Nagano revisted.

Of all the seasons, I like winter the most.

Yes, the cold can be a bitch, but nothing beats skiing down a steep slope. It's not so much the rush of adrenaline that it gives me, but rather the sense of freedom that it provides me when gliding effortlessly on powdery snow. And you don’t even have to consciously move your body...when you are comfortable enough, your body will react on its own. And during that short glide down the slope, my mind is set free...mind as clear as snow.

But 2 years ago was an exception. The ski trip I went was horrible. Not only that there wasn’t enough snow, I was unfortunate enough to fall sick. Had a fever...a really bad one.

I have to say that I love nothing more than skiing...even more than a girl(so much that I'm willing to give up dating my girlfriend just to go ski). Had to wait for almost a year before I could ski again, and when that time comes, my body start burning up...but I wasn't going to let a mere fever stop me!!
When it comes to ski, fever is just a minor inconvenience.

And so I went up the mountain anyway...
Randy, you stupid boy...

Of all the stupid things I've done in my life, this rank the worst.
Felt like I was going to die...well, not exactly die but felt like I was going to faint and cause trouble for a lot o people. But I smarten up a little bit the next day though...rested and took a slow walk around instead.
I left that place completely unsatisfied.


The slope 2 years ago...

Last weekend, I revisited the same place. I was fortunate enough to be invited by my colleagues at TOPY to join their ski trip. It snowed beautifully that day.


The slope THIS year...

I was skiing like a demon; jumping off snow mounts whenever I can, going off course on purpose, skiing as fast as I can while desperately avoiding other people. Oh, I had fun.



And to add sugar and spice, one of my seniors brought along a bunch of Christmas theme costumes. One dressed as Santa, giving presents to ski goers. I was the Christmas tree...they wanted a "tall" full grown tree.









The kids were especially happy to see Santa. There was one cute one who shouted "SANTA...WAIT!!", then rigorously made her way to Santa, smiling as bright as any innocent child could when she got her gift.



I have to say that this was a whole new kind of experience for me...never had I the chance of dressing up as a mascot just to cheer people up. It was very very heart warming. The smile on the kids' face easily made this year one of the best I've ever had.

Btw, I'm going for another ski trip this Saturday...haha.



Merry Christmas folks!!

Cold hands, warm heart.

Cold, the word we use to describe the unpleasant absence of warmth.
Cold have been associated with many things; death, a witch's heart, bottom of a pit, Eddie Murphy's recent comedy movies, etc. None of them pleasant...except the idiom above.

It is now officially winter(based on my standards), and I'm shivering my ass off. Well, not really...just my hands, not my ass. I've only recently discovered the joy and wonders of long johns, so ass shivering is history. For the past 4 years, I've thought that wearing a pair of johns is for old people, and that it is not "macho" for a "macho" man like me.
Oh, the stupid things we do when we're young.

I'm currently doing my internship at a factory manufacturing steel products. I managed to keep my body warm by wearing suitable undergarments, but since I need to operate a few machineries, damn safety protocols won't allow me to wear gloves!! Being in the machining space also means that there’s no central heating like in the office. My fingers are numb with cold!!

There's a saying "Cold hands, warm heart". If that's true, then my heart must be burning a blue flame. Given my current condition, I think I'd rather be a son of a bitch and just be cruel to everyone. You know, jump queues, not greet old folks, steal candy from babies, kick a dog on the way to work...just so that my hands would warm up a bit. And as far as it goes, no, my hands are still not warming up.

So far, I've tried various alternatives, like;
・Buying hot cans of coffee. They cost money and only last about 10 minutes. Going to the toilet after finishing the coffee, washes hands with cold tap water....my hands ended up colder than before.
・Tried breathing into my hands, but that made me look like a nervous freak. Not to mention that my hands smells like grease.
・Thinking dirty thoughts. I just could not succeed in directing the heat to my hands.
・Tried the "mental trick" thing. Ignored the cold completely and focused on other jobs at hand...tricking myself into thinking that "it is not as cold as I think it is". Failed miserably when I had to touch cold metal pieces. My hands were to smart to be tricked by a cold piece of metal.
・Tried praying to god. Prayers answered but only with moderate success. I later found out that keeping my hands together reduces heat loss. But still not warm enough.

Damn, I think I might have to rob someone tonight.
Warm my hands at the price of other people's sufferings...a fair trade don't you think?

PS: Please, share whatever ideas you have on warming hands...before I start being cruel.

An Appreciation of a Wonderful Life...

It’s been 5 months since my father had a major scare with his medical condition.

5 months ago, my father suddenly experienced a terrible headache, subsequent nausea and numbness in the legs. When scanned, doctors diagnosed a brain hemorrhage on his left side. He was sent to various hospitals in Malacca, but was promptly refused admission by reasons of absence of specialist, and the absurd "he's too risky".
He was considered "too risky" as he had a heart condition as well. He had a valve replacement and was under a certain medication that prevents blood clotting. But even that, there's no reason at all to not admit anyone seeking medical assistance!! That's the point of hospitals, right?? I will forever harbour grudge against hospitals that care for reputation above duty.

Anyway, he was then admitted to Prince Court Medical in Kuala Lumpur. A very very VERY costly place...but considering the job they done on my dad, I’d say it was worth it. After all, what is money for if not to spend??

I was a coincidence that this tragedy occurred at the end of my semester. With just one class and last presentation to go, my lecturers graciously accepted my request to have my presentation done earlier so that I can get to my dad as soon as possible. I would like to thank a dear family member, Walter Theseira, who generously sponsored my flight back to Malaysia and helped me get those tickets with such short notice.

My flight back was...dramatic. What happened was, my flight got cancelled. Who could have imagined any interference at a time like this!! Meeting my dad would have to be delayed by 2 days.

You see, my dad knew I was coming back to see him and being anxious, any delay would undoubtedly cause anxiety and stress which would exacerbate his condition! You could say that the flight cancellation was...untimely.

However, the smile I saw on my dad's face when I finally got there makes all the trouble seemed trivial.

During my stay in Kuala Lumpur, another close family member offered his place to my mother and I to stay. He also kindly, and patiently taxied us to the hospital and back every single day. He is a working man, and we all know how busy Kuala Lumpur’s traffic can be...and yet he was always telling jokes and making us laugh. I can't imagine a more difficult task than trying to tell jokes while swallowing your own stress. When we expressed our appreciation, he always replied a heart warming "We're family."

My going back was mostly daily trips to the hospital, cheering up my dad and giving him strength. It was then when you really understand the true significance of family bonds...and also genuine friendship. During his stay in the hospital, many friends and family members visited him, people who would take the trouble to come all the way just to offer mental support to a dear friend. It envies me to see my dad surrounded by such beauty of life, making me wonder if I will have mine when my time comes. Heck, even MY friend went to visit him.

And so, he underwent an inevitable surgery but made out of it without any recurring complications. The doctor who performed on him was very unusual. Doctor Jack, we called him. He was the kind of man that would say anything straight forwardly, not tolerating any kind of nonsense...even his own. Have never seen him telling white lies just to ease our mental state, he'd just come right out with the harsh facts, speaking in percentages and various numbers concerned. He scolded my dad a few times for his pessimism and another family member for umm…trying to win favour from the doc(Hospitals are the worst place ever to play politics). Fills my heart with respect for him every time I think of his straightforwardness

That was 5 months ago...

My dad grew stronger and could do all kinds of daily activities back again.
I guess it's safe to say now that my dad has completely recovered.

I would like to say thanks to the many people who have given their support during that time of need. To families and friends who visited him. To a relative who offered his hospitality and warmth. To Walter who supported me in every way. To the doctor who saved my dad’s life. To the doctor who tended to his sutures without any charge. To a consultant that is never too tired to received my father's constant calling. To Samson who came personally to visit. To Kulvinder who gave me company that evening, which was the one thing I needed most that time. To Danny, Kenny, Ern Suey, Ai Jun, Chong Shen for taking me out, making me drink that horrible coffee. To Audrey for the brief car ride. To Cindy(not your Cindy, Chong Shen, but another Cindy) for being there.
And of course, to all my friends who lend their support via messages in facebook(I read them to my dad).

Thank you.

A Trip to Imou Bog...

I first visited Imou Bog for the purpose of looking wild miniature flowers. My trip there ended up in a big disappointment as I realized that I did not have the interest of hunting for small flower and that Japanese photographers had once again tricked me into thinking it is a nice place.


The REAL Imou Bog...so very different from the photograph above...

The bog boasts natural seasonal flowers which were grown and cared for by Mother Nature herself. Lured by this, I made my way there only to find tiny little flowers among grasses where you'll have to look hard to find....and there's always a ridiculous line of people taking turns to snap photos of that one, lonely, possibly terrified wild flower.


Do you see that???


I traveled one hour for this...

Damn, I've allocated a few hours for this...now what do I do?

There was, however, a hiking path nearby that leads up to a mountain range...but I was originally there to look at flowers, not hike up a mountain. Being under-dressed and having no food or water, what do I do?? The answer is obvious, hike up anyway....

The hike up was nice and fairly easy. I got nice view of the city from up there...



Once I was done looking down on the citizens of Toyohashi, I was preparing to hike back down when I noticed that there was another path that treads along the mountain's spine. Again, being underdressed and having no food or water, what do I do?? Do I go back down?? The answer is obvious, go on anyway....

Oh boy, I regret going down that path that day. You see, that path was longer and more treacherous that I thought it would be...by late noon, I was overwhelmed with thirst, hunger, and exhaustion. Not to mention that the way down was still nowhere to be seen. Here, I had to choose between going on, hoping that the path down would show up along the way; or turn back, going back to where I came from which took 1.5 hours. Now, the usual me would choose to go on, but this time, I didn't have the energy to do it and chose to go back the way I came.

I practically ran down the mountain as I was desperate for water. That bottle of drink I had at the bottom was the best I ever had.

But now I am intrigued to find out how far that trail really goes, where does it ends and what can I find along the way. You can say that this represents my nature; I'm never truly satisfied with anything until I've gone all the way. It doesn’t matter what lies at the end, the reward is getting to know yourself little by little with each step you take.

So, I went again a second time.

I went prepared...jacket, proper shoes, food and water. Now, I'm ready.

I managed to finish the whole course this time, which took me about 5 hours. Along the path I got to see more cities, the Pacific Ocean, and Mount Fuji with its trademark white hat.













But most notable in my hike was the meeting with an old man.
Well, actually, I met a cackle of old folks up in the mountains. Yes, a cackle, as in "a cackle of geese". Call me rude and unappreciative if you want but I find most old folks annoying. Just like on my hike, I met dozens of them and they always say/ask the same thing. And I just find them annoying...just like a cackling goose.
"Aren't you cold? Dressed like that?"
"Where are you from? Malaysia? Wow, I've been there before...20 years ago"
"You speak Japanese? Wow you are AMAZING!"

There was one, however, whom I met along a trail who really interests me. He did not ask me any of those silly questions...didn't even care to ask me which country I was from!!
We spoke a little about a fell tree and effects of the recent typhoon....then we somehow ended up hiking together. He'd shown me various hidden paths that offered beautiful panoramic views, talked about the soil, the plants, people who climb the mountain...

We hiked all the way to the end where we said our farewells...

And we didn't even know each other's name. I treasure meetings with people like this . They colour your life and leave a mark that can't be washed away.

After my hike ended, I still didn't know what is it I was looking for, what did I obtained from it, or most importantly, what made me come back in the first place.

I guess I was looking freedom. By not knowing where it ends, I can take my time and leisure hiking at my own pace...I didn't have to care about anything in the world, just the conscious action of putting my foot in front of each other.

Yeah...for that 5 hours, I was free.

Happily ever after...

It’s all over the internet now so, this shouldn’t even be on my blog as everyone else have written about it...still, can’t resist giving my two yen worth of thought here.



So, a Japanese man marries his Nintendo girlfriend. Wow, I am jealous.

And why not?



She is cute, has big eyes(with an incredibly sexy mole under her right eye), perfect skin, boobs with a satisfactory size. She’s forever nice, never demanding anything more than a few strokes of the plastic pen on touch screen, never argues, always there when you need her to be, always “not” there when you need her to be, won’t date out in expensive restaurants ordering something expensive which she can’t finish and will later complain about, and won’t ask you why your neighbour has new furniture/TV/car/curtain but not you. She also has no need for a Prada bag or a dozen shoes.

Wow...why have I not thought of that sooner?? I could have married Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy 7 for strangeness sake. That way, if anyone tries to rob me...

“Don’t you know who I am married to? Tifa Lockhart!! She will kick your ass!!!
Now, can just wait for a moment while I switch on my Nintendo?”
Push start…loading…select character…
load game…tifa…tifa…I’m going to load my best weapon…
Emerald Gloves of Dread. Oh ho ho…you are dead meat now!”



Now, wouldn’t that be awesome!! hahaha...

But seriously, I don’t understand why the world is so interested in this one dude. People have been having strange marriages all around!! Married to chicken, a tree, a dead spouse(I do think it is romantic, but some things just aren’t necessary), a partner twice/half your age. So, what is it so strange about this guy marrying a virtual girl?

Instead, it kind of makes sense in a few ways...

For example;
If Tiger Woods had married a Nintendo DS, he wouldn’t have crashed his car into a tree.
Bill Clinton would not have lost his presidency.
O.J Simpson would still be a loved actor.
Chua Soi Lek would be filmed sitting on a couch holding a small size gadget instead of...you know...

Just so you know, it isn’t all that easy getting a virtual girl to marry you. You first have to get to that “Marry Me” button...and it takes a lot of patience to get that option to appear on the screen.
I myself have tried a dating simulation before and, GAWD DAMN it’s frustrating!! It is almost as troublesome as dating a real girl in life. The only difference being you can’t slap the girl in game.

So, I say we applaud that guy who pioneered the way for us. Lets give him credit for being brave enough to actually hold a wedding reception in Guam. Lets be thankful that he gave us something interesting to read about and something for me to write about.
I shall forever remember him as NDS Guy(not Nintendo Dual Sreen but, Nippon Dude is Strange)....

Hah...I bet Charles Darwin did not predict this kind of evolution for mankind huh?