Alive less Ordinary

Maybe Last Post

2007-05-27T15:31:00.000+08:00

I have neglected this blog for almost half a year.
Many things are perhaps better left unwritten and thus, not remembered.
I realised how much I used to lament in my blog.
My life is really not that miserable.
I just like to vent my frustrations through blogging. That's probably why my posts were rather depressing.
I have decided to start anew and maybe start a new blog.
I have many things to look forward to in the next few months.
The new blog will be vibrant and happy.

Advantages of a dysfunctional family

2007-01-14T17:00:00.000+08:00

Perhaps it's a blessing to be in a dysfunctional family.
It feels great to have bad parents. A bad father and bad mother are the perfect concoction for a great person, isn't it. They make you stronger, make you understand what is bad so you know what is good.

Thank you for the pain.
Thank you for the unhappiness.
Thank you for the negligence.
Thank you.

Missing you my friends

2007-01-14T00:56:00.000+08:00

Received a message from my friend earlier that I will miss her wedding scheduled in November if I were to be in Japan at that time.
A close friend getting married! I realised how much I miss those days when I have so many friends around me. I have been missing so much of their lives these few years. I remember my brother once told me that friends are like clouds, drifting in and out of our lives. But I just wish some would stay.

Dreams are my reality...

2007-01-11T22:35:00.000+08:00

Had an interesting dream a couple of days ago. I was supposedly in a train station in Tokyo, and when I stepped out of it, I looked up and there it was...the magnificient Tokyo tower. Wow..I gasped as I looked up at its incredible height. It looked so beautiful. And then I walked back into the station and suddenly, I happened to see a Japanese friend who is currently in Tokyo. I really thought I was right in Tokyo. so vivid, so real.

Well, a dream sometimes feel like reality to me and reality sometimes makes me feel like a dream. Today I was invited to a ceremony where Mitsui company, which generously funded my short trip to Qdai in 05, presented a $500,000 cheque to the President of my university. I was in awe...maybe it was the sheer sum of money, maybe the sight of those people incessantly exchanging namecards bearing their larger-than-life credentials (some acronyms still sounding in my ears: KPMG, EDB, GIC..), maybe it's the awkwardness I felt sitting amongst these "elite", maybe it's the feigned smiles and laughter, perhaps also the trays of mini choco eclairs and cute little fruit tarts...
Seems more like a dream to me. Honestly, I felt sort of like the little tarts and eclairs. small, fluffy and can be forgotten with just one mouth.

Goodbye 2006

2007-01-01T12:16:00.000+08:00

Goodbye 2006.

I participated in a few running events - Mizuho 10km Run, New Balance Real Run, Army Half Marathon, Standard Chartered Half Marathon. And the Genting Trailblazer.
I like marathons. I think life is almost like one.
During a run, there are difficult times, especially steep slopes or sinking sand when you feel like giving up and slowing down. But you know you cannot stop if you want to move on. You pull through eventually. Then you feel relieved when there are downslopes. However, besides the highs and lows of a run, you will encounter mostly plain, smooth-sailing flat ground.

I experience a few personal downs. I failed to receive the Monbukagakusho scholarship, I could not enter the final round in the Japanese Speech Contest, my school results dropped for the first time.

I captured some beautiful moments. I had a good time working at Nirai Kanai, I shaved bald and raised some funds for children with cancer, I started volunteering at the Children's Cancer Foundation, I had a Big birthday celebration.

Just a glance at my life in 2006 tells me that it had been mediocre. I still feel very small in this world.

On the last night of 2006, I was at home watching TV. It was not all that bad. My dearest big bro decided to stay home to accompany me. He bought me mee goreng and Baron beer. Then, we watched the fireworks from the windows of our house.

Happy 2007.

2006-12-21T22:34:00.000+08:00

さっきせいちゃんの見送りに空港へ行った。
せいちゃんはシンガポールが大好きなので、２年後またシンガポールに勉強に戻るって言った。

「なるようになるさ。明日は明日の風が吹く。」

俺はそう言ってった。よく覚えてる。

Happiness

2006-12-18T17:48:00.000+08:00

I have no right to be happy.
I am not supposed to be happy.
Although I find happiness pretty easy.
Just sitting down and looking at the rain outside.
I thought soon enough I will see snow.
And I will be alone.
Yet I am happy.
I shed tears of joy, but they freeze in the cold.
Then they shatter.
And I think,
Am I really happy?

日本映画祭２００６

2006-10-23T00:46:00.000+08:00

今日は日本映画祭で山田洋次の「学校」、「学校ＩＩ」、「１５歳学校ＩＶ」を見た。めちゃ面白かったぜ。前に見た「男はつらいよ」も大好き。笑いながら、涙も出ちゃった。僕は頭が古いか。。渋いってこんな感じか。なぜ子供は学校に行かなければならないか。

～映画にある「ひきこもり」る子供が書いた詩～
草原のど真ん中の一本道を
あてもなく浪人が歩いている
ほとんどの奴が馬に乗っても
浪人は歩いて草原を突っ切る
早く着くことなんか目的じゃないんだ
雲より遅くてじゅうぶんさ
この星が浪人にくれるものを見落としたくないんだ
葉っぱに残る朝露
流れる雲
小鳥の小さなつぶやきを聞きのがしたくない
だから浪人は立ち止まる
そしてまた歩きはじめる
～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～
つまり、「浪人が草原を一人で歩いている。他の者はすべて馬に乗っているが、彼は馬には乗らない。早くつく必要がないからだ。それよりも、歩くことで、その時々の自然の美しさを確かめながら行きたい」という意味だ。
すげぁじゃん。
僕はそんな浪人にないたいなぁ。。。

Ｈａｚｅ。。。

2006-10-07T22:11:00.000+08:00

シンガポールの大気汚染、今年最悪レベルに
【ライブドア・ニュース　7日　東京】　?　AP通信によると、シンガポール環境庁は7日、同地の大気汚染指数（PSI）が午前10時（日本時間午前11時）の時点で130に達し、今年最悪の水準に達したと発表した。数値が100を超えたのは今年初めて。インドネシアで行なわれている焼き畑農業で発生した煙霧が、風で同国まで運ばれてきたことが要因とみられている。　　同庁はウェブサイトで、心臓や呼吸器疾患を持つ人に対し、屋外での激しい運動を制限するよう勧告。一般に対してもこれを避けるよう呼びかけた。PSIは50以下が「良好」、51?100が「普通」、101?200が「不健康」を示す。【了】

今１５０も超えたよ。。。いや。。。

Goodbye...

2006-10-03T11:10:00.000+08:00

Yesterday night i was at the airport,
Kennard and Yuyuan were departing Singapore for Okayama and Fukuoka respectively. felt a little weird at 1st. just a few months earlier, i was in a small room in the Japanese Embassy taking a written test with the 2 of them and later in another small room facing an interview panel. now half a year later, i bade goodbye to the 2 of them who were eventually awarded with the much sought after scholarship. i wish them all the best.

one year later, i will be at the airport with my entourage and bidding goodbye to everyone. wish me the best.

"sorrow is transient"

2006-10-01T17:40:00.000+08:00

mum handed the stall she has been spending most her life with these years back to the owner yesterday.

tears were shed.

"sorrow is transient," said my brother.

oh well, but things seem to be back to normal today.

as for myself, i bade goodbye to my colleagues at Nirai on Friday.

the past 4 months working there were great (18 May ~ 29Sep).

now i really gotta focus on my studies.

Nirai colleagues and regular customers:興真さん、けいこさん、とうしさん、まちこさん。

Manager and Jing:えいじゅんさんと彼女
Family surprised me at the Nirai:家族だ！

My colleagues:興真さんとまりさんとこうめちゃん。

Japanese teachers went too:先生方がいらっしゃってくださった。

「自分の幸せ願うこと、わがままではないでしょ」

Farewell Party

2006-09-28T21:29:00.000+08:00

ニライカナイのバイトもう四ヶ月だ。
明日は最後の日だ。これから一生懸命勉強すべきだ。
ニライカナイのスタッフみんなと仲良くやって、嬉しかった。
昨日送別会が行われた。（泣）
ちょっと飲みすぎたから、今日二日酔いだ。

Other Activities

2006-09-27T16:27:00.000+08:00

So many things happened these few weeks... I feel fortunate for all that I have. Some of the activities:
Jing's treat at Tamaya for my Birthday:

Grilled Foie Gras: droolz. really good.

Mentaiko Spagetti: comparable to the one I had with my Host Mum in Fukuoka. Yummy!

Salmon with grated Japanese yam: Ooh...too much cheese though.

Sada-kun came to Singapore for an internship at Takashimaya. Glad to be able to meet up on the day before he flew to Bali. Brought him to Geylang.. Ha, we walked along the streets crowded with middle-aged men waiting for their "supper".

Run for Hope 2006: Jing's and Joanna's 1st long run. And they both did well. The rain made it more memorable. Had a superb breakfast after the run at Maxwell - Porridge with you tiao, tim sum chicken feet and pork ribs and fried tofu. Suzuki Sensei joined in the fun.Masaru-san from Kanagawa came to Nirai for a short stint. Brought him out for sightseeing on his day off. Went to view the Merlion, walked around Chinatown, Bugis, then he was sporty enough to join Meiqi and Sean for dinner at Soup Spoon, Raffles City. Then we proceeded to Loof where Kev joined in for drinks and played the "gyu-tan" game.

Dropped by Nirai after school on the last day Masaru worked at the restaurant. Wishing him the best.

Interviewed a really cool bunch of young dudes on Beatboxing. Impressed by their passion and drive.

STW gathering: Yuyuan's farewell as well. She's flying off to Kyudai in a few days time. Mingyan gave Jim a wonderful birthday surprise. here Jing and I pasted our eyelids down to look like Jim..hee.

Xiaohui, Phyllis were there too. We had a great time.

Birthday Bash!

2006-09-27T15:21:00.000+08:00

Jing threw me a surprise party for my birthday.
Did not expect such a Huge turnout.

Jing's Family:
Secondary School Bestest Friends:

JC OGL mates:

JC Councillor dudes n babes:

Army buddies and their other halves:
Chiongsters:
Of course, the presents:

Thanks Jing for all the efforts, I really appreciate it. Sorry for whatever I said to you that night.

Birthday 2006

2006-09-12T23:57:00.000+08:00

辛い時、

家族（日本のも）と彼女がいるから、

幸せになる。
これから、新しい未来へ向かって進む。
Never give up.

Genting Trailblazer 2006

2006-09-12T23:05:00.000+08:00

先日マレーシアのゲンティン・ハイランドへ行って、Genting Trailblazer っていう競走に参加した。辛かったけど、すごく楽しかった。
It was a 7 to 8-hour ride to and fro Genting, Malaysia.
Not sure whether the time spent is worth it.
Maybe it is for first-timers, to experience mud pools, endless uphill climbs, running in lush greenery...all 14km of it. Had to take mc the next day.

Happy Birthday Eddie!

2006-09-08T00:01:00.000+08:00

Hey Eddie, Happy Birthday ya!

May your birthday wish come true.

happy being busy, busy being happy

2006-09-05T22:48:00.000+08:00

i've returned from the Genting adventure race in one piece.
it was tough. my thighs still ache.
14km, most of it spent climbing uphill.
met a lot of motivated individuals.
met a boy who was really special in my eyes.
a single child of divorced parents.
he spoke with a level of maturity far beyond his age.
he has gone through many a triathlon.
he passed me and my partner a drink once we finished our race.
he sat on my laps many times on the bus during the trip home, sharing a packet of snack with me.
he held my hand tight while we checked out the race site. i sensed insecurity.

he is one of those children who have gone through too much for their age to handle. that leads me to my visit to KK Hospital earlier today.
i'll be volunteering as a Play Personnel at the children cancer ward at KKH every tues for 2 hours. my job is to play with the kids and hopefully, brighten up their lives. as i walked passed the children wards, i saw many children with no hair on their head, many with their parents at their side. weary faces.

no more running events for the time being until the half marathon in december. i seriously need to focus on my school work from now on.

race of my life

2006-09-02T01:00:00.000+08:00

so in a few hours time, i will be off to Genting Highlands, Malaysia for an adventure trail.
heard it takes 7 hours to reach there by coach.
yeah, i am not the kind who can sleep on long bus rides.
i hope i will survive this trip.
this will not be my last entry.
somehow it excites me that i am going to leave singapore, even for a mere 2 days across the causeway.

*burp!

2006-08-30T00:52:00.000+08:00

orh luat.

bbq peng hir.

la-la.

gyu-tan.

run again

2006-08-28T01:04:00.000+08:00

21km army half marathon.

within 2 hours.

happy.

communication problems.

frustrations.

helplessness.

run...run away

2006-08-22T01:48:00.000+08:00

enjoyed a 10km run on Sun.
new balance real run.
finished in around 53 min.
running on sand was something new and fun.

52 months.

Challenges ahead

2006-08-16T00:02:00.000+08:00

Went for a seemingly impossible task earlier.
Met up with 4 running enthusiasts at queensway.
headed for a 40-storey flat and up, up, up we went.
managed 3 sets.
at the last, i was panting and thinking what the hell i was doing. trying to end my life earlier?
wouldn't have made it if it wasn't a group climb.
see, nothing's quite the impossible.
it's all in the mind.
well, this will continue every tuesday until the trail race on 3 Sep.

turning point

2006-08-07T21:19:00.000+08:00

think life will be pretty different soon.
mum came home with an announcement.
she will be quitting the coffeestall business.
the main stall has been her most of her life since 1999 and her secondary stall since 2003.
i was bewildered.
she claimed that she asked to quit.
but i bet the coffeestall owner had demanded both the stalls back.
she couldn't stop her tears from flowing.
the stalls have been more important than many things in her life, many times we suspected more than us.
now that she will lose her job, her income, i have no idea what is ahead of us.

Disappointments

2006-08-07T00:04:00.000+08:00

the holidays are coming to an end...
dealt with several disappointments these few months.
first of all, applications for internships at Sumitomo Corp, Fuji Xerox and Yusen all came to nothing.
then, failed to pull through to the finals for the Japanese Speech Contest, only made it to the semis.
next, flopped at an interview for a part-time admin job at a Japanese company.
most deadly, lost the chance to go to Japan this year when the Monbukagakusho Japanese scholarship slipped through my hands.

Sigh. judging by the turnouts above, getting an A for Japanese in school is just not enough. i need to leap by bounds.

learning to take failures and rejections as part of life.
believe that whenever one door closes on me, another will open.

the part of me which yearns so much to leave is weeping for the chance has gone.

Botak!

2006-07-28T14:03:00.000+08:00

Before

After

Last year

This year

Pledge your love today!

2006-07-18T19:03:00.000+08:00

This Sunday 23 July, I will be down at Suntec City to participate in the Hair for Hope charity drive for the Children's Cancer Foundation. I will be joining 500 over people in shaving our hair to pledge donations. Please do your part today.

You can help by pledging your donations online through this link: Click me! Any amount will do.

今週の日曜日に頭がはげて、坊主になる。。。はは。
実はがんにかかっている子供達のために、髪をそってもらう。
それから、寄付金を募る。こちら、どうぞ

七夕

2006-07-09T02:20:00.000+08:00

去年の七夕☆☆：
World Peaceって

今年の七夕☆☆：

わがままで願いを書いた。。。

Reminiscence

2006-07-05T13:26:00.000+08:00

last year at this time, i was in fukuoka, japan.

embracing a whole new experience.

this year at this time,

some of my friends are trembling with excitement,

embracing the same experience i had then.

memories are aplenty now.

longing and yearning.

thank you for the memories.

reservice

2006-06-18T23:31:00.000+08:00

明日から、一週間軍隊に戻る。。。（Ｔ_Ｔ）
さようなら、自由。
reservice for one week.
say goodbye to freedom.

ドリアンデビュー

2006-06-18T17:18:00.000+08:00

日本語の先生にゲイランという街のドリアン専門店を案内してさし上げた。
ドリアンデビュー成功だった！
おいしいって。

真っ黒鳥ハーブスップも初めて：

怖い！

臭ければ臭いほどおいしいかな。。。

草ゼリーも初めて！つるつる。

ワンカップ

2006-06-18T16:38:00.000+08:00

鈴木のおかげで、ワンカップの宣伝者になる？

tired...

2006-06-15T01:00:00.000+08:00

pretty tired recently.
cos the restaurant's pretty busy since it was installed with plasma tvs for the World Cup.
soaked in the atmosphere when Japan played against Australia.
i felt my hair standing when the Japanese crowd in the restaurant started chanting and cheering.
very nationalistic. everytime the camera captures any Australian fan in the spectator stand, the Japanese customers would start jeering. pretty funny.
quite a number of these customers were dressed in the Japanese soccer jersey and there was this guy who wore an afro blue wig. hilarious.

received some news this week. did not get selected in the finals for the speech contest.
was notified that the company that i had been long waiting for an internship does not need any intern now.

went geylang for dinner and durians.

従姉の結婚披露宴

2006-06-08T15:21:00.000+08:00

先日従姉の結婚披露宴に行った。

壮麗な舞踏場で行った。

花嫁はキレイで、注目の的となった。

従姉を見て、幼年時代を思い出した。
光陰矢のごとしだね。

2006-06-08T15:13:00.000+08:00

先生達は支持に居酒屋へいらっしゃった。

喜びの至りだった。
感動した。

ＳＴＷ２：焼きパーティー

2006-06-02T19:12:00.000+08:00

ＳＴＷの続編：
焼きパーティー
Ｍｅｌのお宅
またお好み焼き（日本のお母さんの調理法）：間中に小お好み焼き
手造りお握りも食べた。

ＳＴＷ１カラオケ

2006-06-02T18:19:00.000+08:00

いつのまにか、一年は速く過ぎた。

皆日本の思い出、

忘れられない。

ＳＴＷ最高！

ミンさん：カラオケで京劇の曲を歌った！

また一緒に福岡に戻る気持ち

幸せ

2006-06-02T18:15:00.000+08:00

幸せ

A rainy afternoon

2006-05-25T15:06:00.000+08:00

I was contemplating between a swim or get started on a book.
I settled on the latter.
Kenzaburo Oe's An Echo of Heaven.
Just when the book reached an emotional climax, the sky started pouring.
Realized it's almost 3p.m and decided to break and check out Jing's results online.

<--- My bro took this picture without my knowledge

疲れた！

2006-05-15T01:06:00.000+08:00

昨日ウエーターのバイトに入って初めた。間違いをいっぱいした。（Ｔ_Ｔ）
でも、大丈夫かな。どんなことでも最初というものがあるだろうね。
失敗から学ぶことがあるから、頑張ります。
ちなみに、バイトの所は沖縄風の居酒屋だ。
めっちゃめっちゃおいしそうで、お客様は８０％は日本人だ。
日本語をしゃべれるバイトなので、日本語の勉強に役に立つ。
ウエブサイト：「ニライ・カナイ」。

あ、よい知らせがあるよ。先日、日本人会が行っている日本語スピーチコンテストに出た。予選を通った！これも頑張ります。

また、いつもの同じ。一旦試験が終ってから、母のお店で手伝っている。あまり好きじゃないけど、しおがないなぁ。

Envy or Haughty?

2006-05-10T17:05:00.000+08:00

As I was walking back from a morning jog at the reservoir yesterday, I passed by a birds shop and I took a peep inside. There was this little sparrow standing alone in the direction of the cages of birds on display. I was thinking...was it standing haughtily, mocking the trapped birds or was it in awe, envious of the attention bestowed on them? What do you think?

昨日、ジョギングをしてから、帰りに鳥屋の前を通り過ぎた。あるスズメは鳥屋の間中に立って、じろじろ見回した。羨ましかったかどうか？かごの鳥を嘲笑していたかどうか？あのスズメは何を考えていたか、当ててみてね。

Everything has a time

2006-05-07T21:50:00.000+08:00

Exams are over!
やっと試験が終った。　★☆★☆！！！

I rejected the Akita program. It would have been great if could go. But money is an issue. It didn't help that after chatting with a Japanese friend online, he assured me that the picturesque, postcard-pretty pictures I saw online of Akita is indeed reality. Woohoo. Snow Country. But well, I believe when one door closes, another will open.
秋田の留学プログラムを断った。お金の問題だ。でも、大丈夫。まだチャンスがある。

Here are some pictures taken recently.

Went to the Japanese Association. The interior is designed in celebration of Japan's Children's Day which is on 5 May. シンガポールの日本人会へ行った。こどもの日を祝うためにきれいに飾っているようだ。

the trademark koi fish kites。鯉のぼり：

Although I have 2 more years to go before graduation, I decided to try out the gown. あと２年間だけど、卒業ガウンをちょっと着てみた。

Sent Thom off at the airport yesterday with Meiqi. Spent our time waiting at Pacific Cafe. The tiramisu is not bad. きのう見送りに空港へ行った。待っていたとき、ティラミスとコーヒーでくつろいだ。

Where will life take me?

2006-05-02T15:53:00.000+08:00

received a call from my professor.
a exchange program I had expressed interest before is now open for applications.
dateline to decide: tomorrow!

Akita International University. 国際教養大学.
Akita almost looks like paradise to me...

雪国だ。。。自然の中に生きたいな。。申し込んだ文部科学省の結果はまだ知らないけど、

先生がその秋田国際教養大学のプログラムを薦めてくださった。うーん、明日までに決めなくちゃ。

The problem is the results of Monbukagakusho are not out yet...probably in July or August. For this Akita program, the results will be out in 2, 3 weeks from now. If I apply, most probably will be able to go there for one semester (fall semester). However, the department has already allocated the one and only slot for funding to a year one student. Money$$$... The thing is he/she might not be interested for this program and then the slot will be available. Of course, the Monbusho is ultimately the most sought after, but it is far and away from me. I don't stand a high chance.

日本風パーティー

2006-04-30T21:03:00.000+08:00

日本語コースのパーティーは楽しかった。
お寿司、お好み焼き、おにぎりを作って食べた。
お茶を飲んだ。
また、あるおじちゃんのおかげで、日本酒を飲んだ。

お好み焼き

2006-04-30T00:02:00.000+08:00

今日しばらくお好み焼き作った！★　　（^.^)v 日本のお母さんのは同じ材料なのに違う味わいになるのは、なぜ？うーん。。。でも、食べられる。ひひひ。二人分。
I was supposed to be mugging, but i decided to cook okonomiyaki (Japanese pizza) instead...haha.
Verdict: ★★☆ Edible. The underside was not cooked enough.

シェフ志望者　(Chef-wannabe)：

4th Anniversary.

2006-04-22T23:20:00.000+08:00

pause and breathe

2006-04-16T22:18:00.001+08:00

Watched a charity program on tv earlier. As always, I get rather affected when I see the plight of the disabled, handicapped, abandoned... Truth is, it's just a 5-minute-pity for me as I watch the footage. I feel for them and in my heart, I wish can help them in some way. But it'll be over that 5 minutes. There was this 71 years old lady who have been looking after the handicapped children for almost twenty years and she worries about the day when she has to leave this world and will have to leave the children. It was obvious that she has thyroids or something like that as her neck was so swollen. Is she a saint? Why would anyone have so much patience and love to give to people totally unrelated to her? Makes someone like me feel so small and selfish. I am so sure I will be directed to hell.

Then i came across this article from the Japan Times on discrimination. It's an issue that frequents my research papers:
"Restricting some words and gestures in the media is necessary. But curtailing freedom of expression to feign sympathy with the disadvantaged is a feature of Japan's conspiracy of silence that perpetuates inequality."

The Japanese media is reported to censor any word that will have a tiny weenie connotation of discrimination. But it can border on the extreme:
In discussion with a TV producer of another show, I held up four fingers when telling him that I had four children.
"Oh, for goodness sake, don't hold up four fingers on TV!"
"OK. Can I say I have four children?"
"Sure. Having four children is fine."
Holding up four fingers is banned because Japanese bigots used to refer to social outcastes as "animals with four legs" (四つ足).
日本のメディアは何も検閲するので、皆は差別の問題が存在するのに気がづかないそうだ。

I think the media is really useful in broadcasting social messages. Silence will cause ignorance. Surely many who have not watched charity programs do not realise that there are many unfortunate people out there. Is Singapore really a majority middle-class society like how Japanese people always perceive themselves as?

バーテンダー

2006-04-10T19:23:00.000+08:00

週末にバーテンダーになった！二日間だけ。
「シンガポールセブンズ」というラグビーイベントでバーテンをした。
バーテンは初めてから、ちょっと大変だった。

シンガポールはガンバレーよ！
Japan54 - 0Singapore

最後に、日本は負けてしまった。
Japan 0-14 Kenya

Did bartendering for a beer company over the weekend at the Singapore Sevens rugby event. Pretty tiring, it's the standing.
Plenty of outstanding school work...

よし。

2006-04-07T23:40:00.000+08:00

本日、日本語の発表をいたしました。
お別れの時期になりました。（泣）

Feels like...

2006-04-06T22:43:00.000+08:00

do you know how it feels to be a class below others?
how intimidating it feels to be in a room full of rich souls?
all decked in designer togs, speaking in impeccable English.
and the smell of money chokes you.
u actually wish to be like one of them, even more than them.
like Sayuri, i smiled daintily, in my heart a dream ablazes.

Coming to an end...

2006-04-06T01:17:00.000+08:00

The semester is coming to an end...
End of my 2nd year in uni.

earlier, a friend advised:
"Some of my Japanese Studies major friends could not find a good job after graduation, so be prepared."

I am not the least prepared, for now. But this can't be.

Updates

2006-03-27T19:29:00.000+08:00

Nice weather today. Love it. Love the rain. Love the smell of the rain.
淋?雨的空气特?香。

Have been busy the past few weeks preparing for the Monbusho written exam and oral interview. I think a miracle need to happen for me to be awarded the scholarship. I can keep dreaming for now. Besides dreaming, I have been kept busy with the school work piled up, it's almost going to topple and bury me.

I remember a question posed to me at the interview:
Ｑ：あなたの短所は何ですか。(What is your weakness?)
Ａ：忙しいとき、仕事に心を集中して、周りの人にあまり気づかないというところです。
I was attempting to say that when I am busy, I tend to neglect or not notice the people around me. 本当かどうか、分からない。

Right now, I am looking forward to the holidays. Not that I have much to look forward to, but at least there will be a temporary break from routine.

Little Thailand

2006-03-05T23:09:00.000+08:00

Ventured into Singapore's very own "Little Thailand" today.
For the module, Introduction to Southeast Asia, I have to write a short paper on my observations any one SEAsian community in Singapore.

I chose to go to Golden Mile Complex to observe the Thai community.
I wish I could go to Thailand for real, like Weiyang. *envy...
A pretty hot day..
As we approach Golden Mile Complex, we saw many Thais gathered around the HDB void decks, having their own mini-picnic or drinking session. Some looked drunk, most were busy chatting..

Just outside the complex, one can find the 4-faced Buddha:

Many of the Thais gathered just about any open space they could find:

Entering the complex, one can almost feel like been transported to Thailand. The Thai songs blasts at your ears and most of the signs are written in Thai. This stall seemed rather sleazy with its alluring red lighting and beer hostesses:
Located on the 2nd level is a Thai Supermarket. Erm, at the frozen/fresh food area is some exotic food not found in the shelves of Cold Storage, Giant and the likes.

<---- Pork innards (left in the open)

Cicada or some kind of water insect! ---->

<----- Catfish

Class gathering

2006-02-25T18:31:00.000+08:00

日本語１レベルの日本語の先生とクラスメートが寿司亭という日本料理レストランで集まった。

久しぶり会えて、皆嬉しいって言った。

先生は赤いTシャツを着ている方だ。

若そうだね。まぁ、３０歳以下かな。だから、話しやすいと思う。

Gatherings

2006-02-25T17:52:00.000+08:00

Feast.

Whipped up a feast with Jing on Mon at her place and invited Matz and her other half.

We cooked a lot...Jing prepared Thai green curry, chawanmushi..I prepared a kind of Japanese style omelette, we made Matz and her bf fry the tenpura.

Then we had honeydew sago for dessert. How often can we allow ourselves to indulge in these sinful delights.

Then we had some red wine..while watching a rented DVD, The Sea Inside.

野菜天ぷら：

和風オムレット：中はキャベツ

茶碗蒸し：

Movie reviews

2006-02-25T16:55:00.000+08:00

Watched I Not Stupid 2 with my mum and bros on wed.
I have to confess that I could not stop my tear ducts from working..
So did my brothers.
I think 3 of us could relate to the issues brought up in the movie: of parents' negligence, of social conformity, of financial hardship.

I certainly thought that Jack Neo was too blatant in putting his motif across to the audience. It was too in-the-face. Yeah, but probably, he was his intent to be that way so that anyone and everyone could understand the moral underpinnings of the movie.

happiness

2006-02-19T00:49:00.000+08:00

When was the last time u felt truly happy?
Are we living in search for happiness?
If yes, is happiness that elusive?
If no, then what?
Does it take us a lifetime or two to find it?
How long can happiness last? Can it last a lifetime?
Money = Happiness?
Freedom = Happiness?
Love = Happiness?

会えて、うれしかった。

2006-02-13T16:27:00.000+08:00

先日、九州大学の高原よしえさんが今年のATWのプロモーションのためにシンガポールに来た。来る前にメールでATW04と０５とJTWの皆に知らせて、集めました。久しぶりのよしえさんは変わらなさそうだった。僕達がホテルからよしえさんをレストランに連れて行った。Melissaがお勧めたMenottiというイタリア料理のレストランへ夕食に行った。値段はだいたい１０００円以上だった。僕は一番安いのパスタを注文した。Mingxianはおかしいものを注文して、困っていた。それから、いつものとおりに、ばかにした。テーブルの上に飾ってあるロウソクの上にバーベキューした。

皆の笑顔：懐かしい。。。

それから、きれいなグループ写真が撮られるように、Esplanadeへ行った。
その時間に花火が見えて、ちょうどよかった。その花火は春節のためにした。５分だけだけど、皆うれしそうだった。また、大濠公園の花火大会を思い出した。 他の写真

気分がよくて、シンガポールの夜景はその瞬間に綺麗になったと思った。

今年また日本へ行けたら、いいなぁ。今、日本政府(文部科学省)奨学金に申し込み中だ。またチャレンジする。

Much ado about nothing

2006-02-05T18:43:00.000+08:00

新年の期間に母の店で働いて、なかなか寝ないで、病気になっている。でも、もうすぐ元気になる。

お母さんとコーヒーの店です：エプロンを着ているお母さんはカワイイだね。

実はこどもから新年があまり好きじゃない。僕の家族の新年の祝い方と一般のは違う。ちょっと複雑だ。

ベストフレンど：Bensonのお宅

男の子は僕の家庭教の学生だ。かわいい女の子は妹さんです。あと１人かわいいちゃんは彼女だ。

Chinese New Year Eve Dinner

2006-01-29T15:49:00.000+08:00

Chinese New Year Eve Dinner 総監督: Eddie

弟のオカシイ表情：

コース料理の中の一品：アワビ

New Year を迎え盛り上がる夕食：しゃぶしゃぶコース

能楽のプレゼン

2006-01-21T01:42:00.000+08:00

シンガポールで能楽のプレゼンを見て、珍しかった。彼女を連れて行った。「面白かった」と言った。短いプレゼンしか見ないので、本当の能楽のパフォーマンスの感じができなかった。観衆に外国人がいっぱいよ。やっぱりプレゼンの先生も外国人だった（ぺージ）。３０年前にアメリカから日本で能楽を学んだ。ちょっと可笑しいだね。最近日本人の間で能楽に興味がないそうだ。でも、こんな伝統的な芸術が好きな外国人は増えているそうだ。ちなみに、数年前に僕の大学の先生はその先生から能楽を習った。

般若：この怖い顔は女だぜ。後ろに座った観衆は「義母みたい！」と笑って叫んだ。皆もそう思ったかな。

福岡の大濠公園の能楽座で鈴木と国政と一緒に見た能楽のプレゼンを思い出した。

２００６最初のポスト,1st post of 2006

2006-01-12T22:39:00.000+08:00

２００６最初のポスト,1st post of 2006：

最近雨がザーザー降っていて、学校に通うのはちょっと大変だ。

雨が好き。福岡にいた時アパートの窓から雨を見ながら、写真を撮った。The picture was taken when I was waiting for my host mother to pick me up at the apartment in Fukuoka. She was supposed to fetch me to the baseball stadium to support Miruto. But the match was cancelled due to the rain, so I went to their house instead. It was our first meeting.

To quote Kev, the rain is divine. Rainy days make me feel dreamy. I recall the day I was in Tenjin, Fukuoka, caught in the heavy rain. I made myself comfortable in a passport-photo-taking machine and sat in it, staring at the pouring rain. Then I realised I had been waiting for almost an hour and a half, so I called Kunimasa to fetch me an umbrella from the apartment.

先日血と骨という日本の映画を見た（トレーラー）。すごい激しい映画だよ。ビートたけしが出る映画はほとんどこいう感じか。この映画はシンガポールと日本と韓国の知り合いと一緒に見て、皆の見た後感想が違うと思った。

「血は母より、骨は父より受け継ぐ」

あるレビューは「原作の俊平の方が物凄く，本自体もこってり，映画版はただ凄いだけで，物語もあっさり。」と書いてあった。

Watched Blood and Bones the other day. The acting was marvellous. The violence was speechless. Many times I cringed in my seat. Now the scene of the squirming pig before it was to be slaughtered comes to mind. We talked quite a lot about the film. It reminded me of A History of Violence which was just as violent. It was as if violence was in the blood or the bones of the male protagonists in both films. It comes naturally to them. It's part of them. And the violence in both cases flows like their blood, was passed on to their offsprings. Violence is in the family. Violence aside, the film was a portrait of the plight of korean immigrants in a land so familiar, yet foreign to them. And yes, the film encompassed too many sub-plots to digest. The film closes with the male protagonist's reminiscence of the first time he set his sight on the shores of Osaka, a slight snigger on his face. It was to be a story spunned around the selfish pleasures of a man, perhaps a product of the trials and tribulations of life, of war.

I watched a film by the same director weeks ago - Quill.
監督の崔洋一の「クイール」が見たことがる。全然違うだね。

かわいいクイール　VS　怖いたけし

最後に、２００６にエディのデビュー？？

Track 1

Track 2

Counting down...

2005-12-31T22:12:00.000+08:00

Wherever you are at this moment, be contented to have gone through 2005 healthy and peacefully. And if it wasn't for you, may 2006 be one.

Pictures

2005-12-30T10:48:00.000+08:00

福岡の雪景色：
今の福岡はこの感じだね。キムチィ。。。行きたいなぁ。韓国も中国もアメリカもこの感じ？いいなぁ。

確かこれはダイエーの辺りだね。行きたい！

以上：中学校から、ほぼ10 年間の友情ばい。しばらく一緒に食事したり、しゃべりしたり、笑ったり。。。

この鞄可愛いでしょう？値段も。。。￥２３，２００！！バリ高いけん。

2005 in a glance...

2005-12-29T11:17:00.000+08:00

2005 in a glance...

去年のポスト：

金曜日, 12月 31, 2004

A whole new year is about to begin and i'm embracing it with my arms w i d e open.2005 will only get more exciting as i flirt around with my interests...

1) Learn guitar. The guitar Jing gave me for my birthday is growing mold..So gotta rock n roll.
2) To Japan. Wooing Japan has to take on a higher level. I've checked out on SEPs offered in NUS, and set my sights on Keio University. Plus will get involved in a Club. And certainly, the quest to Japan has to be realised.
3) Get fitter. It's never easy to discipline myself to get the physique that i want. But in 2005, yes. With Raymond as my running budd, we shall cover some distance. Hit the gym!
4) Study harder. Just gotta play safe and pull my cap up to 4. And that means staying for longer hours in the library. mugging that is.
5) Part-time job(s). The incessant need for more and more money..to finance my huge budget for 2005.
6) Volunteer work. Always thought of getting started,but.. Maybe with a community-involvement project.

Ok,that's all for now..

Resolutions are important. As I review what I set out to do in 2005, I am pretty contented with the results.
To Japan:
Most importantly, I have gone to Japan. I am not too sure whether it'll be the only trip to Japan in my university years, but it was an experience I will never forget. Very often, I will reminisce the times I owned a room to myself in the apartment. How I cycled to Q-dai every early morning, I remember the turns, the corners, the buildings I zoomed past. I often think about my host family, their warm hospitality, the 1st time I learned surfing and swam in the warm waters of Japan. I think about the times I wandered into Tenjin late at night alone, zooming in and out of supermarkets I see at every corner of the city. I think about the friendships, the novelty of meeting people my age from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, America... Not a single day was boring as I take in all the sights and food with immeasurable interest. I took tonnes of pictures at every opportunity, spoke Japanese at every opportunity.

Cover some distance:
And yes I did. I must admit I never trained hard for the events, but I completed them anyway. Events covered -
1) NUS Biathlon on 20 Feb (but I only did the running of 10km, swimming was done by Jing)
2) World Harmony Run on 18 Jun (4.8km)
3) NUS Heritage Run on 19 Sep (10km)
4) Second Link Run on 9 Oct (21km)
5) Standard Chartered Half Marathon on 4 Dec (21km)
More distance to be covered in 2006.

Pull my CAP to 4.0:
In order to secure at least a 2nd upper class honours, I gotta maintain what I have achieved this semester. Work harder next sem.

Part-time job:
This would mean tuition assignments. Teaching 4 students for a whole year now. Keith has graduated from primary school and scored 257 for his PSLE. Nico progressed in his class position from 33/38 to 14/38.
Although the tuition jobs do not bring in incredulous income for me, it is a supplement nonetheless.

Resolutionって日本語では決断か？２００６へ向けて、２００５の色々な体験をちょっと検討した。
２００６にまた頑張ります。

On forgiveness.

2005-12-23T18:18:00.000+08:00

Caught A History of Violence last sunday and I simply loved the film.

The cast was great. Especially the leads. It prompted me to think about Forgiveness. 許すことは容易ではない。
The shocking past of the male lead was revealed to the disbelief of his wife and children.
He was forced to face a past he had tried so hard to hide and now back to haunt him.
In the last scene, was quiet yet powerful as forgiveness sets in.

Forgiveness. The newspapers this week are splashed with articles on NKF's audit results. And the public disgrunts on the disgraced former CEO T.T.Durai.
"シンガポールで今、国民の怒りをかっているのは国内最大の慈善団体NKF(National Kidney Foundation)。NKFはもともと腎臓の病気を患っている人への治療代等を援助する目的でできたNPO団体である。最近、その不透明な金の流れが少しづつバレてきている。実際1ドルにつき10セントしか本来の目的である活動に使われていないとThe Straits Timesも語気を強めて批判している。募金の多くはスタッフの給料・ボーナス、あるいはNFK名義での高級マンション購入などに使われてきたらしい。" こっち　The public has expressed their unhappiness on the papers, and many has since withdrew their contributions. Yes, the NKF now is the new NKF after the revamp, but it is not so easy to forgive what Durai had done.

Just like how for decades, Japan's war past has plagued its progress and its relations with its neighbours. No doubt many have forgiven, but the past returns when put to use in politics. And it'll constantly surface as a result.

Personally, forgiveness has come to mean that i do not hate the man who had brought me to this world, then left me in ruins. But it does not entail that i will treat him the way i did then.

For my mum, she has not come to forgive the mother who gave her away to a family which did not embrace her wholeheartedly. She was robbed of kinship, of paternal love, of family warmth. These days, she has been talking about it. Sometimes, she tears when she confronts her past.

Is Christmas a season of love? A time for one to forgive whatever has happened this year? Well, it's easier said than done. Send me a parcel of love, Santa.

よかった！

2005-12-22T11:59:00.000+08:00

しばらくだね。最近体の調子がちょっとよくないなぁ。。頭もお腹も痛いし、でももうすぐ治るかもしれない。

今日とてもとてもうれしい。この学期の試験の結果は思ったよりよかったよ。来学期また頑張ります！

2005-12-12T15:14:00.000+08:00

嫌な、誰か僕の写真を撮られた。最高の表情だ。。。

今日はさ、マジ疲れた。３AMに起きて、３：３０AMから３：３０PMまで母の喫茶店で手伝った。ずっとずっと立った。普段の日はそんなに長い時間じゃなくて、月曜日だけ。だから、月曜日が大嫌い。
まだ少しエネルギーを持っているから、友達と一緒に食事するつもりだ。友達に会えば、幸せの感じが持てる。

Blah blah

2005-12-08T21:18:00.000+08:00

I've been mistaken for a malay yet again today. I was buying some stuff from a chinese elderly lady at a provisions shop, for ten seconds she sprouted a few lines of malay. I just smiled at her and paid for my item. For the uninitiated, I supposedly bear much resemblance to a malay. Not that I have anything against that, it's just that I don't quite get it. The indian lady at the indian foodstall in the school canteen, even my fellow classmate in japanese class mistook me for a malay. Hmm, identity crisis. Anyway, this relates to an issue I've been pretty interested in lately - Ethnicity. In a racial-rojak country like Singapore, we seem to be very sensitive and interested in who's malay, who's chinese or who's indian. And then, out comes the stereotypes affixed to each race.

I have been waiting for the arrival of Sayuri. When is she going to reach our shores?
Slowly sashaying down in her flowy kimono.

次の学期のモジュールをちょっと決めて選んだ。日本の宗教　と　続いている日本語４　と　東南アジア研究　を選んだ。日本へ留学に行く予定は。。ちょっと無理かなぁ。。I am supposed to show that I have at least $6000-10,000 in my bank account. What the %*#!x# この世界でお金が大切だ。No money, no talk.

疲れています。

2005-12-06T12:45:00.000+08:00

I am alive! まだ死んでいない！日曜日のマラソンできたよ。でも、友達は初めて出たから、ゆっくりで走っていました。We were there not to compete, but to complete. 友達の彼女もそのとおり。来年また出たい。いつフールマラソンができるか知らないなぁ。。

試験が終ってから、母の喫茶店で手伝っている。３時（AM)に起きて、ちょっと疲れている。これは義務じゃなくて、責任だ。若者なら、苦しくても大丈夫でしょう？

今雪見たい！！だれか雪を送ってくれない？今までまだ見ていないよ。Come on, send me some snow!　ハハハ。。

試験終った！

2005-12-02T01:59:00.000+08:00

やっと試験が終った!
日曜日にハーフマラソン（２１キロ）に出る予定がある。
実は試験の期間にずっと勉強したので、全然走らなかった。今ちょっと心配だ。

Wanted to meet mel & co. for 北海道ラーメン, but was too shag after the exam. However, to satisfy my craving, I had Japanese food for lunch -
オムライス　と　豚うどん
チョーキムチィ。。。
Then i dragged myself to suntec, along with jing, to collect my runner's pack for Sunday's marathon. The singlet is バリnice this year, cos sponsored by the ubiquitous Adidas.
Hope I will survive this sunday.

The end of the exams, ushers in a whole list of things to do this holidays. Bz, bz...

2005-11-27T16:30:00.000+08:00

本日は彼女のお誕生日だ。　おめでとう！チョコレートケーキはチョーおいしかった。

日本ぽいプーさんは魂Tシャツを着てワンカップを持って「ガンバレー」って。ひひひ。。

面白い！

2005-11-23T12:02:00.000+08:00

チョー恥ずかしいけど、この間日本語のクラスでインタビューのパフォーマンスはここで見られる。先生がビデオを作ってくれた。
でも、きっと可笑しいよ。あ、ファールのサイズちょっと大きいから、ダウンロードするのは大変かな。

宗教

2005-11-22T20:43:00.000+08:00

最近世界中の民族と宗教に興味がある。

Marx: "Religion is the opiate of the masses." The relief is temporary, and when you wake up from it, you have to face the realities.
I don't have a religion, a faith. But I need a form of 'opiate' to numb my senses in times of loss. What's yours? Music? Alcohol?

After delving in ethnic and religious issues in Japan and also, Singapore this some modules this semester, I seem to develop an interest in this field. I even thought maybe I should choose to specialize in these in the field of Japanese studies.

試験。。。Aｒｇｈ！

2005-11-21T21:23:00.000+08:00

今日試験が始まった。
この期間学校は墓地に似ている。。、戦場に似ている。
僕は侍になっている。坂本竜馬もよし、西郷隆盛もよし。。。

これ大好き！　ー＞

試験の準備中。。。

2005-11-18T13:52:00.000+08:00

お爺さん元気だね。。。駅で地下鉄を待っている時、ちょっと運動したよ。悪いけど、写真を撮った。

いつも試験の期間、学校の図書館は皆の家になっている。
毎朝9時から、図書館が込んだ。学生がいっぱいよ。

ハハ、彼女は昼ご飯を食べて寝てた。
他の学生らも。。。Zzz

失望した

2005-11-16T23:58:00.000+08:00

先電話で知らせられた。9時ぐらい、そんなに遅い。
だめだった。

面接の後から、ずっと不安だった。
考えれば考えるほど不安になった。
The images of those salarymen in their solemn demeanour kept haunting me.

先ちょっと悲しくてがっかりした。
I worked hard for it and I put in so much effort.

でも、大切なのは経験から学ぶことでしょう？

実は、いつも日本の家族と友達に電話したら、明るくなっているよ。
先もそうするとおりにした。

エディ、速く元気出せ！もうすぐ試験よ！

Extreme Japan!

2005-11-15T20:41:00.000+08:00

先Extreme Japanという番組を見た。
その番組は毎週別の日本都市を特色にする。
今日のは奈良だ。
ホストとゲストは鹿の刺身を食べなくちゃいけなかった。
気持ちが悪い。。。血がいっぱいあった。ここ
でも、面白かった。スターの表情。。

The program makes me wanna go Japan so much.
Maybe I should consider to be a TV host. It looks like so much fun...

緊張すぎ

2005-11-14T18:50:00.000+08:00

緊張すぎ！勉強できない。。
面接の結果を早く教えて！

競争率が高い。。。

2005-11-13T01:47:00.000+08:00

先友達の家へ行って、スーツを借りた。
僕は自分のスーツがない。
先輩は面接でスーツを着て行ったほうがいいってった。

弟に写真を取られた。

左のは選ばれた。

もっとかっこいぃかな。。

終。。。

2005-11-10T18:05:00.000+08:00

今日はこの学期の最後の日である。時間を刻んで、もうすぐ試験である。
一学期は三ヶ月かかって、本当に短いと思う。

来週の月曜日はオレの大切な日だよ。
早稲田大学の奨学金の面接がある。
実はあまり自信が持っていない。あと二人NUSの代表は日本語も上手だし、頭もよし。。
オレの機会は少ないな。。
でも、これから面接の準備しておいて、もっと自信が持てるようになりたい。頑張ってるよ。うし。

日本語の授業の友達が取ってくれた写真

死んだ！

2005-11-04T14:01:00.000+08:00

今日とっても疲れた。やっと「日本は単一国家？」のレポートを出した。めっちゃ眠いｚｚｚ。

おととい明治学院の学生達はNUSに来て色々なことを発表した。全部英語で発表したよ。英語は上手だと思ってた。オレは見てただけ。鈴木がくれた「本日・日本」のTシャツを着てから、皆オレは日本人見たいってった。

今目が痛い。先生に診て行くと思う。

休み？

2005-11-01T13:44:00.000+08:00

今日は国民祝日だ。Deepavaliというシンガポールのインディアン人の特別な祝祭だ。DeepavaliはFestival of Lightsという意味だ。インディアン人のお正月かな。この祝祭の祝いかたは面白そう。こっち

休みだけど、今大学の図書館で勉強してる。実は、今図書館込んでいるよ。そろそろ、試験だから。

純愛？

2005-10-31T15:24:00.000+08:00

この世界で純愛がありますか？
オレと彼女の関係は先週に３年半間になった。
３年半だねん。。長いか？短いか？
実は、オレ達の間でコミュニケーションの問題がある。
オレ達の未来はまだ分からないかな。。
一生に恋人が一人だけの人は今少なそう。

高島屋で野菜天ぷらうどんを食べた。。おいしかった。
たしか初めて食べたのは鈴木とダイエーの近くで。

今書いてる日本歴史のレポートのトピックは「日本は単一民族の国家のステレオタイプ」。日本は与える印象は民族が一つだ。でも、日本に住んでいる韓国や中国人などどんな感想を持っているか。シンガポールでは民族の問題もあるけど、違う。オレは民族の問題について興味がある。それは敏感だけど、面白いと思う。

先週の土曜日に家族と夕食を食べた。それは珍しかった。
母の伯父伯母達と祖母に会えた。普段に一年にお正月しか会わない。

従妹は太いだけど、めっちゃ可愛いだよ。

幸せの一日

2005-10-28T21:19:00.000+08:00

今日ずっと嬉しい。。。返した日本の歴史とシンガポール社会の授業のレポートはAを取った。
ちょっと吃驚したよ。

さっき、彼女と「世界の中心で愛を叫ぶ」という映画を大学の図書館で見た。
日本にいた時一回見たけど、彼女は初めて。ビデオルームで見たから、とっても感動したけど、泣けなかった。ハハ。。柴崎コウかこいな。。

それに、晩ご飯はカレーライスだった。あまりおいしかったけど、もう十分だ。食べながら、日本を思い出した。

疲れてる！

2005-10-19T17:38:00.000+08:00

このごろ、一生懸命レポートを書いてる。
実はね、ゆうべ全然寝なかった。（PM)１０時から（AM)８時までずっとコンピュータの前に。。
最近はね、夜更かしをするし、あまり運動しないし、外食が多いし。。。
体にきっとよくない、だめだ。。でも、仕方がないよ。
それは皆学生達も同じでしょう。。
だって、規則正しい生活をするつもりだ。

今この歌を聞きながら、コンピューターを使ってる。直太郎森山の「夏の終わり」。
日本のお母さんはこんな歌があまり好きじゃないかも。

お知らせ

2005-10-17T20:34:00.000+08:00

これから、日本語でブログを書きます。
日本語をよく使えば使うほど速く上手になると思う。
それに、日本人の友達とホストファミリも分かるし。。。
じゃ、そうしよう。

水曜日まで日本文学のレポートを出さなくちゃいけない。
吉本ばななの「キッチン」について分析してる。
キッチンのために作った映画も分析しなくちゃいけない。
ディレクターは義光森田。有名かな。。夏目漱石の「それから」も指示した。

最近、雨がいっぱい降ってた。今、図書館はとっても寒いだよ。
一人でちょっと寂しいな。
エディ、頑張れ。。

Confessions

2005-10-10T21:06:00.000+08:00

I confesse that I have been commiting blog abandonment (as mel calls it). I will work on it soon...
The blogskin is so outdated and it jus irks me to see it crumble.. but i will work on it...soon..

The last few weeks have been, yes, busy. Last Sunday, I completed my second 21km marathon. I made it in 2hrs 6 min. It was a feat. Consider the fact that I'm such a fat and lazy slob.. hardly train, yet just go ahead and run. Almost died though. Running on the road - the 2nd Link - was no fun. As Raymond says, no motivation..just road ahead.. Next run would be on 4th Dec. The Standard Chartered Half Marathon. Will work on 2 hours, ha, just 6 minutes off the current record. oh, was surprised that 鈴木先生 was such a fantastic runner.. No sweat! She even got a hamper and a medal for coming in 23rd in the women's open. As for 永見先生, no sweat man! He clocked 1hr 35 min, phew..

School's getting boring as I yearn to go Japan so so much. Especially at this particular moment. Dunno why.

Dog eat goD world

2005-09-29T17:13:00.000+08:00

caught in a lazy mood this morning, i decided to take the elevator up the school library.
there're around 4 others waiting for it when i arrived. slowly, more came n around 10 were waiting for the tiny box that can pack the most 6. when the door opened, those who came later rushed into the elevator before those who were waiting earlier. Well, being me, i got myself in. as the door closed, i noticed the dirty looks on those outside. the "damn it, i came earlier" faces were classic. So i thought, yeah, in this world, if you don't fight for something you want, you may not get it or you may be left out of it. Just a passing thought.

Confession: I have not been studying as hard as I should be. Most days are spent on tuitions, and Japanese. I am pretty sure my Japanese has improved more than I thought, judging by the pretty good results for my mid-term exam. No doubt, my mind's still about Japan. Even I don't understand, hey what's the big deal about Japan. At least, the more I learn about the Japanese language, the more I like it. I had applied for a 10-month program, but chances are so low, they may not even grant me an interview. But I just gotta keep my fingers tightly crossed.

2005-09-08T19:23:00.000+08:00

今ね、食堂にいるよ。
パソコンを使いながら、勉強している。
２時間後帰るつもりだ。
頑張って、エディ君。

Busy

2005-09-08T19:10:00.000+08:00

I have not been blogging faithfully nowadays, I accrue it to lack of time, but yet I was able to do lots of unnecessary stuff. Eddie being Eddie the Kaypoh, always volunteer himself to organising stuff for others. Outings with friends, video screenings for classmates, etc. Also, tution classes are back in full force. Under my wings are the 2 Sec2 China dolls, 1 P6 boy & 1 P4 boy. Not that I lament a lot about it all the time.

My mind has been kept so busy that I have less time to miss Fukuoka. Well, at least not as often as before. It's a driving force for me to work toward another pilgrimage there, this time for at least a year.

Japanese lessons have been taking up much of my time spent on school. Another would be Japanese literature. Sadly, the rest are neglected. This happened for the last 2 sems too. Time to catch up, Eddie.

It was but a (insatiable) dream...

2005-08-17T19:55:00.000+08:00

it has been more than a week since my return from Fukuoka, Japan. i wasn't able to blog as much as i would have liked to when i was in japan as my schedule was packed with activities and every single day there was so much happening.

i remember choking with tears when i was in the plane on the way back to Singapore. it really seemed like a dream to me. memories from the day i submitted my application form for the scholarship & the days i gazed out at the streets of Singapore as i stood next to the doors in the MRT before i left for Japan to the overwhelming experiences that was jam-packed in 6 weeks in a land i so much desired to set foot on. although the experience's over, all is not lost. friendships were forged with people across continents and connections were made. i am extremely grateful to the many kind souls who had made my trip possible.

now that i am back, i hope to open more doors and pave the way for a longer stay in Japan.
however, my immediate concern has to be money. and this sem i really gotta fight my way to better grades.

Settled down

2005-07-12T15:22:00.000+08:00

Today is my 18th day in Japan. This thur I will spend my last night in the apartment. I am so gonna miss having a room of my own. We plan not to sleep on thur night as the finale of the Yamakasa festival will take place at 4:59am on fri morning. Thereafter, we will head to school and most of us will be going to Hiroshima! We will spend a night there at a traditional Japanese inn. This sunday I will be moving to my host family house. The beginning of my 3 weeks stay near the sea..

Yesterday was particularly memorable for me. My host family son, Miruto, had a really important baseball match yest afternoon at 230pm. My lessons ended at 230pm too. Right after class, I cycled at full speed to Tenjin train station. From there, I ran to the Oomuta Line and bought a 1000yen express train ticket. At the station, I was asking this middle-aged lady for directions and we boarded the train together, it was a 2 seater carriage. It's amazing how much we conversed on the train with my barely there Japanese, she was extremely friendly and told me a lot about her work and her children. When she was about to alight, she insisted on giving me her bag of bread that she bought. I was so surprised and reluctantly accepted it. She also gave me her contact number and I contacted her later to thank her.
It took an hour to reach Oomuta, which was really far south from Tenjin. From Oomuta, with the help of some passer-bys, I managed to reach Oomuta stadium after a 15min walk. When I finally reached the stadium, I saw my host mother taking pictures of the bus which was about to depart. Damn, I just missed the match. When she saw me approaching, she was stunned speechless. She had not expected me to go there and I did not want to bother her so I went without informing her. Miruto won and I was so happy for him. He will be having a match again tomorrow. Another adventure for me. On the way home in her car, she couldn't stop praising me about how amazed she was about me travelling so far on my own. Actually, I do not understand why it is such a big deal, it was rather easy I thought. I was just glad that I made it before she left for home, if not I would have to take a train back, which will mean another 1000yen. Later at night, host dad called me and couldn't stop praising me for going down to support Miruto. I thought they might have over-reacted.

Earlier this afternoon, my project group in Agricultural Economics presented on Food Safety. We were so relieved that it is over now. This also means the module is coming to an end, next will be Japanese Literature.

Tonight, a few of us will be cooking and I will get to enjoy some Korean dishes and etc. Pictures are posted at http://sg.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/eddie_tcs/my_photos

New updates

2005-07-06T13:38:00.000+08:00

Last night, the whole bunch of the ATW students went to the Fukuoka dome to catch a baseball match. The dome was magnificient. Amazing architecture. It was my first time watching a baseball match and thank gawd I had Guo Cheng beside me to explain how baseball is played. By the 1st hour, i was cheering along with the rest of the hardcore fans. The match lasted almost 4 hours... At the end of the match, there was a firework display. Fantastic.

These 2 nights, I dreamt of this Japan trip like ending prematurely. Hmm, like something bad happens here and I have to go back to Singapore right away. I always wake up relieved that phew, I still have like 4 weeks here.

More pictures have been posted over the yahoo photos.

Excited

2005-07-02T15:27:00.000+08:00

I managed to contact my host family and they invited me to their house to spend the weekend. It's unbelievable how fortunate I am. I've always imagine myself staying somewhere near the sea in the future. But here I am, in the house just few minutes from the sea.

My host family is very interesting. My 'father', Ohara Kouji, is 36 yrs old and my 'mother',Ohara Mari, is 44. Their only son, Ohara Miruto, is 17. Their dog is at a ripe age of 14. The 'father' surfs after work and his son is in the school's baseball team. Actually today their son, Miruto, is supposed to have a baseball match, but it was cancelled because of the pouring rain. As I had mentioned before, it's supposed to be the rainy season now before actual summer, dark clouds are aplenty but the rain doesn't seem to fall, until today. I'm actually in the countryside now. It's very peaceful here and quiet. I recollected that during a Japanese class back in NUS, I wrote in a short passage that I would like to reside in Japan's countryside in the future. The dream is prematurely fulfilled. I expect so many happy days running through the woods in the early morning, visiting the local shrine on the way back and surfing in the afternoon. Gardening with my 'mother' in the evening and learning baseball from Miruto.

Well, the life here is definitely very different from Singapore's. People here can give up a luxurious life to enjoy life leisurely. Work is still hectic, but there's life after work. More pictures of this paradise will be posted in the near future. Now, I've got to work with my Japanese.

2005-07-01T15:43:00.000+08:00

scrambled egg, keropok and fried chicken wings and porridge.

I cooked this for dinner as I bought too many chicken wings, 2 packets for 750yen. if not, it's 410yen for one packet.

Looks pathetic..Myojo with egg.

Updates...

2005-07-01T15:30:00.000+08:00

These are the guys in my apartment. There're only 6 of us. From left: me(duh~), Ying Ling(Singapore), Andriy(Hong Kong), Blondie(Hong Kong), Stefan(Sweden) and Kuo Cheng(Taiwan).

Pics Uploaded

2005-06-29T08:09:00.000+08:00

The pics are now uploaded at http://sg.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/eddie_tcs/my_photos. I'm using the school's computer so I can't downlaod the program to upload the pics on the blog. There's no wireless access in the uni and internet access points are hardly available.

Just done with the japanese language class interview...hmm,did not do too well for the placement test yesterday so i'll be put in level 2...Well, がんばってね。。。Japanese language classes will commence tomorrow.. I've been cycling to scholl these 2 days and it takes about 20 minutes from my apartment. Well, the bicycle is free for rental and I'll save on transport fare too. Also, I'm sure I'll lose some weight. Actually, I think I already did..

It's really quite hot here in Fukuoka when it's supposed to be the rainy season. In fact, the dry weather is causing droughts here. Water is so so precious.

Konnichiwa!

2005-06-27T13:56:00.000+08:00

こんにちは皆さん,

元気？I‘m　now using the computer from Kyushu University Central Library.　It`s very hot over here. It`s really a pity that there`s no internet access in my apartment. Other than that, the apartment i`m staying in is very comfy, though I have not been sleeping too well, maybe it`s the pillow.. Anyway, I have many pictures to post showing my activities right from the first day. However, I can only do it tomorrow.

I just finished my class on Agricultural Economics, now it`s free & easy for me. I just bought chicken, potatoes and eggs from the supermarket last night. Most prob I`ll be trying my hand at Chicken Curry later this evening. I think I shall update more tomorrow when I have the pics with me.

Ok, bye.

2005-06-20T16:12:00.000+08:00

After a day's work...