Kenny

Well Done Kenny! You made me misses you more now. ::sob sob::

Summer Camp 08, Kusatsu

When I first heard that Yuen Feng might not able to make it to the 3 days 2 nights summer camp'08, Kusatsu (草津), the first thought came into my mind was GOSH! ME THE ONLY GIRL!

However, the camp turned out to be one of my best experience ever in my Japan life. Not only I can finally experience the typical Japanese students way of life, I could also see how students and professors communicate with each other, during play time and during serious time, which are very worth learning.

Ando Sensei

I was so fortunate enough to have Ando Sensei, Sakurai-san and Hirano-san to be my tour guide in the city of Kusatsu. They had been there a few times and main aim was for the onsen (温泉) and skiing during the winter.

Yubatake

This is Yubatake (湯畑) or hot water field. It's the main source of most of the hot spring in Kusatsu. The water is bubbling at a steaming hot 70 degree celcius with a strong sulfur odor. Then flow and distributed to various public baths.

温泉たまご Onsen eggs

Onsen eggs are one of the famous products produced in Kusatsu. It was first cook in the normal way for certain time and certain degree. ( I forgot the details), then soak in the hot spring water for 2 hours.

Kusatsu International Ski Area

During the winter, Kusatsu is famous for the ski. Imagine the whole place was covering with snow. There's a crater lake located 2100 meters above sea level there.

I had to do a presentation about myself. I was struggling with words in Japs when I wanted to say, 'The maximum length of the world's biggest flower in Msia is 1meter'. Then after that when I asked permission to present in English, I was struggling the vocab to finish my sentence 'Objectives of my final year project was...... ' Now my English is deteriorating, Japanese is impossible to speak, stuck in the middle.

Open air hot spring

One of the most unsual Japanese custom for me, is definitely the public bath. Until now, I havent totally get used to it. In the summer camp, I always wait till the bathroom is empty, then I rush to get my shower, get a quick dip in the hot bath inside the bathroom (Yeap, you have clean your body then could only enjoy the hot bath). But I finally cant escape the nudity when everyone decided to soak in hot spring the next day.

It's of course guys and gurls seperated. Although open air, but the gurls' area are properly secluded. They dont use big towels to wrap yourself before soaking in, just a tiny towel to cover. This time, you should decide, to cover front or back, up or down. Hahahah!!! Some people dont even care covering, walking nude like no big deal. In the locker area, I seriously cant have a peace of mind, but after getting over the mental obstacles, soaking in onsen, is definitely one of the most relaxing experience.

Food on stick

Walking on the streets of Kusatsu also, is the best thing to do. They will just stuff you with free food, and free tea. After you eat the first one, you can take the 2nd one, 3rd one... We walked pass the same shop 3 times, stuffing ourselves with Manju まんじゅ without buying until the very last day.

Breakfast

Except that, Summer camp made my life healthier. Not only the food are typical healthy Japanese food, for breakfast, it's raw egg, nato, miso soup, nori, fish, ham, rice, salad. Dinner was syabu syabu one night and BBQ one night, but also corrected my haywire sleeping hours. Breakfast was strictly at 7am, lunch was 12pm, dinner at 6pm, light off at 11pm, and no late night chatting and no internet!

Dinner - Syabu Syabu

Lab members

Also watched Olympic closing ceremony on a big TV (A REAL TV!!! GOSH!) with Ando Sensei sitting beside shouting Sugoi (great!), and join in their nomikai 飲み会　(drinking session that involved loads of alcohol!), picking up a little of badminton since I last played centuries ago . It was good time. :)

Tagged

Tagged by Anyong haseyo (Swee Won in Korea)!


1) If your lover betrayed you, what would your reaction be?

Pretend didnt noe, then inject him Aids Virus when there's chance, and latter tell his new girl. Then he would die painfully, slowly, and alone. ::evil::

2) If you have a dream to come true, what would it be?

World peace. No brutal killings of whales, panda....


3) Are u sleepy now?
What is not-sleepy?

4) Are u confused with what lies ahead of you?
Yeah confused! Just receive call from Ahmet saying Ghibili Musuem's tickets sold out, and he is gonna call 10 mins later with a new evil plan. I am confuse with the new plan.

5) What's your ideal lover like?

Dato Lee Chong Wei. (So that his monthly RM3k is mine, and my name is Datin Koh Kim Huey)

6) Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?

Both being blessed. If you could find somebody to love and loved by that somebody. For example Prince Charles and Princess Diana, after the fairy-tale century wedding, after the 'I Do', after 'the kiss', after the blessing from the whole world.... The next day Diana would simply woke up beside a snoring Charles. Point is, you have to love somebody and that somebody love you back, then it's blessed.


7) What is the one thing that pisses you off about the opposite sex?

How they are so much better in playing WarCraft, Diablo, Starcraft! Especially CounterStrike! Whenever I tried walking 2 steps, some stupid guy shoot me from behind. PISSED ME OFF!

8) How far will you go for the one you love the most?
ey..... like 3km maybe?

9) Is there anything that makes you unhappy these days?
Yea... as usual, reminiscings the memories of my grandpa.

10)What is your favorite fairytale of all time and why?

Snow white and the 7 dwarfs. I am still finding out the secret portion and ingredients of the poison apple.


Name 1.0 people to do this survey. (It's actually 10 people, but dot makes wonders. )
1. kkkkkim.

If We Smile, Can We Go?

Radiohead

Oh Dear Thom, Of course~~~~~ ! ::melt::

Dear Anwar

Zhan Wei showed me this link. It almost made me cry.

Click here: Dear Anwar

Quote from letter,

"The rakyat today are not like that of 16 years ago.

We understand national issues better, we are better informed, and we have a greater sense of commitment to the ideals of justice and equality."

"Understand and remember that we are no longer afraid.

We fully understand today that governance of this nation was intended to be in the hands of the people, and that when you and your party leaders offer to govern, it is with a view to serve us."

26th August 2008, will be the day, we see another dawn in Malaysia politics, The Bolehland.

Knight not in Shining Amour - The Dark Knight

Heigh Ledger's performance was outrages! It was so damn good, it made me wanna do that little tongue movement to lick my own lips whenever I feel evil! However, as always, the villain in Batman series always draw more attention and are way more interesting than the Batman himself. This time, it's no difference. Evil rules!


I didnt know Edison Chen was in the movie until I saw the credits. For those who didnt know, he was once famous for his sex scandal in Hong Kong, where someone leaked out his photos with so many major famous actress. Maybe because of this, he didnt have any dialogue in the movie? And I didnt even realise where did he appeared. And Wong Wai (The cop who was Batman-struck and went expression-less after Batman flew away from the window, maybe it was a communication breakdown coz Batman was speaking English instead of his bad-acting ....... ) Hmmph, I dunno who he was, but camera was showing his face for full 3 seconds, I reckon he could be someone famous.

Credits for Chin Han - A singaporean who speaks perfect English, but spoke Mandarin in Hong Kong. Yeah, I do realised the evil plan of Hollywood trying to get more Asian market's favors, but do not bother to differentiate Mandarin and Cantonese.

Credits for Hans Zimmer as the music score composer. (also for The Simpsons, I am Sam, The Prestige...)

One problem I have for the movie, Why don't they make batman to have a more sexy voice instead of that hoarse, deep, low, monotone, feel-like-slapping-Batman-after-hearing-his-voice kind of voice? I mean, Come on!!

First time cinema in Japan. I really admired the Japanese people, they are so polite to sit through the whole credits to show appreciations to the people who made the movie. In Malaysia, whenever I tried to sit through the credits just to listen to the music, the sweeping workers will come sweep sweep your feet.

Anwar Sodomize Case

Read full news clip here

Maybe I watched too much movie. In all the movies, when some rich guy rape some poor girl, normally the rape victims tend to be traumatized, desperate, anxious, melancholy, not in their soundness state of mind. (I am out of vocabulary....) And the rich guy lawyer will ask the poor girl to re-describe that incident again, and that girl normally will faint, or cry, sob, scream thus cannot proceed with the court case.

Well, our dear hero here.. During his solemn swear to Almighty God, he clearly said it loud and sound, "Anwar used his penis to sodomized me" in front of all crowds. (I dunno, maybe Anwar can use other than penis to sodomize him, so he has to be clear).

Can you smell fish?

Bugzz

This Evil bug trying to get into my room! Luckily I have my super + extra bug prevention net door.

Friday night, bored at home. Stuck with exam.

Am listening to Radiohead - Creep, Fake Plastic Trees. Desperately needing some marijuana to keep me going.

"But I'm a creep I'm a weirdo What the hell am I doin' here? I don't belong here, ohhhh, ohhhh"

Back to studies...... T_T

Long Time No See

The last time I met Naoyo was 8 years ago. When she was an exchange student in Re's house.

Last few days, She stopped by Tokyo before going back to her hometown in Fukuoka.

We went Yokohama China Town. The chinese food we ate reminded me of home, alcohol white chicken, siu long pau, dim sum.....

Then went red brick wall in Yokohama. Learnt new word, brick = れんが　(Renga) in japs.




Then appointment for dinner at 7pm with Naoyo's friend in Shinbashi. But we were there few hours earlier.




Walk around Nippon telebi. Guy nurse showing off sexy leg hair.





Had Korean food with Naoyo's friend, 太三さん, Kenny, Yap, and Boon.



The clock behind was designed by 宮崎　駿 (Miyazaki Hayao) from the anime 千と千尋の神隠し (Spirited Away).

Kenny is flying off next week. ::sob sob::

Standing on top of the World Japan

This is the view of Mount Fuji during the late spring early summer.

Photography by David Liow aka Narrowband.

The only time to climb Mount Fuji is July and August. When there's no ice and glaciers


And Fuck! I dunno what got into me. I actually promised Kenny and Yap for the climb.


Coincidently met some braveheart from Tokodai before the climb.


Started climbing from the 5th station.

After the first 30 mins of climb, reached the 6th station. No sweat. Still smiling. Kenny even thinking of flirting the Koban policeman.


This is what we saw thruout the whole journey up. Darkness.


Reached 7th station 50mins later. Still smiling.


After that, I dunno what happened.

I hated that whole part from 7th station up to 9th station. Peak is the 10th station. (Although I am not sure which is 9th station. I was too blur to realised.)


I was having cramps, on both hands, after we stopped to have our bento. The wind was too chilly that it literally penetrates your bones. My legs were kidda frozen too. The rest of the journey, all I remembered was, every 15 steps, I have to stop to grasp air. But not for long, if not the strong wind will kill me. And I was having trouble with my non-hiking-purpose shoe. I was slipping, and falling. I also remembered a LONG journey of Rock Climbing! There's one rock, almost the height of my chest. I stood there, cursing. How was I suppose to climb?!


Altitude 3250m above sea level.

Being with an ex-army, and another fervent lover of Kendo and Badminton, they were really kind enough to stop every now and then, pulling and pushing me up the mountain. I was almost half dead.


But all my pain gone, when I see the sunrise. I have also never in my life seen so many/much stars. And I saw a shooting star!! Speechless beauty!!




Notice Kawaguchi lake, formed by the Fuji san's lava flows.

My spirit reformed when we were told that we actually P.A.S.S.E.D the 9th station! What we looking at, WAS THE SUMMIT OF FUJI-SAN.


We hurried up our pace, cant wait cant wait!!

However, the queue to get up was another killer.


and the following queue behind us was also crazy.


Finally!!! After 7 hours and 30 mins! We are 3776m above sea level!! Wuuu huuu!!


It's Japan! Of course there's vending machines!


They used rocks to build their houses on the summit.


Fuji San Volcanic Crater


We celebrated Yap's birthday by the crater.


We were above the clouds.



It's all barren up in Fuji San. Rocks, and stones, and sand.


Except this kind of plants scattered scarcely.

Going down the mountain was another challenge. The whole road down was something like the picture below. Total zig zag path is 5.6km.



We took another 5 hours back down.

I cant believe I actually managed myself to climb through all the journey up when I was down looking up again. Passing through stations after stations.


What an experience! This is my first time climbing Fuji-San, and definitely my last time too. Unless they build elevator or escalator up. Then I will reconsider.