It was one fine Thursday night when I got a phone call from home...
Mom was crying on the other end...
"Randy, your dad is in the ambulance now heading to KL. He is bleeding in the head.."
Imagine the shock I had....it's not everyday you get a phone call telling you that your father had a brain hemorrhage. Listened to my mother's almost incomprehensible(due to crying) explanation of the situation....then I had to end put the phone down and allow a few moments to pass before finally registering the fact in my head.
I knew at once that I had to go back....yeah, who wouldn't, right? My brother had work and couldn't just leave so that leaves my mother alone. And my mother isn't exactly a calm lady when it comes to situation such as this. I had to go back for both my parents sake...
I wanted to go back that very weekend itself, but I'm tied by responsibilities in University. You see, I had to hand in a report and give a presentation as finals in a course I was taking. Fail that and I had to repeat the year. And then there was paperwork involving my furthering studies.
This was also the time where everyone start doing their research vigorously as we had to hand in our work at the end of September, but luckily I was consistent until now and already had enough material. And also lucky that my lecturer allowed me ample time in Malaysia.
Anyway, after the phone call I got, I weighted my options and opted for a Wednesday flight the following week.
A friend of mine was kind enough to offer his frequent flier points to get tickets for me to go back. Although his was United Airlines and it only had direct to Singapore, he was a much appreciated help. And since I'm reaching Singapore midnight and had to spend the night there, a friend studying there was kind enough to offer me his place to spend the night.
Things like this makes you remember these people forever...
Day comes and I find myself strapped in my seat, staring at the "put your seat belt on before take off" light above me. Flight captain announced that we had good weather and was expecting a quick arrival....GOOD...
Then, I realized that I had been staring at the "seat belt light" for an awful long time and was wondering what went wrong. And then it came...
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are experiencing some mechanical problem. The ground crew is inspecting it and the flight will be delayed for an hour"
Of all timings, now? When I'm anxious to go back? But I thought that one hour delay couldn't hurt...what can be worse?
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm sorry to announce that this flight will be canceled. Another flight will be arranged tomorrow at noon"
Great...now I will miss my connecting flight from Singapore to KL. And considering the fact that my dad wanted to see me badly, this will be a big blow to his already depressed and negative mental state. BUT, I suppose that this is much better than having an airplane crash...
Reached Singapore and had to fork out 80 SGD to get the earliest flight out...
Once again, customs officers staring at my passport, walking down the long walkway to my gate, strap myself into the seat...
"Ladies and Gentlemen, there will be a short delay...."
Oh, come on!! Again?!! A lot of things had caused some sort of delay and struggle, not just the cancelled flight but other unmentioned things as well...
Sigh...can't help but be reminded by what my dad said all the time, "When you are in a rush, all the traffic lights will be red"
This time, no cancellation following the delay so...it's all good for me. Reached KL a little after midnight. Was picked up by an uncle of mine. I wanted to go directly to the hospital but my uncle was very very tired and I had to stay very very patient and keep from pestering him to take me to the hospital.
Finally got to see my dad the next day...arriving 2 days later than expected, I could see that the anxiety had taken a toll on my dad.
Got the gist from the doctor saying that my dad had had bleeding inside the skull due to his drug side effect(he's taking some kind of medicine to regulate his blood density to his pacemaker). The bleeding had formed a clot and they are keeping him under observation and will only decide what to do after a week.
Anyway, although everybody's been telling me that this isn't that serious a condition, my dad's been sick for decades and this present scare had affected his mental state a lot...and me arriving 2 days late? Well, let's just say that he suffered quite a bit in that 2 days...
When he finally got to see me, he cheered up immediately and things got a lot better from then on. He started eating again(haven't been eating properly), started moving about(had been bed ridden all the time)....although he still suffers head pains(means no peaceful sleep), things had suddenly gotten much more bearable and he is able to sleep through the night....
He told me a lot of things that he had not before...well, things that I'm not too comfortable sharing here, but important things concerning his past life that I had not known. Told me how much he appreciated the family more than ever before...
This sort of danger had put a new found appreciation of life within both my dad and me...
Truly, there are no appreciation without threat...
Things look okay at the moment, and I hope that with my love and support, things will be okay all the way...
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Monday, July 06, 2009
The uncomfortable thought...
I don't know about you but, for me, time slows down during summer...
As the heat and humidity fills the air, everything goes by in slow motion. As if time expands with rising temperatures....
And it is during this time of the year when I lose all my mood to do anything at all,
Time of the year when lecturer starts to get serious with my work...
Time when a mundane lifestyle stick to you like sweat, where days of the week don't make sense anymore..
Especially now when my friends who were doing medic just graduated...requiring me to call them doctor when I'm still in the process of pursuing my degree...
It is time like this when I start thinking up nonsense....
"What if I had known that it would turn out like this, would I still apply for Japan?"
If I had the superhuman ability of being able to the future, and I knew that it would turn out like this, taking 7 long years just to get a degree...would I still apply for Japan??
Although I do have a lot of fun in Japan, and I met a lot of interesting people and I do gained a lot of experience...but....honestly, I don't think I can give a 100% yes to that question.
I mean, 7 years IS a long time if it's just to get a degree....and as much as anyone would say about my fluency on Japanese, that still doesn't cut it as English is still the mainstream language of global communication.
So, what have I been doing all these years?? I mean, I don't feel particularly "extra smart" for being able to study in Japan....in fact, I actually think that I could have performed better elsewhere...
So,
"What if I had known that it would turn out like this, would I still apply for Japan?"
I somehow recalled my conversation with my friend, Kenny's father. He advised me against going to Japan as it takes too long to get a mere degree. I can always take up Japanese lessons and I can always go to Japan for holidays. It was quite a career-prioritized advise and it didn't feel all that appealing to my immature mind at that time...
Same thing goes with my trusted teacher/adviser/mentor in highschool...
And with a lot of other adults...
I was thinking "No way I'm letting this go!! I want to see the famed mini skirts of Japan"
But now, I'm seriously thinking "What if....."
It used to be said that Japan is more technologically advance and that we should learn from them....and that's why Dr. Mahathir started the "Look East Policy".
But what I learned is that, in order for Malaysia to be technological advance, all we have to do is lessen the number of "coffee breaks"!!! Malaysians here fair quite well academically...and why not since our brains are of the same size! It is the attitude, the mentality, and the dedication that sets us so far apart.
But as you all know, Malaysians can be quite dangerous, aggresive and unrelenting when it comes to cutting down teh tarik breaks....
YES! The existence of teh tarik and karipap is keeping us back in the technology world!
So, even I manage to absorb the essence of Japanese greatness, and I don't deny that being in Japan changed me in some way....how am I to change the infamously stubborn Malaysians?
What, then, is my value??
What, then, is the purpose of me being here in Japan?
What.....if I had known that it would turn out like this......
would I still apply for Japan?
As the heat and humidity fills the air, everything goes by in slow motion. As if time expands with rising temperatures....
And it is during this time of the year when I lose all my mood to do anything at all,
Time of the year when lecturer starts to get serious with my work...
Time when a mundane lifestyle stick to you like sweat, where days of the week don't make sense anymore..
Especially now when my friends who were doing medic just graduated...requiring me to call them doctor when I'm still in the process of pursuing my degree...
It is time like this when I start thinking up nonsense....
"What if I had known that it would turn out like this, would I still apply for Japan?"
If I had the superhuman ability of being able to the future, and I knew that it would turn out like this, taking 7 long years just to get a degree...would I still apply for Japan??
Although I do have a lot of fun in Japan, and I met a lot of interesting people and I do gained a lot of experience...but....honestly, I don't think I can give a 100% yes to that question.
I mean, 7 years IS a long time if it's just to get a degree....and as much as anyone would say about my fluency on Japanese, that still doesn't cut it as English is still the mainstream language of global communication.
So, what have I been doing all these years?? I mean, I don't feel particularly "extra smart" for being able to study in Japan....in fact, I actually think that I could have performed better elsewhere...
So,
"What if I had known that it would turn out like this, would I still apply for Japan?"
I somehow recalled my conversation with my friend, Kenny's father. He advised me against going to Japan as it takes too long to get a mere degree. I can always take up Japanese lessons and I can always go to Japan for holidays. It was quite a career-prioritized advise and it didn't feel all that appealing to my immature mind at that time...
Same thing goes with my trusted teacher/adviser/mentor in highschool...
And with a lot of other adults...
I was thinking "No way I'm letting this go!! I want to see the famed mini skirts of Japan"
But now, I'm seriously thinking "What if....."
It used to be said that Japan is more technologically advance and that we should learn from them....and that's why Dr. Mahathir started the "Look East Policy".
But what I learned is that, in order for Malaysia to be technological advance, all we have to do is lessen the number of "coffee breaks"!!! Malaysians here fair quite well academically...and why not since our brains are of the same size! It is the attitude, the mentality, and the dedication that sets us so far apart.
But as you all know, Malaysians can be quite dangerous, aggresive and unrelenting when it comes to cutting down teh tarik breaks....
YES! The existence of teh tarik and karipap is keeping us back in the technology world!
So, even I manage to absorb the essence of Japanese greatness, and I don't deny that being in Japan changed me in some way....how am I to change the infamously stubborn Malaysians?
What, then, is my value??
What, then, is the purpose of me being here in Japan?
What.....if I had known that it would turn out like this......
would I still apply for Japan?
Monday, June 22, 2009
Fireflies and Zazen : Japanese Meditation
Last Saturday was a day of peace and magical beauty.
Saturday was especially a nice day since I had quite a lousy week before...broke my glasses during a more aggressive than expected game of basketball, needing to spend a lot of money on getting new glasses, faced a roadblock in my research, punctured my bicycle tire causing me to miss an important class....like I said, not a great week.
With irritant factor raging through my reins, I badly needed some peace to cool down. So, I joined an event called zazen, which is Japanese style religious meditation.
We left the main road and the loud engines behind, and entered an old city with little traffic if none. We reached an old temple(not a shrine) which was smaller than I expected. But a nice and tranquil place as there was no crowd....plenty of greens around too.
We then were introduced to the head monk who taught us the basics of meditation..
Zazen stands for : za which means seat and zen...well, you all know what zen is. This seated meditation is actually a copy of Indian cross-legged meditation...but Japanese got a cooler name for it. The only difference is that you get a good whack with a stick in the back if you start to slouch or fall asleep..
After 5 minutes struggling to get my feet on my lap, we meditated for about 30 minutes....what surprised me was that it felt more like 5 minutes of silence rather than a torturing 30 minutes of cramped legs!!
Along with me was a bunch of Chinese guys, Koreans and a Spaniard called Pol. Pol didn't want to join this event at first as it sounded boring...well, when did meditation ever sounded fun, right? But I managed to convince him saying
"Religious meditation sure sounds boring...BUT we'll never know how boring it really is!! If you go back to Spain, and your friends asked you 'Hey Pol, do you know about that boring shit called zazen?' You can never answer them if you don't join this crap....and besides, we can laugh about it on the way back!!"
And he joined!!! Haha...it's good to have someone agreeing with my nonsense once in a while...but I gotta say I had a great time at the temple in the end.
Anyway, after the temple was a trip to see fireflies....have you guys ever seen fireflies? I know, you can see them at Kuala Selangor...but I've never seen them before in my 24 years of life.
From the temple, we walked about 20 minutes to a firefly reserve. We went into the forest in the evening, then out on a clearing devoid of artificial lighting...and as it got dark, one by one the fireflies started lighting up...and within minutes swarms of them started lighting on and off in unison. Almost....ghostly....
How can I ever live for 24 years and never experience something so hauntingly beautiful??!! Just like magical little tree fairies they float among trees, flirting with each other, and with our eyes....
Unfortunately, their beauty can't be captured on camera...well, either that or the camera I'm using isn't good enough. I guess this scene will be a special one to be remembered...beauty known only to me.
This one Saturday shall forever be remembered...
Saturday was especially a nice day since I had quite a lousy week before...broke my glasses during a more aggressive than expected game of basketball, needing to spend a lot of money on getting new glasses, faced a roadblock in my research, punctured my bicycle tire causing me to miss an important class....like I said, not a great week.
With irritant factor raging through my reins, I badly needed some peace to cool down. So, I joined an event called zazen, which is Japanese style religious meditation.
We left the main road and the loud engines behind, and entered an old city with little traffic if none. We reached an old temple(not a shrine) which was smaller than I expected. But a nice and tranquil place as there was no crowd....plenty of greens around too.
We then were introduced to the head monk who taught us the basics of meditation..
Zazen stands for : za which means seat and zen...well, you all know what zen is. This seated meditation is actually a copy of Indian cross-legged meditation...but Japanese got a cooler name for it. The only difference is that you get a good whack with a stick in the back if you start to slouch or fall asleep..
After 5 minutes struggling to get my feet on my lap, we meditated for about 30 minutes....what surprised me was that it felt more like 5 minutes of silence rather than a torturing 30 minutes of cramped legs!!
Along with me was a bunch of Chinese guys, Koreans and a Spaniard called Pol. Pol didn't want to join this event at first as it sounded boring...well, when did meditation ever sounded fun, right? But I managed to convince him saying
"Religious meditation sure sounds boring...BUT we'll never know how boring it really is!! If you go back to Spain, and your friends asked you 'Hey Pol, do you know about that boring shit called zazen?' You can never answer them if you don't join this crap....and besides, we can laugh about it on the way back!!"
And he joined!!! Haha...it's good to have someone agreeing with my nonsense once in a while...but I gotta say I had a great time at the temple in the end.
Anyway, after the temple was a trip to see fireflies....have you guys ever seen fireflies? I know, you can see them at Kuala Selangor...but I've never seen them before in my 24 years of life.
From the temple, we walked about 20 minutes to a firefly reserve. We went into the forest in the evening, then out on a clearing devoid of artificial lighting...and as it got dark, one by one the fireflies started lighting up...and within minutes swarms of them started lighting on and off in unison. Almost....ghostly....
How can I ever live for 24 years and never experience something so hauntingly beautiful??!! Just like magical little tree fairies they float among trees, flirting with each other, and with our eyes....
Unfortunately, their beauty can't be captured on camera...well, either that or the camera I'm using isn't good enough. I guess this scene will be a special one to be remembered...beauty known only to me.
This one Saturday shall forever be remembered...
Monday, June 08, 2009
And the Ambassador arrives....
Yesterday was the day we hold a farewell event for Mr. Ambassador. It was attended by Mr. Ambs, his wife, son and daughter, staff from the Embassy, representative of MSAJ(Malaysian Students Association) and KUJ(Kelab UMNO Jepun) and bunch of students from Nagaoka University and Nagaoka College. The event was a formal event and was held in a hall with everyone wearing a blazer, cushion office chairs(not the one you're sitting on, the better quality ones), air conditioning and a big ass screen on the front wall.
I'm not...I'm never a big fan of formal events. This doesn't mean that I did not dress properly or anything along that line...just saying that there's no fun for me listening to prepared speeches. But I was desperately hoping to be entertain by something....and I was not disappointed!
Attendees(students) entered the hall as soon as the hall opened. I was hoping to meet up with the President of MSAJ, Lee Boon Hon before entering the hall, so me and Calvin hung out outside waiting for him. But he never came, so we went inside.
And that's when I got my first laugh...
All the students gathered at the back....leaving a lonely front and middle area empty. Then, a man from the embassy ordered them to fill the front seats. Hahaha...what are they? Small children afraid of the principal??
ALso, this being an event attended by Malaysians, punctuality is always the main big issue to frown upon (or to laugh at, your choice...but I tend to frown). But what the hell, I'm bored and I need some twisted entertainment...
You see, we had to sing the national anthem and 2 other patriotic song....I predicted that some will be late and they will walk in just when we're halfway through the national anthem. Well, no one came in during 'Negaraku', but quite walked in during the other 2 patriotic songs. As walking during such songs would be rude, they started gathering near the door!! Was quite obvious that uncomfortable awkwardness surrounds them...haha
But luckily, no one walked in after Mr. Ambs started his speech. But un-luckily, someone was stupid enough to bring her infant to the hall. What kind of dumb ass brings her baby to a formal speech?!! I know...I know, I may have gone too far by calling that woman dumb but then again...common sense-lah Makcik... At one point of Mr. Ambs' speech, all of his "comma" and "full stop" was punctuated by that baby's gurgle...
"It is great that we can have stability in a country with many races like Malay 'Eeahh' Chinese 'Eeahh' and Indian 'Eeahh' "
Hahahaha...
Baby continued to speak baby language for a full 5 minutes before everyone's stare made that Makcik uncomfortable and leaves the hall....finally.
Overall, the speech was pretty much very boring....speech contained stuff that every government official would say. The same shit like unity, peace and stability in a multiracial region...except Perak maybe. Although, there's one thing he said that really impressed me. Something about mastering languages...
"Kita dijangka....we are expected to deal with foreigners so....kita mesti belajarlah bahasa..."
Wait a minute, is he trying to tell us to master languages so that we can speak different languages in one sentence?? Well, OKAY... I was having trouble speaking a full sentence in bahasa anyway, but as a master of languages I can always mix in a few languages...hehe..
20 boring minutes later, the MC announced that this is the end of speech and that next is lunch....
Here again, I was hoping to see if anyone was brave enough to stand up and exit the hall before Mr. Ambs himself....
God bless Malaysia. We are a country full of brave souls....
I turned back and saw a few stood up as if it was normal, took a step forward but stopped when they saw a few still seated, signalling them to wait for Mr. Ambs to exit first. Awkwardness once again shrouded the hall.....hahahahahaha.
After that, lunch was pretty much incident free.
Oh, I have to say, lunch was de-li-cious!!
We had nasi minyak, ayam masak merah, daging kurma, and an assortment of kuih.
After lunch was photo session. We decided to take pictures outside, where it's nice, bright and windy. And that's where Mr. Ambs daughter of about 16 years old caught Boon hon's and my attention(Calvin noticed much earlier)...
Mr. Ambs daughter is the one on far left...
You see, a harmless innocent breeze blew by....and suddenly long, slender, beautiful bronze legs was revealed! Apparently, Mr. Ambs daughter came wearing a Baju Kurung, one with a slit that can even compete with a china dress!! With a slit that goes all the way up to the thighs....PLUS the wind blowing, it is very difficult to blame us guys for noticing. After all, she didn't put the slit there hoping that guys not notice when the wind blows, right??
*WARNING* : added exaggeration detected in photo.
I don't have a picture showing the slit, but it was something like this....how can a normal, functioning guy not turn his head and gander??!!!!!
Now, correct me if I'm wrong but, I thought there was the thing about aurat and stuff??
Naughty naughty...
ANYWAY, the event was a success and we didn't encounter any big hiccups. Mr. Ambs was very satisfied with this event as he got to deliver his compulsory but boring speech, and he got to mingle among students during lunch.
Goodbye Mr. Ambs...thanks for everything during your time in Japan.
All the best in Malaysia...
PS: Picture of China Girl was taken from http://www.reallycuteasians.com/
Gotong Royong : The Malaysian spirit
Good old Mr. Ambassador, TYT Dato Mohd. Radzi. This is his last week in Japan. He has served for....okay, I don't know how long has he served but I do know he is going back to Malaysia this Saturday. Sorry Mr. Ambs...
A farewell event was planned for him on yesterday, in conjunction with Agong's birthday,
here in my University in Nagaoka. About 150 people are expected to attend this event so, as for the preparation, we(us Nagaoka Students committee) organized a gotong royong.
I was put under nasi minyak department. Gosh...I have never cooked 25 kilos of rice before in my life!! Originally a 10 member strong group, only 4 turned up...but what the hell, we managed anyway. By the time I got back home, it was almost 1 a.m and I was dead tired.
But somehow, strangely, I felt a sense of accomplishment!
I felt happy for being able to lighten someone else's load.
I felt belonged as I connected with others...
My spirit felt SO alive!!
So, this is what you call a gotong royong. While i used to participate back when I was a kid, I have somehow forgotten about the joy of gotong royong as I grew older...as I grew more materialistic...and as I grew more selfish. Somehow, at one point I started asking for reward, refusing to help, and only doing things that involves recognition.
Having spoken that, I gotta admit that I wasn't at all helpful last year...
I participated in the Japanese drum group and I devoted myself entirely for practice. I was constantly using "drum practice" as an excuse to not help in any cook outs.
While it is important to pursue materialism, we must never forget that it is always the connection with people that keeps us going...
keeps our spirit strong....
A farewell event was planned for him on yesterday, in conjunction with Agong's birthday,
here in my University in Nagaoka. About 150 people are expected to attend this event so, as for the preparation, we(us Nagaoka Students committee) organized a gotong royong.
I was put under nasi minyak department. Gosh...I have never cooked 25 kilos of rice before in my life!! Originally a 10 member strong group, only 4 turned up...but what the hell, we managed anyway. By the time I got back home, it was almost 1 a.m and I was dead tired.
But somehow, strangely, I felt a sense of accomplishment!
I felt happy for being able to lighten someone else's load.
I felt belonged as I connected with others...
My spirit felt SO alive!!
So, this is what you call a gotong royong. While i used to participate back when I was a kid, I have somehow forgotten about the joy of gotong royong as I grew older...as I grew more materialistic...and as I grew more selfish. Somehow, at one point I started asking for reward, refusing to help, and only doing things that involves recognition.
Having spoken that, I gotta admit that I wasn't at all helpful last year...
I participated in the Japanese drum group and I devoted myself entirely for practice. I was constantly using "drum practice" as an excuse to not help in any cook outs.
While it is important to pursue materialism, we must never forget that it is always the connection with people that keeps us going...
keeps our spirit strong....
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Connecting dots...
Every hurdle you face in life represents a dot.
They make no sense why you need to
suffer and struggle and sweat...but,
years from now, as you connect the dots,
you'll realize that each dot has a meaning
and they form a beautiful and elegant line...
You cannot connect the dots by looking forward,
you can only do them looking backwards.
So, do your very best and endure, as you will
Surely come to appreciate your effort some day.
You must realize that this is my first, weak attempt at poetry. I have a long way to go before I can write words that 'sing'...
Anyway, this poem is about connecting dots. I heard the general idea from a presenter in Nagaoka, who in turn has heard from Steve Jobs. Now, this have got to be the most meaningful and practical thing I've ever heard in my 20 years of literacy life.
Listening to this reminds me of my high school days where I asked my maths teacher, "Why do all this? What's the point?". She gave me a very lame and nerd-ish reply "To score an A in SPM". I don't mean to be rude to teachers, but what a dumb answer that was....
However, I finally discovered the true purpose of learning mathematics. It's not until 8 years later when it finally made sense as why I need to flirt with numbers....
To build. To design. To create.
Now that I'm in charge of designing a method to reduce a particular set of data, I realize that I need all my knowledge in mathematics, physics and material science knowledge in order to come up with a method that can yield an accurate result.
Ehem...what I'm trying to say here, is that, had I not work hard 8 years ago, I wouldn't be able to do what I do now. This is the same as things we suffer by everyday. They are difficult and we are often tempted to give in to procrastination and neglect....but difficult and trying as they may be, it will no doubt be one of the important dots in our life.
So, all the best to all of us, and may we all smile when we look back on our line of dots...
They make no sense why you need to
suffer and struggle and sweat...but,
years from now, as you connect the dots,
you'll realize that each dot has a meaning
and they form a beautiful and elegant line...
You cannot connect the dots by looking forward,
you can only do them looking backwards.
So, do your very best and endure, as you will
Surely come to appreciate your effort some day.
You must realize that this is my first, weak attempt at poetry. I have a long way to go before I can write words that 'sing'...
Anyway, this poem is about connecting dots. I heard the general idea from a presenter in Nagaoka, who in turn has heard from Steve Jobs. Now, this have got to be the most meaningful and practical thing I've ever heard in my 20 years of literacy life.
Listening to this reminds me of my high school days where I asked my maths teacher, "Why do all this? What's the point?". She gave me a very lame and nerd-ish reply "To score an A in SPM". I don't mean to be rude to teachers, but what a dumb answer that was....
However, I finally discovered the true purpose of learning mathematics. It's not until 8 years later when it finally made sense as why I need to flirt with numbers....
To build. To design. To create.
Now that I'm in charge of designing a method to reduce a particular set of data, I realize that I need all my knowledge in mathematics, physics and material science knowledge in order to come up with a method that can yield an accurate result.
Ehem...what I'm trying to say here, is that, had I not work hard 8 years ago, I wouldn't be able to do what I do now. This is the same as things we suffer by everyday. They are difficult and we are often tempted to give in to procrastination and neglect....but difficult and trying as they may be, it will no doubt be one of the important dots in our life.
So, all the best to all of us, and may we all smile when we look back on our line of dots...
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
What it takes to live together...
One of the most famous phrase written in the bible is "Love thy neighbour".
Knowing that, you can say that only god knows how hard is it to love your neighbour....which means that its pretty damn hard.
We all have our fair share of living with ugly neighbours. While many of us have been a bit shy in talking about it, Borat more or less sums it up :
Borat : Do Jesus like me?
Church Pastor : Absolutely, Jesus loves you
Borat : Do Jesus like my sons?
Church Pastor : Jesus loves your sons
Borat : Do Jesus love my retard brother Bilo?
Church Pastor : Jesus loves your brother Bilo
Borat : Do Jesus love my neighbour Nushuktan Tulyiagby?
Church Pastor : Yes, Jesus loves everyone.
Borat : Nobody like my neighbour, Nushuktan Tulyiagby...
All these time watching movies and dramas, I've never quite understood why couples find it so difficult to decide whether or not to live with each other...just like that scene in Yes Man, where Jim Carrey hesitated when he was asked if he wants to live with that girl.
Before furthering my studies to Uni, when I was speaking to one of my seniors about Uni life, he said that it was very, very difficult to live with other people. Quarrels and disagreement happen on daily basis, and that I had better think very carefully if I want to share apartment with someone else. Said that I was going to live with a friend of mine, and I'm sure that things will turn out ok....but he instead said,
"He may be your good friend, but even that, you'll start to quarrel after a few months. Yeah he's still your good friend, but it will not be easy living with him".
Early last year, I was blessed with the opportunity of living with an old friend of mine. I lived across him back in our UTM days where we studied Japanese before going to Japan, and he looks bearable to live with. And so, March last year, I moved in with him...
Things was okay in the beginning. Garbage and dishes are taken care of, kitchen is cleaned on weekly basis, we cycled to school together...
One year have passed.....
This morning, we headed out to school at the same time....something that have not happen for about 10 months. I was thinking, "Wow, it's been a really long time since we cycle to school together!!". BUT....
as I turned to lock the door, I saw he was already on his bicycle!!
By the time I got both my feet on the pedals, he was already far ahead. Now, that is pretty darn strange considering that we share an apartment.
Wow....how did we end up like this...
This have got me thinking, it's not easy living with another person...and I suddenly had new found respect for my mother as she had to live with me AND my brother for 17 years...
It's amazing that my mother have not gone "completely insane". I use the term "completely insane" because.....well, those who have met my mother will know that my mother isn't exactly "normal".
Sigh...guess I'll just have to be patient for another 3 months. After that, I'm moving out....
This time, I think I'll live alone....
Knowing that, you can say that only god knows how hard is it to love your neighbour....which means that its pretty damn hard.
We all have our fair share of living with ugly neighbours. While many of us have been a bit shy in talking about it, Borat more or less sums it up :
Borat : Do Jesus like me?
Church Pastor : Absolutely, Jesus loves you
Borat : Do Jesus like my sons?
Church Pastor : Jesus loves your sons
Borat : Do Jesus love my retard brother Bilo?
Church Pastor : Jesus loves your brother Bilo
Borat : Do Jesus love my neighbour Nushuktan Tulyiagby?
Church Pastor : Yes, Jesus loves everyone.
Borat : Nobody like my neighbour, Nushuktan Tulyiagby...
All these time watching movies and dramas, I've never quite understood why couples find it so difficult to decide whether or not to live with each other...just like that scene in Yes Man, where Jim Carrey hesitated when he was asked if he wants to live with that girl.
Before furthering my studies to Uni, when I was speaking to one of my seniors about Uni life, he said that it was very, very difficult to live with other people. Quarrels and disagreement happen on daily basis, and that I had better think very carefully if I want to share apartment with someone else. Said that I was going to live with a friend of mine, and I'm sure that things will turn out ok....but he instead said,
"He may be your good friend, but even that, you'll start to quarrel after a few months. Yeah he's still your good friend, but it will not be easy living with him".
Early last year, I was blessed with the opportunity of living with an old friend of mine. I lived across him back in our UTM days where we studied Japanese before going to Japan, and he looks bearable to live with. And so, March last year, I moved in with him...
Things was okay in the beginning. Garbage and dishes are taken care of, kitchen is cleaned on weekly basis, we cycled to school together...
One year have passed.....
This morning, we headed out to school at the same time....something that have not happen for about 10 months. I was thinking, "Wow, it's been a really long time since we cycle to school together!!". BUT....
as I turned to lock the door, I saw he was already on his bicycle!!
By the time I got both my feet on the pedals, he was already far ahead. Now, that is pretty darn strange considering that we share an apartment.
Wow....how did we end up like this...
This have got me thinking, it's not easy living with another person...and I suddenly had new found respect for my mother as she had to live with me AND my brother for 17 years...
It's amazing that my mother have not gone "completely insane". I use the term "completely insane" because.....well, those who have met my mother will know that my mother isn't exactly "normal".
Sigh...guess I'll just have to be patient for another 3 months. After that, I'm moving out....
This time, I think I'll live alone....
Monday, May 25, 2009
Wild Plants Tempura at Osugi Park...
Yet another trip organized for foreign students here...
Hah...it's so nice being a foreigner here in Japan.
Anyway, this time, it's a trip to a farm, planting sweet potatoes, then it's a hike up a hill to have sansai (wild plants) tempura for lunch.
The schedule for the day was this:
Shorts? A jacket that you won't mind soiling? A comfortable pair of sneakers for hiking?
YOU ARE DEAD WRONG!!!
You should wear a beautiful sari, put on make up, wear cute sandals and paint your little toes!!!
Hahahahah....
You can always count on Indian people to dress up like this to no matter where. They love their clothes very very much...such show of patriotism!
Ever seen a woman in sari and cute sandals planting sweet potatoes?
I have!
Hahaha.....
Okay, now on to the main story.
I originally forgotten about this trip...then a girl contacted me the night before, asking me if I could take her place instead as she had some other stuff to do. Just like Jim Carrey in Yes Man, I said "Yes."
I mean, why not? I have eaten sansai tempura only once before and I enjoyed it a lot.
So, gathering was early in the morning. It was then when I got my first haha in the morning. Me and Farhan saw the lady in the sari and we thought that she was there probably just to wave goodbye to her friends.
Then we saw her get on the bus....needless to say, we instantly hahaha-ed at her.
I don't mean to be rude towards Indians here, but damn....a sari to a farm? I can forgive an eyeliner...but a sari? AND one of them was late....haih.
Anyway, reached the farm not long after that and was at once put into labor...
Honestly, I was expecting a good laugh watching Sari pouring stinking fertilizer on the soil. But I was disappointed to find that she's the designated camera person.
Anyway, we did stuff you see in the photos above. We were invited to come back here again to harvest and consume those sweet potatoes we planted. But too bad, by that time, I would be away doing industrial training.
There were about 20 people working on that small piece of land, so work ended as soon as it started.
Next was the 30 minute long walk up the hill to the park for lunch...
The walk was scenic and very refreshing. Seriously, can't remember the last time I took in so much green into my eyes.
Just in case you're wondering, they gave us the option of riding the bus there as we had old folks amongst ourselves. So, folks with white hair, sagging skin, and sari rode the bus there.
Waiting for us on the table was various kinds of wild plants ready to be drowned in flour and oil.
On the way there, I told Farhan's lab mates; Toyoshima, Oshio and Sakurai, that I had eaten these before, and while I remember the taste, I can't remember their names....so we ended up calling them "Randy no.1", "Randy no.2", "Randy no.3", "Randy no.4".
During lunch, they found out that, while Randy had a unique taste, Randy is sometimes hairy and bitter...but they all liked Randy anyway. Haha...
Oh, I have to mention here that the lady(polka dot top) who joined us at the table was one of the organizers. She is very very Japanese ladylike. And by that I mean the way she was seated with her legs neatly folded beneath her, the way she addresses everyone, the way she carefully dips the wild plants into the flour and then the oil, the way she politely asks if there's anything that we like, the way she partly covers her mouth when she talks....like I said, very very Japanese.
She even went as far as frying only the things that she recognizes, like pumpkin, asparagus and bamboo sprout....Japanese is always cautious of things they don't recognize.
Takes a challenger like Randy to deep fry things like Randy no.1, Randy no. 2, ......don't remember doing anything I already know when it was my turn at the fire. Haha...
Anyway, lunch was great. I even manage to get my hands on some sake. Always nice getting to eat these kinds of things once in a while...a rare break from the usual chicken and fish.
The day ended with the organizers waving hands at foreign students.
The Japanese ladylike bowed...
PS: What I meant by Indians was India's Indians....not Malaysian Indians. Forgive me very much but I have heard a lot of funny stories from my brother who is working for MAS. He hates flights to India, but always comes back with the funnies stories ever on their antics.
Oh, I later found out that they weren't from India after all. They are from Bangladesh. I should have studied Geography more seriously in Form 3.
Hah...it's so nice being a foreigner here in Japan.
Anyway, this time, it's a trip to a farm, planting sweet potatoes, then it's a hike up a hill to have sansai (wild plants) tempura for lunch.
The schedule for the day was this:
- Gather and depart by bus to some place
- Reach a small farm, help turn the soil, fertilize it and plant sweet potato shoots
- Hike for about 30 minutes up a hill
- Have Tempura for lunch at Osugi Park
Shorts? A jacket that you won't mind soiling? A comfortable pair of sneakers for hiking?
YOU ARE DEAD WRONG!!!
You should wear a beautiful sari, put on make up, wear cute sandals and paint your little toes!!!
Hahahahah....
You can always count on Indian people to dress up like this to no matter where. They love their clothes very very much...such show of patriotism!
Ever seen a woman in sari and cute sandals planting sweet potatoes?
I have!
Hahaha.....
Okay, now on to the main story.
I originally forgotten about this trip...then a girl contacted me the night before, asking me if I could take her place instead as she had some other stuff to do. Just like Jim Carrey in Yes Man, I said "Yes."
I mean, why not? I have eaten sansai tempura only once before and I enjoyed it a lot.
So, gathering was early in the morning. It was then when I got my first haha in the morning. Me and Farhan saw the lady in the sari and we thought that she was there probably just to wave goodbye to her friends.
Then we saw her get on the bus....needless to say, we instantly hahaha-ed at her.
I don't mean to be rude towards Indians here, but damn....a sari to a farm? I can forgive an eyeliner...but a sari? AND one of them was late....haih.
Anyway, reached the farm not long after that and was at once put into labor...
Honestly, I was expecting a good laugh watching Sari pouring stinking fertilizer on the soil. But I was disappointed to find that she's the designated camera person.
Anyway, we did stuff you see in the photos above. We were invited to come back here again to harvest and consume those sweet potatoes we planted. But too bad, by that time, I would be away doing industrial training.
There were about 20 people working on that small piece of land, so work ended as soon as it started.
Next was the 30 minute long walk up the hill to the park for lunch...
The walk was scenic and very refreshing. Seriously, can't remember the last time I took in so much green into my eyes.
Just in case you're wondering, they gave us the option of riding the bus there as we had old folks amongst ourselves. So, folks with white hair, sagging skin, and sari rode the bus there.
Waiting for us on the table was various kinds of wild plants ready to be drowned in flour and oil.
On the way there, I told Farhan's lab mates; Toyoshima, Oshio and Sakurai, that I had eaten these before, and while I remember the taste, I can't remember their names....so we ended up calling them "Randy no.1", "Randy no.2", "Randy no.3", "Randy no.4".
During lunch, they found out that, while Randy had a unique taste, Randy is sometimes hairy and bitter...but they all liked Randy anyway. Haha...
Oh, I have to mention here that the lady(polka dot top) who joined us at the table was one of the organizers. She is very very Japanese ladylike. And by that I mean the way she was seated with her legs neatly folded beneath her, the way she addresses everyone, the way she carefully dips the wild plants into the flour and then the oil, the way she politely asks if there's anything that we like, the way she partly covers her mouth when she talks....like I said, very very Japanese.
She even went as far as frying only the things that she recognizes, like pumpkin, asparagus and bamboo sprout....Japanese is always cautious of things they don't recognize.
Takes a challenger like Randy to deep fry things like Randy no.1, Randy no. 2, ......don't remember doing anything I already know when it was my turn at the fire. Haha...
Anyway, lunch was great. I even manage to get my hands on some sake. Always nice getting to eat these kinds of things once in a while...a rare break from the usual chicken and fish.
The day ended with the organizers waving hands at foreign students.
The Japanese ladylike bowed...
PS: What I meant by Indians was India's Indians....not Malaysian Indians. Forgive me very much but I have heard a lot of funny stories from my brother who is working for MAS. He hates flights to India, but always comes back with the funnies stories ever on their antics.
Oh, I later found out that they weren't from India after all. They are from Bangladesh. I should have studied Geography more seriously in Form 3.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The melted piece of chocolate.
Here's something about me; I LOVE chocolate.
One of my favorites is Cadbury's Dairy Milk Chocolate with Fruits and Nuts. Took a piece from a pack today, tore open the small packaging...and instead of finding a block of brown goodness welcoming me, I saw gooey, soft brown mud waiting for me instead.
Damn...Summer heat killed my chocolate.
Yeah...Spring time is over, and Summer's coming. Sigh...the heat, no wait...the heat is inevitable. It's nature, god's idea of making us sweat.
It's the humidity that I should be bitching about!
Great....now I gotta bring out my trusty old fan and clean it before putting it to labor.
I've started sleeping with windows wide open and without blanket....afraid that soon I'll have to sleep naked. Damn....the heat....
I know...being a Malaysian, I'm supposed to have gotten used to heat. But after being introduced to the alternative(autumn, winter and spring), I find that the heat IS something worth wasting your time complaining about.
Not only the heat, the damn cicadas will soon start making noises, trying to "get it on" with its mates.
I wonder if there's anything about summer that is worth looking forward to?
Beaches maybe? Hmm......
One of my favorites is Cadbury's Dairy Milk Chocolate with Fruits and Nuts. Took a piece from a pack today, tore open the small packaging...and instead of finding a block of brown goodness welcoming me, I saw gooey, soft brown mud waiting for me instead.
Damn...Summer heat killed my chocolate.
Yeah...Spring time is over, and Summer's coming. Sigh...the heat, no wait...the heat is inevitable. It's nature, god's idea of making us sweat.
It's the humidity that I should be bitching about!
Great....now I gotta bring out my trusty old fan and clean it before putting it to labor.
I've started sleeping with windows wide open and without blanket....afraid that soon I'll have to sleep naked. Damn....the heat....
I know...being a Malaysian, I'm supposed to have gotten used to heat. But after being introduced to the alternative(autumn, winter and spring), I find that the heat IS something worth wasting your time complaining about.
Not only the heat, the damn cicadas will soon start making noises, trying to "get it on" with its mates.
I wonder if there's anything about summer that is worth looking forward to?
Beaches maybe? Hmm......
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Bra for men?? Wtf??
Many prophecies have predicted that some kind of plague will mark the end of days...yeah, I know, Swine flu is out and about now. But I'm not ready to acknowledge Armageddon just yet...until I saw this.
Umm...what is that dude doing, holding his chest with a sad face like that.
And what's wrong with the mannequins? Did they run out of plasters to make boobs?
And why are those bras on display so small...wait...are they...no...no....NO WAY!!!
Those are men bras!!
Shit, the end of the world is truly coming....Yes, now they have bra for men and it's available in Japan.
I have no idea why they made bra available for men, but this is damn ridiculous.
I've seen guys sitting in front of the mirror setting their hair and trimming their eyebrows.
I've seen guys putting on foundation on their faces as they are "afraid of the sun" or "wants fair skin".
I've even seen guys going on strict diet just so that they can fit into tight pants.
But this....what the hell? Men's bra? Now the Japs have gone too far!!!
Aw shit, this have got to be the most disgusting piece of picture I've ever posted on my blog.
OKAY...let's be fair to those guys who "needs" them. These guys aren't exactly transvestite, nor are they some perverted cross dresser. They are normal, everyday office men. Report says that Japanese men have "requested" for them...asking why can't guys wear bra too. It supposedly have positive psychological effect...boosting self confidence and relieving stress. They are so popular that these men bra sold out on the first day of sales!! And I kid you not when I say, there are request for men bra in the US as well.
This thing isn't exactly new in Japan. The trend where men have become less "manly" started long ago. Many of the guys here are less aggressive, forgoing the masculine look and opting for a softer touch; such as trimming eyebrows, putting on make up, refusing to go out if they're hair/clothes aren't well done....some even refuses sexual relationship with women, preferring "self help" toys instead. In Japan, they are labeled as "herbivors"....as in harmless as a cow kind of herbivors.
See how scary Japanese lifestyle can get? You may have heard about the many suicide cases in Japan, but now you know to what extend the pressure and mental stress people face here. And to think that I MAY WORK HERE someday, this isn't encouraging at all...
Can you imagine...me putting on a bra before going to work? My thick, hairy arms reaching out to the back, trying to hook it in place?
Looking into the mirror, then smiling stupidly to myself....full of confidence with a red bra on my chest....
Can you imagine the sheer horror of that??
Someone please kill me the day anyone sees reddish strap beneath my white shirt....
Umm...what is that dude doing, holding his chest with a sad face like that.
And what's wrong with the mannequins? Did they run out of plasters to make boobs?
And why are those bras on display so small...wait...are they...no...no....NO WAY!!!
Those are men bras!!
Shit, the end of the world is truly coming....Yes, now they have bra for men and it's available in Japan.
I have no idea why they made bra available for men, but this is damn ridiculous.
I've seen guys sitting in front of the mirror setting their hair and trimming their eyebrows.
I've seen guys putting on foundation on their faces as they are "afraid of the sun" or "wants fair skin".
I've even seen guys going on strict diet just so that they can fit into tight pants.
But this....what the hell? Men's bra? Now the Japs have gone too far!!!
Aw shit, this have got to be the most disgusting piece of picture I've ever posted on my blog.
OKAY...let's be fair to those guys who "needs" them. These guys aren't exactly transvestite, nor are they some perverted cross dresser. They are normal, everyday office men. Report says that Japanese men have "requested" for them...asking why can't guys wear bra too. It supposedly have positive psychological effect...boosting self confidence and relieving stress. They are so popular that these men bra sold out on the first day of sales!! And I kid you not when I say, there are request for men bra in the US as well.
This thing isn't exactly new in Japan. The trend where men have become less "manly" started long ago. Many of the guys here are less aggressive, forgoing the masculine look and opting for a softer touch; such as trimming eyebrows, putting on make up, refusing to go out if they're hair/clothes aren't well done....some even refuses sexual relationship with women, preferring "self help" toys instead. In Japan, they are labeled as "herbivors"....as in harmless as a cow kind of herbivors.
See how scary Japanese lifestyle can get? You may have heard about the many suicide cases in Japan, but now you know to what extend the pressure and mental stress people face here. And to think that I MAY WORK HERE someday, this isn't encouraging at all...
Can you imagine...me putting on a bra before going to work? My thick, hairy arms reaching out to the back, trying to hook it in place?
Looking into the mirror, then smiling stupidly to myself....full of confidence with a red bra on my chest....
Can you imagine the sheer horror of that??
Someone please kill me the day anyone sees reddish strap beneath my white shirt....
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Golden week that was...part 2 : Ramen Museum
As all of you may know, Japan is famous for its ramen. As all of you may not know, ramen originated from China....there was a period after the samurai era where people in Japan just got sick of eating sushi.
"What? Raw fish? AGAIN??!! "
"Can't you at least fry 'em? Boil....or steam maybe?"
"Don't go ongiving me that crap such as 'it's healthy' or 'cooking it will spoil the taste'...you lazy bum!!"
"Now, let's go eat out...hey, that shop is selling something yellow..."
"Slurrrp...Mmm...this is GOOD! What's this called?"
"Ramen? Cool...."
And so, ramen became very popular all across Japan. And while the Chinese are contented with only one flavour, Japanese got bored quickly and created new flavours of their own ; shoyu(soy sauce), miso(fermented soy beans), tonkotsu(pork bones), shio(salt)...and they took over the world. Even the Chinese started to like the thing that the Japanese shamelessly copied from them...
You see, most of my peers left early after last night. So, I ended up being the eldest one there. And my schedule for that day left me free to do anything...so, I decided to grab myself a few juniors and headed to Ramen Museum in Shin-Yokohama. Those juniors unfortunate enough to be stuck with me was Jet, Ong, Carine, Wei Ling, Beh(Bear? or something like that), Sin Ying, Dong Shen, Jun Hao...8 innocent young blood waiting to be corrupted by me! Hahaha...
Ramen Museum...this place isn't just place where they display boring ramen made out of wax. This "museum" is a place where they offer you famous ramen from various region in Japan.
This place was so famous that we had to line up for about 30~40 minutes just to get in.
The museum is consist of two levels. The top level where they display information on ramen; what types are there, history, etc...mostly boring stuff encased in glass.
The second level however, ho ho....let's time travel.
As you can see, this set is placed back in ancient Japan, time when samurai only existed in movies and robots have drills on its nose. It's as if I've time traveled...just like The Terminator who went back in time, except that I'm not naked and not as muscular like Arnold.
There were about 10 shops there from regions such as Sapporo, Kumamoto, Hakata, etc etc...The crowd that day was especially big, so big that there were more human than noodles and pork. I went with a group of 8 juniors and....with a crowd like this, its hard to stay together and very very difficult for the shops to seat everyone in. So, we split up to smaller groups and agreed to meet up later.
I paired up with Jet, a junior from Suzuka, Mie Prefecture. A very very cool girl...who else would have a name like Jet? No wait, there's that guy who can do Kung Fu....I mean, which girl would have a name like Jet? Couldn't help but introduced myself as "Hi, my name's Rocket, nice to meet you." Hahaha...
Anyway, it was me and Jet, the rest...I don't know much about the rest. Didn't see any of them at all. After lining up for almost an hour to get into the museum, now, we have to line up even longer to get to into the ramen shops!! But Jet was good company and I didn't mind lining up at all...
This is a mini bowl of Kumamoto Ramen for 500 yen...
Always practicing in "Ladies First", I let her choose which shop she wants to go to....Please don't ask me to describe the taste. All I know is that it's a super-licious tonkotsu ramen from Kumamoto, Kyushu. Good ramen with good company...what else can a guy ask for, eh? Lol...
After finishing, we had about 1 hour plus left before joining up with the rest of the gang. So, we decided to try ramen from Sapporo, Hokkaido this time. The line was a whole lot longer than expected and we lined up for....I don't know how long but we were late by 30 minutes when meeting up with others.
Anyway, she ordered Old-style Ramen, which was some kind of shio ramen...taste quite good. Though the taste wasn't as strong as Kumamoto's, it's something that you won't get tired with even after eating a hundred bowls.
I ordered miso ramen instead. If you'd look closely at the picture, you can see that there's a cruel layer of oil floating above my ramen. Enough oil to lubricate an engine for a month. Taste was ok, but the oil...ugh, just horrible.
We had to gobble it up fast as we were already late. The only good thing about my ramen was that it help me eat faster as I can slurp that slippery thing up my mouth easily....ugh, horrible.
All in all, this is one of THE place to visit in Japan. No need to travel hundreds of kilometers to eat famous ramens from various regions...just head in here. Yeah, you have to line up a lot...but it's definitely worth your time.
PS to Juniors: Eh, sorry la guys. Made you wait for half an hour. Worse, that I keep telling everyone to be punctual and I ended up being the unpunctual one. Very very sorry...
"What? Raw fish? AGAIN??!! "
"Can't you at least fry 'em? Boil....or steam maybe?"
"Don't go ongiving me that crap such as 'it's healthy' or 'cooking it will spoil the taste'...you lazy bum!!"
"Now, let's go eat out...hey, that shop is selling something yellow..."
"Slurrrp...Mmm...this is GOOD! What's this called?"
"Ramen? Cool...."
And so, ramen became very popular all across Japan. And while the Chinese are contented with only one flavour, Japanese got bored quickly and created new flavours of their own ; shoyu(soy sauce), miso(fermented soy beans), tonkotsu(pork bones), shio(salt)...and they took over the world. Even the Chinese started to like the thing that the Japanese shamelessly copied from them...
You see, most of my peers left early after last night. So, I ended up being the eldest one there. And my schedule for that day left me free to do anything...so, I decided to grab myself a few juniors and headed to Ramen Museum in Shin-Yokohama. Those juniors unfortunate enough to be stuck with me was Jet, Ong, Carine, Wei Ling, Beh(Bear? or something like that), Sin Ying, Dong Shen, Jun Hao...8 innocent young blood waiting to be corrupted by me! Hahaha...
Ramen Museum...this place isn't just place where they display boring ramen made out of wax. This "museum" is a place where they offer you famous ramen from various region in Japan.
This place was so famous that we had to line up for about 30~40 minutes just to get in.
The museum is consist of two levels. The top level where they display information on ramen; what types are there, history, etc...mostly boring stuff encased in glass.
The second level however, ho ho....let's time travel.
As you can see, this set is placed back in ancient Japan, time when samurai only existed in movies and robots have drills on its nose. It's as if I've time traveled...just like The Terminator who went back in time, except that I'm not naked and not as muscular like Arnold.
There were about 10 shops there from regions such as Sapporo, Kumamoto, Hakata, etc etc...The crowd that day was especially big, so big that there were more human than noodles and pork. I went with a group of 8 juniors and....with a crowd like this, its hard to stay together and very very difficult for the shops to seat everyone in. So, we split up to smaller groups and agreed to meet up later.
I paired up with Jet, a junior from Suzuka, Mie Prefecture. A very very cool girl...who else would have a name like Jet? No wait, there's that guy who can do Kung Fu....I mean, which girl would have a name like Jet? Couldn't help but introduced myself as "Hi, my name's Rocket, nice to meet you." Hahaha...
Anyway, it was me and Jet, the rest...I don't know much about the rest. Didn't see any of them at all. After lining up for almost an hour to get into the museum, now, we have to line up even longer to get to into the ramen shops!! But Jet was good company and I didn't mind lining up at all...
This is a mini bowl of Kumamoto Ramen for 500 yen...
Always practicing in "Ladies First", I let her choose which shop she wants to go to....Please don't ask me to describe the taste. All I know is that it's a super-licious tonkotsu ramen from Kumamoto, Kyushu. Good ramen with good company...what else can a guy ask for, eh? Lol...
After finishing, we had about 1 hour plus left before joining up with the rest of the gang. So, we decided to try ramen from Sapporo, Hokkaido this time. The line was a whole lot longer than expected and we lined up for....I don't know how long but we were late by 30 minutes when meeting up with others.
Anyway, she ordered Old-style Ramen, which was some kind of shio ramen...taste quite good. Though the taste wasn't as strong as Kumamoto's, it's something that you won't get tired with even after eating a hundred bowls.
I ordered miso ramen instead. If you'd look closely at the picture, you can see that there's a cruel layer of oil floating above my ramen. Enough oil to lubricate an engine for a month. Taste was ok, but the oil...ugh, just horrible.
We had to gobble it up fast as we were already late. The only good thing about my ramen was that it help me eat faster as I can slurp that slippery thing up my mouth easily....ugh, horrible.
All in all, this is one of THE place to visit in Japan. No need to travel hundreds of kilometers to eat famous ramens from various regions...just head in here. Yeah, you have to line up a lot...but it's definitely worth your time.
PS to Juniors: Eh, sorry la guys. Made you wait for half an hour. Worse, that I keep telling everyone to be punctual and I ended up being the unpunctual one. Very very sorry...
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Golden Week that was...part 1
Last week was probably THE most important week for any Japanese in Japan. It's so important that they decided to name it "Golden" week. Actually, Golden Week don't even last a week....it's just 4 days of holiday. And the ones who named it "Golden" are probably businessmen as Japanese are compelled to spend money during this time of the year.
And this holiday is for everyone!! The 4 days includes a Saturday, Sunday, Greenery Day and Children's day....Nothing escapes the holiday spree, not even the trees.
Anyway, Golden Week is used by us Malaysian Chinese to hold a gathering every year. Some sort of get to know your juniors kind of thing. But in reality, it's just another excuse for us to get together and reminisce about the old days and catch up on gossips about other people's love life while keeping their own a secret....just like what all old people do.
Just like last year, the gathering was held in a forest of somekind somewhere near Tokyo(about 40 minutes or so from city center)
Where last year was a hike up the mountain and camwhoring while making hell of noises, this year we had games where we made even more noise. We Malaysians are always champions when it comes to making noise in public places, but luckily no one took off their clothes while doing that!! haha...
Btw, the game we played was where each person was given a card with a number on it. We then had to form groups corresponding to a number decided by the referees. I sort of cheated and held two cards(given by Koek Seng Chye, second eldest among us. What a way to teach a junior about life..lol). Still, I got kicked out early in the game....
The second game was drinking coke out of a tin cup using a skinny ass straw to suck at. Damn, straw was skinnier than Cristian Bale in The Machinist. In this game, my team won the competition. How? Well, thanks to my genius and teamwork by Jeremy Cheong...haha.
"When pouring coke into the tin cup, some of it are bound to spill right?"
*Jeremy spills some coke*
"When moving, unsteady hands will cause it to spill right?"
*Jeremy spills some more coke*
Oh, and not forgetting the awesome power of sucking by Ben Foo. Teamwork was what made us win. Teamwork guys...teamwork.
The next game played was carry a ping pong ball on a spoon. Classic.
Oh, one person worth mentioning was Lee Boon Hon. You seem he came a bit late, about halfway through the first game. Boon walked towards us and suddenly flings his bag high up in the air, which landed at nearby benches, and lifts both his hands up, just like a politician greeting his supporters. Haha...what a way to make an entrance. Needless to say, most of us are shocked to see such antics...but damn, what a memorable wtf moment. Guess what.....he forgets his bag later that night!! LOL!!!
We later had barbecue for dinner. The usual sausages, chicken wings and sweet potato placed above roaring fires. Clement and Jeremy happened to be in the same group as me....the few other English-ed guys at the site. SO....seizing this opportunity, I unleashed my cheeky jokes on "sausages" and "chics"....haha. Those with mind as dirty as a charcoal will know what I mean, so no need to elaborate here I guess.
So, we've had our fill, eating to our heart's content. What to do after sitting in front of a fire smelling burnt chicken wings? Go sit in front of a bigger fire!!
Then comes the part everybody's waiting for....Juniors introducing themselves. Well, not that we can remember all their names anyway...no one can. But what we do every year is tease couples of their batch. Nothing excites us Malaysians more than childishly teasing people in love, is there?
Most of the seniors left after the bonfire....but I stayed. Thought that they would like to ask about life in Japan, so thought that I'd play the "senior" role and offer "advice" on living in Japan. Haha...sounds so mature and caring when my real intentions were to...ehem, lets not tarnish my image here.
Anyway, it turns out that I didn't have to speak much after all. This guy Yow Keong, did all the talking. This earned me comments such as "Randy, you look serious". Ho ho...just wait till I start telling unending lame jokes.
We kept talking all through the night....and kept talking until they locked the doors to the main building(I stayed in the cabin) and a few juniors couldn't go back to their own rooms and had to crash in with me instead.
It was very nice getting to meet them juniors...although they made me feel sad by reminding me that I'm "old". To me, they seem somewhat quiet and well mannered, and knew how to carry themselves around elders. Don't get me wrong though, I not like a typical Japanese where they stress a lot on junior-senior relationship.
Anyway, welcome to Japan fellas!! Now suffer the culture differences!!!....haha..
And this holiday is for everyone!! The 4 days includes a Saturday, Sunday, Greenery Day and Children's day....Nothing escapes the holiday spree, not even the trees.
Anyway, Golden Week is used by us Malaysian Chinese to hold a gathering every year. Some sort of get to know your juniors kind of thing. But in reality, it's just another excuse for us to get together and reminisce about the old days and catch up on gossips about other people's love life while keeping their own a secret....just like what all old people do.
Just like last year, the gathering was held in a forest of somekind somewhere near Tokyo(about 40 minutes or so from city center)
Where last year was a hike up the mountain and camwhoring while making hell of noises, this year we had games where we made even more noise. We Malaysians are always champions when it comes to making noise in public places, but luckily no one took off their clothes while doing that!! haha...
Btw, the game we played was where each person was given a card with a number on it. We then had to form groups corresponding to a number decided by the referees. I sort of cheated and held two cards(given by Koek Seng Chye, second eldest among us. What a way to teach a junior about life..lol). Still, I got kicked out early in the game....
The second game was drinking coke out of a tin cup using a skinny ass straw to suck at. Damn, straw was skinnier than Cristian Bale in The Machinist. In this game, my team won the competition. How? Well, thanks to my genius and teamwork by Jeremy Cheong...haha.
"When pouring coke into the tin cup, some of it are bound to spill right?"
*Jeremy spills some coke*
"When moving, unsteady hands will cause it to spill right?"
*Jeremy spills some more coke*
Oh, and not forgetting the awesome power of sucking by Ben Foo. Teamwork was what made us win. Teamwork guys...teamwork.
The next game played was carry a ping pong ball on a spoon. Classic.
Oh, one person worth mentioning was Lee Boon Hon. You seem he came a bit late, about halfway through the first game. Boon walked towards us and suddenly flings his bag high up in the air, which landed at nearby benches, and lifts both his hands up, just like a politician greeting his supporters. Haha...what a way to make an entrance. Needless to say, most of us are shocked to see such antics...but damn, what a memorable wtf moment. Guess what.....he forgets his bag later that night!! LOL!!!
We later had barbecue for dinner. The usual sausages, chicken wings and sweet potato placed above roaring fires. Clement and Jeremy happened to be in the same group as me....the few other English-ed guys at the site. SO....seizing this opportunity, I unleashed my cheeky jokes on "sausages" and "chics"....haha. Those with mind as dirty as a charcoal will know what I mean, so no need to elaborate here I guess.
So, we've had our fill, eating to our heart's content. What to do after sitting in front of a fire smelling burnt chicken wings? Go sit in front of a bigger fire!!
Then comes the part everybody's waiting for....Juniors introducing themselves. Well, not that we can remember all their names anyway...no one can. But what we do every year is tease couples of their batch. Nothing excites us Malaysians more than childishly teasing people in love, is there?
Most of the seniors left after the bonfire....but I stayed. Thought that they would like to ask about life in Japan, so thought that I'd play the "senior" role and offer "advice" on living in Japan. Haha...sounds so mature and caring when my real intentions were to...ehem, lets not tarnish my image here.
Anyway, it turns out that I didn't have to speak much after all. This guy Yow Keong, did all the talking. This earned me comments such as "Randy, you look serious". Ho ho...just wait till I start telling unending lame jokes.
We kept talking all through the night....and kept talking until they locked the doors to the main building(I stayed in the cabin) and a few juniors couldn't go back to their own rooms and had to crash in with me instead.
It was very nice getting to meet them juniors...although they made me feel sad by reminding me that I'm "old". To me, they seem somewhat quiet and well mannered, and knew how to carry themselves around elders. Don't get me wrong though, I not like a typical Japanese where they stress a lot on junior-senior relationship.
Anyway, welcome to Japan fellas!! Now suffer the culture differences!!!....haha..
Friday, May 01, 2009
The road not taken...
My lecturer bestowed some very good words of wisdom this morning...
"When a difficult and particularly tough road lies before you, it's probably the right one. Take it! Taking the easier road only means that you are making up another lame excuse to your life."
The professor actually meant attitude towards work....not anything else fancy and far away.
I have a bad habit of believing any scientific paper I read, you see. So, I don't check out the validity of theories and ideas stated in it as I assume that when people write those paper, they do it based on a solid theory.
But apparently, research means much more than that. He said to me, "Paper is not god". Wanted me to take the difficult road of checking out every damn thing written in that paper.
And so, I did what he said, gave a presentation to a representative of a company, and got great response. Said that I made a very good effort in my presentation and understood very well the things I've presented...
The difficult road IS the right one to take after all....
So, yeah.....I cannot but agree with this. Frankly speaking, I can't even think of any better wisdom on living your life.
"When a difficult and particularly tough road lies before you, it's probably the right one. Take it! Taking the easier road only means that you are making up another lame excuse to your life."
The professor actually meant attitude towards work....not anything else fancy and far away.
I have a bad habit of believing any scientific paper I read, you see. So, I don't check out the validity of theories and ideas stated in it as I assume that when people write those paper, they do it based on a solid theory.
But apparently, research means much more than that. He said to me, "Paper is not god". Wanted me to take the difficult road of checking out every damn thing written in that paper.
And so, I did what he said, gave a presentation to a representative of a company, and got great response. Said that I made a very good effort in my presentation and understood very well the things I've presented...
The difficult road IS the right one to take after all....
So, yeah.....I cannot but agree with this. Frankly speaking, I can't even think of any better wisdom on living your life.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
The irresistable tulip...
You wake up on a Sunday morning, strongly feeling like going somewhere...and tulips are in season now...
But, weather forecast says rain and strong wind, up to 40kph...
What do you do? Do you give in to your stubborn feelings of wanting to go out to look at tulips despite the weather? or do you do the right thing, heed the weather forecast and stay at home, enjoying a cup of hot cocoa while it's cold outside??
I tried calling a few of my friends if they want to go, but all gave the same answer, "Are you nuts?"...
The answer is obvious, isn't it?
Head out to see the tulips!!
BUT...like all my stories, none of it is "normal".
Managed to borrow a car from a friend of mine, drove about 10 minutes to the park. And just as I stepped out of the car, strong gusts of wind buffeted my body...wind was so strong it was like 'He' had a lot to complain about and tried to tell it all in one blow.
So, how strong was the wind? Here's a brief explanation..
Man fights with wind...
Man's ass got kicked...
I was also forced to pay 710 yen for parking and entrance fee...not to mention that rain is starting to fall now. But never mind that. Headed for the main entrance full of optimism...
But as soon as I stepped in, I was greeted by the sight of people leaving the park...oh, how encouraging. Come on!! I just paid 710 yen and have only been in here for 2 minutes!!
But then again, Randy's not the kind of guy to let small things, like strong winds and rain falling sideways, to hamper his spirits, right?? And so I walked on, looking for the tulip grounds..
Ahh...bright, contrasting colours calling me onwards to them.
And guess what? The wind and rain is starting to let...my day might not be so bad after all!! So, armed with with trusted vid-cam, loaded with freshly charged batteries, I marched to the grounds....and got the biggest laugh of my life!!
It just cracks me up to look at these up close...hahaha. Every tulip in sight was bent at a funny angle!!
Bent to the will of the winds..
Of course not all flowers were this way...there were a few brave souls who defied the wind.
They were destroyed and became "the tulip that was". Never say no to the wind...
By now, the rain started to fall again...so I took off to exploring the rest of the park. Found this fountain which was playing on along with one of Beethoven's..
The wind started to pick up again...blowing stronger than before. And as you can see in the photo, the wind was adding unnecessary exaggerations to the fountain display. Somewhat cool though..
The weather really started to suck big time...but lucky me there was some parasol shelter where I was, so I decided to sit the symphony out. It played two classical songs, then went dead...time to go I guess...
Being far away from the main building and having no other options, I headed out into the grumpy weather once again to explore...
But I'll be damn, the weather proofs to be in a mood worse than a teenage girl suffering PMS. After my humble umbrella turned inside out for the third time, I decided that enough is enough...so I ran to the nearest shelter, a toilet sitting in the deepest part of the park.
While I was taking photos of mangled tulips moments ago, I was thinking "Hey, it's not everyday when you get to take pictures of tulips shape like this, right?!! *laughs*".
But, now that I am stuck at the toilet alone for about 30 minutes, soaked through my socks, shivering from the relentless cold, stomach reminding me that I haven't had lunch, holding an umbrella which committed suicide....I'm REALLY starting to lose my humour and good mood.
While I was shaking all over from the cold, alone and feeling angry....a shuttle bus appeared right in front of me, asking if I need a ride to the main building! According to the driver, he was making the last round and going to stop the shuttle service. I almost cried at his kindness...
My luck's started taking on a good run now..
When I reached the main bulding, I thanked the driver profusely and immediately headed to one of the restaurants. Ordered a pizza for late lunch...
This one is straight from the hearth...
It turns out that I was the only patron there, so the baker gave me extra cheese for the topping. She later treated me a cup of coffee....on the house. How nice...^^
Having finished lunch, and not exactly eager to head out to the wind again, I visited another area of the building selling souvenirs.
This is made using Japanese paper. One piece(the round one) costs 850 yen. A bit expensive...but it was beautiful...and I DID go through all the trouble with the wind and rain...I decided to buy one. The lady who sold me this liked my smile...said that it is very nice to see someone who was totally messed up by the wind, smile brightly like that. So she gave me another piece free of charge...hehe.
Two good things just happened to me, I was feeling very happy and decided to call it a day and head back home. But as I was heading to the exit, it occurred to me that I have not seen all of the building, so I went round exploring again...
I met a bunch of Malaysians sitting around...being in a good mood, I went to greet them. Turns out they were having lunch and asked me to sit with them. They had with them THE most delicious rendang, nasi briani and mee goreng....and not forgetting the warmest hospitality.
Sigh...how can such a bad decision turn to be a good one?!!
So, the next time you REALLY feel like doing something, go for it!! Even if it's going to see ugly tulips bullied by wind.
Good things always happen when unexpected.
PS: I do have some decent pictures taken. Posted on Facebook.
But, weather forecast says rain and strong wind, up to 40kph...
What do you do? Do you give in to your stubborn feelings of wanting to go out to look at tulips despite the weather? or do you do the right thing, heed the weather forecast and stay at home, enjoying a cup of hot cocoa while it's cold outside??
I tried calling a few of my friends if they want to go, but all gave the same answer, "Are you nuts?"...
The answer is obvious, isn't it?
Head out to see the tulips!!
BUT...like all my stories, none of it is "normal".
Managed to borrow a car from a friend of mine, drove about 10 minutes to the park. And just as I stepped out of the car, strong gusts of wind buffeted my body...wind was so strong it was like 'He' had a lot to complain about and tried to tell it all in one blow.
So, how strong was the wind? Here's a brief explanation..
Man fights with wind...
Man's ass got kicked...
I was also forced to pay 710 yen for parking and entrance fee...not to mention that rain is starting to fall now. But never mind that. Headed for the main entrance full of optimism...
But as soon as I stepped in, I was greeted by the sight of people leaving the park...oh, how encouraging. Come on!! I just paid 710 yen and have only been in here for 2 minutes!!
But then again, Randy's not the kind of guy to let small things, like strong winds and rain falling sideways, to hamper his spirits, right?? And so I walked on, looking for the tulip grounds..
Ahh...bright, contrasting colours calling me onwards to them.
And guess what? The wind and rain is starting to let...my day might not be so bad after all!! So, armed with with trusted vid-cam, loaded with freshly charged batteries, I marched to the grounds....and got the biggest laugh of my life!!
It just cracks me up to look at these up close...hahaha. Every tulip in sight was bent at a funny angle!!
Bent to the will of the winds..
Of course not all flowers were this way...there were a few brave souls who defied the wind.
They were destroyed and became "the tulip that was". Never say no to the wind...
By now, the rain started to fall again...so I took off to exploring the rest of the park. Found this fountain which was playing on along with one of Beethoven's..
The wind started to pick up again...blowing stronger than before. And as you can see in the photo, the wind was adding unnecessary exaggerations to the fountain display. Somewhat cool though..
The weather really started to suck big time...but lucky me there was some parasol shelter where I was, so I decided to sit the symphony out. It played two classical songs, then went dead...time to go I guess...
Being far away from the main building and having no other options, I headed out into the grumpy weather once again to explore...
But I'll be damn, the weather proofs to be in a mood worse than a teenage girl suffering PMS. After my humble umbrella turned inside out for the third time, I decided that enough is enough...so I ran to the nearest shelter, a toilet sitting in the deepest part of the park.
While I was taking photos of mangled tulips moments ago, I was thinking "Hey, it's not everyday when you get to take pictures of tulips shape like this, right?!! *laughs*".
But, now that I am stuck at the toilet alone for about 30 minutes, soaked through my socks, shivering from the relentless cold, stomach reminding me that I haven't had lunch, holding an umbrella which committed suicide....I'm REALLY starting to lose my humour and good mood.
While I was shaking all over from the cold, alone and feeling angry....a shuttle bus appeared right in front of me, asking if I need a ride to the main building! According to the driver, he was making the last round and going to stop the shuttle service. I almost cried at his kindness...
My luck's started taking on a good run now..
When I reached the main bulding, I thanked the driver profusely and immediately headed to one of the restaurants. Ordered a pizza for late lunch...
This one is straight from the hearth...
It turns out that I was the only patron there, so the baker gave me extra cheese for the topping. She later treated me a cup of coffee....on the house. How nice...^^
Having finished lunch, and not exactly eager to head out to the wind again, I visited another area of the building selling souvenirs.
This is made using Japanese paper. One piece(the round one) costs 850 yen. A bit expensive...but it was beautiful...and I DID go through all the trouble with the wind and rain...I decided to buy one. The lady who sold me this liked my smile...said that it is very nice to see someone who was totally messed up by the wind, smile brightly like that. So she gave me another piece free of charge...hehe.
Two good things just happened to me, I was feeling very happy and decided to call it a day and head back home. But as I was heading to the exit, it occurred to me that I have not seen all of the building, so I went round exploring again...
I met a bunch of Malaysians sitting around...being in a good mood, I went to greet them. Turns out they were having lunch and asked me to sit with them. They had with them THE most delicious rendang, nasi briani and mee goreng....and not forgetting the warmest hospitality.
Sigh...how can such a bad decision turn to be a good one?!!
So, the next time you REALLY feel like doing something, go for it!! Even if it's going to see ugly tulips bullied by wind.
Good things always happen when unexpected.
PS: I do have some decent pictures taken. Posted on Facebook.
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