I'm back!!! It sure was an eye-opening experience filled with much excitement & wonderful memories! In my travelogue, I'll just focus on my crafty experience. Hopefully it'll be as inspiring to you as it was a fruitful learning experience for me... :)
17th April 2008 - Changi Airport
It has been at least 6years since I last travelled alone. No wonder Mom & Da
d, & especially Edward, were so worried :P Journey to Tokyo, was somewhat smooth despite th
e rain & long walk to my hotel in Shinjuku. Decided to just stay in hotel to pl
an for my Yokohama trip the next day.
18th April 2008 - Yokohama
It was only a 35min train ride to Yokohama. Noticed a group of ladies who seems to be walking to same direction as me, so I tried starting a conversation with them. In my broken Japanese & their broken English, they were surprised to learn that a Singaporean had travelled all the way especially for the exhibition! I'm also surprised when they went, "Singapore! Ah... lotsa jewelleries!" Hmm...
When we finally reached the Osambashi Hall, it was an exciting
sight! It was a hall about 1/2 the size of a typical hall at Singapore Expo, & it was filled with stalls showcasing beads, semi-precious stones, & other handmade jewellery items. It is a pity that Sandra can't make it to Bead Art Show with her Unique Paper Earring. She'll be the only one showcasing this trade!
I was totally mesmerized by Crystal Flower's intricate beaded accessories! Incorporating bead-crochet & bead-tatting, this non-speaking beading instructor creates the most feminine & dainty jewelleries.
Atelier La Mer is run by Lirica, who incorporates the most beautiful wire work with semi-precious stones.
Akiko, owner of Bead-It!, carries a wide range of bead art kit sets. She made these beautiful accessories herself too! I got 1set for my friend, Deborah, who's into beading. Will try to get a photo of Deborah's complete work & post it up here. So Deborah, we're all waiting... :P
Check this out! How cute & delicate! these are all created with the tiny seed beads! the Little Red Ridding Hood is probably only about 1inch tall! Sandra, I know you'll love this!
These amazingly beautiful work of art reminds me of coral reefs! This famous Japanese Bead Artists uses seed beads, shells, pearls, semi-precious stones in her creations. Simply mesmerizing!
Don't you just love Naomi & Mie's display? Makes every shot potentially good for a magazine coverage! :)
After immersing myself amongst all these intriguing Bead Art, I decided to take a walk to a nearby tourist spot (recommended by my guide book) - Chuka-gai (Chinatown). O well, what was I expecting right??? "Chinatown", "tourist spot"- of course lotsa Chinese merchandize! Hehe... so had a late lunch (yes, Chinese Szechuan food! :P) & shopped around. Surprise, Surprise... I found this very exciting & exotic shop that I love! Amina's Collection has many branches all over Japan, even in Hokkaido. This rustic bohemian style is apparently very popular in Japan now. Ironically, all their products are from Nepal, India, Thailand, Cambodia, & Mynmar! :P
Hmm... I think I should plan for a trip to Nepal soon. The last time I visited was about 1o years ago! I'm sure it'll be a fruitful treasure hunting experience...
[Part II - to be continued...]
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