home and away

I'm staring at a giant roach roaming the lounge which seems to look pretty majestic if you ignore the fact that it's actually a gross bugger that feeds on the worst kind of waste.

Woohoo, glorious summer! Just to make things livelier, some more random insects are just ramming their heads into the window panes. :/

So far summer has been amazing. The sunsets have been particularly spectacular! The weather is blazing but there have been tons of things to look forward to. I'm sooo glad that I made time for more fun this year. Last year I spent it almost entirely at work.  Getting sunburnt at the riverside/beach also seems to be the quintessential Japanese summer experience. The yukata experience has been interesting, the fireworks have been breathtaking, the summer festivals taking place throughout Japan have been rather enjoyable. Have I mentioned how much I appreciate the 4 seasons and how there are various things to look forward to in each of them!?!?!

Anyway, I finally got to stay home for most of the day on my 3rd day off, it wasn't too productive, but at least I made it to a 1-Michelin-Star restaurant for lunch in Shinjuku and then came home, did the laundry and caught up with my mom on Skype. I made my first bowls of shaved ice and watched some Japanese drama as part of my feeble attempts to learn Japanese. After about 90 minutes of watching a coming-of-age drama with the hero dying leaving behind his heartbroken high school sweetheart, I now know the Japanese word for Cancer. haha.

So I'll move on to the main course now... I met this Singaporean boy whom I met on couchsurfing and I've been annoyed by him because he's been so unreliable. I wonder if it's a Singaporean characteristic now. Have I been spoilt by Japanese standards of politeness and courtesy? So he didn't kill my cat or anything like that, but first he didn't show up for my friend's bbq after I invited him because he had too much to drink the night before. Then I offered him to join my friends and I last weekend, but he had other plans. Fine... So I decided that we should meet up for lunch to swap notes on Mount Fuji and any other relevant news, and it was a major pain to decide where to go for lunch because Kamakura is too hot and other places are too far... I guess I felt brushed off when I was going out of my way to think of a nice and interesting for him to go because he was a guest in Japan, even if it's his 4th time now. So this morning, he texted and said that he lost his bike keys and would be an hour late as he would need to report this to his teacher in charge at school. He then apologised with a "paiseh... sorry ah." I don't believe it!!? If I were in his shoes, I would be apologising like mad instead of apologising as if he was saying a really casual sorry to his little sister. I really want to uninvite him for Mt Fuji, but I don't know how to do it... Well at least, I did some internet snooping and found this little gourmet jewel in Shinjuku.

Maybe I haven't felt it myself while I was in Singapore, but I suppose people back home are a lot more casual than people here. I suppose the way to treat a stranger is not too far off from how you'd treat your mates. I'm not sure if that's a good thing... Even in Singapore, customer service is sorely lacking, the customer is usually treated as an inconvenience. I can testify to that, but there's also the occasional flashes of brilliance which make my day. There has been too much absurd news from Singapore. The supposedly corruption-free and straitlaced Singapore town has been making waves in the news for the frequent train breakdowns which is undoubtedly unacceptable for a "world-class transport system" that we (or the government?) constantly brag about. Corruption scandals and sex scandals have also rocked the whole idea that Singapore was impenetrable to vices like other liberal democratic countries. My student even showed me an article that highlighted the new law passed prohibiting domestic helpers from cleaning the outside of the windows of high-rise apartments to prevent them from falling to their deaths. (This happens almost as often as Chuocides, haha no just kidding. But often enough for people to be worried.) One sterling example of ridiculousness that I'm shaking my head at right now, is this crazy MRT aunty who picked a fight with an ah lian on the train because she was slow to give up her seat. (I'm no ageist, but I'm annoyed at a handful of greying seniors who think that just because they are old, they can get away with anything they want...)

I think this ah lian handled it pretty well. I wouldn't know what I would have done if I was in her place... Singaporeans (& her residents) can be rude at times, but I truly hope it's not a widespread thing. I genuinely worry for my country, especially at how people are increasingly anti-foreigners and how badly the government is handling all this discontentment. The huge numbers of immigrants and their unwillingness to integrate into Singapore culture is definitely an issue which needs to be addressed. I think the internet and the use of social media have just changed the ball game entirely for our leaders. Any tom dick and harry can say shit, stir shit and cause naive people to go with the flow. People expect instant results and if you can't deliver that, you get shot down within a heartbeat. Not defending the gamen, but they really need to step things up instead of taichi-ing it away. I hope things improve, I didn't get to vote, but I hope that the majority who voted the ruling party in last year actually made a good decision.

While I'm away and living in my own little bubble, I pray that Singapore town can still retain all her beguiling charms while progressing into a more gracious society. Fingers crossed.

Spring

It's been such a long time. I apologise! I've been terribly busy since returning to the land of the rising sun. Work has been hectic as usual. I've been getting more responsibilities, but life here has been beautifully mesmerising with the changing of the seasons. It's now the end of Spring and the rainy season will soon unleash her fury of downpours upon us.

We were so glad to embrace the first signs of warmth in March. The Ume (Japanese plums) bloomed and I finally visited a proper onsen (Japanese hot spring) and got used to being stark naked with other people of shapes and sizes. That was really liberating and I have gotten used to the luxury of being naked and soaking myself in various types of hot baths around Japan.

Spring came with the arrival of the gorgeous Sakura (Japanese cherry blossoms) as well. Last year it was overshadowed by the the March 11 earthquake, so this year everyone was out with a vengeance to enjoy it as much as possible. I took more time off work to drink and party under the sakura blooms too. It was especially heartwarming to see everyone enjoying themselves thoroughly around the country.

On top of that, I managed a road trip to Nikko with my friends after drinking and eating too much during the Ohanami season (Cherry blossom viewing season). It was great although the weather didn't hold up on the first time and it was still freezing in mid-April. We visited some waterfalls in Tochigi prefecture and the place was still covered in 2 metre-high snow. It wasn't so fun having numb feet and hands and getting pelted by rain at the same time. Nevertheless, it was a great trip with awesome company. The following day was better as the sun emerged from the heavens and blessed us with unusually warm weather in the day. The temples were a majestic sight.

The highlight of the trip was in fact our Gyoza(Japanese pan-fried dumplings) challenge in Utsunomiya city. We decided to have a competition of who could eat more gyozas in the most popular gyoza restaurant in town. Gareth was the undisputed champion as he had 7 plates of 6 giant gyozas each. That added up to 42 piece of torture! It was the shop's record as well. As for me, I managed a respectable 33 pieces. The 3-hour drive home from Tochigi to Tokyo wasn't so comfortable though.

April came and went. We said goodbyes to Ly & Jessica, our resident French couple who arrived in Japan last summer. We had a farewell party and there were some tears too, but we'll not forget all the good times spent together! I'm looking forward to attending their wedding in France in 3-4 years!

During the Golden week in Japan, I visited the Miraikan. The exhibition there was totally worth the trip and I've also dropped into the Oktoberfest party at Odaiba. I don't know why but I got pulled on stage to be made to play a hat-changing game. It was hilarious with inebriated people. It was a fantastic evening drinking, eating and dancing. I was properly smashed by the time I got on the train home and I still had to skype my family because it was my mom's birthday!

The following day I woke up really early to head to Yamanashi with P. We had planned a 2-day 1-night trip there. It was raining cats and dogs in the morning. Things weren't looking good, but it was a scenic train ride to Kofu city. We then started our hike up the paved road to see a pretty waterfall. Unfortunately, the wet weather meant that the area was covered in mist and Mt Fuji would not be seen from the top of cliffs. We skipped the ropeway and headed back into town.

We headed towards another onsen in another town and that was paradise. Going to the onsen for an hour's soak is really the best treat after some hiking or trekking. The views were amazing as well, although Mt Fuji was not visible, the surrounding rolling hills shrouded in mist at dusk was still pretty breath-taking. By the time we left, public transport had ceased and we had to walk back to the station. Our hitchhiking attempts failed but we managed to make it back in 30minutes in the rain.

It was a relief to get back to our ryokan(Japanese style inn/hotel) to be greeted by an impressive spread of home-cooked goodies. I happily gobbled up every last bit on my plates and dishes. The hostesses were charming obaasans (grandmothers) who chatted with us and we ate our dinner with the TV in the background. It was like visiting my own grandmother!

The next day, the sun greeted us and and it became pretty warm. We made a trip down the local shrine and then headed to the vineyard to drink as much wine as we can manage. The underground cave with more than 1000 types of locally produced wine was crowded with many people. Some people were already collapsed on the floor from over-intoxication. It was pretty funny. Of course, we made our way to the onsen again. Finally we made our way home. I basically snoozed the entire way because a hot bath just makes us sleepy.

Not long after, my baby brother came to visit me last week. We were able to visit Tsukiji market and feast on some fresh sushi. We also visited Fujikyu-highlands. I finally saw Mt Fuji in Yamanashi! We took the world's scariest rollercoaster called Fujiyama and I really thought I'd die! Even my brother was shitting in his pants haha.

Now that he's gone, I feel a little homesick! And I've gotten myself involved in some complicated matters. I hope it'd be solved soon or my emotional dissonance will eat away at me eventually. So I hope that'll will fill you in on what's going on so far.

今日は残りの人生の最初の日

I can't believe that my stay back at home zoomed past so quickly. While I managed to tick many things off my to-do list, there are some people whom I still haven't gotten the chance to catch up with. It's nice to know that most of my loved ones are still the same and we could continue from where we left off earlier. My home has changed quite a bit in terms of physical appearance but it doesn't detract away from the warm bubble bath feeling I get every time I go home. It's just so comfortable. The weather was wonderfully predictable! I really enjoyed the constant warmth and sunshine. It was such a guilty pleasure to be able to expose my skin to the sun, wind and waterlogged air. It was nice to indulge my obsession with Singlish again with my fellow Singlish-speakers. On top of that, I managed to fulfill some of my foodie cravings.

Chinese New Year was however as dreary as every year. It got annoying at some points when my elders asked me constantly about my "future plans" beyond my Japan stint. The problem was that I truly had no idea at that point in time. So I guess in the year of the dragon I have to figure out what exactly I want... Unfortunately, I don't know when I'll ever find out if something I decide on is truly something I want. I have a lot of doubts, fear and apprehension when it comes to making a major decision like that, given my history of making questionable decisions based on my considerations of the situation rather than sincerely asking myself what I wanted. I don't think I'm up to that, so I hope that soon... At the ripe old age of 25, I'll be able to do something decent for myself.

Now I'm back in freezing Tokyo. It was lovely to catch up with my housemates this weekend. My closest ones are actually moving on in a couple of days. I feel a pinch of sadness but I'm glad that their dream is coming true by having a proper home of their own. I'm going to be a wee bit lonelier without them around. Well, soon I'll be starting work. I'm looking forward to that though, it beats staying at home and making half-hearted efforts to study Japanese and clean the dust in my room.

Anyhow, here's a big thank you to everyone I met back home. Thank you so much for making my trip home so nice and heartwarming. It's great to see that everyone I care is doing well. May this year bring even brighter prospects, love, peace and bliss to everyone! x

FYI - I like this Japanese phrase: 知（し）らぬが仏（ほとけ）. It means the same as our saying in English "ignorance is bliss".

Happy new year

２０１１年のあたらし写真あげる！

新宿

Happy new year everyone! Sorry for the long hiatus! It's been really crazy. Life in Japan is fast-paced. It's not that I don't have much things to share, but it's just more convenient to talk about my thoughts and feelings when I drink with my mates. It's a way to save time. Haha.

How's 2012 for everyone so far? Mine started off well. It was an unexpected way to finish 2011, then we crossed over to 2012 with my friends all in one piece after going to Roppongi after too much drinks. Haha. Eventful night, to say the least.

Now I'm back in (sunny?) Singapore. Looking out the window however, paints a different picture. It's raining monkeys and rhinos at the moment. Thunderstorm and I'm not looking forward to wet feet as I leave the house later! The rain is so loud I can't hear my radio.

It's a few more days to Chinese New Year and I've been busy showing my friend Hide around Singapore town. I've met some people and caught up with them on the latest goss. I'm glad that with my sweet friends, I can always continue with them from where we left off earlier. I got some interesting books in our local bookshops and I think I'll have fun reading them. I need to practice my Japanese while I have some time to spare as well. Haha, too much things to do, too little time!

あけましておめでとうございます！最近東京は超寒い！今日東京で雪だな！！！羨ましい！ 寒くて死ぬかともたけど。楽しそうね。雪だるまを作りたい！

今週にシンガポールでひでとたくさん好きな場所にいた。楽しかったでも好きな人もくる、そうだといいね！