Combatting Hurt with Yoga

        Even when a good friend at work was raving about the benefits of yoga, I could not be persuaded to give it a try. I stubbornly insisted that I was not flexible enough. This was 15 years ago.
        After I turned 40, I resolved to experiment with a variety of exercises like Zumba, Piloxing, TRX and even yoga. It was definitely not love at first sight for yoga and I, but I gradually found my body getting more and more attuned to it.

I still cannot perfect the Downward Dog pose but am slowly getting better (picture taken from the Internet)

        Despite people and articles extolling the multifarious benefits of yoga, I was only half convinced. However, a recent incident changed my perception and belief in yoga.
        An unfair and cruel action from a vengeful hypocrite had spiralled me into the doldrums. I broke down, at home and even at my workplace. Although I know I was a fool to be so badly affected, I could not help it. In spite of being on medication, my blood pressure was high, partly also because my sleep was affected.
        I remembered that one of the virtues of practising yoga was the calming effect it induces. So I rolled out my mat,  forced my body to move from pose to pose, and willed my mind to filter out negative thoughts. For the first two mornings, it hardly worked as my mind was still in turmoil. On the third morning yoga practice after that spiteful incident, I felt a strange sense of calm and detachment. I could think of that person without feeling anything, not even anger. And when I checked my blood pressure, it was within normal range although I had not even taken my morning dose of medication! No wonder people say yoga can battle depression.
        Sitting cross-legged on the mat and just meditating is an excellent pose to begin a yoga session. Most of the time, I have to force myself to just sit still, abandon all thoughts and focus on my breathing. This is best done early in the morning as I can hear the birds chirping outside my window. And this time around, I found myself smiling with each breath I inhaled.

Meditating on the mat (picture taken from the Internet)

        Side twists have been touted to be a wonderful posture for dealing with stress, hurt and anxiety.  I do side twists at every yoga practice and had felt my back muscles being soothed. But this time, I could feel my stored tension being released with every twist. And the longer I held my twist, the lighter I felt.

Side twists (picture from the Internet)

        Everyone who practises yoga knows that the Child's Pose is one of the most soothing poses. Doing the Child's Pose with the aid of my yoga wheel enables me to experience a deeper stretch. And the further I stretched, I could feel the tension ebbing away.

Wheel-assisted Child's Pose (photo taken from the Internet)

        I have always loved using my yoga wheel to do a backbend. It may seem rather daunting at first glance but you have to convince yourself to just let go. A backbend always works wonders in relieving back pain. And this time as I bent my back and let my head rest on the mat, it felt like more than just the back muscles relaxing. With my shoulders and arms limp, I surrendered and let myself loose.

Wheel-assisted backbend (photo taken from the Internet)

        Although all these poses are usually incorporated in my morning yoga sessions, it was this time around that I felt it working through my mind and body. I had desperately needed the release and must have willed my mind to purge all negativity so as to concentrate on every move. And with that, I reaped the benefits of yoga for the very first time.

Miseries of a Geisha

           They tell me patience is a virtue, and that good things come to those who wait. So I've walked this way a zillion times. I've come to meet my Mr. Right. He keeps me waiting, wearing my patience thin. But I persist. I'm grateful for the Pagoda, which is a like a beacon of hope to me, urging me to persevere on.

On my own, pretending he's beside me. All alone, I walk with him till morning. Without him, I feel his arms around me. And when I lose my way, I close my eyes, and he has found me.

         The wait is long and the road is lonely. I've been told I am like a pale pink sakura, an intoxicating mixture of beauty and strength. I lean on those words for encouragement, to know that I have the power to capture the heart of my Mr. Right and that I will not falter when opportunities do not seem to go my way. And I look to the Pagoda, which stands majestic and seems to assure me that I'm wise to wait.

O Mr. Right, where art thou?

         Only those who have endured rejection will understand the heartache that I am feeling. I thought we would have a future together but you only entered my life to bring me transient joy. Something in me shattered when you told me we are from different worlds and are just not meant to be. And with every step you took, away from me and towards the Pagoda, the piercing pain deepened.

Mr. A walks away

         You reached out and lifted me out of a world of gloom. You were like an angel sent from heaven above. You made me believe in love again. And just as I was rising from the embers of my painful past, you callously tossed me back into the searing fire. You decided that there is a world to explore, and that being with me will  deny you of the adventure that awaits you. Did you hear the fragments of my heart whimpering piteously as you turned your back on me? Only the Pagoda seemed to nod, ever so slightly, as if to gently nudge me on.

Mr. B's departure

        I felt like a fool to wait, to hope that there is someone out there who will make my life feel complete. And when you danced into my life, I dared to dream again. Life with you was like opening a box of chocolates every day. There were delights and sweetness, and then there were the bitter bits. Opposites do not attract, and we finally concluded that our clashes were tearing us apart. As you walked out of my life, you took a piece of me with you. I turned away from you and the Pagoda, so that the mask I wore could crumble and I could allow my tears to fall freely.

Sayonara, Mr. C

         Just when I thought love was a lie, you have come to show me how splendid love can be. Just when I thought life was a world of gloom, you have brought light, sparkles and glitters to my world. Just when I was giving up, you have taught me to soar. You are indeed my Mr. Right, a precious gift from God. I bid sayonara to the Pagoda, which has been my pillar of strength through all these dark times. I will now be safe in the tender and loving embrace of my Mr. Right as we take on the world together.

Mr. Right has made me believe in love again

Being Allured By Honshu - Day 4

        This morning's sunrise photography outing was definitely one of the best in this trip. I'm glad I tore myself away from the comfortable hotel bed and joined Derrick on this outing at Gion's Yasaka Pagoda. When we reached the spot along Higashiyama-ku Kiyomizu Sanchome (that's the name of the street), there were two other photographers who had set up their tripods there. Gradually, more shutterbugs joined us. Everyone was rather peeved when a taxi pulled up further down the slope and the passengers took ages to get off. However, it all turned out to be a bonus.

All in line for good shots of Yasaka Pagoda

        It was an ang moh photographer who had brought a kimono-clad model. Like most Westerners, he politely enquired if he could get his model to pose in the middle of the slope. Everyone assented. The presence of a Japanese girl in kimono at the dark, lonely Gion street with the imposing Yasaka Pagoda in the background...it all added to the allure of the scene. As I watched the photographers happily clicking away, a story weaved in my mind. I shall dedicate an entire blog post to that.

Memoirs of a Geisha

        By the time the sun came up, everyone had clinched some good shots. Slowly, the group dispersed. Derrick and I decided to stroll around for a while before we made our way back to the hotel. And that was how we ended up at Maruyama Park, right next to the Yasaka Shrine (not to be confused with Yasaka Pagoda). This park is especially popular for cherry blossoms, but the autumn scene was  quite a sight to behold too. As we were here so early (around half past seven), there were no tourists to jostle with. Whilst Derrick was happily taking pictures here and there, I decided to have something warm in the crisp autumn morning --- a tin of corn soup from the vending machine. Yum!

My 500 yen comfort food on a cold autumn morning

Big Bird spotted enjoying an autumn morning at Maruyama Park

Lovely autumn colours at Maruyama Park

       

On the bus 

        We later returned to Kyoto Station via bus no. 207. At our hotel, we rested for a while with our coffee (love my Chek Hup 2-in-1!). Then we proceeded to our next Kyoto destination via bus. no. 5 --- the Nishiki Market, also known as Kyoto's pantry. With more than 100 shops and restaurants along this five-block long shopping street, Nishiki Market is a must-visit in Kyoto. The snag is : your Yen will slip away easily if you stop at every shop. We were cautious about that and did not succumb to the temptation of every shop.

Nishiki Market, here I come!

Yummy soy milk doughnuts (300 yen for 10 pieces)

Happy with my soybean milk cream croquette (300 yen)

Vinegared fresh oysters

Nishiki Market's famous Octopus and Quail's Egg on a Stick

Sea urchins, anyone?

Custard cream porcupines

Snoopy marshmallows to tempt a die-hard Snoopy fan

Saying Konnichiwa to Snoopy

The grilled hotate (scallops) were so juicy and sweet

No way am I eating these!

Nishiki Market stretches on

       

           Again, we just strolled around and in one of the narrow alleys, we stumbled upon a jewel. It was a hole-in-the-wall tsukemen eatery with only 8 seats! Tsukemen is ramen that is served dry, to be dipped into a separate bowl of broth. Our lunch came up to 2070 yen. We had never tried this type of ramen, did not even know the popularity of this place, but our instincts told us that it was not to be missed. Only as we were leaving did we take note of the name of the eatery as I was again keen to rave about it on TripAdvisor. Kyo Tsukemen Tsurukame gets my thumbs up!

Just looking at this picture of my tsukemen is making me drool!

Perfect ajitsuke tamago

Kyo Tsukemen Tsurukame, tucked away in one of the many alleys, serves the most delicious noodles

        As the day was still early and we had unlimited rides on the bus, we decided to make our way to Tofukugi Temple, especially popular for the fall foliage. That must be an understatement, for it seemed that the entire Kyoto was there! We were literally elbowing our way through. Deterred by the crowd, we decided not to fork out more Yen to view the autumn colours from the famous Tsutenkyo Bridge. 

At the entrance to Tofukugi Temple

Finding a quiet spot away from the throngs of tourists

Tsutenkyo Bridge with its vivid autumn leaves and the "ants" on it

Adorable stone statues

        After having our fill of the free areas of the temple, we left and made our way back to Kyoto Station. Before going up to our room to rest, we took full advantage of the free drinks at the hotel lobby. Ms Kiasu had a cup of cold houjicha, followed by cold Premium green tea, and then took a cup of cold jasmine tea, and finally ended it with a cup of hot houjicha.  Love this hotel!

        We had a fairly early dinner at Ajisaiya, one of the many eateries at Porta Dining (located below Kyoto Station). I chose a rice set with unagi (eel) while Derrick went for beef slices with rice. My unagi don was tasty and so was Derrick's meal, but it wasn't an unforgettable meal, unlike today's lunch.

My grilled eel with rice costs 1700 yen

Derrick's 1700 yen dinner

        As we would be leaving Kyoto the next day, it meant that there would be no more 551 Horai fixes.  551 Horai is only found in Osaka and Kyoto. So we decided to etch the exquisite taste of their steamed pork buns and pork dumplings in our minds by having them for supper in our hotel room. Simply superb!!!

Patiently queueing up for butaman and shumai at the 551 Horai stall near the Hachijo exit

Face of sheer glee to have secured my supper

Illuminated Kyoto Tower as we make our way back to our hotel from Kyoto Station

Welcoming The Pig In Advance

        When I made the switch from SculptFitness to Ipoh Swimming Club, what I missed the most was my gym buddy. I had always looked forward to working out and chatting with Patsy. Thankfully, we can still continue our chats over WhatsApp.
        Patsy is knowledgeable in many aspects and I learn a lot from her. As she goes to KL often, she knows many good eateries there. She had much earlier raved about The Butcher's Table and when she found that it had spread its wings (or should I say, knuckles?) to Ipoh, she excitedly urged me to give it a try.

Head to 18, Tingkat Taman Ipoh 6, Ipoh Garden South for some oink oink

        Despite Chinese New Year being more than a week away, hubby and I decided to welcome the Year of the Pig in advance by dining at The Butcher's Table this evening. As we arrived just slightly after six in the evening, we were the first customers. But a steady stream of customers started coming in soon after.
        Upon Patsy's recommendation, I ordered their homemade sausages, which are nitrate and preservative-free  and made with a mix of 80% topside lean meat and 20% fat. From a tempting array of 11 flavours, I decided to have a Farmer's Bratwurst (RM9 for about 100gms) and a Deluxe Cheese Ring (RM25 for about 300gms). I also ordered a side dish of mashed potatoes (RM5). Hubby went for their Smoked Pork Knuckle set (RM69), which came with one side dish. It was an enormous portion, probably ideal to be shared.

My dish of sausages

Loved this mashed potatoes, which had real chunks of potatoes in it

Derrick's Smoked Pork Knuckle

Let's pig in!

        Hubby's Smoked Pork Knuckle took a while to be prepared, and in the meantime, he happily dug into my sausages, which were served with a delicious mustard sauce. Hubby preferred the Farmer's Bratwurst, which was flavoured with parsley. I, on the other hand, delighted in the Cheddar cheese that oozed out from the Deluxe Cheese Ring.
        Hubby enjoyed his Smoked Pork Knuckle, which had been tenderly cured for 10 days, slow-cooked for 2 hours and hot smoked using natural wood chips for 30 minutes. I did not particularly fancy the smoky smell and thought the usual German Pork Knuckle's way better.
        Poor hubby finally conceded that it was too big a portion for him to finish, especially since I was not much of a help. We asked for it to be packed and taken home.
        Although The Butcher's Table may be new to us in Ipoh, KL folks have been enjoying its porkylicious goodness since 1992. Mr. Ho Kim Loon, the owner, had once been a butcher and then started serving the porcine dishes at Bangsar Shopping Centre. That restaurant has closed down and KL folks now go to the heart of PJ's SS2 for The Butcher's Table. As for hubby and I, we welcome the pig and all its goodness to Ipoh.

The menu

More porcine goodness!

Being Allured By Honshu - Day 3

            Dragging myself out of bed at 4.30 a.m. and wrapping myself up warmly, I accompanied Derrick to catch the 5.17 a.m. train to Fushimi Inari Shrine. I usually do not leave my warm bed to follow him on his sunrise pursuits but I do not trust him to navigate his way to the right destination using public transport. Despite it being so early in the morning, there were already commuters making their way around Kyoto Station for their respective trains. And when we arrived at Fushimi Inari Shrine, we were not the only crazy photographers.
        The way in and up were lit up, which was handy so as to not stumble and fall. However, Mr. Photographer grumbled that it interfered with the natural light that he was seeking. Hence, his photos did not turn out the way he desired. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable early morning outing.

Mr. Photographer hard at work

        After the sun had come up, we returned to our hotel for some warm coffee and a snooze. Later, we crossed over to Kyoto Station to catch bus no. 17 to Ginkakuji Temple (The Silver Pavilion), alighting at the Ginkakuji-michi bus stop. We must have missed the turning to the temple as we entered the Philospher's Path instead.  This stone path by the canal earned its name when Nishida Kitaro, one of Japan's most famous philosophers, used this path to commute daily to Kyoto University and practised meditation whilst doing so. Feeling slightly peckish, we popped into Coffeeten Sagan, one of the many eateries along the Philosopher's Path.  Adorned with antiques and paintings, this cafe seems to be run by an old couple. We had some sandwiches and coffee, which were quite nice.

Queuing up orderly for the bus outside Kyoto Station

Requesting to stop at Ginkakuji-michi

Meeting bears on the way

And befriending the bears

Philosopher's Path

Brunch along the Philosopher's Path

        We later paid a visit to Honen-in Temple (法然院), a quieter yet charming Buddhist temple. It's unique because of its moss-covered gate and sand mounds. We did not linger long because we wanted to move on to the more famous Ginkakuji or Silver Temple (銀閣寺), a Zen temple built by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa in 1482. It was his retirement villa but was converted into a temple after his death. There was an admission fee of ¥500. It was a small price to pay for such a delightful place, with stunning fall foliage.

Lovely autumn colours outside Honen-in Temple

Iconic moss-covered gate of Honen-in Temple

Stunning autumn colours at Ginkakuji

Tranquil spot at Ginkakuji in spite of the throngs of tourists

        Leaving the temple, we found many shops and food stalls along the streets to cater to the visitors. We shared some yummy custard puffs ( ¥500 for 6) as well as the most exquisite steamed premium Kyoto beef buns (¥450 each). The steamed buns or pau were so soft and the well-marinated beef slices were tender and juicy.

These custard puffs really melt in the mouth!

Got the custard puffs from this stall just outside the entrance of Ginkakuji

Nikuman or steamed beef buns

Keep your eyes peeled for this menu or you'll miss the tiny shop

        We caught the bus (no. 100) to Gion, Kyoto's most famous geisha district. We got down at a stop just outside the Yasaka Shrine but we did not venture in as we were in Gion for another famous landmark - the Yasaka Pagoda. There were several food stalls outside Yasaka Shrine and we were allured by the aroma of grilled beef. So we got ourselves a skewer of grilled beef with lemon sauce and another skewer with barbecue sauce (¥500 each). Yum!

It's all about beef!

Indulging in beef skewers at Yasaka Shrine

        It took some wrong turns but we finally located the beautiful five-storey Yasaka Pagoda, nestled protectively amongst many narrow streets. The entire area has been capitalising on tourism as many of the old houses had been transformed into shops, eateries and machiyas (traditional Kyoto townhouse-turned guesthouse). Wandering around the area, trying to survey for the best spot to capture Yasaka Pagoda, I really love this ancient area and the nostalgic feeling it lent. We also got ourselves burger boiled pork (stewed pork sandwiched between a steamed mantou) - ¥450 each. It was so hot that I had to juggle it from one palm to another to avoid burning myself, but it was incredibly tasty.

Look out for this street sign and turn left. 

After meandering around some small streets, Yasaka Pagoda comes into sight.

Stumbled upon this yummy burger boiled pork along one of the streets

Malaysian lovebirds and the Yasaka Pagoda

        After getting enough of the 49-meter-high pagoda and marking in our minds the spot to return to for the next day's sunrise photos, Derrick and I returned to Kyoto Station via bus no. 206. With that, we had almost fully exhausted the amount that was pre-loaded in our ICOCA cards, leaving behind a mere ¥10. We could, of course, top up the amount and continue using our ICOCA cards. But after some deliberation, we decided we were better off purchasing a one-day bus pass (¥600 each) for the subsequent day's use. We also bade sayonara to our Hello Kitty and Thunder Gods as we returned our ICOCA cards at the JR-West ticket office at Kyoto Station to redeem our ¥500 deposit. Whilst at the JR-West ticket office, we bought the Limited Express Thunderbird train ticket to Kanazawa for 30 November (¥6900 each). Reviews had said that the trains to Kanazawa were usually not full and it would be all right to buy on the day of departure, but we decided to play it safe by purchasing in advance.
        For dinner that night, we headed for Kyoto Ramen Koji (Kyoto Ramen Street) on the 10th floor of Isetan, Kyoto Station. Kyoto Ramen Koji is like a ramen theme park with different ramen varieties to delight even the most finicky eater. Everything looked good to us, but we finally settled for Bannai Shokudo, which served the Kitakita ramen, ranked 2nd of the 3 top ramen varieties in Japan. Their noodles are thick, chewy and curly, and their tonkotsu pork soup is flavoured with sardines and soy sauce. Derrick's choice (¥1420) was a large bowl of chashu ramen, broiled chashu pork rice and an ajitsuke tamago (soft-boiled egg marinated in a sweet and salty soy-based sauce) while choosing the Lady's Set (¥800) freed me from the hassle of deciding between goodness and more goodness. My Lady's Set consisted of a smaller bowl of Kitakita ramen with chashu and crunchy bamboo shoots, a tiny bowl of absolutely flavourful broiled chashu rice, an ajitsuke tamago and 3 pieces of tasty gyozas. Upon leaving the shop, I took note of the name of the shop as I was keen to give it a good review in TripAdvisor.

Derrick was in porky heaven!

My very tasty Lady's Set