Into the 1st month of the 2010 year

- Never Stop Dreaming -

13 days late is how I see it but nonetheless here are the updates for this brand new year. For the past 2 years, I have spent almost every new year's eve, new year and days after in Tokyo possibly in Roppongi. While Japan is a huge country, Roppongi is not a place ranked high in my list of favorite places simply because the American troops from Okinawa will throng the streets and make it a shitty place to be in during festive seasons. Brawls, fights, broken glasses, blood, police, etc are just some filth from those sewer crawling trash littering everywhere. But sadly, I have great friends who like to frequent Roppongi and I would usually tag along suppressing my angst.

This time round, the crossover from 2009 to 2010 was more subtle for me since there were many factors involved. I had initially planned to take a nice trip to Patan but the last minute decision proved fruitless since the VISA, accomodation would need to be prepared months prior. In the end, I was in a local small pub cum restaurant counting down with the not so many people to embrace the new year. Boring, uneventful and outright stupid are just some words I can think of to reflect the decision that I had made. You see, I have my concerns for not spurging on a trip down to Tokyo to deprive myself of sleep. Since I had a rather important second interview for a job that I would very much want to pursue in April, I needed to stash away decent funds for a car, a new crash pad and possibly the other misc items like washing machines and microwave. Though it may seem like a few items, trust me they do rob me of decent cash.

The only consolation that I got 1 am in the morning on the 1st day of 2010 was that it was cold and there were some snow on the streets but that was it. I would had been much better off sleeping in my warm bed but...nevermind.

Then the holidays ended and I headed back to work on Thursday and Friday only to find the 1st week of January fully packed with events. On the 9th, I drove up to Madarao Ski Resort to meet up with a very sweet friend from Tokyo to do some snowboarding. While I had always been to the other side of the mountain in Nozawa to do my boarding sessions, Madarao wasn't bad at all but the runs were a little short. Nonetheless I was really glad to be able to see a familiar sweet face since the last time we met was in October last year.

Sunday the 10th, the day the SHAKEN or a certificate to own a car in Japan, much like the COE in Singapore was due. I drove the silver Honda Accord en route to meet my friend for the deal. Half way, the car gave up on me...first the car wobbled like the engine was giving up, next there was no response from the throttle and then before God knows what would have happened, I let the car glide and maneuvered it off the main road into some parking lot. Caution lights popped up and thinking that the battery was flat, I off the ignition and tried to reaffirm my conclusion by restarting the car. BAD BAD decision since offing the ignition was the very last thing that kept the engine running. Now the car simply would not start no matter what...and after getting some help from a nearby gas station, I was told that either the fuel was too low for the fuel pump to draw or the spark plugs was outta lightning. Either way the Accord was literally dead.

Thank God for being blessed with amazing friends and he came down in a huge vehicle carrier and together we hauled the car up and back to the scrap yard. Here I adjusted myself to the new mini AAA powered car, a white Suzuki Alto. A "Kei" catergory car here in Japan with a tiny engine capacity of less than 700cc but hey, it's a FULL 5 SPEED MANUAL little monster. Soon I find myself finishing up the documents needed for the car, had dinner with my friends and headed to another local bar for a pre-birthday night out. Little to my surprised this usually quiet bar was packed on a Sunday night. I was thrilled but in my head, the only thing I was concerned was the interview the next day. Nonetheless, it was a rather noisy night to bring in my birthday with tequila shots for everyone. After that I sped home in my little monster only to find out that there wasn't any lag from quick shifting the clutch...WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Monday, 11th January in the year of 2010 was a public holiday here in Japan which commemerates the coming of age. Literally what this means is that all the 20 year olds have an option to choose to go thru a ceremony to officially certify that they are now an adult. But it was also me birthday... :p

Once again in the late morning, I fly thru traffic to get to my friend's scrap yard to salvage parts to tune up me tiny little monster. First was the licence plate covers, etc. and next was the radio antennae which needed to be replaced since the broken one wouldn't pick up any signal which means no music! All that trinkling and tuning took a little too long and now I had 2 hours to complete a stunt which was to get back home that would take about an hour, get changed into a suit and make my way to the interview venue which is also an hour away. I made it home in 57 minutes in the otherwise impossible traffic, changed into my suit less the tie and flew to the place of interview in again 58 odd minutes with the car running on little or no fuel at all. It was an almost impossible feat since the roads were snowy, slippery and curvy complete with irritating crawling traffic. I hardly had anytime to breathe or think as the moment I stopped the car, I was dashing to the scheduled meeting place.

This interview was what I had anticipated all these while but the insane turn of events made me flipped on the journey there. My pulse was racing along with the car, my breathing was irregular but heavey and fast and my mind was in a complete state of messed up circuitry. I was not sure how I had fared in the interview in the eyes of the interviewers but to me, I think I screwed it up bad. I don't know, I really don't but somehow the only thing I can do now is to hope, wait and pray. Let's just see shall we...

A lot of missed calls, messages, etc for me birthday and for that I am really thankful for all you people which are not even 5% of the 300 odd people on my friends' list. Sadly but true, many of them are simply statistics for show unless proven wrong which is highly unlikely. I didn't have any cakes or candles but if I had to wish, it would be to get the job and in the event that I do get it, it would possible be the best birthday present ever...

Nothing much I can do now except wait but I will be heading up to Hakuba this weekend for more snowboarding with friends from Osaka. Then on the fateful 20th, the day of judgement, there is a party going on as well. If I get the job, the party would be splendid but if not, a consolation party perhaps?