Spiders

I expected summer here to be like Singapore, and when my Japanese classmate told me months ago that it rains everyday in summer I didn’t believe him. He’s true. Sunbathing in my garden or chilling out in shorts and tee in the park aren’t possible cus even when it’s not raining, it’s super cloudy like it’ll rain frogs and tadpoles. We do get occasional sunny days once in awhile, and it really makes me appreciate THE SUN more than I ever did.

Well it’s summer, and spiders are out to dominate my house. To be fair, they should pay a portion of my rent. There’s nothing for them to eat in my house unless they fancy cookies, chips and chocolates, I have no flies nor ants and other bugs fall onto their tangly webs. Unless they breed (which they do) and feed on their offsprings, or they might just all starve to death. Can’t they see that there’s a much better chance of survival if they relocate and migrate to the garden where there’s an abundance of food of all range.

Alright that’s not exactly my point of this post. The thing is I feel strongly that if we come from a small place, we should step out to a bigger city to explore the many other arrays of opportunities available out there. It’s not easy, but absolutely possible if you want to. This world that we live in is magnificently huge. Like the spiders in the dark corners of my house, if they get out there into the garden they might actually like what it has to offer.

That aside, I don’t intend to watch the new Spiderman.

Leap

It’s interesting how every four years we get an additional day, it’s like a free bonus.

“Winter is extremely depressing”, that’s what I’ve been told before I arrived in London. I never believed it, not till I experienced winter myself. Inconveniences the harsh cold brings. Grasping the concept of the sun setting at 3pm that leads to longer lonely nights. The cold air causing a serious drought on my dry skin. Not a bit was winter welcoming.

This week is the arrival of Spring. Everyone is feeling it. The warmth of the sun, cool breeze, blue skies, perfect weather. So this is the feeling of  hope and joy that Spring brings. Awesome!

Coming from a city where it’s summer all year round, this trait of nature is pretty fascinating for me. Everyday I get out of bed reminding myself how awesome I am to be waking up in London. Just a year ago I was desperately eager for an escape, to somewhere far away and here I am.

I think I’m one of the lesser hardworking student in class. I spend half of my time having long walks, checking out museums and exploring every corners of the city. I doubt I’ll be sick of this place for a long time to come.

Le Petite Prince

Bought this book in early January, have been reading it since but just couldn’t get to the end of it. When I move on to another page I’ll forget what I’ve read the page before, and after an average of 5 pages my eyelids get heavy and it’s bed time. So finishing a book is a huge accomplishment for me, even if I took more than a month for a mere 80-pages thin one.

I like the book. The one I’ve read is the French version. (As I’m typing I could hear a community of people screaming “You lying bastard!!!!!”) Okay chill people, I read the English one, but I’m told that the French/original version is much better but it’s out of my ability.

I guess the reason why this book is so popular is because it opens our mind to a childlike world – the world that we’ve long forgotten as we grow older and move on fighting for our spot in society. We were a child once upon a time. However, nobody (unless you have aspergers and you live in your own world) can ever keep his/her innocence and wild imaginations because these are non-essentials for survival in reality. We lose gradually lose it without even realizing it. It is charming to read something written from a child’s point of view, ‘cus we tend to get reminded of something distant but familiar, or simply realize that we no longer are able to think like back then when we were a child.

‘One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.’

Hello

‘Hello’ is the most used English word, I’d like to think (apart from fuck, of course).

This is my very first post ever since I left for London. It’s been almost 6 months, and I’ve lived two seasons. Time flies. I’ve been adapting well. Great, in fact.. I think I’m in a great time and place in my life right now. Appreciating every moment and experiences, life’s awesome, can’t really ask for more, or can I? I still want to travel to space, ultimately!

So we’re already two months into 2012, I haven’t done much for my new year resolution – to travel like there is no 2013. Have been extremely busy in school. I’ve chose a school for the sake of its name but now I know it had earned it’s reputation for a reason, because it’s really good.

I turned 24.

Holy moly crap. How did I suddenly get so old? How have I survived 24 years? These are unbelievably baffling questions for me.. however I do feel like this is the best age ever, the 23-27 range, the age to do anything, with the freedom and power to do anything. World domination even! This is possibly the best time of my life, and I’m extremely glad to have turned 24 in London.

…And to have spent it with a bunch of friends I’ve got to know and grown close to in the past few months. Really thankful for my first surprise party (organized by my housemate)! And all the wishes from dear friends, I’ve never appreciated them this much in the past. It sounds kinda gay but I really do feel absolutely blessed.

And happy.

さようならシンガポール

–

さようならシンガポール…

ロンドンこんにちは.

–

The Last Third

I have been very much in love with the world for a very long time. When you love the world long enough it’ll take you to places, and show you things that not many will get to see.

I am 18 days away to being away.

September

These days entertainment come in a form of a screen. We’re basically a generation of staring at screens, spending long hours working on computer, when we take a break from work we retreat to our tv, psp or other handheld gaming device, we communicate through texting on our phone, we lie down on our bed with an iPad on hand. If suddenly there’s a widespread virus that will cause our eyes to get allergic reactions from visual contact of pixels from screens our entire living system will crash.

If you see a random guy staring at trees or gazing at the clouds in the sky that idiot might be me. But I believe that is what we need to do, to spend more time appreciating our surroundings, the nature part of course (not the dumpster in your neighborhood). That is also why I feel that running in the gym is stupid, you just become a hamster jogging on the spot – staring at a screen. Go run to a park.

I closed my Twitter account for awhile now and I’m starting to feel that I’m missing out quite a lot. Things like daily little updates from my close friends and happenings. This is what Twitter does, it makes updating of your friends’ life so much more convenient and quick.

I have slightly less than three weeks left here! I’ve cleared all my work, booked my flight, collecting my visa tomorrow, and I should start packing soon. I can’t say this enough, this year is insanely fast. How did this happen? If it gets any faster by the second I’ll get a panic attack. Next month is going to be the most exciting time of my life. No I’m not getting married nor having a kid yet!

Good night!

Loco Roco

It’s been 16 crazy days since I’ve left my temporary day job, the long list of work to do and and things to clear has shortened drastically and things are finally falling into places!

I woke up this morning missing a very silly game that my cousin and I use to play on the PSP a few years back – LocoRoco. So I started playing again the entire morning before accompanying my Aunt to the doctor. Went swimming in the afternoon for about 20 laps, slipped into to the steam-bath room in the club house, and went home to do spa in my Aunt’s bath tub. Walked the dog (who just ate a bug as I’m typing this), and then sink back into the couch to continue playing LocoRoco. Super chillax to the max. Haven’t been able to waste my day away like this in a very very long time. More of days like this to come, for a month, before I get packed away.

I hope thing’s been good for you too if you’re reading this.

Good night!

Words

This week I received two letters. One from somebody special who is of a higher status that an ordinary friend, and another from a colleague whom I’ve grown close to at work and has become a friend to keep. Both of which letters made me feel human in different ways. One made me realise that I’m actually capable of feeling heartbreak, and questioned my maturity in handling relationships. The other made me feel so warm and fuzzy all over every pores on my skin.

The first left me with a huge sense of guilt, and it sent me plunging deep into an atmosphere of silence. I’ve underestimated what I am actually capable of making people feel, and I’ve underestimated what I thought I was unable to feel. Sometimes even when we have no ill intentions at all to cause any hurt to anybody, people around us still get affected by our decisions.

The second letter made me feel bittersweet. Bitter for my departure, and sweet for having made a wonderful friend.

I’ve always been a visual person, I get attached to visuals more than words, I even feel more when I see than I touch. I can try to write by stringing my limited sets of words together but they are of no literary genius. This week I’ve felt so much through words, words from those two letters, and it is interesting how each letter dug out different emotions from me.

I’m an alien learning to feel, I never believe or thought that I’m able to have an impact on people, or to be of any slight importance to anyone, or be able to cause hurt, or bring joy. Now I know I actually do have these abilities. I never will like goodbyes.

BRAVO

Today marks the end of my quarter of a year stint at Bravo Company. This is my best and most enjoyable working experience to date. I’ve never experienced a single Monday blues, never dreaded going to work, and I wish I could have contributed so much more. I’m thankful for this opportunity and really glad that I have fostered what I believe to be really important friendships. In an extremely cozy office housed two incredibly nice bosses and most awesome colleagues (and four hamsters). I wish I didn’t have to leave, but I’m sure we’ll meet again somewhere down the road …and it’s definitely not the last time they will get surprise greetings from my cockroach! I’m actually missing all of these already.

And it turned grey from that very minute.

I couldn’t sleep. I never enjoyed having emotional attachments to people, it messes up my thoughts like playing with super glue with my fingers, they just get more and more messed up. I’ve always tried to believe that when the time comes where I have to let go of certain things or people, I can move on at the speed of bullet trains. But time and time again this is not an actual fact in reality. There are past people I still cannot let go, there are things from history that I still miss, and now something new has been added onto the list. I watch this chain grow and I get lost in its complications. There are people that I want to continue caring for as long as I can, but there’s just that much amount of love I can give. I can keep trying but it will never be enough to sustain your needs. I miss you already, too much in fact for my liking, too much that it’s masking all my sense of logic, too much that this might just be enough to stop me from leaving and just stay put and be good.

2

This space turns two, and this minor milestone marks a year of freedom from National Service. It has been an extremely fruitful year. Remember when I started this I was exactly a year away from freedom, and now as my world is about to shift into the other hemisphere, I might be starting a new space to document a new phase of the journey.

This Is How You Look Like After Being Sick For Four Days

Pale like a piece of toilet paper.

Considering how nigga tanned I was after the diving trip two weekends ago, it’s as though a fat person who has been casting an everlasting shadow on me has finally moved away. Stomach flu and high fever was no fun. I thought I was going to die and I even picked a street to roam when I become a wondering ghost. Coincidentally my dear buddy and girlfriend whom we went for the diving trip together got terribly ill too. I knew we bonded well at the shooting site of Finding Nemo 2, but never expected us to have developed a kind of sick telepathic skill where we simply transmit our ill molecules across to each other by thought.

I can’t wait to get back to work tomorrow, I have only two weeks left till my contract ends. A lot of other stuffs to clear and do apart from work. Time is an unstoppable whirlwind.

Fight Club

“Man, I see in Fight Club the strongest and smartest men who’ve ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see it squandered. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables – slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don’t need. We’re the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our great war is a spiritual war. Our great depression is our lives. We’ve all been raised on television to believe that one day we’d all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars, but we won’t. We’re slowly learning that fact. And we’re very, very pissed off.”

Still the best damn show ever.

The Social Experiment

I just showered, waiting for my hair to dry before going bed, and it’s about time for a blog post. I had the best sweetest shisha tonight by the way. Double apple, from Nasrin, try it.. Good stuff!

It’s June, almost half of the year is history, what have you achieved so far for the year? I had my fair share of troubled days recently but it’s over. Sometimes when you have to go through a shit period you just spiral downwards but when it’s over and you know it, everything seemed like dust that can easily be wiped off with a cloth.

People tend to see me as a really lucky person, that I travel, and I get to do what I enjoy doing for a living, that I get opportunities thrown in my direction pretty often, and because of my Aunt, I live an easy and blessed life. The fact is I always have to try and work so much harder than everyone else to get what I want, and I don’t get it easier than anyone else. And too often I’ll get thrashed into situations where I have to make really important decisions, and timing is always a painful factor. Anyway, I am actually glad that this is the way it is. Alright end of rant..

My phone went into early retirement early last week, and I decided to go phoneless till I can find the time to get it fixed, or better still, to finally lay my hands on an iPhone for good. Unfortunately the iPhone plan couldn’t be realized, and I decided to do a ‘social experiment’, to see how a person can survive without a mobile phone in this modern ‘connected’ society. I’m sure you’ve guess it, the results were bad. Meeting friends wasn’t easy, I couldn’t afford to be late or have a sudden change of plan. I couldn’t talk or text my girlfriend.

The absence of a phone equates to a lack of an alarm clock, a note pad, a camera, and a phone book. I realized that I only have three sets of numbers stored in my brain, my Dad’s, Grandma’s house, and mine. That’s it. Living without a phone my world became pretty silent, which I kinda liked but people around me were frustrated that I am not contactable. My Grandma couldn’t reach me, my Aunt couldn’t call and ask if I need dinner, my friends can only communicate to me on Facebook, and my girlfriend couldn’t locate me because I overslept and was late. And so after a week I have to put this social experiment to an end. I got my phone fixed today and I could hear champagnes being popped everywhere.

/

Between a great job offer, a chance to be mentored by an industry big shot, and the opportunity to move to a big city for further education, I can only choose one and I’ve made my decision. It’ll be a good one.. I hope!

Alright my hair has dried and it’s bed time. It’s pouring outside and I’m going to sleep so well tonight.. Good night humans and pets.

Apple

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.
 The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward. Maybe they have to be crazy. 
How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?
 While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Picasso

Picasso was in a park when a woman approached him and asked him to draw a portrait of her. Picasso agreed and quickly sketches her. After handing the sketch to her, she is pleased with the likeness and asks how much she owed to him. Picasso replies: “$5,000.”

The woman screamed, “but it took you only five minutes.”

“No, madam, it took me all my life,” replied Picasso.

My Most Beloved Grandma

Percy Sunday

Right now I have nothing more to ask for. I have some really close and awesome friends, a fantastic Wonderwoman (my dear aunt it is) and her family, and a sweet relationship. I’m doing what I enjoy doing for a living and I’m living at a comfortable pace. It almost doesn’t matter anymore if my further study plan does not work out, I have many things to keep me here for the time being. May is finally here but the anxiety and anxiousness of awaiting for a piece of result has dissipated into thin air.

The Better Toy Store

Two months back I got dragged to a mall with my aunty and her family to do some shopping. I was limping with my broken toe and while looking for a bench to rest and wait for them to be done, my cousin and I saw a hiring notice outside a toy store. My sheltered cousin has never worked in her entire life and I encouraged her to give it a try instead of idling around at home waiting for school to start. She was shy and I thought since I have time in the day she might feel better if she has somebody to do it with. And so we applied, got interviewed together and was hired on the spot. However, she decided that she couldn’t do it and pulled out last minute. I continued on.

After a few days’ shifts I started to question myself why am I doing this? Why do I have to do this… What am I doing? Even my friends thought I must be mad to be a freelance designer taking up a part time job selling toys. But somehow I believe that I will eventually get something out of this, maybe some inspiration for creativity? Or the exposure to something new and exciting.

Weeks went on and tiring as it is juggling two jobs, I seemed to enjoying what I’m doing. And I know now, sometimes it’s not about how much money you make. It’s not about how much money a job can pay you, sometimes the experience weighs more than monetary terms. I get paid to play games. I get to meet many people. I get to talk to people and learn how to communicate. I get to be nice to strangers. I get to see different types of parents. I get to be see the beauty of the honesty and innocence of children. Most importantly I get to make people happy.

I remember seeing this couple popping by the shop after work and spent a long time picking a toy for their kid. At the payment counter the mother said “I hope he’ll like this”, and at that instant I had a vision of a spoilt brat taking over the toy from his parents and chuck it aside after a glance. I hope my vision is an opposite from the reality but the thing is that lucky kid will probably not know how much effort his parents had gone through to get the perfect toy for him. That day at work I learnt to be appreciative to my family.

And today, I finally get to meet the lady who created this lovely environment that I get to work. She spent a long time talking to me, sharing her life experiences and I got infected by her beliefs and passion for life instantly. She has a heart of gold, I am glad I have met a saint. She didn’t have to spend the time on somebody like me who is just having a short stint in her company but she did just so because she want me to learn as much as possible with the time I have with them. She was so sweet, and I’ve never been this inspired in a really long time. To be wise and be able to give and inspire others is the greatest gift.

I feel that my life is steered absurdly by chance towards working at the toy store just so that I can meet wonderful people like her. Who’d imagine that my broken toe will lead to this? I think it’s fate, that we cross path with certain people in our life to rub off some of their colours to add on to our palette.

I will take with me her wisdom, words and encouragements to the following chapters of my life.

Friction

I just got home from my weekly dinner/chill session with my three closest friend. Tonight was different though. A recent event sparked a long conversation about a past we shared together several years back, many words from those chapters that were kept silent (or even forgotten) were being brought up. It was an interesting night that brought the four of us even closer together.

I got reminded of a past experience that shaped a part of who I am today. It was a really dreadful event that left me in hell for months. It was caused by friction. Friction among people. Friction caused by a clash of personalities. I believe we have learned a huge deal of invaluable lessons from it. People in general can be really horrible if they choose to be, but in our hearts we should all remember to respect. Respect each others’ personalities, or even, respect the friction.

Tetra

March has marched its way into history and we have gladly swerved into the second quarter of the year. April feels like a fun and gleeful month although my Nagoya trip got cancelled due to the unexpected wrath of mother nature. I am currently awaiting for a piece of news that should arrive towards the end of May, and sanguinely hoping for things to pave along great for a new adventure to come. Meanwhile I will be kept busy with the weekly great accompany of Foursome, my dear Mollypide, and a part-time stint at a Toy Store where I get to blow bubbles at kids.

Snapped these while I was doing my run in the park the other day.

…And decided to get my hair cropped really short for a change.

Reinstatement

I’ve turned 23, an age where I believe is the best age to do anything, and I’m back with Ninja hair, a recently fractured toe, gastronomically satisfied stomach resulting in a hike in the reading of the weighing scale, several travel plans, and a sweet hand in mine. I stopped keeping track of dates but I know it’s already March. That’s all I have to say for now, I’ve been limping around and being home bound it’s time to sink back into my indulgence of self-pity.

Bright Sunday ahead.

Intermission

Hey there, I’ve decided that this space shall slip into a brief hiatus. I have loose ends to tie up in my life and when all the wrongs get right I’ll be back to continue with the Japan series and Hong Kong there after. It won’t take long I hope.

My zen cave chapter has come to an end. It’s a pity and I felt like I have not appreciated the place enough but I believe my next home will be better. I’m in search for a room to rent, and if you have one, or you’re looking for someone to share an apartment drop me a message!

 

Precipitation

So the first week of the year hasn’t been a considerably nice one. I have piling works on my plate which I’m not inspired to clear. Photobucket decided to be a bitch by replacing all my images online with crap and I can’t fix that unless I pay for a pro account. Decided to spend two days back at my aunt’s place cus I don’t want to be alone at my house, but they weren’t home till late. I had to live a day without my phone ‘cus the battery died and I didn’t bring my charger over. I went to update my bank book on the way back to my house just now and the machine had to die right at my turn, those people ahead of me in the queue were using it fine. My lift broke down for the first time after I moved in. I came home to find out that my hamster died when I wasn’t around for the past two days. To top the mess, I had to feel like I’ve lost a very close friend, somebody who use to put my mind right in place some long time ago.

End of rant.

Now I’ll charge up my phone. Get back to my pestering client. Bury my dead hamster. Get things fixed.

Next week will be better.

 

’11

I’m back! It was quite a complete chaos counting down at the Hong Kong harbour, but experiencing counting down in another city was refreshing (even though we were wasting the last two hours of the year minute by minute trying to outscore each other in Fruit Ninja).

So the year 2010 is history. I still can’t quite feel like we’re in a brand new year. In the midst of merry making and champagne popping I think it’s important to look back and ponder through the happenings of the past year, which I choose to do at the end of every year.

2010 was like a flight full of turbulence. The first half was an absolutely dreadful one, but as we progress into the second half, things started to get better. I got my freedom back from the army, attempted sky diving (still feeling the thrill running through my veins whenever I speak about it), found a place to move out and live on my own, changed my name officially, got a steady amount of projects flowing in, brought my Dad to Japan for two weeks (how awesome is that), and spent the last week of the year in Hong Kong with my close friends.

I tried living a different life, by shutting off from the outside world that is overflowing with information that i do not need to acquire to survive. I tried slowing time down in this extremely fast paced society, just work and live in my own pace, absorbing in atmospheres that others neglect and take for granted. I tried to live with a quiet mind. I tried to find out what it takes to achieve something infinite, the ultimate freedom, and realized that things like msn, Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and any other forms of media are redundant but i just can’t quit these unnecessary commitments… yet.

New year resolutions usually die before February comes but I do have three things that I want to keep in mind for as long as I can.

1 – Continue picking up Japanese, it might take me somewhere or land me a hot Japanese girlfriend! Yay!! (for somebody who might get angry reading this, i’m kidding) 

2 – Do not give up opportunities to meet new and interesting people. Make more friends and lose some horrible ones.

3 – Make a hell lot of money. Stash aside a huge portion for a long anticipated backpacking trip.

In more ways than one I’m still a naive believer that every new year we get comes with brand new hopes and fresh experiences waiting to happen. This year will be an exceptionally awesome one (:

 

あけましておめでとう，今年もどうぞよろしく。

香港你好

Hello! Post Christmas regards from the land of the rising sun dim sum. We have just checked into our home for the week, the weather is brilliant and I’m leeching on the wifi here. I’ll be back for more updates!

// Updated on 31 December, 1:44am

We’re in love with this city; the scrumptious food, the sound of Cantonese conversations, the charming beautiful decay of the sardine-packed buildings, the comfortably chilly weather (which left us with cracked skin and lips). I feel extremely blessed to be spending my last few days of the year in this unbelievably amazing city with three of my closest friends.

Enjoy the very last day of the year (:

Japan Part 9: Nishiki Market (錦市場)

A Daddy-friendly trip gotta include experiencing a traditional local market, and the 400 year-old Nishiki Market in Kyoto is perfect (I’ve brought him to a wet fish market in Tokyo, check out Part 1: Tsukiji Fish Market). Nishiki Market rightfully earned its moniker of “The Kitchen of Kyoto”, and it is not difficult to understand why. Running 390 meters long from Teramachi Street to Takakura Street, it is fully lined by stalls selling traditional Japanese foods, sushi, tofu, sweets, snacks, various kinds of pickles, basic ingredients, dried food, fresh seafood, vegetables, fruits… and the list goes on till dawn. What’s great is that whatever thing you can find here are all locally produced. It’s a refreshing experience to indulge in the smell (though I’m still lacking this sense), taste, sight, sound of a fresh morning Japanese market.

City: Kyoto
Place: Nishiki Market

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Japan Part 8: Shinkansen to Kyoto! (新幹線で京都へ！)

My Japanese is making credible progress but I’m not really sure if the title is right! I need somebody to practice with, any volunteers? Anyway I’ve been waiting to put up Kyoto and here it is. We took a bullet train from Hakone to Kyoto, and roamed around the Gion area for the first evening there. Pictures speak better than me so here goes…

City: Kyoto
Area: Gion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best snack.

 

 

 

 

Arriving at Kyoto, we were greeted by the Kyoto Tower.

 

 

 

 

This is the splendid view from our hotel window.

 

 

 

 

Our hotel is at Kawaramachi, which is a stone throw away (across a bridge actually) from the absolutely charming streets of Gion. This is my favourite view form the bridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to end this post with this awesome view of Kyoto.

Japan Part 7: Plants of Hakone (箱根の植物)

These are some nice wild plants found along the trails of Hakone.