It's a part of my job to meet different people day in day out, and this time round I was rostered with a few of the people I've flown with before, who joined at around the same time as I did. In other words, it was our first solo for SQ12, which is the flight number for Singapore to Narita, and Narita to Los Angeles.
Both stations are new stations that I haven't been to before, so the whole flight was a brand new experience for me. So we did a lot of sightseeing around LA, and lots of eating in Japan.
So right after touching down in Narita, we were all famished so we went out to the nearby mall for dinner. And thankfully, this senior of mine brought us to this amazing restaurant and most of us ordered this basket full of oyster goodness (and SOBAAAAA) and I think I was already in love with Narita by then.
Us first solos went out the next day to have lunch and instead of stopping at the mall, we decided to explore the village area. Most shops weren't open then because we were pretty early, but there was this random seafood restaurant which was open so we tried our luck and hey! Amazing food once again. You really can't go wrong with Japan. Like look at that chirashi bowl, it's so pretty?!
So that was the first part of Japan for us. Like I said, it involved A LOT of eating.
That night itself, we got all set and ready for our flight to LA! I remember feeling so excited. And the best part is that it's only 9 hours away from NRT so the flight really didn't feel that long at all and suddenly we're in a totally different GMT.
Jet lag is so real in LA, but my body adjust to light so even though it was supposedly our bed time, but because it was still afternoon in LA and all sunny and bright outside, I was ready to start my day with no ounce of fatigue. Sometimes I think excitement plays a part too. When I get really excited, I just forget that I'm tired.
The first day in LA, we did a little shopping at the nearby mall, it has Macy's, Sephora, a NYX outlet (it was my first time seeing a shop with the entire collection of NYX products and quite a number of make up that aren't available in Singapore), Victoria's Secret and many more. All the American brands, you name it. Within the first hour of shopping, I already got myself a pair of leather boots from Macy's. Talk about self-control. Zero. Zilch. And you can tell how the rest of the night went down after that.
I told myself not to get anything from Sephora because the damage done from my previous States flight was just too much. But in the end, temptation took the better of me and I got myself a foundation I really wanted- Too Faced's Born This Way foundation! Swear to God it's the best shit being put on my face, ever. The best investment, hands down. And I love Too Faced, how often do you get something that looks SO cute on the outside and works so well too. Quality win, fo' sure.
The next day, which is our clear day, we rented a car and drove around LA. And we were all super excited! Makes me wanna break into a Madonna song. Everybody goes to Hollywood~
First stop in LA: Rodeo Drive
(aka rich people street la okay- which somehow turned into a really popular tourist attraction)
'Cos when you have an Instagrammer in the set, you instantly get a great photographer who can take pictures like this ;)
Our very own Sex and The City pose. Hey I think we nailed it! (Gwen and Rohana almost tripped onto each other so they were actually genuinely laughing hahahah)
90210 beverly hills or.... "you can't sit with us"?
Being total tourist at the Hollywood Walk of Fame and I was stoked when I found the hand/foot prints of my favourite trio! My hand fits Emma Watsons' pretty perfectly- SOULMATES.
Before anyone else photobombs my picture, I quickly stepped into Michael Jackson's star and took a picture. And yes that's me sporting my new leather boots all around LA!
Next stop: LACMA, Urban Lights. As gorgeous as it looks for Instagram, you'll be laughing when you see it in real life. But for an insta-worthy picture, I'd say GO FOR IT.
'Cos you need a photo just like this in LA for Instagram okay? Mandatory.
Santa Monica! Super duper crowded and I obviously wasn't dressed for the beach but so pretty. Loving the vibes over here.
Sometimes in life, you just have to take a second and let it all sink in. We were just chilling at the bridge, listening to the sound of the waves and enjoying the sea breeze, with Hotel California playing by a busker at the side- taking it all in.
After spending the whole day sightseeing, I was dead beat by the time we arrived at the hotel. But still we went out again to a nearby beach for dinner and the Uber driver recommended this really nice restaurant at Hermosa Beach and that's where we had our dins. And we were so glad we listened to him- the food was pretty delicious!
An accidental blur shot turned pretty. Look at the palm trees at the sides and the lights and how they complement the evening sky- sigh, the vibes.
Watching the sunset is one of my favourite things in life, and it was the perfect ending to our day in LA. So much chill vibes with great company, the weather was perfect and so beautiful indeed. These are the kind of days I live for.All good things have to come to an end, and it was already time for us to leave LA and head back to Narita the next morning.
After touching down in Narita, much to our surprise, we received a notification from the hotel that that power will be down from midnight till 6am in the morning. That means no electricity, no aircon, no wifi- and we were having a semi panic attack because that leaves us only a couple hours to shower, talk to our loved ones and somehow having to deal with no air conditioning while sleeping.
Upon checking in, I quickly showered and got myself ready to meet the crew again for dinner. Then we decided that we're going to stay up in someone's room together for the night. Headed to a convenience store and got some drinks and snacks, and we all gathered at Azerai's room with our flashlights and chilled.
Somehow the unfortunate event turned into an eventful one. I was honestly dreading the idea of sleeping alone with the power down, but thank God for the crew, I didn't have to worry about that anymore. It feels nice that we were all in it together and we stayed together, it definitely makes the whole situation a lot more bearable.
Halfway through the night, we all snoozed all over the room- some on the beds, one on the sofa and another on the floor. And when the power came back up at around 5-ish in the morning, we all went back to our rooms and snoozed some more. Things like this don't really happen every day now, do they? Haha.
The next day after eventful night, we decided to head out again to explore Tokyo. Our LSS, Zar, brought us to this hidden gem to have some #cheapcheapgoodgood soba down a random alley which I hope I still remember the way around because I'm definitely coming back for more. And I realised too late that I didn't take a picture of the soba! But damn, it was good.
Dinner at a sushi joint we decided to randomly try, and like I said, you just can't go wrong with anywhere in Japan. They take so much pride in everything they do, and anywhere you eat, you can be assured that you're having the good stuff. Sushi so fresh and good, that now I'm craving for Japanese food again. See that little express train at the top of the picture? That's how they delivered what we ordered. So cute we were obsessed.
There's always space for dessert! We walked to the Loccitane cafe right across the Shibuya crossing junction and shared some sweet treats. The creme brรปlรฉe was ooh la la, super yummy.
That wasn't the end of the day. We still made time to squeeze in some Karaoke action at the end of the night and I had so much fun I could die. Zar and Gwen were such great singers I was in total awe, okay. Amazing how much we could all learn about each other if we took a bit of time to get to know one another.
Eight days went by so quickly on this trip. We were out and about almost every single day that we aren't working, with very minimal rest. It was so worth it though, I wouldn't have it any other way. Flying is always fun with great company, especially on long flights like this. Now writing about it made me miss all the fun and the soba we had on every sector.
May I be blessed with great rosters like this every single month. #prayforashhy
Till the next travelogue!
Love,
Ashhy
It must have been exciting to explore both Narita and Los Angeles, especially since you were able to do a little shopping and dining. The restaurants you mentioned sound so delicious, and I would love to check out the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I cannot imagine having to stay overnight at a hotel without any electricity, but it certainly made for a great story.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's definitely one of my favourite layovers ever. And I do hope that you'll get to experience all these yourself one day! It's one thing to read about it, but it's definitely a whole new feeling when you're actually experiencing it and I can't wait for you to feel that magic. God bless, and thank you for reading my blog :)
Delete