Earth Hour 2008: After-Thoughts

As the clock strikes 20:00 hours at every part of the world, all who had pledged to join in the Earth Hour 2008 would be turning off their lights and all electrical appliances to show support to the movement. So did I.

I switched off my laptop 10min before 8pm.. then I turned off my table lamp, and finally I unplugged all electric sockets.. the only thing left on was my fridge, as the socket was behind the cupboard which I couldn't reach.. And so my room was plunged into total darkness..

The lights from buildings afar looked brighter.. so does some of the houses which I could see from my window.. I started to notice sounds that I didn't realize was there.. I could hear every single ticking of the clock.. The motor of the fridge seemed louder.. The wind outside my window seemed to howl more fiercely too.. Minutes passed like hours..

I had wanted to get some candles but decided against it. No point wasting one kind of resources in place of another.. And for that same reason I didn't use my mp3 player nor my laptop, since batteries too are a kind of energy resources that are (un)replaceable.. And so I can't do anything except to listen and feel the darkness.. lying on my bed, my mind began to wonder.. all kinds of thoughts come and go.. and after a while I kinda dozed off... Luckily I had the foresight to set my alarm clock at 21:05.. :p

Only after this experience did I realize how dependent I am on electricity.. As an information junkie, my computer is on almost 24 hours a day and there is at least one electrical appliance switched on at any one time too.. either my table lamp and/or my air-con/heater would be on.. I would either be doing some work or watching some movies/dramas/animes/whatever on my laptop.. I couldn't imagine what I would do if there is no electricity supply for more than 3 hours!! (That is how long my laptop's battery could last.. :p) And this Earth Hour was just a short trial of sort..

I couldn't help but to say this again, although many has said the same thing before, and I know it is kinda cliché but I think we should seriously take up the responsibility of preserving the environment NOW. Everyone can do their part by being more considerate and more conscious about recycling, reusing and reducing wastage in whatever form.. Earth Hour is just a start.. It is never too late if we start now.. slowly but surely.. one little step at a time..

Anime Madness!!

Went to Tokyo Big Sight this morning, hoping to visit the annual Tokyo International Anime Fair..

Took Rinkai Line to Kokusai-Tenjijo Station, which is about 7 minute's walk to Tokyo Big Sight. The exhibition starts at 10am, so I thought if I timed my arrival 30min after the initial early crowd, I should be able to get in there without having to wait.. Boy, was I wrong about this.. very very wrong...

I reached there around 10.35am. And what I saw really shocked me.. The first thought was: "Wow! Japanese queue are so darn orderly! They win hands down as compared to Singaporeans who also like to queue..."





I stood around to see if and how fast the queue was moving, but unfortunately it didn't budge at all.. :( From the main entrance of the Exhibition Hall, the queue stretched all the way across till the end of Dream Bridge!! :o :o :o Based on my rough estimation, the queue was more than 1km long, as it took me almost 20min to reach the end of the queue!! :o :o And it wasn't even 11am yet!!!!!!!

So by the time I reached the end of the queue, I decided to just head home and forget about the Fair.. as less than 400m away is the next station, Tokyo-Teleport Station.. imagine that, the queue had almost stretched from one station to another!!

I am a fan of Japanese anime, but NOT THAT hardcore to be willing to waste my time queuing for hours just to get into the exhibition and then to be squashed and pushed by thousands of people inside the exhibition hall.. No way.. I would rather spend that time reading a book or watching movies/anime! Well, maybe I will try again next year.. by arriving at the place 2 hours before the opening time.. maybe.. depends on my mood next year.. :p

Sakura 2008: My Dorm

There is a sakura tree in the vicinity of my dormitory.. It is located slightly to the left of my room. As my room is taller than the sakura tree, I had to stretch out of my window to take a nice shot of the sakura tree.. :)


Here it is..at its full bloom..

I cant really see it if I sit in my room, but if I were to stand in front of the window, I could see about 60% of it.. And that building just behind the trees is one of the guys' dormitory.. talked about wasting a good view.. :p




The view to the right of my room is this.. Same as the one in my dorm, one single lone sakura tree, blooming.. proudly..

All over Japan, I think, there will always be a sakura tree here and there.. But I think in order to appreciate the full glory and beauty of sakura, one needs to see a whole park full of them.. else with just one sakura tree, there isn't much to look at ...

Sakura 2008: Komaba Park

End March and early April is Sakura time in Japan.. As I have missed the sakura season last year, I would not miss it this time round.. :)

So I would like to start off with the Hanami (花見) season with photos of the nearest park from my dormitory, the Komaba Park..
















More sakura photos to come as I pay my visit to more parks/gardens.. :) Stay tuned!!

Review: Jap Dramas and Animes

Watched some Japanese Drama and Anime recently.. as an exercise (or excuse) for my Japanese listening skills.. :p


Enka no Joou 演歌の女王
I watched this 10 episode drama because of the main lead actress, Amami Yuki. The plot revolves around a has-been Enka Singer singer, 向日葵 (Himawari, which in Japanese means Sunflower) and how unlucky/unfortunate her whole life is, but yet she never gives up doing the right thing even though that could mean that she herself would have to suffer instead.

It is one of those feel good dramas that you just can't help but to sympathize and root for her. The main male lead in the show was a good-for-nothing guy who just kept getting Himawari into trouble/despair. Even after getting married (to another younger woman), the guy just kept running to her whenever he has a problem. He likes to say, "生きててごめんね", which means "Sorry for still being alive" whenever Himawari is angry with him for his antics, while Himawari likes to say, "一人ぼっちは寂しいよ。。", which means "It is lonely to be alone..". Also, in the show, Himawari seems to possess a body that is indestructible, where almost every other episode, she would be seriously/mortally injured, logically and in reality, but she seems to recover almost overnight..

Rating: 3 out of 5.
It is touching towards the last few episodes where all her good deeds bear fruits, but being a realist it is kinda difficult to believe the ending. Only Amami Yuki is able to make it watchable.. :)




Yama Onna Kabe Onna 山おんな壁おんな
Well, I watched it due to curiosity because of the title. ;) This drama was adapted from a manga series of the same name. It tells the story of Megumi, who is the supervisor and top sales person of the handbag section of a prestigious departmental store in Ginza. She is pretty, not-so-young (in Japan, 30 years old is OLD, especially if one is unmarried) and the envy of everyone around her. However, she has a inferior complex that seems to bother her endlessly - her flat chest.

In first episode, a new staff, Marie, joined Megumi's handbag section. Marie is not just very very endowed, she also has a way with difficult customers that seems to take some wind off Megumi's wings. Megumi felt threatened and inferior. As always in Japanese dramas, if there is friction between any lead actresses/actors, they will be resolved in the end where everyone became everyone's best friends. Add to the plot is the ever-present "concept" that women can't be happy if they are unmarried. So other than dealing with her inferiority complex, Megumi has to deal with the ever-present pressure (from her parents, her peers, and the society) to get married since she is already 30... :x In one of the last few episodes, Megumi received not 1, not 2 but 3 proposals from 3 different guys, and add to the dilemma is the fact that she was shortlisted (after rounds of tests and interview) to go for a 1-year training in France. In the end, as always, she choose the guy that from the start we know she would choose, and forfeited the chance to go France to, as usual - who else but, Marie to stay with the guy she choose to marry.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
For the self-depreciative jokes about breasts and Japan corporate culture. Slightly more entertaining than Enka no Joou. I can't help but to laugh agreeably the peculiarity of Japanese corporate culture..




The Wallflower: Yamatonadeshiko Shichihenge ヤマト ナデシコ 七変化
One of the few anime that my sis recommended. It is about a girl, Sunako, who was rejected by the first boy she professed her love to. She was called "ブス" which in Japanese means ugly girl. From then on, she shuns all forms of beauty, both in herself as well as in life, became withdrawn from crowds/family/friends and weird (she likes all things macabre). Her rich auntie concerned about her, offers the four very handsome guys free rent in her mansion if they can turn Sunako into a "perfect lady". And so the (mis)adventure begins.. ;)

It is hilarious to see the guys being shocked and afraid of the things Sunako likes, for example horror movies, body parts in jars, and anything macabre, while at the same time "forced" to "transform" Sunako. Although in the anime Sunako is portrayed as a girl who was called ugly, but she is in fact a very good cook, very athletic, intelligent (except that she is hopeless in math) and a good pianist. And it was just side-splitting to see Sunako getting nosebleeds whenever she sees or gets near to beautiful people, whom she refers as "creature of light".

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Very entertaining.. Tons of laughters.. Not your usual anime..




Hell Girl II (地獄少女 二籠)
Continuation from the first series when the protagonist, Ai Enma (閻魔 あい), still grants wishes of those who want the person whom they hated most, to go to Hell, when they agreed to give up their own souls after death. Her parting words is always,"この恨み、地獄へ流します。" (This grudge/hate shall be channeled/flushed to Hell).

In this 2nd season, more were told about Hell Girl and how her 3 helpers (輪入道, 一目 連 and 骨女) became who they are before serving under her. Some of the stories were touching and showed how simple misunderstanding/miscommunication or just bad coincidences could result in grudges and sometimes even hatred. Like what Ai likes to say to those who ask for her help, "人を呪わば穴二つ、相手を地獄に送る代わりに　あなたの魂も死後地獄に行く事になるわ、それでもいいの？" (roughly means that "Cursing a person harms both. Is it okay that not just the person you cursed will be sent to Hell but after your death, your soul will also go to Hell too?") which begs the question: Does the grudge/hatred you have over that person worth the price of your own soul?? Some fruit for thought...

Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Not too bad. A good plot and conclusion to the story.

Back to Singapore: Day 02

Okay, continue with my belated entry on my trip back to Singapore.. Day 02..

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Woke up around 8am.. Today I will need to change room. The room that I was in is located within the dorm, so there isnt any privacy to speak of. Every time I need to use the toilet, I would need to walk past several rows of double-decked beds with tired back-packers sleeping away.. For tonight and tomorrow night, I will be staying in a real single-room. As I have 2 appointments (for lunch and dinner) today, I would need to leave early, before the check-in time. But with the difference in check-out time (by 11 am) and check-in time (from 1pm), I decided to leave my luggage with the front-deck guys and ask them to bring it to my new room when it is check-in time.

Took a quick shower, packed my luggage and left it with the front-deck guy, and left The Hives around 10am. Walked along Serangoon Road and took the train from Farrer Park to Tiong Bahru. Was supposed to meet Fitri at Tiong Bahru MRT, 12:30pm. We are going to meet up with Henny at Robertson Walk for lunch around 1pm.

Since I have arrived too early at Tiong Bahru, I decided to walk around the place. It has been a long while since I have been to Tiong Bahru. It is located slightly to the west of Singapore, which I dont really go. I used to shop around AMK (where I lived), Bishan, Yishun and Woodlands, along the NS MRT Line.. Saw a small Old ChangKee shop at Tiong Bahru Plaza.. bought some kuih to eat.. fishballs and yam cake.. :) Walked around the place for more than an hour.. went into familiar shops and didnt buy anything.. didnt want to carry any other thing since I am already carrying my laptop...

Met up with Fitri. Her hair was longer and straighter than I last saw her a year ago.. :) We then took a bus (No.123) to Robertson Walk and waited for Henny at the bus-stop. Henny looked.. very pregnant! :p She is about 7.5 months pregnant.. We walked around Robertson Walk looking for a place to eat.. Frankly speaking, I have not been to Robertson Walk before.. The place is so un-Singapore-like, cos it is so quiet and has no crowd! Finally, we decided to eat at Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie because we were all attracted by the cakes offered. The huge display of various mouth-watering desserts, cakes and chocolates were just too tempting to be missed.

After ordering our main course, we sat down and started chatting.. Topics revolves around their work, Henny's last days at Visa, etc. and I showed them photos of my life in Japan.. Then come the main act.. dessert!! Being chocoholics, the 3 of us chose the most sinful looking chocolate cakes on display!! :p :p

Fitri and I sent Henny off at the bus stop before taking a long walk to the nearest MRT. I wanted to walk as I wanted to see Singapore more closer. It was always nice to walk around places that one is familiar with. We walked through Clarke Quay and all the way to Funan IT Mall, as I wanted to look for a computer backpack. We parted in front of the Mall..

There is still about 1.5 hours to go before my next appointment. I went hunting for my computer backpack. I have done some research on the bag over the Net but I would want to look at the real thing, to touch it and feel it. I wanted a good computer backpack that I could use in Tokyo when I need to bring my laptop to school. The computer bags that Bro passed me did not match my expectation, as they are either too bulky (with just the laptop only) or too small (that I couldn't put any writing pad or stationery in it). I wanted a backpack as I wanted to have my hands free. I don't really like to carry things in my hands.. :p

There are plenty of shops in the Mall selling computer backpacks, but the variety seemed limited. There are plenty of Targus, Crumpler and Samsonite bags but limited Dicota. From what I had researched, I am prepared to pay between SGD$150-200 for one. I just need to get one that I liked. So far none has come close.. They are either without proper back support or not enough protection for the laptop.. In the end, I did not buy anything there...

Went to Newton to meet Irene around 6pm. We are going to have dinner with YP. I have known the 2 of them when I first came to Singapore.. YP was my roommate in Eusoff Hall during my first year.. Not sure about how they felt, but to me, the two of them are my best of friends. Although we don't meet up very often, even when I was still in Singapore, but I know I can always count on them.. we can talk about anything, well almost anything.. :p and I always feel at ease around them.. no need to worry that they might misunderstood my words or whatever..

Irene and I met up and walked to a nearby Peranakan restaurant that YP recommended. Irene is still Irene.. forever busy, forever helpful and forever concern (or should I say) about me.. :p We sat down in the restaurant and started chatting.. Not long after, YP arrives, with baby Isabelle.. :) :) :) Isabelle is so adorable.. She has her mum's big eyes.. :) Half way through dinner, CK came and joined us for dinner. CK had dropped YP and Isabelle off earlier before going for his scouts meeting. He came back cos of some mistake and the meeting was no longer on.

We all went back to CK and YP's house after dinner to look at my Japan photos. We stopped at the oil station and bought 2 tubs of Ben and Jerry's ice-creams.. :) Although I started showing them the photos when we got to their house, but most of our attention was on baby Isabelle.. :) :) I can see very clearly that both CK and YP are totally immersed in their joy of parenthood. CK was proud to proclaim that Isabelle has already gotten him wound around her little finger... :)


From right: Irene, YP with Isabelle and me.. :)

We chatted until almost midnight. It was way passed Isabelle's bedtime but she doesn't seem to want to sleep yet.. But we left anyway, since CK and YP need to go to church early the next day. Irene dropped me off first before going back to Sengkang in the cab we took together... The two of us had arranged to meet up tomorrow (Sunday) to go hunting for my backpack. By far, Irene is the best shopper that I know who could get hold of stuff that is good and reasonably priced.. :)

This is a very fruitful day indeed.. Can't wait to meet up with more friends in the next few days..

Failed

As expected, I flunked my JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test 日本語能力試験) Level 2 exam that I took last Dec.. :p The result slip was in my mail box..


There are 3 sections, all MCQ (multiple choice questions).

First was the Writing/Vocabulary section, which I scored 67 over 100. This was one of my stronger areas in the Japanese language. Next is the Listening section, which I must admit, one of my weaker, but not THE weakest area.. I got 52 out of 100 for this. Lastly is the Reading/Grammar section. My comprehension of Japanese passages is mediocre while my Japanese Grammar is horrendous, thus in the section I only managed to gain 99 points out of 200.

In total, I only managed to score 218 out of 400. In order to pass this examination, I need to get 60%, which in points means 240. This means that I missed the passing grade by 22 points.. :(

JLPT examinations is THE language proficiency exam for Japanese language, so I will definitely take it again.. but here lies the dilemma.. Should I try Level 2 again or should I attempt Level 1 instead?? Should I play it safe, clear Level 2 before moving on to Level 1? Or should I take a leap and just do it? After all, the ultimate goal is to achieve Level 1. From what I heard, the level of difficulty for Level 1 is at least triple of that for Level 2 and the official passing grade is 70% (280 points out of 400). My worry is that if I were to fail again, this will mean that after 2 years, I dont have any JLPT certs to show for.. Mmmm... Luckily, I dont have to make that decision now.. I have till end Aug to decide.. maybe till then I would have a better gauge of my Jap proficiency...

A Little Story

this is an interesting short story that I read on the Net today...

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done!

Some food for thought, huh...

Wishes for the New Dawn

10. That the newly elected YB be Yang Berkhidmat and not just Yang Berhormat. Work for the Rakyat, not sendiri.

09. Listen to the Rakyat, consult the Rakyat but make the difficult decision for the Rakyat, when necessary. That's the reason the Rakyat voted for you.

08. Talk to the Rakyat, not talk down to the Rakyat. Reason with and convince the Rakyat, not just shave new laws or whatever down the Rakyat's throat.

07. End the "Circus" during Parliament sessions. Bring back dignity and respectability to the Legislation. Stop sleeping or being absent from the sessions.

06. Mutual respect and cooperation among the YBs. After all, they are working for the same boss, the Rakyat. Debate and vote according to your Rakyat's wishes and not what your party says.

05. Reward the worthy, encourage the lousy, help the needy and punish the cronies. Praise whomever that deserves it not because you want something from him/her.

04. Race can be taken into consideration but not as the only/final deciding factor. Every Rakyat deserves to be lend a hand when in need, regardless.

03. Revamp the Judiciary and restore its credibility and independence from the Legislation.

02. No one is above the law. No more cover-up, buy-off or bail out of any sort. Abide the Constitution and the LAW!!

01. Accountability and Transparency.


The Rakyat is watching....closely..

MALAYSIA BOLEH!!

A New Dawn

And so it seems... now that the Opposition Parties (of DAP, PKR and PAS) have managed to deny BN the sacred 2/3 majority in the Parliament and unexpectedly won the rights to form 5 state governments (Selangor, Perak, Penang, Kedah and Kelantan).. Frankly, I have never felt so deeply for Malaysia since Malaysia won the Thomas Cup against Indonesia in 1992.

Now it is the chance for the Opposition parties to make good their promises and utilize their expertise to manage those 5 state governments. Show the people that you can walk the talk. Show the people that you really are able to do a better job than BN. Only then would the people continue to support you. Do not engage in power hogging and money politics that is so easy to slide into when you are in power. Don't be the Pigs in George Orwell's Animal Farms. The people could put you in office, they too could take you down.. You saw what happened to BN this election, so be on your toes and work for the people cos the people has woken up to their rights. Makkal Sakti!!

On hindsight, I think BN's strategy to hold the election before DSAI is eligible to contest has backfired. Because DSAI is unable to contest in any seats, he is able to travel the whole of Peninsular and campaign for ALL. He holds the trump cards, he has all the moral standings and he wasn't able to be proven wrong by BN.

With this major upset, it is very easy and understandably normal for everyone to get carried away and think that all the country's problems would now go away since the BN has been denied the 2/3 majority.. This is not the end of the problem, but the start of a painful treatment for the ailing country. Inflation would not be curbed overnight as the market forces still controls the price fluctuation. FDI would not come gushing in just because BN only won 140 Parliamentary seats from a total of 222. There are much to do for the YBs and more bitter pills to swallow for the rakyat. I would not be very surprised that within this new 5-year term the Opposition Parties could only do so much to remedy the damages done by the BN for the past 50years. But at least I am hopeful that finally the country is moving down the right path, that is to embrace globalisation and work on the country's competitiveness to grow the economic pie for all Malaysians instead of fighting over who gets how big a slice from a 50-year old pie.

When I am in overseas (whether in Singapore or now in Tokyo), people would asked me if I planned to go back to Malaysia to work, and I would always answer them, "Never". But now, with the latest development, my answer has changed to a "Maybe". If things do improve a few years down the road, I believe my answer would eventually become "Sure, why not".

MALAYSIA BOLEH!!

Earth Hour 2008

Join the Earth Hour 2008 and pledge to switch off all electricity in your house at 8pm on 29 Mar 2008 for just ONE HOUR, regardless of where you are.

Everyone can do their part, however small, one step at a time starting with just an HOUR.. Click HERE to join in this global movement and spread the word.

My Fortune for 2008

As mentioned in my earlier entry, I went to my favourite Buddhist temple and ask for my fortune for 2008 and this is what the wheel of fortune has to say...

The Wheel of Fortune says all your trouble will vanish and time of prosperity and wealth will come and whatever you wish will be granted. Should you wish for a suitor he will turn up and marry you; should you wish for business it is sure to prosper. Your fate is comparable to Pra Temiraj, the wisest sage, when Pra Amarindra invited Him to Heaven while still in flesh and blood. You will find heaven on earth, do not be too hasty, your suitor will come to you.

洪湧泉源用不穷,更新换旧改门风。
主人不问自来到，管取生涯大道通。
解曰：
家宅平安，婚姻和合，患病无防，行人必至，勿心急，不宜远行财自至，六畜兴旺，官司遇贵人，谋事有得，生意兴隆，田蚕大吉。

So from the look of this, 2008 should be a good year for me.. Frankly, I am more interested on the "prosperity and wealth will come and whatever you wish will be granted" portion, cos who won't want more MONEY!! I could use some (more) spare cash for me to travel around.. :D :D But I think my parents would be more excited about the "your suitor will come to you" part.. :p :p

I will just wait and see what actually turns up this year.. :) :) :)

Back to Singapore: Day 01

Okay, it is kinda late, but I will be writing about my experience and thoughts during my 6 days-5 nights' visit to Singapore in late February.. :)

This entry was written on the night of 22 Feb in my hostel..so it is kinda long and has more vivid descriptions of my feelings.. :p

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Yes, I used the word “back to”, as I still consider Singapore as my home.. maybe it might sound weird or maybe you think I am unpatriotic, but that is my true feeling..
When I boarded the coach (PFW2882) at Simpang, Taiping, I felt like I was going to go home.. I could say for sure for now that Singapore is where my heart belongs, but I can say for certain that my mind and body felt most at home in Singapore.. even when I am staying in a backpackers’hostel!!

Anyway, the coach reached Singapore around 5:30am, just in time to “join in” the daily mass exodus of Malaysians flooding the causeway on their way to work in Singapore.. Some statistics put the number of people crossing the short bridge separating Singapore and Malaysia at 200,000 a day, including workers and students!! Imagine how early these people would need to wake up everyday and how late it would have been when they got back from work/school every day!!??!! Yet, they did it anyway.. so that shows how much Singapore and Malaysia are connected.. Singapore benefits from the brawn and brains of these Malaysians, while the Malaysians capitalised on Singapore’s need and irk a better life for themselves.. Symbiosis..

By the time we cleared the customs, it had been 6:30am.. this time, instead of alighting at the Woodlands customs, I am alighting at Beach Road.. as the hostel that I booked is in Lavender Street.. I had to either take a taxi or walk there, I decided to walk, since the day has yet to break and the temperature is still quite cooling.. so I walked.. with my laptop (in a backpack) over my shoulder and dragging a luggage, I walked more than 1.5km to the hostel.. It was located at the cross-junction of Lavender Street and Serangoon Road..

As I had arrived way too early (the usual check-out timing is 11am, thus the earliest I could check in would be 1pm), I decided to leave my luggage at the counter and go visit the Buddhist temple at Farrer Park. First I went to wash up a bit.. Washed my face and changed in another pair of (shorter) pants as the weather is getting hotter by the hour.

Then I left the hostel and walked along Serangoon Road.. I passed 2 Indian temples and then I reached the Farrer Park Mrt station. I went into the station and top-up my EzLink card, just in case I wanna go somewhere else that requires bus or train. In Japan, we have something similar too, it is called the Suicca, which can be used for trains only, and Passmo, which can be used for both buses and trains. But in Singapore, we only need Ezlink to travel on train and bus.. :)

I bought a kong-ba-pau on my way there… haven’t eat a thing since last night’s supper.. still have some water from the bottle of mineral water given last night before boarding the coach.. then I went to Sakamurni Temple.. I liked the place as it is so unlike the other temples. It is quiet and clean.. simple yet magnificent.. it has a big statue of Buddha at the center of the temple, and a statue of the 4-handed Buddha at the front.. after paying $3 for the joss-sticks, prayer papers and candles, I went praying.. I went around donating money after that.. not much, just a little token of appreciation.. I like talking to the auntie there.. she has seen so many people come and go, and is able to give sound advices. I spend about 2 hours there.. I also went to ask for a “qian”.. and it turns out to be a very good one.. While there, I received a phone call from Sok Fang. She cant make it for tonight’s dinner, so we arranged to meet on Sunday noon at Orchard MRT instead.

Then I decided to go to Suntec City, as I still have some time before check-in… I didn’t want to be carrying so much cash on me.. I brought some Japanese Yen to be deposited into my DBS account, so I wanna changed them into Sing Dollars. The most convenient place to do that is in Suntec, where the money changer gives the best rates (as far as I know) and the bank is just around the corner.. the rate I got was okay, SGD1.29 for 100yen.. after changing the money, I still have some time left, so I went for my foot reflexology at one of the Wan Yang outlets in Suntec.. Aaaa.. it was truly a relaxing indulgence.. then I went to Carrefour hoping to buy a pair of slippers to be used in the hostel later.. didn’t find any that I liked.. so instead I bought a packet of Milo and some Mars bars.. went to Sports Shop and paid 29.90 for a pair of comfortable slippers.. reached the hostel around 1.30pm..

Checked into a single room, named Tulip.. it comes with an attached shower.. not too bad.. I took a video of the room.. Paid $96 for 3 days.. will be changing to another room for tomorrow and the night after.. tonight’s bill is $20.. not bad, don’t you think? A short video of my room today..


Quickly took a bath, change my clothes and went out again.. this time, I wanna go to AMK, to get my hair cut.. took a bus there, Bus 130 which went to Whampoa and Ballestiar and Thomson.. places that I have only been to less than 3 times in my 13 years stay in Singapore.. it was quite an eye opener.. :p Got off at AMK bus terminal.. wow.. before I left for Japan, the Bus terminal has yet to be officially opened for business.. went to have a late lunch, had “Ban-Mian”.. was starving.. and in the process burnt my tongue eating that bowl of hot hand-made noodles.. took a bus to my hair stylist..

Told her to tidy up my long hair, which was the longest I ever had in my life.. I just let her cut and dye as she pleased as I trusted her professionalism fully.. although I did told her not to dye it too bright as it would be quite ugly if I didn’t get it cut a few months down the road.. spent about 3 hours there.. even had my eye brows trimmed.. :P

Was late for my next appointment..the first of my many dinner dates with friends and ex-colleagues.. got there 30min late.. :P Only 4 turned up from Visa, Handy, Sara, Mui Cheng and Bernard.. the rest of them cant make it due to some reason or another.. We had dinner at V8 Café.. the food there was nothing to shout about.. we talked and chatted during the meal.. then we left.. and I went back to my hostel room and wrote this entry..

Side note:
The phone I brought with me died, or more precisely the battery died.. I had to change another one.. and it too died within 2 hours.. I gave up and swapped to an older version that dad had the foresight to ask me to bring along.. and from the SMS that I received from SingTel and maxis, every SMS I send out would cost me RM1 and RM5 for every minute of phone call!! What a daylight robbery! As my prepaid phone had only RM20, I didn’t make any calls home.. instead I send SMS sparingly..

Now you see it now you dont..

The general election in Malaysia is at its final stretch.. all kinds of funny stuffs are happening..

At first the EC (Election Committee) wanted to use indelible ink on all voters when they want to cast their votes to make sure no double voting.. They had even placed an order of 48,000 bottles of ink from India at the cost of RM2.4 million!! WOW.. so easy, can just write off a few millions just like that??!! Maybe they didnt really care about these few millions, since they had written off amounts hundred times far greater than this..

Anyway, I am just curious about the order now.. Have those bottles of inks been shipped over to Malaysia?? What is one going to do with 48,000 bottles of indelible ink?? Sell it to the tattoo parlors?? :p