Looking back.. II

I stayed home, instead of going to the countdown at Meiji-jingu.. Between the comfort of my warm room and the hassle of the queuing in the cold winter night, I succumbed to comfort.. :)

So here I am, in my room watching season 1 of House MD during most of the day time.. stopped at episode 14 about 2 hours ago to write my diary.. lots to write.. ;) with a drink of Ume (Plum) liquor on the rock beside me, I am reviewing my last year's New Year resolution..

Last year I listed 7 things that I wanna do in 2008, and I don't think I did a good job keeping them.. (See here) Stayed healthy during 2008 (compared to 2007) and lost about 3 kgs.. Didn't really make much progress in my Japanese.. only visited Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Nikko and Mt Takao.. Didn't go to HK, Macau, Taiwan or any other country.. Didn't keep/update/refresh my professional and technical knowledge at all.. in fact, I suspect that I might be even losing my ability to think rationally with all these Masters classes that I am taking.. Been quite open and stay truthful to my believes, feelings and myself, I think.. And I did grow, spiritually and mentally.. with lots of movies, tv shows and facebooking.. :x

So this year, I shall try to be more specific with my New Year's resolutions, so here they are the same 7, in no specific order:

• Stay healthy and lose more weight => getting sick less than once every month and getting my weight down 5 more kilos
• Master Japanese => Clear JLPT 1 and able to carry a simple decent conversation
• Explore Japan more => Visit Kyushu, Shikoku and Hokkaido, and visit a place within Tokyo twice a month during my last semester
• Travel to neighboring countries => Hong Kong and Macau at least, any other cities would be a bonus
• Continue growing - spiritually and mentally => Read at least 40 books within the year
• Keep/Update/Refresh my professional and technical knowledge
• Be open and stay truthful to my believes, feelings and myself..

Again, shall not put "making new/more friends" as my resolution, cos I know I will not be able to keep them.. Just not in my system to be making friends with everyone I met.. I chose my friends carefully, just as they will choose me.. so it gotta be mutual, no? Also I don't want to waste my time faking friendliness with people I can't stand or just plain dislike.. Life is too short for such niceties..

2009 shall be a year full of changes for me, I do foresee that.. I shall be graduating in Aug 2009.. and there after, I shall start working.. yet, I have no idea where and as what.. in Japan? maybe.. in Singapore? maybe.. any city in the world is a possibility.. although with my change-adverseness, going back to Singapore seems like a more attractive option.. yet, who knows?!

Regardless of what the new year might bring us, Happy New Year everyone!! Have a blessed and fruitful 2009!!

Poems... XVII

Sometimes
© By Jose N. Arce

Sometimes I wonder why I'm in this world
Sometimes I wonder if I was gone would anyone care
Sometimes I say to myself
I'm here for a reason
But sometimes I think to myself
What is that reason for

Sometimes it's hard for me to live my life
Sometimes I just break down and cry
Sometimes I think why this had to happen to me
Out of all the people in this world
It had to be me

Sometimes I imagine how my life would be
If I was just normal
But that's hard to imagine
Because it's never going to happen
Sometimes I ask God
Why is my life so hard to live
But sometimes I know he's looking down at me
Saying you were met to be like this

Sometimes people say my life ain't that hard to live
Sometimes I want those people to be in my shoes
To see how my life actually is
Sometimes my life could be easy
Sometimes my life could be hard
Sometimes I don't even care about my life
Sometimes I just wish I would die

Sometimes I don't have anyone to go to
Because sometimes I know some people don't care
Sometimes I need someone who understands
Sometimes I don't need someone who don't give a damn

Sometimes people say keep your head up and you'll get through it
Sometimes people don't understand
It's hard for me to keep my head up and get through it
Sometimes I know God is watching me
And God knows where I'm heading

Count down?

I am of two minds..

Should I go to countdown with a group of Malaysians tomorrow night at Meiji-jingu or should I just stay in my room??

Never a people person, tomorrow's countdown program will definitely test my limit of "enduring" crowds.. Heard that for last year's New Year countdown, there are more than 3 million people within the vicinity of Harajuku and Meiji-jingu.. :o :o and a friend of mine queued more than 3 hours last New Year just to get into the shrine to pray and throw a coin for good luck... :o :o :o

1st of January is a big thing for Japanese and many would go out for the countdown celebration all over Tokyo/Japan.. It has been forecast that it will be very windy tomorrow night (wind at about 6-9m/s)... imagine the wind howling, the noise of thousands of people talking, the awkward silence among people who don't quite know each other, the long hours of queuing (aka standing), and not to mention the coldness... if it wasn't the fact that this might be my last New Year in Japan, I wouldn't even entertain the idea of freezing my ass off just so that I could "celebrate" the coming of a New Year with a bunch of strangers (or acquaintances)..

So I am undecided... should I?

Top TEN... III

Stuff that I wanna do but didn't quite have the time to do... Hopefully the next 8 months of the new year will provide me with enough time to do the things listed below..

Top TEN TV series that I wanna watch/catch up-to-date in 2009

• House M.D. (all 5 seasons)
• Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (3 episodes so far)
• 30 Rock (all 3 seasons)
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (season 7,8,9)
• 24 (season 6)
• Dexter (all 3 seasons)
• Supernatural (all 4 seasons)
• Brothers & Sisters (all 3 seasons)
• Grey's Anatomy (all 5 seasons)
• True Blood (season 1)

Top TEN fiction books that I hope to read in 2009

• For One More Day (Mitch Albom)
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Standard Edition (J.K.Rowling)
• 7th Heaven (James Patterson)
• The Likeness: A Novel (Tana French)
• Tipping the Velvet: A Novel (Sarah Waters)
• Scarpetta (Kay Scarpetta) (Patricia Cornwell)
• World Without End (Ken Follett)
• Nineteen Minutes: A Novel (Jodi Picoult)
• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel (Lisa See)
• Lipstick Jungle (Candace Bushnell)

Top TEN non-fiction books that I hope to read in 2009

• Outliers: The Story of Success (Malcolm Gladwell)
• The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World (Niall Ferguson)
• The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable (Nassim Nicholas Taleb)
• Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America (Thomas L. Friedman)
• The Assault on Reason (Al Gore)
• The Post-American World (Fareed Zakaria)
• The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism (Ron Suskind)
• The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism (Andrew Bacevich)
• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (David Allen)
• The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (Timothy Ferriss)

Actually, there are more than the above 20 books that I wanna read.. but the sad fact is that the libraries in Japan are very English-unfriendly.. and I seriously doubt I could find any of these books in my university's library... That is one main reason why I really missed the libraries in Singapore... :(

沒有人知道

作詞：李宗盛　作曲：李宗盛

沒有人知道　沒有人知道　我的心　我的心
沒有人知道　沒有人知道　我的心　我的心
我是不是要註定孤獨
去面對以後漫長的路
陪伴痛苦　寂寞無助
我多麼希望回到最初　走我自己該走的路
迎向未來、不怕輸
在愛情中痛苦　在名利中追逐
怎樣才能面對存在內心的衝突
是不是讓步（不需要讓步）
是不是讓步（不需要讓步）
沒有人知道　沒有人知道　我的心　我的心
沒有人知道　我以為你知道我的心　我的心

诗。。。（十）

大海
作者：树才

我们只应向大海学习
大海无路，八方敞开
它的语言在涛声里
它的远方和深处
像灵魂一样充满奇迹

我们只应该倾听自身深处的声音
能遗忘的，都应遗忘
因为星辰和土地是无法遗忘的
在海边，坐以眺望
我似乎看穿生命的尽头——

所见使我失明
所闻使我耳聋

-------------------------------------------
我爱黯淡的生活
作者：李南

我爱黯淡的生活，一个个
忙碌又庸常的清晨
有时是风和日丽，有时是大雪纷飞
我爱庸常中涌出的
一阵阵浓荫
这些美妙的遐想
常让我在人群中停住脚步
看一看缭乱的世事
想一想
闪光的夜晚

Top TEN... II

This year I have watched many movies, almost 150 of them.. many of them old ones but some new.. Some were good, many were just mediocre while quite a couple of them were just plain terrible.. Quite a few were blessed with great acting and/or plot, most had some kind of entertainment values (visual effects, action sequences, etc), while a small number of them were just rubbish..

These are the top TEN movies (old and new) that, in my opinion, you should AVOID at all costs.. I have wasted my time watching them, so I won't want you to waste yours too... Most of them are Hong Kong-made movies..

• 吓死你 2 (2007)
• 军鸡 (2007)
• The Forbidden Kingdom (2007)
• Around the World in 80 days (2004)
• 第十九层空间 (2007)
• 恶男事件 (2008)
• 天行者 (2006)
• Jumper (2008)
• 豪情 (2003)
• Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2008)

Here is my Top TEN movies (old and new) that I think you SHOULD watch..

• Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind (2004)
• 老港正传 (2007)
• Wall-E (2008)
• Iron Man (2008)
• Million Dollar Baby (2004)
• Who Killed the Electric car (2006)
• Crash (2004)
• No End in Sight (2007)
• The Incredible Hulk (2008)
• 卧虎 (2006)

There are many more movies waiting to be watched.. Will let you know if they are any good, soon... :)

A to Z.. III

Challenge:
Describe your positive traits in 26 characters, each starting with the letters of the alphabets (a.k.a. from A to Z).

My answer:

adaptable
bookworm
conscientious
dependable
efficient
frank
genuine
honest
independent
just
knowledgeable
loyal
mellowed
no-nonsense
opinionated
pragmatic
quick-witted
responsible
sensitive
thorough
understanding
vocal
well-rounded
eXactitude
young-at-heart
zesty

Do you agree with my above self-diagnostic?

Home for CNY

Bought my tickets for CNY next year.. :) although it was so much more expensive than this year's..

I shall be going back to Malaysia on the 25th January 2009.. :) Instead of Penang, I will be arriving at KLIA around 5pm.. Just in time for the reunion dinner, I hope.. :p

Also, I will be visiting Spore from 5 to 12 Feb.. already booked my hostel room for those 7 days too.. won't be making the same mistake as this year with the last minute mad rush.. and I didn't want to impose on any of my friends... will start to make appointments for lunch/dinners with my friends and ex-colleagues soon.. can't wait to see my godson Rio too.. :) :) :)

Am counting down the days in earnest... ;)

Top TEN..

Here is a list of the top TEN stuffs/things that I had wanted to do this year but didn't.. because of whatever reason(s)... :( :(

In no particular order or importance, they are..

• See more of Tokyo and Japan
• Play World of Warcraft
• Speak Japanese more fluently
• Lose 5 more kilos
• Read more books
• Visit Hong Kong and Macau
• Learn a new skill
• Get a tattoo
• Buy a nice jacket
• Update my IT knowledge and skills

Hopefully, I am able to accomplish most, if not all of the stuff listed above before I graduate next Aug..

A to Z... II

Challenge:
Describe your negative traits in 26 characters, each starting with the letters of the alphabets (a.k.a. from A to Z).

My answer:
Unable to find words beginning with y and z.. but here are the rest..

austere
brash
cynical
domineering
eccentric
fiery
guarded
hard-edged
individualistic
judgmental
know-it-all
loner
mannish
nit-picking
over-bearing
pigheaded
quirky
reclusive
sarcastic
temperamental
uptight
vengeful
wicked
eXpressionless

Any more to add?

Poems... XVI

Walk Alone
© By Tanya Lerma

walk alone
We watch as our lives pass us by
the never ending pain of loss
hidden faces among what we call us
our souls filled with hatred and sadness

nothing ever goes our way
we walk alone through this cold life
no turning back
all we can ask for is hope

our hearts are dark torture
lifeless feelings living deep inside of us
what we look for is no where to be found
time wasted that is all there is

nothing can save us
we walk through a dark valley
no future for me no future for anyone
no prediction no guessing no hope

we don't see anything
we don't feel
our blood turns into ice
pain so flawless makes the shadows come alive

no point in crying out
there is no one to help us
we walk alone, by ourselves
we wish the end
finding a way out but it's not there

all we can do is wait
wait for it to come
take a risk, take a chance
we walk alone

分享。。几米。。 IV

还是几米的绘图。。
我的，心情的写照，三不五时的。。四处一片空旷，却总有一道铁门紧紧锁着。。可以绕道而行，但始终还是会回到这道围栏前。。因为即便绕过了避开了跨过了，心还是深锁着，只因那锁未曾被开启过。。

这也是我，挥之不去的，心情写照。。落地生根之地在哪。。从未有真正的“归属感”。。归根之处未有着落，却已迫不及待地发芽成长了。。无助、无力、无望。。只能悬在半空中，不上不下的。。

The Emperor's Palace..

Went to visit the Emperor of Japan on our birthday yesterday.. to wish him a "Happy Birthday" no less.. :)

The Emperor will only grant audiences to the public twice a year, once on his birthday and the other on 2 Jan.. so I would definitely wanna "visit" him this year, since I might no longer be in Japan this time next year.. At first I was worried that this year's birthday audiences might be canceled as the Emperor was sick the past few days (according to the news).. but luckily, it wasn't.

The gates were opened at 9:30am, and I reached the Palace grounds around 9:40am.. There were people giving away small Japanese flags made from paper... I took one.. As expected, the securities were tight and those who wanna get into the restricted compound had to be searched and then body-searched.. The crowd was huge.. and then we were ushered into the restricted compound.. Along the way, there were many policemen, plain clothes and security forces eying the crowd, looking for any possible "terrorists" I believe.. but frankly, with the Imperial Royal Family being just a ceremonial symbol in Japan, I don't think there is anything to gain by harming them..

Anyway, people walked slowly and followed the instructions given.. Soon we reached the compound where the Imperial Family would make their appearances.. Here is a short video of the compound where we await.

There was quite a number of foreigners attending, as one can see from the video.. I was standing beside a group of Indonesian students.. but still the crowd was a mixture of 70% Japanese and 30% foreigners.. Seemed like the Imperial Family still represent something of a significance to the Japanese public.. We waited for more than 30 minutes until 10:20am when the Imperial Family members made their appearance at the platform..

From left, Crown Princess Masako, Crown Prince Naruhito, HM Emperor Akihito, Empress Michiko, Prince and Princess Akishino.. Too bad the kids didn't show up.. would love to see the Princess Aiko and little Prince Hisahito..

Everyone waved their little flags and cheered.. Then HM Emperor Akihito gave a royal speech, which lasted about 5 minutes.. Here is a short clip of it..

Once HM Emperor Akihito's speech was over, there were shouts of "Banzai" among the crowd.. The little old lady standing beside me was over the moon when she saw the Imperial Family.. She kept saying, "Ureshii! Ureshii!" which translated to "Happy".. Then the Imperial Family went back into the house and it was over.. the crowd was then ushered out slowly but systematically..

And so ended my trip to see the Emperor of Japan.. :)



More photos here!!

Tsukiji Fish Market

Went to the famous fish market in Tokyo, the Tsukiji Fish Market last Saturday..

Left my dorm with a couple of my fellow Malaysians before 5am in the morning. We caught the 2nd train of the day to town. We reached our destination before 6am.. :)

First we went to the outside market, through rows of shop houses selling things from dried provisions to dried fishes, fish cakes, etc, etc.. There are logs of stalls with a few chairs selling ramen, udon, don (rice bowl) and other types of food.. The place was already busting with activities.. We came across quite a number of sushi restaurants too.. :)

Then we went into the actual fish market. And what an eye opener that was!! :) Here are some of the photos taken there..





Although there are more interesting sights to be seen, and I would love to slowly explore the market more thoroughly, my companions wanted to leave for their sushi breakfast.. thus I had no choice but to vow to come back again and continue my exploration some other day.. Thus we left after spending less than 30 minutes in the market to get their sushi fix..

We went to a nearby sushi restaurant.. Some of us tried the most expensive sushi set that they have, which cost 3,150yen!! Well, just for this once.. :p


But truthfully, I can't really taste the differences.. and some of it doesn't quite agree with me too.. I think I shall stick to just raw fishes, like tuna, salmon and etc.. no shell fishes nor other parts of the fish..

I will definitely go there again to walk around the stalls and explore the place more thoroughly.. :)

More photos here!!

Poems... XV

Birthday Time
© By Noula Halvaci

To reflect on New Year's Day
And To reflect in a similar
Manner on one's birthday...

New Year's and Birthday Time are both
A good time to
Reconsider one's life's path
On one's birthday, like on New Year's,
One is reminded
Of turning a year older

One must also be reminded
One has also turned a year wiser
Like New Year's
Birthday Time can be
A time to review
And to revise and improve
One's Present and One's Future.

--------------------------------------------
Another Year Older
© By Gwendolyn C. Harper

A birthday is just another day,
young of mind, yet youthful looks go away.
Another year older,
the world seems a bit colder.
Yet my heart still burns,
and for love it forever yearns.
Another year older,
I grow even bolder.
Life is for us to learn from,
as calculated as a mathematical sum.
Another year older,
hurting blazes now just smolder.
Letting go of past rage and pain,
living life and feeling sane.
Another year older,
a tear on your shoulder.
Life has not been so bad,
my tear is of joy not because I'm sad.
Another day older,
more pages added to my folder.
I'm glad of whom I am today,
I would not have myself any other way.
So don't mind that I write my own birthday rhyme,
I've lived through my life up till this time.
I think it is safe to say,
that things will go as planned His way.
He's got more for me yet,
It'll be even better I bet.
Another year older,
and I am in His debt.

给所有单身女子

作词：李宗盛　作曲：李宗盛

曾经有人问你　你是否感觉寂寞
有话在心里　不肯说
你自己曾听过　爱情的烦恼太多
谁都没有把握
聪明　如你　是非何必明说
单身女子的生活　还算不错
你何必让爱情　迷惑
曾经有人问你　你是否感觉寂寞
不要管别人　怎么说
好多事情要做　好多的日子要过
你有你的寄托
平凡　如你　是非何必　明说
单身女子的生活　还算不错
你现在不想让爱情　拥有你
你对自己说　你要独立生活
是不是在获得以前　一定要做出承诺
你说　这无聊的游戏　不必找我
如果一个悲伤的女子　从你身边走过
你放心　那不是我　不是我
说了再爱　爱了再说
你期待些什么
除了爱情　还有许多
能填满你的寂寞
不要让自己　在爱的漩涡
终日悲伤却不知所措
爱的习题　你自己会做
你不必别人　在旁边罗嗦
等你高兴了　再说

-------------------------------------------
太喜欢这首歌的歌词了。。因为它非常清楚地叙述了我一路走来内心的心情。。 :)

Winter Holidays 2008 - Part I

And so my winter holidays has begun!! :) :)

Officially, it was to start from 23 Dec to 7 Jan 2009.. but for me, since I don't have classes on Monday, my holidays started last Saturday.. :) It will not be a totally nothing-to-do kinda holidays.. I do have a couple of homework to complete.. :(

1. Prof. Mitomo's Theme Research Report by 16 Jan (10-15 pages)
2. Prof. Nakamura's report by 12 Jan (10 pages)
3. Prof. Utsumi's speech by 8 Jan (10 pages)
4. Japanese book review report by 12 Jan
5. Japanese essays by 8 Jan
6. Japanese Keigo assignment by 8 Jan

Other non-school related tasks:
- Update my resume
- House-hunting

Of course, all work and no play makes Jane a dull girl.. therefore I shall be watching lots of movies, tv series, documentaries and reading lots of books.. and plenty of doing-nothing... :p ;)

Outwit, Outplay, Outlast... II

The latest season of Survivor: Gabon just ended.. and for such a long time, the winner is a person well-liked by everyone on the tribe!! :)

The oldest winner of this reality show, Bob proved that you can be nice and still win the game.. For far too long, most of the winners lied, manipulated, schemed, back stabbed and double-crossed their way to the USD$1 million dollar prize money.. Maybe he wasn't the Mr. Nice Guy that he was portrayed in the show, who really knows??!! But still, it was good to see that the "Good" guy beating the "Bad" guys to the top prize..

Having had so many seasons of the show, the producers need to keep coming up with novel ideas and twists to make the show enjoyable as most people who wanted to be in the show would have been studying the "Dummies Guide" and the Survivor 101 by now.. Most were already playing the game very "professionally".. Having said that there were still certain individuals who refused to "play the game", "can't take the physical exertion", "miss home/family" terribly, "can't sleep cos it was blah-blah-blah", etc, etc... Sometimes I just can't helped but roll my eyes when some of the participants said those stuff.. What did they think they were getting themselves into? A summer camp??

Anyway, am looking forward to the 18th season soon.. :p

Marvel Heroes..

Watched 3 Marvel comic adaptation back to back today..

First was Iron Man. Had always loved Robert Downey Jr.. since the days of Ally McBeal.. :) It was a pity then that his character was written off because he was arrested for drug-related charges.. He played the title character very well, in my opinion. Loved the action sequences too... Would give it 4.5 out of 5.. :)

Next was the Fantastic Four: The rise of the Silver Surfer. Didn't watch the first movie.. Was never a fan of the comic/cartoon or any one of the actors in it. The story is so-so, acting very poor and the action sequences lame.. It only deserved a 2 out of 5 from me..

The last Marvel comic adapted movie that I watched today was The Incredible Hulk.. again, I have only praises for Edward Norton. Liv Tyler wasn't too bad either.. Norton portrayed the tormented scientist trapped in the body of a green monster very good in my opinion.. The only complain I have is the battle sequences between the two "big guys".. Kinda messy and non-climatic.. and cliche too.. So it gets a 4 out of 5..

I think everyone has their own favorite super hero(es).. and the fact that even though they are super heroes with special/gifted powers and/or lots of money, they still face the same problems/dilemma and experienced the same kinds of emotions/feelings as everyone.. that sort of vulnerabilities endeared them to us.. Don't you agree? ;)

分享。。几米。。 ＩＩＩ

有时候不需要文字，单单一幅简单的图画就完全道出了人的心情。。就好像下面这几幅几米的绘图，都是我现在心情的写照。。

A to Z...

Challenge:
Describe your current mood in 26 characters, each starting with the letters of the alphabets (a.k.a. from A to Z).

My answer:

austere
blue
crestfallen
dispirited
edgy
frustrated
glum
heavyhearted
inert
joyless
kooky
low-spirited
melancholy
numbed
overcast
prickly
queasy
raw
sullen
tearful
unhappy
vehement
woebegone
eXhausted
yearning
zestless

诗。。。（九）

总的想法
作者：孟浪

学会在方法上失败，流
高尚的泪水

在我拒绝接受的概念的核心里
森林泛滥

这是远景
我生命中最弱小的考虑

我旅行般地逃避
在总的想法上休息了片刻

海洋愉快地面向我
我是怎样的一颗咸的泪珠

--------------------------------------------
忘掉昨天吧
作者：树才

忘掉昨天吧，从今天开始，
我正式拜生活为师。
忘掉明天吧，既然昨天
是忘也忘不掉的。

构成曾经的东西，支撑我一生。
在不同的地点，以不同的步态……
我不前行，也不后退，我等待
但我永远是空的。

一场生命的大雪，早已把我
活生生错过。
我，一个走进街道的谦卑者，
我，一个骨架瘦小的旁观者，
我不炫耀我身上值得炫耀的。

天空轰隆隆。
安静，安静，安静……
哦，讨厌的路灯与贼为伍！
我的头颅像开了锅。

忘掉昨天吧，我要大声向生活
呼救！但不让旁人听见。
难上加难的岁数，让人不得不
把肉身看轻：稻谷人仓，草垛霉烂。

忘掉昨天吧，因为只剩下
明天一条路！拜生活为师吧一一一
因为我不想求助于死亡一一一
因为死亡也无法减轻灵魂的重量。

分享。。几米。。 II

好心情
找一个好朋友，
找一个好天气，
找一棵结满果子的树，
摇下几棵甜美的果子，
找一个安静的角落，
微风轻吹过，
分享彼此无聊的日子。
记得关掉吓人的大哥大。

有时候几米的作品之中根本就不需要文字。。也一样令人深省。。



几米网站：www.jimmyspa.com

Poems... XIV

The Reason by Stevie Smith

My life is vile
I hate it so
I'll wait awhile
And then I'll go.

Why wait at all?
Hope springs alive,
Good may befall
I yet may thrive.

It is because I can't make up my mind
If God is good, impotent or unkind.

A Good day..

Had a good day yesterday.. :)

Although I did skipped 1 class in the morning.. Couldn't really wake up with the cold weather.. one just doesn't want to get up early for the 9am class.. :p After the 2nd lesson (one of my 3 Masters classes for this semester), I was to meet up with one of the 2 Japanese 1A classmates, Alex, for lunch.. As usual, we went to a curry restaurant.. ;) since only those restaurants have tables for us to sit and chat.. Most of the other Japanese food restaurants, at least those cheap ones, do not have any tables.. just counters which "encourages" higher customer turn-over by "making them uncomfortable" to stay in the room for too long.. Anyway, we chatted for more than an hour.. catching up with the stuff that had happened so far.. that includes sharing interesting "stories" about our encounters with the locals.. :p

After the lunch, I went to the H.I.S. office in Takadanobaba to get my plane ticket to go home for CNY next year.. I will be arriving in KL on the 25th and returning from Penang on the 22 Feb.. Boy, are the tickets expensive!!! This time round, it will cost me 106,000yen!!! which is about SGD1,800 or more than RM$4,000!!! To think that the yen is appreciating and the oil prices dropping these few months.. :( :( But luckily, I don't have to pay for the tickets yet as there will be an adjustment for all the surcharges in January.. The lady servicing me told me to go back to them after that date to get a revised amount, which would be much cheaper than what was quoted.. Well, only in Japan that the companies would ask their customers to delay payment because of possible downward price adjustment... :)

Then I went to the Central Library to get some books.. :) Since the winter holidays is starting very soon, I hope to read more books and be more productive, instead of just watching movies/tv series/anime only... Plenty of tasks planned for that 2 weeks break.. just hope I can get the most important reports over and done with asap.. So many (non-school related but fun) things to do.. so little time... :p :p

The last appointment of the day was with 2 of my Japanese grammar classmates from Taiwan.. We went to a Korean restaurant within the school's vicinity.. We ate and chatted.. Those two were much younger than my sister!! and I really do feel my age.. sometime I just wonder if I am acting my age since I kept hanging around with people who are younger than me.. ranging from a couple of years younger to almost 10 years younger.. unbelievable.. :p :p Unexpectedly, they surprised me with a early BD present.. :) :) Thank you!! Xiao Lan and Kyu-san.. :) It was fun hanging around with them.. we usually just meet during class and chatted a bit in between lessons.. so it was fun to get to know them better.. although they are really really very young.. both would be going back to Taiwan.. one to work, while the other to do her Masters.. but at least in future I would have friends in Taiwan to bring me around, if I want to.. ;) :p

So am I right to rate yesterday as one of the good days?? :)

分享。。几米。。

一直以来都非常喜欢几米，一位台湾的绘本作家。。喜欢他能够用浅白的字句表达复杂的心情。。有时候是他的画，有时候是他的短文。。如此的单纯却是那么的一针见血。。。在这与大家分享一些。。

疲惫人生
大家都说做人好累，我也这么觉得。
要戴上假发、戴上面具、戴上眼镜、戴上笑容。
穿上内衣、穿上外衣、再穿上外套，
穿上内裤、穿上外裤、再系上皮带，
穿上袜子、穿上鞋子、再绑上鞋带，
天天都得如此，直到上天堂。

One more week...

Another week to go.. :) If you are observant enough, you will know what I am referring to.. Haven't got much time to think about how to spend the day, yet... Because seriously I don't mind spending it alone.. :) I like to reflect on things on these kind of days.. Maybe I should get myself another bottle of plum liquor.. or maybe even Kahlua, to celebrate.. One thing for sure, I don't have to spend it "entertaining" other people..

还有一个星期。。 :) 最近都非常地忙，没时间好好想一下要如何过那一天。。并不排斥静静地一个人度过，毕竟已经过了需要大势庆祝的年龄了。。但是仔细想一想，也发现自己更本就不是爱热闹的人。。 :p 除了5年前的那一次之外，好像都是我一个人独自过的。。也许有人会认为那么重要的日子一个人过好像很可悲可怜，但我不觉得。。也许我生性就是孤僻吧。。与其和一群毫不相干或不是很熟的人狂欢，倒不如一个人静静地喝着酒沉寂地反思着自己到目前的人生，以及一些重大问题。。好比明年的这个时间我的人又会在哪？？会继续留在日本工作吗？会回到新加坡？还是到了另外一个更好的地方/国家生活？？好比在我一群朋友当中，到底有几个人记得呢？好比明年的我是否会找到一份称心何意的工作呢？以及一大堆杂七杂八的疑问。。所以我喜欢在那天沉思反省。。

期待着。。:) :) :)

Important little facts...

Contrary to my earlier postings of trivia, these sets of trivia facts are important to know.. from here we can see how we have been treating our planet.. And the damage/conservation that we can do in our own little way...

Recycling one glass jar, saves enough energy to watch T.V for 3 hours!
One gallon of used motor oil can ruin approximately one million gallons of fresh water!
By recycling just one glass bottle, the amount of energy that is being saved is enough to light a 100 watt bulb for four hours.
One highly efficient, energy saving light bulb saves, over its lifetime, 524 pounds of coal or almost half a barrel of oil.
An aluminum can takes about 90 days to return to the shelf after being recycled.
If every U.S. household replaced 4 incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, the same energy would be saved as removing 7 million cars from the road.
One tree can filter up to 60 pounds of pollutants from the air each year.
A plot of land in Amazonia the size of a suburban lawn supports 300 species of trees.
The algae of the world's oceans produce nearly 50% of the world's oxygen.
Recycled glass uses only 2/3 the energy needed to manufacture glass from scratch. That means for every soft drink bottle you recycle, you save enough energy to run a television set for an hour and a half.
Recycling aluminum cans saves 95 percent of the energy used to make aluminum cans from virgin ore.
The energy saved each year by steel recycling is equal to the electrical power used by 18 million homes each year - or enough energy to last Los Angeles residents for eight years.
The U.S. is 5% of the world's population but uses 25% of its natural resources.
Rain forests have taken thousands of years to form but every second a portion the size of a football field is destroyed.
It takes around 450 years for a plastic bottle to degrade. Recycle paper and for every tonne of paper you save 17 trees.
Every ton of recycled office paper saves 380 gallons of oil. 50 million tons of paper are consumed annually by Americans, more than 850 million trees being cut down.
Batteries produce 50 times less energy than it takes to make them!
A dripping tap can waste 13 litres of water a day.
Turning your thermostat down by just 1oC can cut 10% off your fuel bill.
Aviation generates nearly as much carbon dioxide in one year as the total population of Africa.
To create just 1 kilogram of consumer goods, manufacturers create 5 kilograms of waste.
Recycling creates 6 times as many jobs as land filling.

愛的代價

作詞：李宗盛　作曲：李宗盛　編曲：Jenny Chin

還記得年少時的夢嗎　像朵永遠不凋零的花
陪我經過那風吹雨打　看世事無常　看滄桑變化
那些為愛所付出的代價　是永遠都難忘的啊
所有真心的　癡心的話　永在我心中雖然已沒有他

走吧　走吧　人總要學著自己長大
走吧　走吧　人生難免經歷苦痛掙扎
走吧　走吧　為自己的心找一個家
也曾傷心流淚　也曾黯然心碎　這是愛的代價

也許我偶爾還是會想他　偶爾難免會惦記著他
就當他是個老朋友啊　也讓我心疼　也讓我牽掛
只是我心中不再有火花　讓往事都隨風去吧
所有真心的　癡心的話　仍在我心中雖然已沒有他

---------------------------------------------
是张艾嘉把这首歌唱红的。。
很喜欢副歌的歌词，虽然到目前为止我还未付出任何爱的代价。。

Ten Yen for your thought..

Which would you prefer to be? A tree in the tropics or a tree in the temperate climate?

One would be green and flourishing whole year round, while the other would go through 4 seasons in a year..

Personally, I would choose to be a tree that has to go through different seasons annually.. I would want to have a chance to bloom differently every year... :P Maybe this year I didn't do a good job in growing my leaves nicely.. maybe my branches didn't stretch as high up as I liked.. or I don't like the way I "looked" overall.. :P :P so with the arrival of autumn and winter, my slate would be wiped clean, I can "experiment" and grow in different ways each year.. :P :P Since I won't be going anywhere (as I am stuck to my roots as a tree!! ;) ), the only things that I can "improve on" is my growing of branches and leaves...

I would want my leaves to turn in shades of orange, red and brown during the autumn.. to attract people to appreciate my "handiwork".. then I would "reflect" on the previous year during winter.. when spring comes I will blossom and bloom.. coming alive slowly but surely.. and in summer, I will be in my best, showing off the "work" I have done so far, including the hibernating and contemplating stages that I will be going through again when autumn and winter comes next... And the cycle continues.. year after year...

So which would you rather be?? A tree in the tropics or a tree in the temperate climate?

诗。。。（八）

生活的另一面
作者：西川

我注定在某年某月的某个时辰
离开这个世界
因此要做的事情实在太多
譬如恋爱，写诗，去西部流浪
我一走出那座老式钢琴似的屋子
就不明白地在Ｃ弦上摔了一跤
掌声和咒语于背后蝗虫般飞来
有一对酒窝变成美丽的陷井
我实在搞不清网与生活
究竟有何区别
我不流泪不等于没有眼泪
我整了整行李试图从哲人的书本上
寻找警句或方向
直到一条河自历史深处汹涌而来
灯塔与许多人的灵魂均漂在水上
我的灵魂也漂在水上

--------------------------------------------
整理房间
作者：小君

把被子调一个面
把多余的衣物
搬到别处
像一座山的迁移
白色永远象征洁净

午夜之前
我回来
享受洁净
和洁净背后显示的东西
桌子上一堆新鲜水果
来自一只奇迹的手
把幸福将要延续的路线预示
这是温和
也是洁净

我的全部问题
是要度过时间
不寻求方式
不寻求任何方式的帮助
度过时间
睡眠是很好的一种
它可以从现在开始
无怨无悔

It's the wind... II

Just some random observation...

At first, I was quite puzzled as to why there is always rows and rows of hair gel/mousse/wax in most drug stores, departmental stores and supermarket.. There could easily be more than 20 different types of shampoos, conditioners, treatment products and gel/mousse/wax available... But now I think I finally figured out the reason for behind the vast variety of hair products available here in Japan... The catalyst? The strong wind..

As most of the Japanese are "blessed" with so much bodily hair, they need to "tame" their mane in view of the strong wind.. One couldn't possibly look "cool" and "collected" with a head of messy hair, right?? Unless of course, the messiness is done on purpose!! :x With more than half the (young, aka under 40yrs old) male population keeping their hair longer than their counterparts in other parts of the world, they have to make sure their hair don't get into their way of looking "smart" and "fashionable".. :x Like I have mentioned earlier, the way they "styled" their hair, it makes you wonder how long it would need them to "work" on their hair every time before they leave their house... :x :x

And the way they styled their hair, aka by putting tons of gel/mousse/wax on them, it makes you wonder how often they wash their hair... Cos seriously, some of their hair really felt like an insert trap.. Bugs will definitely get lost in them and most probably die in there too... :p

Sometimes, I just wonder why couldn't they just cut their hair short? I mean for the guys.. This will save them a bundle in their expenditure on hair products, be it shampoo, conditioners, treatment oils, gel/mousse/wax and etc.. Considering the increased utility bills (water - to wash, and electricity - to blow dry), the extra time and effort spent, not to mention the waste that is generated from all the packaging, it just doesn't make sense to me.. Maybe this could be one of the methods to save the environment!! "Keep hair short! Let trees grow!!" :p

Buzi, Buzy, Busy... III

Been frantically busy these few weeks.. after my short trip to Kyoto..

Tons of stuff to do.. :( and I don't foresee myself being totally free for at least another week or so.. :x

Let me list down the stuff that I have done, am doing and need to do... for the next month or so... :( :x :(

1. Study for my JLPT 2 Exam.. [which I must admit I did rather poorly.. :(]
2. e-Government reports for my Professor's pet project.. [which I have submitted one, completed another and am writing the last one.. :x ]
3. Catching up on my Japanese classes' homework.. [the price to pay for skipping class.. :x ]
4. Translation jobs.. [BIG ones which take me at least 6-10 hours to complete.. but the thought of the $$$ kept me going!! :P ]
5. Presentations for my theme research.. [something that I can't run away from.. :x ]
6. Karate promotion exam.. [was rather proud of myself for performing well in the exam yesterday.. :) ]
7. House hunting.. [one thing that I can't avoid doing..need to move out of my dorm by Mar next year.. :( ]
8. 3 assignment reports for this semester... [need to do research and start BS-ing.. :P ]
9. Update my resume and send them out.. [need to start looking for jobs if I wanna work in Japan.. :x ]
10. Plan my trip back for CNY.. [something that I am definitely looking forward to.. will surely visit Singapore.. :) :) ]
11. ..
12. ..
13. ..
14. ..
15. (more tasks will surely arises as the semester comes to an end next month... :( )

These are tasks that I NEED to do.. not things that I WANNA do.. There are tons of stuff that I WANNA do during these period... like reading books, catching up on my drama series, watching movies, do some sight-seeing, play WoW, etc, etc, etc... :( Without doubt I will be doing these "want-to" activities together with the "have-to" tasks... ;) :P :)

Poems... XIII

Alone by Maya Angelou

Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don't believe I'm wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

There are some millionaires
With money they can't use
Their wives run round like banshees
Their children sing the blues
They've got expensive doctors
To cure their hearts of stone.
But nobody
No, nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Now if you listen closely
I'll tell you what I know
Storm clouds are gathering
The wind is gonna blow
The race of man is suffering
And I can hear the moan,
'Cause nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.

-------------------------------------------
Later life by Christina Rossetti

Something this foggy day, a something which
Is neither of this fog nor of today,
Has set me dreaming of the winds that play
Past certain cliffs, along one certain beach,
And turn the topmost edge of waves to spray:
Ah pleasant pebbly strand so far away,
So out of reach while quite within my reach,
As out of reach as India or Cathay!
I am sick of where I am and where I am not,
I am sick of foresight and of memory,
I am sick of all I have and all I see,
I am sick of self, and there is nothing new;
Oh weary impatient patience of my lot!
Thus with myself: how fares it, Friends, with you?

Room with a view..

I was very fortunate to have my room facing a wide space, instead of the railway track, other dorm rooms or a high school compound.. The view was very nice actually.. and I like to just lie on my bed and watch the clouds go by.. :) :)

Here are some of the photos I have taken from my room.. Enjoy!! :)

Views in Oct 2008..





Views in Nov 2008..




Views taken just these few days..






Don't you just love the way the sky and the clouds looked??!! So now you know why I like to stay in my room so much.. ;)

诗。。。（七）

城市之星
作者：侯马

一个勤勤恳恳的公务员
在冬季披星戴月上下班
啊，不，不
是起早摸黑地上下班
在这座宏大的发展中城市
人们已看不到星星
月亮也只是偶露峥嵘
它象挂在高楼大厦间的
一轮剪纸。光辉
难与路灯匹敌
而灯下新时代的女同胞
影影绰绰
脂粉涂抹出慌乱的尊严
她们是洒落人间的城市之星
虚幻的月光，温暖的禁忌

--------------------------------------------
现在的心情
作者：中岛

比整个地球还重的
是心情
比整个日子还沉的
是眼前的路
恐惧一步一步伴着左右

无法回到轻松
无法认清方向
绝望在火炬中闪动
我在痛苦中呻吟

面朝不是大海
谁还有浪漫的心情

Poems... XII

In Those Years by Adrienne Rich

In those years, people will say, we lost track
of the meaning of we, of you
we found ourselves
reduced to I
and the whole thing became
silly, ironic, terrible:
we were trying to live a personal life
and yes, that was the only life
we could bear witness to

But the great dark birds of history screamed and plunged
into our personal weather
They were headed somewhere else but their beaks and pinions drove
along the shore, through the rags of fog
where we stood, saying I

-------------------------------------------
Confessions by Kathleen Raine

Wanting to know all
I overlooked each particle
Containing the whole
Unknowable.

Intent on one great love, perfect,
Requited and for ever,
I missed love's everywhere
Small presence, thousand-guised.

And lifelong have been reading
Book after book, searching
For wisdom, but bringing
Only my own understanding.

Forgive me, forgiver,
Whether you be infinite omniscient
Or some unnoticed other
My existence has hurt.

Being what I am
What could I do but wrong?
Yet love can bring
To heart healing
To chaos meaning.

壯志在我胸

作詞：李宗盛　作曲：李宗盛

拍拍身上的灰塵　振作疲憊的精神
遠方也許儘是坎坷路　也許要孤孤單單走一程
早就習慣一個人　少人關心少人問
就算無人為我付青春　至少我還保留一份真

拍拍身上的灰塵　振作疲憊的精神
遠方也許儘是坎坷路　也許要孤孤單單走一程
莫笑我是多情種　莫以成敗論英雄
人的遭遇本不同　但有豪情壯志在我胸

嘿喲嘿嘿　嘿喲嘿　管那山高水也深
嘿喲嘿嘿　嘿喲嘿　也不能阻擋我奔前程
嘿喲嘿嘿　嘿喲嘿　茫茫未知的旅程
我要認真面對我的人生

Total annihilation.. maybe not

Just got back from my JLPT exam.. Instead of feeling a sense of being totally KO-ed, there is a 60-40 chance of me passing this time.. cross my fingers... :x :x

To show how much I miss gaming online (especially WoW - I miss Azeroth!!!), I shall use a gaming metaphor to describe the differences between last year and this:

Imagine that the JLPT Exam is a computer game with many levels.. I will use WoW as an example.. so JLPT is the WoW game itself.. One has to train to level up one's character or alter ego in order to proceed to more difficult quests and adventures.. Just like for Japanese, learning bit by bit so as to be able to understand (read, write and converse) the (confusing) world of Japanese culture/whatever..

A level 10+ character can never defeat a level 30+ boss.. and a level 40+ character can easily out-fight a level 20+ boss.. So in a way, JLPT Level 4 is just like a level 20+ boss, JLPT Level 3 is level 30+, JLPT Level 2 is like level 50+ and JLPT Level 1 is (for now) the highest level boss, at level 80... If one attained level 80, one would be "almost" untouchable in the realm of WoW, just like passing JLPT Level 1 meant that one could understand "almost" everything that is Japanese... Notice the "" used for the word almost? Well, regular gamers know that not every level 80 character in WoW is as good as the next one and having a level 80 character doesn't mean that one won't get jump on (and beaten up) by other level 80 characters.. Much like for Japanese proficiency.. Not everyone who passed JLPT Level 1 is good in all aspects of Japanese language.. It just meant that he/she has put in the required effort to sufficiently gain what is essential..

So last year, I was like a level 30+ character trying to bring down a level 50+ boss.. tried as much as I can, I never did do much damage to the boss as the difference between us is just too wide.. I was too weak to even dent the boss's armor, much less killing him.. This time round, I have "leveled" up my character to around 40+... so hopefully with a little bit of luck, I can bring down this level 50+ boss..:) However, I am prepared to continue leveling up my character so as to slay the biggest boss of them all, the JLPT Level 1 boss... ;) :P

For those who have no idea what I had written above, don't worry.. Nothing important except my meaningless babbling..

Silly little facts... IV

Interesting trivia with regards to time....

Consumers buy about $5 billion worth of dietary supplements -- pills, herbs, teas -- each year.
Every minute, five people worldwide between the ages of 10-24 are infected with HIV.
A car is stolen every 30 seconds in the United States.
Every year approximately 2,500 left-handed people are killed by using object or machinery designed for right-handed people.
It is estimated that at any one time, 0.7% of the world's population is drunk.
Lightning strikes about 6,000 times per minute on this planet.
Americans consume 4,848 cups of coffee per second, 24 hours a day.
Your ribs move about 5 million times a year, every time you breathe
A person uses approximately fifty-seven sheets of toilet paper each day!
In Kentucky, it's the law that a person must take a bath once a year.
An average American child watches approximately 28 hours of television in one week.
Humans blink over 10,000,000 times a year!
Someone gets divorced every ten to thirteen seconds.
Every three seconds, a new baby is born.
Your body is creating and killing 15 million red blood cells per second!

Charlie Brown's Philosophy

Found this nice little article over the Internet.. and thought that I share it over here...

Don't actually answer the questions.
Just read it straight through, you'll get the point.
1.Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2 Name the five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the five winners of the Miss America's pagent.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pultizer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Avademy winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second- rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies...
Awards tarnish
Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz, see how you do on this one.
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special!!
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money... or the most awards.
They simply are the ones who care the most.

Don't worry about the world coming to an end today, it's already tomorrow in Australia!

BE YOURSELF!! EVERYONE ELSE IS TAKEN!

Level 2... again..

In less than 36 hours, I will mount my 2nd attempt at clearing the JLPT (Level 2).. :x :x

Compared to last year, I believed that my Japanese language proficiency DID improved, but whether the improvement is sufficient for me to clear level 2 is pretty doubtful.. and I must admit that I don't have much confidence in myself at this moment... :(

Last year, I missed the passing mark by 22 points.. so hopefully and I really pray hard hard that my improvement from then till now would be enough to close this 22-point gap..

I need all the luck I can get!!! 保佑！保佑！！

Poems... XI

The Lesson by Maya Angelou

I keep on dying again.
Veins collapse, opening like the
Small fists of sleeping
Children.
Memory of old tombs,
Rotting flesh and worms do
Not convince me against
The challenge. The years
And cold defeat live deep in
Lines along my face.
They dull my eyes, yet
I keep on dying,
Because I love to live.

--------------------------------------------
Sanity by Claire Nixon

I’ve held you all these years,
supporting you through all.
I plead for your hand just this once,
then I realise I was always alone,
suffering with my hidden pain,
struggling with my past.
These wounds won’t mend.
I’m tired of being around,
caught up in my fears each day,
time cannot rub them out.
I try to tell myself to hold on,
as I wipe away my tears,
holding out my hand,
finding emptiness.
I feel myself slipping,
losing my sanity.

凡人歌

作曲：李宗盛 作词：李宗盛

你我皆凡人 生在人世间
终日奔波苦 一刻不得闲
(你)既然不是仙 难免有杂念
道义放两旁 (把)利字摆中间
多少男子汉 一怒为红颜
多少同林鸟 已成(了)分飞燕
人生何其短 何必苦苦恋
爱人不见了 向谁去喊冤

问你何时曾看见
这世界为了人们改变
有了梦寐以求的容颜
是否就算是拥有春天

-------------------------------------------
很喜欢李宗盛所创作的歌曲。。他写的词都非常有意义而且容易引起共鸣。。我将会陆陆续续地回味音乐教父这二十几年来所创作的好歌。。

真没想到在一群八年级生及九年级生的眼里，八十年代末到九十年代的歌曲已经算是“老歌”了。。 :x

What's happening... VII

Read an article in the Star (a Malaysian newspaper) with the title, At least five doctors to suffer from mental woes every month recently.. :x :x

Well, can you blame these poor souls? Most often than not, they do not have the aptitude of being a doctor, much less the will to toil and "suffer" during their 2-year housemanship.. And it won't surprise me one bit if most of them do not want to be a doctor in the first place but still did it because they were forced to..

I realized that many parents in Malaysia want their kids, or at least one of their kids, to be a doctor... Many children are pressured by their parents to take up medicine because they don't know what else to do with their perfect scores.. They only knew that they were supposed to study hard and get perfect scores, but what comes after that, they never gave it a thought... Then there are peer pressure or "competition" among the parents.. "Since Mrs So-and-so's son/daughter is doing medicine, then I MUST make my son/daughter, who is so much smarter than her son/daughter, do medicine too.. Else I will lose face..."

What is the use of spending tons of money sending their kids overseas, and in the end these poor kids are not able to take the pressure and stress of being a doctor and gone "cuckoo"? Parents shouldn't try to impose their dreams onto their kids.. but that is easier said than done.. Every parents want the best for their kids, but sometimes their definition of "best" is very subjective.. What is the point of being a doctor or any other "prestigious" professional but not happy?? Personally I think that is why there are so many mental breakdowns these days.. A lot of these stems from the inability to reconcile what they themselves wants and what the outside world (parents, friends and society in general) demand of them...

Frankly, the universities should impose stricter conditions in choosing their medical students.. academic results should NOT be the only criteria.. Aptitude and personality traits, like empathy and a willingness to serve, should play a bigger part in deciding who gets to do medicine.. We can't afford to have a sick medical team treating the sick... It will be a time-bomb waiting to explode.. and the consequences would be horrendous to think...

诗。。。（六)

沪杭车中
作者：徐志摩

匆匆匆！催催催！ 一卷烟，一片山，几点云影，
一道水，一条桥，一支橹声，一林松，一丛竹，红叶纷纷：
艳色的田野，艳色的秋景，梦境似的分明，模糊，消隐，
－－－ 催催催！是车轮还是光阴？
催老了秋容，催老了人生！

------------------------------------------
仰望蓝天
作者：唐欣

一个人
仰望蓝天
蓝天一望无际
蓝天 蓝得让人想入非非

一个人
仰望蓝天
就给定在那儿
像一个黑点
所有想法
都已烟消云散

一个人
仰望蓝天
直看得蓝天不是蓝天

一个人
仰望蓝天
先是晕眩
后是茫然
终于莫名其妙
泪流满面

Kansai Trip II: Preparation

It was a rush trip.. My classmate and I decided to go Kyoto about 3 weeks ago and we didn't really have a concrete plan.. which was something I have not done before.. Me being a control freak.. I would always need to know exactly where, what and how of the whole trip.. But for once, I decided to just go with the flow and see where it will take me..

We booked our bus tickets to Namba, Osaka about 1 week before departure and the tickets back to Tokyo 3 days before departure.. We only found and decided on our hostel about 5 days before our trip.. so it was pretty last-minute.. I can't described the anxiety I felt with regards to the trip.. but I tried not to be too stressed out about it.. This was a trip to see the less touristy side of Kyoto.. Although this would be my 3rd trip to Kansai, there are still a lot of places that I have yet to visit... thus I don't mind to just follow my classmate, CC. :) It was to be her 8th trip there!! :O

Since there was a public holiday on Monday, the bus tickets were quickly sold out.. More buses were added but the prices too went up.. We spent 5,700yen to go and 4,500yen to come back to Tokyo, taking the same type of bus.. And we paid 2,450yen for a bed in a 4-bed mixed dorm in Kyoto.. We spent about 15,100yen for both transport and lodging for 2 nights.. compared this to a one-way ticket on the Shinkansen to Kyoto which cost 13,500yen, this was really a budget trip.. :)

We didn't really have a fixed itinerary, except that we are going to Mt Koya on the first day, then to Arashiyama area on the 2nd day and maybe the Imperial Palace on the 3rd day.. instead of my usual meticulous planning, we just have a rough idea of where and how to get to each destination.. again, it was not my style of traveling.. But because I was not the "planner" and this was to be a leisure trip with no "target" to meet, I must say that I did quite enjoy the trip.. :)

Poems... X

FINITE by Sharon Esther Lampert

Days live and die.
Suns rise and set.
Flowers bloom and wither.
Fruits ripen and spoil.
Ice cream freezes and melts.
Candles shed light and darken.
Energies are generated and depleted.
Monies are made and spent.
Time is used and squandered.
Love burns eternal and passions wane.
Lives are breathed and become breathless.

--------------------------------------------
Things by Lisel Mueller

What happened is, we grew lonely
living among the things,
so we gave the clock a face,
the chair a back,
the table four stout legs
which will never suffer fatigue.

We fitted our shoes with tongues
as smooth as our own
and hung tongues inside bells
so we could listen
to their emotional language,

and because we loved graceful profiles
the pitcher received a lip,
the bottle a long, slender neck.

Even what was beyond us
was recast in our image;
we gave the country a heart,
the storm an eye,
the cave a mouth
so we could pass into safety.

Silly little facts.. III

Now some interesting little trivia about animals...

A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
A snail can sleep for three years.
Chimps in the wild live about 40 years and many in captivity live over 50 years.
Sharks are immune to cancer.
Reptiles do not perspire, and do not have any oil glands.
There are no ants in Iceland, Antarctica and Greenland.
A Blue Whale's tongue is about the size and weight of a full grown African elephant, and its heart is compared to the size of a Volkswagon beetle.
Jellyfish have been in the Earth's oceans for over 650 million years, they were here before the dinosaurs!
A cockroach can live for 9 days without its head.
Most giraffes are bisexual.
Bulls are colorblind, it is the motion of the cape which angers them.
Butterflies breathe through their bodies because they don't have lungs.
An elephant's trunk contains more than 100,00 muscles.
Hummingbirds can fly short distances upside down.
Fish sleep.

Skipped class.. and went sightseeing..

Yes.. I skipped classes and went to Kyoto for the autumn leaves the past 3 days.. Just had to do it since I am not sure if I would still be in Japan the next autumn..

Will be going to Takao-san tomorrow.. so need to rest now.. :p

Shall post the photos that I have taken in the next few days.. Stay tuned!! :)

Poems... IX

Confession by Louise Gluck

To say I'm without fear--
It wouldn't be true.
I'm afraid of sickness, humiliation.
Like anyone, I have my dreams.
But I've learned to hide them,
To protect myself
From fulfillment: all happiness
Attracts the Fates' anger.
They are sisters, savages--
In the end they have
No emotion but envy.

-------------------------------------------
Happiness by Amy Lowell

Happiness, to some, elation;
Is, to others, mere stagnation.
Days of passive somnolence,
At its wildest, indolence.
Hours of empty quietness,
No delight, and no distress.
Happiness to me is wine,
Effervescent, superfine.
Full of tang and fiery pleasure,
Far too hot to leave me leisure
For a single thought beyond it.
Drunk! Forgetful! This the bond: it
Means to give one's soul to gain
Life's quintessence. Even pain
Pricks to livelier living, then
Wakes the nerves to laugh again,
Rapture's self is three parts sorrow.
Although we must die to-morrow,
Losing every thought but this;
Torn, triumphant, drowned in bliss.
Happiness: We rarely feel it.
I would buy it, beg it, steal it,
Pay in coins of dripping blood
For this one transcendent good.

诗。。。（五)

走得太快的人
作者：李元胜

走得太快的人
有时会走到自己前面去
他的脸庞会模糊
速度给它掺进了
幻觉和未来的颜色

同样，走得太慢的人
有时会掉到自己身后
他不过是自己的阴影
有裂缝的过去
甚至，是自己一直
试图偷偷扔掉的垃圾

坐在树下的人
也不一定刚好是他自己
有时他坐在自己的左边
有时坐在自己的右边
幸好总的来说
他都坐在自己的附近

--------------------------------------------
再别康桥
作者：徐志摩

轻轻的我走了， 正如我轻轻的来；
我轻轻的招手， 作别西天的云彩。 那河畔的金柳，
是夕阳中的新娘； 波光里的艳影， 在我的心头荡漾。
软泥上的青荇，油油的在水底招摇； 在康桥的柔波里，
我甘心做一条水草！ 那榆荫下的一潭，
不是清泉，是天上虹 揉碎在浮藻间， 沉淀着彩虹似的梦。
寻梦？撑一支长蒿，向青草更青处漫溯，
满载一船星辉， 在星辉斑斓里放歌。 但我不能放歌，
悄悄是别离的笙箫； 夏虫也为我沉默， 沉默是今晚的康桥！
悄悄的我走了，正如我悄悄的来；
我挥一挥衣袖， 不带走一片云彩。

Silly little facts... II

Now some interesting little historical trivia...

Every queen named Jane has either been murdered, imprisoned, gone mad, died young, or been dethroned.
In the 1700's you could purchase insurance against going to hell, in London England.
Leonardo da Vinci spent twelve years painting the Mona Lisa's lips.
The shortest war in history was between Zanzibar and England in 1896. Zanzibar surrendered after 38 minutes.
The Ice Man, found in the Italian Alps, is now thought to have been murdered. Scientists have just found an arrowhead stuck in the man's back. He is now known as the oldest murder victim on record.
During the 1600's, boys and girls in England wore dresses until they were about seven years old.
There are 47 czars buried within the Kremlin.
In 200 BC, when the Greek city of Sparta was at the height of its power there were 20 slaves for every citizen.
In the Great Fire of London in 1666 half of London was burnt down but only 6 people were injured.
It has been calculated that in the last 3,500 years, there have only been 230 years of peace throughout the civilized world.
At the height of inflation in Germany in the early 1920s, one U.S. dollar was equal to 4 quintillion German marks.
Louis XIX was King of France from breakfast until tea-time on 2 August 1830, at which point he abdicated.
In 887, Charles the Simple, the heir of Charles the Bald, acceded to the French throne by overthrowing Charles the Fat.
Early Greek calculations had determined that pi is approximately 3 1/7. In 190 the Chinese calculated pi to five places: 3.14159. Modern computers have calculated pi to more than 100 million decimal places.
The guillotine was last officially used as recently as September 10,1977 by the French.

黄昏以后 天亮之前

作词：姚谦 作曲：李伟菘 编曲：Terence Teo
歌手：刘若英

也许都这样，一直到老吧
黄昏以后人就更失落
喧哗霓虹灯，更让人心慌
看不清谁给谁的承诺

我选择在家里喝着酒
这应该是最安全的人生吧
想失去的也想起了曾经错过的
和可能永远得不到的

也许都这样一直到老吧
天亮以前人总很清醒
迟归的路人，霓虹灯减前
也有个怀抱等待投靠

为什么我总一个人
与寂寞作战和作伴
黄昏以后一直到天亮了以前
就算摆脱了睡着了还是会寂寞，

我选择在，家里喝着酒
这应该是最安全的人生吧
想失去的 也想了曾经错过的
和可能永远得不到的

一直都这样也许到老吧，
天亮以前人总很清醒
迟归的路人，霓虹熄减前
转身奔向，一个怀抱
嗯~我还是孤单的一个人

-----------------------------------------------
这首歌曲的确是我现在心情的写照。。
一个人生活并不觉得有什么可怜或是可悲的，而且也已经懂得享受孤单的感觉。。
还有一个月，倒数计时开始了。。。心中还是蓝蓝的。。

Poems... VIII

Tributes to all my dearest friends...

A Special Friend by Faye Diane Kilday

Everyone needs a special friend
To help them on their way,
To pick them up when they are down,
To guide them when they stray.

To share a chat and cup of tea,
To work out hard decisions,
To lend a hand with household
chores and help them achieve
their ambitions.

A special friend is someone sincere,
Through good times and bad they
will always be near.
And if you have a special friend,
Be sure to treat them kind,
For in today's hard times of strife
they're a rare and valuable find!

-------------------------------------------
Gratitude by Lucy Maud Montgomery

I thank thee, friend, for the beautiful thought
That in words well chosen thou gavest to me,
Deep in the life of my soul it has wrought
With its own rare essence to ever imbue me,
To gleam like a star over devious ways,
To bloom like a flower on the drearest days­
Better such gift from thee to me
Than gold of the hills or pearls of the sea.

For the luster of jewels and gold may depart,
And they have in them no life of the giver,
But this gracious gift from thy heart to my heart
Shall witness to me of thy love forever;
Yea, it shall always abide with me
As a part of my immortality;
For a beautiful thought is a thing divine,
So I thank thee, oh, friend, for this gift of thine.

-------------------------------------------
It's Good To Have a Friend Like You! by Faye Diane Kilday

It's good to have a friend like you,
Whose friendship is sincere and true!
Someone to lend a helping hand,
To care for me and understand.

When I am feeling sad and blue,
It's good to have a friend like you,
To help me sort my troubles out,
And clear my mind of fear and doubt.

It's good to have a friend like you,
Just thinking of the things we do,
Sharing secrets, cups of tea...
Life is good when you're with me!

Fun loving, kind, sincere and true,
These words describe a friend...
like you!

Intriguing insights from Internet

Found an interesting article on the Internet with regards to some very peculiar phenomenons in Japan as reported by a "gaijin" (外人 - foreigners)..

Roppongi in Tokyo
After reading this article, I couldn't help but nod my head... Don't get me wrong, I have only been to Roppongi once and that too was in the early afternoon.. Would have never gone there if not for the "cheap" movie ticket.. But whenever someone mentioned that place, all that came to my mind, and quite rightly so judging from this article, is a place not unlike Clarke Quay in Singapore, where all the foreigners would "congregate" and behave "egoistically" (or in my understanding, "being an a**h***").. Since I can't stand any kinds of a**h***s, b*****ds or b***hes, I think I shall stay as far away from that place as possible.. :P

Shiver me timbers!

Blow me down!! I thought there is no longer any place in this shrinking world for pirates to operate lawlessly... how wrong am I!!

First it was a Saudi-owned supertanker, Sirius Star, carrying more than $100 million worth of crude oil.. (Hijacked supertanker drops anchor) and now a cargo ship, Delight, carrying 25 people and 36,000 tons of wheat that was flying under a Hong Kong flag... :O :O

The worst being, no one has an answer to these menaces... although it seemed that the West is trying to something about it... Western Navies May Get Tougher on Piracy After Tanker Seizure

With all the globalizations and shrinking of traveling time, there are still some goods that you would need to transport them using the "old" ways.. which are slow and cumbersome.. Unless someone derives a way to move these bulky but necessary goods/produce, we still have to rely on ships to get them to the places that require them.. If these shipping routes are sooooooo important, why isn't there anything done to ensure that they are safe??? Everyone has plenty to lose if something bad happens to these shipments.. One would think that security resources would be allocated to maintain the safety of these shipments.. :x

So for now, on top of the financial crisis and impending fear of a global recession, we have another problem to worry about... Where is the "self-proclaimed world sheriff" now when there is a REAL menace out there???

In the news

The last few days, my university's name was mentioned very frequently in the news.. but all for the wrong reasons.. :$

Read the following news..
Waseda reveals 4 more arrests over cannabis

Other than this drug issue, there is another "problem" that I would attribute equal seriousness to, which is alcoholism.. All you need to do is to walk around Takadanobaba Station in the evening every Friday, you would see hordes and hordes of students, local and foreign, drinking themselves silly at the various eateries/restaurants/izagaya in the area.. And it is not uncommon to see students slumped outside some shops, either puking their guts out or were barely conscious.. To think that this is one of the "elite" universities in the country.... :x :O :x My goodness... I know that I am generalizing, and definitely there are students who are really studying and do take their education seriously.. but I think those are in the minority.. Even the majority of the foreign students here are from well-to-do families which, I can see clearly, don't really care about studying..

Contrasting that with the impression that I got when I visited Todai a couple of weeks ago.. :x the ambiance were totally different.. One can really feel the seriousness each students has.. This is where a couple of Nobel prize winners were born! I am willing to trade ONE Nobel prize winner with 3 or 4 Japanese PMs anytime!!!!

Anyway, the only thing I can do is to make the most out of my study here.. I shall make full use of the library (although the books are gravely old and new books are acutely lacking). Also I will see if I could capitalize on its "good reputation" to get a "good" job here.. ;)

Poems... VII

She Dried Her Tears by Emily Bronte

She dried her tears and they did smile
To see her cheeks' returning glow
How little dreaming all the while
That full heart throbbed to overflow

With that sweet look and lively tone
And bright eye shining all the day
They could not guess at midnight lone
How she would weep the time away

-------------------------------------------
Life by Charlotte Bronte

LIFE, believe, is not a dream
So dark as sages say;
Oft a little morning rain
Foretells a pleasant day.
Sometimes there are clouds of gloom,
But these are transient all;
If the shower will make the roses bloom,
O why lament its fall ?

Rapidly, merrily,
Life's sunny hours flit by,
Gratefully, cheerily,
Enjoy them as they fly !

What though Death at times steps in
And calls our Best away ?
What though sorrow seems to win,
O'er hope, a heavy sway ?
Yet hope again elastic springs,
Unconquered, though she fell;
Still buoyant are her golden wings,
Still strong to bear us well.
Manfully, fearlessly,
The day of trial bear,
For gloriously, victoriously,
Can courage quell despair !

What's happening.... VI

All isn't very well in the land of the rising sun... Nothing but grim news all around.. Really worried about my prospect of getting a "good" job here.. :(

Japan's political system in chaos as opposition boycotts parliament
On top of the seemingly "musical chair" way for the post of PM, the opposition is now flexing its muscle... But is it the right move at the right time??? And to think that the current PM hasn't even warm the chair yet..

Japan Airlines, All Nippon Strikes May Affect 11,400
Mmmm... Maybe they need the strong arm(-wrestling) methods of LKY.. See how profitable SIA is now after he helped resolve the last pilot salary disputes a couple of years ago..

Japan economy may not grow until 2010, Yosano says
Oh dear!! This is definitely not good news by the Economics Minister.. After announcing that Japan has slipped into its first recession in seven years (Japan faces year of recession), he made this comment... :( :(

Nikkei sags as exporters, banks battered by econ mood
Deary me... Everyone seemed to be affected by the strings of bad economy news that seemed never-ending..

Japan's Corporate Bankruptcies Rise to Five-Year High
My oh my... Many SMEs in Japan are facing very tough times ahead with slow order and high yen.... How many more would go before things would get better??? Not until after 2010, it seems..

Nomura Said to Plan Job Cuts Among Ex-Lehman Staff
Just when you thought that they were saved... :(

Goldman cuts 10 percent of bankers in Tokyo - sources
Even the staff of GS is not immune.. who is??