Women are Crazy, Men are Stupid

"Since the dawn of time, when the first smitten caveboy tried to woo the object of his affections by shoving her into the mud, men have demonstrated that when it comes to women, they are profoundly stupid. And when it comes to men, women - no matter how intelligent or mature -- are completely crazy."

"It's a vicious cycle this one. Stupid men drive women crazy, a crazy woman makes the man do stupider things, which drives the woman even crazier."

- Women are crazy, men are stupid : The simple truth to a complicated relationship -

by Howard J. Morris and Jenny Lee

I guess after the Hitchhiker's guide series, it's gonna be my reading material for the Christmas holidays.

I go home every summer, thanks for asking.

Yesterday, a Chinese guy asked me a weird question,

"Where were you born?"

I went through a momentary lapse of "wtf" moment, because I knew that if I were to mentioned that I was born in some tiny village called JB in Malaysia that is very near to Singapore, you would not have a single clue where I was referring to. So, my tiny brain started to process how this conversation would go, suddenly I realised! Oh! it's one those questions that I would receive every now and then from Chinese about "returning home", my blood started to boil, every tiny veins of mine started to go berserk till the point that they would kill each other and eventually kill themselves,

but outwardly, I remained calm, it was obvious that few seconds of my inner struggles ate up a period of time that caused the uncomfortable silence, I answered,

"Malaysia. I AM MALAYSIAN!"

The innocent Japanese guy beside me was startled by my firm voice and started to back-up a little, leaving some safe distance for secondary escape plan if something wrong happened.

"What about your parents?"

This time, inside of me went crazy!

We were all born in Malaysia, my parents, my grandparents! In fact, my parents speak no single word of Chinese, they are the so-called "banana" in Malaysia meaning skin is yellow but inside is white. I speak the language because my parents thought that since we are speaking English at home so why not let us learn Mandarin too? and so I spent 11 years learning the language. So don't bother asking me when am I gonna "return home" to China, because I just went back home (MALAYSIA!) last summer holiday and I had a blast, I know no one in China and I definitely cant call it home and it's absolutely absurd for you to "request" me to "go home". Totally idiotic!!!

but I still answered calmly and too calmly almost to a instance of serenity,

"Malaysia, so does my grandparents if you are still curious."

I only have the guts to speak my thoughts in blog than shooting that person directly. Booo!!

or maybe it's all in my thoughts that how an innocent question would have been escalated into my imaginary fury, it's just that I was asked about "returning home" too often that it simply made me phobia and irritated.

"I go home every summer, thanks for asking."

The Long Overdue

It's been such a long time I did not update my blog, I almost forgot how to do it.

The blank blog posts started as lack of inspirations to write, later continued as an excuse due to months after months of hectic master's student life: research, experiment, proceedings, conference and so on, then prolonged into procrastination, finally it just turned into pure laziness...

But that day, when I walked pass my uni school yard,

it was such a beautiful day, suddenly it just hit me that it is gonna be my last fall in my uni, a gush of sadness just ran through me. I always think fall is a sad season, I guess it applies now. I just hope I don't tear up during all the farewells. I am too old for that tear drops crap! roar!

Next, I am going to embark into an unknown journey of working in a brand new country. All the mix feelings engulfing me is enough to make me psychotic, nevertheless, this blog shall rock on!!!

One Phone Call

On the 30th of April 2010, I received a phone call, as far as I could remember, I did not have any experience ever... of jumping in joy like a monkey after receiving a news.

I smell evil plan. >:)

Someone put Tokyo into the Freezer

Last week on the 1st of February, someone decided to put Tokyo into the freezer and let it frozen. It was whole lots of fun for me because it's the first time ever that snows accumulate in Tokyo for the time I am here. According to the news, around 1cm to 5cm of snow were accumulated.

It started innocently as heavy rain, then suddenly, the violent rain stopped and started floating down. I turned off the light in my room, let the balcony curtain open, sat quietly on the bed and watch the snow fall.

Woke up the next morning with all the roofs coated with icing topping.

The usual sight on the way to school changed entirely. Well, it was all covered in frosting. Someone must had stayed in the school really late last night to make this Mickey.

Tokyo Institute of Technology Sakura Deck

Tokyo Institute of Technology

On the way home, I stopped by Tamagawa to snap pictures with my faithful compact camera.

Snowy Tamagawa

Snow Palette.

That same day, it was also quite depressing listening to the sound of the melting snow. Happy feelings gone.

FINALLY, It Snows!

OMG!! Finally snow!!

But why on the day before my exam!!!!

Yet still, please dont let it stop!!!!

An Ordinary Weekend.

My very first sloppy attempt of transparent screen.

Inspired by Transparent screens

An Ordinary Friday

Time: 430pm
Weather: Cloudy

An Ordinary Thursday

Today, is really an ordinary day.

I went to school in the morning for an exam, lunch in the usual curry house, attended a lecture in the afternoon, a brief visit to 7-11 under my building, stood in front of the wide varieties of drinks trying to choose one, in the end buying the usual. Went back to lab, took off my coat, but left my scarf on because it was chilly, and my sweater was low cut.. oh yay baby, no seriously. It was chilly.

It's intimidating for me to be smacked right in the middle of two phD students, me trying to look busy, but behind evil plan was actually chatting with two sisters and surfing about iPad. Yea, they will have wings for the next version. KimEan says maybe nightsafe is safer.

Winter this year sucks. Sometimes freezing, sometimes sweaty. Sometimes rain, sometimes sun but never snow. :(

An Ordinary Wednesday

As a "You have done a good job!" for myself finishing an assignment, I decided to pamper myself. (again).

I went shopping online!

It's a website call Rakuten 楽天. In this website, you can find everything under the sun.

No seriously. Look.

In the category under women's bag itself, it has at least another 20 more sub categories, the maximum numbers in one of the sub category has more than 97,181 items. And I have no idea a simple "bag" can be divided into handbang, clutchbag, tote bag, backpack, shoulder bag, second bag? recruit bag, even porch has accessories porch, make-up porch.......

Well, I need a simple black colour bag, so that I could "blend-in" and not stand out as the only person in the crowds with colourful shoes and bag. Who say shopping online is easy when I spent 2 hours, tons of window tabs opened and closed, before I made my decision. @_@

Because I dont have a credit card, well, to curb my spending habit, okay I lied, because I am merely a poor student, no fret shopping online! See,

You can pay the item during delivery. How awesome is that?!

An Ordinary Tuesday

I am pretty convinced now that the google-street-view-car-driver is living somewhere near my house. Yeap! If not, why would I saw that hybrid toyota prius with it's canggih 360 degree camera on the rooftop so many times and yet I could not find myself in the Google map street view! I refuse to believe that they reject to upload my photo into the map, it's not my fault I dont look like a supermodel! WHY! WHY! Anyway, I saw there's dents on google car, HA! eat that! That's the result of not putting in my face in the map! *totally enjoying the self indulgent moment*

I enjoy walking on the streets from my home to the train station every morning. Variety of shops make me happy. The smell of fresh bakery, the sight of beautiful flowers from the flower shop, not forgetting the smell from a ramen shop, the smell so good even the imaginary smoke has engraving stating, "eat me! eat me!", I think I could write a romance novel out of that wonderful smell.
Except all this, is the smell of fresh laundry from a laundry shop, yeap, call me a freak all you want, but fresh laundry makes me happy. :)

An Ordinary Monday

If you see a foreigner dashing, running to catch the train, you know that person had been in Japan long enough! to realize! that it wont be another train for the next 4mins 32 seconds!!!!!! O_o" !! cheers.

An ordinary Monday, it's always good to see two great mind come together every Monday early morning, arguing with each other in a positivity-stimulation way, my two professors debating on students' presentation during weekly seminar. You can see their oversize brain sending RF wave, pumping stimulant, the chemical reaction serve as the catalyst to motivate you not to not ganbatte on your research throughout the week.

Somebody please fetch me my pina colada. :(

OMG

Notebook for grab in a garbage dump.

Chairman of the Bored

"Describe what Marcellus Wallace looks like!"
"What!"
"Say what again. SAY WHAT AGAIN. I dare you, I double dare you, motherf*er. Say what one more goddamn time"
"He is black... bald..."
"Does he look like a b*tch?"
............


Samuel L. Jackson - quote from Pulp Fiction


I am bored.

Japanese of the day

I just learn some new words today. And it's officially my favorite now!

Tadah!!!

復旧　- restoration; restitution; rehabilitation
復仇　- revenge

both pronounced as:

FUK KYU!!

Ang moh 紅毛

Suddenly feel the urge to speak like a drunk Angmoh.

"Today, I was like.. walking out from the building, and I was like.. preparing myself for the freezing winter cold breeze, and after I stepped out, I was like...
'no cold!?',
and I was like... so curious right, where the cold goes?.. and then, I was like..
'wtf, this is not cool!',
as I walked toward the train station right, I was like... started to sweat... and I was like,
'com'on!!!' ,
and it was like.. winter screaming back at me saying,
'No! You com'on!',
and I was like..
'No! YOU COM'ON!'
'No! You com'on!' (goes on for about 57 times),

and then I was like checking the weather forecast right, and it was like 18 degree Celsius, and I was like,
'WHAT? during winter so hot?!'
and I was like..
'The earth is doomed,'....

and it was like.... you and me together right.... I was like me and you together.. and things like that.... right..."

67th Golden Globe

I watched the entire award show first time in my life because Ricky Gervais was hosting it. However, the expectation for him to be funny, turn out to be a flop. He made some lame jokes about his own private part, which is... not cool.

Anyway, call me old school, but HOW COULD AVATAR WON over Inglorious Basterds? Avatar is just a high tech version of Pocahontas. "Man walked into the jungle, man fell in love, man stay happily ever after in the jungle". Come on! There's no memorable acting, no conversations that could make any impact at all. Also, what's all the fuss "make the connection" with the fiber optics jutting out from each others tail, with certain kind of self-melting mechanism to do the bonding, never mind the 3D technology too, it made my eye teary throughout the whole show. I was suck into this whirlpool of hype, and yet, I found it has no originality, and definitely think it's overrated, over-hype! Rubbish.

But I am glad my favorite character in Inglorious Basterds, that's right, "Monsieur LaPadite, I regret to inform you I have exhausted the extent of my French.... " Christoph Waltz won Best Supporting Actor. His acceptance speech with his signature voice sound like he had murder few Jews before accepting the award, like he was still in the spell-binding movie, Awesome!

Please do it at home!

"Oui! Wake up!"

The sneaky old specky guy!

The one shoe on one shoe off drunkard.

The scattered beer cans.

The drunk salary-man!

Super AWESOME-NESS!

830k Lines Code

Tokyo has the most dense railway system in the world. Just look at the map above, left one is JR Tokyo, right one is Tokyo Metro (which is mostly UNDERGROUND)! Except this, other private railway companies in Tokyo includes Keio, Tobu, Tokyu, Seibu, Keisei, Odakyu. So if you are in big major stations like Shinjuku, or Tokyo... @_@

Although with such complicated link, Japan trains are still dead on punctual. If it's 1 min late, people starts to look at their watch trying to reaffirm the arrival time. If it's 2 mins late, people will start to look a little bit daze and a bit lost. 3 mins late, apology announcement will keep on blasting over the speakers.

Huge respect!

But the most amazing thing isnt just this. In 2001, they introduced contactless smart card Suica and in 2007, PASMO which is based on RFID technology. Since Suica and Pasmo are interchangeable between each other, practically, you can use only one card on ALL the railway stations (regardless of different companies), bus systems, most of the convenient stores, vending machines, keyless locker systems, even tramways.

Point is: IMAGINE the PROGRAMMING CODE!

I knew this through Japanese listening and speaking lesson that I am attending. The video of this news was shown.

In year 2007, after half a year PASMO was introduced. Gate glitch gives commuters free ride. In this incident, at 2.30am, suddenly all the gate of 662 stations closed automatically with alarm triggered. At around 4am, after confirming there's nothing wrong with gate's hardware system, they concluded that software is the problem.

Now the big questions. How are you gonna debug a programming software with 830k lines!!! They knew it was the software problem, but which part of the software? Although I am not a programming person, I could also imagined that, they were in TROUBLES.

Nope. The Japanese done it like a breeze! It is reported that at 920am, operations starting to be back to normal. How the hell did they do that?!

I wonder what will happen if there's a glitch like this happening in Malaysia, "Apa? glitch? tak tau lah! makan kuih first!"

Lomo!

All photos taken with Diana lens : Soft Telephoto 110mm, EOS500D body with Diana F+ lens Adaptor EOS mount.

Itadakimasu！ いただきます

Went to Otousan and Okaasan's home for new year celebration. (お正月)!!

Foster parents were very kind to invite all of the students who were under their wings over for dinner. So, there were a lot of catching up, stories, and laughter to share. I was there around 3pm and my mouth didnt stop eating and drinking till late night. They took out boxes after boxes of awesome decorated super delicious Japanese sweet (お菓子), and okaasan fed me red beans soup dip in mochi, super delicious! Remind me of red beans soup from home. :D

Me and Kim Ean were there last year, but maybe because there were not as many attendees as this year, so we did not get to eat the traditional new year foods. It's called the osechi-ryouri お節料理. Similar to the Chinese, each type of food symbolize a good meaning like tons of children and offspring and so on. The history of osechi origin where women do not cook during the new year so they started preparing osechi before new year, put them in a box and eat for few days.

I was helping out in the kitchen to cut the sushi and sashimi. Okaasan thought us some trick to keep the sashimi fresh even up to few days, which is to wrap it in a super huge seaweed, called... I forgot. As first they open 6 boxes of osechi and lay them on the table, I thought that was too much, then, we prepared sushi... then sashimi... then whole box of crabs... Phew! After everyone was seated at the table, we drank Japanese sake from a traditional sake bowl, like those you see from the emperor movie, a flat bowl thingy almost plate like and you have to hold it with two hands, and drink all in one gulp. Of course, after that, we drank some red wine and Portugal wine.

The night went on until my last train. Loads of fun!

Gochisousamadeshita!

Happy 2010!

I love this time around Tokyo!! Because it's empty!! Where everyone gone back to their hometown.

What more meaningful that visiting temple to make wishes in this glamorous brand new year of 2010! The second decade of the 21st century!

So we went Meijijingu 明治神宮 to celebrate the countdown. We were stuck in the line when the clock struck 12 midnight, but with the Smirnoff in hand, we manage to make a little tiny celebrations while lining up, like a tiny fade-off sound. "wuuuhuu...." , then because the monks were chanting and drumming, so we went back to silent. I envied those guys beside us with Atsukan 熱燗, even looking at the steam coming out from the hot sake makes me feel warm. Imagine drinking it in this super chilling weather, warm tummy!

Happy 2010 Everyone!