10 white pins and one angry charging ball...

Last weekend was once again a fun filled weekend.

Saturday was...well, I'll save Saturday's story for another time as that will definitely draw many surprises!!

Let's talk about Sunday instead.
Sunday was a fun-filled bowling competition!!

But first things first...a brief intro to it.

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.
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(like me, god help me but I can't speak proper Bahasa) 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.

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.
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.

And I'm proud to say that I'm the President of NUTISA for year 2010!!!


Some members are missing from the picture..

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.

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...

But seriously, I saw many people exchanging pleasantries and self introductions so, I guess the bowling balls did more than just knock down pins...;)
Yeah, it was a great event and it ended with smiles on everyone's faces.

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.

The president?? The president gave orders, then got busy enjoying bowling and flirting with girls.




See? Mr. President is busy...hahaha.

But seriously, the event was a success because of the work of many. Couldn't have done it without them!!

The Master's life in Nagaoka...

To summarize the whole post today, I'm tired.

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...

Well, I got part of it right....only a tiny bit part of it...

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.
"In graduate life, classes are just distractions. And don't you use assignments as your excuse for not producing results" says my professor.

Damn...

But the one thing that tires me out most is....parties!!
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?

So, this is to explain those pictures of me on facebook...

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(I am the only Malaysian attending these parties), but Mexicans, Venezuelans, Thais, Vietnamese, Germans...and oh, one lonely Rwandan.
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.

Parties here are different from normal Japanese parties which mostly centers on Karaoke or drinking at Izakaya(Japanese restaurant-pub). Parties here can be described in two words, beers and dance.
At each of these parties, liquor, mainly beer and others like tequila(courtesy of the Mexicans), 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.

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...
Pol, Omar, Joe, Karel, Yumiko, Megumi, Waen, Hiroko, Aline...the list goes on...

And there's another party next week...man...I am busy...haha.

At the end of my studies here, I think I'll be graduating with masters in "entertainment" instead of engineering.

But seriously...I'm doing serious work on normal days.
Ehem....not that I'm trying to sound like a hardworking graduate student here...heh heh.

Return from hiatus...

I haven't blogged for quite some time now...
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.

Anyway, the last time I blogged was about my trip to Tokyo, which happened in January.

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...
Boring, mundane, everyday stuff...just can't be bothered.

Well, there was one thing though. A bitter sweet memory.
As some of you may know, I found love...lost it. But found it again...
Nothing interesting here, right?? =p

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...

But as busy as I am, I try to have fun whenever I can...

Been attending quite a lot of parties and more parties...
I think I may have increased my tolerance towards beer, and I've learned quite a few dances as well...^^

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.

Well, will blog about more things from now on.

Peace out!!

A simple guide to dating sites in Tokyo...

Truth be told....I don't really fancy Japanese girls.
Well, yeah I do have plenty of Japanese female friends but...the idea of dating one is somewhat...uninteresting.

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...

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.
And so, I've remained mostly single for the past 5 years...

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...

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....

So, thought I share these here...^^
Oh, btw...I lost the pictures I've taken so, most pics here are stolen from the internet... sigh -_-;

1. Asakusa Temple

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 Kaminari gate.

As for the shrine itself, well, I've seen better ones...

But what makes this a good dating spot is the row of souvenir shops that leads to the shrine beyond this gate.


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.

Oh, for those who are willing to spend, you take a ride around in rickshaws. About 3000yen or so for a 15minutes ride.

Btw, the word rickshaw originated from Japan. It is pronounced as riki-sha, which more or less sounds like rickshaw.

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...


Do I see a beer? Yes I do...

2. Akasaka
I LOVE this place....and there's plenty of reasons it.
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....



As for places to visit, Akasaka Sacas...
This place is a little bit pricey....but whoever told you to head there for the food/clothes right??
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.







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.




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.

3. Odaiba
The whole area of Odaiba is built especially for couples...at least I think so...haha.
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...

But among all, my favourite is Venus Fort.





Definitely the "must-go" place of all!!

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...

4. Roppongi Hills
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.



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.



The view here is much more beautiful than it looks on pictures. Oh yeah...you can trust me on this.

5. Disney Land/Sea

Mickey and friends....need I say more??
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.

6. Illuminations in Shinjuku
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.




Note: Couple in hand is NOT me...



7. The other famous places around...
Harajuku, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza....you know...the usual places where tourist are bound to visit anyways.

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.


Well, there you go, the simple guide to dating spots in Tokyo. All these should be about 3 days worth of going around...
By the way, I'm sure I've missed a few good places...so, feel free to share!!

And so the internship ends...

It has been 5 months since I started my internship at TOPY Industries.

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...

Not that I'm complaining though....

Sure, there was a lot of work to do but I gained invaluable experience from the work I've done.

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 fatigue life so that the wheel will last longer.

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.
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.

Well, lucky for me things went as I planned(I did spend a lot of the company's money for this...so, there is pressure for me to produce worthy results)....and my new idea actually sparked a new debate on how to better manufacture that cute little hole on the wheel.

I did my last presentation was last week's Tuesday....finally, my task ended.

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.

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.

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.

Hah...I guess I did make the right decision to enroll into Nagaoka University of Technology after all as no other university offers the same internship program...

Now that internship has ended, life as a Masters student begins!!!

Crap....

A 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...

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.

That new chic's name is...Haidar Najiyah.

Yup, the very same Haidar from my Japanese Prep School in KL many freaking years ago. The one we all came to call "Dart".

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.

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.

I wonder if anyone got excited over me when I first came here....

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 "Wow...there are so many foreigners here", despite being one myself.
Duh... (>_<) ;

AND I'm a guy. Just another one added to a bunch of people with hairy legs.
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.
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...

Oh well...at least it’s nice to see fresh faces around.

Nagano revisted.

Of all the seasons, I like winter the most.

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

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

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

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

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


The slope 2 years ago...

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


The slope THIS year...

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



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









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



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

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



Merry Christmas folks!!

Cold hands, warm heart.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An Appreciation of a Wonderful Life...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That was 5 months ago...

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

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

Thank you.

A Trip to Imou Bog...

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


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

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


Do you see that???


I traveled one hour for this...

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

So, I went again a second time.

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

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













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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happily ever after...

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



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

And why not?



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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Japanese 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.

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.


Having said that, I would especially like to focus on zen practices by young Japanese city girls.

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.



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".

On a survey done, they asked these girls...."So, why leggings? Is it because of the cold weather?"

Amazingly, they expressed shock, then answered "Cold? What cold? Leggings are more fashionable..."

Chics and dudes, if only I can express my amusement here other than the usual "hahaha".

I could not help but laugh at their statement...I could swear that everyone in the cafeteria(was eating when I saw this) now thinks that Malaysians are crazy people. No other foreigners would have laughed hysterically at a TV report like that.

Randy is very sorry for causing a wrong perception towards Malaysians by the Japanese.

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.
Now that they finally start wearing leggings, I thought that they have finally given in to Mother Nature...who could have known, huh...

On a different note, guys have started wearing leggings too...
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....

Japanese Office Ladies...

They are called OL, which stands for...well, the title said it.
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(yeah, as if anything else could interest us...other than sports anyway). And FYI, there's a lot of Japanese pornography that involves OL...

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.


Warning : This is NOT a real OL...this, is a model dressed up like an OL

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.

So...what do they do, other than getting sexually harassed(in the fantasy world) all the time??

Well...

They are one of the most important units in the office!!

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.
And I imagine that the rubbish bin would be full of instant noodles containers after lunch.
Also now that it is cold, who would take the initiative to make a hot pot of tea??
or organize meeting rooms so that there would be no awkward coincidence?

Office ladies know everyone by their names and contact numbers. It always baffles me how they can be that efficient in connecting calls.

Always polite...always smiling...

They are our mothers, always taking care of our well being.

And do you know what I personally think of them?

Nothing much really...I'm just bored again. My test pieces arrived yesterday(finally, I have some real work to do), 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??

Yes, Randy smiles brightly when he has a problem.
Randy frowns only when he is peaceful.
Randy, is a strange guy.

ANYWAY...
Back to my story about OL.

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.

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....

I shamelessly declare that I am under her spell too...