(The Importance of) Fulfilling A Pregnant Wish

Upon saying goodbye to Subchorionic Hematoma, the dormant DRD4-7R gene in me reactivated. Finally, we’re in the safe zone to discuss travels!

Come September, É & I casually planned on executing the only thing I could think of that I want in this world; be it as a push present, birthday gift or babymoon, & that is a November road trip in New Zealand to celebrate my turning 33. We looked into renting a caravan, visiting Māori villages, discovering the pristine Milford Sound . . . but instead reached the conclusion that it probably isn’t the wisest idea to carry out cost-wise with a baby on the way & half the house renovation left to complete.

Having built up the anticipation to witness it crashing down, it was impossible for anyone to design a birthday plan that wouldn’t feel like second-best; which is why for the first time there isn’t the annual birthday blog post I used to be most happy to write. To add fuel to the fire, we had to abruptly cut short my birthday orchard staycation that É planned as he had to rush back for an urgent project.

Pardon my pregnancy hormones for possibly making the situation sound more dramatic than it seems. It’s not that I lost the ability to be grateful, but this much I know is true – the only person who can salvage my soul is me & the only way is to realize a travel plan to a new place I’ve never been.

On the edge of my 2nd trimester, I was constantly reminded that this is my last chance to go on a trip without the famous parent-guilt, inevitable feeling of missing a child far away at home, or the burden of traveling with breast pumps, strollers & a million other things for the next 2 years – at least.

As É had to be back in Portugal for work & X’mas for a total of 1.5 months, I stayed back & thought: instead of waiting around with expectations for things to happen, why not gift myself a babymoon? At the end of the day, you have to be able to live with yourself or you can’t be happy with someone else. So together with my cousin, I made sh*t happen & f*ck the naysayers. When my parents learned about my decision, they gave me 2 fat angpows with Japanese Yen for my birthday, enough to cover the entire trip! ❤️

P.S. In normal pregnancies, most airlines allow pregnant women to travel up to Week 36, with a letter of approval from your doctor.

 

Osaka, Japan.

It had been 4 years since I visited Japan. I chose it as my preferred country for babymoon due to what it’s known for – safety, cleanliness & honest citizens. Unsure if it’s due to the fact that time dilutes culture or that Osakans simply #DGAF, what I find most surprising was the fact that out of the countless times we took the train, there wasn’t ONCE where someone offered me a seat or to lift my luggage, despite having worn the maternity badge; which mothers can obtain from almost any station before boarding. (It is for people to be more careful around me rather than charity, but still . . .)

A couple of times we were kicked out of a restaurant because they have “no English menu” or when they refused to cook the beef well-done for a pregnant lady. I feel like I should also mention that traveling in Japan during winter means it gets dark by 5 p.m. & 98% of the shops in small towns e.g. Nara & Uji go to bed with the sun, as you soon find yourself at a peaceful but ghosted land with absolutely nothing to do. 😶

 

Osaka 3D2N Travel Itinerary

Stay: Quintessa Hotel Osaka @ Shinsaibashi.
Recommended in terms of: price (Shinsaibashi area is still decently central yet a lot cheaper than staying at Nanba), decent room size for Japan standards, & the availability of twin beds; which wasn’t easy to find.
Less recommended in terms of: cleanliness & staff friendliness – not satisfactory but acceptable.

 

Must-Do:

My #1 highlight of the entire trip happens to be discovering a quaint neighborhood named Nakazakinishi, the only place I wouldn’t mind going again! Overall, here are my Top 5 Things To Do:

• Dotombori area – The meaningless ‘must’ – take a touristic shot with Glico man (pictured above).
• Osaka Castle – Which I intentionally skipped only because I’ve been to Nagoya‘s & have the impression that I’d gain a very similar experience.
• Amerika-Mura – Window shopping/Sight-seeing.
• Hozenji Yokocho – An alley with traditional shops & restaurants. Bath Fudo Myo-o, the mossy spirit statue at Hozenji temple & make a wish (you might as well).
• Nakazakinishi suburb – Treasure Trinket hunting & coffee @ Salon de Amanto; if I had to recommend only 1 place out of this entire blog post, it’d be this café (pictured below, with a random kettle puffing in the center).

 

Must-Eat + Options:

We spent most of our days/time in this city known for the birth of takoyaki & okonomiyaki, tackling a long Must-Eat list. From classic touristic choices to more niche options via New York Times, here is the compilation:

 

• Kuromon Market – Food trail

{homemade oden in golden broth}

What it is: A food market where shops begin closing early evening, so start 1 of your days here for breakfast/lunch. BEGIN at the market’s information center & get a map of the place to SAVE TIME.
Hunt for: Takoyaki Wakana (Michelin star takoyaki), Kuromon Kushisei (crab burger), Ishibashi Shokuhin (the best Oden I personally ever had), Yumeshokutaku Shofukuan (for dessert), Daiwa Kaen (for fruit juice).
Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

• Daruma – Kushikatsu

What it is: Battered ingredients served with raw cabbage to be dipped in a PUBLICLY SHARED soy-based sauce. Therefore, for hygiene purposes, NEVER DIP A KUSHI TWICE.
Order: Set meals or ala carte skewers charged individually – we went with the latter option just to get an idea of what it’s all about rather than stuffing ourselves with fried flour.
Address: Daruma, 1-6-4, Dotonbori, Chuo-ku Osaka, 542-0071.
Verdict: ⭐⭐️

 

• Dotonbori Imai Honten – Kitsune Udon

What it is: A simple bowl of plain udon served with sweet tofu skin. Notice yourself surrounded by most locals opting for the same choice. Here, learn to savor the art of homemade udon, or if sweet stuff is not your cup of tea bowl of soup, skip.
Order: Kitsune Udon.
Address: Dotonbori Imai Honten 1946, 22 7, 1-chōme, Dōtonbori, Chūō-ku.
Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

• Kani Doraku Dotombori Honten – Grilled crabs

Order: Your preferred crab parts.
Address: 1 Chome-6-18 Dotonbori, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0071.
Verdict: ⭐️⭐️

 

• Mizuno – Okonomiyaki

Order: The Mizuno-yaki.
Address: 15 4, 1-chōme, Dōtonbori, Chūō-ku Osaka, Osaka, 542-0071.
Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

• Aizuya – Takoyaki

What it is: The 1st ever Takoyaki stall in Japan, by the creator of Takoyaki.
Address: 1, 5-chōme, Nanba, Chūō-ku Osaka, Osaka, 542-0076. (You don’t necessarily have to follow this address; there are other branches available.)
Verdict: ⭐️

 

• Aozora Blue – The best udon I ever savored

What it is: Course-ground udon. It was the 1st time I learned how to appreciate the clarity & complexity in a humble bowl of hearty oh-so-clear noodle soup – a conscious effort to approach this like a gourmandizer instead of a glutton is required.
Order: The version with tempura.
Address: Level 10 @ Shinsaibashisuji Mall, 1-chōme-7-1, Shinsaibashisuji, Chūō-ku, Osaka, 542-8501.
Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

• JinseiJET @ Fukushima – Shoyu Ramen

What it is: QQ homemade noodles served in a unique soup like no other.
Address: 2 12, 7-chōme, Fukushima, Fukushima-ku Osaka, Osaka, 553-0003.
Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

• 551 Horai – Butaman

What it is: Steamed pork pau. Maybe the best in Osaka but IMO not up to Malaysian dimsum lovers’ standards.
Address: 3 6, 3-chōme, Nanba, Chūō-ku Osaka, Osaka, 542-0076. (There are many other branches available as well.)
Verdict: ⭐️⭐️

 

Next up: ‘Nara, Uji & Kobe’ travel itinerary & how to save on winter maternity clothes!