Memoirs of Aleisha

Plank bridge crossing:

Swinging through logs and ropes:

Tree ladder climbing:

Tightrope walking:

I had to pass on the rings. I’m a girl who knows her limits!

Cool glimpse of Mount Fuji through the treetops:

The best part was ziplining:

(Not me):

Managed to get through all five courses in one piece, save for a handful of bruises!
My poor arms!

The best part of the day was the beer, lunch and onsen that followed:

One hell of a workout. My arms, shoulders and back and even neck are incredibly sore. It hurt to pull my chair out every time at work today. It hurts to walk or move. Couldn’t swim or jog today. Am somewhat concerned, as I will be needing to both swim and run in this weekend’s aquathlon (yes, it’s that time of year again for open water swimming). It hurts to shower let alone swim. Sooo many muscles I never knew existed.

Got an awesome view of Mount Fuji late in the afternoon yesterday.
Fading Fuji-san:

Mohini – mini high tea

May 25, 2013October 11, 2016memoirsofaleishaLeave a comment

I’ve been slack on my high tea consumption.
I partook in afternoon tea last month with a friend made through this blog. She contacted me and told me she was a fan of high tea, so we arranged to meet up. Coz, that’s how I roll.
We ended up going to a small tea cafe called Mohini for a mini high tea.

Served on a single tray platter we got tiny finger sandwiches, a small piece of pound cake, some fruit, and the tiniest scones I have ever seen! It was very cute. The set is called “small afternoon dish” and not bad for a mere 700yen. Pots of tea are 550yen and there is a very good selection of teas. It’s a tea specialty store. A simple afternoon tea which made for a pleasant change from a hotel high tea. I’m finding that the service at hotel high teas are terrible. There are no shortages of plenty of cute cafes around Tokyo.

It was nice simple old school, home-style afternoon tea, something you’d whip up if your neighbours were to drop by. A nice light refreshment served with a pot of tea.

From Mohini – mini tea

The tiniest scones ever:

From Mohini – mini tea

Cute tea cafe:

From Mohini – mini tea

Mohini website.

Progress

May 23, 2013October 11, 2016memoirsofaleishaLeave a comment

Getting faster, slowly.

From Progress

Not running as often as I’d like.

And to think that I ran a half marathon this time last last year (in Feb 2012). Oh, how the mighty have fallen. I struggle to run 5km these days, let alone 21km!

“Motivation is what gets you started.
Habit is what keeps you going.”

32 Truths

May 15, 2013October 8, 2016memoirsofaleishaLeave a comment

1. You don’t always get what you want in life (but that shouldn’t stop you from trying).
2. You can’t make someone feel what they don’t feel.
3. Freedom comes when you learn to let go. (This. A thousand times this.)
4. Embrace simple pleasures – a cup of tea, a hot shower, fresh linen, hearing the voice of loved ones.
5. You get what you can handle. (You are stronger than you give yourself credit for).
6. A hair perm is never a good idea. (Trust me).
7. Rejection/Failure is a 1000 times better than regret. No one gets to see what could have been.
8. Progress always involves risks.
9. Tea is better than coffee.
10. Eating two whole large pizzas will make you constipated.
11. Experience is the most brutal of teachers. (See above).
12. Patience is the key to joy.
13. Memories are designed to fade.
14. Make decisions and stand by them.
15. Don’t focus on what you had. Focus on what you have. Always look at what you have left. Never look at what you have lost.
16. Respect yourself or no one else will.
17. The world owes you nothing.
18. You are worthy of love.
19. Everything is temporary.
20. Always ask. What you don’t ask for always stays the same. Know that you did everything you could.
21. Have faith in what you cannot see.
22. What comes next is up to you.
23. Sleep is underrated. (Oh bed, how I love thee.)
24. Be positive. You’ll live longer!
25. Chocolate always tastes better with a glass of milk. (It just does, ok!)
26. Be classy. Drink champagne.
27. Nothing worth having ever comes easy.
28. Be grateful.
29. EVIL spelt backwards is LIVE.
30. You have what it takes, but sometimes it will take all you’ve got.
31. Age doesn’t matter, unless you are wine or cheese (in both cases, the older the better!)
32. Everything will be ok. In fact, it will be more than ok.

Starsign wine:

Jump for Joy

May 13, 2013October 11, 2016memoirsofaleishaLeave a comment

Happy Tuesday!

May good things happen today.

From Hachijo Fuji hike

Hachijojima: Miharayama waterfalls

May 11, 2013October 11, 2016memoirsofaleishaLeave a comment

Hachijojima island has two mountains. The smaller one has some waterfalls.
Managed to hire a car and drive out to Miharayama and do a nice waterfall hike.
It was quite the leisurely hike. About 45min or so. Would recommend wearing appropriate footwear. Sandals aka Crocs didn’t quite cut it. Anyway, hiked we did in sandals. Was a gorgeous sunny day. Not the most scenic hike, but pleasant enough.

Am loving that it is spring, and summer on the way. I plan on doing more hikes this year. Have no major overseas trips planned this year (unlike last year’s Trans-Siberian month-long holiday), so plan on doing more active, nature stuff and exploring more of Japan.

Mount Mihara:

We crossed rocks, rivers and walls… in search of this elusive waterfall.

And then finally through the clearing, amidst the trees, we could see the waterfall.

Ok, so not quite the majestic waterfall I was imagining. More like a refreshing mist of water. Niagara Falls this ain’t.

If you got closer to the rock wall, you could stand right under the waterfall:

The rockpool it opened into was lovely though. It made for a nice refreshing stop after our little hike. In summer, this place would make a great little secluded watering hole. The water was numbingly cold. I dunked my feet in and waded across to the waterfall, and my feet were numb. Not quite yet warm enough for a proper swim. The rocks were also really slippery.

I managed to get right by the waterfall and did a mini photo shoot. It’s not often you get a whole waterfall to yourself.
Here are lots of pics of me (you were warned!)

Catching water:

BEWARE: Crocs in the water. And by Crocs, I mean footwear!

Clear, cold water:

On the hike back down, we stopped by the swamp pond.

Hachijojima

May 9, 2013October 11, 2016memoirsofaleishaLeave a comment

Eeek. It’s May already.
This year, I’ve definitely had way less time to blog.
May means Golden Week – public holidays and long weekends galore.
This year, I went camping on Hachijojima Island – one of the Tokyo seven Izu islands.
Having already visited Shikinejima, Niijima and Kouzushima, I racked up another island – Hachijojima – the furthest of the seven islands (an 11-hour boat ride). Hopefully will get around to visiting all 7 islands at some point.
Spent 3 nights there on the island sleeping in a tent in a nice little camping spot, along with another hundred or so people. It was Golden Week after all.

Here are some initial pics of the Sokodo beach area. Note the absence of white sandy beaches. Hachijojima is a rocky volcanic island with black sand and a helluva lot of concrete and rocks (solidified volcanic lava)

From Hachijojima

Mount Hachijo-Fuji in the background:

From Hachijojima

Hell hath frozen over

May 2, 2013October 11, 2016memoirsofaleishaLeave a comment

Brace yourself. Hell hath frozen over.
….I now own a pair of Crocs.
Yes, feel free to cut ties of friendship with me. I don’t blame you.
This is coming from the girl who once subscribed to Croc-hating group “I don’t care how comfortable they are, you look ridiculous”! I used to give a lot of flak to Croc-wearers. I am now one of them.

I hadn’t intended on purchasing on a pair. Was out shopping in Shinjuku with a friend for outdoor camping gear, trying on beach/summer footwear etc.
I happened to try on a pair of slip sandals. They felt weird…like walking on silicon jelly. They were comfortable, but weird.
Maybe my feet have never known comfort until now.
My friend remarked that they were Crocs (she knows I hate Crocs). I called BS. Lo and behold, checked the shoe and they were indeed Crocs.

I succumbed and actually forked over cash to acquire these Crocs.

They’re no ordinary Crocs though. Check these out. I am totally rockin’ the Crocs.

From Crocs

Do they look any cooler/hipster-ish with an Instagram filter?

From Crocs

In other fashion faux pas, check out this sleeping bag one-piece suit. I mean, why bring a sleeping bag, when you can WEAR one instead!

From Crocs

An array of colours to choose from to suit any wardrobe and skin tone:

From Crocs

There’s a hell of a lot of zippers and cords and pockets:

From Crocs

Where can you get one of these, you ask. Amazon Japan.

I resisted the urge to purchase one, and instead bought a $40 tent. Am going camping this Golden Week long weekend!

Spring again

April 2, 2013October 11, 2016memoirsofaleishaLeave a comment

It’s that time of year where the cherryblossoms are in full bloom. They were really early this year. Practically came and went before April even started.

Here are a couple of obligatory cherryblossom photos to see in spring.

Bread Brunch: Le Pain Quotidien

March 27, 2013October 11, 2016memoirsofaleishaLeave a comment

Another brunch venue ticked off the list.
If you like bread and got the dough to spend, check out Le Pain Quotidien (means “The Daily Bread”) right near Shiba Park and Tokyo Tower.
Here you’ll find a great bakery with real breads – a bit of a luxury in Japan.
Breads and pastries galore and tarts to boot, including lemon tart!

I got a pot of tea (surprise, surprise), but I highly recommend ordering a large cafe latte or cappuccino, or any large coffee for that matter. They are served in awesome bowls (oversized handle-less mugs).

Le Pain Quotidien is open for breakfast/brunch, lunch, afternoon, and dinner.
It’s a great breakfast spot because they’re open from 7:30am in the morning – a rarity in Japan. Throughout the day they serve quiche, mezze platters, open-faced sandwiches, waffles, breads, cakes/pies etc, and even serve alcohol. It’s a great all-day venue.

The first time I went there was in the afternoon for a late lunch and cake break with friends.

The second time I went was for breakfast/brunch. Note that the breakfast menu stops at 11am. They have an assortment of eggs they do. I opted for another open sandwich – prosciutto, fig, and ricotta.

The restaurant itself is comfortable. There’s an open street terrace out the front perfect for summer al fresco dining.

Tokyo Tower in the background:

Tower reflection: