, leaving no time for me to process the all sensations thrown straight at my face. Intense? Yea. Second round? May be not.
This guy's reaction describes pretty much how I felt for Eejanaika.
Each of these 4 rides didn't take very long. In fact we spent most of our time there just queuing. During the day of our visit, the crowd was average. Even so, the queue
for the most famous rides would still take more than an hour each. So at the end Eejanaika, it was already 5.30pm, time to hit the bus to go back to Shinjuku.
Was the RM320 worth it? Yes, every penny! It was an EXPERIENCE! I would even go as far as Fuji-Q is THE highlight of my first Japan trip.
After 10-day stay in the Tokyo metropolitan area, the two food items that I miss the most got to be wagyu beef and, surprisingly, tamago sando (Japanese egg sandwich). No more introduction is needed for wagyu beef. We all have heard of it and seen it on TV or on some Youtube channel. Yes, it tastes like heaven. My expectation for wagyu was skyscraper high but it still tastes better than I could have imagined in every way possible. In my experience, not many things can survive such a hype. Wagyu beef is among the rare cases.
However, it is the tamago sando that wins my heart. Hard-boiled eggs, kewpie mayonnaise, and fluffy slices of bread, a combination of such simple ingredients creates a delightful flavor. The slightly bulging center with creamy egg and mayonnaise goodness on the brink of oozing out is what I would say as the defining characteristic of a Japanese egg sandwich. Unlike wagyu, the price of an egg sandwich is super down-to-earth and it is readily available in every convenience store in Japan.
I guess nostalgia also plays a role when I say I miss it the most. When you travel on a budget in Japan, convenience store becomes your best friend. Most of my meals were settled here during the 10-day stay. I tried many items in the convenience store, but in the end I still grabbed a tamago sando, and may be occasionally a slice of cheese cake. Sushi, ramen, donburi, udon, tempura, I would say none of them really trumps over a simple tamago sando.
"When the emotion becomes too strong for speech, you sing; when it becomes too strong for song, you dance."
-- Proverb --
Some songs are just not the same without the dance. This is the case for the current trending song of Sam Smith, "How do you sleep?". I had listened to it many many times through Hitz FM on radio and my reaction was always just "meh". But I accidentally stumbled upon the MV of the song for the first time a few days ago, needless to say I have gained a fresh new appreciation for the song.
The highlight of "How do you sleep?" is the dance choreography in the MV. At first I was intrigued and at the same time, mildly shocked by the strange clothing, the excessive hip swinging, and the stereotypical feminine dance moves performed by all-men dance crew. However on second viewing, it started to grow on me. And before you know it, I have watched the MV a few hundreds times.
All I can feel in the dance of this song is purely unapologetic sincerity, to the point that it is hypnotic to watch. Even though the dance moves are what normally categorized as feminine, by no mean that it is easy to perform. They perfect every motion with such strength and vigor that I just find it so cool. Simply put, I wish I could dance like that. This song is seriously challenging the stereotype!
Penang Eco 100k, 104km total distance, 3900m total cumulative altitude
gain. I finished the run just within 24 hours, placing 34th overall over
130 finishers, while more than 200 started. This is not the first time I
take part in Penang Eco: 160k 2017 and 160k 2018 but I DNF both. That's
why I had decided to step down the challenge and took on the 100k this
year.
"Was it too easy?"
Am I too cocky to think this? Although it sounds like I'm bragging myself, for a long time after I finished the run I am genuinely feeling disturbed by this thought. Unlike all my ultra attempts prior to this, finished or not (Ut4M 2015, Ut4M 2016 : Second Chance), where I was always half dead at the
end, I was still feeling fresh and strong after completing the 100km surprisingly. This feeling was totally new to me.
The course can be divided into 2 distinct stages: first 50k is almost all flat, while second 50k is all the ups and downs. I remember I went through the first 50k with relative ease. I can't say that I flied
through it, I had some run and some fast walking, keeping the myself away from hitting the red zone as usual. I reached back at Sungai Lembu the 50k point at around 20h30, with 3 hours and a half margin gained from the COT. The major challenge of the first 50k was the heat because it took place during the intense heat of the afternoon. I saw some were having
troubles with the heat, but I was not. I guess my intentional training
run under the hot afternoon sun had paid off.
Although the second half with all the ups and downs was where people said the harder half, I was surprised that I was able to keep the same pace throughout. No matter how steep the up or how gnarly the down, I was always on the same pace and without stopping. My mom and my sister who visited me at CP6 were also amazed and said that I was looking really fresh when they saw me. When I reached CP7 Berapit at 3am, I was already pretty sure that I could finish the race already, which again this feeling shouldn't happen this soon according to my previous experience. I was feeling good and at the same time very scared because the feeling was something unfamiliar, just as a huge thunder cloud was approaching.
A storm started as soon as I left CP7. On the super exposed paddy fields, the angry thunder lighting got me
worry. It took no time before I got soaking wet and cold. I was planning to walk
fast only until the end, but the cold forced me back to running pace just to keep
myself warm. At CP8 I didn't stay too long either, because it was just
so cold and I had to keep moving. With the heavy rain, the route between CP8 and CP9 became very muddy and
sometimes dangerous. I was in a group, all with the same pace, went
through this route together. I did slip and fall a few times, got a few
scratches here and there but luckily nothing serious.
At CP9, the sky cleared up. It was 7am. I could almost feel the finish line. At this point, I figured that I must have some blisters under my feet
because I could feel the pain already. The blisters may be due to the wet shoes and
socks. And also, I just wished that I had gaiters because little rocks
and sand kept going into my shoes and socks, and rubbing my feet, worsen the blisters even more. "Let's just forget about it and keep going", I thought.
Soon enough CP10 was behind me. Reaching CP11 at around 11am, the last CP before finish line, I just
decided to make the finish line before 1pm. So I did, reaching
at exactly 12.43pm, 23 hours and 43 mins. Done!
Beside a few blisters and scratches, upon finishing the run, my legs were strong, my spirit was still high, and I felt like I could still going further on. So was the run too easy for me? Or I had trained myself very well this round? I'm not sure. What I am sure is my limits were not reached.
Will I come back to challenge the 160k? I reckon not because the most interesting parts of Penang Eco are all explored in the 100k category. The extra 60k from the 160k category is very flat, mainly on tar road and too often running side by side with other vehicles on the road. Time to aim for the other ultra.
