- Never Stop Dreaming -
Here one for the really religious people...that is if you like games. As we all know that games are usually an alternative form of entertainment but to some, it might just be an alter-ego to achieve gratifications that are not possible in real life. So being an avid gamer and not that a religious believer, came across a recent entry on QJ Net that questions this illusive form of violence.
The question being impose was, "Is killing in video games a sin?" While there is an obvious answer that clearly defines reality and fiction, the next time you visit your church, or any other religious sanctions that you belong to, ask the most revered pastor, holy man, monk, etc whether killing and murdering in video games is a sin. I am pretty sure there will be some really over the top answers that would probably see reality and fiction as a single entity. Now that would be one really hilarious answer I would want to hear...
Aside from this, if you grew up during the 80s and have been fiddling with Nintendos and Segas then here is a really cool update. In the upcoming Street Fighter IV game, for the first time in history, Ryu and Ken's master who so happens to be Akuma's brother will be featured as a CPU controlled character aka Gouken.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Self Titled Abstraction
- Never Stop Dreaming -
My maiden attempt to create my ideal vision albeit tons of flaws and the best thing...I did not manage to save the original PSD file. Nonetheless, I was pretty surprised that it turned out a little short of my intended expectations. Composite of 3 different pictures with the inclusion of a imaginary midnight sun and different rendering light exposures. This is the result...
Recently I have stumbled upon some photography magazines in my neighbourhood that contained pictures that have a rustic surreal. So I am in the midst of studying them with hopes to create my ideal vision. It's all about the expression of the subject with relation to the surrounding and the colors at play. Then after that, it's where photoshop will weave the final magical touches. This was the initial inspirational photograph that set me off to get things started.
You see when you are really running outta creativity to entertain yourself, have tons of time to spare, possess a bad ass lappy and runs a few wild wires inside your head, this is the result.
My maiden attempt to create my ideal vision albeit tons of flaws and the best thing...I did not manage to save the original PSD file. Nonetheless, I was pretty surprised that it turned out a little short of my intended expectations. Composite of 3 different pictures with the inclusion of a imaginary midnight sun and different rendering light exposures. This is the result...
Recently I have stumbled upon some photography magazines in my neighbourhood that contained pictures that have a rustic surreal. So I am in the midst of studying them with hopes to create my ideal vision. It's all about the expression of the subject with relation to the surrounding and the colors at play. Then after that, it's where photoshop will weave the final magical touches. This was the initial inspirational photograph that set me off to get things started.
You see when you are really running outta creativity to entertain yourself, have tons of time to spare, possess a bad ass lappy and runs a few wild wires inside your head, this is the result.
Yet another set of gems taken
- Never Stop Dreaming -
Tuesday, Autumn Equinox Day, is in fact a public holiday in Japan. As usual I got the day off and was pretty much lazying around the house, fiddling with my psp. Valkyrie Profile Lenneth to be precise was taking me thru the late mornings to the early evenings. This day however was set 1 week earlier for a dinner date with my friend Yuuki who so happens to be the owner of a chain of 3 fine dining restaurants under the group Artical Lion.
Met up with him and his "rumoured" girlfriend at Karuizawa for dinner. The streets were empty, quiet and silent. A few dimly lit restaurants were the only visible light along the otherwise dark streets. It sort of resembled those old 19 century Victorian streets with pale yellowish incandescent street lamps. But the star of the night wasn't any of these or the food. It was Yuuki's girfriend. She was one of those girls who bear eyes like stars. I swear to God I was trying the entire night to avoid direct eye contact with her. Those eyes have the marks of my Executioner, to strike me down with simply direct eye contect. It has indeed been long since I last saw eyes like this...there were so beautiful that one glimpse of these gems, nothing else seems to exist.
So to Yuuki, my friend, you're indeed blessed with a fine lady so my sincere blessings goes out to you. With your 3 restaurants and the formidable Triangle formation, you have your career set out. Now that you have found a suitable soulmate, I am truly happy for you. Because for me, I am still searching for mine.
Plague by envy, I am forced to live with my own guilt while I watch others enjoy their bliss. This is my life...
Anyway this week and next week would be rather fast paced for me as there are things to be done.
With the dinner date with Yuuki down on Tuesday,
Wednesday there will be another dinner date. This time would be with Taku and his feline...err female friends.
Coming up this Saturday will the the inaugural school festival with the following Monday conpensating for an off day. Right off after Saturday's festival and dinner with the teachers in my school, I will head off to Tokyo and meet up with Morris for yet another round of hospitality.
Then on Monday I will probably go to Hello Work in Tokyo to try my luck for some openings in the financial industry which I presume will be anything surprising.
On Tuesday, I will have some open English class with visitors and media and God-Knows-Who attending.
That's my hectic schedule for the upcoming weekend and the following week.
Tuesday, Autumn Equinox Day, is in fact a public holiday in Japan. As usual I got the day off and was pretty much lazying around the house, fiddling with my psp. Valkyrie Profile Lenneth to be precise was taking me thru the late mornings to the early evenings. This day however was set 1 week earlier for a dinner date with my friend Yuuki who so happens to be the owner of a chain of 3 fine dining restaurants under the group Artical Lion.
Met up with him and his "rumoured" girlfriend at Karuizawa for dinner. The streets were empty, quiet and silent. A few dimly lit restaurants were the only visible light along the otherwise dark streets. It sort of resembled those old 19 century Victorian streets with pale yellowish incandescent street lamps. But the star of the night wasn't any of these or the food. It was Yuuki's girfriend. She was one of those girls who bear eyes like stars. I swear to God I was trying the entire night to avoid direct eye contact with her. Those eyes have the marks of my Executioner, to strike me down with simply direct eye contect. It has indeed been long since I last saw eyes like this...there were so beautiful that one glimpse of these gems, nothing else seems to exist.
So to Yuuki, my friend, you're indeed blessed with a fine lady so my sincere blessings goes out to you. With your 3 restaurants and the formidable Triangle formation, you have your career set out. Now that you have found a suitable soulmate, I am truly happy for you. Because for me, I am still searching for mine.
Plague by envy, I am forced to live with my own guilt while I watch others enjoy their bliss. This is my life...
Anyway this week and next week would be rather fast paced for me as there are things to be done.
With the dinner date with Yuuki down on Tuesday,
Wednesday there will be another dinner date. This time would be with Taku and his feline...err female friends.
Coming up this Saturday will the the inaugural school festival with the following Monday conpensating for an off day. Right off after Saturday's festival and dinner with the teachers in my school, I will head off to Tokyo and meet up with Morris for yet another round of hospitality.
Then on Monday I will probably go to Hello Work in Tokyo to try my luck for some openings in the financial industry which I presume will be anything surprising.
On Tuesday, I will have some open English class with visitors and media and God-Knows-Who attending.
That's my hectic schedule for the upcoming weekend and the following week.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Foggy Sunday
- Never Stop Dreaming -
After the typhoon grazed past Tokyo, all that is left in my area is more rain, more cold weather, and more fog. Yipee...I am happy for this is the kind of lazy Sundays I like...
After the typhoon grazed past Tokyo, all that is left in my area is more rain, more cold weather, and more fog. Yipee...I am happy for this is the kind of lazy Sundays I like...
My Gucci Slippers
- Never Stop Dreaming -
On Monday, the 15th day of the 9th month in the year 2008. I was invited to an event uberknownst to me, was a rather grand affair. Maybe it was my inadequate knowledge of the Japanese language or was it simply the messenger who conferred me a high mastery of Japanese. What ever the case maybe I was totally unprepared and I graced the event literally in my local Singapore gear, slippers!
You see, I am an affiliate of the religion Tenrikyo and so having devoid of the comforts from home, I found myself seeking a little spiritual enhancement in my little town under the guidance of Tenrikyo. It was then I met Mr Kobayashi and his family.
Mr Kobayashi in the picture with his wife looked worn with time but his stoic demeanor and the benevolent smile from his wife seems to paint a rather beautiful story of their lives. This event was to commemorate the great man...
I was invited to grace this event by Mr Kobayashi thru his son, as the messenger. To which I have to admit, I was totally clueless about what was going on...I agreed on grounds that I had great respect for this man. In my mind, I wasn't thinking about anything since this was the first time I was actually invited to such an event and that I had no prior references. It was a hot Monday which also happened to be a public holiday in Japan (Respect for the Aged day). It was held in the late morning so I thought I would go out after that. Wrapped myself in a black shirt, jeans and yeah, black slippers.
On reaching the place, I was a little hesitant to attend since everyone else in the lobby area were in their smartest Armani suits. Hmmm...sensing a wardrobe malfunction, my attempts to flee were intercepted by the lack of time and in I go, ushered by none other than Mr Kobayashi's son. I could see his gracious politeness when his attempt to peep at my slippers were so discreet and it was by sheer chance that I had actually caught him peeking.
In the reception area, Mr Kobayashi's son told the receptionist that my admission was free...I was beginning to wonder how far my dignity were to be stretched. I signed my name in Chinese kanjis and was walking into the moment of truth behind those huge doors.
Tables and tables of distinguished veteran guests in full suits...I was one of the few (probably 5) young adults in this grand ballroom set for a banquet of some sort of commemorative event. As the numerous eyes honed in on me like an eagle, I knew my slippers were stealing more attention than my beautiful face. Quietly, I sat down and smile at all the guest politely to appease their inquisitive mind questioning how the hell is this young, undress punk related to Mr Kobayashi.
After the long speeches of Japanese formalities, I was being introduced formally to the guest on my table where on my left was a approachable young man about my age and to my right was another bearded young man around my age. The 2 other middle aged men across me had that confidence usually dissipated by men holding important positions in a large corporation. It turned out that being introduced as a foreigner was much a big deal that instantly invoked invulnerability to all around me. No one even bothered about my strange dress sense and slowly I was busily holding decent English conversations with the 2 brothers on my left and my right, their dad who was a professor at some university and their mum.
Splendid sushi platters, zaru sobas, beef in sauce, and everything else that had already been digested and forgotten...I shall come back to the event, ha! The event was held to honor Mr Kobayashi's dedication to the people of this little town. It's like a long service commitment recognized by the Japanese Emperor and that earned Mr Kobayashi a huge plaque. Not those mediocre pewter one the Singapore Police gives for catching thieves.
This one is the real deal I am talking about where you get invited into the Imperial Palace to be personally received by the Emperor himself, eat with him and his family and then he, the EMPEROR, will hand you the plaque. If I am not mistaken it is called "The Order of the Sacred Treasure" which spans different level which I am not sure which one Mr Kobayashi got. Anyway here is more close up shots of the plaque...
Ok, there you have it...me, the much unknown punk in slippers turned out to be in Mr Kobayashi's good books and after the event, I was pretty sure everyone took me a little more seriously as Mr Kobayashi was definitely like watching out for me. In other words, I have befriended a significant figure in my little town.
On Monday, the 15th day of the 9th month in the year 2008. I was invited to an event uberknownst to me, was a rather grand affair. Maybe it was my inadequate knowledge of the Japanese language or was it simply the messenger who conferred me a high mastery of Japanese. What ever the case maybe I was totally unprepared and I graced the event literally in my local Singapore gear, slippers!
You see, I am an affiliate of the religion Tenrikyo and so having devoid of the comforts from home, I found myself seeking a little spiritual enhancement in my little town under the guidance of Tenrikyo. It was then I met Mr Kobayashi and his family.
Mr Kobayashi in the picture with his wife looked worn with time but his stoic demeanor and the benevolent smile from his wife seems to paint a rather beautiful story of their lives. This event was to commemorate the great man...
I was invited to grace this event by Mr Kobayashi thru his son, as the messenger. To which I have to admit, I was totally clueless about what was going on...I agreed on grounds that I had great respect for this man. In my mind, I wasn't thinking about anything since this was the first time I was actually invited to such an event and that I had no prior references. It was a hot Monday which also happened to be a public holiday in Japan (Respect for the Aged day). It was held in the late morning so I thought I would go out after that. Wrapped myself in a black shirt, jeans and yeah, black slippers.
On reaching the place, I was a little hesitant to attend since everyone else in the lobby area were in their smartest Armani suits. Hmmm...sensing a wardrobe malfunction, my attempts to flee were intercepted by the lack of time and in I go, ushered by none other than Mr Kobayashi's son. I could see his gracious politeness when his attempt to peep at my slippers were so discreet and it was by sheer chance that I had actually caught him peeking.
In the reception area, Mr Kobayashi's son told the receptionist that my admission was free...I was beginning to wonder how far my dignity were to be stretched. I signed my name in Chinese kanjis and was walking into the moment of truth behind those huge doors.
Tables and tables of distinguished veteran guests in full suits...I was one of the few (probably 5) young adults in this grand ballroom set for a banquet of some sort of commemorative event. As the numerous eyes honed in on me like an eagle, I knew my slippers were stealing more attention than my beautiful face. Quietly, I sat down and smile at all the guest politely to appease their inquisitive mind questioning how the hell is this young, undress punk related to Mr Kobayashi.
After the long speeches of Japanese formalities, I was being introduced formally to the guest on my table where on my left was a approachable young man about my age and to my right was another bearded young man around my age. The 2 other middle aged men across me had that confidence usually dissipated by men holding important positions in a large corporation. It turned out that being introduced as a foreigner was much a big deal that instantly invoked invulnerability to all around me. No one even bothered about my strange dress sense and slowly I was busily holding decent English conversations with the 2 brothers on my left and my right, their dad who was a professor at some university and their mum.
Splendid sushi platters, zaru sobas, beef in sauce, and everything else that had already been digested and forgotten...I shall come back to the event, ha! The event was held to honor Mr Kobayashi's dedication to the people of this little town. It's like a long service commitment recognized by the Japanese Emperor and that earned Mr Kobayashi a huge plaque. Not those mediocre pewter one the Singapore Police gives for catching thieves.
This one is the real deal I am talking about where you get invited into the Imperial Palace to be personally received by the Emperor himself, eat with him and his family and then he, the EMPEROR, will hand you the plaque. If I am not mistaken it is called "The Order of the Sacred Treasure" which spans different level which I am not sure which one Mr Kobayashi got. Anyway here is more close up shots of the plaque...
Ok, there you have it...me, the much unknown punk in slippers turned out to be in Mr Kobayashi's good books and after the event, I was pretty sure everyone took me a little more seriously as Mr Kobayashi was definitely like watching out for me. In other words, I have befriended a significant figure in my little town.
Friday, September 19, 2008
The Fraternity at stake
- Never Stop Dreaming -
While one end of the world prosecute unscrupulous companies and individuals for poisoning milk products, the neighbouring islands stage riots to redefine how to view the naked human body. Then on the far west coast of the world, historical power houses are sent tumbling like Lego blocks bringing the rest of the world's economy with it.
While China is once again putting out a rather boring stint and scaring the sh**s outta everyone with their "Famous" foods, they really ought to do better. Because this time they only got as far as taking birth control into their own hands. Hmm...birth control might be an understatement...Damn these idiots kill new born babies. Shoot these m***********s! From lead painted toys, to gyozas, to fake Olympics and then Killer Milk...wow they have never failed to impress for the wrong reasons. *Clap* *Clap* *Clap*
Then comes the tiny Island of Bali protesting the new bill to redefine pornography. While this indicates the strength of the extreme Muslims to reinforce their Islamic Fist, not too many people are appreciative of this move. The prescence of other religions, ethnic groups, etc are not to be ignored. Somehow religion is once again recruiting more souls for the future instead of promoting peace.
Not forgeting the collapsing of the Giants like Merril Lynch and Layman Brothers. This only proves that even super power houses have flaws and now many of them are "begging" for salvation. This of course implicates the rest of the world and then we all know that Mr "Bad" Bush will end his term in Nov. What a way to go down in flames...mess up everything and then wipe your own ass clean before leaving the disgusting toilet to the next victim.
All these are bad but the one regarding the economy is the worst for me simply because my hopes of entering the financial market is pretty much dashed. With Japan being directly affected by the U.S. economy, hiring budget in the financial sector is so tight I doubt I can find a decent opening...with less than 6 months before my contract runs out...I am desperate. No doubt I will still stay in Japan but I would probably have to take up some other jobs and waste my precious youth and time.
With more dangerous news flooding the world, at least the Typhoon passing Japan is a consolation for me. It brings a much dreaded doom to everyone here in Japan but the rain and the overcast skies seems to nudge me a little as it brings me much delight. Yep I like cold weather and I like snow but in the abscence of snow, rain is very much appreciated.
Give me a sign my dear Lord, shine me a path where I can see the future all so bright.
While one end of the world prosecute unscrupulous companies and individuals for poisoning milk products, the neighbouring islands stage riots to redefine how to view the naked human body. Then on the far west coast of the world, historical power houses are sent tumbling like Lego blocks bringing the rest of the world's economy with it.
While China is once again putting out a rather boring stint and scaring the sh**s outta everyone with their "Famous" foods, they really ought to do better. Because this time they only got as far as taking birth control into their own hands. Hmm...birth control might be an understatement...Damn these idiots kill new born babies. Shoot these m***********s! From lead painted toys, to gyozas, to fake Olympics and then Killer Milk...wow they have never failed to impress for the wrong reasons. *Clap* *Clap* *Clap*
Then comes the tiny Island of Bali protesting the new bill to redefine pornography. While this indicates the strength of the extreme Muslims to reinforce their Islamic Fist, not too many people are appreciative of this move. The prescence of other religions, ethnic groups, etc are not to be ignored. Somehow religion is once again recruiting more souls for the future instead of promoting peace.
Not forgeting the collapsing of the Giants like Merril Lynch and Layman Brothers. This only proves that even super power houses have flaws and now many of them are "begging" for salvation. This of course implicates the rest of the world and then we all know that Mr "Bad" Bush will end his term in Nov. What a way to go down in flames...mess up everything and then wipe your own ass clean before leaving the disgusting toilet to the next victim.
All these are bad but the one regarding the economy is the worst for me simply because my hopes of entering the financial market is pretty much dashed. With Japan being directly affected by the U.S. economy, hiring budget in the financial sector is so tight I doubt I can find a decent opening...with less than 6 months before my contract runs out...I am desperate. No doubt I will still stay in Japan but I would probably have to take up some other jobs and waste my precious youth and time.
With more dangerous news flooding the world, at least the Typhoon passing Japan is a consolation for me. It brings a much dreaded doom to everyone here in Japan but the rain and the overcast skies seems to nudge me a little as it brings me much delight. Yep I like cold weather and I like snow but in the abscence of snow, rain is very much appreciated.
Give me a sign my dear Lord, shine me a path where I can see the future all so bright.
Friday, September 12, 2008
肝吸い (Kimosui)
- Never Stop Dreaming -
If you appreciate Unagi or eels as a delicacy (珍味）, then when you have a chance to visit an authentic Unagi restaurant, be sure to try the Yakitori style skewered eel liver. It taste a little bitter like most fishy inerts but blanketed in Yakitori sauce, it's pretty good.
Aside from the main Unagi dish, the soup that comes with it should be eaten with a greater respect. This soup exclusive to Unagi dishes is called Kimosui （肝吸い）. Colloquially translated, it simply means "SUCK LIVER". Not a fanciful name for a soup but when you actually taste the soup, nothing else matters.
What I am so facinated about the soup is that it is presented in a dark laquered bowl and passed off like some ordinary soup. Presentation wise, it looks pretty ordinary - Plain, transparent liquid with a few pieces of vegetables and a single mushroom. Not too impressive and doesn't screams out loud with thick broth, fanciful colors or an exceptional aroma. It's just plain, dull and tasteless looking. Take a sip and the magic will be revealed.
This strange soup is ranked heavenly and probably out of range from the regular soups. Simply because to be able to put the esscence of the sea, the taste of the eel, the broth of the soup and every other distinctive taste into a plain, ordinary liquid is almost a celestial feat. How is the liquid even able to retain all these elixirs in the abscence of colors or aroma? It's almost like incorporating Zen or Buddhism in to the soup itself where emptiness, nothing, abscence is actually everything, existence, etc. The chef who made this soup has probably attained like a level 10 max skill or something which takes like 1000 years of training.
I am bemused.
Well like most Chinese customs, I like to take a sip into the appetite-opening soup before I begin my meals. So from the first sip I took from this unappealing soup, I began to appreciate it like an exotic ancient art piece, the transparent liquid, the fluid flow of the vegetables in it, etc, cleanly forgetting that the Unagi Don was screaming out loud in front of me as the gloss from the Yakitori glaze sitting on steaming white rice were attacking my vision and my nose.
So when I dug my teeth into the unagi, I almost pass out.
I shall visit that Unagi place sometime soon but you are more than welcome to join me if you decide to pay me a visit in town.
(Pictures will be available on the next trip)
If you appreciate Unagi or eels as a delicacy (珍味）, then when you have a chance to visit an authentic Unagi restaurant, be sure to try the Yakitori style skewered eel liver. It taste a little bitter like most fishy inerts but blanketed in Yakitori sauce, it's pretty good.
Aside from the main Unagi dish, the soup that comes with it should be eaten with a greater respect. This soup exclusive to Unagi dishes is called Kimosui （肝吸い）. Colloquially translated, it simply means "SUCK LIVER". Not a fanciful name for a soup but when you actually taste the soup, nothing else matters.
What I am so facinated about the soup is that it is presented in a dark laquered bowl and passed off like some ordinary soup. Presentation wise, it looks pretty ordinary - Plain, transparent liquid with a few pieces of vegetables and a single mushroom. Not too impressive and doesn't screams out loud with thick broth, fanciful colors or an exceptional aroma. It's just plain, dull and tasteless looking. Take a sip and the magic will be revealed.
This strange soup is ranked heavenly and probably out of range from the regular soups. Simply because to be able to put the esscence of the sea, the taste of the eel, the broth of the soup and every other distinctive taste into a plain, ordinary liquid is almost a celestial feat. How is the liquid even able to retain all these elixirs in the abscence of colors or aroma? It's almost like incorporating Zen or Buddhism in to the soup itself where emptiness, nothing, abscence is actually everything, existence, etc. The chef who made this soup has probably attained like a level 10 max skill or something which takes like 1000 years of training.
I am bemused.
Well like most Chinese customs, I like to take a sip into the appetite-opening soup before I begin my meals. So from the first sip I took from this unappealing soup, I began to appreciate it like an exotic ancient art piece, the transparent liquid, the fluid flow of the vegetables in it, etc, cleanly forgetting that the Unagi Don was screaming out loud in front of me as the gloss from the Yakitori glaze sitting on steaming white rice were attacking my vision and my nose.
So when I dug my teeth into the unagi, I almost pass out.
I shall visit that Unagi place sometime soon but you are more than welcome to join me if you decide to pay me a visit in town.
(Pictures will be available on the next trip)
敬語(Keigo) Explained
- Never Stop Dreaming -
As most of us have already known that Japanese are some of the most polite people that ever treaded the surface of the earth till this day, even intricate issues like asking to go to the toilet takes 5 minutes or so simply because they are soOooOOooo polite. That aside today I am going to teach you some phrases to knock the even Ghandi off his socks (that is if he even wears socks!). The following phrase might come in pretty useful to impress, inspire and at the same time be polite. In English context it may be deemed to be overly polite to flattery but in Japanese context, "Fantastic" is the word I would use. Here we go...
When being invited for all sorts of occasion ranging from Mixi invites, Wedding invites, etc. If you feel that the person in question should be held in a royale status, then use this -
「XXXX 様、 あなたのご招待は本当にありがとうございました。 XXXX のご招待いただきまして、光栄でございます。 よろしくお願いいたします。」
Alright here's the explaination in case you do not understand Keigo. 敬語(Keigo) is formal Japanese where suffixs are change, special particles added and at times the whole word is change to give respect to the subject. Very different from normal conversational (Plain) Japanese and the regular Japanese that we study in class.
「XXXX 様」- you insert the subject's name in the XXXX and add 様(さま) behind the name. This is basically salutations like Dr. XXXX, Mr. XXXX but in a more polite way.
「あなたのご招待は本当にありがとうございました」- means "Really thank you very much for your invitation."
「XXXX のご招待いただきまして、光栄でございます」- Again replace XXXX with subject's name but this time don't add the 様. This sentence means "It's my honour to receive XXXX's invitation."
「よろしくお願いいたします。」- means "I am looking forward to it."
So once again here's everything in Japanese, Romanji and the explaination -
「XXXX 様、 あなたのご招待は本当にありがとうございました。 XXXX のご招待いただきまして、光栄でございます。 よろしくお願いいたします。」
「XXXX sama、anata no goshoutai wa honto ni arigatou gozaimashita。XXXX no goshoutai itadakimashite、koueide gozaimasu。yoroshiku onegai itashimasu。」
「Mr.XXXX, Really thank you very much for your invitation. It's my honour to receive your invitation. I am looking forward to it.」
As most of us have already known that Japanese are some of the most polite people that ever treaded the surface of the earth till this day, even intricate issues like asking to go to the toilet takes 5 minutes or so simply because they are soOooOOooo polite. That aside today I am going to teach you some phrases to knock the even Ghandi off his socks (that is if he even wears socks!). The following phrase might come in pretty useful to impress, inspire and at the same time be polite. In English context it may be deemed to be overly polite to flattery but in Japanese context, "Fantastic" is the word I would use. Here we go...
When being invited for all sorts of occasion ranging from Mixi invites, Wedding invites, etc. If you feel that the person in question should be held in a royale status, then use this -
「XXXX 様、 あなたのご招待は本当にありがとうございました。 XXXX のご招待いただきまして、光栄でございます。 よろしくお願いいたします。」
Alright here's the explaination in case you do not understand Keigo. 敬語(Keigo) is formal Japanese where suffixs are change, special particles added and at times the whole word is change to give respect to the subject. Very different from normal conversational (Plain) Japanese and the regular Japanese that we study in class.
「XXXX 様」- you insert the subject's name in the XXXX and add 様(さま) behind the name. This is basically salutations like Dr. XXXX, Mr. XXXX but in a more polite way.
「あなたのご招待は本当にありがとうございました」- means "Really thank you very much for your invitation."
「XXXX のご招待いただきまして、光栄でございます」- Again replace XXXX with subject's name but this time don't add the 様. This sentence means "It's my honour to receive XXXX's invitation."
「よろしくお願いいたします。」- means "I am looking forward to it."
So once again here's everything in Japanese, Romanji and the explaination -
「XXXX 様、 あなたのご招待は本当にありがとうございました。 XXXX のご招待いただきまして、光栄でございます。 よろしくお願いいたします。」
「XXXX sama、anata no goshoutai wa honto ni arigatou gozaimashita。XXXX no goshoutai itadakimashite、koueide gozaimasu。yoroshiku onegai itashimasu。」
「Mr.XXXX, Really thank you very much for your invitation. It's my honour to receive your invitation. I am looking forward to it.」
Thursday, September 11, 2008
What were you doing back then?
- Never Stop Dreaming -
On this day 7 years back, I was in a room with 11 other boys that would be men soon. The sky was bright in baby blue and there was a single copy of the local newspaper on the desk in the room. I was one of the first few who picked up the papers and observed the front page in silence, not even reading the words printed. The picture of a single building with thick black smoke spewing from the top against a blue backdrop. The picture was slightly bigger than the regular A4 size. Upon reading the fine prints, it was then I realised that the smoking building in the picture was one of the 2 famous towers aka World Trade Center. This was when I realise what had actually happened...the way the news and the world were intended to see.
My point here is not about the fateful day of 9.11 but rather it's a day where I am damn sure everyone actually remembers what they were doing back then. Because the memories tied to this day were linked to an event that was easily remembered and therefore stored in the "readily available ram" in our heads...aka caches. This is one instances that I would like to draw conclusions that it's easier to remember situations, events, etc when they are linked, tied, related to another exclusively independant stimuli. This stimuli of course have to have a fairly significant impact on history itself so recalling this stimuli would trigger all other related memories.
Try recalling what you were doing, what you ate, who you were with 1 week, 7 years ago before 9.11. If you can visualise the images in your head then drop me a mail because I would like to carve a statue of you and offer them to the Gods.
7 years down the roads...today, or even 20 years down the road...I would still remember the events on that day clearly. God Bless and rest in peace.
On this day 7 years back, I was in a room with 11 other boys that would be men soon. The sky was bright in baby blue and there was a single copy of the local newspaper on the desk in the room. I was one of the first few who picked up the papers and observed the front page in silence, not even reading the words printed. The picture of a single building with thick black smoke spewing from the top against a blue backdrop. The picture was slightly bigger than the regular A4 size. Upon reading the fine prints, it was then I realised that the smoking building in the picture was one of the 2 famous towers aka World Trade Center. This was when I realise what had actually happened...the way the news and the world were intended to see.
My point here is not about the fateful day of 9.11 but rather it's a day where I am damn sure everyone actually remembers what they were doing back then. Because the memories tied to this day were linked to an event that was easily remembered and therefore stored in the "readily available ram" in our heads...aka caches. This is one instances that I would like to draw conclusions that it's easier to remember situations, events, etc when they are linked, tied, related to another exclusively independant stimuli. This stimuli of course have to have a fairly significant impact on history itself so recalling this stimuli would trigger all other related memories.
Try recalling what you were doing, what you ate, who you were with 1 week, 7 years ago before 9.11. If you can visualise the images in your head then drop me a mail because I would like to carve a statue of you and offer them to the Gods.
7 years down the roads...today, or even 20 years down the road...I would still remember the events on that day clearly. God Bless and rest in peace.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Sexuality discussed...
- Never Stop Dreaming -
Apart from the previous entry that slams a single isolated incident in Japan, here's another one that actually tells a different tale on Japan.
As we all know that when it comes to taboo subjects like pornography, prostitution, vices, drugs, etc. Singapore would not hesitate to take action against any potential offenders even if it means using the noose. Hey...but if you'd actually take a step back, travel around more and understand the modern world that we live in, you would then begin to understand why a country's poison would be another country's medicine. Why certain bans are in place and how others are a complete joke.
Here's what I found out so far, In U.S.A. and in Japan, prostitution are illegal while pornography are pretty much legal. Whereas in some countries (you know where I am talking about...), the opposite happens. Why this is so I leave that to you to google it but let's do a fair comparision here.
Prostitution
- Government can tax it like any other legitimate business if it's legalised.
- Lucrative business that rakes in income from non core activities.
- Can be excluded from annual balance sheet or categorize under "Non Core Business".
- Enforce new laws so that prostitutes need medical check ups.
- Mandatory check ups increases revenue.
- More budget needed for medical research or services due to STDs spreading.
- Increase tax and increase revenue.
- Gross Domestic Product increases (In other words, my country makes money).
Pornography
- Bad for children but doesn't spread dieseases.
- Promotes overseas websites or publications.
- Other countries makes money (Bad for domestic economy).
- Static and non mobile.
- Does not rakes in more money than Prostitution.
- Waste time sourcing, printing, delivering, etc.
- Doesn't have sub categories to tap extra revenue like medical.
- No new or mandatory laws to make more money.
Well these are just my uncomplete 5 minute summary so what do you say? Sensing the big picture here...?
Okay that aside, in Japanese schools, Adult Magazines and other "Filth" that we have been taught to avoid discussing when we were young are actually being openly discussed. With both males and females, teachers and students, such subjects are actually being discussed like a normal off the record conversation. There is are no lines drawn and there are no boundaries defined, yet no one feels uncomfortable about it and no one actually crosses any self-imposed invisible lines. Everyone simply chatted like everyday's news during lunch and it ended with everyone else knowing a little more about everyone else. Seems pretty fun but for me, I simply eavesdropped like a sinister Mr. Devil pretending that I did not understood Japanese. *Evil Grin*
These kids were like 13 or 14 and yet they had so much leeway to growing up and to understand that it's perfectly normal to have fetishes and desires. Biology lessons in Science classes back then were stoic, solemn and uneventful. Everyone was so serious and intense in class and I do believe that many of us actually went on to experience our escapades dangerously elsewhere. It was a dark secret that only our friends knew. Innocent faces in classes were probably the real devils outside school while the devils in school were actually angels outside. Tattoos, cigarettes, liquor and fights seldom brought home babies before marriages while books, pens and straight Aces in the exams actually were the ones who did so. How ironic...
I felt that this is a relatively healthy environment to grow up in and especially teachers can behave like a senior figure, a friend or even a mentor and can discussed taboo subjects like this. Well as long as it's not suppressed, it will not go underground and it can be monitored. While underground issues are ambiguous and difficult to accurately measure, issues on the surface are easier to track and measures can be put in place fairly easily.
As much as a society seems so advanced and top notch among others, basic intricate networks like this that maps people together are lacking. I was a kid once and I believe that everyone out there was a kid once too...so who did you turn to when you had problems? Got into a fight? Did some outrages and beyond description things?
I believed that most of us turned to our friends instead of our parents, teachers, etc. Because the adults never listened and they were always right. Their words were excerpts from the bible, their rules were like scripts from sutras and we were nothing more than just a son or daughter in their eyes. We were never recognised as an individual who possess our own thoughts, beliefs or choices. So our darkest little secrets will always be with our friends and the adults were always the last ones to find out some disastrous events.
My point is that like investment, putting all your eggs in one basket is risky so have a few different roles or personality at your disposal. If being the role of an adult is not appropriate, then take the role of a friend. If being the role of a boyfriend is not appropriate, then again take the role of a friend or brother or something that is appropriate. Approach a tacky situation with the most appropriate role and you will find that solving it isn't really that hard. Afterall everybody needs someone to listen once in a while.
Alrite...everyday is a learning experience because I learnt something new again today.
Apart from the previous entry that slams a single isolated incident in Japan, here's another one that actually tells a different tale on Japan.
As we all know that when it comes to taboo subjects like pornography, prostitution, vices, drugs, etc. Singapore would not hesitate to take action against any potential offenders even if it means using the noose. Hey...but if you'd actually take a step back, travel around more and understand the modern world that we live in, you would then begin to understand why a country's poison would be another country's medicine. Why certain bans are in place and how others are a complete joke.
Here's what I found out so far, In U.S.A. and in Japan, prostitution are illegal while pornography are pretty much legal. Whereas in some countries (you know where I am talking about...), the opposite happens. Why this is so I leave that to you to google it but let's do a fair comparision here.
Prostitution
- Government can tax it like any other legitimate business if it's legalised.
- Lucrative business that rakes in income from non core activities.
- Can be excluded from annual balance sheet or categorize under "Non Core Business".
- Enforce new laws so that prostitutes need medical check ups.
- Mandatory check ups increases revenue.
- More budget needed for medical research or services due to STDs spreading.
- Increase tax and increase revenue.
- Gross Domestic Product increases (In other words, my country makes money).
Pornography
- Bad for children but doesn't spread dieseases.
- Promotes overseas websites or publications.
- Other countries makes money (Bad for domestic economy).
- Static and non mobile.
- Does not rakes in more money than Prostitution.
- Waste time sourcing, printing, delivering, etc.
- Doesn't have sub categories to tap extra revenue like medical.
- No new or mandatory laws to make more money.
Well these are just my uncomplete 5 minute summary so what do you say? Sensing the big picture here...?
Okay that aside, in Japanese schools, Adult Magazines and other "Filth" that we have been taught to avoid discussing when we were young are actually being openly discussed. With both males and females, teachers and students, such subjects are actually being discussed like a normal off the record conversation. There is are no lines drawn and there are no boundaries defined, yet no one feels uncomfortable about it and no one actually crosses any self-imposed invisible lines. Everyone simply chatted like everyday's news during lunch and it ended with everyone else knowing a little more about everyone else. Seems pretty fun but for me, I simply eavesdropped like a sinister Mr. Devil pretending that I did not understood Japanese. *Evil Grin*
These kids were like 13 or 14 and yet they had so much leeway to growing up and to understand that it's perfectly normal to have fetishes and desires. Biology lessons in Science classes back then were stoic, solemn and uneventful. Everyone was so serious and intense in class and I do believe that many of us actually went on to experience our escapades dangerously elsewhere. It was a dark secret that only our friends knew. Innocent faces in classes were probably the real devils outside school while the devils in school were actually angels outside. Tattoos, cigarettes, liquor and fights seldom brought home babies before marriages while books, pens and straight Aces in the exams actually were the ones who did so. How ironic...
I felt that this is a relatively healthy environment to grow up in and especially teachers can behave like a senior figure, a friend or even a mentor and can discussed taboo subjects like this. Well as long as it's not suppressed, it will not go underground and it can be monitored. While underground issues are ambiguous and difficult to accurately measure, issues on the surface are easier to track and measures can be put in place fairly easily.
As much as a society seems so advanced and top notch among others, basic intricate networks like this that maps people together are lacking. I was a kid once and I believe that everyone out there was a kid once too...so who did you turn to when you had problems? Got into a fight? Did some outrages and beyond description things?
I believed that most of us turned to our friends instead of our parents, teachers, etc. Because the adults never listened and they were always right. Their words were excerpts from the bible, their rules were like scripts from sutras and we were nothing more than just a son or daughter in their eyes. We were never recognised as an individual who possess our own thoughts, beliefs or choices. So our darkest little secrets will always be with our friends and the adults were always the last ones to find out some disastrous events.
My point is that like investment, putting all your eggs in one basket is risky so have a few different roles or personality at your disposal. If being the role of an adult is not appropriate, then take the role of a friend. If being the role of a boyfriend is not appropriate, then again take the role of a friend or brother or something that is appropriate. Approach a tacky situation with the most appropriate role and you will find that solving it isn't really that hard. Afterall everybody needs someone to listen once in a while.
Alrite...everyday is a learning experience because I learnt something new again today.
PLEASE READ!!! Dangerous Japanese Rice
- Never Stop Dreaming -
For those of you visiting southern Japan like regions in Kyushu which includes cities ranging from Osaka, Fukuoka and Kagoshima, please take a while to read this REALLY important news.
"Chinese products are relatively dangerous" is already passe to most people but this time round, it's Japanese Company Mikasa Foods based in Osaka that is rocking the local scene. Apparently this unscrupulous company bought defective, molded industrial rice from various sources and sold them to local companies as edible rice since 2004. Over a period of 4 years, rice, senbeis (rice crackers), shochu (Japanese rice wine) along with a string of other food products were made from these defective rice and sold in southern Japan.
Geez God knows how many people have eaten these chemically "Bin" laden products. To a certain extent, they are potentially as dangerous as the Chinese Gyozas Incident. Google "Mikasa Foods" and a while list should pop up.
Here is one such news report,
"Mikasa Foods Co. aggressively purchased government stocks of tainted rice from abroad that was intended for glue manufacturing to sell to companies that make rice-based products such as senbei crackers, shochu liquor and even miso paste.
In fact, the wholesale distributor bought as much as one-quarter of the industrial-use rice the government sold over the past five years, sources said.
According to farm ministry sources, Mikasa Foods, based in Osaka, is suspected of offloading 1,779 tons of industrial-use rice it bought between February 2004 and August 2008 for public consumption.
At a news conference Saturday, Mikasa Foods President Mitsuo Fuyuki admitted that he instructed officials at the company's factory in Chikuzen, Fukuoka Prefecture, to sell the contaminated rice for human consumption.
Fuyuki said the company realized it could reap big profits by selling the defective product for human consumption.
On Friday, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries disclosed that Mikasa Foods had sold rice that contained five times the standard residue level of methamidophos, an organophosphorous insecticide, or aflatoxin, a carcinogenic fungus.
The former is the same substance detected in tainted frozen gyoza imported from China.
The farm ministry sells industrial-use rice at one-tenth to one-15th of the price of rice for human consumption.
Mikasa Foods, which began recalling the rice on Aug. 29, has so far been able to track down only four to five tons.
The company sold rice contaminated with methamidophos to rice stores in Fukuoka and Kumamoto prefectures through wholesalers. The rice contaminated with aflatoxin was sold to shochu makers in Kagoshima and Kumamoto prefectures and other companies.
The rice with methamidophos apparently found its way into rice cakes and cookies.
The farm ministry plans to file complaints with the Osaka and Fukuoka prefectural police accusing Mikasa Foods of violating the Food Sanitation Law, which bans the sale of contaminated food.
The ministry thus far has refused to disclose the companies that bought the tainted rice on grounds that health problems are not a factor.
According to the farm ministry, the government sold about 7,400 tons of defective rice from April 2003 to August 2008. Of that amount, 1,779 tons, or 24 percent, was purchased by Mikasa Foods.
The percentage was the highest among the 17 companies that bought the defective rice during that period.
Mikasa Foods bought 800 tons of Chinese rice that contained five times the standard residue level of methamidophos in four auctions between November 2006 and May 2007.
The company paid a total of 7.12 million yen, or an average of 8.9 yen per kilogram.
Mikasa Foods also bought nine tons of U.S., Chinese or Vietnamese rice that was tainted with aflatoxin at about 40,000 yen, or an average of 3 to 5 yen per kilogram.
By comparison, imported rice for human consumption is generally sold for 80 yen per kilogram.
The government imports 770,000 tons of rice every year to meet requirements agreed to under the Uruguay Round of trade talks.(IHT/Asahi: September 8,2008)"
- Source: Asahi Simbun 2008/9/8 -
For those of you visiting southern Japan like regions in Kyushu which includes cities ranging from Osaka, Fukuoka and Kagoshima, please take a while to read this REALLY important news.
"Chinese products are relatively dangerous" is already passe to most people but this time round, it's Japanese Company Mikasa Foods based in Osaka that is rocking the local scene. Apparently this unscrupulous company bought defective, molded industrial rice from various sources and sold them to local companies as edible rice since 2004. Over a period of 4 years, rice, senbeis (rice crackers), shochu (Japanese rice wine) along with a string of other food products were made from these defective rice and sold in southern Japan.
Geez God knows how many people have eaten these chemically "Bin" laden products. To a certain extent, they are potentially as dangerous as the Chinese Gyozas Incident. Google "Mikasa Foods" and a while list should pop up.
Here is one such news report,
"Mikasa Foods Co. aggressively purchased government stocks of tainted rice from abroad that was intended for glue manufacturing to sell to companies that make rice-based products such as senbei crackers, shochu liquor and even miso paste.
In fact, the wholesale distributor bought as much as one-quarter of the industrial-use rice the government sold over the past five years, sources said.
According to farm ministry sources, Mikasa Foods, based in Osaka, is suspected of offloading 1,779 tons of industrial-use rice it bought between February 2004 and August 2008 for public consumption.
At a news conference Saturday, Mikasa Foods President Mitsuo Fuyuki admitted that he instructed officials at the company's factory in Chikuzen, Fukuoka Prefecture, to sell the contaminated rice for human consumption.
Fuyuki said the company realized it could reap big profits by selling the defective product for human consumption.
On Friday, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries disclosed that Mikasa Foods had sold rice that contained five times the standard residue level of methamidophos, an organophosphorous insecticide, or aflatoxin, a carcinogenic fungus.
The former is the same substance detected in tainted frozen gyoza imported from China.
The farm ministry sells industrial-use rice at one-tenth to one-15th of the price of rice for human consumption.
Mikasa Foods, which began recalling the rice on Aug. 29, has so far been able to track down only four to five tons.
The company sold rice contaminated with methamidophos to rice stores in Fukuoka and Kumamoto prefectures through wholesalers. The rice contaminated with aflatoxin was sold to shochu makers in Kagoshima and Kumamoto prefectures and other companies.
The rice with methamidophos apparently found its way into rice cakes and cookies.
The farm ministry plans to file complaints with the Osaka and Fukuoka prefectural police accusing Mikasa Foods of violating the Food Sanitation Law, which bans the sale of contaminated food.
The ministry thus far has refused to disclose the companies that bought the tainted rice on grounds that health problems are not a factor.
According to the farm ministry, the government sold about 7,400 tons of defective rice from April 2003 to August 2008. Of that amount, 1,779 tons, or 24 percent, was purchased by Mikasa Foods.
The percentage was the highest among the 17 companies that bought the defective rice during that period.
Mikasa Foods bought 800 tons of Chinese rice that contained five times the standard residue level of methamidophos in four auctions between November 2006 and May 2007.
The company paid a total of 7.12 million yen, or an average of 8.9 yen per kilogram.
Mikasa Foods also bought nine tons of U.S., Chinese or Vietnamese rice that was tainted with aflatoxin at about 40,000 yen, or an average of 3 to 5 yen per kilogram.
By comparison, imported rice for human consumption is generally sold for 80 yen per kilogram.
The government imports 770,000 tons of rice every year to meet requirements agreed to under the Uruguay Round of trade talks.(IHT/Asahi: September 8,2008)"
- Source: Asahi Simbun 2008/9/8 -
Monday, September 8, 2008
After peaches...
- Never Stop Dreaming -
Sorry if my attempt to destroy your appetite is successful because I know resistance is futile. Ok ok, after peaches here comes the Kyoho Grapes once again...and with that I conclude my 1 year here in Japan. Yeah sure brings back tons of memories.
"OoOoOohhh...I never knew grapes tasted like this!"
"Oh so I heard you wanted a clearer view...here you go...check out the velvet white mask on the grapes!"
Ok this may be totally unrelated to food but since I am getting as a favor for a friend I might as well hoist some pictures up. Just release not long ago...Marlboro black with an extra dose of the much needed menthol. These cancer sticks actually smells pretty good by themselves without setting them on fire.
Sorry if my attempt to destroy your appetite is successful because I know resistance is futile. Ok ok, after peaches here comes the Kyoho Grapes once again...and with that I conclude my 1 year here in Japan. Yeah sure brings back tons of memories.
"OoOoOohhh...I never knew grapes tasted like this!"
"Oh so I heard you wanted a clearer view...here you go...check out the velvet white mask on the grapes!"
Ok this may be totally unrelated to food but since I am getting as a favor for a friend I might as well hoist some pictures up. Just release not long ago...Marlboro black with an extra dose of the much needed menthol. These cancer sticks actually smells pretty good by themselves without setting them on fire.
Otodama 7th Sept 2008
- Never Stop Dreaming -
For the past (God knows how many weeks, months or years...) weekends, I have spent almost every one of them away from my little shed. But the weekend that had just passed, I can't inmagined that I actually spent Friday and Sat at home. Well, at least on Fri nite I went out with dinner with Morris at a local Yakitori joint. The reason for doing so is that I was invited to this outdoor music event and the ticket was like some ￥7,000 and the place was in Yamanashi Prefecture opposite the theme park Fuji Q. So due to my self imposing budget constrain, after buying more junk, I decided I'd better stay home.
So what do I do at home, alone...you may wonder so I shall enlighten you so that you do not need to wonder no more. I watched Pulp Fiction, played some games and surf the internet...and that's about it. Yeah I know it sounds pretty bland and boring but hey...finances, that the constrain here. Besides, I got some plans with Morris to go down to Tokyo sometime soon so I'd better start saving up because I am sure I will spurge quite a bit in Tokyo...you know me, well..., err,...shopping.
Ok so on Sat nite, I got to bed quite early without any nonsense after catching The Bourne Ultimantum and rose to greet the Sunday morning sun at 6.30am. You'd be surprised simply because the Sun actually rises at like 4.30 am but the tradeoff is that the evenings come around 4.30 pm so by 5.30 pm, it's almost pitch black. From 6.30 am, I made my breakfast, ate it with some yogurt drink after some kamikaze retarded minature moth plunged into my freshly brewed coffee, geared up and off I go on this much anticipated road trip.
Rendezvous with Mitsu, Asaka, Sayaka and Yu somewhere in Tomi city and then took the spacious Honda Elysion to begin the road trip. From here on it was gonna be like 3 odd hours before we get to Yamanashi. The sun was rising gently to strike down the scorching heat anytime soon within an hour or two as the overcast sky was beginning to clear up by 8.30 am.
With Asuka driving and me in the back seat between Sayaka and Yu, we pulled up somewhere in Kofu (I think) at a highway kiosk where we took a little break and the I volunteered to drive the massive vehicle. Hmm the funny thing about this hybrid vehicle is that unlike the convectional vehicles, there is no key to be inserted and I had a silly time figuring out how to start it. I gave up in the end where Asuka pointed out that I had to hold the break pedal and press the "Power" switch on the left of the steering wheel. This little baby of a behemoth greeted me gently with no vibrations, no rocking engine, no rotary sounds of the fan belt, absolute silence simply because it's a hybrid petrol cum electric driven spaceship. Yes indeed I was all in awe and possibly in shock as to how a car can start up more silently than a laptop or cellphone.
"Asuka the Driver with Mitsu"
"A view of the road from the middle seat"
"A tactical shot of Asuka in full concentration (Mmm...I like candid shots like this)"
Praises aside, I gassed the little baby to test it's responses on the highway...darn, didn't feel the power kick in, didn't feel the gear change and when a little glimpse of the middle uber cool dashboard display showed 140 km/h I was like "Whoa?!" The marvel and creativity of the Japanese...pressurised cabin aka Shinkansen in a family MPV? Quite literally it was like that...until I realised that there were conspicuous unmarked highway patrols. Right on as we speak, a fully loaded Harley was pulled over by an unmarked Toyota Crown.
Fast forward from the 3 hour long and pretty boring highway journey, we found ourself in front of this massive roller coaster madness which of course was the famed Fuji Q theme park. Unfortunately that wasn't our destination...but rather it was this place called Conifer Forest where the huge sign "OTODAMA" was placed. Unload, unpacked and viola, I was the obnoxious paparazzi once again...so this time amongst the screams from the roller coaster in the distance, I caught a bright yellow tracked modded Honda NSX in the carpark. This mellow yellow babe comes with full track diffuser both front and back. Shutter chance...
The it was the waiting-stupidly-in-the-sun queue where I spoke in my proud English to Mitsu just to have ALL...yes I said ALL the Japanese there looking at me. Ha talk about that 1 minute of fame...I feel like a star, yeah baby yeah! But seriously if I was white, I would probably begged more attention but why bother right? Then just as when I, the great English spewing foreigner, was about enter the party grounds I was promptly stopped because DSLR cameras and supersized shoulder video cams were prohibited. "What in God's world was that?" I thought as I hauled my mini Kiss Digital X back to the car. "(#'&$%&%'!#=" the great Hokkien Ah Beng from Singapore strikes me again as vulgarities roamed freely in my head.
"Asuka, Mitsu and Sayaka...and yes I know Mitsu looks short and weird...maybe constipated"
"The King himself with Yu at the extreme right"
"The Official Sound Conifer 229 Event poster"
Somehow the normal compact digital cams were presumably allowed...DARN! Upon entering the rounds, it was huge, probably like the size of a English Premier League soccer field with this not-to-impressive stage less the DJ booth in the middle and 10 ~ 15 odd mind boggling steroid charged speakers. The crowd was a bit of a disappointment as barely 10% of the party ground was filled. May it was too early to tell but I bet I've seen more impressive crowds in Singapore NDP parade rehersals.
As the 3 stooges Mitsu, Yu and myself contemplate on the heat, I did noticed that there were many eye candies (think cute Japanese girls) but none was able to make it into the camera...how undeserving. Asuka and Sayaka went on ahead to check out Fuji Q but in the end they didn't make the famed ride either.
Fast forward again?! After the initial arrival to the entry at around 12 noon till the sun died away behind the overcast skies, I knew my long lost friend was coming to pay me a visit. Temperature dropped to like a cooling 23°C and the blue sky was nothing more than a massive gathering of grey dark clouds, I glanced at the Baro reading on my watch and proclaimed, "15 minutes max. The rain will be here." With that Lady Rain brought forth much rain within the next 7 minutes odd and continued to cry until around 8 pm in the night. When the rain began, some people were scattering into nearby shelters while many other simply danced in the rain. I would loved to be able to dance in the rain once again just to relive the days when I was a child. But considering that I have to be drenched, with a 3 hour journey back to catch my car and only then to drive another 30 minutes back to my house in utter darkness, I was pretty reluctant. Besides, God knows what time I will be home and the very underlying fact that I have work today. Watched as I may, there were just aplenty of beautiful bodies clad in transparent rain coats dancing in the raging storm. It was a sight that was indescribable with mere words and phrases...it was...quite simply one of the most amazing scenes I have witnessed in this extraordinary life. Their dance steps were simply but graceful, their bodies were worn but not lacking vigor and their spirits were not dampened but anything. I found myself sitting in solitude, cold but not drenched, admiring the gracefulness of the rain dances.
Along with the definition of the word Otodama (音魂）which literally means sound spirits, the exhilarating sight of all these beauties in transparent raincoat with the hood swaying in the music, it was a metaphor turned reality.
When the rain stopped, it was time for me to give it one last shot to make my money's worth. Shed my raincoat and unbuttoned my shirt, it was there where I let myself loose. As the event came to a close there were an array of fire works while the white Ang Moh in his fluent Japanese bade everyone farewell until the next event. From here on it's a series of unsightly and unimaginable, unethical and unbrotherly, immmoral and disrespectful scenes that I have to endured all the way back to where I had parked my car. All I can say is that Mitsu, I am so sorry that you are "blessed" with such "brothers" and "sisters". Unfortunate but maybe to an extent I was over reacting.
さやかちゃん、ゆくん、お前二人は本当にやばい。僕はもう見た、もう聞いた、それからもういやだ、もういい。見たくない、聞いたくない、知りたくない。
That I leave you one of my favorite songs from the event...Daishi Dance's Music Life In Forest
For the past (God knows how many weeks, months or years...) weekends, I have spent almost every one of them away from my little shed. But the weekend that had just passed, I can't inmagined that I actually spent Friday and Sat at home. Well, at least on Fri nite I went out with dinner with Morris at a local Yakitori joint. The reason for doing so is that I was invited to this outdoor music event and the ticket was like some ￥7,000 and the place was in Yamanashi Prefecture opposite the theme park Fuji Q. So due to my self imposing budget constrain, after buying more junk, I decided I'd better stay home.
So what do I do at home, alone...you may wonder so I shall enlighten you so that you do not need to wonder no more. I watched Pulp Fiction, played some games and surf the internet...and that's about it. Yeah I know it sounds pretty bland and boring but hey...finances, that the constrain here. Besides, I got some plans with Morris to go down to Tokyo sometime soon so I'd better start saving up because I am sure I will spurge quite a bit in Tokyo...you know me, well..., err,...shopping.
Ok so on Sat nite, I got to bed quite early without any nonsense after catching The Bourne Ultimantum and rose to greet the Sunday morning sun at 6.30am. You'd be surprised simply because the Sun actually rises at like 4.30 am but the tradeoff is that the evenings come around 4.30 pm so by 5.30 pm, it's almost pitch black. From 6.30 am, I made my breakfast, ate it with some yogurt drink after some kamikaze retarded minature moth plunged into my freshly brewed coffee, geared up and off I go on this much anticipated road trip.
Rendezvous with Mitsu, Asaka, Sayaka and Yu somewhere in Tomi city and then took the spacious Honda Elysion to begin the road trip. From here on it was gonna be like 3 odd hours before we get to Yamanashi. The sun was rising gently to strike down the scorching heat anytime soon within an hour or two as the overcast sky was beginning to clear up by 8.30 am.
With Asuka driving and me in the back seat between Sayaka and Yu, we pulled up somewhere in Kofu (I think) at a highway kiosk where we took a little break and the I volunteered to drive the massive vehicle. Hmm the funny thing about this hybrid vehicle is that unlike the convectional vehicles, there is no key to be inserted and I had a silly time figuring out how to start it. I gave up in the end where Asuka pointed out that I had to hold the break pedal and press the "Power" switch on the left of the steering wheel. This little baby of a behemoth greeted me gently with no vibrations, no rocking engine, no rotary sounds of the fan belt, absolute silence simply because it's a hybrid petrol cum electric driven spaceship. Yes indeed I was all in awe and possibly in shock as to how a car can start up more silently than a laptop or cellphone.
"Asuka the Driver with Mitsu"
"A view of the road from the middle seat"
"A tactical shot of Asuka in full concentration (Mmm...I like candid shots like this)"
Praises aside, I gassed the little baby to test it's responses on the highway...darn, didn't feel the power kick in, didn't feel the gear change and when a little glimpse of the middle uber cool dashboard display showed 140 km/h I was like "Whoa?!" The marvel and creativity of the Japanese...pressurised cabin aka Shinkansen in a family MPV? Quite literally it was like that...until I realised that there were conspicuous unmarked highway patrols. Right on as we speak, a fully loaded Harley was pulled over by an unmarked Toyota Crown.
Fast forward from the 3 hour long and pretty boring highway journey, we found ourself in front of this massive roller coaster madness which of course was the famed Fuji Q theme park. Unfortunately that wasn't our destination...but rather it was this place called Conifer Forest where the huge sign "OTODAMA" was placed. Unload, unpacked and viola, I was the obnoxious paparazzi once again...so this time amongst the screams from the roller coaster in the distance, I caught a bright yellow tracked modded Honda NSX in the carpark. This mellow yellow babe comes with full track diffuser both front and back. Shutter chance...
The it was the waiting-stupidly-in-the-sun queue where I spoke in my proud English to Mitsu just to have ALL...yes I said ALL the Japanese there looking at me. Ha talk about that 1 minute of fame...I feel like a star, yeah baby yeah! But seriously if I was white, I would probably begged more attention but why bother right? Then just as when I, the great English spewing foreigner, was about enter the party grounds I was promptly stopped because DSLR cameras and supersized shoulder video cams were prohibited. "What in God's world was that?" I thought as I hauled my mini Kiss Digital X back to the car. "(#'&$%&%'!#=" the great Hokkien Ah Beng from Singapore strikes me again as vulgarities roamed freely in my head.
"Asuka, Mitsu and Sayaka...and yes I know Mitsu looks short and weird...maybe constipated"
"The King himself with Yu at the extreme right"
"The Official Sound Conifer 229 Event poster"
Somehow the normal compact digital cams were presumably allowed...DARN! Upon entering the rounds, it was huge, probably like the size of a English Premier League soccer field with this not-to-impressive stage less the DJ booth in the middle and 10 ~ 15 odd mind boggling steroid charged speakers. The crowd was a bit of a disappointment as barely 10% of the party ground was filled. May it was too early to tell but I bet I've seen more impressive crowds in Singapore NDP parade rehersals.
As the 3 stooges Mitsu, Yu and myself contemplate on the heat, I did noticed that there were many eye candies (think cute Japanese girls) but none was able to make it into the camera...how undeserving. Asuka and Sayaka went on ahead to check out Fuji Q but in the end they didn't make the famed ride either.
Fast forward again?! After the initial arrival to the entry at around 12 noon till the sun died away behind the overcast skies, I knew my long lost friend was coming to pay me a visit. Temperature dropped to like a cooling 23°C and the blue sky was nothing more than a massive gathering of grey dark clouds, I glanced at the Baro reading on my watch and proclaimed, "15 minutes max. The rain will be here." With that Lady Rain brought forth much rain within the next 7 minutes odd and continued to cry until around 8 pm in the night. When the rain began, some people were scattering into nearby shelters while many other simply danced in the rain. I would loved to be able to dance in the rain once again just to relive the days when I was a child. But considering that I have to be drenched, with a 3 hour journey back to catch my car and only then to drive another 30 minutes back to my house in utter darkness, I was pretty reluctant. Besides, God knows what time I will be home and the very underlying fact that I have work today. Watched as I may, there were just aplenty of beautiful bodies clad in transparent rain coats dancing in the raging storm. It was a sight that was indescribable with mere words and phrases...it was...quite simply one of the most amazing scenes I have witnessed in this extraordinary life. Their dance steps were simply but graceful, their bodies were worn but not lacking vigor and their spirits were not dampened but anything. I found myself sitting in solitude, cold but not drenched, admiring the gracefulness of the rain dances.
Along with the definition of the word Otodama (音魂）which literally means sound spirits, the exhilarating sight of all these beauties in transparent raincoat with the hood swaying in the music, it was a metaphor turned reality.
When the rain stopped, it was time for me to give it one last shot to make my money's worth. Shed my raincoat and unbuttoned my shirt, it was there where I let myself loose. As the event came to a close there were an array of fire works while the white Ang Moh in his fluent Japanese bade everyone farewell until the next event. From here on it's a series of unsightly and unimaginable, unethical and unbrotherly, immmoral and disrespectful scenes that I have to endured all the way back to where I had parked my car. All I can say is that Mitsu, I am so sorry that you are "blessed" with such "brothers" and "sisters". Unfortunate but maybe to an extent I was over reacting.
さやかちゃん、ゆくん、お前二人は本当にやばい。僕はもう見た、もう聞いた、それからもういやだ、もういい。見たくない、聞いたくない、知りたくない。
That I leave you one of my favorite songs from the event...Daishi Dance's Music Life In Forest
Friday, September 5, 2008
When Teddy Whispers
- Never Stop Dreaming -
Reading news from Channelnewsasia and Google for both international and domestic affairs...the only "Huge" news is that Mr Fukuda said on Monday that he is quitting his Prime Minister role. Hmmm...didn't he took over the reins from Mr Abe sometime ago? WIth less than a year in the Cabinet, it seems like the role of leading a mighty soverign is nothing more than a joke. When they like it they stay and when they don't they leave...If you ask me, I would prefer the Mr. Koizumi with the ever sleepy eyes, long grey tresses and his no nonsense attitude. Oh did I mention that he looks like the Asian Richard Gere?
Even the kids in my school were not disturbed by this passe news...instead they were pissed when this news was broadcasted during their TV shows, interupting everything.
Alrite politics aside here the kinda news I would want to see from Japan...
When your beloved Teddy whispers, hold it to your ear and listen. Not getting the big picture? Ok...this is the latest invention by Willcom, Japan. A Teddy Bear Phone...I am not really sure how you can dial the numbers but I do know that the snort of little Teddy speaks to you.
So if you never grew outta those Teddy years (Remember Teddy Ruxpin?) when you were a kid, here's a chance to relive them. Talk about beating the Iphone and the lawsuit...this one sure weave magic. Unless you do not mind the attention, carrying a fluffy baby around, losing your phone is not a daily headache and got plenty of disposable cash, this littte baby might just be the right phone.
If only...if only they come out with the Sesame Street series then only would I go get myself a Blue Cookie Monster phone.
Reading news from Channelnewsasia and Google for both international and domestic affairs...the only "Huge" news is that Mr Fukuda said on Monday that he is quitting his Prime Minister role. Hmmm...didn't he took over the reins from Mr Abe sometime ago? WIth less than a year in the Cabinet, it seems like the role of leading a mighty soverign is nothing more than a joke. When they like it they stay and when they don't they leave...If you ask me, I would prefer the Mr. Koizumi with the ever sleepy eyes, long grey tresses and his no nonsense attitude. Oh did I mention that he looks like the Asian Richard Gere?
Even the kids in my school were not disturbed by this passe news...instead they were pissed when this news was broadcasted during their TV shows, interupting everything.
Alrite politics aside here the kinda news I would want to see from Japan...
When your beloved Teddy whispers, hold it to your ear and listen. Not getting the big picture? Ok...this is the latest invention by Willcom, Japan. A Teddy Bear Phone...I am not really sure how you can dial the numbers but I do know that the snort of little Teddy speaks to you.
So if you never grew outta those Teddy years (Remember Teddy Ruxpin?) when you were a kid, here's a chance to relive them. Talk about beating the Iphone and the lawsuit...this one sure weave magic. Unless you do not mind the attention, carrying a fluffy baby around, losing your phone is not a daily headache and got plenty of disposable cash, this littte baby might just be the right phone.
If only...if only they come out with the Sesame Street series then only would I go get myself a Blue Cookie Monster phone.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
軽井沢大橋 (Karuizawa Bridge)
- Never Stop Dreaming -
Before I continue, please be advised that readers' discretion is STRONGLY advised. If you got a faint heart or am intolerant to supernatural context, please skip this post altogether.
Alrite with that in place I can begin. Ever since I got here last August, I have been hearing stories about an infamous bridge where the suicide rate increases every year. It's like a routine that have to be carry on for no apparent reason or is there one? Haunted places is what we are discussing today or rather what I am about to tell you.
This paricular bridge is located in Karuizawa. While Karuizawa seems to have the best reputation in the entire Nagano Prefecture because it's a tourist driven area, there are also many insanely beautiful architectures. It's a ski town, has tons of shops and even a Shinkansen Station right in the heart of it. But that's all located where commerce thrive. The fame bridge is far far away from all these expensive and busy districts. Instead it is tuck away in the forest like a sacred shrine where no one lives. In fact there is indeed a shrine built there in 1989 after the increasing suicide rates since the incorporation of the bridge in 1968. There is a short Japanese Wiki Entry on this haunted bridge HERE. Along with a whole strings of stange Japanese places, this bridge is classified as a Haunted Spot (心霊スポット). More can be found in this Japanese Wiki HERE
Unlike urban cities or Singapore, there are no high rise buildings for people to take the plunge so here in Nagano Prefecture, this particular bridge is supposedly the "Fame" suicide spot. It like with each death, the victim's soul would seek out the next replacement or victim to continue this legend. Other "Hot" spots include the other bridge in Komoro city or quite simply the classic "Train Dive" and the Mystery Forest beneath Mt. Fuji.
I was proudly taken for a ride to this fame spot on the night on Monday, 1st September 2008. At approximately 8 pm, we arrived at the bridge. It wasn't really what I had in mind but the road that leads to the bridge was like a old battered tarmac road that winds through thick vegetation in pitch black darkness leading to some 90 metres above the Chikuma River (I think). I was in a Hybrid Honda Elysion with Mitsu as the Driver, Mitsu's GF Asuka in the front passenger, Asuka's sister Sayaka behind her and me behind the driver. To prevent any supernatural induced accidents, Mitsu flipped the rear mirror up to avoid seeing "unwanted" apparitions in the last row of seats.
The car peered out of the pitch black forest and stopped in front of the well lit bridge. There was this intense atmosphere inside the car and also on the bridge itself. The air outside the car seems still with the stench of lingering grievances along the bridge. At the other end of the bridge the light faded into a sphere of black. On closer inspection, both sides of the bridge were covered in steel protective barriers with barbed wires on the top. Sort of like the electrical fence in Jurassic Park but this one clearly keeps the potential suicider from climbing out for that leap of death.
I actually thought that it wasn't really that scary initially but when I peeked on to the GPS mounted on the dashboard of the car, there were no lines indicating the road we were on but quite simply the words "軽 井 沢 大 橋" in faint white font against a black background. Then I looked up again and this time round the black sphere at the other side of the bridge seems to draw me in with some kind of mysterious force waiting to be discovered.
Prior to coming here, I have heard so many stories about weird incidents happening. Stories like how a weird force will prevent drivers from braking on the bridge and then causing an accident. Stories like if you stop your car and then take a walk on the bridge and then return to your car, you will see "Her" in the back seat via the rear mirror. Well to a certain degree apparitions can be either real or very much exaggearated...it's subjective I would say. Somehow the vision of the bridge keeps playing inside my head...
While I have been to spooky places in SG during my younger days and I do not deny that they were indeed scary, but this place seems to have more grief than fear. Possibily because the places in the past were actually travelled on foot and I was being exposed to all the 5 senses while this time round, I was in the comfort of the car that seemed to repel anything outside the car. The more I look at the bridge the more grief I feel...eventhough I could never and will never understand why people give up their lives, I really hope that they find their inner peace somethere else.
After passing the bridge, my dear Mitsu was preparing me for another treat...a tree with a human face on it. However we took a couple of wrong turns and ended up in some weird farms in pitched black. There were cabbages or some kind of vegetables planted in the farms but what was alarming was that traditional scarecrows were replaced simply with a stick in the ground with a mannequin head on it. There were numerous heads, both male and female, with and without caps or hats looking in all directions. Spooky! And that freaked Asuka out as she whispered, "I am not seeing anymore of this!" as she covered her eyes with her hands.
In the end we found the tree but no matter how I look at it, there was absolutely no face...nothing even close. Then we made our way back to the bridge to go back to the main road. Surprising there were occasionally 1 or 2 cars travelling on the road and through the bridge. While once again going slowly along the bridge, I peeled my eyes and watched closely at anything that might appear but in the end nothing much happened. The only thing that left a permanant and deep impression was the view of the bridge playing constantly in my head.
After that we went for a heavenly Unagi dinner and then it was home. Along the way home, again the vision was playing in my head...I was also watching out for any racoons that might be suicidal and so I kept my speed at around 50 to 60 km/h. I had told myself that I really really do not want to hit any racoons after seeing so many of those poor critters lay lifeless on the roads since last year. Tonight everything will change...out from the side of the road I spotted a racoon and it was going into the drain by the left side of the road. I eased on the gas and decelerate but it was too late as that 1/100th of a second, the poor racoon changed it's mind and crossed the road. There was nothing I could do as the next 99/100th of a second I felt a hard bump on the bottom carriage of the car. As much as I wanted to get down and check on the poor animal, some form of retardant shot into my head and I didn't stop till I reach my house. I felt really lousy when I got home...Other ridiculous ideas flooded my head as I recalled the bump. Like a car hitting a branch or a stone, there was absolutely to squeals or screams...just a heavy knock followed by faint knocks and it was all silent after 1 seconds.
Tuesday morning I went to work as usual trying to see if the poor animal still laid there. Nothing, no blood and no carcass...nothing much I can do then. Then on Tuesday night I was abruptly woken up when I had a strange dream. I wasn't sure if it was my sub conscious playing but in it I shouted but there was no voice, I struggled but I couldn't move...I exerted all my strength but there was simply some invisible force binding me. There I laid in a car or on a bed I wasn't sure but the left side of my waist hurt...it was burning. Sure feels like being compressed by a spirit or something...Whoa scary.
Wednesday, 3rd August...everything still the same and I decided to enter this post. If you are wondering why I did not take any pictures, well...I really do not like the idea of seeing something in the pictures after I transfer them onto the computer. Besides, I would prefer to give those soul some after-death respect. Other reasons include my Japanese level is still not proficient to communicate with those things. But here's some I ripped off the internet.
The bridge in daytime.
CLose up of the barrier.
Google Map of the place...alternative you can copy 軽井沢大橋 and seach it in Google Map.
Before I continue, please be advised that readers' discretion is STRONGLY advised. If you got a faint heart or am intolerant to supernatural context, please skip this post altogether.
Alrite with that in place I can begin. Ever since I got here last August, I have been hearing stories about an infamous bridge where the suicide rate increases every year. It's like a routine that have to be carry on for no apparent reason or is there one? Haunted places is what we are discussing today or rather what I am about to tell you.
This paricular bridge is located in Karuizawa. While Karuizawa seems to have the best reputation in the entire Nagano Prefecture because it's a tourist driven area, there are also many insanely beautiful architectures. It's a ski town, has tons of shops and even a Shinkansen Station right in the heart of it. But that's all located where commerce thrive. The fame bridge is far far away from all these expensive and busy districts. Instead it is tuck away in the forest like a sacred shrine where no one lives. In fact there is indeed a shrine built there in 1989 after the increasing suicide rates since the incorporation of the bridge in 1968. There is a short Japanese Wiki Entry on this haunted bridge HERE. Along with a whole strings of stange Japanese places, this bridge is classified as a Haunted Spot (心霊スポット). More can be found in this Japanese Wiki HERE
Unlike urban cities or Singapore, there are no high rise buildings for people to take the plunge so here in Nagano Prefecture, this particular bridge is supposedly the "Fame" suicide spot. It like with each death, the victim's soul would seek out the next replacement or victim to continue this legend. Other "Hot" spots include the other bridge in Komoro city or quite simply the classic "Train Dive" and the Mystery Forest beneath Mt. Fuji.
I was proudly taken for a ride to this fame spot on the night on Monday, 1st September 2008. At approximately 8 pm, we arrived at the bridge. It wasn't really what I had in mind but the road that leads to the bridge was like a old battered tarmac road that winds through thick vegetation in pitch black darkness leading to some 90 metres above the Chikuma River (I think). I was in a Hybrid Honda Elysion with Mitsu as the Driver, Mitsu's GF Asuka in the front passenger, Asuka's sister Sayaka behind her and me behind the driver. To prevent any supernatural induced accidents, Mitsu flipped the rear mirror up to avoid seeing "unwanted" apparitions in the last row of seats.
The car peered out of the pitch black forest and stopped in front of the well lit bridge. There was this intense atmosphere inside the car and also on the bridge itself. The air outside the car seems still with the stench of lingering grievances along the bridge. At the other end of the bridge the light faded into a sphere of black. On closer inspection, both sides of the bridge were covered in steel protective barriers with barbed wires on the top. Sort of like the electrical fence in Jurassic Park but this one clearly keeps the potential suicider from climbing out for that leap of death.
I actually thought that it wasn't really that scary initially but when I peeked on to the GPS mounted on the dashboard of the car, there were no lines indicating the road we were on but quite simply the words "軽 井 沢 大 橋" in faint white font against a black background. Then I looked up again and this time round the black sphere at the other side of the bridge seems to draw me in with some kind of mysterious force waiting to be discovered.
Prior to coming here, I have heard so many stories about weird incidents happening. Stories like how a weird force will prevent drivers from braking on the bridge and then causing an accident. Stories like if you stop your car and then take a walk on the bridge and then return to your car, you will see "Her" in the back seat via the rear mirror. Well to a certain degree apparitions can be either real or very much exaggearated...it's subjective I would say. Somehow the vision of the bridge keeps playing inside my head...
While I have been to spooky places in SG during my younger days and I do not deny that they were indeed scary, but this place seems to have more grief than fear. Possibily because the places in the past were actually travelled on foot and I was being exposed to all the 5 senses while this time round, I was in the comfort of the car that seemed to repel anything outside the car. The more I look at the bridge the more grief I feel...eventhough I could never and will never understand why people give up their lives, I really hope that they find their inner peace somethere else.
After passing the bridge, my dear Mitsu was preparing me for another treat...a tree with a human face on it. However we took a couple of wrong turns and ended up in some weird farms in pitched black. There were cabbages or some kind of vegetables planted in the farms but what was alarming was that traditional scarecrows were replaced simply with a stick in the ground with a mannequin head on it. There were numerous heads, both male and female, with and without caps or hats looking in all directions. Spooky! And that freaked Asuka out as she whispered, "I am not seeing anymore of this!" as she covered her eyes with her hands.
In the end we found the tree but no matter how I look at it, there was absolutely no face...nothing even close. Then we made our way back to the bridge to go back to the main road. Surprising there were occasionally 1 or 2 cars travelling on the road and through the bridge. While once again going slowly along the bridge, I peeled my eyes and watched closely at anything that might appear but in the end nothing much happened. The only thing that left a permanant and deep impression was the view of the bridge playing constantly in my head.
After that we went for a heavenly Unagi dinner and then it was home. Along the way home, again the vision was playing in my head...I was also watching out for any racoons that might be suicidal and so I kept my speed at around 50 to 60 km/h. I had told myself that I really really do not want to hit any racoons after seeing so many of those poor critters lay lifeless on the roads since last year. Tonight everything will change...out from the side of the road I spotted a racoon and it was going into the drain by the left side of the road. I eased on the gas and decelerate but it was too late as that 1/100th of a second, the poor racoon changed it's mind and crossed the road. There was nothing I could do as the next 99/100th of a second I felt a hard bump on the bottom carriage of the car. As much as I wanted to get down and check on the poor animal, some form of retardant shot into my head and I didn't stop till I reach my house. I felt really lousy when I got home...Other ridiculous ideas flooded my head as I recalled the bump. Like a car hitting a branch or a stone, there was absolutely to squeals or screams...just a heavy knock followed by faint knocks and it was all silent after 1 seconds.
Tuesday morning I went to work as usual trying to see if the poor animal still laid there. Nothing, no blood and no carcass...nothing much I can do then. Then on Tuesday night I was abruptly woken up when I had a strange dream. I wasn't sure if it was my sub conscious playing but in it I shouted but there was no voice, I struggled but I couldn't move...I exerted all my strength but there was simply some invisible force binding me. There I laid in a car or on a bed I wasn't sure but the left side of my waist hurt...it was burning. Sure feels like being compressed by a spirit or something...Whoa scary.
Wednesday, 3rd August...everything still the same and I decided to enter this post. If you are wondering why I did not take any pictures, well...I really do not like the idea of seeing something in the pictures after I transfer them onto the computer. Besides, I would prefer to give those soul some after-death respect. Other reasons include my Japanese level is still not proficient to communicate with those things. But here's some I ripped off the internet.
The bridge in daytime.
CLose up of the barrier.
Google Map of the place...alternative you can copy 軽井沢大橋 and seach it in Google Map.
Sony PSP x GPS x Maplus 2
- Never Stop Dreaming -
Being a consumer and for the benefit of many around me, I feel that each time I discover something worthy of interest, I should take the initiative to do a first impression review if I have the chance. Afterall, as long as I do not survive off wild berries and hunt my own game, this should be fine.
Ok GPS seems a little far fetched in Singapore sometime ago but as new roads pop up, more ERP gantries and more cars, the use of a navigation system seems to help ease travelling time and avoid the gantries rather than actually navigate from place to place.
Alrite alrite, I can hear people screaming "Get to the point!".
I seriously think everyone should be armed with a SONY PSP because it does JUST the following things -
1. Allows you to play your favourite games.
2. Allows you to watch your favourite TV shows or movies.
3. Allows you to listen to your favourite tunes.
4. Connects to the internet.
5. Allows you to chat via skype.
6. Allows you to use it like a backup external memory device.
7. Double up as a outdoor lighting device.
8. Allows you to take pictures via an external camera.
9. Has translation software so there will never be a language barrier.
10. Comes in wonderful colors.
11. Connects to your monstrous LCD TV.
12. Connects to your PS3.
13. Allows you to exercise your fingers.
14. Relieve stress.
15. Allows GPS navigation and tracking..
And I shall skip 1 ~ 14 because I am only touching on No. 15 today. Oh before I forget...Sony will be phasing out the PSP 2000 (Slim & Lite) to make way for the new PSP 3000. Aesthetically wise, the most notable differences are the redesign of the "Home Button" and the metallic ring on the UMD cover.
Read PSPFANBOY's article for the complete story. So if you have to go get yourself a Slim before it retires into the Hall of Fame.
The GPS unit (PSP 290) is probably the cheapest GPS unit around and I got my for only ￥5400. Though this nifty little device is an Official Sony Product, nonetheless as we all know it, it is "Proudly" made in China. Skepticism aside, this thing actually works pretty well. But please note that the GPS will not work by itself when you plug it into the PSP. You will need the necessary software to work it which is to say that the PSP does not detect it when you plug it in. The GPS unit actually comes with a plastic carrier probably because most PSP carrying case cannot accomodate the PSP with the GPS attached.
The GPS unit can be folded behind the PSP or positioned upright. Does not matter which way it is positioned because both still works.
So what's the point of the GPS without the map...? Here we go...
The current software are almost all in Japanese but there are other 3rd party software like Denisuka's MapThis which actually uses Google Maps. I have not used this but I heard this is probably the best Non-Japanese navigation available for the PSP.
These are the Japanese GPS mapping software (Links are in Japanese) that I know.
1. MAPLUS PORTABLE NAVI
2. MAPLUS 2 PORTABLE NAVI
3. PRO ATLAS TRAVEL GUIDE
4. MINNA NO CHIZU 2
5. MINNA NO CHIZU 3
I have not tried the rest but I am currently using Maplus 2. No.1 to No. 3 are by Edia while No. 4 and No. 5 are by Zenrin. From the various sources that I have gathered, it seems the most built in GPS system in the Japanese Domestic cars are by Edia so I decided to give their PSP mapping system a shot.
The maps are labeled in Japanese with different contrasts to choose from.
The top left icons are (From left), Compass, GPS status and Time. Compass and Time are self explanatory and here are the GPS status that I have encountered.
1. Big red "X" - Not working I presumed
2. Orange NG - Unable to measure or no signal
3. 2D - 2D mapping enabled
3. 3D - 3D mapping enabled
4. OK - Working I presumed
Upon pressing the "Select" button, the view will be converted into portrait instead of landscape.
While there are indepth settings to tweak, I have not yet been able to experience them so I shall leave that out.
So far I am only able to figure out how to set my Home and from there key in the location I want to go either by address or by manual map navigation. The points that I wish to pass and then Viola, the software will search the most appropriate path to take. PRESS THE X BUTTON TO LOCK ON AND TRACK. Then comes the Japanese voice over that tells me "700 metres ahead take a right", "1.4 km to the Goal", "Approaching Goal, slow down", "Turn Right at the next traffic light" and other usual narrative information. Of course if you have a fad to be scolded or teased, you can always pay an extra ￥880 to download customized voice over like those sweet Master-Slave in animes or harsh bellow tone like Solid Snake in MGS4. Check out the samples HERE
When approaching the necessary junctions, slip roads, etc the map will be sub-divided into a split screen that shows either close ups,
Sign boards,
Or 3D visuals if available.
On the bottom left there is a white bar with blue indicators to represent the distance from the starting point to the goal. Below the indicator is the distance in numeric interpretations, time and the word GOAL. On the bottom right shows the Longitude and Latitude, how much the zoom and the scale of the map. On the top right shows the indicated direction to take with the distance below. The big red "G" is simply the destination.
There are also other filters and recommendations available like Onsens, restaurants, cool spots, temples, etc,
And customizable folders to store all your records.
In summary, this is one of the best GPS navigation set up I have seen and boy does it weave magic that is of course if you have a decent understanding of Japanese. No more getting lost around Tokyo or Nagano, no more flimsy paper maps and no more excuses. The PSP x GPS x Maplus 2 is all that you ever need if you want to navigate Japan.
5 stars outta 5 for this.
Being a consumer and for the benefit of many around me, I feel that each time I discover something worthy of interest, I should take the initiative to do a first impression review if I have the chance. Afterall, as long as I do not survive off wild berries and hunt my own game, this should be fine.
Ok GPS seems a little far fetched in Singapore sometime ago but as new roads pop up, more ERP gantries and more cars, the use of a navigation system seems to help ease travelling time and avoid the gantries rather than actually navigate from place to place.
Alrite alrite, I can hear people screaming "Get to the point!".
I seriously think everyone should be armed with a SONY PSP because it does JUST the following things -
1. Allows you to play your favourite games.
2. Allows you to watch your favourite TV shows or movies.
3. Allows you to listen to your favourite tunes.
4. Connects to the internet.
5. Allows you to chat via skype.
6. Allows you to use it like a backup external memory device.
7. Double up as a outdoor lighting device.
8. Allows you to take pictures via an external camera.
9. Has translation software so there will never be a language barrier.
10. Comes in wonderful colors.
11. Connects to your monstrous LCD TV.
12. Connects to your PS3.
13. Allows you to exercise your fingers.
14. Relieve stress.
15. Allows GPS navigation and tracking..
And I shall skip 1 ~ 14 because I am only touching on No. 15 today. Oh before I forget...Sony will be phasing out the PSP 2000 (Slim & Lite) to make way for the new PSP 3000. Aesthetically wise, the most notable differences are the redesign of the "Home Button" and the metallic ring on the UMD cover.
Read PSPFANBOY's article for the complete story. So if you have to go get yourself a Slim before it retires into the Hall of Fame.
The GPS unit (PSP 290) is probably the cheapest GPS unit around and I got my for only ￥5400. Though this nifty little device is an Official Sony Product, nonetheless as we all know it, it is "Proudly" made in China. Skepticism aside, this thing actually works pretty well. But please note that the GPS will not work by itself when you plug it into the PSP. You will need the necessary software to work it which is to say that the PSP does not detect it when you plug it in. The GPS unit actually comes with a plastic carrier probably because most PSP carrying case cannot accomodate the PSP with the GPS attached.
The GPS unit can be folded behind the PSP or positioned upright. Does not matter which way it is positioned because both still works.
So what's the point of the GPS without the map...? Here we go...
The current software are almost all in Japanese but there are other 3rd party software like Denisuka's MapThis which actually uses Google Maps. I have not used this but I heard this is probably the best Non-Japanese navigation available for the PSP.
These are the Japanese GPS mapping software (Links are in Japanese) that I know.
1. MAPLUS PORTABLE NAVI
2. MAPLUS 2 PORTABLE NAVI
3. PRO ATLAS TRAVEL GUIDE
4. MINNA NO CHIZU 2
5. MINNA NO CHIZU 3
I have not tried the rest but I am currently using Maplus 2. No.1 to No. 3 are by Edia while No. 4 and No. 5 are by Zenrin. From the various sources that I have gathered, it seems the most built in GPS system in the Japanese Domestic cars are by Edia so I decided to give their PSP mapping system a shot.
The maps are labeled in Japanese with different contrasts to choose from.
The top left icons are (From left), Compass, GPS status and Time. Compass and Time are self explanatory and here are the GPS status that I have encountered.
1. Big red "X" - Not working I presumed
2. Orange NG - Unable to measure or no signal
3. 2D - 2D mapping enabled
3. 3D - 3D mapping enabled
4. OK - Working I presumed
Upon pressing the "Select" button, the view will be converted into portrait instead of landscape.
While there are indepth settings to tweak, I have not yet been able to experience them so I shall leave that out.
So far I am only able to figure out how to set my Home and from there key in the location I want to go either by address or by manual map navigation. The points that I wish to pass and then Viola, the software will search the most appropriate path to take. PRESS THE X BUTTON TO LOCK ON AND TRACK. Then comes the Japanese voice over that tells me "700 metres ahead take a right", "1.4 km to the Goal", "Approaching Goal, slow down", "Turn Right at the next traffic light" and other usual narrative information. Of course if you have a fad to be scolded or teased, you can always pay an extra ￥880 to download customized voice over like those sweet Master-Slave in animes or harsh bellow tone like Solid Snake in MGS4. Check out the samples HERE
When approaching the necessary junctions, slip roads, etc the map will be sub-divided into a split screen that shows either close ups,
Sign boards,
Or 3D visuals if available.
On the bottom left there is a white bar with blue indicators to represent the distance from the starting point to the goal. Below the indicator is the distance in numeric interpretations, time and the word GOAL. On the bottom right shows the Longitude and Latitude, how much the zoom and the scale of the map. On the top right shows the indicated direction to take with the distance below. The big red "G" is simply the destination.
There are also other filters and recommendations available like Onsens, restaurants, cool spots, temples, etc,
And customizable folders to store all your records.
In summary, this is one of the best GPS navigation set up I have seen and boy does it weave magic that is of course if you have a decent understanding of Japanese. No more getting lost around Tokyo or Nagano, no more flimsy paper maps and no more excuses. The PSP x GPS x Maplus 2 is all that you ever need if you want to navigate Japan.
5 stars outta 5 for this.
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