27th May

The day before I left for Hakodate. went to Chika's for her last lesson and met her toys. Haro and Aibo! My introduction to Japan's obsession with robots, portrayed in a friendly manner. Much unlike western image of robots as generally threatening towards mankind. My dear dear fridge did leave me at night. She wasn't really very clean, but I guess the Vietnamese student can clean it anyway.

Still a busy day even before I left for Hakodate. Had lunch with Marumi chan and Chihiro at picante. Yep, soup curry again!!Marumi gave me two handmade pouches with Ainu embroidery. Then the rush back home to pack up my stuff and pick up Variel. Off again to Mazda rental for my rental car. however, Mazda was BAD BAD BAD!! they wanted to see my passport!! Those idiots. I am a foreigner living in Japan. There is an id for foreigners and we have no need to hold passports around. Anyway, i ended up going back home again for my passport. All in all, I went 3 times to and fro. After tiring myself from cycling here and there, I had to drive for more than 5 straight hours in a mad rush to reach Hakodate before 12 midnight. In the end, that was no chance of making it to the hotel before midnight and we had to use the expensive expressway.

Anyway, made it to the hotel by around 1pm, check in 3 girls and smuggled in one boy and one dog. LOL!!

Next day, off to the morning market to buy the scallops my aunt wanted me to buy, the to Goryokaku for the sakura... that had not bloomed yet!!!! Well, at least I got to eat my Futoccho burger at Lucky Pierrot on the way to Matsumae Castle, another sakura hotspot. Even so, it was even worse than Goryokaku. So in the end, I couldn't get my last chance to see sakura before leaving Japan.

However, Hakodate was a culinary experience. though we couldn't get to see sakura at Matsumae castle, we managed to eat live, moving UNI/ sea urchin for only 200 yen!! Sooo damn cheap.

30th may~ Goodbye to my room

The day I have to clear my room, pass my stuff to others and return the car at 6pm. Started the day at 7am, after a 5 hr? sleep. By the middle of the day, I realized that one day was not enough for clearing my room that was the fruit of my 2.5 years here. Not to mention I had to return the car in the evening. By 7pm, my room was almost empty and there goes the evidence of my 2.5 years here. How transcendent that was. Shed a tear or two over the loss of my nest, then while eating dinner from 7-11, Tianhe called and offered to feed me and Mayu her homemade Jajangmen! Shed a tear or two at her home too and I think she was quite worried and offered my her leftover wine. However, it wasn't enough to numb my unhappiness with alcohol...