Your Favourite Place In The World

You’ve returned from your holiday, tired and happy, and soon find yourself back in the frenetic rat race of work and weekends. Memories of your jam-packed vacation are relegated to your album which you have yet to extract and file, and you’re eagerly asking: where next? Yet believe me, there exists another type of traveller who, contrary to the norm, is thinking: I want to go there again.

Just why do travellers choose to revisit a place time and again? Can a trip affect us enough to create indelible memories and a yearning to return?

Revisits can be fun!

Whatever the reason may be, revisits can be fun for the seasoned traveller. We are better prepared, and can navigate the city like the locals. The usual sights are passed over as we hunt down more elusive tourist spots, restaurants and experiences that perhaps only locals know. We go back to a place with fresh eyes and compare what’s new and what’s changed.

The ‘feel good’ factor also plays a part. Perhaps it’s an annual tradition for your large family to hold gatherings and these trips rekindle familial bonds. Other times, we return just to catch up with the locals who have become our friends, or to experience the warm hospitality of hotels where we’re remembered by name.

Soon though, you might find yourself bringing people there, their interest being piqued after you continuously wouldn’t stop talking waxed lyrical about the place.

Another hint that the travel-bug has bitten deep is if you return home and start 

a) cooking up cuisine from that country, 

b) learning the language, 

c) buying books and reading up on everything you could get your hands on for the country. 

Interest has just been raised a notch to obsession.

Paris, Venice, Milan? Where would you like your ‘Second Home’?

Beware though, if the time you spend staying in a place tops the months you spend at your de facto home, if you keep leaving stuff at your ‘second home’ and find it increasing bothersome to go back to fetch more, you may just end up relocating your home and life. After all, life’s short, and if vacations there made you happy, what’s stopping you spending your golden years in a permanent holiday?

Sakura & Hanami

Sakura, a name that we’re familiar with
and a name that always linked our imagination to Japan.
Like the snowing view in Europe, Japan is famous with its Hanami festival with these magnificent clouds of pastel pink and cream blossom view. It’s like a fairy tale illusion.



Hanami, the festival of Sakura (also known as cherry blossom) flower viewing,
is believed to have started since the Nara period. It was origin from the Dynasty Tang of China custom, which Chinese celebrating the blossoming of the plum trees.
Like the Chinese, the Emperor Saga practices the Hanami festival celebration
with composing verse while drinking sake and having al fresco.
The Hanami festival was allowed to celebrate only by the Imperial Court in Kyoto
until the Samurai in Tokyo adopted the tradition, and Hanami gradually became a widespread customary practice for Japanese.



For Japanese, Sakura is not only symbolising the beginning season of rice planting,
but it also linked to divination of the upcoming harvest.
It also symbolise clouds due to their nature of blooming en masse and being an enduring metaphor for the evanescent nature of life. With Shinto beliefs, the Hanami festival became renowned and widely practiced by Japanese.



Although Japan has not adopted Sakura as its national flower,
however, Sakura was once and still the crest of the Japanese imperial army which symbolising glory of a life dedicated to duty.
The Sakura with anchor symbol was also adopted by the Japanese Imperial Navy.



So now, you’ve learned something about Sakura and Hanami.
But here’s the question- What should you do in celebrating Hanami?
One of the traditional ways to celebrate this beautiful pinkish season is by holding the well-known Tea Ceremony under the laden boughs of the Sakura trees.

However, in this generation, modern celebrants are tending to hold a picnic party with family and friends under the shade of sakura tree.
Most of the popular spots of Hanami are required to do your own reserve in advance, or you’ll be surprise to find the parks of Hanami celebration will be fully occupied.







Besides day, sakura can be viewed at night too. Lighten paper lanterns were hanged on the Sakura trees, which highlight the fragile delicacy of the scene.
The view of Sakura on daytime could brings you the feeling of a lively Japan, while by viewing the night view with Sakura, you’ll definitely feel the Zen in you.

The variations weather makes Hanami a long-lasting season.
It begins at the first month of the year in Okinawa, continues with Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka during March to April, and it ends in Hokkaido by May to June.

I guessed this is part of the reason why everyone would love visit Japan…