Konnichiwa minasan!!! 
Thank you all so much for your words of encouragement when I was sad, sick and stressed. I read every single one of them and with each one read, I slowly recovered! Knowing that I’m not the only one who has been through that tough period when photos get deleted, hard disks corrupted or computers crash, made me feel stronger, that I could survive it too, just like all of you!
I feel very sorry for those who also lost precious photos. I didn’t reply to any email or comments because I wanted to wait till I was really, finally ready to face it – the fact that the photos are gone forever. By the time you read this post, I should have replied you! 
Three lessons I learnt from this episode:
1: Always check that you have transferred photos from your camera to your computer before deleting/reformatting the SD card
2: Cry over spilled milk – don’t ever forget – but forgive yourself
3: Take pictures with your camera AND phone
I’m glad I had the mind to take some pictures with my phone, with the intention to Instagram them for Life of a Bun. So at least I have some pictures of places I had completely deleted from my Panasaonic Lumix.
We were deciding between Hokkaido and Okinawa but chose the latter since it’s less common. We joined a tour group that was so large (about 200 people!) they chartered a flight. Normally it would take longer and cost much more to fly from Singapore to Okinawa since there’re no direct flights. You’d have to stop over at Taipei, I think.
Some people find group tours too stifling and prefer free and easy holidays, but I quite like group tours. Don’t have to worry about transport, food, accommodation, getting lost. Just sit back, relax, when it’s time to eat, eat. HAPPY! I don’t mind, however, going free and easy if I’m returning to a place I’ve been to or there are local friends to bring me around.
If you’re interested to travel to Okinawa, you can use this itinerary!
