Today is a big day. After 9 days of adventure in Singapore and Bali, we are making the long trek back to Japan.
The return will be more scenic than most,
and while we’re sad to say goodbye to Bali, we can hardly wait to be reunited with our families again.
There's the Bali airport.
Igustinegura...ahh
Our trek back to Japan begins here, bright and early.
Today we will see three extremes in Asian airports, beginning with the exotic airport in Bali.
This is quite the airport, huh?
We see it in the daylight, it's nice. Yea, that's right!
Well we were rushing trying to find a driver...
I got a video.
Me too. Oh nice.
I think I got it when they "Nathaniel!"
Alright, look for Nathaniel Reutter.
When we arrived four days earlier we had to look through a sea of names to find mine,
so we hardly paid any attention to the airport.
Yea, let's go check in.
We checked in and made our way to the plane, which soon boarded.
We certainly left Bali with a desire to return someday.
All three airports we will visit today represent their local communities in an amazing way.
Bali is exotic, relaxed and happy.
But soon we would touch down in one of the world’s most over-the-top airports: Singapore.
And nothing says “welcome to Singapore” like it’s airport.
Well... now?
Figure out what to do for 10 hours in Singapore.
So here at the airport in Singapore you can do early check in,
Our flights not for like another 8 or 9 hours but we can check in already.
Then they have a baggage drop where you can leave your other bags with you
So you can walk around without any of your bags.
It is super legit, very nice.
We tracked down some lunch in the Jewel, but not without going into some very dangerous stores.
Shopping I see.
I shopped!
You shopped! The kids will be excited.
Yes!
Well, look at that! Look at these huge bags!
The kids are going to love it!
The kids are going to love it. Bubble Tea!
What kind of Bubble Teas?
This is the best tea that our cousins William and Hope said that they've had as far as bubble tea.
This one is, I think, Royal Milk Bubble Tea.
And this is seasonal fruit tea.
So good. Nice.
But the airport at Singapore really is a small version of Singapore itself, full of different cultures and influences.
And that includes Japan.
Dude Ben! Did you see what's right behind you here?
Mos Burger! Get it.
In Singapore!
And it wasn’t just a few Japanese brands in Singapore.
Look at all these Japanese stores here!
Well I don't know if this is Japanese, or if it's just a store that is also in Japan.
Furu furu!
Interesting, I think it's Japanese though. Look at that — Furu Furu.
After looking into it, Don Quijote is certainly a multinational Japanese discount store.
And it was only the beginning of what we would find.
Hoshino Coffee, another Japanese brand here.
Japanese stores kept appearing, but they all had one major difference with their Japan counterparts.
Another Japanese brand Uniqlo, but everything is in English! Wow.
We lost track of the fact that we were actually in an airport.
In fact the main atrium of the airport, the Jewel, is itself a tourist attraction within Singapore,
and upon visiting it, we could see why.
That's a little bit cool coming out of that escalator. Wow!
We went right over here on the tram. Yeah.
On our way to Bali, we had a number of hours to explore the airport, including it’s many different gardens and attractions.
We even rode the tram from one terminal to another, going through the heart of the Jewel.
Wave to everybody!
Oh man. That's next level, huh?
If you want to know more about the airport, you can watch it on the beginning of the Bali video,
Dude, seriously! That was cool.
Went through the Jewel. Went through the Jewel.
But for now we’re going to explore a couple of the areas we didn’t get to, and that means climbing through the Jewel.
Looks like Thor left something here, huh?
We're climbing through the jungle to get to more shopping.
Look at the cascading waterfalls!
How cool is this?
Oh, there goes the trams, look!
Now that's cool. That is cool.
Look at that timing.
It feels like hiking through the jungle!
I know, you do kind of feel like you're hiking,
But you're in an airport!
I've never been in an airport like this before!
This is crazy!
This is an amazing airport.
But we’re not just out for a fun hike.
We want to go to the top of the Jewel because we’ve heard there are some very interesting attractions up there.
There's the skywalk over there, and we're trying to get to it.
And see if we can even walk across it.
I'm not sure we can but we're going to see.
We would soon make a very important discovery about the top floor, but for now our curiosity drove us on.
Look! There are people up there!
I think we can get up there.
I think... Or do you pay?
Dude, that is a ways down!
Alright... I wanted to get ice cream there though, it looks good.
We're working our way up, see how far up we can go here.
It's like a jungle up here too.
Whoa!
There's a place where kids can bounce.
Oh, if our kids were here they would just love that!
Here the big Canopy Walk, that's a paid attraction though.
This is almost the same view, huh?
So this whole level is like a big theme park at the top.
And each thing you can pay for individually,
Or you can get package deals and do it together,
We're not going to do it today, but there are some cool looking things here.
Oh my goodness, look! Wow Dude, look at that.
That kid's walking up there!
Over all of that!
Oh my goodness.
Wow!
But not all of the attractions were as, well, attractive.
Alright, we found one of the attractions, but...
It's not taking off here.
No it's not. Apparently no one else wanted to pay for it either.
Nor do we.
Might have been a little too much that they're asking for it.
OK, link bridge from here to Terminal 3, here we go.
This just walks to terminal 3, it doesn't go by the waterfall? Right.
With several hours left until our flight, we decided to pick up our bags and explore the terminals.
And we still had some discoveries in store like a multi-story slide.
And a rock-climbing wall here too.
As well as a theatre with a movie going.
Well that's not bad, there's a screen there.
So we have to wait forever until our flight actually goes,
But that has the advantage of walking all over this airport which is huge.
That's wild.
We just played a game of Twister,
It got a little intense,
Ruth was spinning the wheel, she even took a picture...
And we just had to be done. That is intense!
Is that a chandelier, or is that just a...
We couldn’t figure out what it was, but we knew one thing: it was mesmerizing!
This airport is just out of this world.
Just set it as your screensaver — this right here.
That's trippy!
Singapore’s airport gives you a good sense of what Singapore is like,
and our airplane got our expectations up for returning to Japan.
The Pokemon's on everything here!
And the music even!
And look, we got extra leg room. How about that?
The next morning the Pikachu Jet touched down in Japan.
We were welcomed by more Nintendo characters, went through customs and then we were on the road back home through Tokyo.
We were tired from our overnight flight but super excited to see our kids again.
It's so surreal — we're back and the kids are at school,
So when they come home we get to surprise them
And say hello and give them their gifts. Oh, how exciting!
Becca and Anna get out today — today is?
Oh, they have 6-class day,
Let me see about Joshua and Sarah.
So Vovó is the reason we could do this trip,
Because she watched all of our kids for us while we were gone!
How did it go Vovó?
Ah, it went very very well. The kids are great.
It was wonderful, it was my pleasure.
Joshua would be the first to return home, and we wouldn’t have to wait long to see him.
There he is! There he is right there!
Oh Joshua's out? Joshua's out.
Hey big guy!
How are you?!
Ah yes! Big hug, Dude!
Big hug!
Oh! So good to see you again!
Did you grow? What are you doing? You're growing so tall!
Izzy's... both of her tooth came out...
We barely had a chance to get the update from Joshua on life and get a picture before Sarah came home.
Sarah chan! Sarah chan!
Awww!
Aw Sarah chan!
You got so tall baby!
Awww!
Did you have a good day at school? Uh huh.
Yeah, did you miss mommy so much?! Aww.
Does Daddy get a big hug?
Oh come here! It's happy tears. Happy tears.
Happy tears! Happy tears!
Hey, let me get a picture! Oh picture!
Picture up here!
Oh right over here. Right over here.
Look, there's Vovó way up there!
Yeah! We're back we're back!
As Joshua carried his big sister’s backpack for her, Sarah had important questions to get answered.
Here, go put this in your room, Hey, but Mommy...
I'm guessing you already got us a present?
If you do, are we going to open it at the same time?
Mmm hmmm.
Yep, so Becca and Anna have to come home first, OK?
Are we going to go find Becca and Anna?!
And we're going to go boom, boom, boom!
Yeah! Wha wha wha?
Ah, I missed you two!
Awww!
Oh Daddy wants a big hug!
Oh, you grew so much!
Aw!!
We were only gone 10 days, but by the response we got, you would have thought it was 3 months.
Hurry! Sit sit sit! Why?
Because mommy and daddy are going to take out the presents!
Close your eyes! Close your eyes.
Don't open until I say open!
I feel like it's something special!
Close your eyes and don't open until I say open.
I feel it!
My eyes! Wait.
It's hard to not open your eyes!
Wait!
OK!
Oh baby!
A watch!
Joshua, we can play agent game! Yea!
Wait, let me show you how to do that.
Sunny. Oh look it!
Do I look like a smart person when I do this?
I'm an agent!
Listen, I'm an agent. OK.
You saw my agent video. OK, sit down and close your eyes again.
OK, close your eyes.
Eyes closed!
Eyes closed, eyes closed! Keep them closed!
Keep em closed, keep em closed!
OK?
1, 2, 3 open!
Wait, whose is this?! That's yours.
Hey guys, I can't take all this face!
It's a Polar Bear, it attacks!
It's a polar bear for Sarah Bear.
Aw, and Joshua gets a little lizard.
Guys, I can't take it! Oh, and Anna!
Wait, did you choose who you were going to buy this for?
Yea. Did you not like him?
I like it. I just — it's just the funniest face ever.
1, 2, 3 ...
We had a blast celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary, but it sure feels good to be back home.
We’re more excited than ever about the future here in Japan, and all people we’re helping along the way.
If you’re inspired here, do us a favor and subscribe to Life in Japan.
And we’ll see you next time on Life in Japan!
21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
Oh!
27! New record, that's awesome!