tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116809962024-03-08T18:56:08.185+09:00NUTS!!Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.comBlogger217125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-52256696640830834622011-03-07T14:55:00.000+09:002011-03-07T14:55:03.837+09:00Yet another choice in life...<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I was sitting in the bullet train heading home after a presentation at a joint research facility. To summarize it, it was well received...along with the usual “Would you like to work for us after you graduate?” </span></div><br />
<span lang="EN-US"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=snowynight.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="320" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/snowynight.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span lang="EN-US">Anyway, as I heading back home on a snowy night, I started reflecting back on my life so far. Maybe it’s because it was the end of my long one year’s work, maybe it’s because my 26<sup>th</sup> birthday is approaching<span style="color: #660000;">(Getting older!!)</span>, or maybe it’s because my seniors are graduating and going away…what ever the reasons are, it is at this times where I rewind.</span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I was thinking to myself, <b><span style="color: #274e13;">“It’s been 6 long years since I left Malaysia, and god damn it I’ve come a long way!!”</span></b> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I can never forget that day on New Year’s Eve as I sat on a flight of stairs at Dataran Merdeka, Malacca, pondering about my future as I watched the fireworks light up the skies. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=firework_7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="300" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/firework_7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US">One lone spark of light bursting into a thousand possibilities.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I just graduated from high school that year and it was as if I was that firework, shot up bright and proud into the dark of the night...and I've risen to a point where I was about to burst, was about to decide what I want to do for my future. Well, at that point, it was a tough choice of either private college or the local university, and what major to go into. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Guess what? My spark ended up lighting the skies thousands of miles away.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Until today, I can never figure out what was it that truly drove me to apply for overseas studies…much less the reason for choosing Japan. I’ve been asked many times by many people about why I chose to come to Japan, and in response, I’ve given many answers…none of them real.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> My answers had a wide range of “could be true stuff” </span></div><ul><li><span lang="EN-US">Wanting to learn a new language </span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span lang="EN-US">Malaysian cartoons are boring and that a country that could create Doraemon must be one hell of an interesting place, where the mind is free to imagine and create</span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span lang="EN-US">Want to see how is it that Tokyo is rebuilt by Thursday 5p.m each week after Ultraman destroys the city </span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span lang="EN-US">Sexy legs in mini skirts <span style="color: purple;">(Again, not a valid reason, but I’m glad I chose Japan. I can’t get enough of them!!)</span> </span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span lang="EN-US">Naked fat guys grabbing each others tits, namely sumo….WHY??? </span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span lang="EN-US">The all famous “Japan have greater technology than Malaysia, and I’m going over to learn so that one day I’ll be able to help progress Malaysia”…I’m actually ashamed when I had to say that. </span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I don’t think there’s ever a real reason to why I chose to come to Japan. Just like what The Joker said in The Dark Knight, </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span lang="EN-US">“Do I really look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I’m a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do with one if I caught it. You know, I just…do things.”</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">After 6 years of living in Japan, I’ve come to know my true value, my strength…and recently, my weakness. I’ve met people who made me laugh, made me angry and made me cry. I’ve met people I’ve grown to respect, and I’ve met people I just want to slap. Oh, if I only had the chance…I would spread my legs a little, throw my right arm back, tense my muscle and then deliver one powerful slap that goes <b style="color: #660000;">“thwack!!”</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Well, what I’m trying to say is, going abroad have really taught me a lot about myself, especially about my weakness, and more importantly, to admit my own weakness. I gotta admit that I am a somewhat proud guy…always believing that I’m strong, that I can solve problems on my own, and that I’m above emotional setbacks. The event that led me to finally admitting that I’m weak destroyed whatever illusions I have about strength. It left a huge scar in my heart, a reminder that will forever haunt me. A harsh lesson, but a lesson to remember.</span></div><span lang="EN-US"> </span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Thinking back, there weren’t many who supported my decision of coming to Japan. My family, some of my friends, my teachers…they all had a reason to why I should not choose Japan or why I should consider other country. Well, I’m really glad I ignored all the advices. Sometimes, you just have to know when not to listen….risky stuff though. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">To be able to learn about oneself is truly valuable...for that reason, I'm really glad I chose to come to Japan.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Now, I stand once more at a point where I have to make yet another big decision: To go back home or to stay after graduation. My parents want me back, my friends are expecting me back, former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir’s son, Mukhriz Mahathir told me Malaysia hope I’ll be back…but Japan have taught so much and I feel like there’s more to learn!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">So I guess I’ll stay a little while longer.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I promise I’ll “visit” Malaysia someday…haha</span></div>Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-43202414213240414982011-03-03T16:40:00.003+09:002011-03-03T17:04:20.919+09:00恋をしていない時間も、大切にしてください。<a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=rainingheart.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 438px; height: 328px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/rainingheart.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />相手に届かない気持ち、<br />すれ違うお互いの気持ち。<br />どんなに想っていてもうまくいかない<br />「恋」もあります。<br />自身をなくして落ち込んだり、寂しさに<br />戸惑うこともあるでしょう。<br />でも、そんな時だからこそ、<br />もてる時間があります。<br />今まで、相手のことばかり考えていた毎日が、<br />自分のことを見つめる時間になる。<br />その時になって初めて、自分の弱さや、<br />周りの人の優しさに気がつくのです。<br />一つの恋を終えたばかりの人も、<br />今が、あなたにとって大切な時。<br />自分自身と正面から向き合える、<br />素敵な時間なのです。<br /><br />変わらずに、あり続けること。<br /><img src="file:///C:/Users/Randy/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.png" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/Users/Randy/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.png" alt="" /><br /><br />電車の中に読んだものです。<br />この詩、いい!!!<br />泣きそうでした~<span style="" id="search"> (´_`。)</span>Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-58164009581659461572011-02-25T13:18:00.002+09:002011-02-25T14:05:18.799+09:00Farewell Choi Choi!!Woke up in the morning as usual at 7 a.m.<br />The morning air was still cold and I felt great reluctance to leave the warmth of my bed. I spent 5 more minutes in bed mustering all the willpower I had and was finally able to kick away my warm blanket. With my shivering hands I pulled back the curtains to allow sunlight into my cold, dark room.<br />It was raining slightly outside..."damn, looks like I have to take the bus to campus today" I thought to myself.<br /><br />After that was all routine. The same thing everyone does in the morning, put the water to boil, take a shower, have breakfast with coffee...the same old mundane steps we each never fail to do in the morning.<br />The bus ride itself was a typical deja vu experience. The driver mumbling safety precautions, the old lady struggling to maintain balance while the bus moves, students with sleepy faces clinging on to their bags to their chests, which I'd imagine that they thought it was a pillow.<br />The bus once again reached the campus with haunting punctuality. Even after spending 6 years in Japan, it still fascinates me how the public transport system can be so efficient. Unless during winter when snow and ice are inevitable, the bus is never late for more than a few minutes.<br /><br />I climbed the familiar stairs heading to my lab, hung my wet umbrella on the stand, took off my shoes and changed into my lab's flip flops. Then, I looked to the left, a habit I've developed over the past one year. I looked stupidly at the empty chair and dead monitor screen...and that's when I realized " Oh yeah...Choi choi's gone back home."<br />At that moment, I can't help but feel my heart cried just a little bit out of loneliness.<br /><br />While the friendship that exist between me and Choi choi's was nothing special, we did enjoy each others company. I would poke fun at her with otherwise cruel remarks and she would come up with something funny or witty to say. Oh, the things she would say!!!<br />It was a tiny nothing, but it was something to look forward to in the mornings.<br /><br />I still remembered the first time we met. I asked her for her impression towards me and she said "pervert, liar, bad guy, disgusting..." and I myself have said uncomplimentary things, both which was nothing good and quite childish now that I think about it. But it was based on those childish remarks that our unique friendship was built on.<br /><br />While not many, we've shared quite a few fond memories. The weekly parties among foreign students, a triple date with Dino, Megumi, and a Japanese couple from Yamaguchi, the many times where I cause small quarrels between her and Dino, the time where she was assaulted and I helped her make a report....<br />Yeah...we definitely shared quite a few fond memories.<br /><br />9 months or so have passed since she first came, and as they say "Fond times passes quickly". It was at last time so bid farewell to each other. I'm definitely most glad to have met her as she left a big splash of color on my life's canvas. Leaving a bright, vibrant color to my otherwise mundane life in campus.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSCF1198.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 439px; height: 329px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSCF1198.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I wish her all the best and I hope for all the good things to come.<br />Goodbye Choi choi!!Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-12313677572840355572011-02-19T20:46:00.005+09:002011-02-22T07:46:00.427+09:00Learning how not to give a fuck...This past 9 months have been a particularly interesting one.<br />I've been happy, sad, love, hate, confident and insignificant...all at the same time.<br /><br />You see, I fell in love deeper than I've ever did in my life.<br />I had a wonderful girlfriend and we did almost everything together...she showed me a world so beautiful and full of happiness. I was actually happier than Barack Obama when he won the presidency.<br />Then she showed me how dark and cruel a girl can be.<br /><br />We were happy with each other for about half a year, when suddenly, she started getting irritated about almost everything I do!! It's not like I changed suddenly or did anything outrageous...I walked the same, talked the same, acted the same. While we always had our private laughter between us, this time it was replaced with petty quarrels.<br />I knew from the start that we're different in personalities; I'm the kind of guy who celebrates human differences, she preferred uniformity. But we did do ok for most part.<br />Well, I guess you can say that I'm like the US while she's like the rest of the world, everyone using the SI system while I stuck to pound and inches.<br />Like oil and water, you can forcefully mix them up, but eventually the oil will float up again.<br />Needless to say, my eccentricity made her tired and our difference drove her away from me.<br /><br />But what the hell...some things just aren't meant to be.<br />Just like Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson, can't manage to stay together...and they were both Sexiest Man and Woman of the year!!<br /><br />After breaking up, all I wanted was for us to remain friends. But instead, I've got the cold shoulder...she downright ignored me at every moment possible. Not even a "hello" when we met again at a party one and a half month after "Armageddon".<br />I confronted her, asking her to not give me the cold treatment and let's just be normal friends...I mean, what the hell? We've known each other for so long and suddenly we can behave like friends no more??<br /><br />She got angry and we got into a quarrel again.<br />The issue once again me being different from everyone else.<br />She was annoyed at me because of other people's misunderstandings. What the hell have other people's misunderstanding have got to do with me??<br /><br />But I've always loved her...even after she broke my heart. Oh, who am I kidding...I worshiped her. And so I started to take her words very seriously and honestly thought that I'm the bad one...<br />I thought that my character really is fucked up and I started to hate myself.<br />I lost sleep, appetite and motivation to do anything at all...<br />To be very honest, I was going crazy(yes I loved her THAT much)...<br />The only thing that kept me sane was my few brief, but very important times spent with some friends. The other times when I'm alone, her words and my mind takes over.<br /><br />Then, I came upon an ancient wisdom used by men since the beginning of civilization.<br />"Why worry? How about try not giving a fuck?"<br />I mean, she for one didn't give a fuck. She found a boyfriend a little too soon after the breakup(very very suspicious)....and nothing says "I don't give a fuck" more than that.<br /><br />I've always been good to her...<br />I stayed up late at nights just to cook for her after she finishes work.<br />I made myself available whenever she faces work stress.<br />I've even decided to stay in Japan just to be with her. This was a pretty big deal to me...and making this decision was a really difficult one. (Interestingly, she left me just when I was about to begin job hunting.)<br />And yet she decided that she can't get over the little differences between us despite the things I've done for her. She let the small quarrels we had in a short time take over the good things I've done for her in a long time.<br /><br />Aww fuck it, I'm done blaming myself. That's it. Enough.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6wS5xOZ7Rq8" width="480" frameborder="0" height="390"></iframe><br /><br />I am who I am...I'm proud of who I am, and will forever be the way I am.<br /><br />I would like to say a special thanks to a special friend Yumiko who stuck by me all the way.<br />Without her, I would have no doubt done something stupid.Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-48715593214158649062010-11-24T16:09:00.003+09:002010-11-24T18:13:50.020+09:00Job hunting in Japan.When I first set out for Japan, I decided that I would finish my degree, then work in Japan for 5 years, then head back to Malaysia to finally enjoy a plate of authentic Nasi Lemak...<br /><br />After my diploma, during my undergrad, I realized that "Shit!! I still don't know what I want!!". And it was either I start job hunting or pursue my masters.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=images.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 404px; height: 201px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/images.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My university offers a half year internship program for those who wants to do masters. Those who plans to stop at degree will have to write a thesis instead of the internship. I thought that the half year internship could help me figure out what I really want in life...so I registered for masters program.<br />If you are thinking <span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">"Why not do internship, then quit? That way, you can get your degree without writing a thesis AND you get to do the internship"</span><br />Well, that is possible but it would be messy...and it would hurt the chances of Malaysians who are trying to get into my Uni in the future...<br /><br />Anyway, <a href="http://randygui.blogspot.com/search/label/Life%20during%20Intern">I went for internship</a>...and boy, I made the right choice. I finally knew what I want...and I pursued masters.<br /><br />Now, I'm facing what I avoided 2 years ago...job hunting.<br />And let me tell you...it's a pain in the ass!!<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=goudousetumeikai.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 411px; height: 231px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/goudousetumeikai.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">*Read in National Geographic kind of voice</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">(Job)Hunters on the prowl...armed with sharp pens and a hard folder, they pursue their prey from sunrise till sundown. These hunters usually dressed in their hunting attire when they go for the hunt...a pair of leather shoes, business suits and a tie. These hunters often stalk their prey for months before they attack. However, if these hunters fail to make the kill, many will hide in recluse...refusing to even see the light of day.</span><br /><br />Job hunting in Japan starts freaking early...too damn early. Students here start job hunting a year and a half before graduation!! That's right, right after finishing the first semester after enrolling, you have to begin worrying about job hunt. What a load of crap...this practice pressures students to engage in job hunt during college and most will not get to experience a normal college's life.<br />What the hell Japan...everything is too early here. They can't wait for their fish to cook, they start decorating for Christmas in October, start job hunt more than one year before graduation, arrive 10 minutes before an appointment, ejacul....ehem, let's leave this part out.<br /><br />In all seriousness, I think Japan have this practice because they have that tendency to begin everything in Spring, or early April to be precise. Companies and corporates all over Japan, even schools, have welcome ceremonies for newcomers in Spring. So, they selfishly wants to recruit by then. Since recruiting during the last few months in the final semester is just plain cruel, they decided to do the lesser of the 2 evil, begin recruiting a year before.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=timthumbphp.png" target="_blank"><img style="width: 415px; height: 240px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/timthumbphp.png" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The process of job hunting here is:<br />1. Survey various companies or attend a job fair. Identify the companies you want to apply for.<br /><br />2. Send in entry sheets.<br /><br />3. Attend a special explanatory seminar in the head or branch office. This is usually done on business days. Yes, this means skipping classes.<br /><br />4. Attend interview and exams.<br /><br />5. Attend second interview.<br /><br />6. Start working for them 1 year later.<br /><br />Yup, 6 simple steps. Sounds easy...except that the whole process takes about 4~6 months!! And you are applying for dozens of companies!!! You can see here that job hunting in Japan is a waste of money and energy. If you are aiming for a job far away, well, good luck traveling 3~4 times there.<br /><br />So, you can see here that with this amount of time and energy required, college students can't undergo a normal college life and that they can't concentrate fully on their studies. Furthermore, applicants are evaluated based on their past performance, not their achievements during the last year in University. So, that means that if you have a shitty record in your previous school, and if you can't get a job...you can do your best and be the best god damn student in Japan and still be jobless after graduation, just because you missed the job hunt window. What's the point of learning and maturing in University then?!!! Isn't that the point??<br /><br />So, many of you asked, why does students in Japan sometimes commits suicide after failing a mere paper in high school??<br />Well, the answer is : pressure of society.<br />Society demands that we excel all the way...one misstep and your future is screwed. Such stress and pressure often push students over the edge when society should instead offer them a chance to improve.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=SuicideBooth.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/SuicideBooth.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Well, you can argue that students here commit suicide because of bullying. Yes, that's true but there are cases where a failed paper is the cause.<br /><br />Recently, a bunch of students protested in Shinjuku, saying that they want to live a college's student's life. And that they did not enroll into college just to job hunt. Oh my heart goes for them...<br /><br />But to be fair, there are a few of my Japanese friends here who say they like the way things are. They said that they hate spending time idling around for more than 1 week after graduation...now, this is the part where we all say "What the hell?!!"<br /><br />So anyway, I'm job hunting at the moment. My choice of work will take me either to Aichi prefecture or here in Nagaoka. If I stay, well, I guess in 10 years I'll be the old one at the Uni's foreign students party....hahaha<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=old-man-at-party-thumb11613663.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/old-man-at-party-thumb11613663.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Oh god, I wish I get a job here!!!Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-46105080614744375402010-11-21T21:15:00.006+09:002010-11-24T16:05:06.225+09:00The nice places and food around Nagaoka.Well, I haven't been writing for a long time.<br /><br />It's time to pick up writing again since I need something to do with my "free time".<br />You see, I used to spend my free time with my girlfriend, but now that we're no longer together, and everything else that I can do just reminds me of her(anime, manga, movies, taking a walk...everything), I figured that I might as well pick up writing again.<br /><br />So, I would like to share the nice places and food in the otherwise "boring" Nagaoka.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The park near the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=37.459942,138.829313&num=1&sll=37.436513,138.838921&sspn=0.28378,0.512238&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=37.460969,138.830817&spn=0.006098,0.007929&z=17">Nagaoka Red Cross Hospital</a></span><br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Randy/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-2.png" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Randy/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-3.png" alt="" /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=A99sinadote06.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 403px; height: 301px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/A99sinadote06.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />The statue of an old man pointing to a beautiful girl across the river.<br /><br />I have been to this place more often than I can remember. This park is free and accessible at any time of the day, be it noon or midnight. It's a really nice place for walking your dog, jogging or just to hang out. There's plenty of people around at day time but it is mostly empty at nights.<br />Beautiful flowers of all kinds are on display most of the time. The department store Apita, the Nagaoka Art Museum and the cinema T-Joy are all within walking distance from the park. What's really nice is that there's a path along the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinano_River"><span style="font-style: italic;">Shinano</span> River</a> that connects my apartment directly to this park. You can usually enjoy the sight of ducks frolicking in the water...and did I mention the breeze? Well, there's always a nice breeze to go along with your walks. Oh, by the way, <span style="font-style: italic;">Shinano</span> River is the longest river in Japan.<br />I used to jog here and back, just sit on the bench at night staring at the stars, strolling while enjoying the variety of flowers...I even went with my in-line skates here.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Italian - A curious mix of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">yakisoba</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> and meat sauce</span><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=2.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 405px; height: 303px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/2.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />I call this "what??" noodle...<br /><br />Now, this is indeed a mysterious kind of food called Italian. Now, when one mention Italian, we automatically expect pasta, spaghetti, pizza...you know, "<span style="font-weight: bold;">real Italian food</span>". But no, this is instead a mix of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakisoba"><span style="font-style: italic;">yakisoba</span></a> and meat sauce(the one meant for spaghetti).<br />The taste? I...I don't know how to describe it. It's not bad...but it certainly wasn't that good either. I guess you can call it...strange.<br /><br />How this came to be?? Well, my guess is that many many years ago, some Japanese dude was about to eat his dinner, <span style="font-style: italic;">yakisoba</span>, when he realised that he have leftover meat sauce from the previous night's dinner. Not wanting to waste the sauce, he poured it over his <span style="font-style: italic;">yakisoba</span>. He must have thought "Hey...this is not bad!!". He quit his job and opened a restaurant selling "<span style="font-style: italic;">Italian</span>", the name as a tribute to the meat sauce.<br /><br />Anyway, <span style="font-style: italic;">Italian</span> is only available in Niigata prefecture. In Nagaoka, you can get them from shops named "Friend" at either Jusco or in Harashin supermarket near Musashi Home Center.<br /><br /><a href="http://echigo-park.jp/en/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Echigo Park</span></a><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC07129.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 405px; height: 228px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC07129.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC07153.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 405px; height: 227px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC07153.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Pictures taken during Summer Illuminations<br /><br />This park is also one of the park which I visit quite frequent. It's really a nice park with a huge area of lawn grass for you to do practically anything you want on it. A picnic, roll around, kick a ball, kick 2 balls, badminton, lie down...you get the idea.<br />There's a flower bed around but it's quite small compared to the other parks(that collects money) but it's beautiful nonetheless. There's also a hill which you can climb either by stairs or up a grassy slope. Quite a nice view from up the hill. Oh, on the way down, you can try rolling down...it's really quite fun!!!<br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=32443_398569919206_504469206_3924669_2391188_n.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 408px; height: 306px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/32443_398569919206_504469206_3924669_2391188_n.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Me and Maureen preparing to roll down the hill....<br /><br />There are quite a few notable events at this park, to name a few; tulips festival, rose festival, Summer Illumination Night. They also have various days where entrance is free of charge.<br />There are also various attractions at this park, for example, foot-pedaled car that goes round the park, Frisbee golf, playground with a rubber dome to bounce on, mini water park with stepping stones...all kinds of stuff.<br /><br />As far as I know, it is the only park around Nagaoka that collects entrance fee.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.e-dango.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Eguchi dango </span></a><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=3438100087_1de0eb2c06.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 405px; height: 324px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/3438100087_1de0eb2c06.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dango"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dango</span></a>, rice dumpling.<br /><br />I have to say...the dumplings here are delicious!!! My favourite is soy sauce flavored <span style="font-style: italic;">dango</span>.<br />The green tea is quite nice too...and if you are lucky, you'll get to see Japanese tea preparation ceremony as well.<br />Not to forget that you'll get a very nice view of the nature from the window.<br /><br /><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=%E6%96%B0%E6%BD%9F%E7%9C%8C%E9%95%B7%E5%B2%A1%E5%B8%82%E5%8C%97%E5%B1%B13-26-2%E3%80%80&sll=37.439041,138.817052&sspn=0.003067,0.003632&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Japan,+Niigata-ken+Nagaoka-shi%E5%8C%97%E5%B1%B1%EF%BC%93%E4%B8%81%E7%9B%AE%EF%BC%92%EF%BC%96%E2%88%92%EF%BC%92&ll=37.43925,138.816955&spn=0.001525,0.001816&z=19"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Soleine</span></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=gelato-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 396px; height: 223px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/gelato-1.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Tasty Colours...<br /><br />They've got all kinds of gelato...you name it, they've got it. Pumpkin, strawberry, vanilla, green peas, tofu, cherry, dark berry, black sesame, yam....they've even got beer gelato!! Haven't tried beer but I absolutely love their vanilla gelato...<br /><br /><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=%E9%95%B7%E5%B2%A1%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A5%E3%82%A6%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%92&sll=37.442564,138.77964&sspn=0.093497,0.126858&ie=UTF8&hq=%E9%95%B7%E5%B2%A1%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A5%E3%82%A6%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%92&hnear=&ll=37.446107,138.750415&spn=0.023373,0.031714&z=15"><span style="font-weight: bold;">New Town Park</span></a><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=p1_photo2.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 223px; height: 144px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/p1_photo2.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Sorry, don't have(can't find) a better picture.<br /><br />Needless to say, another park. Not much different from other parks except that its got a lake.<br />A decent park...enjoyed it.<br /><br /><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=%E9%95%B7%E5%B2%A1%E3%80%80%E3%81%B6%E3%81%97%E3%82%84&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=47.435825,64.951172&ie=UTF8&hq=%E9%95%B7%E5%B2%A1%E3%80%80%E3%81%B6%E3%81%97%E3%82%84&hnear=&radius=15000&ll=37.451695,138.778353&spn=0.023371,0.031714&z=15"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Bushiya</span>- Ramen Shop</span></a><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=img_1037730_19815380_6.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 407px; height: 305px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/img_1037730_19815380_6.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Tsukemen</span>...personal recommendation on this one.<br /><br />Yeah, Japan's famous for <span style="font-style: italic;">ramen</span> and they've got thousands of shops....<br />So, what's special with this one? The soup's base is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katsuobushi"><span style="font-style: italic;">katsuobushi</span></a>....and it's very nicely done!!<br />A treat for your taste buds if you are looking for something other than the usual salt, soy sauce or <span style="font-style: italic;">tonkotsu</span>(pork bone).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.city.nagaoka.niigata.jp/kankou/asobu/asobu/h_family.html"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Higashiyama</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Family Land</span></a><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSCN1617.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 408px; height: 306px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSCN1617.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Ponies...cute as they are, the sight of them urinating and defecating is disgusting nonetheless.<br /><br />This is yet another park...but it's a park with ponies!!! Kids or adults who is very much shorter than me can ride on it. You can even feed the ponies if you want to.<br />Not only ponies, they even have bunnies!!! Bunnies and ponies!!! what else can you ask for?? Goats and chicken?? yeah...they've got them too.<br />They also have a course for extreme mountain biking...along with ramps for jumping. Cool huh? They've even got summer-ski as well!! FYI, summer-ski here means shoes with two big ass wheels on it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Alpaca Farm</span><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=40374bb9.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 406px; height: 304px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/40374bb9.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Alpacas are cute. Nuff' said.<br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=%E9%95%B7%E5%B2%A1%E5%B8%82%E8%AB%B8%E6%96%BD%E8%A8%AD%E3%82%82%E3%81%BF%E3%81%98%E5%9C%92&sll=37.396346,138.779297&sspn=3.124508,3.718872&ie=UTF8&hq=%E9%95%B7%E5%B2%A1%E5%B8%82%E8%AB%B8%E6%96%BD%E8%A8%AD%E3%82%82%E3%81%BF%E3%81%98%E5%9C%92&hnear=&ll=37.399585,138.778954&spn=0.02441,0.029054&z=15"><span style="font-style: italic;">Momiji-en</span></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC_0085.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 410px; height: 272px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC_0085.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />One of the reason why I'm staying in Japan; I'm a sucker for autumn leaves.<br /><br />Well, this brilliantly taken picture says it all. Bright red leaves that will bleed your heart of passion...<br />This place once belong to someone...you can see the house in the background. That person took into the art of Japanese Garden, and this wonderful garden was later donated to the city and it has been a popular spot ever since.<br />This place is also open at nights and there will be spotlights around to highlight the gorgeous red.<br /><br />That's all that I have in mind at the moment...think I may have covered all the places I've been to. Well, for folks who are planning to visit Nagaoka and see this post, you're welcome!!Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-42397148682794022432010-06-28T13:53:00.002+09:002010-06-28T18:51:30.007+09:00Roses at Echigo Park..People have once commented, <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">"Randy...you? Flowers?!! For real?? You like looking at flowers at the park?? YOU?!!" </span><br /><br />Well, yes, I admit that flowers don't really suit my image. I guess my image is more suited to violent and extreme stuff...but guess what? I'm a sucker for pretty flowers...<br /><br />Just over 2 weeks ago, roses were in full bloom...and they were put in display at a local park. Until now, I've mostly been to the park alone <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">(Well, people mostly thinks I'm joking when I say "Hey, let's go the park to look at flowers!!")</span>, but this time I was accompanied by my lovely date, Megumi. And it's nice to have company...except that this time, I'm limited to looking "only" at flowers...nothing more...haha<br />Nah, just kidding...why would I want to look at "other flowers", right? After all, I am dating the 2nd best rose of the day....<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=rose11.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 441px; height: 248px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/rose11.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My junior, Spaghetti-girl was supposed to join as well but canceled at the last minute...<br />Too bad...really needed a cameraman at that time...haha<br /><br />Anyway, the weather was bright and sunny that day...perfect day for a stroll at the park looking at roses. After a simple sandwich for lunch under the cooling shades of the parasol while listening to a relaxing piano performance, we joined the throng of crowd walking through the rose filled park.<br /><br />I took plenty of photos..about 100++...I'll only display my favourite ones here...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=rose3.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 440px; height: 247px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/rose3.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=rose22.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 441px; height: 248px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/rose22.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=rose2.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 441px; height: 248px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/rose2.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=rose4.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 441px; height: 248px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/rose4.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=rose5.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 440px; height: 247px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/rose5.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=rose6.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 441px; height: 248px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/rose6.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=rose7.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 440px; height: 247px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/rose7.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=rose9.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 443px; height: 249px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/rose9.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=rose8.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 443px; height: 249px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/rose8.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=rose10.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 443px; height: 249px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/rose10.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=rose12.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 443px; height: 249px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/rose12.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=rose13.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 441px; height: 248px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/rose13.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=rose14.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 441px; height: 248px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/rose14.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=rose15.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 440px; height: 247px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/rose15.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=rose16.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 440px; height: 247px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/rose16.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=rose17.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 441px; height: 248px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/rose17.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I have to say, I really enjoyed myself that day...<br />Looking at the vibrant colours, sniffing at the sweet fragrance...can't imagine any better Sunday than that day.<br /><br />And Megumi was a very good sport!! Well, you know that I don't<span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">(and will never)</span> say normal things when giving comments....which applies to comments on roses in this case. For example:<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"That one looks like a 40 year-old Lady in an 1840 English court"</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"This one look like a prostitute...looking all nice but empty inside(no fragrance)"</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"That one look like a 12 year-old Russian girl all dressed up for her party"</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"This one looks like a 14 year-old teen dressed in gothic fashion"</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">*Please don't ask me why and what those comments are....these just come up in my mind when I looked at the roses that day.</span><br /><br />While most people will give me the eyebrow or ignore me completely, Megumi was with me all the way...laughing along to my silly comments. The fact that she enjoyed my silly, incomprehensible comments worries her a little....well, a normal, average Japanese wouldn't react to my nonsense like she did...hahahaha.<br /><br />We ended the day with a rose flavoured ice-cream, the chilled fragrant sweetness savoured at a picnic table while reminiscing on my silly jokes...<br /><br />Life...is good.Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-64355479496287525582010-06-22T10:02:00.002+09:002010-06-22T13:54:42.405+09:00Mitsuke part 2 : Homestay with a pair of old folks...I don't know how many of you believed my kite story in the 1st part, but it's true!! It is too interesting a story to be false...right?? haha...<br /><br />Anyway, like I mentioned before, I was there to participate in a homestay program...<br /><br />So, after the supposed to fly, but can't fly giant kites event, us foreign students all separated and went back with our host families...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=homestay1.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 443px; height: 249px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/homestay1.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />The "lucky" folks who got me was Mr. and Mrs. Kobayashi. Just in case you are wondering, no, they are not related to my girlfriend who also shares the same surname.<br /><br />Anyway, they are a pair of very nice old folks. 71 for the lady and 72 for the old man. Apparently, this is the first time they participated in the homestay program and was worried about getting a foreign student who can't speak Japanese, have religious restrictions on food and drinks...etc. So, they were quite relieved to find that I speak decent Japanese and also eat/drink anything.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke19.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 441px; height: 248px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke19.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />The Kobayashi's ...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke20.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 443px; height: 249px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke20.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />The lovely garden at the front...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke21.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 440px; height: 247px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke21.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Vibrant colours welcoming me into their home...<br />A very nice place...very comfortable and relaxing.<br /><br />It was still early in the evening, so me and the old man went for a walk in the nearby paddy fields and we talked about various things....and for the first time in many years, I actually enjoyed my conversation with an old folk. While other old folk would ask the same silly questions everytime single time like "Where's Malaysia?" despite knowing quite well where Malaysia is, or "Does it snow?" despite knowing that it is warm throughout the year near the Equator.<br />This old man however, surprised me when he asked "So, why do you come all the way here to Japan? Have you benefited anything from your stay?". I don't mean any insults here but, I wasn't expecting these questions from a 72 year old farmer. He was a very intelligent man with quite a unique sense of humour...thoroughly enjoyed my evening walk with him.<br /><br />Anyway, it was dinner time and he prepared a feast for me!! Table was filled with fresh produce picked from his very own farm, and also a rosted spice chicken especially for me...well, he knew I was Malaysian and prepared something that he thought would suit me. A lovely dinner joined by the old folk's daughter and granddaughter...<br />Mrs. Kobayashi kept trying to strike up conversation for me and her granddaughter...hahaha. Typical old ladies playing cupid...<br /><br />The next day, my morning started with a Japanese full breakfast...fish, egg, natto, miso soup, pickled cucumber, various vegetables...I especially love the vegetables, very rare can you taste fresh produces like these.<br />They then took me to Yahiko Park....quite a famous tourist spot in Niigata...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke23.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 440px; height: 247px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke23.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />The <span style="font-style: italic;">torii</span>, a typical gate to an entrance of a shrine. This one was made out of wood taken from Ise Grand Shrine.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke24.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 440px; height: 247px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke24.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />A place where people wash their hands and mouths...<br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=homestay9.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 300px; height: 534px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/homestay9.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />The road leading into the inner shrine complex..<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke25.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 440px; height: 247px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke25.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />The shrine....<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=homestay14.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 447px; height: 251px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/homestay14.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Entrance of the inner complex....<br /><br />It was said that Shinto is the way of life, more like a culture, not a religion. While religions are mostly filled with restrictions with plenty of Don't-s rather than Do-s, Shinto evolved along with the lifestyle of people...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke29.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 441px; height: 248px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke29.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />A popular trend among the Japanese is getting blessings from the shrine when they buy a new car...see these 2 cars? They are Toyotas but they don't over-accelerate...they've got the shrine's blessing...haha.<br /><br />Anyway, after a short tour of the shrine, we went up the nearby mountain Yahiko.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke28.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 441px; height: 248px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke28.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke26.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 441px; height: 248px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke26.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke27.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 445px; height: 250px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke27.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Well....honestly, nothing special with this mountain except a nice view from the top...which I have seen many many MANY times....<br />But the company from the 2 old folks was nice...^^<br /><br />And then the inevitable farewell came to be...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke34-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 446px; height: 296px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke34-1.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />The farewell picture...<br /><br />Most of us returned with souvenirs of all sorts...me? I've got a loaf of bread<span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">(from other family who have a daughter of 21 years old...^^; Wants me to visit them sometime..)</span> a bag of potatos, two bottles of instant coffee, and a small bottle of home made Plum wine...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke30.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 443px; height: 249px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke30.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Them sending us off...<br /><br />I had a very very good time at my home stay...not so much because of Japanese culture(I've been living here for 6 years, have seen much, done much) but more because of the nice people I meet.<br />And, I've got a big surprise when I reach home to find that the old lady had hidden a letter addressed to me....such a nice gesture.<br /><br />When I have the chance, I will definitely visit them again some day...<br />But I wonder if I should bring my girlfriend along....well, I partly suspect that the reason they liked me so much was because they suspected I was still single. I guess I'll just leave my girlfriend behind and visit them myself!! hahaha....Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-43209110497693362992010-06-10T10:57:00.007+09:002010-06-11T18:40:30.526+09:00Mitsuke part 1 : Lazy giant kites festival in Mitsuke CityLast weekend was spent at an old town called Mitsuke City.<br /><br />There was a giant kites festival going on and they held a homestay program in conjunction with it. Well, this is my 6th year in Japan...and people keep asking me,<br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">"You still going to homestays?? What for?? You've been here for 6 years right??"</span><br /><br />That, is very true. Why indeed...<br />Well, one day some guy came to me during a meeting, asking if anyone was interested in a homestay program. At that time, there was absolutely no reason not to join...so I did. So what if I've already seen the kites festivals 3 years ago? Nothing wrong with going to see it again right??<br /><br />Anyway, there you have it...I joined the damn event. And it was surprisingly fun despite kites not flying.<br /><br />There were 12 other foreigners from various countries who joined the event, Thailand, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Philippines, Costa Rica, Columbia and France.<br /><br />The homestay event began like any other Japanese events, with fake hand claps and warm smiles. We were then introduced to our host families and of course, the inevitable "Introduce your country" session. I was paired up with another Malaysian girl and was given like, about 5 minutes to decide what to present to them Japanese Folks.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke32.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 411px; height: 308px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke32.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Me and Habirah talking about Malaysia...<br /><br />I talked about the same old boring stuff...you know, the one about Malaysia being a country with various races, looks different, speaks different languages, eat different food, but curses in the same language, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokkien">Hokkien</a>. Others did their bit too...Thailand doing dance, Philippines doing the put-your-feet-in-and-out-of-bamboo-sticks kind of dance while the rest used Powerpoint slides to introduce their countries.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke18.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 411px; height: 231px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke18.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />The old folks who were kind enough to host my stay...<br /><br />Anway, the hosts who participated in this program were mostly old folks. At one point, one of them asked me what my plans are after I graduate, and I answered my usual <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">"If I can get a Japanese girlfriend, I'll stay here"</span> . And instantly, a few of the old ladies starting giggling and said <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">"Well, I have a 22/23 year old grand daughter at home..why don't you drop by for a visit??"</span><br />Hahaha....suddenly I was the Mr. Most Eligible Bachelor year 2010.<br /><br />After the International exchange session, we moved on to the main event of the day...the giant kites festival. Along the way to the festival was shops selling various things such as balloons, toy guns, cotton candy, Kebab, Turkish Ice Cream....yup, nothing Japanese. Just because it's a Japanese Festival, don't expect it to have Japanese stuff...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke1.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 411px; height: 231px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke1.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Local stalls selling various things mostly made from China...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke2.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 413px; height: 232px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke2.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Games corner where we shoot rubber corks at toys...<br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=Mitsuke3.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 415px; height: 233px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/Mitsuke3.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a></span><br />A Shrine. A must have at any Japanese Festival...<br /><br />We soon reach a local shrine, and right behind the shrine is a river bank, and on both sides were giant kites laid on the ground...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke8.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 411px; height: 231px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke8.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Giant kites of various designs were laid on the ground....<br /><br />Well, as you can see, we have a big problem here.<br />See those kites? They are lying on the ground. ON THE GROUND!!!<br />They are supposed to be flying around up in the sky!!<br />What good are kites if they can't fly??<br /><br />Sigh...apparently there wasn’t enough wind...<br />Oh what the hell...lack of wind isn't going to stop me from having fun!!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke5.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 413px; height: 232px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke5.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />So, along with a crazy Columbian, David and a tiny Thai, Waen, we headed out to find our own adventure...<br /><br />Once again, the event of the day was supposed to be giant kites festival, where various groups battle their kites to gain superiority in the sky. It was supposed to be windy and there were supposed to be fierce battle of kites and excellent display of kite flying skills. It was supposed to be...but it wasn't.<br /><br />Anyway, we went for a walk around, took pictures of kites lying on the ground. Thank god David and Waen was around...well, they look more foreign than I do(I get mistaken for Japanese a lot), and we got treated to beer and snacks...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke16.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 411px; height: 231px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke16.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke16-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 411px; height: 231px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke16-1.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke35.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 415px; height: 311px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke35.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />This is a picture of me bullying Little Waen...<br />Just look at her face....hahahaha...sigh, I'm going to miss her..<br /><br />Anyway...if it was windy that day, I would have exhausted my English vocabulary trying to describe the day's event here, but I can't.<br />So, instead I'll write a short drama involving a love so great they made a kite event out of it....<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke4.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 262px; height: 467px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke4.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Once upon a time, there was a lonely samurai who traveled to the unknown lands of Mitsuke..<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke10.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 415px; height: 233px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke10.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />One day, he met a very beautiful lady who captured his warrior heart with her beauty. "I'm in love!!" thought the lonely samurai...<br />But just as soon as he caught her glimpse, she vanished from his sight.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke12.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 415px; height: 233px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke12.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />And so the warrior spent his days looking for her...<br />Oh, the poor samurai, now love stricken, he looked everywhere for her...<br />He looked around the village..he looked around the river banks...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke17.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 413px; height: 232px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke17.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />He even went as far as to climb a tall tree to try to find her from above...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke13.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 415px; height: 233px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke13.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />But the beautiful lady was nowhere to be found...<br />And for everyday he failed to find her, he wept...and he wept...<br />But, his heart, pure with love, never gave up trying to find the beautiful lady he saw that day...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke14.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 411px; height: 231px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke14.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Years passed...he grew old and his beard grew long...<br />But his love for her only grew stronger and stronger...such was the charm the beautiful lady had on the lonely warrior..<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke11.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 415px; height: 233px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke11.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />And one day, as he was walking the banks of Mitsuke River...he saw her!!<br />After all these years, he finally found her!!<br />With tears flowing down his cheeks, he finally found the beautiful lady among the crowd...<br />And she looked so beautiful to him...skin as fair as the white paper on giant kites, and lips as red as his loving heart. Years passed by but she looked as if she didn't aged one bit...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke7.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 415px; height: 233px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke7.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />And so the lonely warrior confessed his feelings to her...<br />The beautiful lady, touched by the effort he spent looking for her, agreed to marry him.<br />They decided to get married right on the bridge spanning across Mitsuke River...the bridge symbolizing a joining of two river banks, a joining of 2 hearts..<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=mitsuke9.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 248px; height: 441px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/mitsuke9.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />And they lived a happy life until old age...<br />The people of Mitsuke city now hold a giant kites festival annually to remember the love that these two people once shared....<br /><br />The end.Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-87505393958010712872010-05-31T13:29:00.003+09:002010-06-02T07:43:12.242+09:00Bye Bye Waen...T_THere's a tale about a tiny girl from Thailand who came to Japan only for a mere 3 months, but manage to make an impact larger than I did...she manage to charm more people in 3 months than the people I scare in 5 years. Now, that's a damn great achievement.<br /><br />Once upon a time, came a cute girl from Thailand named Waen...of course this is not her real name. Her real name is somewhat more hilarious...<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">(sorry, Waen, just my personal opinion, no offense intended.)</span> She was tiny, as most South East Asian girls are, but she had a smile as sweet as ice cream on a hot afternoon. And she was very friendly...In a school dominated by boys with high testosterone levels, her cute smile and cheerful nature quickly caught everyone's attention. As for me, I just enjoy teasing her....haha.<br /><br />And so she got invited to many parties....and party she did. Oh boy, there was never a normal day in her life here!! And it was through these parties where she made many dear friends. She can't speak Japanese much but, dudes here strive hard to speak in English just to get to know her. I personally think she single-handedly inspired a quarter of the guys here to seriously learn and speak English.<br /><br />Anyway, she had a lot of fun living here in Japan. But, as people say "good times flies by".<br /><br />So, a dear friend<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">(sister?)</span> of hers organized a costume party to bid her farewell<span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">(she still have about 3 weeks here though)</span><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=costume2.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 407px; height: 306px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/costume2.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Mexican wrestler and little Waen...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=costume1.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 406px; height: 304px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/costume1.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Two lovely girls and me...haha.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=costume3.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 406px; height: 304px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/costume3.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Kamehame vs. Baseball bat. Guess who won...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=costume5.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 407px; height: 305px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/costume5.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />A whore(said so herself), baseball slugger and gossip girl...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=costume14.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 407px; height: 305px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/costume14.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Guy with sunglasses, and 2 of Waen's friend, Yoko and Eri...super cute.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=costume11.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 410px; height: 307px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/costume11.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Son Goku, the ghost and the Taiko drummer...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=costume6.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 404px; height: 303px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/costume6.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />This guy with skirt...he actually lifted up his skirt when he made his entrance...<br />Gutter belt....<br />Oh, my eyes!!!<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=costume8.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 318px; height: 426px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/costume8.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />The poor guy, my little angel...and guy in white shorts...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=costume7.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 408px; height: 306px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/costume7.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Vampire, emo guy and a failed cat..<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=costume15.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 404px; height: 303px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/costume15.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Good or Evil....tough choice!!<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=costume10.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 407px; height: 305px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/costume10.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Terrotist, cheerleaders and Jack Bauer after10 years and too many beers.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=costume12.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 406px; height: 304px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/costume12.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />The bunch of cheerleaders....the guy to the left...one had to admire his many "disgusting" poses...<br /><br />At the party, she became emotional and droplets of pure emotion came rolling down her cheeks. I'm sure that many of us would like her to stay longer but, reality is often harsh and unforgiving. She have to go back in 3 months time.<br /><br />Such an unfortunate news...my Uni could really use a bubbly girl around. We've got too many guys who have forgotten what girls are.<br /><br />Anyway, just want to say here that I've enjoyed her company a lot and will miss her. Once again, many thanks to Mark Zuckerberg and his Facebook, we can all still keep in touch.<br /><br />Waen, when I do visit Bangkok, and I will, do show me around your hometown!!<br /><br />Take care little one!! Remember to never lose that sweet innocent smile...Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-63065383925139466852010-05-24T23:34:00.004+09:002010-05-26T16:20:50.083+09:0010 white pins and one angry charging ball...Last weekend was once again a fun filled weekend.<br /><br />Saturday was...well, I'll save Saturday's story for another time as that will definitely draw many surprises!!<br /><br />Let's talk about Sunday instead.<br />Sunday was a fun-filled bowling competition!!<br /><br />But first things first...a brief intro to it.<br /><br />My university houses almost 200 foreign students, and we all know how much us foreign students hate to mix with other people when we're on foreign lands. Well, of course there are super friendly ones among us....but it's sad to say that if we are left alone, we will forever be among people of the same country.<br />I dare not say much about other country, but I've seen how Malaysians tend to stick among Malaysians. Well, not that it is a bad thing...you get to practice your mother tongue and not forget Bahasa Malaysia<span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">(like me, god help me but I can't speak proper Bahasa)</span> But every single day for 3 years?? Why the hell did we choose to study abroad in the first place?!! Might as well stay in Malaysia...no offense here, just my opinion.<br /><br />To counter this sort of thing, associations exist for foreign students where it acts as a platform for us to mingle and mix around both with locals(Japanese) and other foreign students....giving us a chance to widen our horizon and realize that the world is indeed a big place.<br />The same applies here in Nagaoka University of Technology...the association here is called NUTISA, which stands for Nagaoka University of Technology International Students Association.<br /><br />And I'm proud to say that I'm the President of NUTISA for year 2010!!!<br /><br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/ATSUSH%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.png" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/ATSUSH%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.png" alt="" /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=hanami.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 404px; height: 303px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/hanami.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Some members are missing from the picture..<br /><br />And as the president, I am given the responsibility of promoting communication among foreign students, and also with Japanese. Along with me are 14 core members from various countries such as Malaysia, Thai, Vietnam, Laos, Mongolia, Rwanda, Columbia, China...etc.<br /><br />So, last Sunday, we organized a bowling competition as a get-to-know-each-other event. More than 30 people joined and we had a lot of fun, and also got closer to each other as we secretly hate the person who scored more than we do. For example, of all the foreign students here, I will always remember Jimmy from Mexico. That guy beat my ass in bowling...and I will never forgive him for it!! haha...<br /><br />But seriously, I saw many people exchanging pleasantries and self introductions so, I guess the bowling balls did more than just knock down pins...;)<br />Yeah, it was a great event and it ended with smiles on everyone's faces.<br /><br />Would like to make a special mention here for Tony, Fiona and Aline who handled the presents and drinks. David who did a wonderful job as the MC of the event....he wore a bright red shirt that really caught everyone's attention, and also. Thuy and her boyfriend for helping with group management. Chuka and Sun Sun for helping with monetary issues. Everyone did their part generously.<br /><br />The president?? The president gave orders, then got busy enjoying bowling and flirting with girls.<br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=waen.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 222px; height: 296px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/waen.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=megumi.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 406px; height: 304px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/megumi.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />See? Mr. President is busy...hahaha.<br /><br />But seriously, the event was a success because of the work of many. Couldn't have done it without them!!Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-30015572784834922682010-05-20T17:55:00.003+09:002010-05-20T18:38:40.643+09:00The Master's life in Nagaoka...To summarize the whole post today, I'm tired.<br /><br />When I signed up for masters, I imagined it would be mostly research work, where I sit at my desk, analyze data for some time while listening to my iPod, come up with credible results which I will use for my presentation. I will then go back when the sun is down, cook myself a decent meal and then sit down to blog my day...<br /><br />Well, I got part of it right....only a tiny bit part of it...<br /><br />It's been two months now since I began my graduate life, but already I'm used to the lifestyle centered on my laboratory. Attending lab at 9 in the morning, then reaching home at 10 at night. While I imagined a smooth sailing life, reality insist that I be buried with class assignments. And the more time I spend on assignments, the less time I have for my research work, which I have to do anyway regardless of my reports.<br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">"In graduate life, classes are just distractions. And don't you use assignments as your excuse for not producing results"</span> says my professor.<br /><br />Damn...<br /><br />But the one thing that tires me out most is....parties!!<br />Hahaha...well, as tired and stressed as I get from research work and assignments, I have to try to have fun whenever I can, right?<br /><br />So, this is to explain those pictures of me on facebook...<br /><br />You see, there's quite a large number of foreign students in my University....about 200 "aliens". And somehow, foreign students here likes to party....well, not so much Malaysians<span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">(I am the only Malaysian attending these parties)</span>, but Mexicans, Venezuelans, Thais, Vietnamese, Germans...and oh, one lonely Rwandan.<br />And we have these parties for any reason at all!! Someone would make a shout out, and 50 of us would turn up for the party.<br /><br />Parties here are different from normal Japanese parties which mostly centers on Karaoke or drinking at <span style="font-style: italic;">Izakaya</span>(Japanese restaurant-pub). Parties here can be described in two words, beers and dance.<br />At each of these parties, liquor, mainly beer and others like tequila<span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">(courtesy of the Mexicans)</span>, Japanese sake, whisky, are plentiful. After a few of these "social lubricants", we will be dancing 'merengue', a kind of Latin America dance which involves a guy twirling a girl round and round to a music which has a distinctive beat. Yes, I can somewhat, more or less dance to the beat...although I'm nowhere nearly as good as the "professionals" here...haha.<br /><br />Anyway, yeah...I have a lot of fun here. Through the parties I get to meet plenty of people, among them are some of my most memorable friends. Not just "beer buddies" or "dance partners" but friends with whom I can have intelligent conversations with. Friends I can share an innocent laugh with...<br />Pol, Omar, Joe, Karel, Yumiko, Megumi, Waen, Hiroko, Aline...the list goes on...<br /><br />And there's another party next week...man...I am busy...haha.<br /><br />At the end of my studies here, I think I'll be graduating with masters in "entertainment" instead of engineering.<br /><br />But seriously...I'm doing serious work on normal days.<br />Ehem....not that I'm trying to sound like a hardworking graduate student here...heh heh.Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-32650345138901168892010-05-17T13:03:00.003+09:002010-05-17T14:05:20.829+09:00Return from hiatus...I haven't blogged for quite some time now...<br />For those who have been following my blog since year 1, you might notice that my blogs will be on hiatus every year from the January to May period. The reason is plainly laziness, procrastination, didn't have the mood, too busy...but still, it all comes to the same time of the year. So yeah...I was on hiatus again.<br /><br />Anyway, the last time I blogged was about my trip to Tokyo, which happened in January.<br /><br />Well, it's not that my life has been THAT boring since January...in fact, a lot of things have happened. Just didn't blog about it...<br />Boring, mundane, everyday stuff...just can't be bothered.<br /><br />Well, there was one thing though. A bitter sweet memory.<br />As some of you may know, I found love...lost it. But found it again...<br />Nothing interesting here, right?? =p<br /><br />Anyway, now that I am a graduate student, I've been mostly busy...staying in lab until 9.30 p.m everyday...I sometimes spend my Saturdays in lab!! Yeah...life as a masters student is really quite busy. I do enjoy research anyway so, busy, but not all that stressful...<br /><br />But as busy as I am, I try to have fun whenever I can...<br /><br />Been attending quite a lot of parties and more parties...<br />I think I may have increased my tolerance towards beer, and I've learned quite a few dances as well...^^<br /><br />Well, I've attended parties before in the previous years, but this year is special as I got to meet quite a few interesting people who really made a big impression. People whom I will not forget forever...except guys maybe. I tend to forget guys...haha.<br /><br />Well, will blog about more things from now on.<br /><br />Peace out!!Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-62475511280312127942010-03-14T14:00:00.003+09:002010-03-14T16:29:11.000+09:00A simple guide to dating sites in Tokyo...Truth be told....I don't really fancy Japanese girls.<br />Well, yeah I do have plenty of Japanese female friends but...the idea of dating one is somewhat...uninteresting.<br /><br />During my 5 years stay in Japan, I've dated a few Japanese girls but none of them really struck me as "fun". or maybe I just hadn't had the luck to meet the fun ones...<br /><br />Girls I have dated are cute but...the conversation is just plain boring. You know how I like to crack stupid jokes and throw silly puns...and Japanese girls mostly give me the "?" look on their faces.<br />And so, I've remained mostly single for the past 5 years...<br /><br />But up until recently, I've dated a Korean girl...and man, Koreans are fun!! Not only my jokes are met with sincere laughter, she was cracking silly stuff of her own. And she was the spontaneous type...with her, I was able to have fun no matter where we went...even a trip to the historical museum...<br /><br />Anyway, at the end of year 2009, we went for a trip around Tokyo...mostly places I've always wanted to go to but didn't because...well, felt it would be awkward to go without a girl in hand. This year however, having a girl in hand, I finally get to fulfill one of my dreams in Japan. I went to all the places I never got to before....<br /><br />So, thought I share these here...^^<br />Oh, btw...I lost the pictures I've taken so, most pics here are stolen from the internet... sigh <span style="font-family:arial;">-_-;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Asakusa Temple</span><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=IMG_1179.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 408px; height: 272px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/IMG_1179.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Also known as Sensoji Temple. If anyone ask me, I'd say this place is overrated. I mean, everyone heads there just to take a picture of that famous <span style="font-style: italic;">Kaminari</span> gate.<br /><br />As for the shrine itself, well, I've seen better ones...<br /><br />But what makes this a good dating spot is the row of souvenir shops that leads to the shrine beyond this gate.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=asakusa-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 406px; height: 293px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/asakusa-2.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />These shops sell everything from local cakes, sweet sake to various kinds of novelties. You don't have to buy anything, just simply browse through and I guarantee you that you will have a good time with your date here.<br /><br />Oh, for those who are willing to spend, you take a ride around in rickshaws. About 3000yen or so for a 15minutes ride.<br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=Rickshaw_by_daveiam_in_Asakusa_Toky.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 291px; height: 385px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/Rickshaw_by_daveiam_in_Asakusa_Toky.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Btw, the word rickshaw originated from Japan. It is pronounced as <span style="font-style: italic;">riki-sha</span>, which more or less sounds like rickshaw.<br /><br />Also, things to watch out for is the Asahi Building. For those who don't know, Asahi is one of the leading brands for beer in Japan. And guess what their building look like...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=2642790682_6b06102445.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 383px; height: 252px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/2642790682_6b06102445.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Do I see a beer? Yes I do...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Akasaka</span><br />I LOVE this place....and there's plenty of reasons it.<br />Well, first of all I like the layout of the area...unlike Tokyo or Shinjuku, where I honestly think is a little bit messy, this area is well planned. I feel somewhat more relaxed here than when I am anywhere else. In Tokyo city center, you will somehow unconsciously walk at a faster pace...heck, everything you do there is faster. But in Akasaka, you have that mood to walk at a slow pace, taking in the city's view one small step at a time....<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC06486.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 404px; height: 227px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC06486.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As for places to visit, Akasaka Sacas...<br />This place is a little bit pricey....but whoever told you to head there for the food/clothes right??<br />Well, this place is just plain pretty...especially at night. Plenty of affordable cafes around for light cakes and coffee. Also, there's a ice skating rink for those who feel like it. Very recommendable during winter nights.<br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC06497.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 404px; height: 227px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC06497.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC06498.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 406px; height: 228px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC06498.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=6a00d09e4f0564be2b01098152b413000d-.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 408px; height: 306px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/6a00d09e4f0564be2b01098152b413000d-.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Another place to visit is the shrine located nearby Akasaka Sacas. In my opinion, this is one of the very beautiful shrines I've been to.<br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=akasaka-shrine-02.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 405px; height: 270px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/akasaka-shrine-02.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=tori-at-hie-shrine-akasaka.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 254px; height: 381px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/tori-at-hie-shrine-akasaka.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Really...this is a nice place to go. It's not just the shrine and Akasaka Sacas, but the whole place itself is quite romantic.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Odaiba</span><br />The whole area of Odaiba is built especially for couples...at least I think so...haha.<br />Well, there are spots where a mini Statue of Liberty is located, a water fountain display, place from where you can get a good view of the rainbow bridge...<br /><br />But among all, my favourite is Venus Fort.<br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=venus-fort-fountain.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 402px; height: 299px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/venus-fort-fountain.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=TokyoGathering12.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 403px; height: 302px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/TokyoGathering12.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=vf01.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 403px; height: 302px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/vf01.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Definitely the "must-go" place of all!!<br /><br />This place is actually a shopping arcade with Venice style setting....minus the water. A very very pretty place to go dating. There's this one spaghetti shop located deep inside that I particularly like...one of the most romantic dinner I ever had...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Roppongi Hills</span><br />I've been here only at the end of the year when Christmas/New year celebration is still up so I can't say much else except...well, visit here during that time of the year.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=4206105431_ca02273c42_b.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 407px; height: 306px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/4206105431_ca02273c42_b.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />If there's anywhere else that have a better Christmas atmosphere, I don't know about it. This place have got the whole open space filled with shops selling all kinds of Christmas novelties. Not to mention cakes and chocolates...the lights...the decos...you can truly feel something special in the air at this place.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC06509.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 403px; height: 226px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC06509.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The view here is much more beautiful than it looks on pictures. Oh yeah...you can trust me on this.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Disney Land/Sea<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><a href="http://randygui.blogspot.com/search/label/Disney">Mickey and friends</a>....need I say more??<br />Anyway, info for those who don't know, Disney Land have better shows/parades while Disney Sea have better rides. You can meet Mickey at both sites, but certain characters at either sites. For example, Ariel only at Sea and Pooh only at Land.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. Illuminations in Shinjuku</span><br />Mostly from early D Places where you get to see for free, or places where you have to pay a humble amount to get into. ecember onwards, there will be plenty of illuminations around.But if you are just looking for easy to access, non time-consuming, free but very beautiful nonetheless kind of place, I'd recommend Shinjuku Southern Terrace, located right beside Shinjuku station.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=illuminations09shinjuku07.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 404px; height: 269px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/illuminations09shinjuku07.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=20081105_shinjuku-terrace-city.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 404px; height: 291px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/20081105_shinjuku-terrace-city.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span>Note: Couple in hand is </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">NOT </span><span>me...</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=4191065487_937d6163e5_o.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 408px; height: 306px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/4191065487_937d6163e5_o.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />7. The other famous places around...</span><br />Harajuku, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza....you know...the usual places where tourist are bound to visit anyways.<br /><br />If there's anything worth mentioning, I'd say DON'T visit Akihabara...unless if your partner is the very open minded and adventurous one. Reason being that Akihabara is famous for Maid cafes and...well, 6-storeys porn shops with different theme for each floor. Porn don't make a good dating spot. Period.<br /><br /><br />Well, there you go, the simple guide to dating spots in Tokyo. All these should be about 3 days worth of going around...<br />By the way, I'm sure I've missed a few good places...so, feel free to share!!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></span>Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-86529490640286582912010-03-10T22:41:00.003+09:002010-03-10T23:41:14.434+09:00And so the internship ends...It has been 5 months since I started my <a href="http://randygui.blogspot.com/2009/10/topy-new-beginning.html">internship</a> at TOPY Industries.<br /><br />And it has been a loooong 5 months. While some of my campus mates commented on how relax and fun work was at their companies, I had to do work right until the very last day...<br /><br />Not that I'm complaining though....<br /><br />Sure, there was a lot of work to do but I gained invaluable experience from the work I've done.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=untitled-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 290px; height: 282px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/untitled-3.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Okay, first a brief explanation of my work. The department I was placed in was in charged of R&D of standard steel wheels. You know how there are holes on the wheels?? My assignment was finding the best conditions on strengthening the holes to prolong its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatigue_%28material%29">fatigue life</a> so that the wheel will last longer. <br /><br />Now, the plan for the project was already mapped out before I got there...and I could have had an easy and relaxed life just following that plan....but damn it, Randy have to "speak his mind" no matter what. What a pain in the ass.<br />Instead of following the planned experiments, I proposed a new idea, i.e. a new set of experiment parameters. After listening carefully to my idea, my supervisor agreed to my idea and allowed me to proceed any way I want. And since it was "my idea", my supervisor gave me full freedom to use the research budget. So, I designed my own experiment and spent a few hundred thousand yen of the company's money purchasing new machine parts.<br /><br />Well, lucky for me things went as I planned<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">(I did spend a lot of the company's money for this...so, there is pressure for me to produce worthy results)</span>....and my new idea actually sparked a new debate on how to better manufacture that cute little hole on the wheel.<br /><br />I did my last presentation was last week's Tuesday....finally, my task ended.<br /><br />I have to say, I gained a very good experience during that 5 month long internship. Gave me a solid preview of what it meant to work in a Japanese company.<br /><br />I also learned a lot on human relations, presentation skills...and most important of all, to be confident of my own ideas and not be afraid speaking them.<br /><br />To think that I tried applying for overseas internship...I originally applied for India and Germany. But, from what I hear from my friends who went overseas, they didn't get to do as much. Yeah, getting to live in a foreign country for 5 month sounds cool...but I still think I'm lucky that I stayed in Japan as I got to work in an environment where I actually get to do some solid stuff.<br /> <br />Hah...I guess I did make the right decision to enroll into Nagaoka University of Technology after all as <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">no other university offers the same internship program...<br /><br />Now that internship has ended, life as a Masters student begins!!!<br /><br />Crap....<br /></span>Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-10590972572078013052010-01-08T21:29:00.002+09:002010-01-08T21:37:17.339+09:00A new chic arrives!!!Today, a new young pretty gal arrives at Topy!! What more, she's placed in the same department as me!! Too bad she's in a different group, but under the same roof nonetheless...<br /><br />She's around my age, she's slim, got a pretty face, long flowing hair that swishes from side to side as she walks...she's got the whole place buzzing with news of her even before she arrives.<br /><br />That new chic's name is...Haidar Najiyah.<br /><br />Yup, the very same Haidar from my Japanese Prep School in KL many freaking years ago. The one we all came to call "Dart".<br /><br />I'm sorry if I have been misleading...haha, my blog have always been that way anyway. But the thing about how she's got everyone talking about her is true.<br /><br />After all this years, it still amazes me to see how Japanese reacts to having a person of a different culture around. Especially when they are Muslim and are bound by certain practices. When it was confirmed that she's going to do her internship here, they all turn to the nearest Malaysian they can find...Me. I was bombarded by questions like how to pronounce her name, why is there no family name, what can't she eat, if she wears a headscarf...etc. All the silly questions you can ever think of asking a Muslim.<br /><br />I wonder if anyone got excited over me when I first came here....<br /><br />I mean, I'm a Malaysian too but...looks like Japanese, eats like Japanese, drinks like Japanese, and speaks Japanese better than Mandarin. During my recent trip to Tokyo, I've even came to comment <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">"Wow...there are so many foreigners here"</span>, despite being one myself.<br />Duh... (>_<) ; <br /><br />AND I'm a guy. Just another one added to a bunch of people with hairy legs.<br />FYI, there are two more guys from her Uni as well...never heard anyone said anything about them. Yeah, middle-aged balding men are suckers for young girls.<br />It's so bad that they didn't even give me my name tag until today...3 months I've been working there and only today they give me a name tag. What the hell man...<br /><br />Oh well...at least it’s nice to see fresh faces around.Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-72854571426300075812009-12-25T21:28:00.002+09:002009-12-25T22:22:19.632+09:00Nagano revisted.Of all the seasons, I like winter the most.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />But 2 years ago was an exception. The<a href="http://randygui.blogspot.com/2008/01/winter-2008-part-3-ski.html"> ski trip</a> 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.<br /><br />I have to say that I love nothing more than skiing...even more than a girl<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">(so much that I'm willing to give up dating my girlfriend just to go ski)</span>. 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!! <br />When it comes to ski, fever is just a minor inconvenience.<br /><br />And so I went up the mountain anyway...<br />Randy, you stupid boy...<br /><br />Of all the stupid things I've done in my life, this rank the worst.<br />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.<br />I left that place completely unsatisfied.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC03447-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 408px; height: 229px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC03447-1.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />The slope 2 years ago...<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC06434.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 406px; height: 228px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC06434.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />The slope THIS year...<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC02880.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 405px; height: 303px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC02880.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />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.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC02822.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 404px; height: 302px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC02822.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC02825.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 406px; height: 304px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC02825.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC02851.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 407px; height: 305px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC02851.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC02878.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 403px; height: 302px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC02878.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />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.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC02792.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 411px; height: 308px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC02792.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />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.<br /><br />Btw, I'm going for another ski trip this Saturday...haha.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC02856.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 406px; height: 304px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC02856.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Merry Christmas folks!!Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-1591400474599665802009-12-18T10:06:00.003+09:002009-12-21T11:05:06.512+09:00Cold hands, warm heart.Cold, the word we use to describe the unpleasant absence of warmth.<br />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.<br /><br />It is now officially winter<span style="color:#663300;">(based on my standards)</span>, 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.<br />Oh, the stupid things we do when we're young.<br /><br />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!!<br /><br />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.<br /><br />So far, I've tried various alternatives, like;<br />・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.<br />・Tried breathing into my hands, but that made me look like a nervous freak. Not to mention that my hands smells like grease.<br />・Thinking dirty thoughts. I just could not succeed in directing the heat to my hands.<br />・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.<br />・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.<br /><br />Damn, I think I might have to rob someone tonight.<br />Warm my hands at the price of other people's sufferings...a fair trade don't you think?<br /><br />PS: Please, share whatever ideas you have on warming hands...before I start being cruel.Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-42855711169575895192009-12-15T22:37:00.003+09:002009-12-15T22:54:22.206+09:00An Appreciation of a Wonderful Life...It’s been 5 months since my father had a major scare with his medical condition.<br /><br />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".<br />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.<br /><br />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??<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />However, the smile I saw on my dad's face when I finally got there makes all the trouble seemed trivial.<br /><br />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."<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">(Hospitals are the worst place ever to play politics)</span>. Fills my heart with respect for him every time I think of his straightforwardness<br /><br />That was 5 months ago...<br /><br />My dad grew stronger and could do all kinds of daily activities back again.<br />I guess it's safe to say now that my dad has completely recovered.<br /><br />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<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">(not your Cindy, Chong Shen, but another Cindy)</span> for being there.<br />And of course, to all my friends who lend their support via messages in facebook<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">(I read them to my dad)</span>.<br /><br />Thank you.Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-38198684517612616402009-12-13T22:54:00.005+09:002009-12-15T13:13:30.947+09:00A Trip to Imou Bog...<a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=imou1.gif" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/imou1.gif" border="0" /></a><br />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.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC06255.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 402px; HEIGHT: 226px" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC06255.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The REAL Imou Bog...so very different from the photograph above...<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC06267.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 407px; HEIGHT: 228px" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC06267.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Do you see that???<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC06277.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 411px; HEIGHT: 231px" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC06277.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I traveled one hour for this...<br /><br />Damn, I've allocated a few hours for this...now what do I do?<br /><br />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....<br /><br />The hike up was nice and fairly easy. I got nice view of the city from up there...<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC06226.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 404px; HEIGHT: 227px" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC06226.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />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....<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />So, I went again a second time.<br /><br />I went prepared...jacket, proper shoes, food and water. Now, I'm ready.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC06425.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 404px; HEIGHT: 227px" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC06425.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC06417.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 402px; HEIGHT: 226px" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC06417.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC06411.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 408px; HEIGHT: 229px" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC06411.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC06409.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 409px; HEIGHT: 230px" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC06409.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC06395.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 406px; HEIGHT: 228px" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC06395.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=DSC06231.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="WIDTH: 406px; HEIGHT: 228px" alt="Photobucket" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/DSC06231.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />But most notable in my hike was the meeting with an old man.<br />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.<br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(102,51,0)">"Aren't you cold? Dressed like that?"</span><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(102,51,0)">"Where are you from? Malaysia? Wow, I've been there before...20 years ago"</span><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(102,51,0)">"You speak Japanese? Wow you are AMAZING!"</span><br /><br />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!!<br />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...<br /><br />We hiked all the way to the end where we said our farewells...<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Yeah...for that 5 hours, I was free.Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-15123811767576063802009-12-03T21:18:00.005+09:002009-12-08T20:34:48.490+09:00Happily 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.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=Man-marries-videog_1530405c.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 413px; height: 258px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/Man-marries-videog_1530405c.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So, a Japanese man marries his Nintendo girlfriend. Wow, I am jealous.<br /><br />And why not?<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=nene_1530375c.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 411px; height: 257px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/nene_1530375c.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />She is cute, has big eyes<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">(with an incredibly sexy mole under her right eye)</span>, 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.<br /><br />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...<br /><br />“Don’t you know who I am married to? Tifa Lockhart!! She will kick your ass!!!<br />Now, can just wait for a moment while I switch on my Nintendo?”<br />Push start…loading…select character…<br />load game…tifa…tifa…I’m going to load my best weapon…<br />Emerald Gloves of Dread. Oh ho ho…you are dead meat now!”<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=tifalockhart.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 233px; height: 329px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/tifalockhart.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Now, wouldn’t that be awesome!! hahaha...<br /><br />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<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">(I do think it is romantic, but some things just aren’t necessary)</span>, a partner twice/half your age. So, what is it so strange about this guy marrying a virtual girl?<br /><br />Instead, it kind of makes sense in a few ways...<br /><br />For example;<br />If Tiger Woods had married a Nintendo DS, he wouldn’t have crashed his car into a tree.<br />Bill Clinton would not have lost his presidency.<br />O.J Simpson would still be a loved actor.<br />Chua Soi Lek would be filmed sitting on a couch holding a small size gadget instead of...you know...<br /><br />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.<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br />I shall forever remember him as NDS Guy<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">(not <span style="font-weight: bold;">N</span>intendo <span style="font-weight: bold;">D</span>ual <span style="font-weight: bold;">S</span>reen but, <span style="font-weight: bold;">N</span>ippon <span style="font-weight: bold;">D</span>ude is <span style="font-weight: bold;">S</span>trange)</span>....<br /><br />Hah...I bet Charles Darwin did not predict this kind of evolution for mankind huh?Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-53283584002515941082009-11-30T21:25:00.002+09:002009-11-30T21:45:33.291+09:00Japanese Zen : Power of mind over matter...I know that you all have the stereotype impression of Japanese; that they eat sushi everyday, and that everyone practices Zen. While the former is false, the latter is very much true. Japanese from various places and of various ages practices them, from farmers to city folks, from secondary school kids with Nintendo at hand, to old folks with walking stick at hand.<br /><br />One of the more famous zen practices around is "mind over matter"...the one teaching we've heard over and over, but hand still hurts when punching a brick. However, just because we can't do it doesn't mean it isn't true. With enough dedication and willpower, it's amazing how you can achieve control over your body, enabling you to withstand pain, heat or cold. As far as I know, there's a particular group of people who have been very successful at this.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=zen-print-c10126600.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 313px; height: 388px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/zen-print-c10126600.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Having said that, I would especially like to focus on zen practices by young Japanese city girls.<br /><br />Young city girls here wear the shortest of skirts/pants during autumn and winter. And after living here for 5 years, I have learned to stop asking "Are they not cold??" I've settled for the assumption that they all meditate for half an hour each time before leaving their houses, thus their superhuman ability of extreme cold resistance. If you have any other better explanation, please feel free to enlighten me.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=090524_shibuya3.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 409px; height: 454px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/090524_shibuya3.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Recently on the news, was a TV special reporting on how young Japanese girls no longer wearing just a mini skirt or hot pants, but paring them with leggings. This trend started only very recently but already with over 60% majority wearing leggings...this means lesser bare legs around, much to the dismay of boys who "appreciates beauty".<br /><br />On a survey done, they asked these girls...."So, why leggings? Is it because of the cold weather?"<br /><br />Amazingly, they expressed shock, then answered "Cold? What cold? Leggings are more fashionable..."<br /><br />Chics and dudes, if only I can express my amusement here other than the usual "hahaha".<br /><br />I could not help but laugh at their statement...I could swear that everyone in the cafeteria<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">(was eating when I saw this)</span> now thinks that Malaysians are crazy people. No other foreigners would have laughed hysterically at a TV report like that.<br /><br />Randy is very sorry for causing a wrong perception towards Malaysians by the Japanese.<br /><br />But how can I not laugh at that? I've known for years that they endure the cold winds just to show off beautiful slim legs, stare angrily at guys who ganders at them, then laugh happily among themselves in secret.<br />Now that they finally start wearing leggings, I thought that they have finally given in to Mother Nature...who could have known, huh...<br /><br />On a different note, guys have started wearing leggings too...<br />Every time I see a guy wearing shorts with leggings underneath, it stupefies me to the point where I actually believed that leggings are meant for guys too....Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-19542702757002128472009-11-19T21:35:00.002+09:002009-11-19T22:11:58.300+09:00Japanese Office Ladies...They are called OL, which stands for...well, the title said it.<br />This group of workers has always been the "main" topic of conversation amongst Japanese men when they talk the men talk...which is almost always about girls<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">(yeah, as if anything else could interest us...other than sports anyway)</span>. And FYI, there's a lot of Japanese pornography that involves OL...<br /><br />This picture here, was the only picture I found where the girl isn't showing off garter belt or underwear while in a compromising pose.<br /><br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=office-lady-375x500.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 310px; height: 412px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/office-lady-375x500.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Warning : This is NOT a real OL...this, is a model dressed up like an OL<br /><br />Me being ignorant in the pass, I've never gotten curious over this particular group of workers who seem to sow seeds of sexual fantasies in men who are otherwise bored of work. Never made any real effort to truly know what they actually do in an office.<br /><br />So...what do they do, other than getting sexually harassed<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">(in the fantasy world)</span> all the time<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"></span>??<br /><br />Well...<br /><br />They are one of the most important units in the office!!<br /><br />Yeah, I'm in a R&D department dominated by men...us and our powerful brains researching and discovering things. But god help us when the phone rings...one annoyed plastic receiver with 20 guys staring blankly at it.<br />And I imagine that the rubbish bin would be full of instant noodles containers after lunch.<br />Also now that it is cold, who would take the initiative to make a hot pot of tea??<br />or organize meeting rooms so that there would be no awkward coincidence?<br /><br />Office ladies know everyone by their names and contact numbers. It always baffles me how they can be that efficient in connecting calls.<br /><br />Always polite...always smiling...<br /><br />They are our mothers, always taking care of our well being.<br /><br />And do you know what I personally think of them?<br /><br />Nothing much really...I'm just bored again. My test pieces arrived yesterday<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">(finally, I have some real work to do)</span>, and while I had a productive day yesterday, the machines got hogged up today. Will have to wait for my turn to play with it. And about yesterday's work...everything went as smooth as I predicted it would be, experiment results ending up just like I thought they would be...and while that is all good, shit, what am I suppose to do during my free time when I don’t have any problem solving to do??<br /><br />Yes, Randy smiles brightly when he has a problem.<br />Randy frowns only when he is peaceful.<br />Randy, is a strange guy.<br /><br />ANYWAY...<br />Back to my story about OL.<br /><br />As far as I know, only Japan have the work-group called "OL". It is a low tier work class whose job is mainly clerical work, serving tea, ordering lunch...everything on that line. For some reason, only women does this kind of job...as if men sucks at making tea and taking down messages.<br /><br />Japanese stereotype of an OL is that they are mostly attractive, witty, but more often than not, stressed in life, being under constant pressure from their parents. Most of them are unmarried, which is probably the main reason why they appear in pornography so much. Yeah, us men are wolf....and why not? In an office full of balding men with sagging skin, any young clerk can claim to be Cleopatra....<br /><br />I shamelessly declare that I am under her spell too...Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-31739355474290015922009-11-11T21:14:00.002+09:002009-11-11T21:29:40.034+09:00Randy, the restless one.The English dictionary explains the meaning of "<a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/randy">randy</a>" as "boisterous" or "full of sexual lust".<br /><br />I have always denied that the unfortunate meaning of the word that is my name, have got anything to do with my true nature. I'm sure that parents didn't intend me to be that way either. Which right minded, normal parents would want their kid to be like that?!!<br />Oh wait, my parents aren't exactly "normal"...<br />Nonetheless, those who know me, knows that despite the fact that I speak a lot of dirt, I don't soil myself.<br /><br />But…<br /><br />Seeing how restless I can be when idle...I may very well be "boisterous". The dict speaks the truth after all...what a dic*.<br /><br />After my senior <a href="http://randygui.blogspot.com/2009/11/tale-of-destroyer.html">destroyed one particular piece</a>, my work was substantially delayed. Long hours to go with nothing to do...where to put all my "energy" to? You all know how randy I can get at times, right? My restlessness always gets the better of me...I need to be doing something at all times.<br /><br />Well...a delay's a delay. Can't be helped, can't be fixed.<br /><br />So, I've taken it upon myself to embark on one of my original project.<br /><br />I've made a few researches on the topic that I was to do. While my internship program dictates that I should recommend which material to use, comparing it using one arbitrary augmentation, I instead research on the augmenting process itself. Now I'm currently reading up on it and drafting a report<span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">(written in Japanese...oh gawd translation can be such a pain in the ass!!)</span>. Will submit it to my superior and see how he deals with it. So far responses are good...<br /><br />There you go, always make yourself useful and do beyond what you're told. Appreciation comes along that line.<br /><br />So, am I proud of myself? Am I happy with what I am capable of?<br /><br />Nah...I'm not proud, I'm just bored.<br /><br />And gawd damn the Americans, using inches instead of metric unit...<br />Can't they agree with the world for once? Use what everyone else is using!! Makes life easier. Even with English they have to do changes to it...colo<span style="font-weight: bold;">U</span>r damn it, not color.<br />And what the hell is with that pound per square inch?? Now I have to convert both pound AND inch...<br /><br />Sorry, I'm just bored. Do you know of the proverb "An idle mind is the Devil's Playground"? Well, even the devil is starting to feel bored from playing in the same place...<br /><br />Sigh...word is that my real work will begin next week.<br /><br />Will stay bored and churning up ridiculous blogs til' then.Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11680996.post-27160466363763530012009-11-05T19:24:00.003+09:002009-11-05T19:30:59.514+09:00The coffee dependent.Days like these goes on forever...time slows to a crawl when I have nothing to do at work.<br />I am the traffic wreck and time is slowing down to look at me.<br /><br />Time flies? Yeah, I'd prefer it walking away from me rather than flying around my head.<br /><br />It's funny how you will always manage to feel sleepy at places where you not suppose to fall asleep...meetings, classes...for my case, at work. Times like these makes me wish that time machine exists...not to speed up time, but to go back in time to thank that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_beans">brown person from Ethiopia</a> who invented a drink of the same colour as him. Also, thank god for including caffeine in that drink.<br /><a href="http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/?action=view&current=coffeeaddiction.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 214px; height: 256px;" src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/Crapped/coffeeaddiction.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br />Much wonder can come from a small cup of coffee.<br /><br />I don't know why I can be this bored when just yesterday I had to stay an extra hour just to finish my day's assignment. Either I'm too efficient<span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">(doing too much in a short amount of time, thus having nothing to do later) </span>or I'm just bad in balancing work.<br /><br />Or maybe they are afraid that I might <a href="http://randygui.blogspot.com/2009/11/tale-of-destroyer.html">break another machine</a> if I'm active...<br /><br />Either case, I badly need a forecast just to let me know how much coffee I'll need to stay awake for that day...<br /><br />Something like,<br />Forecast of the day: Cloudy with 75% chance of boredom. Put down the umbrella and grab 2 cans of coffee.<br /><br />This, my friends, would be of much better help than reading lame, repeating horoscopes. I don't need to know if the love of my life is showing up today...my workplace is full of men anyway, so tell me if I'll have work and stay happy, or will I be bored sitting on my ass all day.<br /><br />Sigh...actually, I did have a report to write yesterday that I planned to do today knowing that I had nothing else scheduled. But, just before I left, my chief, who had 1 hour left before finishing<span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">(he came an hour later than me to work)</span> called me up to discuss plans for some future assignment. We talked, and he asked me to draft up a summary. I said "Ok, will get it for you first thing in the morning". He grunted an "OK" to me.<br /><br />This morning, I arrived at work to find that report already done!!<br /><br />Shit!! What the hell? Why did he do my work for me?!!!<br />Wait, oh right...he had one hour left yesterday. He was bored too.<br />Damn, he took away my work. Now, I'm bored earlier than I thought I would be.<br /><br />Sigh...<br /><br />Scary isn't it? Economy depression can really make people rushing for work to do.<br /><br />Now, let me take a sip of coffee before I fall asleep and wake up with a keyboard on my face.Crabbed!!http://www.blogger.com/profile/16264043615651323099noreply@blogger.com2