Bon Odori Johor Bahru 2008

Sorry for the late post. I cant find my cable for the camera! Gosh, and ended up it was deserted back in my Singapore room. =.="

Btw, 1st November 2008, just for Bon Odori (read previous post) I start my car engine at 4pm sharp, to pick up my friend Badi. What happen was, I was trapped in a jam, really unexpected traffic jam, for almost 45min. Who would expect a traffic jam at 4pm!! Nice start.

Found Badi, and we start our journey to find Bon Odori.
But wait.....
Where is Bon Odori held?!?!?!?
I remember it was somewhere near Holiday Plaza.
So I drove to Holiday plaza, and found no clue at all....
Tried to call the Hotline, but no one picking up the phone!
I guess all of them busy eating sashimi cannot hear the phone ringing.
Badi tried to call his friend, I tried to call mine.
After driving for almost 1.30 hours with an empty stomach, I feel like chocking the one who draw the map on the banner. No, I think I better burn the poster down, mix it with coke and let the fella drink it.

"The poster"

Zoom in for the map part.....

"HELLO!!!! TO KOTA TINGGI??? WHICH ROAD! WHICH TURNING POINT??"

Kanasai, really feel like choking this guy (whoever draw the map)
Ok, really almost 6pm finally found out the place. Thanks to Badi's friend, thanks to Aerin, thanks to Aerin's dad for the direction. Most important thanks to hanzo, who almost lead me to unknown place.

When we reach, I found out that the Bon Odori its just in front of BIG GIANT HYPERMARKET!!!! Thats the 3rd time I want to bang the fella with an Optimus Prime (Transformer's lorry).

First thing I reach is to survey the place

"Somehow they give me this pasar-malam-at-Japan feeling"

"Welcome my ass, feel like going up and shout who is the one who draw the map!""Drum performance for opening ceremony, these kids look lost"

Next is to look for food foods.
But I think I went to the wrong corner, which turn out to be game corner

"Catch the gold fish with catcher made of really fragile paper (tissue paper if not mistake)"

By the way, even if you can't catch the fish, they allow you to bring back one :) so it doesn't matter if you can't catch any.

"Kendama"

"You know what it is, if you really don't know, then e-mail me your childhood memory essay"

"Origami"

"Catch the Baby! No, I'm just kidding, happen to see this japanese boy walking with his mum"

Somehow, me and Badi walk around looking for food. My mind already blank, not holding my camera, walk for two rounds to decide which food to consume. In the end I order Yakisoba (japanese friend noodle), Japanese cold noodle and mochi.

Mochi making! So interesting, I wish I could go there and wack the mochi with them, but I was late for 3 minutes!!! ARGH, thats the forth time Im going to stuff the guy who draws the map into public toilet bowl.

Then they have their Bon Odori performance on the stage

"You can see Japanese ladies, Malay, Indian, not sure about Chinese, wearing yukata and dance on the stage. Very Malaysianize I say"

"They even invite quest to dance with them"

"Some not wearing Yukata, some add tudung for their Yukata, like Voltron can dismantle and add merge"

"This cute boy wearing Ultraman Yukata"

As the evening getting darker, my camera phone getting useless.
So, what happen was we walk few rounds more, buy the fan and head back to home.

My marks for this event

Marketing = 1 Star
They should get another person to do the marketing. Could do better with better map, better hotline operator, better place with better parking space.

Environment = 3.5 Star
I would say it is a not bad experience for me, some say this bon odori got "Japan feeling". I dont know, I never been to Japan before :P But I can see quite a number of Japanese people walking around with their Yukata and even some Bleach Cosplayer (Yes, I didn't take pictures of them). Somehow I get what are they trying to convey. But they could do better with the booth presentation and with more show or performance between main event.

Food = 2.5 Star
First of all, there are many stalls there. All of them are crowded and not well organized. They even have Sushi King stall and Kinsahi and some Thai restaurant booth there. What am I trying to say here is, when people go for Japanese festival, they are expecting aunthentic Japanese food. One or two stall like this its ok for us, but they should have more stuff like the mochi.

Overall = 1+3.5+2.5 divide by 3

Signing off
Haris