- Never Stop Dreaming -
Yesterday, I went to my company to give my Boss the answer whether I would continue for another year and also to collect my paycheck. The atmosphere was a bit awkward since I would have to tender in my resignation. And so she started off with the usual, "How are you, how's everything" before asking, "So what do you think? Will you continue?" My answers for the past 2 years was a reluctant "YES" to which I pre-assumed, she would most definitely have expected me to say "Yes" this time as well but with little hesistation and no remorse in my eyes, I looked at her straight in the eye and said, "No, I think this is it!"
I had been observing and would have expectated her reaction to be some how calm and true to reality, she was calm but there was a little sense of uneasiness in her eyes. And then she asked, "Why? Why not?" and I simply gave a crap of reasons just to pacify her. I would not discredit the fact that she was the one who hauled me into Japan and I had to be grateful to my benefactor but 3 years, it's more then enuff I think. Now it's the time to move on...to realise other dreams and to do other things. She did hinted to me last year when I re-contrated that I had better looked for greener pastures which was implanted deep in my head. However the turn of events like many schools, teachers and principals asking her to let me continue made her changed her stance to a much softer, subtle approach. She was hoping for me to continue so that she could save all that initial troublesome paper work or hassles. Well, I paid my dues and lived with the fact that I got no bonus or future prospect so the decision was in fact very clear.
Now that all was over, I am all hyped up about my new place, new job and new car of course. But still besides my friends, none of the kids, teachers or principals knew about my resignation. And of course besides FB and my friends, not even my boss knew about me already had a new job confirmation.
I will soon close this chapter of my initial epical journey here in Japan. But with that I will open another chapter to yet another adventure here in Japan and in case you are still wondering, nope I didn't grew outta fantasies, dragons, magicians or princesses, I still very much want my life to revolve around this imaginary utopian concept. Besides, my friends will be coming to check out me new place, new car, new etc., my brother and my family too. And word has it that there is a possibility of my entire family moving here in the future because SG is no longer livable since it's either Little India or Little Chinatown everywhere we go now.
Nonetheless, my new place has 2 bed rooms so anyone is more than welcome to crash but subjected to my screening proccess!
Nissan Silvia S15 Sweet Strawberry baby...I am eagerly anticipating your arrival each day....muacks muacks muacks!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
10 years of dreaming and soon months of reality!
- Never Stop Dreaming -
Hmmm I had always believed that dreams are very important for some people but even more important for those who not only dare to dream but to realise it. I live by my own "never stop dreaming" principle since some dunno how many years ago and it got me here today enjoy a different part of the world. Dreams are after all, a possible reality in the future if one never stop dreaming and continue to do whatever it takes to be 1 step closer.
Like a geeky bespectacled fat kid in the neighbourhood, I was very much the going-thru-puberty-displaced-but-dreamy 10 year old kid back then dreaming about lots of stuffs. I love cars, games, toys, guns, electronic stuffs and other geek related passion. But back then it was merely all child's play. Then when I reached 17, I was introduced to a taste of the real world, the REALITY and it was then I realised that the very first car I fell for was a dark grey Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV on display at IMM. From there I learn more about the other machines and finally I found myself declaring my first and ever maiden love for a car, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V.
The bold styling of the car itself, the huge fenders, the huge lamps and spoilers made the Evolution V every boy's dream machine, well at least for me. It was a "Man's" car compared to other sleek but small feminine cars. For some good years I never wavered my love for the Evolution V, not even the mighty GTR could wet my appetite a bit.
Now cars, not RC cars, not Tomy cars, not Matchbox cars...these real drivable machines are always a huge fad but sadly in SG, the price of owning one would be a huge liability for many so the average kid like me could only drool and wish. Somehow I see you jumping to the conclusion that I am going to buy one but hey, you are definitely not wrong, I am indeed gonna buy myself a mean machine but not the Evolution V.
Sometime in the late 98 to 99 period, an extremely sleek machine with lines of elegance stole my heart. I swore it was an affair because I still very much loved the Evo V but each breath I took, each day that passed, I sank deeper into the depths of this new attraction. The eyes were like no other that I had ever seen, they were so full of grace and yet always communicating silently without the exchange of words. It was the beginning of an era where I could literally "feel" the soul of the cold metal coming alive. For 10 odd years, I lived my life in denial that such a fine machine was not possible to achieve but I didn't not gave up the dream of "feeling" one. I worked hard, dreamed harder and made a resolution that what ever I couldn't realise in SG, I would do it in the land of the origin, Japan.
10 years down the road, before I am 30, right at the 29 mark, I am gonna awake from this dreamy slumber and enter reality. The thoughts of owning one very soon is getting me all hyped up...it will possibly be the most expensive acquisition of my life beating the Canon 5D Mark II but once again, it will be another dream realised. Though I still have concerns about getting it but to fulfil 10 years of waiting is more than enuff to justify it...the last legend of the magnificent line of "S", the Strawberry will be mine!
Hmmm I had always believed that dreams are very important for some people but even more important for those who not only dare to dream but to realise it. I live by my own "never stop dreaming" principle since some dunno how many years ago and it got me here today enjoy a different part of the world. Dreams are after all, a possible reality in the future if one never stop dreaming and continue to do whatever it takes to be 1 step closer.
Like a geeky bespectacled fat kid in the neighbourhood, I was very much the going-thru-puberty-displaced-but-dreamy 10 year old kid back then dreaming about lots of stuffs. I love cars, games, toys, guns, electronic stuffs and other geek related passion. But back then it was merely all child's play. Then when I reached 17, I was introduced to a taste of the real world, the REALITY and it was then I realised that the very first car I fell for was a dark grey Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV on display at IMM. From there I learn more about the other machines and finally I found myself declaring my first and ever maiden love for a car, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V.
The bold styling of the car itself, the huge fenders, the huge lamps and spoilers made the Evolution V every boy's dream machine, well at least for me. It was a "Man's" car compared to other sleek but small feminine cars. For some good years I never wavered my love for the Evolution V, not even the mighty GTR could wet my appetite a bit.
Now cars, not RC cars, not Tomy cars, not Matchbox cars...these real drivable machines are always a huge fad but sadly in SG, the price of owning one would be a huge liability for many so the average kid like me could only drool and wish. Somehow I see you jumping to the conclusion that I am going to buy one but hey, you are definitely not wrong, I am indeed gonna buy myself a mean machine but not the Evolution V.
Sometime in the late 98 to 99 period, an extremely sleek machine with lines of elegance stole my heart. I swore it was an affair because I still very much loved the Evo V but each breath I took, each day that passed, I sank deeper into the depths of this new attraction. The eyes were like no other that I had ever seen, they were so full of grace and yet always communicating silently without the exchange of words. It was the beginning of an era where I could literally "feel" the soul of the cold metal coming alive. For 10 odd years, I lived my life in denial that such a fine machine was not possible to achieve but I didn't not gave up the dream of "feeling" one. I worked hard, dreamed harder and made a resolution that what ever I couldn't realise in SG, I would do it in the land of the origin, Japan.
10 years down the road, before I am 30, right at the 29 mark, I am gonna awake from this dreamy slumber and enter reality. The thoughts of owning one very soon is getting me all hyped up...it will possibly be the most expensive acquisition of my life beating the Canon 5D Mark II but once again, it will be another dream realised. Though I still have concerns about getting it but to fulfil 10 years of waiting is more than enuff to justify it...the last legend of the magnificent line of "S", the Strawberry will be mine!
Friday, January 22, 2010
The BEST present in more than a decade and half
- Never Stop Dreaming -
Yesterday night, I almost kissed another man...a very important man indeed. No don't get me wrong because I am not turning in my hetrosexual status but rather, I was flying so high on cloud nine that I could literally die of over anxiety.
For 2 months, and then for 2 weeks and then finally for 2 days, I have waited, panicked, flipped and freaked myself out over some very important decisions that will etch a deep mark in my life's journey, a turning point to start a new year, a new life and possibly a new direction...A career change.
I had me second interview on my birthday which I told the "Bosses" that if I do get the job, it would be the best birthday present in nearly a decade and a half but they just smiled since that was definitely not a valid criteria for selecting a suitable candidate for the 3rd most prestigous resort in the entire Japan. Then I was told that the verdict will be out on the 20th but being a little sneaky, I did inquired casually about other candidates. The answer I got was nothing worth considering since nothing, not even numbers were mentioned so without knowing my rivals, I could only wait, pray and sulk!
The day came, the 20th day in the 1st month of the 2010 year...I was anxious and very desperate since the application at Tokyo fell thru weeks prior. This was the ONLY other channel of hope I had and I really did not want this one to fall thru as well. A very nice gentleman once said to me that how low are you willing to stoop will determine how desperate you are which miraculously worked once for me. I thought I might wanna try to employ the same tactic again this time round given the dire straits I was in. It worked...and for the first time I shall reveal it for all.
I knew I had to show "them" how much I wanted the job since everyone has skills and creativity. The only way to set myself apart from everyone else was to ask myself a very simple question, "Why should they pick you?" And the magical answer to that question is simply ATTITUDE!
You see I was so damn desperate to get the job, I called the "man-in-charge" 4 to 6 times on both his cellphone and office phone since it was already 1600 hours on the 20th and still I wasn't getting any news or updates. It was simply a sign of how badly I had wanted the job, how noisy I could get and how desperate I was. I wouldn't say extreme but just enoungh to get the point across...and he called back to inform me that he was in the midst of a very important meeting and would get back to me later in the night. Still I wasn't very convinced but I could hear the confidence in his voice that my rather absurd attitude of desperation was recognised. He did called back informing me to meet me on the 21st which was yesterday to discuss further details like salary, requirements, dos and don'ts, etc but I wasn't the least bit interested because all I did was to acknowledged EVERYTHING he said ending the conversation with a simply, "In other words, did I or did I not get the job?" and his reply was "Come here tomolo and I will tell you!"
Man to be hanging in mid air almost touching heaven and yet not quite, to be so far yet so near, to almost die but live thru it, the journey to the in-between wasn't the most confortable experience if you know what I mean. 21st, I went to work as usual and then drove to the "meeting place" Surprisingly it was closed for some reason and there were no one in sight except 3 people discussing some rather important issues I presumed. There I called the "man" who told me to wait for approximately 10 minutes which seemed like 10 years!
When he finally appeared, we sat and he asked questions about my salary, benefits, expectations and told me other trivial details pertaining to the position which though went into my head, I was expecting something else, an answer to my epical question. Then he showed me around, the halls, the rooms, the gowns, the photo samples, and then finally before the entire 30 minite entourage ended, I asked him, "So in other words, did I or did I not get the job?" which the bespectacled, mysterious man answered with a very warming smile in the not so cold winter, "Welome aboard!"
I could feel the muscles in my face move in a pre-determined position and crammed there...a smile was all that I could display and I almost, literally almost hugged and kissed him but in the end, I didn't realise that vision in my head so I simply shook his hand with an affirming grim and bowed and smiled and said "DOMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASHITA!" like 10 times before walking to the car. In about a decade and a half, this had to be one of the most memorable moments of my life but the truth is that this is only the beginning...
April is when all this magic begins...because I never stopped believing!
Yesterday night, I almost kissed another man...a very important man indeed. No don't get me wrong because I am not turning in my hetrosexual status but rather, I was flying so high on cloud nine that I could literally die of over anxiety.
For 2 months, and then for 2 weeks and then finally for 2 days, I have waited, panicked, flipped and freaked myself out over some very important decisions that will etch a deep mark in my life's journey, a turning point to start a new year, a new life and possibly a new direction...A career change.
I had me second interview on my birthday which I told the "Bosses" that if I do get the job, it would be the best birthday present in nearly a decade and a half but they just smiled since that was definitely not a valid criteria for selecting a suitable candidate for the 3rd most prestigous resort in the entire Japan. Then I was told that the verdict will be out on the 20th but being a little sneaky, I did inquired casually about other candidates. The answer I got was nothing worth considering since nothing, not even numbers were mentioned so without knowing my rivals, I could only wait, pray and sulk!
The day came, the 20th day in the 1st month of the 2010 year...I was anxious and very desperate since the application at Tokyo fell thru weeks prior. This was the ONLY other channel of hope I had and I really did not want this one to fall thru as well. A very nice gentleman once said to me that how low are you willing to stoop will determine how desperate you are which miraculously worked once for me. I thought I might wanna try to employ the same tactic again this time round given the dire straits I was in. It worked...and for the first time I shall reveal it for all.
I knew I had to show "them" how much I wanted the job since everyone has skills and creativity. The only way to set myself apart from everyone else was to ask myself a very simple question, "Why should they pick you?" And the magical answer to that question is simply ATTITUDE!
You see I was so damn desperate to get the job, I called the "man-in-charge" 4 to 6 times on both his cellphone and office phone since it was already 1600 hours on the 20th and still I wasn't getting any news or updates. It was simply a sign of how badly I had wanted the job, how noisy I could get and how desperate I was. I wouldn't say extreme but just enoungh to get the point across...and he called back to inform me that he was in the midst of a very important meeting and would get back to me later in the night. Still I wasn't very convinced but I could hear the confidence in his voice that my rather absurd attitude of desperation was recognised. He did called back informing me to meet me on the 21st which was yesterday to discuss further details like salary, requirements, dos and don'ts, etc but I wasn't the least bit interested because all I did was to acknowledged EVERYTHING he said ending the conversation with a simply, "In other words, did I or did I not get the job?" and his reply was "Come here tomolo and I will tell you!"
Man to be hanging in mid air almost touching heaven and yet not quite, to be so far yet so near, to almost die but live thru it, the journey to the in-between wasn't the most confortable experience if you know what I mean. 21st, I went to work as usual and then drove to the "meeting place" Surprisingly it was closed for some reason and there were no one in sight except 3 people discussing some rather important issues I presumed. There I called the "man" who told me to wait for approximately 10 minutes which seemed like 10 years!
When he finally appeared, we sat and he asked questions about my salary, benefits, expectations and told me other trivial details pertaining to the position which though went into my head, I was expecting something else, an answer to my epical question. Then he showed me around, the halls, the rooms, the gowns, the photo samples, and then finally before the entire 30 minite entourage ended, I asked him, "So in other words, did I or did I not get the job?" which the bespectacled, mysterious man answered with a very warming smile in the not so cold winter, "Welome aboard!"
I could feel the muscles in my face move in a pre-determined position and crammed there...a smile was all that I could display and I almost, literally almost hugged and kissed him but in the end, I didn't realise that vision in my head so I simply shook his hand with an affirming grim and bowed and smiled and said "DOMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASHITA!" like 10 times before walking to the car. In about a decade and a half, this had to be one of the most memorable moments of my life but the truth is that this is only the beginning...
April is when all this magic begins...because I never stopped believing!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The Gods have failed...
- Never Stop Dreaming -
In a huge twist of total mental entanglement, I find myself waking up this morning to utter disappointment. Winter is a season where snow is a usual phenomenom but sadly this is not the case because here, it seems like snow is more of a uncertain blessing. Rain was all I got from last night...I mean rain is fine for me in other seasons but rain in winter is probably the most dreaded experience. Temperatures rose to a high of 8 degrees which makes me feel like this is summer during the rainy days. What a load of crap and a huge waste of precious time...the Gods really have been slacking too much or is it that they have forgotten this place?
Yesterday I waited an entire day for the verdict of my much anticipated job placement but got no updates till I called the "Boss" a oouple of times to find him really busy and not able to answer or return my call. Then I tried one last time in a desperate attempt to irritate the shit outta him that I really really want the job and he returned my call while he was in the midst of a meeting to decide my fate. Guess like my desperation paid off...
Unfortunately I wasn't given an answer since the verdict was not reached but he did called me sometime late in the night like 7pm-ish to confirm a meeting with me today about various issues. Now I am not really sure what this could mean because this is Japan but if it was in SG, I swore it would be a confirmation of the job. So nothing much I can do but to pay him a visit later this evening before I update anything concrete.
Nonetheless, I crashed a "house" party, literally house music party last night. The music was good but the fusion of other genres instead of pure house was a little disappointing since I wasn't a fan of messy garbage. Meet up with my local cronies and met their cronies. The 35 year old married Japanese men weren't too impressive since the conversation with them was nothing more than the usual gutter filth they could squeeze outta their shallow minds. But they have rather awesome jobs...one flies around the world hunting for good coffee beans to bring to Japan which I told him regular Japanese coffee was like water and he totally agreed. The other ran a family run business dishing out German sausages, cuisine infused with Japanese influences. But the "star" which I was having some of the most inspiration conversation with was a Nepalese who look no different than the local SG Malay counterparts except the wear and tear of age.
Ever since I found out about the place Patan, I had always wanted to visit it and maybe around other parts like Kathmandu, Nepal or Tibet but the lack of resources held me back for a while. Now this is a local that I was talking to and he was more than happy to give me a personal guided tour when I asked him about it. I mean who wouldn't if a strange geeky face pretty boy foreigner showed interested in your homie country...I would. Got his number and started mingling around with the other folks in the lounge. That was about it before heading home at 0030 in the morning.
In a huge twist of total mental entanglement, I find myself waking up this morning to utter disappointment. Winter is a season where snow is a usual phenomenom but sadly this is not the case because here, it seems like snow is more of a uncertain blessing. Rain was all I got from last night...I mean rain is fine for me in other seasons but rain in winter is probably the most dreaded experience. Temperatures rose to a high of 8 degrees which makes me feel like this is summer during the rainy days. What a load of crap and a huge waste of precious time...the Gods really have been slacking too much or is it that they have forgotten this place?
Yesterday I waited an entire day for the verdict of my much anticipated job placement but got no updates till I called the "Boss" a oouple of times to find him really busy and not able to answer or return my call. Then I tried one last time in a desperate attempt to irritate the shit outta him that I really really want the job and he returned my call while he was in the midst of a meeting to decide my fate. Guess like my desperation paid off...
Unfortunately I wasn't given an answer since the verdict was not reached but he did called me sometime late in the night like 7pm-ish to confirm a meeting with me today about various issues. Now I am not really sure what this could mean because this is Japan but if it was in SG, I swore it would be a confirmation of the job. So nothing much I can do but to pay him a visit later this evening before I update anything concrete.
Nonetheless, I crashed a "house" party, literally house music party last night. The music was good but the fusion of other genres instead of pure house was a little disappointing since I wasn't a fan of messy garbage. Meet up with my local cronies and met their cronies. The 35 year old married Japanese men weren't too impressive since the conversation with them was nothing more than the usual gutter filth they could squeeze outta their shallow minds. But they have rather awesome jobs...one flies around the world hunting for good coffee beans to bring to Japan which I told him regular Japanese coffee was like water and he totally agreed. The other ran a family run business dishing out German sausages, cuisine infused with Japanese influences. But the "star" which I was having some of the most inspiration conversation with was a Nepalese who look no different than the local SG Malay counterparts except the wear and tear of age.
Ever since I found out about the place Patan, I had always wanted to visit it and maybe around other parts like Kathmandu, Nepal or Tibet but the lack of resources held me back for a while. Now this is a local that I was talking to and he was more than happy to give me a personal guided tour when I asked him about it. I mean who wouldn't if a strange geeky face pretty boy foreigner showed interested in your homie country...I would. Got his number and started mingling around with the other folks in the lounge. That was about it before heading home at 0030 in the morning.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
A white blast to a new start...
- Never Stop Dreaming -
On the 9th of Jan, a friend from Tokyo brought her friends to my prefecture for snowboarding and I proudly crashed it at a different ski resort, a first for me. Though I fell like a log when I got home, it was one of those really nice boarding sessions which kept me intact.
Last week, on the night of the 15th, I drove my tiny rocket to yet another fantastic ski resort (in Hakuba) to crash a party. Initially, I had planned to snooze on Friday night to 3 am and drive up to Hakuba but a phone call came in to inform me of a party on Friday night coincidentally in Hakuba as well so I packed my bags, my bed and my gear, loaded them into the car and drove off in darkness. The road up to Hakuba was MIRACULOUSLY AMAZING because it was snowing so bad, everywhere was white, visibility was reduced, traction was negligible...Then I arrived in one of the most beautiful winter wonderland in Japan to crash a party in a little village like a page out of the Grimm's Brothers' fables with cottage houses and fire pits in the snowy forrest.
I recharged myself with some decent English Ale, more sweetened cocktails and finally at 3 am on Saturday morning, I sneaked into my tiny car covered in snow to catch my favorite Z monster. 3 hours later, the alarm woke me up and I was badly shaken in my frozen car by a huge snow shoveling machine. I opened the door only to find a 1.5 metre tall red spinning blade beside me belong to the massive snow shoveling monster. Fired up the car and drove with my head out the window since the windscreen was all frozen a safer location. Washed up and downed a can of coffee before making my way to meet my buddy from Osaka.
Was surprised to find her and a fraction of her crew already at the designated meeting place 7 in the morning. By 9.30am (damn that was really late), I was tearing up the slopes in one of the most magnificient white faced Alps of the Japanese glory. I did took some pictures with my toy camera loaded with a trial roll of color film. Will see how they turn out. Met more crew after lunch and found myself another snowboarding buddy who would trail me in the powder..sweet. Ended the Saturday with one guy proposing to his girl under a huge bell on top of the ski resort in all that snow making me envious and jealous. Dinner was mainly revolving around the 1 diamond ring on her finger and gossiping non stop about everything under the sun. Sunday was dead tired as well but leaving that fairy tale land was definitely a sad experience.
2 days into this new week and I have confirmation that my watch will be arriving soon. Still waiting for further instructions on what to do with my jacket which is lying there...bloody waste of money if I can't use it. Tomolo will be JUDGEMENT DAY when the verdict of my job interview be released. I am afraid...very...but what else more could I do but to wait and suck my thumb. God bless and God speed and God, where ever you are, who ever you are please acknowledge my repentence and apologies and listen to my silent mental prayers for once, let me have this job and let me keep it as a career.
On the 9th of Jan, a friend from Tokyo brought her friends to my prefecture for snowboarding and I proudly crashed it at a different ski resort, a first for me. Though I fell like a log when I got home, it was one of those really nice boarding sessions which kept me intact.
Last week, on the night of the 15th, I drove my tiny rocket to yet another fantastic ski resort (in Hakuba) to crash a party. Initially, I had planned to snooze on Friday night to 3 am and drive up to Hakuba but a phone call came in to inform me of a party on Friday night coincidentally in Hakuba as well so I packed my bags, my bed and my gear, loaded them into the car and drove off in darkness. The road up to Hakuba was MIRACULOUSLY AMAZING because it was snowing so bad, everywhere was white, visibility was reduced, traction was negligible...Then I arrived in one of the most beautiful winter wonderland in Japan to crash a party in a little village like a page out of the Grimm's Brothers' fables with cottage houses and fire pits in the snowy forrest.
I recharged myself with some decent English Ale, more sweetened cocktails and finally at 3 am on Saturday morning, I sneaked into my tiny car covered in snow to catch my favorite Z monster. 3 hours later, the alarm woke me up and I was badly shaken in my frozen car by a huge snow shoveling machine. I opened the door only to find a 1.5 metre tall red spinning blade beside me belong to the massive snow shoveling monster. Fired up the car and drove with my head out the window since the windscreen was all frozen a safer location. Washed up and downed a can of coffee before making my way to meet my buddy from Osaka.
Was surprised to find her and a fraction of her crew already at the designated meeting place 7 in the morning. By 9.30am (damn that was really late), I was tearing up the slopes in one of the most magnificient white faced Alps of the Japanese glory. I did took some pictures with my toy camera loaded with a trial roll of color film. Will see how they turn out. Met more crew after lunch and found myself another snowboarding buddy who would trail me in the powder..sweet. Ended the Saturday with one guy proposing to his girl under a huge bell on top of the ski resort in all that snow making me envious and jealous. Dinner was mainly revolving around the 1 diamond ring on her finger and gossiping non stop about everything under the sun. Sunday was dead tired as well but leaving that fairy tale land was definitely a sad experience.
2 days into this new week and I have confirmation that my watch will be arriving soon. Still waiting for further instructions on what to do with my jacket which is lying there...bloody waste of money if I can't use it. Tomolo will be JUDGEMENT DAY when the verdict of my job interview be released. I am afraid...very...but what else more could I do but to wait and suck my thumb. God bless and God speed and God, where ever you are, who ever you are please acknowledge my repentence and apologies and listen to my silent mental prayers for once, let me have this job and let me keep it as a career.
Friday, January 15, 2010
My Santa's name is Moo Neh
- Never Stop Dreaming -
Last year I dropped a huge bomb over the New Year acquiring the EF35L lens and this year I spreaded the funds over 4 items and not exactly all on the same day but rather in the same month. Bought meself a new jacket since the current one which had been keeping me warm for 3 years had started to flake on the inner lining. Sadly the one I bought which was supposed to be extremely durable and battle tested ran into a bit of an issue recently. Let's go through the items...
1. Arc'Teryx LEAF Alpha Jacket
I did not know about this brand since I do not search actively for winter gear which I only utilize for a short span of 3 months or so. But when I found that Arc'Teryx was actually a brand in pioneering in many of the fabulous designs on modern day jackets, I began to dig further. Then I found the LEAF line which caters to military and law enforcement personnels rather than civilian markets. What this means is that you cannot buy them in your local Arc'Teryx store and have to be specially obtained thru other channels since this line of clothing is not being sold to civilian. Hard and troublesome but not impossible if you do your homework.
The jacket arrived in good faith after being imposed a tax by the Japanese Customs (Shame on you people after taxing me so much!). Very well made (in Canada) as compared to the other high end consumer Arc'Teryx jackets which are made in PRC. Trying it for the first time, the jacket felt thin and very light which made me wonder if it's really that durable. Overall it's a fantastic jacket less the prominient logos, colors and designs of regular off-the-store stuffs. The only complain I have is that the length is longer in the back to cover the butt and shorter in the front covering above the belt line. No other complains.
The jacket itself will NOT keep you warm and have to be layered with inner layers like a fleece jacket, base layer, etc. but being a very light jacket and water/wind proof, amazing I would say. The only headache came when I visited a local diner in Japan and the grease odour stained this jacket so bad I had to wash it after wearing it only like 3 times. According to the Gore Tex/Arc'Teryx sites' care/maintainence instructions, I washed the jacket in a regular washing machine with regular powdered washing agent. Then I air dry it only to find brown water stains near the lower part of the jacket and the biggest cardiac arrest experience was a single loop loose nylon appearing on THE FACE FABRIC itself...not the stitches in the seams but THE FACE FABRIC ITSELF. My gosh, what on EARTH just happened? How is that even possible, what actually caught a nano diameter nylon thread and pulled it from the FACE FABRIC? I flipped and panic but I am in the midst of finding a remedy for the shocking situation.
2. Suzuki Alto
Nice manual car for all my Initial D needs but lacks a rev meter, proper tuning and parts. Bought it at a fantastic price which could only bag you a nice second Recardo seat in Singapore. A bit on the light side so have to be careful about floating around a bend. But given the current situation, I don't think I would want to upgrade to a 2.0 turbo monster like the sleek S15 or the monster WRX or EVO. Zipping thru tiny roads with relatively little effort but on straights, I am better off walking.
3. Toy Camera
While the name Holga has been around and very popular for toy cameras, I wasn't all sold to it. I waited and contemplated for a long while before I found what I wanted. A toy camera in disguise and not obnoxious and screaming to be robbed. Will receive it by today and try it out over the weekend, and a party mid week next week. Fixed aperture and shutter speed which seems all awkward to me but partnered with an amazing film, magic awaits me.
4. Casio G Shock GW-5000B 1JR
Apparently there are a lot of discussions about the classic squarish G Shock but sadly, like all major corporations, out sourcing and manufacturing their products would significantly lower the cost of production and increase profits. The classic G Shocks are encased in a screw back type of chassis dubbed "Tuna Can" which supposedly are stronger (might just be a rumor). Somewhere in the late 1990s, G Shocks are no longer manufactured in such a fashion and instead, a stamped metal plate was held by 4 screws against a rubber O ring to seal the gasket from water. Though I have not heard much complains about a design flaw, the prices of G Shocks are much cheaper in the newer designs and almost all were made NOT in JAPAN. While most people would prefer electronics or precision instrument to be made in Japan since PRC stuffs might blow up in your face or kill you by poisoning, the new batch of G Shock(s) are all made outside Japan.
And then in May 2009, the limited Japan on release GW-5000B 1JR was secretly revealed thru various sources but not stealthy to keep out the ever preying eyes of the G fanatics. A quick search on the official G Shock Japanese site did not have this particular model listed though this black beauty can be found using the product search function. The regular model the GW-5000 is listed on the website for a slightly less price. This model apparently bear strong resemblence to the original first G Shock but with newer technologies. The "Tuna Can" screw back design was re-introduced with Diamond Like Coating (DLC), Solar Charger which means no need to change batts, wave ceptor which calibrates the time using atomic technology thru any of the 6 radio wave stations around the world, a reverse white on black display and lastly, it is proudly made in Japan.
Though most comments on the net supports the claim that the price is not justifiable for a G Shock which is supposed to be an affordable but tough watch as compared to those made outside Japan at a much lower price. But paying a premium for a MADE in JAPAN is all mental but works for me to sleep well at night.
Last year I dropped a huge bomb over the New Year acquiring the EF35L lens and this year I spreaded the funds over 4 items and not exactly all on the same day but rather in the same month. Bought meself a new jacket since the current one which had been keeping me warm for 3 years had started to flake on the inner lining. Sadly the one I bought which was supposed to be extremely durable and battle tested ran into a bit of an issue recently. Let's go through the items...
1. Arc'Teryx LEAF Alpha Jacket
I did not know about this brand since I do not search actively for winter gear which I only utilize for a short span of 3 months or so. But when I found that Arc'Teryx was actually a brand in pioneering in many of the fabulous designs on modern day jackets, I began to dig further. Then I found the LEAF line which caters to military and law enforcement personnels rather than civilian markets. What this means is that you cannot buy them in your local Arc'Teryx store and have to be specially obtained thru other channels since this line of clothing is not being sold to civilian. Hard and troublesome but not impossible if you do your homework.
The jacket arrived in good faith after being imposed a tax by the Japanese Customs (Shame on you people after taxing me so much!). Very well made (in Canada) as compared to the other high end consumer Arc'Teryx jackets which are made in PRC. Trying it for the first time, the jacket felt thin and very light which made me wonder if it's really that durable. Overall it's a fantastic jacket less the prominient logos, colors and designs of regular off-the-store stuffs. The only complain I have is that the length is longer in the back to cover the butt and shorter in the front covering above the belt line. No other complains.
The jacket itself will NOT keep you warm and have to be layered with inner layers like a fleece jacket, base layer, etc. but being a very light jacket and water/wind proof, amazing I would say. The only headache came when I visited a local diner in Japan and the grease odour stained this jacket so bad I had to wash it after wearing it only like 3 times. According to the Gore Tex/Arc'Teryx sites' care/maintainence instructions, I washed the jacket in a regular washing machine with regular powdered washing agent. Then I air dry it only to find brown water stains near the lower part of the jacket and the biggest cardiac arrest experience was a single loop loose nylon appearing on THE FACE FABRIC itself...not the stitches in the seams but THE FACE FABRIC ITSELF. My gosh, what on EARTH just happened? How is that even possible, what actually caught a nano diameter nylon thread and pulled it from the FACE FABRIC? I flipped and panic but I am in the midst of finding a remedy for the shocking situation.
2. Suzuki Alto
Nice manual car for all my Initial D needs but lacks a rev meter, proper tuning and parts. Bought it at a fantastic price which could only bag you a nice second Recardo seat in Singapore. A bit on the light side so have to be careful about floating around a bend. But given the current situation, I don't think I would want to upgrade to a 2.0 turbo monster like the sleek S15 or the monster WRX or EVO. Zipping thru tiny roads with relatively little effort but on straights, I am better off walking.
3. Toy Camera
While the name Holga has been around and very popular for toy cameras, I wasn't all sold to it. I waited and contemplated for a long while before I found what I wanted. A toy camera in disguise and not obnoxious and screaming to be robbed. Will receive it by today and try it out over the weekend, and a party mid week next week. Fixed aperture and shutter speed which seems all awkward to me but partnered with an amazing film, magic awaits me.
4. Casio G Shock GW-5000B 1JR
Apparently there are a lot of discussions about the classic squarish G Shock but sadly, like all major corporations, out sourcing and manufacturing their products would significantly lower the cost of production and increase profits. The classic G Shocks are encased in a screw back type of chassis dubbed "Tuna Can" which supposedly are stronger (might just be a rumor). Somewhere in the late 1990s, G Shocks are no longer manufactured in such a fashion and instead, a stamped metal plate was held by 4 screws against a rubber O ring to seal the gasket from water. Though I have not heard much complains about a design flaw, the prices of G Shocks are much cheaper in the newer designs and almost all were made NOT in JAPAN. While most people would prefer electronics or precision instrument to be made in Japan since PRC stuffs might blow up in your face or kill you by poisoning, the new batch of G Shock(s) are all made outside Japan.
And then in May 2009, the limited Japan on release GW-5000B 1JR was secretly revealed thru various sources but not stealthy to keep out the ever preying eyes of the G fanatics. A quick search on the official G Shock Japanese site did not have this particular model listed though this black beauty can be found using the product search function. The regular model the GW-5000 is listed on the website for a slightly less price. This model apparently bear strong resemblence to the original first G Shock but with newer technologies. The "Tuna Can" screw back design was re-introduced with Diamond Like Coating (DLC), Solar Charger which means no need to change batts, wave ceptor which calibrates the time using atomic technology thru any of the 6 radio wave stations around the world, a reverse white on black display and lastly, it is proudly made in Japan.
Though most comments on the net supports the claim that the price is not justifiable for a G Shock which is supposed to be an affordable but tough watch as compared to those made outside Japan at a much lower price. But paying a premium for a MADE in JAPAN is all mental but works for me to sleep well at night.
Memories revisited
- Never Stop Dreaming -
In my entire history of being alive, I have only shed tear for a single machine, in fact a car. That was because it was the first car that I had driven since obtaining a licence and it was this very car that shared my woes, my tears, my girl, my adrenalin, my everything. When I was happy, or with a sweet girl, or crying my heart out over a broken relationship, or tearing up tarmac, smoking other wannabe amateur racers, etc., this amazing black beauty was always there silently roaring to my every emotion or action. In fact, not once had she given up on me even when I abused her in every way I can. And I am very sure those who had shared some memories with her would not detest to the sheer demeanor of her graceful beauty. It was this very beauty that propelled me to have a decent mastery of controlling a manual beast.
Along the years, somehow those vivid street burning days seems to wane of like a flicking flame fighting hard to stay "alive" but in the very end, all became nothing but memories. As much as I would like to push the same adrenalin out of an automatic vehicle, it was just not the same feeling as having a full control over the clutch and the high revs of the engine each time a corner was entered.
On the 10th of January in the 2010 year, a little spark was all it took to re-ignite this sleeping demon of the night. Tiny but moderately fast for speeds below 80km/h was a white Suzuki with full manual control. I didn't really push this toy car until last night when I was rushing for nothing. 2 cars were in front of me in the dimly lit back roads. Immediately in front was another small 600cc car and in front of it was a Nissan March coupe. The small Kei in front of me was crawling at 40 odd when I decided to pass it when the chance came...surprisingly, the driver took it as an insult I presumed and very soon he was kissing my ass. I really had no intention of pissing off anyone but being sandwich between 2 cars, I could only speed up a little but this action soon proved to be a death wish. The March in front took it as an invitation to unleash the beast and the very next few moments, I could see the distance increasing from the tail of the March.
Clutch in, shift down in less than 1 sec was all that it took to hear the roar of my mini Suzuki. Glancing into the rear view mirror through the frosted rear windscreen, the incandescent headlamps appeared smaller and smaller and finally darkness as I entered a bend. The March with a higher engine capacity was obviously fast on the straights...but the lightness of the Suzuki would edge in on the corners. After a few bends, bumps and slopes, the Suzuki spat out the flaws in my face. The suspension was hard but not properly set up which makes felt like the car was about to break into pieces each time I hit an uneven surface, the brakes pads was fading because of the constant high speed hard braking, the car was in fact very light and very hard to control at high speeds since each bump would send the car "floating". With no RPM meter in the car, I could not gauge the red line except by gut feel and thru the speedometer. And no matter how hard I tried, the car did not have enuff power to overtake the March so I was left trailing it all the way to the end.
What turned out to be an unprovoked overtake soon turned into a adrenalin pumping, tarmac burning, asphalt tearing sensation all the way home. Slowly, I felt the magic coming back slowing and realise the flaws of the vehicle and how to overcome it. I simply cannot find enuff words in the English context to dictate the experience but to those who had ridden in the magical black beauty would know exactly what I am talking about. Funny though but I seem to have a kick outta of tearing up farm roads in darkness with little AAA powered toy cars. Nonetheless, I was really glad that what was thought to be lost was simply sleeping awaiting to be awoken with a little polishing. With snow and icy roads for about 2 more months, a manual 4WD toy car makes a good toy in the cold.
Sweet!
In my entire history of being alive, I have only shed tear for a single machine, in fact a car. That was because it was the first car that I had driven since obtaining a licence and it was this very car that shared my woes, my tears, my girl, my adrenalin, my everything. When I was happy, or with a sweet girl, or crying my heart out over a broken relationship, or tearing up tarmac, smoking other wannabe amateur racers, etc., this amazing black beauty was always there silently roaring to my every emotion or action. In fact, not once had she given up on me even when I abused her in every way I can. And I am very sure those who had shared some memories with her would not detest to the sheer demeanor of her graceful beauty. It was this very beauty that propelled me to have a decent mastery of controlling a manual beast.
Along the years, somehow those vivid street burning days seems to wane of like a flicking flame fighting hard to stay "alive" but in the very end, all became nothing but memories. As much as I would like to push the same adrenalin out of an automatic vehicle, it was just not the same feeling as having a full control over the clutch and the high revs of the engine each time a corner was entered.
On the 10th of January in the 2010 year, a little spark was all it took to re-ignite this sleeping demon of the night. Tiny but moderately fast for speeds below 80km/h was a white Suzuki with full manual control. I didn't really push this toy car until last night when I was rushing for nothing. 2 cars were in front of me in the dimly lit back roads. Immediately in front was another small 600cc car and in front of it was a Nissan March coupe. The small Kei in front of me was crawling at 40 odd when I decided to pass it when the chance came...surprisingly, the driver took it as an insult I presumed and very soon he was kissing my ass. I really had no intention of pissing off anyone but being sandwich between 2 cars, I could only speed up a little but this action soon proved to be a death wish. The March in front took it as an invitation to unleash the beast and the very next few moments, I could see the distance increasing from the tail of the March.
Clutch in, shift down in less than 1 sec was all that it took to hear the roar of my mini Suzuki. Glancing into the rear view mirror through the frosted rear windscreen, the incandescent headlamps appeared smaller and smaller and finally darkness as I entered a bend. The March with a higher engine capacity was obviously fast on the straights...but the lightness of the Suzuki would edge in on the corners. After a few bends, bumps and slopes, the Suzuki spat out the flaws in my face. The suspension was hard but not properly set up which makes felt like the car was about to break into pieces each time I hit an uneven surface, the brakes pads was fading because of the constant high speed hard braking, the car was in fact very light and very hard to control at high speeds since each bump would send the car "floating". With no RPM meter in the car, I could not gauge the red line except by gut feel and thru the speedometer. And no matter how hard I tried, the car did not have enuff power to overtake the March so I was left trailing it all the way to the end.
What turned out to be an unprovoked overtake soon turned into a adrenalin pumping, tarmac burning, asphalt tearing sensation all the way home. Slowly, I felt the magic coming back slowing and realise the flaws of the vehicle and how to overcome it. I simply cannot find enuff words in the English context to dictate the experience but to those who had ridden in the magical black beauty would know exactly what I am talking about. Funny though but I seem to have a kick outta of tearing up farm roads in darkness with little AAA powered toy cars. Nonetheless, I was really glad that what was thought to be lost was simply sleeping awaiting to be awoken with a little polishing. With snow and icy roads for about 2 more months, a manual 4WD toy car makes a good toy in the cold.
Sweet!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Into the 1st month of the 2010 year
- Never Stop Dreaming -
13 days late is how I see it but nonetheless here are the updates for this brand new year. For the past 2 years, I have spent almost every new year's eve, new year and days after in Tokyo possibly in Roppongi. While Japan is a huge country, Roppongi is not a place ranked high in my list of favorite places simply because the American troops from Okinawa will throng the streets and make it a shitty place to be in during festive seasons. Brawls, fights, broken glasses, blood, police, etc are just some filth from those sewer crawling trash littering everywhere. But sadly, I have great friends who like to frequent Roppongi and I would usually tag along suppressing my angst.
This time round, the crossover from 2009 to 2010 was more subtle for me since there were many factors involved. I had initially planned to take a nice trip to Patan but the last minute decision proved fruitless since the VISA, accomodation would need to be prepared months prior. In the end, I was in a local small pub cum restaurant counting down with the not so many people to embrace the new year. Boring, uneventful and outright stupid are just some words I can think of to reflect the decision that I had made. You see, I have my concerns for not spurging on a trip down to Tokyo to deprive myself of sleep. Since I had a rather important second interview for a job that I would very much want to pursue in April, I needed to stash away decent funds for a car, a new crash pad and possibly the other misc items like washing machines and microwave. Though it may seem like a few items, trust me they do rob me of decent cash.
The only consolation that I got 1 am in the morning on the 1st day of 2010 was that it was cold and there were some snow on the streets but that was it. I would had been much better off sleeping in my warm bed but...nevermind.
Then the holidays ended and I headed back to work on Thursday and Friday only to find the 1st week of January fully packed with events. On the 9th, I drove up to Madarao Ski Resort to meet up with a very sweet friend from Tokyo to do some snowboarding. While I had always been to the other side of the mountain in Nozawa to do my boarding sessions, Madarao wasn't bad at all but the runs were a little short. Nonetheless I was really glad to be able to see a familiar sweet face since the last time we met was in October last year.
Sunday the 10th, the day the SHAKEN or a certificate to own a car in Japan, much like the COE in Singapore was due. I drove the silver Honda Accord en route to meet my friend for the deal. Half way, the car gave up on me...first the car wobbled like the engine was giving up, next there was no response from the throttle and then before God knows what would have happened, I let the car glide and maneuvered it off the main road into some parking lot. Caution lights popped up and thinking that the battery was flat, I off the ignition and tried to reaffirm my conclusion by restarting the car. BAD BAD decision since offing the ignition was the very last thing that kept the engine running. Now the car simply would not start no matter what...and after getting some help from a nearby gas station, I was told that either the fuel was too low for the fuel pump to draw or the spark plugs was outta lightning. Either way the Accord was literally dead.
Thank God for being blessed with amazing friends and he came down in a huge vehicle carrier and together we hauled the car up and back to the scrap yard. Here I adjusted myself to the new mini AAA powered car, a white Suzuki Alto. A "Kei" catergory car here in Japan with a tiny engine capacity of less than 700cc but hey, it's a FULL 5 SPEED MANUAL little monster. Soon I find myself finishing up the documents needed for the car, had dinner with my friends and headed to another local bar for a pre-birthday night out. Little to my surprised this usually quiet bar was packed on a Sunday night. I was thrilled but in my head, the only thing I was concerned was the interview the next day. Nonetheless, it was a rather noisy night to bring in my birthday with tequila shots for everyone. After that I sped home in my little monster only to find out that there wasn't any lag from quick shifting the clutch...WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Monday, 11th January in the year of 2010 was a public holiday here in Japan which commemerates the coming of age. Literally what this means is that all the 20 year olds have an option to choose to go thru a ceremony to officially certify that they are now an adult. But it was also me birthday... :p
Once again in the late morning, I fly thru traffic to get to my friend's scrap yard to salvage parts to tune up me tiny little monster. First was the licence plate covers, etc. and next was the radio antennae which needed to be replaced since the broken one wouldn't pick up any signal which means no music! All that trinkling and tuning took a little too long and now I had 2 hours to complete a stunt which was to get back home that would take about an hour, get changed into a suit and make my way to the interview venue which is also an hour away. I made it home in 57 minutes in the otherwise impossible traffic, changed into my suit less the tie and flew to the place of interview in again 58 odd minutes with the car running on little or no fuel at all. It was an almost impossible feat since the roads were snowy, slippery and curvy complete with irritating crawling traffic. I hardly had anytime to breathe or think as the moment I stopped the car, I was dashing to the scheduled meeting place.
This interview was what I had anticipated all these while but the insane turn of events made me flipped on the journey there. My pulse was racing along with the car, my breathing was irregular but heavey and fast and my mind was in a complete state of messed up circuitry. I was not sure how I had fared in the interview in the eyes of the interviewers but to me, I think I screwed it up bad. I don't know, I really don't but somehow the only thing I can do now is to hope, wait and pray. Let's just see shall we...
A lot of missed calls, messages, etc for me birthday and for that I am really thankful for all you people which are not even 5% of the 300 odd people on my friends' list. Sadly but true, many of them are simply statistics for show unless proven wrong which is highly unlikely. I didn't have any cakes or candles but if I had to wish, it would be to get the job and in the event that I do get it, it would possible be the best birthday present ever...
Nothing much I can do now except wait but I will be heading up to Hakuba this weekend for more snowboarding with friends from Osaka. Then on the fateful 20th, the day of judgement, there is a party going on as well. If I get the job, the party would be splendid but if not, a consolation party perhaps?
13 days late is how I see it but nonetheless here are the updates for this brand new year. For the past 2 years, I have spent almost every new year's eve, new year and days after in Tokyo possibly in Roppongi. While Japan is a huge country, Roppongi is not a place ranked high in my list of favorite places simply because the American troops from Okinawa will throng the streets and make it a shitty place to be in during festive seasons. Brawls, fights, broken glasses, blood, police, etc are just some filth from those sewer crawling trash littering everywhere. But sadly, I have great friends who like to frequent Roppongi and I would usually tag along suppressing my angst.
This time round, the crossover from 2009 to 2010 was more subtle for me since there were many factors involved. I had initially planned to take a nice trip to Patan but the last minute decision proved fruitless since the VISA, accomodation would need to be prepared months prior. In the end, I was in a local small pub cum restaurant counting down with the not so many people to embrace the new year. Boring, uneventful and outright stupid are just some words I can think of to reflect the decision that I had made. You see, I have my concerns for not spurging on a trip down to Tokyo to deprive myself of sleep. Since I had a rather important second interview for a job that I would very much want to pursue in April, I needed to stash away decent funds for a car, a new crash pad and possibly the other misc items like washing machines and microwave. Though it may seem like a few items, trust me they do rob me of decent cash.
The only consolation that I got 1 am in the morning on the 1st day of 2010 was that it was cold and there were some snow on the streets but that was it. I would had been much better off sleeping in my warm bed but...nevermind.
Then the holidays ended and I headed back to work on Thursday and Friday only to find the 1st week of January fully packed with events. On the 9th, I drove up to Madarao Ski Resort to meet up with a very sweet friend from Tokyo to do some snowboarding. While I had always been to the other side of the mountain in Nozawa to do my boarding sessions, Madarao wasn't bad at all but the runs were a little short. Nonetheless I was really glad to be able to see a familiar sweet face since the last time we met was in October last year.
Sunday the 10th, the day the SHAKEN or a certificate to own a car in Japan, much like the COE in Singapore was due. I drove the silver Honda Accord en route to meet my friend for the deal. Half way, the car gave up on me...first the car wobbled like the engine was giving up, next there was no response from the throttle and then before God knows what would have happened, I let the car glide and maneuvered it off the main road into some parking lot. Caution lights popped up and thinking that the battery was flat, I off the ignition and tried to reaffirm my conclusion by restarting the car. BAD BAD decision since offing the ignition was the very last thing that kept the engine running. Now the car simply would not start no matter what...and after getting some help from a nearby gas station, I was told that either the fuel was too low for the fuel pump to draw or the spark plugs was outta lightning. Either way the Accord was literally dead.
Thank God for being blessed with amazing friends and he came down in a huge vehicle carrier and together we hauled the car up and back to the scrap yard. Here I adjusted myself to the new mini AAA powered car, a white Suzuki Alto. A "Kei" catergory car here in Japan with a tiny engine capacity of less than 700cc but hey, it's a FULL 5 SPEED MANUAL little monster. Soon I find myself finishing up the documents needed for the car, had dinner with my friends and headed to another local bar for a pre-birthday night out. Little to my surprised this usually quiet bar was packed on a Sunday night. I was thrilled but in my head, the only thing I was concerned was the interview the next day. Nonetheless, it was a rather noisy night to bring in my birthday with tequila shots for everyone. After that I sped home in my little monster only to find out that there wasn't any lag from quick shifting the clutch...WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Monday, 11th January in the year of 2010 was a public holiday here in Japan which commemerates the coming of age. Literally what this means is that all the 20 year olds have an option to choose to go thru a ceremony to officially certify that they are now an adult. But it was also me birthday... :p
Once again in the late morning, I fly thru traffic to get to my friend's scrap yard to salvage parts to tune up me tiny little monster. First was the licence plate covers, etc. and next was the radio antennae which needed to be replaced since the broken one wouldn't pick up any signal which means no music! All that trinkling and tuning took a little too long and now I had 2 hours to complete a stunt which was to get back home that would take about an hour, get changed into a suit and make my way to the interview venue which is also an hour away. I made it home in 57 minutes in the otherwise impossible traffic, changed into my suit less the tie and flew to the place of interview in again 58 odd minutes with the car running on little or no fuel at all. It was an almost impossible feat since the roads were snowy, slippery and curvy complete with irritating crawling traffic. I hardly had anytime to breathe or think as the moment I stopped the car, I was dashing to the scheduled meeting place.
This interview was what I had anticipated all these while but the insane turn of events made me flipped on the journey there. My pulse was racing along with the car, my breathing was irregular but heavey and fast and my mind was in a complete state of messed up circuitry. I was not sure how I had fared in the interview in the eyes of the interviewers but to me, I think I screwed it up bad. I don't know, I really don't but somehow the only thing I can do now is to hope, wait and pray. Let's just see shall we...
A lot of missed calls, messages, etc for me birthday and for that I am really thankful for all you people which are not even 5% of the 300 odd people on my friends' list. Sadly but true, many of them are simply statistics for show unless proven wrong which is highly unlikely. I didn't have any cakes or candles but if I had to wish, it would be to get the job and in the event that I do get it, it would possible be the best birthday present ever...
Nothing much I can do now except wait but I will be heading up to Hakuba this weekend for more snowboarding with friends from Osaka. Then on the fateful 20th, the day of judgement, there is a party going on as well. If I get the job, the party would be splendid but if not, a consolation party perhaps?
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