I posted this on Facebook but I realised I missed out on documenting this on the blog. I want to remember these wonderful friends I’ve made in Japan, of how much fun and support they have contributed during our Japan trip. & So here we have here:

Letter to Friends I’ve met during the Japan trip

To Peter:
Of course I have to start off with thanking this gentleman here for first off, asking me if I’d like to join for this trip to Japan – Iwate and Fukushima Prefecture to make yet another part of Project YUME happen. I was more than willing and too excited – Yes was the answer and we went ahead. Having me to be the photographer of this trip, I am more than honoured to be. I’m no professional, just with a slightly better camera to console me and my only decent photography skills and angles. Something I’ve always been curious about ever since we met in Spotlight Singapore in Cape Town, something I finally got down to doing, moreover with photography to spice up this trip. Thank you for building up on your muscles for you carried and lugged my heavy luggage almost everywhere whenever possible (I still have no idea why my luggage’s so heavy). Thank you for always wanting the best for me, wanting me to go to certain places of interests because for my first trip to Tokyo, you felt that I should not have missed it at all. Thank you for your jokes that I always wonder how you come up with them, making this trip filled so much with laughter. Thank you for taking care of me throughout this trip like an elder brother. Thank you for sharing with many others about my dreams too. Thank you for making this happen, if not for that, I would not have been able to go to Japan for Project YUME and as a tourist. I hope I have not been of a trouble for what I wanted to do, was to help as much as I could. I have so much to thank you for, Peter. Thank you Peter.

To Dennis:
Thank you so much, you don’t know how much I want to thank you for all that you have done. Starting off with fetching us at 7 for the arrival of us in Japan, to bringing us around Waseda university, introducing your friends to us and allowing this trip to be so localised for I got to know so many friends like never before. And most importantly, us troubling you in terms of accommodation and places to visit. Thank you so much for willing to let us stay in your apartment, I sincerely hope we did not disrupt your schedule as much, especially when on some days you’ve got plans and tests. Thank you for your efforts in translating Japanese to English for us at every possible moment, thank you for understanding us when at times we were too eager to find out about what those Japanese friends or elders have said, wanting you to translate almost instantly. Your passion in learning languages has struck me even more, I want to brush up on my French and if possible, Japanese, so that in the future, not only can we communicate in English and Mandarin but in French and Japanese too. No more worries to troubling only you to translate Japanese to English for us then! Looking forward to perhaps meet you in Singapore or Japan in the future.

To Bush:
This 19 year old boy whom seems too matured for his age, always willing to share with us about the Japanese and Taiwanese culture, telling us stories and not forgetting jokes that drive us so crazy especially during our train ride from Fukushima back to Tokyo. It is definitely pleasing to know that at 19, this gentleman here wants to be part of an action in changing the world. You whom knows what you want to do, and is always working hard in making things happen. I really look forward to any chance of me returning to Japan or even going to your home country, Taichung (Taiwan) where we could have much more fun together on such trips and most importantly, during those trips, to change the world through drawing and inspiring others. Stop eating only bread for meals, please eat something else that is more healthy too! Looking forward to see you soon if possible

To Quentin:
Quentin, thank you so much for hosting us well despite your busy schedule. Like you’ve said, together with Bush, should we go over to Japan or Taiwan in the future, and you coming to Singapore, we’d host each other well in our home countries. Thank you for your efforts in wanting to meet up with us whenever possible and your utmost support for Project YUME is much appreciated as well, for we all have a similar mindset in knowing that we can change the world in some way, somehow, somewhere.

To Emily:
Thank you for wanting to meet us over dinner at Baba Sensei’s son’s restaurant, instead of going ahead with your other plans. Thank you for understanding that Quentin just wanted to spend more time with us now that we were in Japan. Most importantly, it has been most inspiring to know that you’re doing fashion well in Tokyo! I wish you all the best in your future endeavours and your dream in becoming a stylist will definitely come true, make it happen, I know you will

To X-Min:
My fellow Singaporean! Thank you for joining us on my first day in Japan, putting aside your plans to gym and accompanying us to Meiji Shrine, Shinjuku, Harajuku and Shibuya all the way. Guess what we remember best is none other than the above photo that we’ve taken together. Although I did not get to use your museum card, I’d certainly hope I’d get to use it in the future if I do return to Japan. Nevertheless, it was great meeting you my fellow Singaporean, let’s meet up when we both happen to be back in our homeland

To Kai Wen:
Unique name you’ve got that, easy to remember as well. It was nice having you to join us for dinner straight at Shibuya after your plans to finish your report, though we did not exactly spend a lot of time together in Japan due to conflicting schedules, it was great hearing your travel experiences over lunch (our curry soup)! Not forgetting, us taking neoprints together (my first in Japan) – I’m keeping the photo in my phone to remember us

To KHYlin:
Hyobae, though I haven’t had the chance to really chat with you, our first meet up at your working place McDonald’s was a pleasant one. You surprising us with your album as a gift to us made me smile. Your hospitality and service while working at McDonald’s made me smile. Your awesome intriguing performance on stage, you singing at your best made me smile. A pity I did not get to stay together with you (not that I would want to disrupt your schedule) but if we were to do so, it would be nice getting to know you even better. Continue to smile, continue to be that funny jumpy girl I’ve met and most importantly, regardless of the challenges you meet in your career, to do even better and I hope your path to debut and remain as the musician whose music many appreciate and enjoy will be smooth. I’m waiting…

To Hiroki:
It was my first time in Tokyo, at such a late timing, standing outside Saizeriya to meet you. Thank you for being so enthusiastic in wanting to bring us around Tokyo and meeting us almost daily if possible. Us going to Pokemon Center, Tokyo Tower and Senso-Ji together on one of the days on the trip was a great one! I sincerely wish you all the best in your application for Tokyo Art University for that is your dream that we all wish would come true.

To Sekine:
Thank you for lugging your heavy backpack and still going around to Pokemon Center, Tokyo Tower and Senso-Ji with us till late at night. And not forgetting your efforts of translating Japanese to English in order for us to understand things better. It was great knowing you!

To Yukari:
It was a pleasant night to have met you over dinner, and us going over to the Game Center to be awed by DDR fans’ techniques and passion! Wished we had more time to spend together in Japan but it was nice knowing you too Yukari

To Satoshi & Yuki:
Great knowing the both of you. Satoshi, let’s brush up on our French and Korean, oh and Chinese for you so that we can converse in those languages in the future when we meet. Yuki, such a shy beautiful lady, keep working hard and I hope your dream will come true. It was a nice way getting to know one another, through KHylin whom we supported at her 3rd live performance.

To Mika:
Work hard but please do not tire yourself. Your job that requires so much effort and time from you, worries many of us. But nevertheless, I’m glad you’ve been coping well. Let’s keep in contact, if you should come back to Singapore or me to Japan. We have so much more to share, talk and do together!

To Emi:
It was great meeting you Emi, of how you supported Project YUME and were keen to find out more. Am happy for you, for you finally got to meet Peter personally after conversing on youtube.

To Baba Sensei:
Thank you so much for your willingness in helping Project YUME happen, with the assistance of your networks with schools in Japan, project YUME has been even more successful with your discussions and coordination with them and us. It is heartwarming to know that despite your limited English and my limited Japanese, we were able to communicate reasonably well during our trip to Imperial Garden, Roppongi Hills. Thank you for sharing with us so much about Japanese history and culture, for we had a better understanding now. Your last phone call before we left Tokyo.. I remembered it, I thank you for giving that last call to say goodbye to us.

To Eiki:
I love your photos, even more inspired to take such great shots like you did. Though the gallery featured your photographs of genre that weren’t that familiar to us, it was nice to be able to appreciate something extraordinary. Looking forward to see the article about you and Tokyo Boy in the Singapore magazine that you mentioned. Even though I could not buy any of the photographs, I bought your badge with your cute signature on it, it was a little action I could do to let you know, you’ve got a supporter like me here from Singapore!

To Rina:
Rina, whose music I fell in love with upon seeing her cheerful appearance and that guitar in her arms at the concert. It was the first time I felt so strongly for, so instantly because that was the music I loved, the kind of performance I’d enjoyed, for Rina smiled throughout her performance whenever necessary. She enjoyed the stage, that was what I was looking for in someone whose passion is so strong, someone whom is working so hard to pursue what she wants – to be that musician appreciated by many others.

To Dan:
Listening to you speak Mandarin, makes us feel so much at home. In addition to your spoken Mandarin, the China accent made us smile for we think of our Chinese roots. Thank you for your efforts in translating Miya’s words (especially those business terms) into Mandarin for us to understand and communicate better. Hearing that you’re 1 out of the 4 being accepted into the company that you’d be working for, I am proud to have met you and that your hard work has definitely reaped into great results. You know you can do even better in life, nice knowing you Dan

To Yukiko:
You were such a smiley lady, I’m glad to have met you on the last day of my trip. Moreover, you introducing 2 new friends to us has enriched this trip even more. It was fun talking to you as the men talk about business and you shared with me about your job and Tokyo while we walked along Ginza.

To Miya:
More than happy to have met you, one of the funniest Japanese friend we’ve known during this trip to Japan. Your ideas and efforts, plans in wanting to change the world – keep it going. I wish for all the best with regards to your plans with Peter, make them happen, I want to hear about it happened even if I’m in Switzerland. Can’t wait to see photos of your newborn baby in 2 weeks’ time, upload on Facebook to show us then

Eating monja together with Miya’s jokes and Yukiko’s smile on her face all the time was fun and yummy, I enjoyed the dinner

To Kohei:
We didn’t have a photo together unfortunately, but nevertheless, I’d remember you as the gentleman whom we met at Takadanobaba while you were cycling. I wish you all the best in your job hunting and that you’d get a satisfactory job that will realise your dream, that you could work hard for!

To Edward:
It was nice meeting you, and glad to see you doing well in Japan! Hope you do come back to Singapore often, well, guess it must be tiring and possibly enough of staying out there! Should you come back to Singapore and should I be back in Singapore, perhaps we could meet up together with Peter then! Remember the joke about the ‘bill’ at the korean bbq restaurant haha!

To Zhao Di:
Dear Zhao Di, it was such a coincidence meeting you at the restaurant on 8th Friday. Nice talking to you too, sorry if I surprised you with the ‘I know that’ because earlier on, Sekine told me a little about you. Keep that smile going, beautiful lady =) Wished we could talk more, next time invite me to 青岛！Anyway, all the best for your exchange programme in US!

To 時宜:
Nice meeting you at KHylin’s 3rd live! Didn’t get much chance to talk to you, but now I have you on Facebook, I’ll find out more about you I see that you’re a campus tour guide of Waseda, that’s exactly what I’ve been interested in – which is why I was my school’s official student ambassador and am yearning to be the ambassador of my to-be school in Lausanne, Switzerland too! Let Waseda be proud of you, girl! Nice knowing you!

–
All of you, my new friends I’ve made in Japan – I really hope to see all of you soon. Though I’m leaving for Switzerland in September, the least I could do is to keep in contact with all, look out for your updates (statuses and photos) on Facebook to see how all of you have been doing and most importantly, hoping that I’d be able to host you as well as all of you did if you, my dear friends were to come to Singapore one day!

Thank you for making this Japan trip, these 9 days a memorable one for me. If not for having all of you my new friends, it wouldn’t have been that enjoyable, fruitful and filled with laughter.

To think about it… this is the kind of travelling I’d like to see myself do in the future, a localised (interaction with locals and going to places the locals know best) yet slightly touristy (at least to visit the places of interests at the destination) travelling trip.

Thank you friends Thank you so so much!