dear all,
i m now splitting my time between my study, which is picking up pace, TA duties as a professor wanted me to help hime out in a class, my new found part time job at a legal firm.
on top of all that, i ll b leaving for Taiwan for a study trip & i ll b able to meet the Taipei Mayor cum chairman of the KMT party--mr Ma Ying 9. hahaha~~always wanted to write his name like that.
noticed its been 2 weeks since i last logged on... not that its been that busy... but sometimes i m just so tired i dont feel like doing anything that involves the slightest cerebral activity.
still, i thank everyone i ve met in my 24 yrs of life for making me who i am now. most of all to those i was the closest--my family, my girlfriend, all the friends. the biggest thank you & my warmest regards to all of u.
suffice to say, i am quite happy wif life now, & life is good as usual. yet for some reason, i m not satisfied, its like once u ve tasted caviar, there is no turning back. now i long for more chances to see the glittering fancy world. & i shall make tokyo yet another stepping stone, just like beppu was 4 yrs back.
looking forward to wut lies ahead.
cheer,
Friday, November 04, 2005
Saturday, October 22, 2005
life back to normal
dear all,
now that i ve got used to tokyo & her surrounding, normal life has returned somewhat. yesterday i went to play ball, explored the neighbourhood around skool, met a bunch of new friends. ahh... the goodness of such a feeling. i m beggining to get the flow of things around me, blending into the fabric of society so to say. i actually quite welcome this change... the environment, the people, a new start.
now i m really excited and looking forward to living here in tokyo.
cheers,
now that i ve got used to tokyo & her surrounding, normal life has returned somewhat. yesterday i went to play ball, explored the neighbourhood around skool, met a bunch of new friends. ahh... the goodness of such a feeling. i m beggining to get the flow of things around me, blending into the fabric of society so to say. i actually quite welcome this change... the environment, the people, a new start.
now i m really excited and looking forward to living here in tokyo.
cheers,
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
meeting people
dear all,
i ve been busy lately. mostly with school work. but the last 2 days has been great as i was able to meet lots of people, even 2 famous pop stars fr HK. haha, that was really a bonus.
tokyo is really a place full of opportunity. will utilize this to my advantage :]
how r the rest of u doing out there?
cheers,
nic
i ve been busy lately. mostly with school work. but the last 2 days has been great as i was able to meet lots of people, even 2 famous pop stars fr HK. haha, that was really a bonus.
tokyo is really a place full of opportunity. will utilize this to my advantage :]
how r the rest of u doing out there?
cheers,
nic
Sunday, October 09, 2005
new life at waseda
dear all,
ok. skool just started.
i m now living in tokyo... metropolitan life. not really.
but luv it here cos the skool is good, library is a gem... just hope i hav enough time to go tru wut i hav. lots of really interesting ppl here.
havnt got time to really get to know the city yet. mainly cos i m busy & a little broke.... havnt got any income now that i dont hav a scholarship anymore. but i m working on it, dont suppose i ll survive for long without a scholarship here.
yet its not as gloomy as it seems, i m learning lots everyday. & i know that i ll hav much to improve fr now on. :] havent felt like this for a long time...
like a yatch on full sail...
just had a long chat wif me oldman... think it was my 1st. not that we re not on good terms, just that i ve never disclose this much bout me to him ever. & i think he sees me as a man now... quite the change of wind, think i m heading downwind for an easy sail... just hope he can last till i sail home in a few more years. reminds me of an chinese idiom by OuYang Siu "树欲静而风不止，子欲养而亲不在". worst thing that could happen to a son. may i not see this day...not anytime soon.
my study, contrary to every other thing else, does not seem to be sailing on a smooth course. now that i m here in waseda, i shall hav to change the course of my ship just a few degrees to the East. fr now on, i shall pay more attention to the chinese in Japan. i think this is still a relatively new land, unlike the much exploited study of Chinese in SEA...although i still think there is much to be done on them. tentatively i ve set my eyes on the chinese voluntary associations in Japan and their role to a chinese living in japan.
oh so much to ponder about, worry about. how much time hav i got left? not much for sure. will need to speed things up a bit.
how r u folks doing out there? miss my old pals now that i m really all alone. asaka, hows it going there back home? fei chai, how r u getting along wif weiling? gugu, u need a break fr work. ohh... and the lot of u guys fr APU. dav, co, kunlung... hows skool in london?? finally, my sis MQ when do i get to see his pic?? send it to me quickly larrrr!!!!
take care all.
cheers,
ok. skool just started.
i m now living in tokyo... metropolitan life. not really.
but luv it here cos the skool is good, library is a gem... just hope i hav enough time to go tru wut i hav. lots of really interesting ppl here.
havnt got time to really get to know the city yet. mainly cos i m busy & a little broke.... havnt got any income now that i dont hav a scholarship anymore. but i m working on it, dont suppose i ll survive for long without a scholarship here.
yet its not as gloomy as it seems, i m learning lots everyday. & i know that i ll hav much to improve fr now on. :] havent felt like this for a long time...
like a yatch on full sail...
just had a long chat wif me oldman... think it was my 1st. not that we re not on good terms, just that i ve never disclose this much bout me to him ever. & i think he sees me as a man now... quite the change of wind, think i m heading downwind for an easy sail... just hope he can last till i sail home in a few more years. reminds me of an chinese idiom by OuYang Siu "树欲静而风不止，子欲养而亲不在". worst thing that could happen to a son. may i not see this day...not anytime soon.
my study, contrary to every other thing else, does not seem to be sailing on a smooth course. now that i m here in waseda, i shall hav to change the course of my ship just a few degrees to the East. fr now on, i shall pay more attention to the chinese in Japan. i think this is still a relatively new land, unlike the much exploited study of Chinese in SEA...although i still think there is much to be done on them. tentatively i ve set my eyes on the chinese voluntary associations in Japan and their role to a chinese living in japan.
oh so much to ponder about, worry about. how much time hav i got left? not much for sure. will need to speed things up a bit.
how r u folks doing out there? miss my old pals now that i m really all alone. asaka, hows it going there back home? fei chai, how r u getting along wif weiling? gugu, u need a break fr work. ohh... and the lot of u guys fr APU. dav, co, kunlung... hows skool in london?? finally, my sis MQ when do i get to see his pic?? send it to me quickly larrrr!!!!
take care all.
cheers,
Saturday, September 24, 2005
my 6-day long summer holiday
ahh~~~
feel lighter now. but dont expect to be able to relax too long.
i ve settle down in tokyo.
now officially a citizen of the tokyo metropolitan area. that being said, where i live now is just 10mins away fr disneyland... pretty much @ the outskirt of the tokyo city border.
my room is as usual, small, or teenyweeny, XXS sized, a rabbit cage, pigeon hole, anyway u get the picture. but life here isnt that bad, i get 2 meals everyday except on sundays & holidays courtesy of the obasans here. not exactly the best food in the world but at least i dont have to worry bout wuts cheap today in the market, or where's the best place to shop for grocery.
just had me orientation on the 21st sep 2005. already lots to be done, as i was told. my supervisor wants to start our seminar early, so 26th would b the 1st day of skool for me... a week earlier than the Waseda calendar. oh well... at least i dont hav to rot in my Kancil of a room.
the month of september has been a very very busy but fruitful month.
first, i moved to tokyo 1st. that means no more waiting for weeks for ordered study materials to arrive, public transport after 8pm (including Sundays+holidays, hahaha hooray!!), better prospect of finding a good job, & above all a big change fr the last 4 yrs.
b4 i could settle down, i was at kyoto university 3rd~7th, attending a seminar on overseas chinese & made the biggest fool out of myself. it was quite the scene... sitting there not fully prepared, not to mention being so nervous i couldnt focus properly when commenting on the lectures. hence more comments were thrown at me & i was there helpless being cut alive.note to myself: improve japanese & english proficiency. be well prepared & try not to chat too much with the leng lui associate professor sitting next to me the day b4. additional comment: i must agree wif DA-- jap women speaking kyoto accent are the sexiest being on earth.
the day i got back fr kyoto was lulu's Bday 8th. due to insufficient fund, we spent the day at home, simple meal, a small bouquet of roses, & more lament on being 2#yrs old.
coming back fr kyoto, all dishearted & worth less than cow dung, Aunty & lulu dragged me to the Aichi Expo at Nagoya 12th. there i was able to regain bits of my old self... i was able to roam around the hood wif a partial VIP pass (Aunty's friend's husband's subordinate...aka Connection within) and free to snap about wif my trusty canon. visited the mitsubishi pavilion (skipped the 4hr queue :p), both japanese pavilions, the China pavilion, all with personal guide & the accompaniment of their Directors. it really feels great to b a VIP... think i could like it :] then there was the Malaysia pavilion, African pavilions, Spain & France, a few other asian pavilions as well. all in all, it was a fun day and refreshing one too. a BIG BIG thank you to Aunty :]
right after Nagoya, there was our graduation ceremony 15~16th. we went back a day earlier to get all the paperwork done, made sure we could get our certs rite after the long & crowded event & off we went to Yufuin a famous hotspring town rite next to our humble Beppu. the graduation ceremony was a blurrrrr. one moment we were collecting our gowns, taking photos, next thing i know square hats were thrown & some stuck on the ceiling happens every time haha. minutes after the ceremony, we rushed to airport & by dinner, we were back at lulu's in tokyo. talk about a tight schedule.
although summer holiday started months ago, i felt like it started the moment i was handed my cert of graduation by ol'man Fellizar. *finally it feels like holiday* i remember telling this to Aunty later.
so here it is, a summary of the last moments of my summer holiday. next up, life in Waseda...
cheers,
feel lighter now. but dont expect to be able to relax too long.
i ve settle down in tokyo.
now officially a citizen of the tokyo metropolitan area. that being said, where i live now is just 10mins away fr disneyland... pretty much @ the outskirt of the tokyo city border.
my room is as usual, small, or teenyweeny, XXS sized, a rabbit cage, pigeon hole, anyway u get the picture. but life here isnt that bad, i get 2 meals everyday except on sundays & holidays courtesy of the obasans here. not exactly the best food in the world but at least i dont have to worry bout wuts cheap today in the market, or where's the best place to shop for grocery.
just had me orientation on the 21st sep 2005. already lots to be done, as i was told. my supervisor wants to start our seminar early, so 26th would b the 1st day of skool for me... a week earlier than the Waseda calendar. oh well... at least i dont hav to rot in my Kancil of a room.
the month of september has been a very very busy but fruitful month.
first, i moved to tokyo 1st. that means no more waiting for weeks for ordered study materials to arrive, public transport after 8pm (including Sundays+holidays, hahaha hooray!!), better prospect of finding a good job, & above all a big change fr the last 4 yrs.
b4 i could settle down, i was at kyoto university 3rd~7th, attending a seminar on overseas chinese & made the biggest fool out of myself. it was quite the scene... sitting there not fully prepared, not to mention being so nervous i couldnt focus properly when commenting on the lectures. hence more comments were thrown at me & i was there helpless being cut alive.note to myself: improve japanese & english proficiency. be well prepared & try not to chat too much with the leng lui associate professor sitting next to me the day b4. additional comment: i must agree wif DA-- jap women speaking kyoto accent are the sexiest being on earth.
the day i got back fr kyoto was lulu's Bday 8th. due to insufficient fund, we spent the day at home, simple meal, a small bouquet of roses, & more lament on being 2#yrs old.
coming back fr kyoto, all dishearted & worth less than cow dung, Aunty & lulu dragged me to the Aichi Expo at Nagoya 12th. there i was able to regain bits of my old self... i was able to roam around the hood wif a partial VIP pass (Aunty's friend's husband's subordinate...aka Connection within) and free to snap about wif my trusty canon. visited the mitsubishi pavilion (skipped the 4hr queue :p), both japanese pavilions, the China pavilion, all with personal guide & the accompaniment of their Directors. it really feels great to b a VIP... think i could like it :] then there was the Malaysia pavilion, African pavilions, Spain & France, a few other asian pavilions as well. all in all, it was a fun day and refreshing one too. a BIG BIG thank you to Aunty :]
right after Nagoya, there was our graduation ceremony 15~16th. we went back a day earlier to get all the paperwork done, made sure we could get our certs rite after the long & crowded event & off we went to Yufuin a famous hotspring town rite next to our humble Beppu. the graduation ceremony was a blurrrrr. one moment we were collecting our gowns, taking photos, next thing i know square hats were thrown & some stuck on the ceiling happens every time haha. minutes after the ceremony, we rushed to airport & by dinner, we were back at lulu's in tokyo. talk about a tight schedule.
although summer holiday started months ago, i felt like it started the moment i was handed my cert of graduation by ol'man Fellizar. *finally it feels like holiday* i remember telling this to Aunty later.
so here it is, a summary of the last moments of my summer holiday. next up, life in Waseda...
cheers,
Monday, August 15, 2005
raped... a fool's lament
my frantic heart pounding,
the desperate need to convey to the face,
the burning throat, the aching throat, the
swelled throat didnt help the matter.
watered to the brimmed, i turned them
to look at the face as speech failed me.
alas he understood
with my notion he brought writing tools.
*couldnt speak, no sound* coarsely
written in their language,
to which he replied
*i understand, but this is work
& we must all adhere to the work ethic*
little did he know that
the wages for the last few days
would be delivered to the hospital,
pharmacy that provided my treatment.
was the work ethic worth more than the employees?
coming to that, where do i stand as a part timer?
but that was soon answered
as he again spoke, *take tomorrow off,
i shall call u tomorrow for the shift the day after*
& that plastic japanese grin i m all so familiar with.
with that i sped off to retrieve my ride home.
all the way, feeling used & raped
off my last thread of pride as i replayed that scene,
so desperate to appeal my case but couldnt,
so crystal clear of my practical worth,
& a growing detest for this establishment
with all the being in it.
but all this is bygone
i hope.
&
i shall not return.
so farewell Beppu Wan Royal Hotel,
goodbye. &
may we never have to cross paths ever again.
the desperate need to convey to the face,
the burning throat, the aching throat, the
swelled throat didnt help the matter.
watered to the brimmed, i turned them
to look at the face as speech failed me.
alas he understood
with my notion he brought writing tools.
*couldnt speak, no sound* coarsely
written in their language,
to which he replied
*i understand, but this is work
& we must all adhere to the work ethic*
little did he know that
the wages for the last few days
would be delivered to the hospital,
pharmacy that provided my treatment.
was the work ethic worth more than the employees?
coming to that, where do i stand as a part timer?
but that was soon answered
as he again spoke, *take tomorrow off,
i shall call u tomorrow for the shift the day after*
& that plastic japanese grin i m all so familiar with.
with that i sped off to retrieve my ride home.
all the way, feeling used & raped
off my last thread of pride as i replayed that scene,
so desperate to appeal my case but couldnt,
so crystal clear of my practical worth,
& a growing detest for this establishment
with all the being in it.
but all this is bygone
i hope.
&
i shall not return.
so farewell Beppu Wan Royal Hotel,
goodbye. &
may we never have to cross paths ever again.
down & out... & raped good
dear all,
life is a bed of roses, they have thorns... never fully understood this saying till last few days, when i was forced to work nite shifts despite my ailing body.
all me colleagues knew that i was *not feeling well*... gezz how bold can i put it any further (Jap is my 5 or 6 language, so spare me the lecture if u think i should ve done better)... so as it was, i laboured at work wif the most sour face i could contort, the best smile i could put up was barely a smirk.
& this is not the end, because my body had been giving me trouble since the 1st day of august, with a series of headaches, fever, i had been a very grumpy & spiteful person. last nite though my body decided this wasnt enough misery and capped it off with an additional dose of mumps and the OHHH so painful sore throat.
with all these, i brought myself to work, & miraculously lasted 4 hrs till i was completely robbed of speech, literally whatever came forth sounded worse than a bleating goat, robbed of my last thread of pride, for what was i worth more to them than a disposable part timer that *had to* earn that meek 750yen/hr (1 USD=109.6yen) & an undeserving critter who d asked for sick leaves when there's the slightest bodily discomfort.
while i intended to see to end of my shift & then get home for some rest, my body just wouldnt have that kind of talk. so it reacted. the darned sore throat felt so hot that i couldnt speak, as mentioned, when i went to the P in-charge all i could make was uhhhh- uhh-, unintelligible even to a wookie.
in a wify, i left the establishment. im sure i got a few shocked faces seeing me leave like that, but i couldnt care less, all i wanted was to go home. that sole thought kept me going, flying through traffic & evading traps & stops...
till i reach home and tumbled...
life is a bed of roses, they have thorns... never fully understood this saying till last few days, when i was forced to work nite shifts despite my ailing body.
all me colleagues knew that i was *not feeling well*... gezz how bold can i put it any further (Jap is my 5 or 6 language, so spare me the lecture if u think i should ve done better)... so as it was, i laboured at work wif the most sour face i could contort, the best smile i could put up was barely a smirk.
& this is not the end, because my body had been giving me trouble since the 1st day of august, with a series of headaches, fever, i had been a very grumpy & spiteful person. last nite though my body decided this wasnt enough misery and capped it off with an additional dose of mumps and the OHHH so painful sore throat.
with all these, i brought myself to work, & miraculously lasted 4 hrs till i was completely robbed of speech, literally whatever came forth sounded worse than a bleating goat, robbed of my last thread of pride, for what was i worth more to them than a disposable part timer that *had to* earn that meek 750yen/hr (1 USD=109.6yen) & an undeserving critter who d asked for sick leaves when there's the slightest bodily discomfort.
while i intended to see to end of my shift & then get home for some rest, my body just wouldnt have that kind of talk. so it reacted. the darned sore throat felt so hot that i couldnt speak, as mentioned, when i went to the P in-charge all i could make was uhhhh- uhh-, unintelligible even to a wookie.
in a wify, i left the establishment. im sure i got a few shocked faces seeing me leave like that, but i couldnt care less, all i wanted was to go home. that sole thought kept me going, flying through traffic & evading traps & stops...
till i reach home and tumbled...
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
dog tired...
weehh~~
wut a rush. final exam right after the trip to shanghai, then there is the kyoto seminar to worry about, plus there is more than necessary part time job in the already packed schedule.
just got of 2 five-hour-shifts... been awake for more than 20hrs... hell, wish i wasnt hypertension during my rest time or i d have gotten some rest. :[
so here it is... i m getting ready for tokyo. all is fine except that i m debating whether i should attend my own convocation... which will cost more than 1 month's rent just to travel between where i am now & tokyo. mmm.... to be or not to be... i need booze.
speaking about booze... i recently got smashed in a party, so bad that i was rushed into ER. hahahahaha.... too much whiskey + Oita's famous shochu. :] the graduation party was absolutely cr@p!! but we had soooo much booze & smoking going on none of us could leave walking straight. though i must say i enjoyed being smashed hard that nite. guess its a once in a lifetime opportunity to try sth crazy. might as well do it in your own graduation party. hehe~~~
after that, it was part time job all day long, most of the time it runs late into the nite too... wut can i say, cant be begging for more monay fr me folks can i...:p i m on me own now.
but life aint that bad though, waseda seem to offer a good prospect for research and i hope i can go somewhere through waseda :]
enuf of me, why dont u tell me wuts happening lately??
cheers,
wut a rush. final exam right after the trip to shanghai, then there is the kyoto seminar to worry about, plus there is more than necessary part time job in the already packed schedule.
just got of 2 five-hour-shifts... been awake for more than 20hrs... hell, wish i wasnt hypertension during my rest time or i d have gotten some rest. :[
so here it is... i m getting ready for tokyo. all is fine except that i m debating whether i should attend my own convocation... which will cost more than 1 month's rent just to travel between where i am now & tokyo. mmm.... to be or not to be... i need booze.
speaking about booze... i recently got smashed in a party, so bad that i was rushed into ER. hahahahaha.... too much whiskey + Oita's famous shochu. :] the graduation party was absolutely cr@p!! but we had soooo much booze & smoking going on none of us could leave walking straight. though i must say i enjoyed being smashed hard that nite. guess its a once in a lifetime opportunity to try sth crazy. might as well do it in your own graduation party. hehe~~~
after that, it was part time job all day long, most of the time it runs late into the nite too... wut can i say, cant be begging for more monay fr me folks can i...:p i m on me own now.
but life aint that bad though, waseda seem to offer a good prospect for research and i hope i can go somewhere through waseda :]
enuf of me, why dont u tell me wuts happening lately??
cheers,
Thursday, July 28, 2005
to a friend in need
like the flower, u r elegant and beautiful the solitude pink amongst the common leafy green.
towering tall above the rest, such nonchalant yet possesive quality.
delicate and exposed to the elements' will.
alas! of late such beauty succumb to a tempest's wrath,
stormy nights sleepless nights a bucketfull of tears,
pray leave o'devil this soul wounded by cupid's bow,
brace yourself oh elegance, oh beauty, fall not to this weakness within,
for soon this nightmarish storm be no more but fair sunny weather awaits.
stand fast, steadfast for u r elegance and beauty.
bow not, not at this jester's trick, for real love invites not sorrow.
if u r reading this Durian,
to luv,
cheers,
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Friday, July 22, 2005
a trip to Xihu, HangZhou. Summer 2005.
the 3 sisters... Que bella~
this photo has been dedicated to a friend. hope she feels better now.
my regards to her,
Thursday, July 21, 2005
awaken to a long long journey.
having been away for a week at the pearl of the orient, i find myself landing back to reality. how heavenly 'twas the past week...
nothing comes close to zhejiang food, perhaps with the exception of the cantonese counterpart, and god bless the poet for his DongPo marinated pork and the WangPu river for the yummy shrimps. aside from good food, the service also gets a face lift... waitresses doning dinner gowns, personal dinning space with soft leather sofas and a toilet just for you... how good can it get.
getting to places was never easy in this hot, sticky summer day. but i didnt hav to sweat too much, taxis were everywhere and they were cheap, so cheap i use them just to get to the end of a block... :] life can be too good sometimes.
but all things good do have an end i suppose, this morning i find myself awaken by the searing morning sun through the window. the fan didnot help a bit i find myself longing sorely for the comfort i had left behind.
back in beppu much has to be done.
to break a little good news, my application for lodging at tokyo has been granted, a decent dorm for 30,000yen including 2 meals (roughly RM1,000 or USD300). it will be quite a big sum now that i m stripped off a scholarship. but alas, a place i can call my own in the busy metropolitan tokyo.
another news is that i shall attend the Southeast asia seminar in Kyoto university in 5-7th September, hooray for an opportunity to visit my favourite city in Japan. i ll b there for 3 days to listen to papers presented and hopefully discuss about my research in Japan.
because of this, i shall hav to double my effort in perfecting my paper for the seminar. still much to read and write. read i must for the 2 year ahead and write well i must if i should get funding in tokyo. ahh... such is uncertainty in life. but as they all say... ce la vie
coming soon, photos of shanghai and xihu of hangzhou.
cheers,
nothing comes close to zhejiang food, perhaps with the exception of the cantonese counterpart, and god bless the poet for his DongPo marinated pork and the WangPu river for the yummy shrimps. aside from good food, the service also gets a face lift... waitresses doning dinner gowns, personal dinning space with soft leather sofas and a toilet just for you... how good can it get.
getting to places was never easy in this hot, sticky summer day. but i didnt hav to sweat too much, taxis were everywhere and they were cheap, so cheap i use them just to get to the end of a block... :] life can be too good sometimes.
but all things good do have an end i suppose, this morning i find myself awaken by the searing morning sun through the window. the fan didnot help a bit i find myself longing sorely for the comfort i had left behind.
back in beppu much has to be done.
to break a little good news, my application for lodging at tokyo has been granted, a decent dorm for 30,000yen including 2 meals (roughly RM1,000 or USD300). it will be quite a big sum now that i m stripped off a scholarship. but alas, a place i can call my own in the busy metropolitan tokyo.
another news is that i shall attend the Southeast asia seminar in Kyoto university in 5-7th September, hooray for an opportunity to visit my favourite city in Japan. i ll b there for 3 days to listen to papers presented and hopefully discuss about my research in Japan.
because of this, i shall hav to double my effort in perfecting my paper for the seminar. still much to read and write. read i must for the 2 year ahead and write well i must if i should get funding in tokyo. ahh... such is uncertainty in life. but as they all say... ce la vie
coming soon, photos of shanghai and xihu of hangzhou.
cheers,
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
shanghai, there and back again
dear all,
just got back tis evening...
wut a trip,
full of excitement for visiting the city again,
anticipation at the prospect of meeting the people,
gratitude for the hospitality shown,
touching moments knowing how well received i was,
sense of completeness and satisfaction having gained a most respectable contract- human trust---- something i find most difficult to attain.
yet for now this short statement will but have to suffice, a full story will hav to wait till i replenish enough, being utterly spent in the gruelling week long trip...
until then,
sweet dreams,
PS: sorry for the unkept promise, HJ. just couldnt make time for a cuppa in shanghai after that brief meeting.
my deepest regards and gratitude to ur folks... & keep ur head up, PPPPPP... :]
just got back tis evening...
wut a trip,
full of excitement for visiting the city again,
anticipation at the prospect of meeting the people,
gratitude for the hospitality shown,
touching moments knowing how well received i was,
sense of completeness and satisfaction having gained a most respectable contract- human trust---- something i find most difficult to attain.
yet for now this short statement will but have to suffice, a full story will hav to wait till i replenish enough, being utterly spent in the gruelling week long trip...
until then,
sweet dreams,
PS: sorry for the unkept promise, HJ. just couldnt make time for a cuppa in shanghai after that brief meeting.
my deepest regards and gratitude to ur folks... & keep ur head up, PPPPPP... :]
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
wut a roller coaster ride 29th-31st May 2005
dear all,
on the very same day, i experienced both infinite joy and disappointment together.
on the very morning of 29th, t'was a journey from the Top of the world to the deepest pit in hopelessness.
rite after completing--- thats probably too mild a word, the synonym should be *ACE-ing*--- the crappy english (ones we did in CH highskool were prolly harder) & japanese proficiency test (the 1 kyu was not an 1 kyu proper), i went up to the person in charge to discuss my case, how i may be enrolled in Waseda in Fall but not pay until the scholarship money in next April comes by.
to my surprise and later dispair, i was told "aiyo, why u nlevertiell me earlier wan, ur case horr shouldnt be applying from the embassy in Malaysia" errr.... rite, now u tell me... "u should go to the skool directly larr"
the more i listen the more i fall, slip, "i need a sit, Now."
so for the next 2 days, i spent all the time pondering wut to do next, emailing for help and phone calls to the embassy for a follow up. and all that leads us to now, i finally got an answer. Mr Takahashi told me to come back for the interview, "if u make it that is *smirk*"... let me assure u this, among the first few notice-for-interview u will send in the next 2 weeks, my name will be among the very firsts.
but not all hope is lost, and not all coming from him is the end, "take it as a kind of insurance, a 50-50% chance of striking a jackpot, mind u the probability is much higher than any Jackpot on the market..."
after that, i left wif a heavy head full of questions... now fast developing into a migrain... !ouch! me duele mi cabesa~
in the meantime i m now trying to get a postponed admission by playing my Monkasho cards.... hope the skool and the professor will buy into it... or i m left wif a big debt and no way to survive in stone cold Tokyo for the next 700 days....
aaaaiiyhhh, ain't life fun?
cheers,
nic
on the very same day, i experienced both infinite joy and disappointment together.
on the very morning of 29th, t'was a journey from the Top of the world to the deepest pit in hopelessness.
rite after completing--- thats probably too mild a word, the synonym should be *ACE-ing*--- the crappy english (ones we did in CH highskool were prolly harder) & japanese proficiency test (the 1 kyu was not an 1 kyu proper), i went up to the person in charge to discuss my case, how i may be enrolled in Waseda in Fall but not pay until the scholarship money in next April comes by.
to my surprise and later dispair, i was told "aiyo, why u nlevertiell me earlier wan, ur case horr shouldnt be applying from the embassy in Malaysia" errr.... rite, now u tell me... "u should go to the skool directly larr"
the more i listen the more i fall, slip, "i need a sit, Now."
so for the next 2 days, i spent all the time pondering wut to do next, emailing for help and phone calls to the embassy for a follow up. and all that leads us to now, i finally got an answer. Mr Takahashi told me to come back for the interview, "if u make it that is *smirk*"... let me assure u this, among the first few notice-for-interview u will send in the next 2 weeks, my name will be among the very firsts.
but not all hope is lost, and not all coming from him is the end, "take it as a kind of insurance, a 50-50% chance of striking a jackpot, mind u the probability is much higher than any Jackpot on the market..."
after that, i left wif a heavy head full of questions... now fast developing into a migrain... !ouch! me duele mi cabesa~
in the meantime i m now trying to get a postponed admission by playing my Monkasho cards.... hope the skool and the professor will buy into it... or i m left wif a big debt and no way to survive in stone cold Tokyo for the next 700 days....
aaaaiiyhhh, ain't life fun?
cheers,
nic
Thursday, May 26, 2005
heavenly ringtone @ 11am, 26th May 2005
dear all,
i finally made it. the announcement came through this morning & i m on the A-OK-Kawabunga list. yea~~haw!!!! ~Waseda here i come~
i ll be doing me MA prog in Tokyo starting this september once i pay up.... wonder how much a scholarship i ll get fr waseda.
well, that solved... up next would be the jap gov Monbusho scholarship. oh well.... keep on praying.... keep me head up now, never know when Luck's gonna strike again.
thank you all who have been supportive and may u all too achieve that dream of yours.
cheers,
nic
i finally made it. the announcement came through this morning & i m on the A-OK-Kawabunga list. yea~~haw!!!! ~Waseda here i come~
i ll be doing me MA prog in Tokyo starting this september once i pay up.... wonder how much a scholarship i ll get fr waseda.
well, that solved... up next would be the jap gov Monbusho scholarship. oh well.... keep on praying.... keep me head up now, never know when Luck's gonna strike again.
cheers,
nic
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
*praying* WASEDA WASEDA WASEDA
dear all,
i m now back home in KL... still pretty dazzed by the waseda interview.
come to think of it, the interview went on pretty smooth. a little too smooth perhaps. wonder if that is a positive sign.... keep my fingers crossed here.
if there is any fallout i could think of, it would be my failing to mention that i was invited to the Monbusho scholarship 2nd screening. i should ve at least boast a little bout that. then there is also two names that i forgot to mention..... arhh~!! i panicked at the interview~
oh well, thats all over now. i ll hav to start preparing for the monbusho one rite now. so wish me luck y'all, i ll keep ye posted. & if i dont, then u know why.
**PS** Wes, Koji, Rio, the waseda letter should arrive on the 26th noon or 27th morning. rip it open and inform me the result asap, please~
i m now back home in KL... still pretty dazzed by the waseda interview.
come to think of it, the interview went on pretty smooth. a little too smooth perhaps. wonder if that is a positive sign.... keep my fingers crossed here.
if there is any fallout i could think of, it would be my failing to mention that i was invited to the Monbusho scholarship 2nd screening. i should ve at least boast a little bout that. then there is also two names that i forgot to mention..... arhh~!! i panicked at the interview~
oh well, thats all over now. i ll hav to start preparing for the monbusho one rite now. so wish me luck y'all, i ll keep ye posted. & if i dont, then u know why.
**PS** Wes, Koji, Rio, the waseda letter should arrive on the 26th noon or 27th morning. rip it open and inform me the result asap, please~
Saturday, May 14, 2005
going home soon
i ll be leaving for Tokyo on the 21st of may and then leave for Kuala Lumpur on the 24th.
quite a tight schedule i have here... and to top all that off i have to finish my graduating thesis in 3 weeks. looks like more sleepless nite for mua.
absolutely not looking forward towards the next couple of weeks.
to a crappy life,
cheers,
quite a tight schedule i have here... and to top all that off i have to finish my graduating thesis in 3 weeks. looks like more sleepless nite for mua.
absolutely not looking forward towards the next couple of weeks.
to a crappy life,
cheers,
Friday, May 13, 2005
GOT it... pass the first screening :]
dear all,
amidst a gloomy prospect and close to stagnant in churning up a thesis, there might finally be a glimmer of hope, a single ray of light shooting through the surrounding hopelessness as i was informed to have made it through the 1st screening for both institutions i m aiming for.
the japanese Monbusho dropped a letter at home and its a invitation for the English and Japanese proficiency exam....
the Waseda notice just arrived less than 30mins ago, was and still very dazzed at receiving a positive note. thought i heard the door bell when i was awaken groggy headead. as i dragged me heavy feet to the door, an envelope was stuck into me hand by me roommate *luv u dearly koji~!!* and it wasnt a big one too.
and boy was i glad when the letter inside turned out to be an invitation to a 2nd screening :] so far todo esta bien~ super bien :p
now, lets start working on the preparation :[
cheers,
amidst a gloomy prospect and close to stagnant in churning up a thesis, there might finally be a glimmer of hope, a single ray of light shooting through the surrounding hopelessness as i was informed to have made it through the 1st screening for both institutions i m aiming for.
the japanese Monbusho dropped a letter at home and its a invitation for the English and Japanese proficiency exam....
the Waseda notice just arrived less than 30mins ago, was and still very dazzed at receiving a positive note. thought i heard the door bell when i was awaken groggy headead. as i dragged me heavy feet to the door, an envelope was stuck into me hand by me roommate *luv u dearly koji~!!* and it wasnt a big one too.
and boy was i glad when the letter inside turned out to be an invitation to a 2nd screening :] so far todo esta bien~ super bien :p
now, lets start working on the preparation :[
cheers,
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Photos fr our little day trip on 7th May _Pt. 1_
My personal model... tot i d venture into shooting potraits as well ^_^
we ll b seeing more of her in the future on this blog. ^_^
the weather was just perfect~!!
wut u dont like the camera?? :o?? haha... luvly shot eh ^_^
i ll post more when i m done post processing them :] stay tuned for part2 ^^
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Friday, May 06, 2005
happy birthday mom
dear mom,
sorry for not calling in person. actually i forgot bout ur birthday, too busy these days trying to handle both work and studies... but those are not excuse for forgetting ur birthday.
i m really sorry for that.
wish u ll hav a wonderful year ahead and enjoy life to the fullest.
there's a japanese saying i always wanted to say to u: "otsukaresama desu!!". explain it to u when i see u next time :] cheers and take care~
unfilial son,
Thung
sorry for not calling in person. actually i forgot bout ur birthday, too busy these days trying to handle both work and studies... but those are not excuse for forgetting ur birthday.
i m really sorry for that.
wish u ll hav a wonderful year ahead and enjoy life to the fullest.
there's a japanese saying i always wanted to say to u: "otsukaresama desu!!". explain it to u when i see u next time :] cheers and take care~
unfilial son,
Thung
Monday, May 02, 2005
earthquake alert~!!!
jeesshh~~
just had another slight shake here, barely seconds ago. didnt think it would register a R4 magnitude bad boy on the scale. :O :O :O
wonder wuts wrong wif the faultline near Fukuoka... hav had more quakes in the last 30 days than my total of 4 yrs stay in japan. very weird.... cos the Fukuoka faultline was never known to b active. hope we dont get a real big boy anytime soon.
at least let us graduate peacefully. please dear Almighty up there...
amen,
nic
just had another slight shake here, barely seconds ago. didnt think it would register a R4 magnitude bad boy on the scale. :O :O :O
wonder wuts wrong wif the faultline near Fukuoka... hav had more quakes in the last 30 days than my total of 4 yrs stay in japan. very weird.... cos the Fukuoka faultline was never known to b active. hope we dont get a real big boy anytime soon.
at least let us graduate peacefully. please dear Almighty up there...
amen,
nic
wut a week. tiring 'GORUDEN Ui~KU translate literally as Golden week'
wohh...
its the 3rd day of the week... and many more days to go. i m still trying to work on my thesis.
the most tiring part of life currently would b my part time job. i ve been working at this French restaurant for some time now and a couple of days ago, one of the more experienced employee just quit. because of that, i was to replace her as the one to coordinate the flow of food.
and boy its one tough job alrite~ not only do i make sure my waiters serve guests on time but i hav to make sure the kitchen keep up wif the pace and produce enough for the mass of guests pouring in at dinner time.
whew~~!! gone r the days when i could turn my back and snip from the plates o delicacies. now i m suppose to make sure those who serve food dont steal. hahaha~~ such irony such life.
but i ll try to make more time for study. got to prepare for my grad skool interview and exam, then there s a big thesis to keep me occupied.
god, please do make sure i pull this off.
cheers to all,
nic
its the 3rd day of the week... and many more days to go. i m still trying to work on my thesis.
the most tiring part of life currently would b my part time job. i ve been working at this French restaurant for some time now and a couple of days ago, one of the more experienced employee just quit. because of that, i was to replace her as the one to coordinate the flow of food.
and boy its one tough job alrite~ not only do i make sure my waiters serve guests on time but i hav to make sure the kitchen keep up wif the pace and produce enough for the mass of guests pouring in at dinner time.
whew~~!! gone r the days when i could turn my back and snip from the plates o delicacies. now i m suppose to make sure those who serve food dont steal. hahaha~~ such irony such life.
but i ll try to make more time for study. got to prepare for my grad skool interview and exam, then there s a big thesis to keep me occupied.
god, please do make sure i pull this off.
cheers to all,
nic
Sunday, April 24, 2005
will the real residents of Shinsei plz stand up :]
the Shinesei trio.... & they're kind of shy people :p
For those who dont know, Wes is 6ft tall, 200lbs...
this is how it looks like when u r at least 4500m or more than 10,000ft above sealevel.
photo by Shin san.
how strange human mind is~
some would think she is so cute, others might as why is she bandaged, still others might question the real motif of this photo for capturing the moment too realistically and relating it to some ugly pedophilic middle aged maniac.
for wutever reason, i strongly believe wut this shot remarkable. the expression on her little face cannot be describe by words. notice the ring she is blowing into, nothing will come out of it but she doesnt know that. how simple a children's mind could be ~
cheers,
Saturday, April 23, 2005
sea of cloud... marvelous :]
august 4th, approx 4am, Mt Fuji. forgot to mention this was 2004.
photo by Shin san.
i m fine. just down and out.
could b monthly blue that got me.... not in the best mood now. and the weather today sure didnt help either... wut more i cant seem to get a decent nite's sleep cos ma' mates hav a booming voice and a heavy foot :p
wonder hows life out there wif y'all. anyone else wants to hav a go at the misery of life? here's a chance to spill em all out...
*smooochh* & aint this a lovely day... :]
& since its my birthday, i get a little *bonus* :p hahaha, somebody wipe that smug off nic's f@ce~
24th spring, spent wif buddies.
my birthday party. this is kind of dated but tot i d still share it wif u guys. thanx a million. frens missing: asaka, david.
babe when u r gone, .......
gone for 3 weeks. i ll miss u. dont give tokyo too hard a time. :] be good now...
Friday, April 22, 2005
just me here.
i m all alone, there's no one here around me~ Donkey in Shrek.
lulu's gone for 3 weeks. leaving me here to rot while i push myself to read and compile the tonnes of material i have for me thesis. and there s also the waseda skool to worry about, need to prepare for that interview and write an essay as well, on demand.
very busy x 100000 and take that to infinity= the present me.
and as i set myself in motion now, time really slips by. suddenly i dont even want to wear a watch.... for fear of thinking how much i hav lost. scary thought.
ohh... ticking ticking...
lulu's gone for 3 weeks. leaving me here to rot while i push myself to read and compile the tonnes of material i have for me thesis. and there s also the waseda skool to worry about, need to prepare for that interview and write an essay as well, on demand.
very busy x 100000 and take that to infinity= the present me.
and as i set myself in motion now, time really slips by. suddenly i dont even want to wear a watch.... for fear of thinking how much i hav lost. scary thought.
ohh... ticking ticking...
Saturday, April 09, 2005
i m back.
guess its time to get back to work now.
had a long long vacation. lots happened. dunnno if i will fare better this spring.
winter's finally gone.... spring is officially here.
to a great semester, cheers~
had a long long vacation. lots happened. dunnno if i will fare better this spring.
winter's finally gone.... spring is officially here.
to a great semester, cheers~
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
graduation thesis + grad skool application + new semester = one hell of a life
wheeuuhh~~ boy hav i been busier~~
been trying to juggle many pressing tasks now, and i can really really feel and understand the saying "time is short"... indeed 24hrs a day should hav been made at least 36.
at least then i can hav some time for a break... hate it when i hav to rush to get things done. cant wait till next sem, then i ll hav more things to do b4 i get my Bachelor's.
but then again, life is also good here. get to eat all the good food at home... trying to eat the two years worth back in less than 60 days ;p pray that i wont get a bad tummy soon.
havnt seen many of my frens due to the reason that they are all working and busy person too. well, CNY is close and hopefully then they ll get a few days off and we can have a little gathering. cant wait to catch up the ol'times wif the guys... wonder how they all turn out after all these time....
please... time~ gimme more~
cheers,
been trying to juggle many pressing tasks now, and i can really really feel and understand the saying "time is short"... indeed 24hrs a day should hav been made at least 36.
at least then i can hav some time for a break... hate it when i hav to rush to get things done. cant wait till next sem, then i ll hav more things to do b4 i get my Bachelor's.
but then again, life is also good here. get to eat all the good food at home... trying to eat the two years worth back in less than 60 days ;p pray that i wont get a bad tummy soon.
havnt seen many of my frens due to the reason that they are all working and busy person too. well, CNY is close and hopefully then they ll get a few days off and we can have a little gathering. cant wait to catch up the ol'times wif the guys... wonder how they all turn out after all these time....
please... time~ gimme more~
cheers,
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
To avery.... is that u there?? averized@gmail.com
hey,
i must say, never thought i d see u drop a line here. hahaha.... do come by & drop me messages, feels good to know that i havent lost the people i know...
^^^^
i m hooked on PS2 soccer game -- winning eleven 8-- these days.
never thought i d b so indulged in a video game but this soccer game is great. just cant stop playing here.
i ll hav to do sth quick to quench this lust for WE8.... my thesis is still going nowhere & i m leaving for home this saturday. got to get sth done soon.
HELP~~~~!!!!
i must say, never thought i d see u drop a line here. hahaha.... do come by & drop me messages, feels good to know that i havent lost the people i know...
^^^^
i m hooked on PS2 soccer game -- winning eleven 8-- these days.
never thought i d b so indulged in a video game but this soccer game is great. just cant stop playing here.
i ll hav to do sth quick to quench this lust for WE8.... my thesis is still going nowhere & i m leaving for home this saturday. got to get sth done soon.
HELP~~~~!!!!
Monday, January 10, 2005
feels like holiday.... or more like a calm moment before the storm
life goes on... after the horrific quake and waves, things are starting to be organized and some are trying to start all over again. good luck... and i respect ye all who are still able to continue with life over there.
back here, now that things are almost at its end, all seems to be calm again. the semester will end in a couple of weeks, all exams are over for me. all left are just boring classes and TA duties.
yet for some reason, this semester left a very unfulfilled me behind. for some reason, i think i still hav much to do, and i m very very very worried.
the main issue being my graduation thesis, which is sad to say, not going anywhere.
books & articles i hav read, but i cant seem to gather them all and conclude them in a refined way. and without a good thesis, i can basically kiss my well-thought-out-future goodbye.....
if only there is a reset button that i can press, and all things in life can go back to its default mode. why is more troublesome... lack of choice or too much of it???
hope tomoro will bring me some better news.
cheers,
back here, now that things are almost at its end, all seems to be calm again. the semester will end in a couple of weeks, all exams are over for me. all left are just boring classes and TA duties.
yet for some reason, this semester left a very unfulfilled me behind. for some reason, i think i still hav much to do, and i m very very very worried.
the main issue being my graduation thesis, which is sad to say, not going anywhere.
books & articles i hav read, but i cant seem to gather them all and conclude them in a refined way. and without a good thesis, i can basically kiss my well-thought-out-future goodbye.....
if only there is a reset button that i can press, and all things in life can go back to its default mode. why is more troublesome... lack of choice or too much of it???
hope tomoro will bring me some better news.
cheers,
Thursday, January 06, 2005
going home soon
hey...
at last, my trip home.
dear guys, i ll b back by 29th january. hope to see most of my pals then. wonder if they are all back fr overseas. i know some are, if u guys are visiting this blog pls drop me ur contacts so that we can get in touch. think i ve lost most if not all of u guys' contacts. sorry :p
& to my sis, i hav a new year card prepared sometime during christmas but for many reasons couldnt sent it out, think its too late now?? :p
cheers all,
ps: flying china airline, the infamous taiwanese charter that crashes every four years, hope i ll reach KL safely & able to fly back here in one piece :]
at last, my trip home.
dear guys, i ll b back by 29th january. hope to see most of my pals then. wonder if they are all back fr overseas. i know some are, if u guys are visiting this blog pls drop me ur contacts so that we can get in touch. think i ve lost most if not all of u guys' contacts. sorry :p
& to my sis, i hav a new year card prepared sometime during christmas but for many reasons couldnt sent it out, think its too late now?? :p
cheers all,
ps: flying china airline, the infamous taiwanese charter that crashes every four years, hope i ll reach KL safely & able to fly back here in one piece :]
Monday, January 03, 2005
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