HK and Macau..

Just got my plane tix to Hong Kong.. :) :) :) .

With the high yen and low fuel surcharges, the tickets cost me less than ¥29,000 (around SGD $440), almost ¥10,000 cheaper than my tickets to Taipei, even though HK is much farther... :) Another reason for the "cheapness" is that I will be flying off in the evening of May 12 and coming back on May 19 morning. Thus I can't really do much on those two days.. Anyway, I don't really mind since I have time to spare.. :p :p

This time round, I will be staying over my friends' place.. in HK and Macau.. both are ex-colleagues turned good friends.. :) :) I haven't seen one of them for more than 2 years although we do chat over MSN occasionally.. while I met the other more than a year ago when she came over to Tokyo for business trip..

Plan to spend 4 days in HK and 2 days in Macau.. :) Now trying to work out a more detailed itinerary.. Might or might not do some shopping... My priority will be to eat as much HK delicacies as possible!! (oh no! there goes my plan to diet! :p ) thus I need to play by ear once I got there.. maybe I would get a pair of jogging shoes and a bag (or two).. Things should be cheaper in HK, compared to Tokyo.. so definitely bringing my credit card there.. :p

My golden week shall be spent doing research and planning.. I wanna eat as much good HK delicacies as possible.. :D :D

Arghhhh.. I can't wait!! :) ;) :p :p ;) :)

Top Five

I must admit, I am addicted to Facebook... :p The applications there are fun and very addictive.. I think I am there almost every waking moment.. I would just log in and leave it there.. Many things to waste time on... :p :p :p One of the interesting applications is the "Top Five" lists from LivingSocial.. It is an easy way to get to know your friends better, comparing their lists of Top Five things/people/etc with your own...

Here are some of the more interesting and relatively unknown preferences of mine.. :)

Things I don't leave home without
• Cash
• Handphone
• My lucky jade pendant
• ATM card
• ID Card

Things that I have wanted to be when I grow up
• Paleontologist
• Surgeon
• Forensic detective
• Writer/Author
• Librarian

Things that terrify me
• Losing my mind
• Losing my family and friends
• Not being remembered and living with no meaning
• Being alone forever
• Not being able to take care of myself

Favorite Alcoholic Drinks
• Kahlua
• Bailey's Irish Cream
• Choya Umeshu
• Absolut Vodka
• Margarita

Simple things that make you happy
• Being with friends
• Sunshine
• Cozying up with a good book
• Seeing a production that makes me cry
• Wake up next to someone I love

Favorite holidays
• My birthday
• Christmas
• Chinese New Year
• Dragon Boat's Festival
• New Year's eve

Favorite footballers
• Paul Scholes
• Ryan Giggs
• Lothar Matthaus
• Juergen Klinsmann
• Peter Schemeichel

Historical figures that I want to meet
• Julius Caesar
• Buddha
• Zhuge Liang
• Queen Elizabeth I
• Wu Zhe Tian

Superpowers that I like to have
• Telekinesis
• Mind reading/control
• Space-time travel and manipulation
• Flying
• Adaptive muscle memory

Cities that I'd like to live in
• Wellington, New Zealand
• Singapore
• San Francisco, US
• Montana, US
• Kyoto, Japan

Places I want to go on vacation
• Alaska, US
• Rome, Italy
• New Zealand
• Scotland, Ireland and England
• San Francisco, US

How I prefer to spend my days
• Watching movies/anime/TV shows
• Reading and writing
• Outdoors activities (hiking/exploring, laying in the sun, etc)
• Be on the internet
• Gathering loved one @ my place and cooking for them

Favorite superheroes
• Batman
• Jean Grey (from X-Men)
• Constantine
• Professor X
• Lara Croft

Favorite Broadway Musicals
• Chicago
• STOMP
• Riverdance
• RENT
• Les Miserables

Things I want for my birthday
• Good health and happiness
• Soulmate that I have yet to find
• Hiking boots
• Sexy leather jacket
• Tattoo

What are your lists?? :) :)

MY FRIEND

主唱：蔡健雅

My friend, I know you'll be there if I'm feeling blue
My friend, even though we're worlds apart
And you think you haven't got the style
To stand alongside, superstars
My friend, even though how everything turned out wrong
My friend, after all it's just a passing phase
You're not the only one to believe
That you deserve a damn much better life
So you can say what you want
Let yourself be free, let your heart guide you, Cry if you want
I won't desert you, I won't be far
My friend, no one knows me well like how you do
My friend, always up for the long conversations
About my indecision in love
My erratic moods, you're hard to find

My friend, I know I'll be there if you're feeling blue
My friend, even though we're worlds apart
We might be walking in two directions
But we know where each is heading to
So you can laugh all want
Let yourself be free. I won't let you down
Do what you want. Live out your big dreams. I'd understand
Say what you want. Let yourself be free, let your heart guide you
Cry if you want. I won't desert you. I won't be far away....

============================================
倘若人生有这样的知己，还能有何要求呢？
With friends like these, what more can one ask for?

Been busy

Been rather busy lately.. more with non-school work, and a tiny bit of school work... :)

Frankly, I have been pretty busy cooking and eating.. and searching for recipes online.. been cooking almost everyday.. at least once a day :) It is fun cooking cos there are ready "mouths" to feed.. :p And I am proud to say that none of my "concoctions" ended disastrously, so far..

On the school front, I am rather busy too.. Now that I had a talk with my Theme Research Professor, I have a new topic for my final report which I have to do lots of research on, since the new research area is not something that I am very familiar with.. this means that I need to read LOTS of journals and papers so as to be able to write a concrete, practical and presentable final report.. My reputation is at stake here... and add to that, my supervisor (as usual) has delegated lots of tasks to us for his own eGov research.. don't plan to spend more effort than is required here...

Also, I have registered for the JLPT Level 1 exam this July.. I know that I will definitely flunk that test, but I just wanna have a feel of it and know exactly where I stand.. (which is pretty low, I think, considering the time I have been "ignoring" Japanese :p ) So I need to find time to study Japanese too... :x

Of course, my aim of touring and traveling around is not taking a back seat either.. so there are thousand and one things that I wanna do, sometimes I have no mood (for my research and my Prof's tasks) or just not enough time (cooking and touring) to do them.. :p

But I must say, I am having a great time now.. the best so far during my stay in Japan to date.. :) :) :) :) :)

Collecting Angels

When I was little, I used to collect a bunch of stuff.. from stamps, to newspaper articles, to stickers to book marks.. I was and still am a natural-born hoarder! :p Luckily, due to the fact that I am still not staying put at one location/city/country, I stopped myself from buying non-essential things.. else I would have a big headache shipping all my "junk" back home, which for now is in Malaysia..

A couple of years ago, I started collecting angels.. :) or to put it more clearly, figurines or paintings of angels.. I would ask friends who travel to Europe or any Western countries to get me a small figurines of angels.. I want those angels that have wings behind their back, but halos are optional... :p like this little angel from my sister, which I had brought with me to Japan and is now "watching over me" from a corner of my room.. :) :)

One of my best friend bought a reproduction painting of angels from Europe for me more than 5 years ago.. it sparked my angel collection quest.. the two angels are but a small detail of a painting called The Sistine Madonna by Raphael from the Renaissance period... I have always loved art pieces from the Renaissance period, where many of them were centered around religious events or characters.. This particular painting will be framed up and hang in the house that I shall someday own.. for now, it is rolled up and stored quietly in a plastic storage box at a friend's house in Singapore..
I have a few more angel figurines at home in Malaysia.. I haven't really started this collection seriously.. but I have been on a lookout to add to my collection... and frankly, I am pretty choosy too.. I definitely DO NOT want those from Precious Moments.. no doubt that they are cute but to me, they are too common/cliche..

And by the way, I had wanted to have a pair of wings tattooed on my back for quite a while now.. just haven't found the perfect pair of wings (the tattoo design, that is) yet.. still looking.. hope to find it and have it done as my 35th birthday present by end of this year.. :)

Why this penchant for angels? Well, I believe in angels.. and I strongly believe that every one of us has a guardian angel, watching over us.. and at many points in time, we could be someone's guardian angel too.. Most of the time an angel doesn't have to be some celestial being, but a mortal like everyone else.. anyone that offers a helping hand to someone in need, with no strings attached nor ill intentions, is an angel to me.. In a way, I like to surround myself with "angels" (literally and figurine-ly.. ;) ) and hopefully I too would be one to some people too.. :p

情绪垃圾桶

我的情绪“垃圾”需要不时地清除，不然堆积多了，这些来自自身的废物会反过来毒害自己。。如果身边有称职的“清理器”当然最好，没有的话就得自己自行处理。所以我会不定时地约几个固定的好友，充当彼此的“垃圾桶”，相互“倒垃圾”。。但是两年前到了日本之后，完全可以“倒垃圾”的朋友一个都没有。。虽然可以藉由MSN来抒发一下，但毕竟跟面对面聊天还是有点差别。。只好选择性地这边“倒一点”，那边“倒一点”。。

我衷心地认为可以被“选”为他人的“垃圾桶”并不是件坏事，至少还有当“垃圾桶”的资格，而不单单只是酒肉朋友罢了。。我非常乐意当朋友的“垃圾桶”，如果她们需要的话。。我不是来者不拒，重点在于我是否把她们当好朋友。。我不会主动要求她们把心事告诉我，也不会去“鸡婆”问东问西的。。所以很多人都认为我是“冷血”或是漠不关心。。也许是我的外表吧，常让人家不轻易靠近。。其实我是外冷内热的，有点慢热，但绝对热情。。只要我把你当朋友，两肋插刀赴汤蹈火都是小case，更何况是当个“垃圾桶”！

老实说偶尔发发牢骚发泄发泄何尝不是件好事？ 压抑太多太久，没有抒发管道的话很容易就会憋出病来的。。我就曾经如此。。从前的我太执著太在意于一些事物了，七情六欲喜怒哀乐都表露在脸上，情绪起伏都非常地大。。不是在不适宜的时间，就是在不恰当的场合说了心里面的气话，弄得大家尴尬不已，常常连自己也未察觉到的白目迟钝。。身边的人都可能把我视为“定时炸弹”也不足为奇。。现在的我虽然不能说EQ一百分了，但是至少比较能控制情绪不让它起伏那么大或是爆发出来。对许多事物都不再执著，也不再计较了。。不再把事情放在心上，不再那么在乎成败功过，不再那么爱出风头。。也许是看开了。。人生这短短的数十年，何必为了无法掌控的外界因素而让自己不好过呢？所以现在我常常告诉自己：‘算了，何必那么计较？”、“吃苦就当吃补算了。。”、“报应是迟早的问题罢了”等看似消极的想法。。我只是不想把精力浪费在一些无聊又豪无价值的人事物身上罢了。。

当然我还是会对一些自己的信念而坚持。这些是不能放弃的，但有妥协的余地，因视自己觉得值不值得而论。。我不会去要求他人要怎么样，所以我也不希望被别人要求我应该怎么样。。你过你的生活，我过我的日子。。即便我不赞同，我还是会尊重你的决定及选择，所以我也希望你尊重我所做的一切。。因为到头来，我始终觉得人生是你我各自的，后果是好是坏都必须你我自己去承担去经历。。It is my life。 是苦是甜，都只有当事人能够了解并体会。。所以不要可怜我或是怜惜我，因为到头来你是否真的比我幸福还是个未知数。。加上大家对“幸福”的定义都不一样，所以你我种什么因就承受我们各自种出来的果吧。。

Hanamatsuri

The Japanese celebrates Buddha's birthday on the 8th of April, unlike the rest of the world. It was also called Hanamatsuri, meaning the Festival of Flower in Japanese.. I went to Senso-ji at Asakusa early in the morning to observe their celebration..

Went there pretty early in the morning. Not many people were there yet, which was exactly what I wanted..

Went into the main shrine and prayed.. I asked for my fortune too.. :p Gotten slip No. 76, which foretells a “regular fortune” (吉签).. :) :) :) It said: 富貴天之佑 何須苦用心 前程應顯跡 久用得高臨。In English: To be rich or noble are given by God, you can't get them by your own endeavor, and knowledge. Although you work hard with your best, it doesn't come out so well without help of God. Coming fortune in future depends on all what you have done at past. If you be have your best to others, you can be rich and get honor by people. (Ok, the English is a bit off, but I get the message. :) ) Looks like I need to go pray more often.. :p :p And hopefully everything would be well for me the next couple of months.. :)

I just walked around the place taking photos... even though I have came here several times, I still managed to find corners that I have never visited before..

Then around 10am, a group of children, all dressed up with a big pink (sakura?) flower tied to their heads, came walking towards the temple.. It was a ritual of blessings for the children..

And a short video.. at the end of this group of children was a statue of Buddha placed on top of an elephant.. It was being towed towards the temple for the blessing ritual.

There were two or three small statues of Buddhas in small pagodas placed around the temple vicinity. Devotees can use a small ladle to scoop some water and pour it over the head of the small statue.. It is meant to symbolize the cleansing of the past sins and welcoming good fortune in the coming year..

At that time the place was already swamped with worshipers and tourists.. either busy shopping and taking photos... Went to some shops around the area before going home..

书签。。

Bucket List

There is a movie with the same name starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.. The name of the movie was a reference to the things one of them had wanted to do before he "kick the bucket", so to speak..

Haven't really give the topic of "Death" much of a thought until lately.. it might have been triggered by the suicide of one of the main characters in one of my favorite US drama series recently.. No one likes to think about Death, and surely not one's own mortality.. but Death is the one thing that is inevitable, no matter who or what you are.. Thus rather than avoiding it, I would think that it is much healthier to face it and ponder upon it..

Having been alive for more than 34 years, I have accomplished some (I think) and I would love to do many more before I "expired".. Here is my initial (PG-13) bucket list that I could think of right now, in no particular order.. :p

• Take an Alaskan cruise to see its glaciers, the whales and dolphins and its rocky coasts
• Own a house
• Fall deeply in love -- helplessly and unconditionally
• Take the legendary Orient Express from Venice to London
• Write a book and have it published
• Get a tattoo or two
• Run a marathon
• Get black belt for karate
• Be good in horoscopes, tarots and zi-wei
• Get a PhD.

Some of these require $$$, while some need time and effort.. but none impossible.. I shall continue to add to this list and it shall be revised regularly..

So what is your bucket list?? ;)

I shall think about my funeral arrangements and burial preferences next... :p

Memorable quotes... XVII

Some musings from ancient civilizations...

Great wisdom is generous; petty wisdom is contentious. Great speech is impassioned, small speech cantankerous. ~ Chuang-tzu

Wise men profit more from fools than fools from wise men; for the wise men shun the mistakes of fools, but fools do not imitate the successes of the wise. ~ Cato the Elder

The pride of youth is in strength and beauty, the pride of old age is in discretion. ~ Democritus

There is one thing alone
that stands the brunt of life throughout its course:
a quiet conscience. ~ Euripides

It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult. ~ Seneca

The wise are instructed by reason; ordinary minds by experience; the stupid, by necessity; and brutes by instinct. ~ Cicero

Men are slower to recognize blessings than misfortunes. ~ Titus Livius

It is better to be envied than pitied. ~ Herodotus

We rarely find anyone who can say he has lived a happy life, and who, content with his life, can retire from the world like a satisfied guest. ~ Horace

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for. ~ Epicurus

Why can't they just...

Sometimes it is pretty trying dealing with the bureaucracy in Japan.. Although I shouldn't be bitching about the people who is paying me to be here in the first place, but I just can't help myself.. well, I am not known for being politically correct anyway.. :p

Why must city office X refund me A-amount of money and then city office Y asking for that same A-amount of money to be paid to them?? I need to go to the post office to get the refund from city office X and then go to a convenient store to pay to city office Y... :x :x Why can't they just coordinate among the city offices and do direct transfer, thus making things more convenient for everyone?? Everything is (supposedly) computerized over here, yet they can't even automate such simple transactions between city offices.. I wonder if these city offices' systems were even inter-connected in the first place.. :x :x :x No wonder the city offices require so many counters to handle all these trivial frivolous matters which most of them can be easily automated..

Went to the Immigration Office in Shinagawa a couple of times.. I really think that the way they do things there is neither efficient nor it is productive at all.. Sometimes, a simple solution is all that is required to smoothen the process and hasten things up.. The Immigration Office being one of the few places that foreigners HAD to go some point in time, and most of the people who DO go to the Immigration Office are FOREIGNERS, doesn't it make sense to have more ENGLISH signs and instructions around???? Rather than having people queue for 10-20 minutes only to be told that he/she lacks certain documents/etc, why can't they just put up BIG posters/signs asking people to verify before queuing.. There were so many lost/bewildered/confused faces around the counters and in the queues... Okay, I must admit that not all foreigners can read/understand English, but at least it will eliminate some of the inquiries and help ease the frustrations non-Japanese-speaking-but-English-speaking people have when dealing with all the red-tapes..

Thank goodness I don't have to deal with any of these anymore in a few months time...

下厨做饭

自从搬来这里住之后，下厨的次数多了很多。。几乎每两三天就煮一顿还不错的，三不五时都会与同住在一个屋檐下的房友分享。。这也就为何我的体重迟迟无法减下来的原因。。而更糟糕的是胃口好像越来越好了，而且不时会”思考“下一餐要吃什么！！ :p 当然我弄的都是一些家常小菜，都是老妈以前烧过的食谱。。由于对日本超市里能买到的蔬菜豆类及海鲜肉类等都不是很熟悉，所以常常不免要随机应变或是临时变化。。虽然弄出来的味道有点偏差，不过还蛮好玩的。。

老实说我还蛮享受烹饪的乐趣的。。惯于煮给大家庭吃的我，常常烧出来的菜都不是我一个人可以吃完的，所以现在有人不介意和我一起吃我弄的东西还蛮高兴的。。

以下是我到目前为止的一些“杰作”。。
炒青菜，煎蛋及红咖哩鸡 [Stir-fry vegetable, fried egg and "ayam masak merah"]

蚝油鸡排，炒青菜及大葱蛋 [Pork chop with oyster sauce, stir-fried vegetable and fried eggs with onions]

我家的板面或是叫“面粉粿” [My mum's version of "ban meen"]

炒青菜和莲藕猪骨汤 [Lotus root with pork ribs and stir-fry vegetable]

炒面加蛋跟红萝卜 [Fried soba (noodles) with egg and carrot]

酱油姜蒜蒸鱼 [Steam fish with ginger, garlic and soy sauce]

味道还有待加强的宫保鸡丁 [Kung-pow chicken (which still needs improvement)]

宫保鸡丁炒面 [My version of mee goreng with kung-pow chicken]

虾饼 [Cucur udang (Prawn fritters)]

大葱蛋，炒青菜及咖哩鸡 [Fried onions with egg, stir-fry vegetables with oyster sauce and curry chicken]


真的是上瘾了。。会不端地继续尝试各种不同的食谱。。所以相信往后的这几个月应该会有更多的“作品“吧！ :) 尽请期待。。 :p

Remote campus

My university, with its main campus situated in the city area of Shinjuku, has a campus in some "remote/ulu" area of Saitama Prefecture, one which people seldom visits.. Most of the facilities in Honjo (本庄) are brand new, yet it is seriously under-utilized.. It is more of a place for research laboratories than a place for classes or meetings.. It is really 鸟不生蛋 (literal translation: Even birds won't go there to lay eggs).

There is a dormitory for students (the 3rd photo below).. The rental is relatively cheap for its rooms are bigger than those in Tokyo area.. If one prefers to stay away from the maddening crowds of Tokyo, this is the perfect place to stay, with all the greenery and peace. One possible grouses would be the difficulty of getting food around the area.. One would need to cycle quite a distance to get one's groceries, as even the ever-present convenient stores are missing around the area..

Last Saturday, there was a mini conference held there which I had to attend.. From Omiya (大宮), I had to take Shinkansen to get to Honjo-Waseda Station.. There is a free shuttle bus service available to ferry students from Nishi-Waseda Campus but it was too early for me to catch it. Luckily the train fare were subsidized.. :)

After the conference, I walked around the campus, exploring.. with a few of my classmates.. Here are some of the photos I took around the area..









Would need to make another trip here again in May.. shall take more photos of the school facilities next time.. :)

Shortage??

Read a very "interesting" headline in The Star Online.. It said "Malaysia shortage of engineers".. and I was like: "Mmmmm...., now only they realized ah??!!"

Having been in Singapore and now in Japan, I can say that almost 70% of the Malaysians that I knew in both places are engineers... Heck, even my brother and I are engineers.. together with both my housemates who graduated with an engineering/IT degree, there are so many Malaysian engineers around, just not IN Malaysia.. And I thought with the disproportionately large number of universities in Malaysia and the way the enrollments are met, this "conveyor-belt-styled graduate churning machinery" will ensure that thousands of graduates are produced every year, and yet they still complain about not having enough engineers??? Thus shouldn't the authorities think of some practical solutions to fix this problem, rather than to pay lip-service by repeating the same things every year, knowing that it would not bring a different result??

It is always easy for the authorities to say, "Please come back and contribute to the country!" and/or appeal to our nationalism/patriotism/what-ever-ism, but have they ever thought of the reason why people go OUT of the country in the first place?? They cannot expect citizens to "sacrifice" themselves for the country by forgoing good opportunities just because the government ask them to... I never believed that people can be so selfless and I have yet to meet one who is.. There is a limit as to how much one is willing to sacrifice before considering one's own livelihood and future prospects.. I need to feel that my efforts will be appreciated and not "scape-goated" every time an election or by-elections comes.. Call me materialistic, but I strongly believe that self-preservation comes before patriotism.. and thus I am not willing to die for my country because I know I will definitely die in vain..

教英文

自从搬来这以后，房东老先生就要求我每个星期教他英文。。到目前为止已经上了三堂课。。每堂课为一个小时，就在厨房上课。。前半个小时是解释他自备的文章，接下来的半小时跟他对话，纠正他并教他对的说法等等。。我也额外地从网上找来一些习题让他做，让他多点练习。。但凭良心讲，这钱还蛮好赚的。。 :p

有时会不解为什么他会要我教而不是另外两位室友。。我不敢说我的英文比她们好很多，而且我的日文也不比其中一位来得好，所以有点纳闷。。既然想不通就干脆不去想了。。只是有时候会担心她们会作何感想，怕她们不是滋味罢了。。当然我不会因此而拒绝这个赚外快的机会。。

老实说当家教的话，这是第二次罢了。。第一次是在大学的时候，教一位高中生普通数学及高级数学。。不是我夸口，但我把他的高级数学从十几分拉到及格边缘（60分为及格）已经算是不错了。。当然这一次是教语文，高难度是有点，因为相较之下很难确认是否教得好不好。。不过既然房东老先生每个星期都还继续叫我教他，那我应该还算称职或是作对了某些事情吧。。 :p

私の同居人

Ok, since people DO read my blog, I shall refrain from writing bad stuff about my housemates.. but come to think of it, there is nothing negative about them to write about!! ;) maybe we are still in our best behaviors, at least I am.. :p :p

Frankly, I haven't had such a good, fun time living with other people, under the same roof I mean, since my Eusoff Hall days in NUS.. Those were the days where we saw each others just-woke-up-groggy-unwashed faces in the morning and/or in our pajamas or old/shabby t-shirts/clothes, where we cooked and ate together, where we had late night chats and just hang out together.. :) ;) Ah.. the good old days.. :)

Under the same roof, there lives a Christian, a Muslim and a Buddhist.. we are able to live and eat together without any problem.. Granted that none of us are saints or angels, as we do have our own peculiarities and quirks but all we need to do is to show a little bit of understanding and tolerance.. It is not difficult to get along, if we all try hard enough..


One Chinese, the other Malay, both from KL/Selangor area... One Pisces, the other Libra, both nocturnal animals who don't sleep until it is almost morning... One a bit "kurus", the other not so, but both love to cook and eat... :p One loves the sun and the sea, the other prefers to stay in the shades, both loves traveling... One has pets at home in Malaysia, the other don't, but both love our landlord's cat, Mi-chan... One arty, the other sporty, both equally brainy considering they got scholarship to come to Japan... One doing her PhD, the other finished her Masters, yet both are much younger than me :x ... One lecturer, the other project manager, yet both prefer student life... ;)

The Chinese has a saying, "相见容易，相处难", which means that it is easier to meet than to get along.. thus it is a real blessing indeed to have such good housemates.. :) Well, with my imminent departure from Japan, I shall miss the time we had spent and will cherish whatever time left that we will be spending together..

English Vs Chinese

Recently I use Chinese to write my blog more often.. maybe because I can express my emotions/feelings better in Chinese.. With English, I can vent my frustrations, made known my anger, convey my views and verbalize my thoughts... but when it comes to what and how I feel, Chinese is still my preferred medium.. Even if I write about the same subject, the nuances that come across would be different, with the English passages being more lively but sarcastic, Chinese being more descriptive but emotional .. It is like I rationalized with English, but emoted in Chinese... ;)

Some of the time it seems that I had problems conveying my thoughts effectively in one language as I was thinking of a phrase in the other language which would better describe what I wanna mean.. If you were to ask me which language do I use when I think, I will not be able to answer you... Because they are just abstract thoughts to me.. only when I need to express those thoughts out would I choose a language, depending on the subjects involved or audiences intended. And sometime, I express myself best using BOTH languages at the same time... Just for the record, I can curse/swear equally fluent in both languages, and maybe in another 2 more too.. :p

I read English books faster than Chinese ones.. but I listen to mostly Chinese songs.. I write better (B.S.-type) essays/reports/articles in English.. while I tend to write my diary in Chinese.. I prefers my news and newspapers in English.. yet I love to read Chinese tabloids.. I grew up listening to English songs (oldies), but had grown to love Chinese and Canton-pop.. :) Both languages play a major role in my life.. They both mounded and defined me..

Thus in this blog of mine, both languages are used.. each to convey a different me.. so unless you are bilingual, you might not know some aspects of me, myself and Imm.. :p

The Others...

Everyone knows that spring in Japan means hanami (花見). Not just cherry blossoms, but many other flowers are blooming at their best too.. Those flowers are just as beautiful as the cherry blossoms, and that they last much longer than the 7-10 life-span of cherry blossoms doesn't make them less "photo worthy"... I was really captivated by their bright and vivid colors, even though I was never one who liked flowers...

Here are some photos of "the others" taken during my hanami trips..









I especially liked these small white flowers that were found aplenty at Shinjuku Gyoen (新宿御苑)...

痛。。 Pain..

自认不容轻易示弱，
兵来将挡水来土掩，
却无法不断地坚强。。

被他人漠视或忽视，
已经是家常又便饭，
但不代表我不介意。。

在意着别人的不在意，
因为太敏感易受伤害，
而不得装冷漠掩饰着。。

别人受伤疼痛会哭，
有人怜惜给于安慰，
到我被委屈受伤害，
仅能独自默默疗伤。。

真的很累，
也想不去在意，
让伤痕疮疤都结痂吧。。

感觉太多麻烦自找，
放下执着抛弃坚持，
紧守理念依然倔强，
顺其自然知足随缘。。

乱写于东京的雨夜。。
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Not one who showed my soft belly,
taking care of whatever may come, alone..
Yet, it doesn't mean I am strong always..

Cold-shouldered, neglected and passed-over,
nothing new nor shocking there..
Yet, it doesn't mean I am not hurt...

Caring too much about people's uncaring,
overly sensitive and easily hurt..
Yet, a solid protective armor is worn..

When they were hurt and cried,
a shoulder will be there to cry on..
Yet, no such favors when I needed it most..

Really tired to think or care, anymore,
just wanna let the wounds heal, somehow..
Letting go of everything,
yet keeping my faith and convictions..
Whatever will be shall be...

Ramblings on a rainy Tokyo night..

Different sprouts

There must have been thousands, if not millions, of photos of cherry blossom all over the cyberspace.. and why not, since everyone loves beautiful photos.. Usually those shots would be of tree(s) full of the sakura flowers with nice scenic backdrop...

Personally, I like to take shots of cherry blossom flowers growing out from the trunk or branch.. Of course I do take the "conventional" trees/branches shots, but I always like to hunt for those "rebels" who sprout away from the "crowd".. :) Maybe because I would do the same if I were a cherry blossom.. :p

Here are some photos of these tough "renegade" cherry blossoms..