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alainas-adventures · 6 years

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Tokyo, Volume II

Homer and I are seriously considering making an annual visit to Tokyo. From April 12-15, we enjoyed our second trip to this beautiful city and to the Tokyo Disneyland Resort. This time, we did our trip in reverse order: city first, then Disney. And since we only had four days, we skipped Disneyland and just opted for DisneySea.

Thursday, April 12

We headed to the airport around 6:00 AM. Knowing we’d have just the late afternoon and evening in the city, we didn’t plan to do too much. We checked into a lovely AirBnb just a few metro stops away from Shinjuku, grabbed some fast food (which in Japan means rice and meat), and started to explore.

The view from our AirBnb (which could have been an IKEA showroom, tbh).

If you go to Tokyo and don’t take a street style pic, did you even go to Tokyo??

The first item on our checklist was the Harry the Hedgehog cafe in Harajuku. This is literally a place where you pay to play with tiny hedgehogs. We got there near closing time, so we only got 20 of the 30 minutes we normally would have had, but it was SO WORTH IT. These little creatures are too adorable!!

This one may have pooped while we were holding it. There’s a reason you wear gloves.

After that, we had some time to kill before seeing Roppongi Kaguwa – a cross between Airband, a geisha performance, and a drag show. I really don’t know how to explain it. Picture a stage comprised of small black platforms which rise and fall in order to create various illusions. Now add in two dozen performers, who dance, act, and undergo a slew of quick changes. The surrounding environment is a cross between a theatre and a nightclub. It was bizarre to be sure, but I was fully engaged.

Friday, April 13

We checked out of our AirBnb around 11am (and by checked out, I mean dropped the keys back in their mailbox) and headed to Shinjuku. The previous day, we had found a luggage delivery service there that was able to send our suitcases to Disneyland for about $25 USD per piece. This really helped us out. It prevented us from having to come back to Shinjuku later in the day to retrieve our luggage from a storage locker, and from having to carry it on the metro all the way to Disneyland (which is about 40 minutes outside of the city). If you’re interested in doing this, check out the Tourist Information Center in Shinjuku. There are other locations and companies that do this throughout Tokyo as well. You should give them at least one day’s notice if you’re sending bags to Disneyland, as the delivery truck leaves at 11:30 AM.

After shedding our baggage, we headed back into the colorful Harajuku for some more exploring.

First up was the “Owl Forest,” a walkthrough experience that allows you to come face-to-face with these majestic birds of prey.

Homer took this and I seriously think he should send it in to National Geographic.

Staring contest with this big guy. I can’t say for sure that I lost. He turned his head 180 degrees to avoid blinking at me. Pretty sure that’s cheating.

When it was time for lunch, we ducked into a place that had some of the best fried dumplings I’ve ever eaten.

The rest of the day was spent shopping, basically. We joked that we would visit ever Disney Store in Tokyo. But when the day was done, we actually had hit four of them: Odaiba, Shinjuku, Harajuku, and Shibuya.

This is the Shibuya location, which is a winding tower that takes you through various Disney scenes. The top floor features decor from the Darlings’ Nursery (Peter Pan) and Geppetto’s workshop (Pinocchio).

Next up (as I started to doze off on every train ride because of my lack of sleep), we headed for Odaiba. This is a large shopping mall and tourist destination, featuring a massive ferris wheel, a water park, and a 65-foot robot named GUNDAM. (Guess whose pick this destination was?)

GUNDAM's horn actually transforms every two hours and his lights change as he does so. From 7:30 to 9:30 PM, there is also a projection show every 30 minutes.

After dinner, we took a quick walk (quick because it was cold and very windy by the harbor) to Odaiba’s replica of the Statue of Liberty. Seeing as I’ve never been to the real one, it was pretty cool, I guess.

Finally, it was the moment I’d been waiting for ever since I saw photos on Instagram a year ago... it was time to transfer to the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel. I booked the Beauty and the Beast character room as an early birthday present to myself, and it was SO WORTH IT. Homer was a champ at enduring all of my ridiculous photo requests.

Belle was the first princess who made me believe that this dream could be possible for me, so I have a special connection to her story. Staying in a room that was made to look like part of the Beast’s castle was the icing on the cake of an already incredible trip!

We took a little more time to explore the hotel lobby and gift shop, and to make breakfast reservations for the next morning. It was going to be a busy day, so we tried to go to bed as early as we could (so, midnight. Fail).

Saturday, April 14

Everybody here knows when I go to Disney, I go hard. However, we had been to Tokyo DisneySea before, so I wasn’t as concerned about trying to do EVERYTHING. Instead, we picked the handful of things we liked best from our first trip and focused on those, allowing for more buffer time than in our last trip. Still, since we only had one day (and it was a Saturday), I did want to get an early start. The hotel provided us with special passes that allowed us to enter the inner gates of the park 15 minutes before everyone else (at 7:45 AM). We didn’t quite make it for that, but by 8:15, we were there.

I will say, that extra 30 minutes does make a big difference. Whereas on our first trip (when we waited at the entrance gate from about 7:30 AM, if memory serves) we were able to walk right onto Journey to the Center of the Earth and Indiana Jones, this time we ran into 30-50 minute waits for both. We stood in line to ride the former (mostly to wake ourselves up) and decided to return later for the latter. We then dashed over to the American Waterfront to grab FastPasses for Tower of Terror (success) and try our hand at the lottery for Big Band Beat (we lost). (I’ll explain this more later.)

Now, I do need to address the weather. Unfortunately, though our first two days were in the low 70s/upper 60s and sunny, our ONE AND ONLY DISNEY DAY was of course cold, cloudy, windy, and occasionally rainy. But we were determined to have a good time (and make photo magic happen so that it didn’t look as dreary as it was). Therefore, when we saw a pocket of sunshine opening up in the clouds, we took immediate advantage.

The Mermaid Lagoon area will forever be my favorite part of DisneySea – although I love the entire park. We took a million photos, then enjoyed King Triton’s Concert (Ariel flies over the audience – she even waved at us!)

We were delighted to see an old friend of mine under the sea!

...and I finally got to meet Prince Eric!

After hitting the shops (duh), we headed to the American Waterfront to redeem our FastPasses for the Tower of Terror and enjoy some infamous green alien mochi. If you don’t remember from my last trip, each one is filled with either chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry custard. People line up for ages to get these things – and for good reason!

One more snack that I neglected to get a photo of (because I gobbled it up THAT FAST) was the bacon-wrapped rice roll. My mouth is literally watering trying to describe this. The consistency of the rice was so soft – you would have thought it was potato. Here’s a photo from Have Seat Will Travel:

One of the things we really regretted missing on our last trip was Big Band Beat, the Broadway-style stage musical in the American Waterfront area. This show features a live big band, a vocal jazz quartet, tap dancers, and of course – the VIPs. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Daisy make special appearances – but Mickey is the true star. He plays a drum solo and then GETS UP AND TAP DANCES. It was excellent. We were wholly impressed.

(Side note: we were taken aback by how the audience clapped heartily after every number and, without prompting, clapped on 2 and 4 at appropriate times. I need you to understand that hell would freeze over before this ever happened in Hong Kong Disneyland.)

(Side side note: we also noticed an enthusiasm for audience participation in general. In a special 35th Anniversary show on the lake earlier that morning, Mickey was able to rally the entire crowd into learning a simple dance and performing it along with him and his friends. Again, Hong Kong audiences would never go for this.)

This theatre is HUGE! The only ways to get orchestra seating are either to line up for the first show of the day (people were there at 8am and I was not about to sit there until 12:20, so no) or to win the lottery that I mentioned earlier. You can enter once a day, and our one try was not successful. We sat in the mezzanine because that’s the seating designated for the “unlucky” ones who don’t win the lottery seats on the ground floor. But actually, I quite liked the view from up there, and didn’t view it as a consolation prize at all. (I was also told that we were extremely lucky to get seats by lining up just 20 minutes before the performance. It must have been a slow day.)

Another thing we missed on our last trip was the gondola ride in the Mediterranean Harbor area of the park. This is a stunning area – I wish we could have taken more photos, but the weather was on the decline. The boat ride was a lot of fun – even though we had to hold an umbrella up for most of it. The gondolier even sang an Italian song as we passed under a bridge, and she got all of us to close our eyes and make a wish for good luck. (Again, this would never fly in Hong Kong.)

Next, we made our way to the north side of the park – mostly for photo-taking opportunities, and also to redeem our FastPasses for Indiana Jones.

We found this wall paying homage to Coco next to the Mexican cantina. We both love this film, so we had to stop for photos!

The Arabian Coast area is magnificent. This time we got around to riding the top level of the double-decker carousel.

After the cold started to take its toll and our feet and backs began to ache, we decided to take a dinner break at one of the “buffeterias” (offering set meals that allow you to pick an entree, bread or rice, a drink, and two sides). It felt like we had just won a reward challenge on Survivor. We gobbled up every last bite.

One thing we said we’d never do was Toy Story Midway Mania, for the sole reasons that 1. the line was usually 120 minutes or more and 2. the same attraction can be found in Walt Disney World back at home. But at the end of the day, while everyone was distracted by Fantasmic!, the wait went down to only 70 minutes. We decided to tough it out and make it our last attraction of the day.

The queue area for this ride is a bit different than that of its Orlando counterpart. I especially liked the detail of the corner of Andy’s bedspread revealing the entrance to the “arcade.”

Well, it was a very full day, and I think the weather took even more stamina than would have been necessary on a sunny day. We relocated to the Hilton Tokyo Bay (the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel had been very helpful in sending our bags there for free earlier in the day) and called it a night.

Travel Tip: Tokyo Disneyland offers special tickets called Starlight Passports and After 6 Passports, which allow you to enter the park after 3pm on Saturdays/Sundays/Public Holidays and 6pm Monday-Friday respectively, at a discounted price. These tickets are only available on certain days, but if you arrive on property midday, they can be a great way to save money and still get park time. This is especially useful because Tokyo Disneyland Resort does not allow same-day park hopping unless you purchase a 3- or 4-day ticket package. So make use of the half days that you’ve got! Check the park operation calendar before you go to see which days these passports are available. Click here for more information on TDLR ticketing.

Sunday, April 15

We woke up to this view after receiving a free upgrade to an oceanview room! Then we checked out, booked our airport limousine service, left our luggage with the valet and headed for Ikspiari. This is a shopping district, kind of like Tokyo’s version of Downtown Disney. Located right beside the Tokyo Disneyland stop on the resort line, the mall is attached to Disney’s Ambassador Hotel (which scarily resembles the Hollywood Hotel, my first home at Hong Kong Disneyland). Inside are dozens of shopping and dining options, among them Japan’s largest Disney Store. This marked our fifth Disney Store of the week (sixth if you count the one in the Hong Kong airport) and I wasn’t even a little bit remorseful. Here’s my merch haul from the trip.

From top left: 1. I snagged the backpack on day one of its launch; it’s part of a partnership between Disney and Legato Largo. There was also another style of this bag, and they came in other colors (pink with Rapunzel, pink with Ariel, beige with Belle, navy with Jasmine, black with Minnie Mouse). There is also a line of accompanying wallets and ID card holders. I really liked the Rapunzel one (especially because the text says “You can always find a new dream” – such appropriate timing for me!) but you couldn’t see the outline of the artwork unless you were about a foot away. It looked like a plain pink backpack from a distance. So I chose the Ariel one, with the text, “Under the Sea.” 2. These pink glittery ears were launched as part of the Sakura festival in Japan. Though the blossoms had already vanished from Tokyo by the time we got there, the park still had plenty of these accessories on their shelves. 3. A pin with Ariel’s silhouette. 4. Just a shopping bag featuring the 35th Happiest Celebration artwork. 5. I had to get a new Little Mermaid collage shirt from DisneySea because last time I had a lapse in judgment and bought a large kids’ size, thinking it fit better than the adult small. It shrunk in one wash and turned into an unfortunate crop top. 6. Another Little Mermaid shirt from the Disney Store Japan. This one has chiffon sleeves and a picture of Ariel on the back, with the text “Think Happy, Be Happy.” The artwork is similar to that of the Little Mermaid sweatshirt I bought on my trip to Osaka, but the text is a vast improvement from “Ariel and Flounder, very good friends.” 7. A cup and amenities kit from the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, also featuring the artwork from the 35th Anniversary. 8. A mini Ariel wallet from the Disney Store, featuring the same artwork and quote as the white shirt. 9. A Chip teacup from Tokyo DisneySea.

As always, we had an incredible time in Japan. This visit solidified my goal to work and live there someday. If I’m not working there by spring 2019, I will definitely do my best to take a vacation there again. Japan has a little piece of my heart!

#tokyo disneyland #tokyo disneysea #tdlr #tokyo #japan #april 2018

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clearrevelationstarot · 4 years

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Part 2: Oracle cards, Archangel Michael cards & Rune stone continuation of 1st Reading on Tumblr - (Started on 7/4- for July 2020):

Clear Revelations Tarot: posted on July 12th, 2020 PART 2 of 7/4 Post:

•• Hi Everyone! ••

• Well, since there was SO much info. w the 1st Reading ever on here, I split this up-= this is Part 2 of the same reading from 7/4- w/ the same question to the Universe, per se:

• My question was asking for clarity for all humans (the collective) & what we were to expect in the months ahead, re: the pandemic, our lives re: work, our concerns re: survival, our world, & to show us anything we may need to know… (for our near future). I’ll explain as I go, what decks or books I used...

• After the Tarot cards reading, I used the Oracle cards from Lynn V. Andrews, called “The Power Deck- The Cards of Wisdom”.

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• Here’s the pics & what they had to say:

• Picture 1 & Picture 2:

• Picture #1: (1st card below)

• Picture #2: (2nd card below)

• This is the #16 Card, called “Dream”. Here’s the written interpretation of the card in the deck:

• First of all, this #16, factors down to a 7, a time of going within, & seeking out spiritual answers. It also on another level, refers to the month we are in right now (July).. So, the message is telling us to have the Courage to dream of everything we may have once wanted in life,... now, & to act “as if” those possibilities are already here.

• It’s explaining that when we (as human beings) first come back (if you believe in past lives) that we aren’t meant to remember what or who we were before, but as spiritual lessons in our lives are revealed to us, we slowly re-learn what our gifts are. They could be gifts that came easily to you in this lifetime, & are gifts that have stayed within your spirit or soul, manifesting now again for you.

• It’s also saying anything that you dream of as a possibility, has the potential to actually become a reality, you just have to really believe it!

• Some of the symbolism I thought was interesting with this card & the message that came out in this reading is: this is supposed to happen to all of us on Earth (Mother Earth) right now, & it’s saying this was her Divine plan, even during this challenging time right now for us all: to have people get back to what they were once dreaming of doing, and /or what really makes them happy. If you are living your most passionate dream or life, and loving what you’re doing, continue on that path, & STILL dream, even now; you WILL get through this hard time; just keep thinking it is your reality.

• The Lotus flower is showing us the Dream-time (and energy being put towards meditating about, or taking time out to see these dreams), and focus on all that we want, not on what you are not wanting anymore. Just SEE the future.

• There’s also a butterfly emerging on the card as well, and she has just come through a transformation. She once was in a cocoon, in a gestation period, and is now ready to fly. All of the imagery is floating on the backdrop of the Universe, and stars: again re-iterating that what we dream about, does come to pass. Even during this challenging time, take some time to put into words, or images what you want, & meditate on it throughout July.

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• Picture 3 & Picture 4:

• Picture #3: (first card below)

• This is the #34 Card, called “Focus”. Here’s the interpretation of the card in the deck:

• Picture #4: (2nd card below)

• This card is #34, & ALSO factors down to a 7, reiterating, to definitely DO this meditation re: your dreams in the month of July, but not just to dream about what you want... Really take the time and energy to FOCUS on it.

• So, in the meaning of the card here, it goes into detail of how to stay focused: “Rid yourself of attitudes that are not essential to your task”. Here, it’s speaking about again, what we take the time to put our focus on:

• Are we spending time being too harsh on ourselves, not happy about we handled something, or complaining about what we can’t do, or not able to do? •• OR... are we sitting down and really trying to think of an alternative plan, with a SHIFT in attitude of how we think about “it”, or what we want to accomplish as a positive thing, & putting our mindset only to think upbeat about the plans. (ie.) Even if it’s just starting the plans, “collect your energy” and ‘focus” on learning everything about what you want to do, kind of like a “spiritual warrior”, and continue to move forward...

•• Some of the symbolism I thought was interesting with this card & the message that came out in this reading is: The conch shell is standing upon the water. This water first of all, is taking place during the astrological time of Cancer (= June 22nd-July 22nd- a Water sign)- so this is a message for right now.. We are being called pretty obviously (conch shell upright) to listen to what we intuitively know as Truth for, each one of us. Because the Moon is here (& was present in the first oracle card as well), we are being asked to pay attention to things that may be hidden at first; Also, we’re being asked to investigate until we are satisfied with the answers we get...

•On a world level, during this time, there are many questions re: the health situation (pandemic), race relations, (Black Lives Matter, & racism continuing to be exposed), & how we treat each other during these changing times, is what this is about. Also, it feels like we are SUPPOSED to stand up & take notice of what we hear, & listen to our instincts, & follow through.

•With regards to any messages we are getting about what we are individually putting our focus upon creatively: we are supposed to listen to that too, and anything we have in the past been yearning to do, to DO IT finally, during this time! :-)!

•Also, one last thing: the conch is kind of equivalent to the Judgement card in the Tarot deck: With that card, Archangel Gabriel blows the horn to awaken others to distinct truths we have to pay attention to. The same goes here with this conch shell. We’re literally being “called into action” during this time!...

____________________________________________

• Picture #5:

• So, I kind of said, “Hey, while we’re at it, let’s access some other resources I use to get messages, like the Rune stones: The Runes are symbols that go back to the times of the Vikings (Norse) & we get many of our symbols for our alphabet (& phonetic sounds) from these. These symbols each have a special meaning, and I decided to pull 1 for this timeline, & all we’re experiencing on Earth right now.

• Here’s the message I got: This is #24 representing the symbol below (that looks like a lightning bolt), but it is called “Sowelu” (in their language):

• This reps the energy of the Sun, as well. (ie) like our Overall starting Tarot Card (in picture #1, from Part 1 of my first post on Tumblr..) - Here’s a closer look:

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• Picture #6:

• Here’s the definition they have in the Rune book (page 1).. This definition, also comes with its own Sun meditation as well!! But the Sun, (bringing things into the Light, or a feeling of “Wholeness”), & a self-realization & understanding of what we are supposed to be focusing on, feels like the OVERALL message here of the day:

• Also, this Rune is supposed to encourage us into ACTION:

• Page 2:

• Page 3:

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• Next, I used the Archangel Michael Oracle deck by Doreen Virtue to pose the same question, and it gave a more humanistic answer, about how we may be feeling about ourselves, and how to react if we get too harsh with ourselves as humans:

______________________

• Picture #7:

• So, there’s also a prayer here as a guidepost, they give on the front of the card (if wanted) of what to say if this is how you may be feeling, during this challenging time.

•• Meaning of Picture #7 •• “Forgive yourself: You’ve Done Nothing Wrong”:

• Some points that this card usually stands for. (Take all with a grain of salt= Take what applies to you and leave the rest...:)

• “Archangel Michael sees that guilt is interfering with the happiness you seek. You’re blaming yourself for something that’s in the past, but it’s tine to let it go -- esp. since self-blame is unproductive & unhealthy. In truth, you’ve done nothing wrong. You were doing the best you could at the time.”

• Possible specific meanings: 1) Think and speak lovingly about yourself; 2) Stop ruminating about the past; 3) Send blessings to those you’re angry with as a way of healing yourself and the situation; 4) Know that you can’t control other people’s feelings or reactions.

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• Picture #8:

•• Meaning of Picture #8 •• “Keep Your Eyes In Your Targeted Intention”:

• Some points that this card usually stands for. (Again, take all with a grain of salt= Take what applies to you and leave the rest...:)

• “Archangel Michael has been guiding you along the path of your life’s purpose. Can you feel the rush of excitement whenever you think about your desired occupation & activities? This is a signal that you’re on the right path, and this card reminds you to keep a steady eye on your goals. Continually visualize that you already have the career or volunteer work of your dreams. See yourself helping people or issues that are dear to your heart.

• Imagine that you have complete financial security while you devote yourself to this important work.

• Any desire you have is viable, as long as you stay focused upon it. The path to making your intentions a reality may differ from your expectations, yet the outcome is likely to exceed. your dreams. Know that the angels walk beside you throughout your journey. Keep the faith... and KEEP GOING!” ”

• Possible specific meanings: 1) Make a “dream Board”: using construction paper, create a collage with cutout photos & phrases from magazines that reflect your dreams; 2) Affirm daily that your dreams are already a reality.

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SUMMATION:

• These oracle cards are putting the focus back onto us as the motivators of our own reality, and what we believe will come to pass:

• These are somewhat speaking of the larger picture in this last card, when it includes the possibility of us all helping people or issues that are dear to our hearts.

• The main theme in both of these Archangel cards is to continue to have the faith we will get through this hard time, and to “Keep the Faith” & to “Keep Focused” through it all, even though we may have many things swirling around in the world today that could distract us.

• Last message: We all have to hang in there, and Keep Going” no matter what.

•• Hope everyone sees these messages as inspiring, since that’s the spirit of Oracle cards, & Rune stones = To give you that “slice of life” look into the energy of what may be occurring right now, and to give encouraging words or a different view of how to look at something, that we may have missed.

• Sometimes, (as in the case of this particular Rune stone today), there are even instructions on special prayers towards abundance or giving thanks out into the Universe.••

•***** Thanks for coming to my Blog for Part 2! Will post more on my IG acct: @ClearRevelationsTarot or my personal acct. @heidischooler , when future Blog posts are up!! Plse. stop by either page. Thanks Everyone!! *****

#ClearRevelationsTarot HeidiSchooler @ClearRevelationsTarot @HeidiSchooler

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