Just An Ordinary Girl

Photo By: Elin Chow

Japan is filled with lots of cool things that you will be tempted to bring home. I believe no one can visit Japan and return home empty-handed without buying any gifts or souvenirs.

If you read my 9D8N Tokyo - Kyoto - Osaka Trip Itinerary + Overview post, you would have know that we have spent a total 47,492 JPY or RM 1,754.83 (1000 JPY = RM 36.95) just on shopping on our recent trip to Japan. We spent most of the money on snacks and confectioneries, and a little on beauty products.

That was quite a huge amount of money, but it was hard to resist temptation to shop because all the snacks and confectioneries are so beautifully packaged and you feel that you just have to bring them home. But on the other hand, the packaging takes up a lot of our luggage space, which is actually a good thing since it stopped us from buying more.

One thing to note, however, is to buy whatever you are capable of eating because Japanese snacks are freshly produced and do not or use very little preservatives, so usually, they have very short expiry date.

Narita International Airport 

Airports are a good place to get all your last minute shopping done. We bought quite a lot of snacks from a Duty Free shop called "Akihabara" at Narita International Airport before we boarded our flight home.

Calbee Jaga Pokkuru Hokkaido Premium Potato

Price: 820 Yen | RM 30.30 / box

Jaga Pokkuru is easily our favorite snack and we would always buy a few boxes back every time we visit Japan. Made from 100% Hokkaido grown potatoes, it is delightfully crispy and crunchy without being hard. The potatoes are cut without peeling the skin to retain the flavor and seasoned with roasted salt from Okhotsk. You can almost taste the real potato flavor and I actually like that it is not too salty.


It is somewhat like Jagabee (a similar potato snack by Calbee), but much more expensive. A box of it comes with 10 individual packs, which makes it a perfect snack to munch on while watching TV. This super addictive potato snack is a famous souvenir from Hokkaido and it is difficult to find it in any of the cities we have visited. The best place to buy this is probably at the duty free stores at the airport.

Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory Cookies

Price: 1,700 Yen | RM 62.82

Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory Cookies is one of the most popular gift to buy in Tokyo other than Tokyo Banana. The cookies are made with carefully selected milk and high quality cheese, combining ingredients from not only Japan, but also around the world.

There are three different flavors available - Salt & Camembert, Honey & Gorgonzola and Strawberry & Milk Tea. Actually, I did not intend to buy this in the first place. But I could not resist the temptation to buy after trying out the samples because they taste so good.


I bought the Honey & Gorgonzola flavor, which combines buttery Italian blue cheese with white chocolate filling and earthy rosemary honey. It comes in a box of 20, each individually wrapped in a shiny wrapper embossed with the company logo. The taste of blue cheese is pretty overpowering, with a hint of honey. It is amazingly cheesy, so this is certainly not for those who are not a fan of cheese.

Strawberry & Milk Tea is a brand new limited edition flavor launched for Spring 2019. It is a perfect combination of strawberry with white chocolate and milk tea. I actually like this flavor, but you have buy this in an assorted box of 30. That was way too many and too expensive, so I was a little hesitated to buy.

Sakura Matcha Kit Kat
Price: 1,500 Yen | RM 55.43

Sakura Matcha Kit Kat is only available during Spring time in Japan. It is less Matcha heavy than the Matcha Kit Kat, with a hint of cherry blossom.

Royce Sakuraberry & Sakurawhite Chocolate

Price: 830 Yen | RM 30.67

This is a limited edition Sakura flavored chocolate by Royce. A box of it comes with two different flavors - Sakuraberry (pink) and Sakurawhite (white). There are 20 pieces for each flavors, which makes a total of 40. Each piece of chocolate is individually wrapped.

Sakuraberry is blended with taste of cherry blossom and cream cheese. It has a sweet and sour taste, but nothing too overwhelming. The flavors are perfectly balanced and I like that it is not too sweet.

Sakurawhite, on the other hand, is just milk chocolate with a very mild floral taste. It is smooth, richer and a little sweeter than Sakuraberry. I actually prefer Sakuraberry to Sakurawhite because I am not really a big fan of white chocolate.

Kyoto Station

There are many shops inside Kyoto Station where you can enjoy shopping. It is great for people who do not have enough time shopping after spending too much time sightseeing.

Matcha Dacquoise
Price: 648 Yen | RM 23.94

Seriously, I have no idea what this is called. The Japanese words translate (by Google translate) it as Kyoto Matcha Dacquoise by a brand called Sasaya Iori+. It is a meringue cookies made with Kyoto green tea, with green tea cream and rice cake sandwiched between. This is my husband and my favorite Kyoto snack.


It is light and soft on the outside and chewy on the inside. I like that both the cookies and cream are not too sweet. It was so delicious, but it was so expensive. A box of it only consists of 3 pieces. That was so little!

We would have bought more if it was not so expensive.But then, it expires within a month, so we can only buy whatever we can finish.

Sasaya Iori+ is a long established sweets store with over 300 years history. We bought this from a shop called Kyo-no Miyage at Asty Road Shopping Arcade at Kyoto Station. The shop sells a good selection of Kyoto confectioneries, so it is a great place to get gifts and souvenirs.
Sencha Harudanran
Price: 1,620 Yen | RM 59.86

This is a limited seasonal product by a well known tea shop called Gion Tsujiri. The shop is famous for their Matcha, or powdered green tea, sourced by nearby field of Uji. The tea is smooth, refreshing and has a pleasant taste of Spring.

Hachijuhachiya Sencha

Price: 1,080 Yen | RM 39.91

This is another Sencha we bought from the same shop. It is called Hachijuhachiya, which means 88th night in Japanese. Hachijuhachiya refers to the 88th day after Spring. In Japan, this day is special because it marks the beginning of the year' first tea picking, which usually occurs in early May. Tea harvested on this day is said to be the absolute in quality, freshness and flavor.

I am not sure whether this tea is harvested on the 88th day after Spring because we bought this in April. It is light, fragrant and has a calming taste. I actually love this more than Sencha Harudanran.
Uetsujien Green Tea
Price: 398 Yen | RM 14.71 / packet

We also bought a cheaper one at a supermarket store (could not remember the name) at Asty Road at Kyoto Station. A packet of it contains 30 green tea bags. It is pretty cheap, but I am not sure whether it taste good since I have not tried.

Junmai Ginjo Sake Miyako Kururi

Price: 500 Yen | RM 18.48 / can

We bought this simply because it is so pretty! We just could not bear to drink it at all. So I am not sure whether this taste good or not. I am not sure when we will drink it. Well, maybe we will not. We bought from the same supermarket store where we bought the Uetsujien Green Tea at Asty Road.

Sake (?)




Price: 680 Yen | RM 25.13 / bottle

Another one we bought from Kyo-no-Miyage. I believe this is also sake since I could not find any description on the bottle or box. The bottle is so pretty too! I just could not resist the temptation to buy it.

Shinsaibashi-suji, Osaka

Shinsaibashi is one of the main shopping areas in Osaka, with countless of stores, food and fun bars and nightclubs. You can easily spend a whole day shopping here!

Adidas NMD R1

Price: 12,096 Yen | RM 446.95

But we did not shop here. The only thing we bought was a pair of new sport shoes for my husband. This is the Adidas NMD R1 Japan series that he bought. The unique thing about the Japan series are the eye-catching Japanese wordings, which makes it unique to Japan. This one which my husband bought is all black and is offset by white Japanese on the back pull tab. It is stylish and comfortable.


The Japan Series are not exclusively available only in Japan as you still buy them from many online stores. But surprisingly, it is actually much more cheaper to buy it in Japan than any online stores. You can really consider bringing a pair of sport shoes home when you visit Japan because they are cheaper. Also, there are a lot of Japan only editions that might be hard to find outside of Japan.

We got this pair of shoes from ABC-Mart (Shinsaibashisuji store), a fairly well-known footwear company in Japan as they were selling at a lower price than Adidas stores. They have

Tsuruha Drug 

Japan is a drugstore heaven and it is almost impossible to enter one and leave without buying anything. There are simply so many things you can buy! We visited Tsuruha Drug, Dotonbori store in Osaka and here are some of the things we bought.

Yaokin Umaibo Corn Potage Snack Stick
Price: 300 Yen | RM 11.09 / packet

Yaokin Umaibo is an all time favorite Japanese snack for kids. But adults love it as well, including me. Umaibo is a a puffed cylinder corn snack that comes in different flavors. There are a total of 19 favors available, including salad, mentaiko, takoyaki, cheese, Natto, chocolate and many more. Some of the flavors are available in specific regions only and this one I got is the corn potage flavor. It is actually the most common flavor that you can find.


The texture is light, crunchy and melt in your mouth in every bite. It is said to taste like corn potage, a famous Japanese soup, but I am not sure about this because I have never eaten corn potage before. It has a sweet buttery corn flavor and it is super addictive.

The packaging is decorated with cute Umaemon character that kids will love. I actually wanted to taste every flavor, but it usually sold in a big packet of 30s and it is hard to find them sold individually. The price is cheap and it is probably the cheapest snack in Japan.

Pocky Almond Crush
Price: 120 Yen | RM 4.43 / box

Crispy biscuit sticks drenched in milk chocolate and crushed roasted almonds. We bought this because it was really cheap. But it makes for a delicious snack too.


It is smooth, sweet and crunchy, perfect for people who love chocolates and nuts. A box consists of two single serve packets, so you can easily grab one as you go.

Calbee Jagabee Potato Sticks
Price: 213 Yen | RM 7.87 / box

The Jagabee Potato Sticks are somewhat similar to Jaga Pokkuru, but it is much more cheaper. I bought this in two different flavors - Light Salt and Butter and Soy Sauce. Of course, there are many other flavors, but I can only find two at Tsuruha Drug. A box consists of 5 individual packets. The price is cheap and it is super addictive.

Light Salt flavor is lightly seasoned with salt. But I prefer Jaga Pokkuru to Jagabee because the potato taste is stronger. Jaga Pokkuru also taste better in terms of texture. It is more crispy and crunchier than Jagabee.

Butter and Soy Sauce does not sound like a good combination. But the result is not bad, but I actually prefer the Light Salt flavor than this. It is saltier than the Light Salt flavor, and buttery.

Sakura Japanese Sake Kit Kat
Price: 429 Yen | RM 15.85 / packet

Sakura Japanese Sake is a new limited edition kit kat released in 2019. The kit kat is pink in color! So pretty! The wafers are covered in a pink coating of white chocolate mixed with powdered sake with Sakura flavored cream sandwiched in between. It contains 0.07% alcohol content, which makes it unsuitable for children and people with low alcohol tolerance.


A packet consists of 12 mini bars. You will smell strong sake and faint cherry blossom scent the moment you opened the packing. A strong sake flavor filled your mouth instantly followed by a slightly sour taste of Sakura when you bite into it.

Mannan Life Konnyaku Jelly

Price: 138 Yen | RM 5.10 / packet

Konnyaku Jelly is a rubbery and flavorless jelly-like health food made from a type of potato called Konnyaku potato. But I am sure whether this one is healthy at all because it is Grape flavored. It is not suitable for elderly and young children due to choking hazard.

Hada Labo Gokujyun Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Lotion
Price: 691 Yen | RM 25.53 / packet

Hada Labo is a must buy for me, not only because I am a fan of the brand, but also it is so much cheaper to buy it in Japan than in Malaysia! These are refillable packs and I seldom see any stores in Malaysia sell these.

Kanebo Suisai Beauty Clear Powder
Price: 1,836 Yen | RM 67.84 / box

The Kanebo Suisai Beauty Clear Powder is definitely another must buy for me. But it is really expensive, and in fact, it is the most expensive beauty product I have bought in Japan. I have fallen in love with it ever since I bought it during my Japan trip 3 years ago. It cleans well and is extremely convenient for travel. But sadly, it is getting more expensive.

For those who do not know, this is basically a cleansing powder that helps to exfoliate, moisturize and brighten skin. It is one of the most popular and best selling drugstore brand powder cleanser in Japan

Rosette Gommage Peeling Gel
Price: 429 Yen | RM 15.85 / tube

"My Name is Elena and I used to be a human being. Now I am a sex slave. If you are reading this diary, then I am either dead or I have managed to escape."

Trafficked: The Diary of a Sex Slave by Sibel Hodge. This is the first time I have finished an entire book in just one sitting. This is a 96 pages novella, written in the form of diary entries.

Having stumbled upon this novella by accident while checking on other books on Amazon, I clicked on the first page to read using the "Look inside" feature. Immediately, the very first sentence of the novella got me deeply engaged and within minutes, I could not get my eyes off the book.

Plot

Elena, a 22 year-old widow have been promised of a well-paying job at a Casino by her best friend. Lured by the prospect of earning good money, she left her elderly mother and four year-old daughter, Liliana for Italy in the hopes of a better life. However, never would she have expected that a much more brutal hell awaits her.

Betrayed by her best friend, she was kidnapped, sold, beaten and used brutally as a sex slave by the men who own her. Held captive in a brothel, the traffickers had threatened to kill her family if she ever try to escape. She was utterly broken and hurt, but for safety of her elderly mother and daughter, she had to stay strong as she waited for her chance to escape.

My Thoughts

Trafficked: The Diary of a Sex Slave, a fictional novella created by Sibel Hodge to increase awareness of the sex trafficking industry throughout the world. Inspired by real victims' accounts and research into the sex trafficking industry, Sibel Hodge has successfully put together a very powerful novella that will definitely move the hearts of thousands or even millions in the world.

I started reading this novella with the impression of a true story. But it turns out to be fictional. Nevertheless, it is still a very gripping and heart-breaking story that could easily becomes the story of the thousands of women who have been trafficked around the globe every year.

Although the subject is highly sensitive and devastating, this is actually a very well-written and straightforward story. I really love Hodge's approach of choosing to write this novella in the form of a diary, which enables me to relate to Elena easily.

Trafficked: The Diary of a Sex Slave is a diary secretly kept by Elena, a young woman who was not very much educated but was taught a little English by her father. I really think that Hodge did a great job in keeping everything written in the novella simple but honest. Instead of trying to impress her readers with her amazing language skills, she have chosen to keep the focus on the subject itself and wrote in the most basic English. It was a very easy and emotional read.

Everything written in the novella feels so realistic. I could relate to Elena easily. As Hodge narrates, I could picture every images in my mind as though I was Elena. I could feel her anxiety, her distress, her worries, her hopelessness and her fears while reading through the pages. Pages after pages I flipped, I find myself starting to care and pray for Elena. It was stupid but I just could not help.

I like the main character, Elena. She never loses hope and faith despite all the horrific ordeals she had been through. Her daughter, Liliana is her source of strength and the only reason why she is still alive. Her love for her family is the only thing that kept her life going.

"I am one of the lucky ones who have managed to escape. There are thousands out there who have not."

I am glad that this novella actually ends with a happy ending. Eventually, Elena was able to regain her freedom, reunite with Liliana, and start a brand new life. However, in reality, how many of the others who have been trafficked are able to escape and enjoy a happy ending like Elena. I believe there are not many.

"Now, when I look into the mirror, I have dead eyes too."

Many of the victims died, either from beatings, abuses, suicides or even sex diseases. For others who may have survived, they are left all broken. A happy ending? I believe most of them would have forgotten what it is like to be happy. Their souls were dead, their body were stained and their life were completely ruined. It became a scar of their life that will never heal forever. I feel extremely disgusted, heart-broken and angry with the traffickers who have destroyed the victims. What gives them the right to take away and control another's life? I hope the law will punish them severely.

Why Sex Trafficking Happens?

Some of you might ask why does sex trafficking happens in the first place? Well, I would say the basic economics theories of demand and supply applies here. Just like drugs and arms trafficking, sex slavery would not have existed if the demand for it is not present.

Where there is demand, there will always be supply. This is especially true when sex trafficking remains a high-profit, low risk underworld business across the globe.

Human trafficking, despite being the second largest and fast-growing criminal illicit industry in the world, has a relatively lower risk of getting caught and prosecuted. Hundred of thousands of young women of young women vanished every year and find themselves forced by violence into the multi-billion industry of modern slavery. Yet, unlike drugs or arms trafficking, human trafficking are rarely seen reported in new due to a number of factors.

"He told me that he assume I was a willing participant who enjoy sex - that I chose this profession. He thought I was earning most of the money that the massage parlor charged, which is £50 for half an hour, or maybe I was attracted by the lure of good money."

Yes, one of the reason why human trafficking remains unreported is partly due to the assumptions that the people usually made about others. We assumed that we know what the others are thinking and doing all the time. Too often, we tend to judge others based on the assumptions we made. It may not be true, but still, we chose to believe what we thought it should be.

Just like what it was narrated in Elena's diary where one of her client, Jamie, has always assumed that she was a willing participant in the sex industry. Jamie has seen her as a woman who either enjoy having sex with dozen of different men everyday or was just attracted to the idea of earning quick money.

If everyone make similar assumption like Jamie's, I believe none of them will have notice the pain behind the victims' smile. No help will ever be offered to the victims if the communities are unaware that sex slavery actually exist in the form of human trafficking in today's society. Some of the people could not be bothered to care because it is just none of their business. All they wanted is to have some 'fun', even at the expense of others' misery.

As a result, most of the victims would be reluctant to discuss about their horrific ordeals with their customers or to anyone who wish to help them. Instead of speaking up and fight for themselves, they would have chosen to suffer silently in pain as they fear that it might bring them greater horrors. Many of them have been threatened, tortured, abused and beaten when the traffickers discovered that they have spoken to someone about their plight. They have no one to trust and could not trust anyone because they have been once betrayed.

Some of you might ask why the law enforcement agencies have failed to detect human traffickers' movement and activities in their countries and across borders. This is largely due to the presence of corruption in the law enforcement and legal systems.

"The older police in the group glanced at me with mild amusement, and I could see from the look on his face they were not here to help us"

The stench of corruption in the human trafficking industry, it really anger me. If the border police and police officers are not bribed and have chosen to turn a blind eye on the victims, human trafficking could be stopped. Even though they knew what was going on, but they just could not care more about it. Even worst, some of them also took their turns to exploit the victims. What if such horror happens to their daughters too? Would they feel happy too?

So. when there are people who are willing to pay for such commercial sex acts, this became an incentive for the traffickers to go against the laws and make the profits they desired. Even though the cost of sleeping with a sex slave is relatively low, sex trafficking remains a highly profitable business as the traffickers do not have to pay their slaves a single cent. This would mean that all the income generated from the business will go directly to their profits.

A business with just revenues but no cost. Isn't human trafficking a very lucrative business for most businessmen?

What Could Be Done?

We ask ourselves what we could do to stop human trafficking. Well, we could not unless the demand for sexual exploitation against the women is no longer present.

However, we could help to increase the awareness of human trafficking in our communities by writing a book, articles, posters or even songs. Campaigns could be held to educate the public on the dangers and indicators of human trafficking. This would warn the public, especially the young women not to trust and fall into the trap of the traffickers easily.

Petitions could also be signed to request for stricter laws to be implemented to prosecute the traffickers. More stronger and completed safety nets could also be built to track down and combat human trafficking activities across countries. With stricter law enforcement, human trafficking will no longer remain a high-profit, low risk business.

An increased awareness in the public would also mean that more young women could be saved before everything is too late. Your strength might be small, but together, I believe we could make a difference. Just like what Sibel Hodge has done and for that, I sincerely gave her all my applauds.

Be sure to follow me on Facebook or Twitter  for any latest updates on my blog. So stay tuned!