Farewell and Goodbye...

It seems that I am back here in Okazaki to say my 2nd and maybe final goodbye to some people...

For those who don't know, I am back at where I used to study because the person I am staying with now works in the Japanese school I attended. It has been a turbulent 3 months trying to find a job and settle things... then when it was settled, it is time to say good-bye.

First, I received news that our principal passed away. At the age of 67 due to lung cancer. He was a heavy chain smoker. However, what I remembered is not that but how he stood at the cross-road in front of school to direct traffic every morning. I recall the times when I was approaching and I will hear him call out "Karen san, Ohayou!" The top man in school yet humble in his approach towards students and he cares enough to remember all our names.

Then I had dinner with 4 of the teachers whom I knew best during my times in school, all 4 of them had taught me before. 3 among them were my form teachers. The long 1.5 years with them was not just about studying but lots of KTV, meals, even picnics, jokes and serious discussions. Yet, these very 3 announced their leaving at the end of the sememster. And Japan is not like Singapore, so easy to get together even when one leaves the company. Among them, 2 of them stays in another 2 separate prefectures together... when will we get to sit together and have a meal together...

As the chinese saying goes, there is no banquet that does not end in the world. When it is time to say good-bye, we just have to pack and go.

All the best to my teachers though... We'll definitely meet again someday.

My CNY wish...

This CNY, besides recouping the losses I have incur in the 2 yrs I was away ( heh...heh....), what I really really want to do is to see all my relatives and take a family photo with all my cousins.

I have a big extended family ( as known to many of my friends) and a big bunch of cousins whom I hold very closely to my heart. Each and everyone of them is of no lesser value to my own parents or brother.

After a few years of separation due to certain reasons, this year especially marks a very significant year of reunion for all of us.

I want to be home quick! I want to see everyone soon!

犬夜叉 Inuyasha

started watching this anime recently due to the huge amount of free time I have in between settling the paper work.

Cannot stop now! やばいいいい～～

I want to go home!!!

I wanna go home asap.... pls let me find the perfect apartment, settle all the paperwork so I can go home...

and also... let the visa come after CNY so I can spend it at home after missing it for 2 years.

Please!!!

見守ってくれてありがとう

今日ある親友と話していた。たまたま、ブログの話が出た。
私のブログたまに読むって
しかも、ブログが精神の食糧って言ってくれた。
嬉しかったよ！

今日他の友達に手紙を書いているとき、ちょっと困ったことがあった。
「しっかりする」っていうことを書きたかったけど、
英語でこいう言葉を完璧に現せる言葉を見つけられなかった。
何故だろう。。。自分の英語力は下がっているかな。。。

私の今年の漢字は「汗」です。
何故かな。。。今年はやっぱりいっぱい汗をかく一年の気がする。
新しい仕事もそうだし。。。なんが日本の会社は一生懸命頑張るっていう表現とかなり繋がっているみたい。。
そして、また一人暮しが始まったね。。今度は誰にも甘えられない。寂しいけど、きっといい経験になるじゃないかって思う。。
人間はね、やっぱ苦労しないと、成功の甘さがわからないかな。何故かな。。。

恋はね。。。今の段階は要らないって思ってるけど。。。でもねさすがに、周りの影響もそだし、年齢的にもそうだし。。。でも今のようなワガママの自分は捨てなきゃね。。あの日がくるまで、ちゃんと独身の身分で人生を楽しもう。。。

上を向いて　歩こう涙が　
こぼれないように思い出す　
春の日　一人ぽっちの夜
上を向いて歩こうにじんだ　
星をかぞえて思い出す　夏の日　一人ぽっちの夜
幸せは　雲の上に幸せは　
空の上に上を向いて　歩こう涙が　
こぼれないように泣きながら　歩く　一人ぽっちの夜
思い出す秋の日　一人ぽっちの夜
悲しみは　星のかげに悲しみは　
月のかげに上を向いて　歩こう涙が　こぼれないように泣きながら歩く
一人ぽっちの夜
一人ぽっちの夜

The thing I hate most in Japan

Not about Japan but IN Japan...

I posed this question to my room-mate one day. Without thinking much, she said "The endless upslopes."... Haa we happened to be riding our bikes up a steep slope...

But for me, there are 2 things (or 2 groups of people) that I really dislike.

1. The high school kids.

I don't know why they have to always talk at the top of their voices. I don't understand why they have to shriek at every small or big thing. I cannot fathom why they always have to walk in big groups and block the road. I cannot stand the way they always snatch for seats on the trains or sit on the floor when there is an elderly or someone in need nearby. I wonder why this generation of Japanese is so rude, rowdy, apathetic, silly and irritating.

2. Parents (especially mothers who smoke in front of their children)

No comments about setting a bad example. But why can't they think a little more for their children. Why should these small children be a victim of 2nd hand smoke from young? Why can't the parents think more about creating a healthier environment for their kids to grow up in?

To add on point number 2, I especially cannot stand mothers who smoke in front of their babies. I know it is not within my area of jurisdication but everytime I see such parents, I can feel the anger burning within me. Same goes to young people who see but ignore those who need the seats more on trains.

In this area Singapore is far superior than Japan. At least we are a nation that cares for our elderly and relatively smoke-free!

Let's vote

I cannot make up my mind at all on where I want to stay in Tokyo... It is a long and tiring process!

Firstly... I have to decide in which area I want to stay... It is pretty convenient to travel to Akihabara ( where I will be working at) from almost anywhere in Tokyo. Which is good... and bad! It means I am spoilt for choices...

Ok... finally after nearly a month and a few trips to Tokyo, I made up my mind(which wavers at times) on the area to stay in. Then it is apartment viewing!

There are many apartments, some are new but expensive, some are cheap but old, some are big but far, some are small but near the station... u see, I am spoilt for choices again!

Now I am down to 2 possible choices, help me to make up my mind!

Note the rent are about the same.

1. A 2 DK. meaning, a bedroom, a living room and a pretty big kitchen. The interior are quite new. But the outside is very old. No intercom or TV monitor. 22 minutes walk to the station.

2. A 1k room. smaller but very new. comes with intercom and Tv monitor. 13 minutes walk from the station and near the shopping area.

which one??

and I like the name 葛飾区　more than 江戸川区。　silly but yes... my address must look nice too.

I won the top prize again!

The top prize again!! The third in these 2 months actually.... the electric hot pot being the first, room lamp the second and now a Hello Kitty Toaster!!

It is really a good prize as I need things like furniture and electric appliances for my new home! but then... even as the sutff keeps on rolling in, I haven't quite found the perfect future home.... *sobz* needs more providence on this!

最近はまっている曲 ”The Song" for me recently

最近はまっている曲は、花より男子２リターンズの主題歌、Love So Sweet...　すごく嵐と似合うと思う。明るくて、前向きの曲。いつも嵐の歌で元気をつけてくれた。大好き！一生、付いていくよ！

The song I really liked recently is this song by Arashi, Love so sweet! Can't wait for the singles to be out!

輝いたのは鏡でも太陽でもなくて
君だと気付いた時から
あの涙ぐむ雲のずっと上には
微笑む月Love story　またひとつ

傷ついた夢は昨日の彼方へ
空に響け愛の歌

思い出ずっとずっと忘れない空
2人が離れていっても
こんな好きな人に出会う季節２度とない
光ってもっと最高のLady
きっとそっと思い届く
信じることが全て
Love so Sweet

そこからいつも見えるように
この手を空に向け広がる
君との思い出

あの頑なで意地っ張りな僕を
変えた君の手Love story　歩き出す

曲がりくねってた２つの旅路は
ここで１つ虹になれ

思い出ずっとずっと追い掛けた夢
２人が遠くへ行っても
こんな辛い夜も挫けそうな誓いでも
笑ってもっと最後のLady
きっとそっと願い届く明けない夜はないよLove so Sweet

伝え切れぬ愛しさは
花になって街にふって
どこにいても君をここに感じてる

思い出ずっとずっと忘れない空
２人が離れていっても
こんな好きな人に出会う季節
２度とない光ってもっと
最高のLadyきっとそっと思い届く
信じることが全て明けない夜はないよ
信じることが全てLove so Sweet

The beginning from You tube:

New Year 2007

Spent the day at with my Japanese friend and her family...

She stays in this very very old and big mansion where the living room building is contacted to the sleeping quarters by a long open air corridor??....

I really wanted to take more pictures but was too distracted by the delicious delicacies!

But basically Japanese's new year is kinda similar to what we have in Singapore... food, TV, lots of chatting and talking between family members, visiting the temples etc...

The day is started first but going to the Jinja to pray for the year... That was when I realised every household in that area has the same surname!

Then it was the Osechi ryori, the first meal of the year.

A close up on the details... this is a picture of a cherry blossom tree.

For dinner it was sukiyaki... I ate so much till nearly had difficulities breathing! They just kept feeding me with this and that.... That is the father preparing the dinner!

After that it was having fun with the family! For me, it was the baby and the dog.... For those who know me should know I had a phobia of dogs when I was a kid... But as I grew up ( and bigger), the fear kinda diminished a bit... but still... the dog was the best ever. He actually came snugging with me under the blanket and he slept beside me through the night! I even had to wake up several times in the night to open the door for him to go in and out of the room!

This is little Riku-kun... my friend's brother 7-month old kid... very cute right! He doesn't cry much which is the best thing about him! Can't walk yet so crawls around a lot!

And finally some fun at the local game centre.... some neo-prints and dancing at the DDR to digest all the food!

A bit late... but cheers to the good year behind and better year ahead! (new glass cups won!)

拝啓父上様。。。

ニノの新しいドラマです！予想通り、のんびりしているドラマ。

でも、さすがニノと思いながら、ドラマを見た。顔はもちろん、演技もうまいです。

一見つまらないのドラマだけど、きっともっと深い意味が隠れていると思う。

とにかくニノの出演を楽しみしている！

Arashi Concert

The long awaited concert...

The term long-awaited is always used in compositions during primary school days. Though I know the meaning of it, I never really fathom the depth of the meaning till Arashi concert... ( ok lah, a but over i know..)

But.... as I made my way on the train to Osaka, ( all the way there for the concert), my anticipation grew with every stop nearer...

Then it was the lining up for the concert goods and hearing Arashi's songs blasting through the speakers outside. There I faced with reality no. 1. The amount of fans they have! Each crazier and passionate then the others... They bought every poster, every uchiwa ( the fan like thing with their pictures)....

Then it was the real thing.

They started by a short video presentation starting from the year Arashi debuted in 1999... as the years slowly passed by, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006... I could really feel my heart thumping... I actually felt nervous! then at 2007, 5 of them jumped up from a hole beneath the stage...

I was really amazed... every fan knew each of their songs, every hand signal... though I wasn't too bad either ... haaaa

ok... so we got to see nino big and nearly life size was he came up closer to the back rows on the crane.... of course we got to see sho and Jun too... aiba less... so sad...

but ok, satisfied! Nino is so cute!!!!!!!!!!! Nino is very very cute and charming in person!

Some of the things my room-mate and I bought...

A fresh beginning to 2007

Haven't been able to update my blog for some time due to a few reasons.
Mainly; lazy, busy running around trying to settle my visa application, lazy, looking for suitable apartments in tokyo, lazy... and lazy....

Why so lazy? I guess with the main purpose of my second coming to Japan settled, my brain cells have all sunk to the relax mode... everything else can wait now...

Ok but still from the last time I went Tokyo till now, went through several interesting events.

Will be up soon...

Changes

in order to be in tune with the many changes taking place in my life, I have decided to make life easier by changing to a simpler background... give me a few more days to update n get the thing going again...

One day to Arashi Concert!

One day to meeting my prince charming. hee... but I have 2! Aiba and Nino...

Going to KTV together with my room-mate today to practice their songs!!

Kaze ( Wind) By Kobukuro

This is one of my very favourite Japanese songs...

Listen to it! Even if you don't understand Japanese.