- Never Stop Dreaming -
最近、僕は自分で日本語を勉強してつずけました。簡単じゃなくて大変ですけども、いっぱい頼む人がいるよね。だって、皆は優しいと思うんですけど、お願いっていうこと当たり前だよ。もうやりましたね、知らない人に頼むの事。最初はちょっと緊張するですけど、１回目やったら段々慣れました。時々人々の説明は難しいって、意味はだいたいわかると思います。実はね、そんな感じもちろん面白いだろうね、つまり僕は好きということだ。
じゃ困る事はどこ？まってて、やっぱり次は僕の説明ですけどもちゃんと聞いてよ。僕はいつも同じの場所で勉強しているだけど、知らない人もう多いんだ。もしいつも違うん人に頼む、これは悪いなイメージじゃないでしょう？僕はよくわかるね自分の目的は勉強だけだ、しかしわからないの時話し合いによって問題を解決するでしょう？じゃそれでなぜ自分のイメージの事強いって僕もうわからない。
これは困ったな、どうしょうする...
Monday, March 17, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Boys Festival
- Never Stop Dreaming -
As Girls Festival exits the month of March, stores and exhibitions are sprouting up items for the Boys Festival, none other than SAMURAIs related stuffs. Products are all scaled down and ranges from Kabutos (Samurai Helmets), Ningyos (Figures) to Full Samurai armour suits. Stands, display cases are all fully included. But you can be sure that these master pieces are hand crafted in Japan and they use lead-free paints (Pun intended). Prices also ranges from a couple of hundred SG dollars for a minature helmet to almost a whopping three thousand SG dollars for a exquisite full suit.
If you should be interested in satisfying your Samurai instincts by owning one of these treasures, now is the time as there are sales coming up so I can probably get them cheap but not that cheap. Here are some picture previews...
As Girls Festival exits the month of March, stores and exhibitions are sprouting up items for the Boys Festival, none other than SAMURAIs related stuffs. Products are all scaled down and ranges from Kabutos (Samurai Helmets), Ningyos (Figures) to Full Samurai armour suits. Stands, display cases are all fully included. But you can be sure that these master pieces are hand crafted in Japan and they use lead-free paints (Pun intended). Prices also ranges from a couple of hundred SG dollars for a minature helmet to almost a whopping three thousand SG dollars for a exquisite full suit.
If you should be interested in satisfying your Samurai instincts by owning one of these treasures, now is the time as there are sales coming up so I can probably get them cheap but not that cheap. Here are some picture previews...
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Debit Cards in Japan
- Never Stop Dreaming -
Mention debit card (DC) here in Japan and you will find yourself in a totally new conversation with the locals. Debit cards here in Japan are unlike those that we already know off like in U.S. or in good old SG. DCs in Japan are not VISA or MASTER embedded and they are simply just plain POSB ATM cards that allow you access the ATM and purchase items via the "cashless" feature like NETS in SG. But the catch is that the Japanese label this feature of the ATM as a DC. So in layman terms, the NETS that we are all so familiar with is actually called DC in Japan.
Yeah it's definitely weird that concerning DC issues, we are playing a different ball game altogether. And one must also note that since sometime ago there was actually a government ban on Banks in Japan issuing credit cards which was only reversed sometime later, most credit cards offered here are not issued by banks themselves but rather their subsidiaries or a third party company.
Because I wanted to apply for a DC so I could purchase stuffs online, I find myself discovering more about the Japanese system. They use cash over cards and signatures are replaced by a ink stamp. So if you lose your stamp, you are pretty much doom. Most pin securities are simply a 4 digit number as opposed to the usual 6 digit. Well I am not really sure if this is a serious security flaw but maybe the Japanese simply are comformists and crimes rarely surface, at least in this rural town that I am in.
So in anycase if you ever want a VISA enabled card without the hassle and risk of a credit card, try EBANK as they are probably the only company that I know that actually issue VISA embedded DCs in Japan. However it's all in Japanese so go figure.
Mention debit card (DC) here in Japan and you will find yourself in a totally new conversation with the locals. Debit cards here in Japan are unlike those that we already know off like in U.S. or in good old SG. DCs in Japan are not VISA or MASTER embedded and they are simply just plain POSB ATM cards that allow you access the ATM and purchase items via the "cashless" feature like NETS in SG. But the catch is that the Japanese label this feature of the ATM as a DC. So in layman terms, the NETS that we are all so familiar with is actually called DC in Japan.
Yeah it's definitely weird that concerning DC issues, we are playing a different ball game altogether. And one must also note that since sometime ago there was actually a government ban on Banks in Japan issuing credit cards which was only reversed sometime later, most credit cards offered here are not issued by banks themselves but rather their subsidiaries or a third party company.
Because I wanted to apply for a DC so I could purchase stuffs online, I find myself discovering more about the Japanese system. They use cash over cards and signatures are replaced by a ink stamp. So if you lose your stamp, you are pretty much doom. Most pin securities are simply a 4 digit number as opposed to the usual 6 digit. Well I am not really sure if this is a serious security flaw but maybe the Japanese simply are comformists and crimes rarely surface, at least in this rural town that I am in.
So in anycase if you ever want a VISA enabled card without the hassle and risk of a credit card, try EBANK as they are probably the only company that I know that actually issue VISA embedded DCs in Japan. However it's all in Japanese so go figure.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Hinamatsuri (雛祭り)
- Never Stop Dreaming -
Today, 3rd day of the 3rd month of March in the 20th year of the Heisei Era is also a Japanese festival by the name of Hinamatsuri or Japanese Doll Festival or Girls' Day. For a more indepth English explaination, Wiki Here.
So I had a special treat for school lunch, Sakura Mochi. The Sakura leave that wrap the mochi has a weird and strong sour/salty taste but nonetheless very very fragrant. The pink mochi is very much like the normal Japanese mochi and sweet bean paste is stuffed in it.
Nope these are not my pictures but ripped off the net.
Today, 3rd day of the 3rd month of March in the 20th year of the Heisei Era is also a Japanese festival by the name of Hinamatsuri or Japanese Doll Festival or Girls' Day. For a more indepth English explaination, Wiki Here.
So I had a special treat for school lunch, Sakura Mochi. The Sakura leave that wrap the mochi has a weird and strong sour/salty taste but nonetheless very very fragrant. The pink mochi is very much like the normal Japanese mochi and sweet bean paste is stuffed in it.
Nope these are not my pictures but ripped off the net.
Insane Stints
- Never Stop Dreaming -
Over the weekend, I did a couple of really crazy stuffs. I went snowboarding which was great as I am getting better with each session. But things were a little different this time round as I rode thru beaten "out of bounds" courses. Took on steeper drops, went in and out of trees and forest paths, cruise on powder all with only 6 amateur sessions in my entire life.
These insane stunts were all ridden by my fellow snowboarders with at a minimum of 8 years in their record but for me and another amateur daredevil, Nigel, we were flying along side with the big boys. Yeah the occasional collapse of our leg muscles lead to tumbles and crashes, none were really that fatal. Swimming in deep powder and performing cartwheels were all in day's work for our snowboarding routine. We were significantly the upcoming stars of this extreme winter sport.
Snowboarding aside, I drove to Nagano city for the weekend to grab some essential Japanese JLPT 2 books and also to savour the great Tonkotsu Ramen. It was a clear Sunday morning and I was pretty frugal on my expenses so I decided to park my little car in an open private parking lot. But little did I realised that this would be my greatest escape feat till date. Yep the Great Escape occurred at approximately a quater past 1 in the afternoon where the carpark was locked up with an automated chain barrier.
There were 3 feasible options for me to leave the carpark -
1. Called the hotline and pay a hefty fine to remove my car.
2. Drive over the curb to exit.
3. Drive thru a precise 0.01% wide gap.
Option 1 is out for me as I am not paying the fine and getting myself into a whole lot of trouble after that.
Option 2 is out too as the curb was way higher than the allowed ground clearence of my car.
Option 3 was chosen but here are the governing factors. The gap was almost the exact width of my car with a mere 3cm gap allowance on each side. Crammed between 2 right angled walls I have to position the car at exactly half way thru the walls and make a turn to either a right or left as a perpendicular road connects the gap. Any errors would either scrapped the side of my car or leave me stuck in a werid position.
Accessing the situation, I shook my head in disgust as the gap looks almost impossible. I took a 5 min breather and went for the Greatest Escape of my driving career. Carefully navigating the gap with my windows down, I managed to squeeze the car into the exact exit position. Now it's just the timing of exact angle to turn out to the perpendicular road. 2 minutes and 1 reverse was all I took to free myself. No scratches, bumps or fines, I became the freeman...Haha.
Looking back, I almost died when I freed myself from the carpark to the extent I actually wanted to drive back and take pictures of it. That escape feat which seem impossible was eventually accomplished and I have to thank Mr Guts, Mr Experience and Mr Insanity for granting me such immerse power to pull off that stunt.
Now adding another new driving stunt to my record, I can only say in times of dire situations, a hero will be born.
Over the weekend, I did a couple of really crazy stuffs. I went snowboarding which was great as I am getting better with each session. But things were a little different this time round as I rode thru beaten "out of bounds" courses. Took on steeper drops, went in and out of trees and forest paths, cruise on powder all with only 6 amateur sessions in my entire life.
These insane stunts were all ridden by my fellow snowboarders with at a minimum of 8 years in their record but for me and another amateur daredevil, Nigel, we were flying along side with the big boys. Yeah the occasional collapse of our leg muscles lead to tumbles and crashes, none were really that fatal. Swimming in deep powder and performing cartwheels were all in day's work for our snowboarding routine. We were significantly the upcoming stars of this extreme winter sport.
Snowboarding aside, I drove to Nagano city for the weekend to grab some essential Japanese JLPT 2 books and also to savour the great Tonkotsu Ramen. It was a clear Sunday morning and I was pretty frugal on my expenses so I decided to park my little car in an open private parking lot. But little did I realised that this would be my greatest escape feat till date. Yep the Great Escape occurred at approximately a quater past 1 in the afternoon where the carpark was locked up with an automated chain barrier.
There were 3 feasible options for me to leave the carpark -
1. Called the hotline and pay a hefty fine to remove my car.
2. Drive over the curb to exit.
3. Drive thru a precise 0.01% wide gap.
Option 1 is out for me as I am not paying the fine and getting myself into a whole lot of trouble after that.
Option 2 is out too as the curb was way higher than the allowed ground clearence of my car.
Option 3 was chosen but here are the governing factors. The gap was almost the exact width of my car with a mere 3cm gap allowance on each side. Crammed between 2 right angled walls I have to position the car at exactly half way thru the walls and make a turn to either a right or left as a perpendicular road connects the gap. Any errors would either scrapped the side of my car or leave me stuck in a werid position.
Accessing the situation, I shook my head in disgust as the gap looks almost impossible. I took a 5 min breather and went for the Greatest Escape of my driving career. Carefully navigating the gap with my windows down, I managed to squeeze the car into the exact exit position. Now it's just the timing of exact angle to turn out to the perpendicular road. 2 minutes and 1 reverse was all I took to free myself. No scratches, bumps or fines, I became the freeman...Haha.
Looking back, I almost died when I freed myself from the carpark to the extent I actually wanted to drive back and take pictures of it. That escape feat which seem impossible was eventually accomplished and I have to thank Mr Guts, Mr Experience and Mr Insanity for granting me such immerse power to pull off that stunt.
Now adding another new driving stunt to my record, I can only say in times of dire situations, a hero will be born.
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