Countdown has started

It dawned on me late 3rd December that I really had only left a month in Japan.

I've always wondered how I'd feel once I'm left with only 1 month. I dreaded the coming of that day. I dreaded it horribly... Now, I've got less than 1 month. All that I can think of? How many things I've not done, places I've not gone, food I've not eaten, people I've not talked to, phrases I've not learnt, books I've not gotten, clothes I've not bought [and of course, project and homework I've not completed].

A friend talking with me on MSN, told me a few days ago, "I can't wait for you to come back."

I remembered thinking, "I can wait. I can wait. I can wait another year before I get back."

To be honest, I don't think I've ever been happier in my life. These 3 months must have been one of the happiest, if not the happiest, moments in my life. Sure, there were strange people (creepy guy) and angry moments (project that made me go mad), but I enjoyed my time here very very very much. I cannot express how much I love it here, and how much I will miss this place when I'm gone.

The responsibilities and worries that weigh me down heavily in my Singapore life have not accompanied me here to Japan. They have stayed in Singapore, wrapped in a timebomb, ready to start ticking the moment I'm back. Ready to suffocate me when I return. Ready to manufacture me into the perfect worker; mould me into a good, hardworking, stress-accepting, heart-attack-prone worker. Perfect Type A worker.

Let a caged bird not taste freedom, for it will want more.

I will miss:

a) Keihan densha announcements. I can recite them by heart now. I can even understand them, thanks to Daryn. I can pronounce Demachiyanagi and Marutamachi and Yodoyabashi now, too =)

b) Daryn. No qualms about it. Daryn. She and I connect on levels I sometimes didn't think anyone would. We would walk together somewhere, see something and one of us would comment on it. The other would say, "I was just thinking exactly that." We would look at the same product, just different colours; she black, I pink. We are so different emotionally and personality-wise, but we are so similar in our attitudes to things. For example, both of us dislike clingy people, but for some reason, both of us attract them. [She thinks clingy people are attracted to me because I seem so reliable and dependable.] We both are super stingy. When we're together, we reason to each other why we should get something and why we should not. Actually, she has a big influence on me on what I buy. Sometimes, I'd pick up something on impulse and say, "I want to get this for XX". Then she'd ask a whole bunch of questions, and then give her suggestion. More or less, I follow her suggestions. She stopped me from getting this Japanese doll today. Haha. For her, I do the same, except she doesn't always accept my suggestion. Haha. She calls our similarities and differences "broad" and "specific". In the broad sense, both of us are interested in similar things, have similar ideas. But when it comes down to the specifics, she and I differ.

I cannot emphasize how integral she is to my Japanese life. [well, you can see she is, from the constant mention of her]. In a sea of people at the Seminar House, I find it amazing that the two of us became so close friends. Sometimes, I think, if that incident with Sylvia had not happened, she and I would never have become so close. I'd have been wandering alone, without a companion and maybe not enjoying it as much.

c) The Japanese Language (I wrote an entire blog entry about it, so I won't repeat it again here)

d) Japanese fashion. Once, Hiroshi asked me on his questionnaire, "When you think of Japan, what do you think of?" Immediately, I said, "short skirts." Haha. I enjoy dressing up. I love matching my clothes and improving my style etc. The weather lately has become rather cold, so my style has sorta gone haywired. Cos the warm clothes I have aren't really very... fashionable. Even if my fashion isn't all that great, it's still very cool to watch Japanese women dress up. It's really really like they walk out of fashion magazines, some of them. I'm amazed whenever I'm in the train and see some really well-dressed woman (or girl)...

e) Book off. Cheap Manga, cheap Japanese books, cheap kanji dictionaries. I was at Bookoff with Daryn yesterday and bought 2000yen worth of books. *shrugs* What? In Singapore, I easily spend that amount of money on ONE book. Plus, some of the books have drawings that are so pretty they can serve as omiyage. Sighs, goodness. Cheap Manga. Cheap cheap CHEAP manga. And I understand maybe 40% of it (with kanji). I'd love to stay in Japan only for this reason...

f) Japanese food. It's strange. In Singapore, I hated sashimi. I totally totally disliked sashimi, especially salmon. In Japan, the first time I ate sashimi, I actually liked it. Then Oscar, his family and I went to a sushi restaurant in Ginza. Amazingly, I didn't throw up. I actually liked the food there. I love eel here too. It's soooooooooooo good. REALLY REALLY GOOD. And the udon Okaasan cooks for me... And the mochi-soup. Haha, it's so cool! She actually cooks the udon soup (with prawns, tofu, cabbage, shouyu, meat etc) and then adds mochi into it. Its quite nice, actually. Okonomiyaki, taiyaki, yakitori, yakiniku, takoyaki... I can just go on and on and on about the food here. I don't miss Singapore food a single bit (unfortunately). While I miss a little bit of chili padi, I also know that chili padi has started to destroy my stomach lining. So, a break from chili padi is a good thing. Okaasan asked me, "When you go back to Singapore, what will you want to eat first?" I said, "Mee Hoon Kway." Followed by, "Curry."

g) Japanese variety shows. While we can get those on youtube easily, it's always so much fun watching them on big screen TVs at home :)

h) Red leaves. Need I say more about this??? Though, they're disappearing. =X Winter is approaching, so soon.

i) My room. My room is wayyy neater than the room in Singapore, cos I don't have so much stuff with me. =) Of course, if I stayed long enough, it'd become super super messy too.

j) My "freedom" if it could be seen that way. I guess, having to account to no one but myself is part of freedom, isn't it? Of course, I need to let Okaasan know when I'm gonna be late but otherwise, I don't have to tell her where I've been, what I've been doing. Occasionally, she'd ask, "So, where did u go" or "Where are you going today" but it's just a polite question she's asking.

k) Convenience stores. Kombinis are everywhere. Haha. Just like vending machines. They are EVERYWHERE too =) You can't walk 50 metres without seeing at least one vending machine.

Okay, I can go on and on forever... But, since I've gotta do my work, I shall go do work first...

P.S. I have not blogged about Hachiman-san, Kinkakuji, tabe houdai (all you can eat) and today's outing to Fushimi-Inari.

I need to find some time to do that. Blog them one by one. Just uploaded all the pictures into my computer

Just a little... Just a little... Chotto Dake...

I know I asked for people to tell me what they wanted me to get for them from Japan.

But it gets to a point where people I don't care for ask me for things that are (easy to get but...) going to take up space in my luggage.

I know I'm being selfish.

But, I HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO PEOPLE WHOM I DO NOT HAVE MUCH INTERACTION WITH TO GET THEM WHAT THEY WANT JUST BECAUSE I'M IN JAPAN.

It's okay if XZ asks for Hello Kitty stuff (everytime I see hello kitty, I think of her). It's okay if Jia asks for me to get a parcel for her, since it's small and I don't mind doing stuff for her. It's okay if Cher asks me to buy Uniqlo stuff for her because we're good friends. It's okay if my parents ask me to get some stuff (which they rarely rarely ever do) because they are my parents. It's okay if I walk around and then see something and think, "Oh, XX would like that, or this would SO FIT YY." and buy stuff for that particular person, because I AM WILLING. [P.S. Teddy Bear, it was okay for you to ask me to get a hakama, cos then you were joking. And I still haven't found it :P at least not one that I am sure you'd like...]

But, when people I don't have much connections with make requests... I have the, "I don't want to" and "please go away" kinda feeling.

I ranted this to Daryn and she has the same problem.

I don't think I ask people to get me stuff when they are overseas (except Jonny boy, that one I remember). If I ever did, I'm sorry to have made such an unreasonable request.

*($#)&%*$(&#@()_($(#)*%(

I have more or less finished with my omiyage shopping list for my family members, friends and relatives. Don't care if you like it or not. It gets tiring thinking who'd like what.

I've got some of the strangest gifts for my friends. Hahahahahaha.

Don't worry, XZ. You got your hello kitty.

[/edit] I scared the crap (Daryn's favourite phrase, I think) out of myself. Thought I lost the ticket to get another train pass.. Thank Goodness. I knew it! I'm not so careless. I might get scolded by everyone for being scattered-brain, especially when it comes to misplacing my wallet and my other stuff, I'm not scattered brain when it comes to important important stuff like this (it's a savings of at least 100 dollars lah. I'd be crazy to lose it). Thank Goodness, the me from the past isn't so stupid. *phew* And it was in my wallet all along lah... haha. how dumb of me.

The Vagina Monologues

The Vagina Monologues [click to get to wiki site to understand what the Vagina Monologues is]

I enjoyed the Vagina Monologues held in school today tremendously. Glad I decided to go for it. I loved "The Woman Who liked to Make Vaginas Happy". It was so hilarious! Haha. I think everyone in the audience loved that. Daryn told me that there was a variant of the moan in her school that was performed. It's called the college student moan... "I... I... I've gotta... Stu... Stu.. dy!" I also liked "My Vagina was my Village" though that one was super upsetting. Daryn told me how her school did it. A girl was dressed sweetly and talking happily about how her vagina is a pretty place and the other dressed as a comfort woman in Korea talking about the atrocities committed against her. It was really sad and made me sort of angry about the horrors men can commit against women. I really liked, "My Angry Vagina". I thought the two girls who did it were fantastic at it. There was also "The Little Coochi Snorcher Who Could". The accent was really good... And I liked "I was there in the Room". Giving birth is one of the most painful thing a woman can go through. Without women who sacrifice themselves to bring life to earth, where would we all be?

The others were good too, but then, these few stuck in my mind basically because when they were acting it out, I thought to myself, "Wow. I'd write about this in my blog for sure tonight!"

I guess, for the conservative, this would definitely be an uncomfortable experience. But I really really liked it.

Sighs, I'm graduating soon. No longer gonna remain a student. While I dislike SMU a whole bit, I guess, I mourn for my lost university days... *sighs* If I could turn back time... There'd be a whole lot of things I would never have done. And a whole lot of things that I would have tried to do.. Well, too late now. I'm already in my 4th year when I realise that. At least, I've got my fabulous GPA to support me...

Look ahead. Look forward. Don't look back!

Ganbatte, Huey, ganbatte!

Utmost Creepiness *shudders*

*shudders*


So I was looking for a place to sit to eat my spaghetti. There was this Japanese guy sitting there at a table with no one sitting beside him. Hmm, technically, that should have been a red alert immediately, right? But no.. I actually asked him, "Can I sit down here?" [Robbie said that I sort of asked for it. haha. not true!!!] Anyway, he responded very positively. Too positively, in fact, that I became highly suspicious the moment I actually put down my bag.


Actually, I just intended to eat and study my Japanese (I'm still very bad with the short forms) and not talk to the guy. But then, he kept trying to make conversation with me.. So, I, being the very obligating sort, talked with him.


Then, he moved his bag and sat on the chair next to me.

He sat closer.

And closer.



And closer.



*red alert*



And closer.



And closer.



Till a point where his knees were almost touching mine.



We talked for a bit, those normal conversational topics. And then, he asked for my cell phone number (to which I said, I have a phone but it doesn't have money in it, and I don't intend to top it up because it's expensive). Then he gave me his email and asked me for my web email (I gave one that still exists, but I never use it).



So, red alert right? I was done with my spaghetti and itchy to go... To be honest, since the time I've gotten to Japan, that was the first time I actually had that "fight or flight" response. I swear, if he did anything to me, I'd so have scratched and slapped and screamed blue murder at him, given my state of emergency at that time.

But, I'm also rational sometimes. So, I chose the best exit strategy. "I've gotta go. I need to meet my friend," I said, starting to pack. He then stared at my neck and said, "That's a really pretty necklace. Can I touch it?"


My hand shot up to my neck and I replied, "NO. You can (fucking) not touch it." [of course, I didn't say "fucking". I'm too polite; that's gonna be my downfall, I swear.] "My mother gave it to me as a present. I don't allow people to touch it."


Then I left. Nah, that makes it sound like I was rude when I left. Not true. I was really polite and said, "See you" when in fact, I don't want to see him for the rest of my life.


At the comp lab, I met Robbie, who said, "I wanted to warn you just now, but I forgot. That guy you were talking to? He groped R's breasts."


And I'm like, WHAT THE HELL? WHY DIDN'T YOU COME AND SAVE ME JUST NOW???



Then I went and talked to R. Apparently, it's not the first time he initially an action to touch a girl. *shudders* The girl sitting beside R said he patted her on the head [well, better that than groping, I guess.]


Sometimes, weird things just happen. CHIKAN RED-ALERT PLEASE.

Haha, I told Daryn about it and she was like, "OMG! I'm so glad nothing happened to you!"

Talk about sense of self-preservation. I have at least SOME sense of self-preservation [directed at you, YK]

Well, at least I don't get harassed like Ashley.


Ashley was walking along the road at Makino when this high school student on a bike stopped by and motioned to her that he wanted to talk. She took off her earphones and then he started asking her weird questions. He said, "you're really pretty, what's your name?" etc. It even led up to a point where he said, "kiss wo shi te" [will you kiss me?] and "can I hold your hand"? He even grabbed her hand [she pulled back from him]. That's the condensed version of it. more things happened, but I can't remember them all..

SOME Japanese guys are creepy... *shudders shudders shudders*

***

This morning, I decided that I was going to ship back some of my things because otherwise, it'd add bulk to my already heavy luggage. But to ship stuff, you have to buy boxes. And I thought to ask Okaasan for boxes in case she had, so I didn't need to buy them from the Post Office.

I told Okaasan, "watashi wa haka wo hoshi."
[I THOUGHT it meant, "I want a box".]

She stared at me in horror.

Then I said (in English), "I want a box to send my stuff back."

She had that enlightened look and then started laughing. "Hako!!! Haka jya nai!" [hako! not haka!] And she explained to me what haka meant.

Apparently, I'd told her, "I want a grave".

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

OMG, language... It was only a difference between "o" and "a" but it made helluva difference.

I know I learnt the word "haka" in my Buddhism class, but it just never stuck in my mind because I always referred to them as "graves". But, it was oh-so-funny. haha. From now on, I'll remember hako = box, haka = grave...

When you're sian and got (some)nothing better to do in the computer lab

Daryn and I were in the Comp Lab today. Me looking for info on market share for my industry, and she doing her psych report.

This is what we eventually ended up looking at:

























































She found these on deviant art when she was doing her paper on superstitions in Japan.

I was super amazed. I'll consider making one of these next week =) For Daryn, it definitely has to be the cat (2nd picture). So cute, isn't it???

***

I told the class during my presentation last Wednesday that it shocked me that in Japan, suicide is not illegal because in Singapore, it is. One of the comments I got (I just read them) was:

The most interesting part of your presentation was: "In Japanese culture, suicide is not illegal, and not prohibited, though prohibited in China."

The thing(s) I'd like to know more about your topic is (are): How was suicide prohibited in China?

Reminds me of that time at Discovery Cove when I told a British guy I am from Singapore and he asked, "How do you feel about returning to China?" [with reference to Hong Kong returning to China in 1997]. It never fails to amuse me. Which is why I joined a group on Facebook named, We may be small..but we're not in China.

And yes, suicide IS illegal in Singapore. I checked it out. But, the police don't really convict people lah. I remember I asked Fred Long and he said that the police look at it case-by-case.

My Latest Japanese Composition

お母さんとお父さんへ

お元気ですか。　シンガポールは暑いですか。今、日本は秋ですから、とても寒いです。だから、たくさん服を着ています。すぐ、冬が来ます。

私は今ホームステイファミリーと萱嶋に住んでいます。萱嶋は小さくて、静かな町です。町にたくさんコンビニがあります。便利ですね。私の日本の家族は六人です。とてもにぎやかです。弟が二人で、妹も二人です。長男は二十歳で、神戸大学で勉強しています。頭が良いですね。長女は十七歳で、高校二年生です。よく遅く帰ります。たくさん勉強しますから。大変ですね。。。次男は四歳で、とてもかわいいです。たいてい笑います。次女は三歳で、よく私と話します。でも、私は全然わかりません。日本語が下手ですから。

私は来年一月三日に帰ります。シンガポールで会いましょうね。楽しみにしています。

からだに気をつけて下さい！

十二月二日
フェウーン

***
Translation:

Dear Mom and Dad,

Hope you are well. Is Singapore hot? It is autumn in Japan, so it's very cold. As a result, I am wearing a lot of clothes. It will soon be winter...

I am living with my home stay family in Kayashima. Kayashima is a small and quiet town. There are many konbini here. Isn't it convenient? My family consists of 6 people. it's very lively. I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters. The eldest son is 20 and he studies in Kobe University. Isn't he smart? The eldest daughter is 17, a 2nd year high school student. She often comes home late because she studies a lot [actually, not true, she plays tennis, but then I'm too lazy to come up with that sentence]. It's tough, isn't it? The younger son is 4 and he's very cute. He usually laughs [I was going to say, "he usually has a smiling face", but I didn't know how to put it]. The younger daughter is 3 and she often talks to me. But I cannot understand at all because I'm poor at Japanese.

I will be back on January the 3rd. See you then. I'm looking forward to seeing you. Take care of yourself.

2/12/08 [tomorrow's date]
Huey Woon

***

I was initially very proud of that composition. Then I translated it, and realised how utterly juvenile it sounded. *sighs* I've still got a loooooooooong way to go.

Weekend

Weekend came and gone so suddenly.

Friday afternoon was spent buying my Shinkansen ticket. There was a lot of confusion, even with Daryn with me. So, I'm still not sure what happened to the other part of my Shinkansen ticket, but we have to go back to the agency to get the other half. Friday evening was spent with my speaking partner, her friend, Daryn, Daryn's speaking partner and Sunshine for buffet meal. I was pretty upset cos I only got to eat two bowls of icecream. Darned it. =( And something terribly embarrassing happened (this can only happen to me, I swear) and so, while it was enjoyable, it wasn't overly so.

Saturday morning was spent with Daryn and her Okaasan at Hachimon-san. After which, her Okaasan treated us to lunch at some restaurant. It was quite nice too, I took plenty of pictures. The evening was back at home, with Daryn trying to do work on my computer and me trying to study for the kanji test today and the lesson test tomorrow.

Sunday morning was spent at Kinkakuji. A disappointment to say the least. But then, along the way to Daitoku-ji, we stopped by this shop and I bought most of my omiyage. I think I'm only left with Jiajia's, HH's and some other people's presents.. We decided not to go to Daitoku-ji (i knew it. The amount of time we spent at the shop was insane. 1.5 hours!) and went back to Sanjo to book-off (a bookstore), where I bought 3 Japanese elementary school children's books. Actually, the reason we cldnt go to Daitoku-ji was because I had to be home by 6.30p.m. for Kevin's (this ex-homestay student) visit. Kevin is incredibly good at Japanese. He's a Taiwanese-Canadian, on JET programme now, translating material at the city hall and organizing stuff for children. I felt so... out of place when he was around. Strangely, he speaks exactly like Fangyu. Maybe it's a taiwanese-western kinda thing?

And Sunday night was spent doing my research. I'm behind time in everything. This is so not like me... *sighs* but I'll present a good report by the end of this term. I SWEAR.

I'm so groggy, I couldn't pay attention during class and during my meeting today.

I wish I didn't have all these responsibilities. I wish I'm okay with a C grade, but I'm not. I wish I weren't perfectionist, but I am. Today, while practising my piano, I was thinking, "If only time can stop temporarily for me, and I get everything done.... That'd be great."

Haha, who am I kidding!!! =P

Wednesday, I'm skipping class. To go on an expedition from Kiyomizudera to Ginkaku-ji. it'd prob take at least 10 hours, including stopping and looking at stuff. I've got stuff planned out for myself. It'd also be the first time I wear my winter jacket. The red one that FY lent me. Because I'd be walking for 10 hours, it'd be too cold...

I'm looking forward to my own expedition! How exciting!

[/edit] I'll skip next Wednesday instead. I've got something planned for tomorrow, it just suddenly happened. Haha, I'll be attending the Vagina Monologue held in school. Daryn told me about it once, but since I've never seen it, I don't know what it is... Shall go for the play tomorrow instead of exploring. Since I'm sick anyways, it'd have been a bad idea. I'll tell Sensei to put me on Friday's oral test instead of Thurs so Thurs I either don't need to go to school, or only go to school for self-evaluation at 2.30...

Note to self: Buddhism Test next week. Presentation (entrepreneurship) next week. Lesson test next week. Oral test next week. Reading test next week.