-Malaysian Studying in Japan-

The Great Buddha in Nihon-ji, Nokogiri-yama

2012-01-04T02:53:00.004+09:00

If I mention about the Great Buddha in Japan, WHICH Great Buddha will pop out from your mind?

Of course, it will be the Great Buddha in Kotoku-in, Kamakura.

But do you know that there is another Great Buddha in Chiba where Tokyo Disneyland is? Surprisingly, nobody knows about it. Even the Japanese does not know about it either. I am not sure about the reasons but it is not recognized as a national treasure and I believed that tough journey to visit the temple made it unknown.

The Great Buddha in Nihon-ji, is the tallest sitting Buddha statue in Japan, measuring 31.0 meter high while the Great Buddha of Kamakura measuring 13.4 meter.

On Christmas this year, I visited the Nihon-ji Great Buddha in Chiba with my family.

The name of Nihon-ji Great Buddha is Yakushirurikonyorai（薬師瑠璃光如来）. It is stone-made.In the other hand, the Great Buddha of Kamakura is the bronze statue of Amitabha Buddha.

The name of Nihonji Daibutsu is Yakushirurikonyorai, and represent the entire the space is the pure land, and it leads the world to the peace and safe.

The Nihon-ji Great Buddha has been in my Must-visit-list in Japan for years and I finally made it this year despite being busy with my other stuffs,

The journey was quite tough if you are not traveling by car and when you have a limited budget.

I chose to visit the site by taking a ferry.

A ferry?

A ferry that cross the Tokyo-wan（東京湾）from Kurihama bay（久里浜港） to Kanaya bay(金谷港).

(Reference: Tokyo-wan Ferry )

Before I forget, the whole journey takes a lot of stamina. It probably requires around 50 km walk overall in a day.

You could look through the internet looking for infos how to go to the place but no infos on how to leave the place.

#1 Travelling by Ferry across Tokyo-wan

#2 A view from the mountain after a ropeway ride

#3 The main entrance

#3 The road to somewhere

#4 The Guanyin on the wall (OMG)

#5 Dad and Me on the path to Hell (really very scary)

#6 lil sis braved herself there

#7 Carved statues along the road down

#9 Mountain view from the other side

#10 The Great Buddha of Nihon-ji

#11 Evening view

Hanabi in Yukata

2011-09-18T04:41:00.002+09:00

Here we go, in our jinbei (a yukata for males) and yukata.

Gathered in the field again. The place was near to our home. A 10 mins densha ride from home and we reached the field.

And why are we gathering in jinbei and yukata?

Well, hanabi.

Playing fireworks in our jinbei and yukata.

Sounds Japanese and the atmosphere is also in Japanese.

Its Japan after all.

Everybody was made compulsory to get themselves in their jinbei and yukata.

If you were still wondering why the guys were only left to play baseball style football in the previous post. They need hours of preparations in their yukata. Preparing their hair, their dressup surprisingly takes time. While the jinbei for the guys is easy to wear outfit.

My colleague managed to find my size while finding jinbei for her bf. My size is XXL. It was an coincidence that his bf has the same body size like mine. His bf even went on to try out whether it fits me well in my absence. I received lots of assistance from this couple until today. Very helpful and interesting couple.

When the girls in their yukata gathered together, the opening started by having the guys kneeling down on the ground and thanked the girls. LOL

Before continuing on the hanabi activity, there are some things I must write regarding hanabi activities. Selling and playing hanabi is actually legal in Japan. For years staying in Japan, I have never heard of any accidents reported in the media while we have it almost everyday in Malaysia. Safety first as always.

The most important thing we have to beware...

is not to bring trouble to the people in the neighborhood.
do not make loud noises (u wun like somebody shouting around like a madman in your neighborhood)
make sure the smoke faces the opposite of the neighborhood

Surprised? These are the basic knowledge before playing hanabi in Japan.

Also, we have 30,000 yen (RM1200) worth of hanabis to play for the night. LOL

It was spooky dark by the time we reached the field. So dark that you would not be able to see the road in your next few steps.

My cam was actually an old one that depends hardly on flashes in the deep dark environment.

Honestly speaking, the flashes are a pain to the eyes.

#1 It was not that bright in the field. This is the flash effect!

#2 Preparing the 30000 yen hanabis

#4 Preparing the fire

#5 The yukata team. CUTEE!!!!

#6 Dangerous...Never try it.

#8 The victim of the day. We have firecrakcers, firelaunchers, whatever we have were booby trapped on him

#9 Ahh, ignore the right guy. Hosoya is having a bright orange Dragonball jinbei.

#10

#11 Passing on the light

#12 Enjoying with a smoke. We have enough smoke already.

#13

#14 Rin enjoying herself

#15 Ando-san`s little bro, Hikari joined the party

#16 Again, never try this at home....

#17 Hikari enjoying himself. Sent the pics to Ando-san

#18

#19 Noda-san trying to make a shape. But my camera was too lame. SUMIMASEN!!!

#20

#21 Do you know what are they doing?

#22 Challenging who managed to maintain the light for the longest

#23 Yes guys, we enjoyed a lot today.

But, I had a nightmare to go home with Hosoya (orange jinbei). We stay next to the same station and when we had to get down together.

From riding the densha to dropping off from the densha, the eyes were all on him.

After dropping off, he made a kamehamaha pose after breaking up with the group while the densha began move forward. Holy shit. Holy shit. LOL

I was giving my best giving out the atmosphere that I seriously dunno this guy.

People were looking at us so much thanks to his costume.

The other colleagues said this to me the other day, "That-day, Jong is so pitiful."

Small games together, anyone?

2011-09-18T02:40:00.000+09:00

After the BBQ party, we continue to have some small games together before the `real` event.

We gathered along the river in Tamagawa after the meal. Just a 15 min walk from the station under the hot damn weather. But the Tamagawa scenery was wonderful.

Sunny and windy.

Though the summer heat was 33℃ by the time, we dun feel the heat and enjoyed the games with the tools we brought along.

Btw, our group are mainly made up with the high school students, Uni and graduate students, and working people(people with no full-time jobs). They are very nice to me and I learned a lot from meeting them and sharing experiences with them is a wonderful learning to me.

Tools: Badminton rackets, volleyball and baseball gloves.

The badminton game was hard to play since the wind was so strong.

Volleyball was the best activity around.

My duty: Busybody stalking around taking everybody`s pic.

#1 The green wide field in Tamagawa

#2 Come on, just pass me the ball!!!

#4 Ohh, lets move our stuffs somewhere safe for us to play around

#5 Err.. Kuwahara, you`re not supposed to sleep....

#6 Baseball catching with lots of tricks performed

#7 Volleyball game

#8 Wow, nice.

#10 Hard to play badminton game under a windy field

#11 Ohh, peace.

#12 having fun while the Keio densha went past

Around 4, the girls gathered to went back to prepare for one the night special event. The guys including me well... continue to play on.

The hint?

Something traditional that takes a lot of time.

We continue to play balls. LOL

(Forgotten about the name...)

We played using the volleyball as a football and used the baseball rule.

Basically, the pitcher throws the ball towards the batter kicks the ball towards the field (imagine the field as a baseball field), if the opponent fails to catch the ball in the first catch, and you managed to run along the bases, you win. Anyway, using the baseball rule was something new to me and I find it interesting if they dun kick it far away. (Most of the guys are from the football club.)

We played until 6 and we all went back to prepare for the night event.

I had a shower, slept for an hour and prepare myself for the night event by 8.

Should we continue to the next post?

BBQ Party with Working Colleagues

2011-08-30T20:04:00.008+09:00

I just felt that the Japanese summer is short this year.

The summer was so hot in Tokyo that I prefer hiding myself in the lab. Well, no holidays for masters. It is the local rule of our lab for years.

During the Obon, the campus was locked up from the students. Back to the main topic, I joined my colleagues for a BBQ party.

Had been working in this place for 5 years since my Japanese language school days. The place where I am working is a part of a chain outlet. I was in the same place in Saitama by the time and when I had to move to Tokyo, my supervisor offered me a place for me to work near my house. Lots of reasons made me unable to resign from this job.

We had our ex-colleagues who are working from all over Japan to attend the reunion party together.

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15

#16

#17

#18

#19

#20

Ok guys, back to work.

Oh yah, there was still another Hanabi Party in the night.

The Free Radical academic meeting in Hokkaido

2011-08-23T16:30:00.002+09:00

The 64th SFRRJ in Rusutsu, Hokkaido

(Society for Free Radical Research Japan)

I could finally sit down and focus on my blogging.

#1 Rusutsu, the place we had our academic meeting for 3 days & 2 nights

#2 The 64th Academic Meeting, Society for Free Radical Research Japan

#3 The environment of the Rusutsu, it was well known as a ski resort in the winter

I am glad that I am able to attend the academic meeting. I admit that it will be early for me in my first year. At least the I got the first qualification ticket to graduate.

I set up my poster in the early morning. Then I return to attend a number of lectures given by speakers about free radical. The science world is a very wide world. There is no end for researches. Just like studies.

In the lunch time, I went back to look at my poster to make a final checkup before the scheduled time in the evening. Surprised that there were already 2 guests in front of my poster. Turned out that there were members of the board of directors. OMG. My Prof was also a member of the board of the directors. Difficult questions were asked and I could not find a good reason to answer their questions.

The academic meeting brought me up.

Imagine you are surrounded by experienced researchers (who knows better than you), you will explain about your work in a easier to understand manner. Of course, you will receive feedbacks from your listeners. I got difficult questions and suggestions.

"How does it happen?"

"What if?"

"Does it really work?"

"The results are surprising."

I suddenly realized that I was defencing my work and explaining about the backgrund of my work. It puts me in a very hard position. Its my first academic meeting so I am glad that I am able to experience this.

There were 3 other members who came with me with their works and our works are connected to each other. The lucky thing is that our posters are next to each other that it made the poster street named after our Professor. "The Y street"

#4 The blogger in front of his work

#5 The atmosphere doing discussions with guests, my colleague facing the famous sensei

After the poster session, we finally got to enjoy a BBQ party with errr... the Professors. But I am glad to meet my ex-colleagues who transferred to another Uni for his master program.

#6 A good meal after a good learning

#7 Eat first, shots later

If I work harder, I will be able to attend the academic meeting for next year in Tokushima.

Yoshi, Ganbarimasu!!!

Hakone Farm

2011-08-03T13:16:00.004+09:00

Part 3: Hakone Farm

The winter image regarding Hokkaido is very strong to me. I visited Hokkaido in early summer.

Compared to the greens in Ishikawa, Tsukuba and Saitama, Hokkaido has the best greens.

The first thing the 3 of us would loved to experience in Hokkaido would be driving along the road while enjoying the greens. Also, not to forget about the fresh steak directly from the farm!

So we headed to the nearest farm in the early morning.

Hakone Farm.

No special reasons. Its the nearest from the airport.We still need to return to to the airport before 3pm to meet up with the others before heading to the site.

Upon our arrival, I was surprised by the environment of the farm. The farm is packed with mainly cows and sheeps. There is a small number of ponys.

We enjoyed the farm. The fun facts about the farm and the system surprised me a lot. Farm management was somewhat interesting.

#1 Hakone Farm

#2 Early morning in the farm

#3 Meeee....

#4 ooohhhh...

#5 Great house there. (smell of shits)

#6 Quick attack by Moo

#7 Nice breakfast feast

#8 This cow actually shit in front of us LOL

#10 Moo...

#11 Went to have a ice-cream made from the milk directly from the farm

#12 Had a tour around before lunch

#13 A wider land

#14 Young calf

#15 Thats some great oppai!

#16 This staff is from Tokyo (shocked)

#17 Experiencing milking

#18 While Seki senpai plays with Pony

#19 Steak for Lunch

#20 2000yen worth of lunch

We decided to have steak for lunch at the steakhouse there.

The meal costs me 2000yen. Worth it. Probably the best steak I have ever had in my life.

Was very excited to hear the Hokkaido slang but found out that she is from Tokyo. LOL

Since we had some little time left before the scheduled time to meet the other group, we wandered around Chintose city getting gathering small groceries.

We returned the car to the centre where senpai rent the car and we went back to Shinchitose Airport by the shuttle bus they provided.

Gathered with the other group. Meet up with senseis. Got a delicious treat of Yubari ice creams from senseis.

Got into the bus snored through the shuttle bus and received some hits from my colleagues. LOL

#21 Senseis treat of ice creams

#22 ZZZ....

Rusutsu, here we come...

Next...

Academic Meeting...

Roads in Chitose, Hokkaido

2011-08-02T05:03:00.000+09:00

Part 2: The roads in Chitose

Before entering the Hakone Farm I mentioned in my previous post.

Let us get into the simple image of roads in Chitose.

After all, the winter image of Hokkaido is still very strong. Nevertheless, we still get to experience the early summer version of Hokkaido.

Checked out from the business hotel by 9am.

#1 Preparation

#2 The city of Chitose

#4 The Chitose station

#5 The red arrow pointing to the road used as an index marker for the snowy road

during winter

#6 Enjoying the ride

#7 Barely any cars around and stopped to inspect the greenlands

#8 Daikon, anyone?

#9 Yes, more Daikons.

#10 Oh, from the inside

#11 Green Hokkaido. Maybe I should leave the big city of Tokyo.

#12 The blogger finally landed on Hokkaido

Next...

This time it will be Hakone Farm.

Hokkaido Here I come!

2011-08-01T13:33:00.006+09:00

Part 1: Journey to Shinchitosei

I apologized again for the long awaited update. Again, I apologized again for breaking this post into a few part.

LOL (Wheres the sincerity???)

2011/6/30 Thursday

#1 Last minute packup

I and Nagashi had to conduct a lab lesson in the Kamata campus.

We managed to finish the lesson by 1730 and left for dinner before taking the 1810 shuttle bus from Kamata to Haneda. Kamata is surprisingly near to Haneda. The best part was it only costs 260 yen compared to the 640 yen densha trip.

We headed to Haneda by shuttle bus although it is 20 mins late which is quite rare in Japan. Traffic jam happens in the middle city of Tokyo. Not surprised. After all, we will be departing by 2030. There is still plenty of time to spare.

The other 4 had left for a earlier flight. 3 will be heading to Sapporo from Shinchitose Airport by highway bus for a little trip while the other(our senpai) rent a car and waited for our arrival.

We departed a day earlier from the scheduled day to spare some time having fun in Hokkaido before the our real duty with permission given by our Prof.

#2 Check In

#3 Shinchitose, Hokkaido Here I come!!!

Of course, I am very excited with the trip. Its my first trip by taking a local flight to Hokkaido and the most exciting part is this is my first academic meeting!

ANA and JAL are like the Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia. ANA started as a cargo transporter. Do you know that ANA was actually having helicopter services in thier early stages? JAL and Malaysia Airlines.

#4 Flying with ANA

#5 From the inside to the outside

Flying with ANA is a great experience. They actually set up cameras for the departure and landing scenes which I find it interesting. Too bad we are flying in the night and I could only see a number of lights along the city we cross along. But I do find that the energy saving is working well from the number of lights in Tokyo.

We arrived with senpai picking us up with his rent car. Immediately we head to the business hotel we booked a week earlier.

Along the journey to the hotel, I realized that the roads are wide and they have those red arrows hanging like traffic lights pointing towards the road. I think it has to some connection ith the snowy road during winter.

The first meal I had in Hokkaido is.... McD.

Its 2200 and everything around closes earlier.

Managed to walk around the hotel and find the place a little spooky.

Well, no complaints. I am just a poor student. The school is not paying for the early trip fee. So I actually had to take out some hard earnings out to pay for the trip.

#6 Senpai Seki

#7 Night Road in Chitosei

#8 Only guys

#9 Our rent car

Next...

Hakone Farm

Animators in Japan

2011-06-17T01:54:00.000+09:00

Many freshmen came to me and ask about studying animation in Japan.

"Why are you aiming to be an animator or an artist?"

"Easy work and Easy money."

(Surprised with their answer)

The pay for an animator in Japan is based on the number of pages they draw with the pay of 200-300yen (RM10) per paper.

It is not based on monthly basis.

An animator could only get 80,000yen (RM3000) or lesser monthly. A figure that is not enough for living in any Japanese city.

Part-timers in Tokyo earn more than that figure.

No matter how hard you work, your salary will never increase.

Thanks to illegal downloading.

Nobody is buying anime anymore.

If you are happy with the job, nobody`s stopping you.

Stupid Me on Protecting You

2011-06-16T22:18:00.003+09:00

I am a Malaysian. A typical Malaysian Chinese.

The Japanese identified us Malaysian Chinese as Malaysian (while our country does not).

But that will also depends on how you PR about yourself. (compared to the Chinese from the mainland)

From the first impression, they thought I am a Japanese. But most of the time I was mistaken as a Korean from my name.

People will ask me how do I managed to speak in so many languages? From my sensei, colleagues and students.

For the 5th year, I am very used to the question.

I explained about Malaysia, a multicultural country. A country where we live with many races and explained about the importance about studying languages in that environment.

I tell about the good stuffs about our country. The food, scuba diving, environment and the weather.

How stupid am I.

I managed to protect the good name of country but I get backslashes from the country I wanted to protect.

Now, I felt like an idiot.

Should I continue protecting you?

Or shall I be selfish now?

*Failing to protect you means that I fail to protect my identity.

My Crazy June Schedule

2011-06-14T00:49:00.010+09:00

To Dad & Mum,

Before reading this blog, you might wonder where am I since last month...

I have nearly gone nuts since May. Thanks to my little busy schedule I got to follow through the month.

#1 June Schedule

Every Week, I will be...

Monday- Teaching Polymerization for the 2nd Years in Hachiouji.

Tuesday- Teaching Cell Measurements for the 1st Years in Kamata.

Thursday-Teaching pH Measurements for the 1st Years in Kamata.

Friday- Teaching Ｇene transfection for the 3rd Years in Hachiouji.

Saturday- Getting reagents ready for Monday ALONE. (14 tables)

LOL

4 teaching days a week.

4 hours a day.

You can`t sit.

You can`t put your hand in your lab coat.

You can`t leave the lab until your duty is done.

You must know how to explain things easily to get them understanding the contents. (imagine that you are teaching scientific stuffs to art students, getting easy examples to make them understand)

You must tell them why are they doing this experiment.

(like getting to know aim of your life)

You vs 40 students.

(and you will be running here and there like a mad man solving your students problem)

Moving around from Hachiouji and Kamata is already quite deadly with a 40 km distance between the two campuses. I will not be going down to Kamata if my transportation fees is excluded.

Until the end of the semester I will be busy with these stuffs. I think I have to move forward 10 times into my experiment progress as soon as the semester ends.

Bye to my summer vacation.

Lab will be my second home.

I will be heading to the infamous medical university, Showa University to assist a sensei I know in setting up her society as a staff for 2 days.

Heading down to BIO EXPO on June 29 th to study some researches from the world.

After teaching in Kamata on Thursday, I will be heading to Haneda and take a flight to Hokkaido to present my work in the weekend.

Yes, this is my graduate life. (for the first 2 months)

Oh yah, btw, I have another part-time job in Sunday.

Cheers.

Geez. I need an off day to prevent depression.

Enoshima / Kamakura in Golden Week

2011-05-16T17:35:00.004+09:00

Bringing a colleague to Enoshima/Kamakura.

#10

#11

#12

貼り付け終わった．研究に戻る．

Recent Updates from May

2011-05-14T12:23:00.003+09:00

Life has been complicated. It will be impossible to get the stuffs together blogging these stuffs has been troublesome for many reasons.

There are good news and bad news.

Let us start from the good news.

My teaching job as a TA (Teacher`s Assistant) started officially for the School of Health Sciences. I will be in charge of the department of Clinical Enginnering and the Physical/Occupational Therapy students for their first year in basic experiment skills. In short, I am teaching basic skills knowledge in handling scientific stuffs.

By the way, I am teaching in Japanese not English. Thanks to my experience last year. I got to move along with the students smoothly. But it is always a pain when you had to deal with many kinds of students.Imagine that you are trying to deal with 50 students with only 2 TAs around. Yeah, I had to look around and approach the students by myself and see whether they understand the problem. The delicious part is that you could teach pretty girls and show off (a bit) how knowledgeable you are. LOL

In the other hand, sensei suddenly asked me, "Do you want to Hokkaido?"

"Oh yes, I do. In what kind of occasion?"

"Well, presenting your work in the society."

"Ohhh, Please do let me!!!"

So I will be presenting my work at Hokkaido in the Society for Free Radical Research. Well, in poster form. I just handed in my forms and all I have to do is wait for the confirmation by June. And I will be flying north to Hokkaido by July!

Behind this matter, I was told about the plan on Monday and was told that the closing date is on Friday. I had to rush to another campus on Thursday early morning to get my abstract done before registering. Then, I received the mail by Friday morning and get my Prof. permission before submitting.

Lastly, the bad news.

Experiments has not been going well. My latest result has finally shock me well enough. The result gave me a great headache and I have rethink the original hyphothesis.There is no definate answer in Science and anything makes sense as long as you have the data. I know that there is still a long road to go before I get into the conclusion. Wishing me good luck.

Well, Good day to everybody.

Phone Calls by Our Assistant Prof.

2011-05-02T13:51:00.002+09:00

There is a rule in our lab.

You must be in the lab before 10 am daily.

The most regretful experience in my life is exchanging contacts with him.

Prepare to expect his call if you are gonna be late even by a minute. LOL

There were times that I woke up late and it became so common to have his calls in the morning. In short, his call is my alarm clock.

As a result, His name has became the top received calls in my phone list.

The other day, we graduate students gathered for a drink.

Began to talked about stuffs in our lab.

A-san was making out in the love hotel while he received the call. It turned out he was asking where A-san put the reagent he wanted.

B was skiing in Nagano. The phone came but he just could not pick up the phone due to the noises around him. Worst he was in the peak of the snowy mountain. He quickly skied down to the bottom and call back and found out that he was just asking when is he coming to school?

B was working with the National Defense Academy of Japan. So basically his office is there not in our campus.

Haiz... 3 calls in the Golden week...

Outstation

2011-04-29T12:27:00.000+09:00

I went to the Kamata campus to prepare some experiment materials for the nursing school with my sensei.

It turned out the theme that I was in charged was a bit well, troublesome. I will be in charge of 3 tables. Measuring the size of the cells using a light microscope and the pH measurement.

Had the experience on microscopes personally and I think that is why I was handed the job.

Imagine you had to teach eyes things that you could see while they dun.

Let us hope that the students dun run me around the world.

Started the preparation and done some revision with sensei from 10 am and finally ended by 3.30 pm.

While I was heading back to the station, I bumped into my students, yeah future nurses in the elevator.

It was a coincidence that their lectures had ended.

Talked about AKB48 and their campus life.

Was walking with them and again got some misunderstanding from the other group of my students with one holding my hand and said...

"My boyfriend."

I just smiled.

Reached the station and I used Tokyuu line to head back to Hachiouji campus while the girls used JR.

How I wished that JR had a quicker line so that I could... `ahem`

Went to Hachiouji and had a short meeting with another sensei.

Took the 9.30 pm bus back to the station and headed home.

That Stressful Day

2011-04-14T20:08:00.002+09:00

Today, I went to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Shinagawa to pick up my visa which I applied a month ago.

I got 2 years and 3 months.

Just looking at the application date in new passport reminds me a lot of that day.

March 17th.

It took a few days before the densha network return back to normal, with a limited number running after some breakouts. I was already expecting a long line before arriving. Since the media abroad has been making more panic as the days passed.

Especially Chinese papers which made me wonder why does the Chinese papers know better than the Japanese papers?

Before exiting the Shinagawa station, a Chinese woman who tried to cut my line taking the escalator. Halt her in Japanese, "Line up!"

Upon arriving the Immigration Bureau, the line is packed up with a majority of Chinese and Koreans. So long that the line extended to a few kilometers away from the main building. Lines had to be cut across the traffic lights. Police officers had been send to monitor the situation. Obviously the security guards are helpless in this situation.

I will need to get my revenue stamp in the first place. So I follow the revenue stamp line which had a line the lead to the outdoor. I had to wait 2 hours before I got mine.

Just when it was near the The line behind me was cut for people to walk pass through. It happens so coincidentally that I was the last person on that line with person behind me was a few steps away from me.

This young lady, maybe Chinese (from the slang) came to me and asked, "Can I take this line?"

Immediately I gave her a little scold and ask her whether is she able to do that behind the people lining up behind me. I put on my earphones back and look to the front. Few moments later and I looked back with the young lady gone.

Again, another young lady (another Chinese) who I have never seen in front of me suddenly appeared and slowly trying to cut my line right in front of me from the side. It was so obvious that she is trying to cut my line like nobody`s business.

I said to her in Mandarin in a quite rough manner, "Miss, trying to cut the line?" She replied in fear "No..." and she retreated.

I got my stamp. Then I realized that I only have to hand out the stamp on the day I got my visa. (sob)

Passed in my application letter, had them screened and got my waiting number. I was asked to send in the copy version of my graduation cert instead of the original. So I went to the copy machine to get the stuff ready. There is a waiting list of 400 in front of me by the time.

A Filipino man came to me and asked about the required docs for the re-entry permit in English. It appeared that he could not speak a word of Japanese so I just tell him the docs he will need. Another Canadian man came to me after he heard me speaking English and asked the same thing.

Later, I got a missed call from my sensei. The network is very busy looking at the number of crowd using their phones. I had to get away from the building in a distance to make the call. It appeared that sensei wanted to know my plans on my project throughout the rollover blackouts.

I went back to the waiting hall and found that I still have 300 more to wait.

I got a seat and slept. However, another Chinese uncle behind me was talking on the phone so loud that his voice can be heard across the waiting hall. It is not only a call but calls. Tried to endure it but he is still talking on the phone. Half an hour later, I turned my back and look at him directly. It took him 5 minutes to realize the problem and he quickly left the waiting hall.

I know, it sounded like I just chase him out of the hall.

3 hours later, I got my turn. After handed in the forms, I quickly leave the area and head to the station by walking. The bus was also very packed and a long line was formed.

Do not intend to waste unnecessary energy while I could walk for 10 mins to the station. Fuel stock was limited by the time. I have friends who had to lined up for hours before he get to refuel his bike.

While the Japanese are calm and obey to the law and order when the incident break out, the foreigners did the opposite.

What went wrong? The education? The morale? What happened to these people? What would make us like them?

The answer is easy. Humans are generally simple living things that are greedy and selfish.

The failure to understand the surroundings as the key. Japanese has long lived in a society that has the iron rule of never bring trouble to the people around. Understanding the situation and moving on forward together will make things easier.

It saves the trouble but many still fail to understand the iron rule which I felt it is such a pity. This will never happened in Malaysia since I know, the society there only recognizes itself instead of the surroundings.

I wonder what does it take to make everybody realizes it.

Sakura Viewing in Suits

2011-04-09T20:21:00.004+09:00

2 hours Entrance ceremony from 11.3o pm.

The ceremony held for the Bio students was combined with the fresh undergraduates and master students. Had been sleeping for the whole 2 hours speech given by the Academy Director, Chancellor and the Mayor of Hachiouji.

Most of the speeches were about the March 11th incident and focused mainly on the freshmen.

Right away, I and my 2 colleagues headed to Showa Memorial Park, best known by the name Showa Kinen Koen for some Sakura viewing.

Planned it on Friday but got the news that it will rain on Saturday. But it rained in the morning and turned out to be cloudy in the noon.

So we eventually headed there... in our suits. LOL

The park is generally very wide and to reach destination takes an amount of time by walking. We arrived by 3 pm which makes the journey impossible. So we rent the bicycles from the park for 400 yen each.

Well, this is our first time to ride inside the park.

I guess that we got a lot of attractions from our surroundings.

Yeah, it's a weekend. And we're in our suits.

2 years to go!!!

10 things to learn from Japan - 日本から学ぶ１０のこと

2011-04-07T11:48:00.000+09:00

日本から学ぶ１０のこと
世界銀行や国際通貨基金のスタッフの間でこのメールがまわっているそうです。
（意訳しました）

10 things to learn from Japan-
日本から学ぶ１０のこと

1. THE CALM--Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.
静寂ーーーそこには威勢よく騒ぐ人はなく、嘆きにくれ叫ぶ人の姿もない。ただ、悲しみの存在だけがこみあげている

2. THE DIGNITY----Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture.
威厳ーーー水と食料のための待ち行列は規律があり、そこでは荒い言葉をはいたり、粗雑な行動をとる人がいない

3. THE ABILITY--- The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn’t fall.
能力ーーー信じがたいほどの能力ある建築家たち。ビルは揺れた。しかし崩れたビルはなかった

4. THE GRACE-----People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.
品格ーーー人々は自分達が当面必要としたものだけを買った。だから、皆がそれぞれ何かものを手にいれることができた

5. THE ORDER-----No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.
規律ーーー店での略奪はなく、路上でも追い越しや叫ぶものはいない。皆が理解を示している

953 名前：おさかなくわえた名無しさん[sage] 投稿日：2011/04/05(火) 14:47:40.45 ID:7CVISmqo
6. THE SACRIFICE----Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?
犠牲ーー原子炉にポンプで海の水をかける為にとどまった５０人。彼等にこの恩をどう返せばよいのか?

7. THE TENDERNESS------Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.
やさしさーーーレストランは値下げをし、警備のついていないATMはそこに放置されたままである。そして強い人は弱い人の世話をしている

8. THE TRAINING----The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.
訓練----老人、子供、皆はそれぞれ何をしたらよいのかきちんと知っており、そして、彼らは淡々とそれをしている

9. THE MEDIA----They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.
メディアーーー報告する時に抑制し落ちついている。愚かなレポーターがいない。落ちついたルポが続いている

10. THE CONSCIENCE---When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves &left quietly.
良心ーーー店で電源が切れた時に、レジに並んでいた人々は、物を棚に戻し、静かに店を去った

Truly Inspirational --what is happening in the Land of the Rising Sun.
本当にInspirational--日出ずる国で起こっていること

http://blog.sakanoue.com/archives/51614545.html

Nomikais Nomikais & Nomikais

2011-04-02T00:36:00.000+09:00

Ok, I admit it.

I am a drinker myself. I loved it. Especially Japanese wine They are just like a medicine to me now.

I remembered those days when my Mum always told me about learn how to control my drinking especially when I am in Japan.

Dad told me the same thing from his experiences with his Japanese friends.

Now, I know what they meant now since I start my life in Japan.

You just can`t say no especially in Japan.

Back to the topic,the number of nomikais (drinking party) I joined on March,

Most of the parties I joined are with my colleagues from my lab, work and friends.

①2011/03/04

Drank with my sensei and senpai who have long guided me last year in teaching the nursing experiments. Yeah, the sensei who introduced me the delights of Japanese wine. You seriously have to be strong in liquor if you wanted to drink with her. Dun look down on her, she is in her 70s.

Another senpai who has left his PhD program and managed to get a job. Though he left the lab already a few months. I was in his care for a period and he also taught me lot of things on cell cultivation techniques.

Both of them are also drinkers and stronger than me. I tried to control my drinking while `servicing` them and entertained them.

A little small knowledge while drinking with the Japanese. You just can`t say no while being offered a drink. Even if you are weak in alcohol, it is still a manner to accept the drink.

This time, we drank till the next morning.

Honestly speaking, I was already half dead by around 3 am. I managed to walk my way home drunk.

Was already dead the moment I reached my bed.

②2011/03/15

We were supposed to go on for a graduation trip to Hakone. But we had to cancelled it due to the aftershocks and the unfixeable timetable of the densha network.

We made our own party in a izakaya and drank all night with the gang.

Yeah, even when the aftershocks are still happening.

③2011/03/17

Drank with 2 colleagues from my working place.

Enjoyed our work since 4 years ago together.

Both of them will be entering the working society. One joining a furniture company and another becoming a civil servant.

It will be tough for them in their first few months and I wish them the very best.

Downed

④2011/03/20

Drank again with my colleagues who are leaving for the society.

Very high.

Got drunk.

Failed to walk home himself and was brought home by his friends.

What a trouble I brought.

Taken by my junior as a remembrance?

⑤2011/03/21

Another drink with my juniors in my work. This junior and his gf loves to drink with me.

Do you need any reasons to drink with your good fellow juniors?

Taken with my juniors a few years ago

⑥2011/3/23

Another former colleague returns from Nagoya and we made a welcome party for him. We actually take 4 lanes and played for 5 games.

Bowling game!!!

Shalalalal

Drank till morning

⑦2011/3/25

The last party with the M2 (Masters 2010), our seniors.

While we future Masters 2012 joined them and wish them good luck for their new life.

Chatting with senpais regarding politics in the lab

Yes?

⑧2011/3/28

Air Graduation Party.

Our Graduation ceremony was cancelled. So, we made our own ceremony. A nice restaurant for 19 persons.

Yoh!!!

The Graduation Party we made

Will blog more about ⑦ and ⑧

The last fun and memories of March: Priceless

Dad, I wonder what will I be in my 40s.

A Rollover Blackout in Machida

2011-03-25T02:29:00.001+09:00

This is how a rollover blackout happened in Machida, Tokyo.

Liked to share it with you.

Nevertheless, life goes on as usual.

Machida is still a place I loved to hang out with my colleagues.

This Malaysian is not leaving Tokyo

2011-03-20T01:22:00.004+09:00

I will not be leaving Tokyo.

Though some of my Malaysian friends have returned.

Some pressured by their parents or relatives.

Some who read too much rumors.

Some read too much Chinese papers.

The people of Japan has taught me so much.

In work, studies and life.

I owed them so much.

How could I leave while they are suffering?

Its so wrong.

Leaving your friends while they are suffering.

Leaving the land that taught you things to move forward.

Leaving is not the way you repay their kindness.

Selfish. Fear. Confusion.

Believe in yourself.

There are facts for you to believe.

Not rumors for you to believe on.

While the worries on the radiation spread is still going on,

I am still alive in Tokyo going to the lab, work and have fun with my friends.

Though it is so inconvenient with the rollover blackout and limited densha running in Tokyo now.

I was also doing some discussion with my Dad on the mail about a useful software.

My Dad. Proud of him.

A great man and respectable man, we know he is very worried about us but he is willing to hear us out.

Mum told us that He was so worried of us that he read the Wall Street papers, New York Times, Japan Times and other much more trusted medias to check on things in Tokyo.

My mum. Proud of her.

A tough super housewife. She knows and identified how uncontrollable the media in Malaysia goes and is willing to listen to our story.

Dad and Mum became our messenger.

All our relatives and friends showered phone calls to them asking about our situation. From Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor, Pahang and etc.... including friends from Middle East and Sri Lanka.

And they calmed them.

Thank you for worrying for us. We thanked you so much for worrying for us.

There were also a few calls from relatives asking us to return home.

My parents rejected the idea and trusted us.

Proud of our parents.

Thanks for trusting us.

Forgive our selfish act.

Whats the fuss about?

Look what the Chinese newspaper wrote.

Do you believe a thing from it? Do you really believe a thing that it is reported?

Who will you trust?

The people who is still living and alive in Tokyo or the local newspaper who is getting informations from other media?

Rubbish reports.

Total rubbish.

News that are not even reported in Japan can be reported by these irresponsible papers.

The radiation will reach Malaysia!!!

How far is Malaysia from Fukushima?

20 times of radiation is detected in Tokyo.

Detected but not even enough to make a X-ray screening and totally not harmful to the human body.

East Tokyo is gonna be doomed, said PM Kan.

You trust what the useless PM said ahh?

Somebody said that salt can ward off radiation exposure from Japan.

We must buy salt to ward the radiation off!!!

And there you see people lining up to buy salt.

Commonsense.

Do some little research and think carefully.

It saves you and the trouble.

Can studying be so troublesome?

My friend who is a studying physics in Ibaraki, Japan mailed me.

"You must know that your uncles and aunties know more better than you in science...lol...
I fail to explain to them exactly what is happening in the nuclear plants, as they all have their own 'right' saying...Or Malaysian's style paper headlines!"

He is now stuck in Malaysia thanks to the papers.

Soon-kun, Good luck in convincing your family.

But I know Penangists too well for I am also one. Just do your best.

Thanks to the papers in Malaysia, one of my friends mother fall ill.

He had no intentions to return in the first place but forced to return to explain things now.

He officially wants to burn the papers in the house the moment he reached home.

He thanked the Chinese papers for what they have done to his family.

The status updates on facebook.

Copy paste Nonsenses.

I asked if you would trust the rumors that East Japan will be gone.

"Hope got good news la >.< ... Abuthan next year no new car Liao !"

How sick the society has become.

Suddenly I felt soooooo relaxed writing this post.

I and East Japan Earthquake Disaster

2011-03-13T19:23:00.001+09:00

東日本大震災（ひがしにっぽんだいしんさい）Higashi Nippon Dai-shinsai:

East Japan Earthquake

The earthquake only hits the East part of Japan. NOT the WHOLE JAPAN. Fxxx the media for their writings. They should have just write East Japan instead of Japan.

The aftershock is still hitting East Japan. There is still probability that quakes will hit again. Though we are still experiencing aftershocks now I and my bro is still safe herein Tokyo. At least Tokyo was not badly affected compared to the Sendai and Fukushima.

20110311 Friday

1200 noon

I drank for the whole night with my working colleagues. Back home by 0530 am. Slept till 12 pm.

1300 pm

Took the densha and headed to the campus.

1440 pm

Arrived at Hachiouji Minami-no station. As usual I walked towards the bus stop after the stairs. That was the moment the quake happened. I hear the sounds of the roof being hit. I thought it started to rain. But it should not be. It all happened in a sudden. It was the roof that was shaking, very hard. I know something was wrong. Then the land started to shake. I ran to the middle court and lost my balance and lean on a little stand next to the road.

The shake stopped after a moment. People were already evacuated from the building the moment I looked around. I went back to the bus stop after that. But I know this quake is little different than the quakes I experienced in these 5 years(!?).

I tried to called my bro but found that the phones ain`t working.

I began to surf through facebook and mixi and realized what happened. Surprisingly, the internet on the phone works well but not the phone service.

The moment when the M9.0 hits

The facebook update during my journey on the bus (the blogger coming out)

We actually experienced an earlier M3.0 shake on 20110309, Wednesday noon It sometimes make me wonder whether the 2 quakes are related.

1500 pm

Arrived at the campus. All the staffs and students gathered outside the buildings. A number of aftershocks happened. Good to see that the windows of the Katayanagi Building are not glass made but special made glasses that would not break easily. Ican see and feel the aftershocks by looking the moving of waves from the windows through reflection. I even got the time to spare to talked to other senseis about the next experiment meeting we are planning on. Some kind of meeting we should not be doing in a time like this.

Evacuation

1600 pm

A number of people began to enter the building and quickly get their things out of the building. I and my lab colleagues began to walk the stairs to the 5th and 9th floor to check on our samples and machines. The elevators are not working so we had to err... walk 9 floors of stairway. I am relieved to find out that my cells are fine in the incubator without any contamination. Then my PC with my important datas is in good condition but the lab was in a mess. I quickly did some backup into my external hard-disk.

The little shelf of my sensei and the figures

Bottles and drawers

The shelfs and more drawers

Another Shelf

1624 pm

A number of aftershocks still happening while I am still in the 9th floor.

Based on my colleague`s TV switched on phone and understood the situation while trying to reach Dad through international phone. By that time, I only realized that Facebook and Skype are the only tools to contact my family. My bro is safe by looking at his update through facebook. I finally reached my Dad and reported that I and Bro are safe. Dad found out about it earlier through facebook. Tried to reach Mum but could not reach her.

1700 pm

From the news, the densha system was temporary shutdown.

Evacuation announcement from the building is made, I decided to leave early although I was supposed to do some lab work today. A lab colleague walked back with me to the station. Had some late lunch while waiting for news about the recovery, hoping for some recovery on the densha system.

1730 pm

Decided that it will be better to return to the lab to gather informations since the aftershocks is still happening. The densha network would never move with the aftershocks still going on. At least the school is the best evacuation site in Japan.

1800 pm

Returned to the lab and found out that the JR system was completely shut down while other railway networks are still unable to move.

1900 pm

Another two colleagues came back and joined us. Both back from the station. We are still in the 9th floor and the aftershocks are still happening. Not recommended. Even though the Japanese building is still staying strong.

2100 pm

Approached by my parents through skype in my lab. My bro is safe at home. Me safe in Hachiouji. Still unable to return home.

2151 pm

The aftershocks continue.

The aftershocks

2315 pm

The school announced that they provided that they prepared a bus to Keio-Hachiouji but we missed it.

20110312 Saturday

0230 am

Found out that the Keio line finally moves out. But in slower speed. Better than nothing.

Walked 2 km from Uni to the nearest Keio station, Keio Katakura.

The journey

The cold walk with the gang

The traffic is bad due to the disaster, Drive carefully

0315 am

Arrived. The railway is running and is free of charge.

Finally going home

0430 am

Finally home.

1130 am

My Professor and senseis called to ask about our whereabout. I reported that we are safe.

By the way, I wrote one of this in The Star.

Yeah the aftershocks is still happening and I dun have the mind of returning back to Malaysia.

大使館に連絡しなさいという報告をいただいた。いや、連絡したら、どうする？安全確認だったら、親に連絡すればいいんでしょう。親が政府より俺らのこと心配しているんだ。政府はなんの役に立ちたいんだ？

ちなみに、祈るよりなんか役に立ちたいんだ。しかし、自分の無力に絶望した。

Here I will like to Thank friends and relatives who called my parents asking about our safety. I was lucky to be able to reach my father in my first place.

I and Bro are in your care. Thank you very much.

I will be leaving for school early morning after the Tokyo Denki (Something like Tenaga in Malaysia) announced that a rolling blackout will be made in East Japan till the end of the April to save electricity.

Rolling Blackout

The area I stay falls on Area 2: 9.10 am -1.00 pm & 6.20-2.00 pm. While JR runs on energy they generate, Keio line actually runs on energy provided by Tokyo Denki. Surprisingly, Keio line and other private railways are helpless and would not be operating during these times: 9.00 am-1.10 pm & 6.00 pm-10.00 pm.

Inconvenient but choice less. Had to avoid the designated time and get myself to school earlier from now onwards.

Damn, I dun think I will be able to do any experiments this month.

日本にいる方、お気をつけてください。

Short Notification

2011-03-12T01:24:00.003+09:00

The earthquake... well, you read the news and you know the stuffs.

Anyway I am safe. The densha system was shut down and I had to stay a night with my colleagues in the lab.

Hopefully everything returns to normal in the next day.

I and Snowy March

2011-03-08T21:38:00.002+09:00

March 7th

It snowed in Tokyo which is rare on March.

I got the worst morning walk to the lab. The moment I reached the building, my shoes and socks are all wet.

#1 Campus in white, ohh, I moved my seat

#2 Buying Lunch has never been that troublesome and fun

Its Spring vacation and all the canteens are closed. Left the ramen shop and the konbini.

I got my shoes wet again just from buying lunch.

またかよ～

I and Since October

2011-03-04T19:00:00.000+09:00

It has been hard for me to settle down and post a blog lately. With the number of spams coming flowing into the blog. I think its time to post ... well... just a short post lah.

October 2010

I stopped my teaching job as a Student Assistant for the nursing school in order to focus into my experiments.

Fluorescence Microscope in Action. Seriously had some eye problems using this microscope.

Had some problems getting the data in a file...

November 2010

Rainy season both in Japan and Malaysia

I went back home for 2 weeks mainly to renew my passport.

My difficulties?

I nod my head when I meet people now. A hard to change habit. In these 2 weeks, surprisingly, it is never a vacation for me as my senseis has been giving me a number of journals and demanding reports as I am travelling home to home visiting my relatives.

December 2010

I rushed my experiments. Eventually ended up staying in the lab for a number of nights.

Had to pass in this annual adjustment

We got a bed in the lab left by our senpais. LOL

I prefer to sleep on the floor though.

Going home in the early morning has been a daily basis.

No complaints, this is the lab of the dean.

January 2011

Stayed in the lab for a few nights for some experiments

and had the chance to watch Japan in action for Asia Cup.

Working as an assistant for the society

February 2011

Finished our Thesis presentations and handed in our works. Now party with the colleagues.

CupS with nameS. Found mine?

A very nice party.

Little Bro enjoying his first snow in Japan.

I and Thesis Presentation

2011-02-01T20:55:00.002+09:00

What just shocked me is that....

I was chosen to be the first to present my work in the morning...

LOL Bless me.

I and School Festival

2010-12-31T01:22:00.000+09:00

~Happened on October 2010~

The party went on to celebrate by making business for their last year of uni.

The talk began to happened after the megane-kun aka captain chat on making a yakisoba stall with his supervisor where he work in an izakaya and his supervisor was very interested with it and decided to assist us. Then megane-kun began to gather his gang and we just found it interesting and fun as a way to celebrate our last campus year.

My involvement was little though. I got myself involved with the opening and managing the stall on the first day. But I think I managed to apply my experiences of my past arubaito experiences into it. We did brought the business to great success.

#1 Hail the supervisor!!!

From moving stuffs, equipments, gathering/ serving customers, changing turns on getting the yakisoba done, at least tried to move around to keep myself actively involved since I could only be around for the opening day.

Of you were wondering what would we be doing with the earnings, we decided to spend them on nomikai. Most of us are drinkers. No objections.

We had worries too on our first day as it rained heavily before the first day. However it appeared to be a good day after all in the end.

Surprisingly, our yakisoba was selling so well we had to do some quantity control. Lol. The best part was we delivered a pack for our professor (most of the material and tools were taken from our lab). I guess we should have written "sponsored by ＊＊ Lab" under our signboards.

#2 Customers getting their fresh made yakisobas

#3 Rushing to get the materials and ingredients ready

#4 The selling point? Large portion of it!

#5 Tsuba grinning at my cam

#6 Gang`s involvement in the business

#7 The blogger was getting himself busy anyway...

#10 Our friends came visiting in their best outfit

#11 He beg for one... yes, we did ask him to pay up

#12 Friends visiting us for a shot...

I got some feedbacks from friends and senpais. It appeared to be interesting and worth sharing.
"Wow, a Malaysian making yakisoba!!!"
"What the hell are you doing here??? You should be in the lab now!!!"
"Ohhh? Another bio reaction experiment? lol"

So now I am managing the business with my friends the Japanese way. Not a serious one. But for the main purpose of celebrating together for the school festival. Kind of fun.

If you we're wondering how we managed our earnings. Well, we spend it on nomikai. However, I was unable to join the nomikai even though they tried to extend the starting time just for me.

#13 Calculating the earnings

Since I was unable to join them due to work, we actually made the starting kanpai through phone (while they are enjoying their sakes). I had to kanpai with them through the phone in the middle of the office while being watched by other colleagues.

Few days later, Kana gave me my share of earnings which I never expect to get since I did not invest my part into the fund.

To me, the most important part is to enjoy the experience with pleasure. Yes, I do enjoy the event with the gang. This year was an interesting one I had to admit.

Have you enjoyed your year? Happy new year in advance.

I and my Lab Working Desk (2010)

2010-11-05T20:20:00.000+09:00

My desk has been evolved into a level where I dunno how to explain to people who comes to the lab and visit me.

#1 Purposedly changed the theme to match the desk

These figures ain`t mine. But given by all my current and graduated senpais who bought manga magazines whenever they got it with figures as present.

But the problem is I ain`t an otaku or anime fan. I just felt satisfied if I could watch a good anime now (while I never get to watch one good one for years currently...).

The problem started since the day I said these figures are so cute and real. Right away, my senpais went on to decorate my desk with all these figures.

This is how my desk end up now...

haiz...

Pretty a hard place to work if you want space for work. But indeed a special working environment where you have figures surrounding you while doing your work.

LOL.

No...its definitely distracting me.

I and Tabako Communication

2010-10-01T10:16:00.004+09:00

"Tabako" that is how they called it in Japanese for cigarettes.

For years, I have been wondering when would I start smoking in the future. Eventually, I did not start the habit. Or I should be thankful that I did not pick up that little tabako. Saying that health is the main reason I did not pick up the habit would be a proud little excuse. Moreover, I am more concerned about the cash I am having which I could spend on other ways.

Starting from today (2010 Oct.1st), the price of a box of cigarettes (20pcs) increased from 300yen (Rm11) to 410yen (RM15). The move showed a great pain to every smokers pocket.I just read the news that the same thing has actually happened back there. But the funny thing is that the Japs gave an early announcement as early as 2 months earlier to its people that the prices will go up by Oct 1st while the gov `there` announced it in a sudden. Maybe I failed to understand the situation better.

So what kind of reason would you choose to quit smoking? Health over Money? Money over Health?

Before the prices increase, our lab members will go out and have a puff of smoke AFTER our Professor leaves. Our professor hate cigarettes. Never try smoking in front of him if you want to survive in the lab. That is how our Associate Prof. has been hiding from his boss. LOL

I find those who gather around the smoking area has a wider network of friends probably better than facebook. You probably got to know all those `things you should not know`from all those related people. Wow. The story goes on as you smoke!!!

Lately, I had been teasing my smoker friends like "How many catons you bought?"→"Once your stock runs out, what are you gonna do,pal?" → "Ehhh, I thought you are gonna quit smoking?" → "By the way, when are you quiting your smoking habit??? LOL"

I just could not hold my laughters when my senpai came to me and said to me, "This is my 15th hour without smoking."

*Dun worry. I ain`t a smoker myself.

I and Tokyo Tower Nightview

2010-09-08T20:46:00.004+09:00

I finally got to relax from the interim report （中間発表） on Monday. But I still could not enjoy my long summer holiday. As I have promised my senseis to work harder to be more productive.

But a break is still needed after all. So I decided to leave the school early and spend some time with my partner. Since I was too busy with my stuffs in the past, I just feel sorry if this continues.

So on Tuesday morning, I prepared my 2 cell lines with the right cell numbers so that I could do my experiment on Friday. Then, I headed out to Akabanebashi from Hachiouji to meet up with my partner.

This is my first time touring around the high-rise tower. Surprisingly, my partner is also one which shocks me a lot when she told me about it. We took the elevator after paying the entrance ticket.

#1 Around 6pm

#3 Roppongi`s Mori Tower (left) and Midtown (right)

#5 Our shoes on the glass floor

The feeling was fantastic. We managed to get a seat in the cafe there and look over the view which is so beautiful.

#6 Roppongi

#7 The rainbow bridge

I enjoyed the night view a lot. Now I should go back to focus in my studies now.

Oh yah, Mum, when are you coming up here again? We should visit the new Tokyo Tower: Tokyo Sky Tree together once it is done in the future.

I and The Big Mistake

2010-09-08T16:11:00.004+09:00

Referring to the previous post, "Yes, I am the murderer." in Japanese LOL.

I confessed, "Yes, I was the murderer."

Referring back to the my old post in Japanese, I think you could get a small idea of how Japanese blog in their Japanese world.

Back to the topic.

The truth behind my busyness of being unable to update my blog was that I made a careless mistake by killing the most important high-impression cell line I have. Worst, it is the most important cell line in the lab.

You see, cancer cells grow. As the cells grow, they consume the nutrients in the medium. We need to change the medium of the cells every 3 days or confluent rate reaches 80% as area of the dish decreases. If you do not change the medium, apoptosis (programmed death) will be activated and cells started to die.

Well, I left it in the CO2 incubator for err... 1 week.

Before I found out about it, it was too late. The cells were already 99% dead.

#1 Ahhh... Alone in front of the clean bench

However, I did not report it to my senseis. I was having a dilemma on choosing to be honest on the matter or not. I could take the risk by waiting for the cell line to recover as I immediately subcultivate the dead cells. But the last time I woke this cell line took 2 months to recover them back to their best condition.

Then, I was later told by M sensei about the particular protein expression our lab was researching on was dropping.

I took the opportunity to ask K sensei who is currently in Kamata about the stocks of the required cell line so that I could wake the cells. However, I hide the truth. Instead, I gave K sensei the excuse that I was told by M sensei that the protein expression was low and I think we have the need to wake the new high expression cells.

I thought that the plan will succeed without the senseis realizing the real truth.

I was wrong.

It was surprising turnout.

The next day, K sensei called M sensei and explain that it would not bad to wake the new cells up even if the protein expression in the old cells are dropping. In short, if I were to wake the new cells, we have to redo all the work the past seniors have done to make sure there is reproducibility for the control and the high expression cell line.

M sensei came to me and asked about the respectable problem. I know that I have no other choice but to confess. I even brought M sensei to see the condition of the cells to confirm about the need of waking the high-expression cell line.

After having a look into the dead cells, M sensei said there is a need to wake the cells. We tried to find the cells by talking to K sensei on the phone. Finally, we found the stocks in the -80℃freezer. However, there is only 5 of it.

I was then given a lecture(scoldings) after the findings. Then, I was ordered to make a number of freeze stocks of every cell lines.

To be honest, it is not a easy job.

First, I will have to massive produce every cell line. Then, I will have to do some cell counting on the cell chamber for each dish to make sure there is enough cells required to be kept in each tube. Next, the tubes will be transfer to the -80℃freezer. 3 days later, again I will have to transfer it to the the liquid nitrogen for storage.

It does not ends here. Again, I will have to wake the cells up again to confirm that they could be woke up once they are made to sleep. If they managed to wake up, the experiment is a success. But I will need to put them into sleep again by repeating the technique I performed in the first place.

I will need 3 dishes with 80% confluent with a number of cells from 3*10^5-5*10^6cells /ml to fit into a 1.5ml centrifuge tube inserted with the cell bank liquid. I was ordered to mass produce at least 20 tubes of each cell lines. That will be 80 dishes.

#2 How many more dishes again?

The amount of time and strength I put on to finish this job was too tiring. I managed to finished the job in a month before I managed to move on before my midterm presentation where we need to report our work in the past months in the lab.

Sometimes, I was thinking "What the hell am I doing now here in the midnight?" or " I should be sleeping at home now." while I am doing my cell counting on the tiny little cell counting chamber. Encouragement inside me was low so low that I began to think about weird things. I was so busy looking after the cells that I could not do anything about my experiments.

But it became so common that the lab has became my second home with my little small air pumped sofa bed and my changing of clothes without my senseis knowledge.

I sometimes had that silly little idea that I would probably have to present to the profs that I killed the cells and I spend the past months trying to wake and put them into sleep which was generally out of the general topic of what i should be doing. I was left hopeless with the

number of data I have by the meantime... but I managed to overcome it day before yesterday which I will talk about in the future.

Lastly, I confessed to the prof in the next group meeting after my failure.

Confessed and much refreshed with a new start.

#3 Witnessing the sunrise after job done in the midnight

#4 What a morning to celebrate (3rd morning in the lab)

Mount. Fuji Expedition 2010

2010-08-20T00:15:00.003+09:00

A long awaited post, at last, I got to write. I know I got to write before my blog dies. Apparently, it is so dead since I left it there for months.

I climbed the Mt. Fuji again this year. The fifth climb in my fifth year. A figure that I still find it hard to believe. I might be mad. Shamefully, I have never climbed Mount. Kinabalu in my life which has a higher altitude than Mount. Fuji itself. I wonder when will I be climbing Mount. Kinabalu in the future.

So, this year I went with my 6 senpais from my lab, I also brought my brother with me. I believed that it has been a great experience for him in Japan.

Instead of climbing in the day, we climbed in the night. It is summer so climbing in the afternoon would be a little bit tougher. Surprisingly, while we are heading the 5th station on senpais car. There was a thick mist that blocked the vision of the road where it is impossible to drive along the road.

Anyway, we arrived on 4pm and waited for the other senpais.

#1 Waiting for the senpais

#2 A little rest before moving on again

From my climbing experiences, I have never done any night climbings in the past. This is my first climb in the night starting from the 5th station.

Normally, you will start climbing from 5th station by afternoon and stay for a night in the 8th station. After that you would start climbing to the peak by 2am.

We started climbing by 8.45pm.

On this trip, we are using the Fujimiya route which is much shorter than the other routes. The distance is 5km but much more for experience climbers. Holy, the angle of the route was frightening. Compared to the Yoshida route this route requires a lot of stamina.

Surprisingly, we reached the TOP by 2am.

It only takes us 6 hours to reach the top. Our pace were too fast. It will be better if we arrived the top by 4am which makes it a good timing to see the sunrise.

So what was I doing in the top for 2 hours? Sleeping with on the peak with my eyes facing the skies with shining stars. The stars were amazing. All I could see is just stars, stars, and stars in my view.

#3 The sunrise

#4 The peak

#5 Snow in the peak, its still August

#6 Ok, senpais. Time to go before anyone gets altitude sickness

#7 The route condition we used going down to the 5th station.

Similar to the ascending route

#8 Snow?

#9 Mount. Fuji`s has an abnorma weather you would never know when or

how thick is the mist which blocks your vision

#10 Yoohooo...

Well, thats all for the Mt. Fuji post.

I and Well Done Gathering -Drinking with the Senseis-

2010-08-11T00:42:00.006+09:00

So I finally could just sit down, relax and think about what should I be doing with all my pending posts. Lots of things has been happening in my life. Of course, I had the feeling of becoming a storyteller as a blogger at the same time.

You knew that I worked as a sensei in my previous few posts, the Spring Semester ended. I can finally go back to Hachiouji and focus in my research work now. Unfortunately, things has not been going well as I thought.

So you see, we had a Well Done Gathering Party which we called お疲れ会 Otsukare-kai where we gather all the staffs involved and celebrate each others hard work. While I am writing this post, I just came back from my lab drinking party. LOL

#1 Desperate

However, those who take part mostly are not students. I mean there are students including 1 Doc, 4 Masters and 2 Undergraduates(Me and Nagashi). Surprisingly, the number of senseis (N=14) actually outnumbered us.

If I were to think about the positive part, I got to drink with my senseis. For god sake, what kind of study aboard experience am I getting now? No way I could drink with my sensei back there. It is surprising to declare that you could drink to the senseis proudly. I humbly admit that I am a heavy drinker myself.

#2 Stocks, found anything you should not?

Surprisingly, most senseis in Japan loved to drink with their fellow students. In the other hand, we are actually making the party inside the campus, which means we are drinking inside the campus. Dun ever ask me how we sneak these stuffs into the campus.

In order to hide it from the management, we even went as far as getting the hospital curtains to block the lab entrance with double layer. I just gotta stop laughing while I am writing this. The chief from the management team even came to drink with us.

One of the senseis was so desperate to drink in the campus park which was just completed in the Kamata campus. Surprisingly, all the students there recognized him and he just could not drink in front of them despite having the label part of the beer can covered in white paper. LOL

#3 The recently completed campus park

The party ended by 10pm with laughters and interesting chats. Among these senseis are senseis who taught Immunology, Pharmaceutical Studies, Bio-nanotechnology and Biochemistry Experiments in my past years. I guess that we got to spoke lots of things openly with the senseis in the university level. I and Nagashi who are still undergraduates were asked about the grade of credits we got from them. Thank goodness we were in the safe line.

Two senseis continue on to bring us on to the next stage. We went to the nearest Izakaya and continue the party. These senseis are good in liquor drinking. You name it, Japanese wines, Shochu and all sorts of heavy liquor could not bring them down even in scary figures. I just lost count on the number of orders. But I still managed to follow up with them. Thank god its Friday or I would be well damned if the next day is a weekday.

#4 This plate of bonito costs 3000yen swt(RM120)

Great, everybody back there would never believed that that I drank with my senseis!!!

"Yes, I am the murderer." in Japanese LOL

2010-07-30T14:51:00.004+09:00

「はい、私が殺した。」と認めた私。

犯罪者になったばかりユウジンです。

私ついストレスにやられて、変なことした。憧れのメイドさんに・・・

違う。違う。人を殺してない。

しかし、この二週間にずっと研究室に静かに服役中。

私のミスで、研究室の重要な高発現株細胞を殺した。原因は継代するはず日にやらなかった。

生き物なので、実験者もいろいろな面倒など見なければならない。継代などしないと、細胞が元気にならなく、実験材料として使えない。

それから、細胞がアポトシース（自然死）始まって、死にました。

先週の火曜日に気づき、死亡率99%の細胞を継代した。

さすがに、このミスは先生達に言えないので、悩んで悩んで。つい助教に高発現の発現量が落ちていると言われた。

あ、これでいける。

言い訳として元助教の加柴先生にストックを尋ねて新しい高発現株を起こそう！

それから、助教に相談せずに蒲田にいる加柴先生に高発現株のストックを尋ねてメールを送った。

これでうまくいけるはずと思ったが、

ばれました。

加柴先生は次の日に助教に電話した！！！

なんという展開になった！これ説明するしかない。

事情を説明したら、案の定で先生に怒られた。早速先輩達とストックを探し出した。しかし、私の担当先輩が現在行方不明なので、ストックを探すのはちょっと時間かかった。

その時、助教は加柴先生と電話しながら、ストックの場所を見つけた。

それから、助教とお願いして加柴先生と電話で話すことになった。

謝った。

「こら、こら、なにをやったのかい？気をつけないといかんよ。」

優しく怒られた。俺もこれから加柴先生について行くわ。来年も手伝いに行く！

マジマジ先生の優しさに感動された。

もちろん、ここまでまだ終わってない。

細胞の起こしと寝かせ方法を学んだ。

しかも、助教と先輩に厳しく教わった。めちゃめちゃ厳しい。でも、そうしないと、また同じミスふりかえすかも。

今日ミーティングでやっと教授先生に、

「私のミスで重要な細胞を殺しました！すみませんでした！」

ちょっと怒られた。

言っちゃた。すっきりした。

Dun worry!!! I will update in English in the future.

Chofu Hanabi Festival 2010

2010-07-26T02:11:00.002+09:00

Honestly speaking, I should be in the lab on this day.

It was held around the neighborhood I stay. I made the planning a month earlier. The plan was great. However, I hate the crowds and I am not good with crowds. It just gives me uneasiness and make things around me troublesome in many meanings.

So, I brought my lil bro with me giving him the real experience of Japanese Summer. Seriously, I just gotta admit that he is so lucky to have me here to depend on. My colleagues who also stayed around the corner was eager to see him. Eventually, he got to meet new Japs other than speaking only to his sensei. I think these experiences give him real society life about Japanese communication skills other than learning from the textbook.

I was already out by 2pm to the site with my stuffs and set up my sheet. I got a good viewing spot. Apparently, we were waiting there from 2-7.20pm under that hot sun. Both of us got a light heat stroke with breathing difficulties LOL. I got ourselves isotonic drinks and we got better from it.

The weather forecast reported that there will be a rainstorm but I actually hope that it did not fall. It was a great relief that the storm suddenly came after the

Well, I dun have much time to type for time is so limited for me so I will let the pics do the talking.

17 pics(13 pics of Hanabi)... Enjoy.

The DSLR used is Olympus E-420. A cheap DSLR with a stunning image quality. I doubt that the winning factor is the technology of the DSLR or my skills...

#1 A good viewing spot by 2pm...

#2 Behind the viewing spot the railway of the Keio Sagamihara Line

#3 The front line of the Best View Spot

#4 The War of Hanabis

#5 The war is on for an hour

#6 Blast off!!!

#7 Sparkling colors

#8 Any idea what is this?

#The red blasting balls

#10 The fireworks tree

#11 Overlap!!!

#12 This is what I called superb

#13 Sunflowers, a beauty

#14 Blue rays shining on

#15 Again, I am stunned with my skills (my cheap DSLR rocks)

#16 So stunning that it is able to take a clear pic of the full moon beside it

#17 Trouble getting home before the storm strikes

I and A Screwed Life

2010-07-05T02:24:00.006+09:00

My weeks have been both great and unpleasant.

First, my experiments has not been working well enough. No excuses. Experiments involving cell metabolism needs time management. With my current involvement with various activities, it is impossible to sit quietly and think deeply about the work when you have other things inside your mind.

Honestly speaking, I need to make things clear about my 4th year now.

My senpai who I could refer to regarding my works suddenly stopped coming to school for around 6 months. To make things worst, my sensei was transferred to Tokyo. I was lost for a moment. If you were wondering how lost am I, I just do not know how or where will my work lead me. The moment you start to do research, lots of questions began to popped out from your head and you dunno who would be your perfect guide.

#1 Referring to the Journal with lots of question marks

However, sensei invited me to assist her teaching work in Tokyo which I found it an ease where I could ask her for advices on my work. But she is such a very busy person that it is nearly impossible to sit down quietly and have a good and relaxing discussion. We had like small discussions for about 1 or 3mins while the students do their experiment. Then the students would call for assist from you in the middle of your discussion and the discussion gets dismissed.

So I think you could understand why am I aiming for the other Unis now. I dunno whether should I called this weird luck. From the positive view, I got the experience as a sensei but I got to sacrifice months of work without good data which my Prof. is pushing me now.

So I was actually trying to satisfy my prof by presenting my datas. The time I got to do my experiments were in the midnights. The lab was somehow creepy since I am the only person using the lab (which is actually prohibited). The only thing I have to be aware is leave the lab before my Prof. comes to the office in the morning. Now I am tired and kind of... exhausted. I mean, my life rhythm has gone very wrong for a very long time. LOL

Last week, I was given the ticket to the International BIOEXPO in Tokyo Big Site by sensei. "Go and learn something," was the only order given by sensei. She gave me the ticket which actually costs 5,000yen to buy and only given to the related senseis. Holy. I went and began to thank sensei for giving me the ticket to witness the latest gadgets and works exhibited. The stuffs were superb! If only I have the fund to use these gadgets...

#2 I was given the ticket to the International BIOEXPO by sensei!!!

Dad, Mum this is really a good report on my life now which you could not hear from our phone conversations. LOL

I swear a lot. The weird part is that I dun swear in Japanese but in English. You might find that swearing in Japanese would be much cool. But I do swear in my job with lots of frustrations running around my head.

I dunno what have I done to my supervisor that I deserve `this`. In my first hour in the morning, I already have 2 newbies that I was supposed to bring up, then in the next 2 hours 2 more will come in. They would leave in their 3 hours shift each. Then in the evening the same thing happens. The rotation has never been stopping for months and again I began to lost myself. But I always bring up my juniors to a certain level so that I would not have to suffer in the future. In fact, I am only training them to make my work easier while our supervisor has no idea how far have I made my kouhais progressed.

#3 Yes, I so wanted to make my supervisor into this

There are two types of people. One who moves forward after given encouragement. One who moves forward after given tough hellish scoldings. I believed that everybody would choose trainers who gives encouragement. However, I seldom go to work so it is rare to see me around in my working place. If I were to teach, I will have to make sure all of them progressed but with different teaching methods regarding different peoples.

Lets say your kouhai came to you and complain why should he be doing this. I actually lied to him, "Well, because I trust you." Suddenly, he was working so hard.

Then you have stubborn kouhais where you need to cheat on him saying, "Well, this is a job so dun complain while you`re being paid here."

If you think that working in Japan is great, I would rather not agree with it. The Japs are very detailed. So detailed that the slightest mistake can be fatal. They follow rules. Law and orders is their survival kit. They do lots of revolution and changes in the way they deal with things. It is like having Photoshop on webdesign today is considered outdated.

But working with the Japs would guarantee your rights. Apparently not the part-timers` rights.

#4 I need a ramen to calm down

Seriously, I want a raise and a delicious bowl of ramen with a chilling cold beer.

I and June Play

2010-06-29T04:43:00.003+09:00

I finally ended the post about the JAIST. I know, it was such a boring post since I really did not put on any effort on writing a good one. I apologized for not putting enough effort on making it a good post.

Yeah, lots of things have been happening. Work, study and lab life has been entertaining and becoming meaningful.

This is my 4^th year in Uni. It is also my 5^th year in Japan.

Well, since the new semester starts, I realized that things have changed. Under my sensei`s introduction, I began to assist sensei as a SA (Student Assistant) for the bio experiments for nursing school and clinical science. The great thing is that I got the job without any interviews with sensei`s introduction. So I went on to get my dean`s approval and I got the green light without any problems (using the dean power LOL)

My dean said this, "Go there and get your experiences." He was right. These experiences are indeed precious.

I am still a 4^th year undergraduate, so I can only be a SA. The students that we are in charge are the first years. So, I have been going down to the campus in Tokyo twice in a week just to assist sensei`s job. But I am still called sensei by the students. So it was like the previous post about sensei. I was called sensei through the whole session. The feeling was different, I could felt that it is not only cool but there is the pressure behind the name. I am only confidence in my practical work if only I am strong enough in my theory, I could probably ask for a pay rise. Yeah, I fear that I would teach the wrong thing.

「ジョン先生！」"Jong sensei!"

「先生、これわからないです。」"Sensei, I dun understand about this part."

「先生、つぎはどうすればいいですか？」"Sensei, what should we do in the next step?"

「先生！計算わからない。教えてください！」"Sensei, please teach me the calculation."

So what is the big deal by just being called sensei? Well, the biggest fun could be the day I am teaching the nursing school. With the huge female gender number, I know that I am in heaven once they called me sensei. Being able to teach people 3 years younger than me was a very fabulous experience.

#1 AKB48

I got caught by them after a few of them found out from my colleagues that I am a diehard fan of famous Akiba J-pop group, AKB48. I somehow well, got leveled up into the senpai-kouhai relationship instead of the sensei-student relationship. But trust me the job is tough. It is like teaching Biology to people who do not do Biology. Instead of making them studying for the qualifications, hands –on experiments should give them more case study experiences. We not only talked about AKB during the reaction time, I got the most shock when they told me about their period. (swt)

But, I was also thrilled by one of the students from clinical science that he could not change the batteries of the digital camera, worst is that he do not even know how to understand the ＋－ symbols which makes me wonder how in the world did he survived?

#2 Doing experiments alone in the lab late at night is so creepy

#3 But thanks to the company from Nene (Loveplus), I am not alone LOL

I had to admit that the journey from my home takes an hour while another route from Hachiouji campus takes around 1h 30mins. I did not go straight home after the work, but head back to Hachouji to continue my experiments. There were times that I was summoned by the other job. Sometimes I do wish there is more days or time in a week.

Not to forget to mention about my recent stuffs. Last week, I visited the respected labs in both Tsukuba Uni and Tokyo Uni. The responses were well, negative. Lots of things happened and I was given a good scold for looking down on graduate school. I was asked about my dream, my aim, my plans and other academic relationships. My answers were step-to-step like answers as I know my own limits. I was given scolding on the matter, I was even asked to do my own discussions. However, the good news is that they would pick me if I was among the pass candidates list. I must find a good reason to be able to convince them that I am not aiming for the brand.

I also had lots of fun this month (while I dump my lit bro at home). My colleagues and juniors invited me to have dinner together. I tried to but I could not due to my busy weeks. At last, I got myself two days of offday to spend the day with my juniors and colleagues each. We had yakiniku dinner together and went to the game center. It was great fun and another great way to relax myself from the stressful week. I must thank them for inviting me out.

#4 Yakiniku!!!

#5 Say..."Garlic!!!" We do have the heavy smell of garlic after the meal

#6 Games? Have fun!

# In another syabu syabu dinner with colleagues

# Hard to confess that my juniors paid for my meal...

All right. I shall be asleep early so that I could watch the Japan vs. Paraguay match tomorrow. Funny. Although I am not a Jap, I felt so excited for their game. Let me guess, Japan would win by 2-1.

I and Highways of Japan

2010-06-23T01:58:00.000+09:00

Following the previous posts, I decided to end these posts with the pics of Highways in Japan.

We got news that a traffic jam as long as 50km has happened in Otsuki through the Navi. We decided to retreat using the local roads to get back to Tama.

#9 See the traffic jam on the right side? That is the highway in jam

#10 The navi=superb tool invented

#11 Compared to the highway, curvy roads

#12

I and Speeding in Japan

2010-06-22T00:39:00.005+09:00

Continuing from the Journey to Jaist...

This is something new. Instead of only having speed trap cameras, who could imagine that the Japanese patrol car on the highway was a different car.

This is probably one of the greatest experience I had in Japan. Being caught speeding in Japan (not me).

We were caught by the police speeding on the way to Gifu. The funny thing is that the patrol car on the highway was not the one with stripes but a whole white Toyota Crown.

Nagashi was warned by Kato earlier to be careful of white Toyota cars in the highway as those might be patrol cars. Nagashi was inexperience and actually pass the Crown with 124km/h while the speed limit was 120km/h.

#1 Nagashi inside the Crown doing paper works

After being caught and stopped on the emergency lane, an officer came out and asks Nagashi to accompany him to the patrol car. He was then given some forms which I guess it has to be related to fines.

While we were still on the emergency lane, we could actually find all the other vehicles speed past us on purpose. Scary, we thought that these cars are actually gonna crash on us. I guess that the police are useless while dealing fines on the emergency lanes.

I was reminded about bribes once thinking about traffic police. I cannot take away that heavy influence of corruption in our local police force. In my 18 years life there, I have never seen one clean officer. The only came out to do their jobs in Raya and CNY. Getting their bonus by bullying the locals with their clean and proud white uniform. To me it is a uniform with a slogan at its back saying, `I want money`. No matter how many times I read the papers on how hard the General Police is doing his best in coping the problem. Honestly speaking, I dun trust him. By the looks and his way of speaking, I just could not stop thinking whether he is one of those who received those bribes in the past.

The police here never said anything about coffee money but just hand in the fine. There were rumors that if you were to ask for mercy and you would be given a fierce scolding. We did not get any scolding and I think the officers realized that we are uni students and this is our first time breaking the law. Since it is the first time, the fine was ￥15000 with deduction points.

After Nagashi came back with the fine, Kato decided that he has to drive as the tension inside Nagashi is so low that he was so quiet in the next 2 hours.

Guess what was Nagashi doing after Kato drives for him. He began to search through his hand phone on infos on speeding. Then he began to have a headache on whether he should be reporting to his Dad about it. It is the family of Nagashi we are on after all. His Dad is so strict and scary but I met him once in the past and he is a super good guy. Eventually Nagashi reported to his Dad and got grounded from driving the family car.

#2 The fine ￥15,000

Kato told me this, "The police officers did the good job doing the clean jobs while our politicians made the worst jobs."

The law is strong but the lawmakers are the main culprits. Even the Japanese are very fed up with the politicians and lose faith in every political parties. If you were wondering how long is Kan`s days, not long as his job is only to dismiss the parliament.

I and Existence of the Post Office

2010-06-15T21:58:00.002+09:00

I sometimes wonder how must a Post Office prove its existence in the neighborhood to those who dun read the local language.

#1 The Kanazawa Post Office made a good effort

Well done.

I and Journey to JAIST (Part 2)

2010-06-13T03:22:00.003+09:00

Before I leave Tokyo with the gang, we applied for appointments with the senseis in JAIST. From attending the briefing session, having a lunch with the senseis, then visiting their labs understanding their works.

The Japanese System?

From here, I would be explaining how would what you should do if you wish to enter masters in Japan by using the Japanese way.

The first thing you should do is that you should send your greetings to the related labs where you wish to enter in the future especially you are an outsider. You would send an e-mail to the respected sensei and look for an appointment with the senseis. After getting the green light, you are welcome to visit the lab.

In Japanese an outsider in the academic world is called 「外部」"Gaibu"while 「内部」"Naibu" for the opposite. For my current status, I can be said that I am aiming for "Gaibu".

The best timing to visit would be before Golden Week(May) to show that you are serious to move on to graduate school. If you visit later than the period, you will have to be more prepared to be lectured if your sensei appeared to be a strict sensei.

E-mail to book appointment

↓

Once confirmed, visit the lab

↓

Prepare questions （Regarding sensei`s work, senpai or school）

↓

Visit Lab

#1 Too Early for the Open Campus

#2 The entrance opens at last

JAIST is a great institute with great senseis. I was well prepared with questions after attending a number of briefing sessions. Most senseis would think that if you could ask questions then you have reached a level of communication skills.

I have already lost count of the number of the questions I asked senseis.

We were there 9am but the briefing session starts by 10am. All of us were sleeping in the car after that long drive. No everyone of us are tired, sleepy and had a backache. We even slept through the whole briefing session for 2 hours.

While I was listening to Takagi sensei explaining his work in his lab, he suddenly said this to us. There were only 3 of us (Nagashi, Me & another from Hiroshima) by the time. "In order to live on, we Japanese need to change and challenge new things!" I could not resist that I apologized and said, "Sumimasen, I am actually a foreign student." Suddenly, I found myself caught by sensei talking about the future of Japan for 2 hours.

I was mistaken as a Jap by the senseis.

I enjoyed Tsukahara senseis work and his aim. Sensei also thought the same thing as Takagi sensei. Dress like one. Talk like one. Eat like one. Hmm, I am prefectly brainwashed. But I do not deny the fact that most Asians somehow do look alike and it is hard to judge the difference.

#3 Entrance

#4 The Student Dorms

#5 A sticker from the JAIST

We went left around 4pm. We headed towards Kanazawa for the hotel we booked earlier.

#6 The Highway heading back to Kanazawa was much town-alike

#8 The toll where the staff stands

It was such an coincidence that a matsuri was taking place at Kanazawa that we could only get our vehicle into the hotel by 9pm. We arrived Kanazawa by 6pm so we decided to have a Yakiniku dinner and went to the onsen to kill time.

#9 Finally we came to the hotel

#10 They had this special parking lot where the coms will park your car once you park your car into the carriage

#11 Gathered in the room

#12 Played cards

#13 And get drunk...

To be continued...

I and Journey to JAIST (Part 1)

2010-06-08T23:07:00.003+09:00

I got back to Tokyo from Ishikawa with great experiences.

I have been looking around for potential graduate schools. JAIST (Japan Advanced Insitute of Science and Technology) in Ishikawa is also one of the potential graduate school. There are two labs there where I have high interests in. In order to understand their works better, I decided that I need to visit their labs.

I was introduced about JAIST from Sasaki sensei who is also a mentor of mine. Sasaki sensei is a different kind of sensei, if you were thinking of entering graduate school after finishing undergraduate program through his lab without challenging other unis. He would reject you. However, if you challenged the respected uni but failed to enter it, he would accept you.

I have once lived in Saitama Prefecture and I know the experience of living outside the Tokyo. I heard from the other senseis what they think about JAIST. I did not get good response about the surroundings but the works from there were top class. So I decided that I need to go and there and look at the surroundings myself.

Later, Nagashi a friend who is also having JAIST in his graduate school list decided that he should also visit the place and has been thinking about ways of getting there. We began to talk with others who are also having gradute schools in mind in the school.

*Nicknames
In the end, I, *Nagashi, *Tsuba and *Kato gathered and decided to go to Ishikawa and attend the Open Campus of JAIST which includes the breifing session by Saturday morning 10am. Nagashi managed to borrowed the family car. 4 of us plan the trip and decided that the trip will be a long journey with somebody`s private plan included inside the trip. On Friday, we gathered in the eki near our campus around 11pm and depart for Ishikawa.

Driving the Highway of Japan

#1 Driving in the late midnight

It was such a luck that the highway has been having a weekend offer where we could travel for 1000yen (RM34) from one place to another. We took the chance to travel by highway. There are 4 of us joining the trip, but only 2 will be driving Nagashi and Kato. Though I could drive when I was back there, I did not bother to apply my licence here in Japan. But I found myself in the front seat.

Before I came to Japan, I was the youngest to get my license in my year but I was the earliest to not to drive again.

Before I get further, I would explain about the journey from Hachiouji to Ishikawa.

#2 Journey from Tokyo-Ishikawa (Blue line: Route)

Distance - 503km
Travelling Time - 7hours
Toll Fees - 1000yen(RM34)
Gasoline - 3000yen(RM102)

#3 Focus Focus...

I have joined lots of trips with my friends in their cars but this is my first that involve the highway. The highway of JAPAN!!! This is such a great and exciting experience!!! Surprisingly, it is so similar with the PLUS highway back there.

But from the moment we enter Nagano Prefecture where the highland geography is famous.

The roads have scary curves and there are no cars as seems as we are the sole car using that road. Worst there is no visible light around. Thank goodness Nagashi has a navi system set up in his car and we were able to know the road better. For the 3 hours of Nagano road driving I and Nagashi were fully focusing on the road.

However, the highway is perfect with the navi set up inside the car where mistakes would never happen.

#4 Resting in the Service Area before moving on

Of course, it is a long journey especially in the night. It is well understood that this journey required lots of stamina and enough rest before continuing on. We made several stops through the journey. After all, we still have time before we arrive for the briefing session.

Maybe we should have get more drivers. I know I heard complaints why didn`t I apply the license in the first place. Throughout the journey we had been chatting to make sure the driver dun fall asleep through the journey. Safety First!!! We had lots of chat inside the car and I still could not understand how I end up teaching English. LOL

#5 Having fun through the trip

By the way we crossed Tokyo→ Kanagawa→ Yamanashi → Nagano→ Niigata→ Toyama→ Ishikawa Prefecture in this trip. That was 7 Prefectures in a trip!!! Not to forget that I got to see the Sea of Japan while we are crossing through Toyama.

#6 Two pals sleeping well?

Finally, we arrived Nomi, Ishikawa by 7am. I was shocked. No, totally shocked. Very very shocked.

#7 This is Nomi, Ishikawa

#8 Paddy fields

The place is amazing. There is nothing here to offer. All I could see is paddy fields, I thought that I was back in Kedah while I look around through the drive. Dad, I think the pics are enough to tell you my opinion. I would love to come here. I am sicked of city life as a city boy.

How in the world they manage to make beautiful works in this environment???

#9 We stopped by the konbini to kill time

We decided to kill time by having the car parked in the konbini. Immediately, Tsuba and Kato went to the front and lie the seat down and take their nap while I and Nagashi went out of the car and sit around like delinquents outside the konbini.

We hang around there for an hour and surprisingly the people began asking us questions after looking at the plate of the car we are using. Yeah, it is a number plate from Tokyo and it looks very rare to have Tokyo people coming to Ishikawa. After all, all the vehicles around here are only Ishikawa number plates

#10 A bar to celebrate the success of the journey while the other two are sleeping in the front seat...

To be continued...

I and Tabako Ad

2010-06-04T13:14:00.003+09:00

No matter how many times I looked at this ad, I just got the feeling that I wanted to punch this guy.

#1 Felt like punching this guy

I and Working Japanese

2010-06-04T13:04:00.002+09:00

#1 Lame Nametag

I got a conclusion. Yeah, I just found that I dun match the Japanese Working System. That is why I gave up job hunting and focus into grad school.

Firstly, the general idea of senpai-kouhai relationship is too strong LOL.

As an example if your senpai has done a little mistake in work. You realized it but you just could not tell him about his mistake. Common sense tells me that I should tell him about it. But, as a kouhai you should not be doing so in this society. As seems as you were giving him some pride as a senpai.

The rule is that you could not appear to be smarter or better than him in anything that is related. The best option to keep peace will be `acting`. When I mentioned about `acting`, All the Japanese involved in the service industry should be given an award on acting. The first minute she was in distress, the next minute she was facing the customers in a service smile. What service spirit you have!!!

When you are hoping to learn something from your senpai, you are suppose to worship him like a god who is going to give you a new living skill. So, worship him!!!

If he is a honest and open person, maybe it will be appropriate to discuss the matter with him. However, being honest is guilty. Never be one. We cannot be honest here.

Instead of calling your name as one senior, he/she will be calling you senpai all the way like "Senpai!". People told me that they do so to address how much they look at you.

An ex-colleague once advised me to `read the atmosphere and judge the next character/mood you should be` in the place you are. The idea is that you must be smart enough in socializing with people which most Japanese are not good at nowadays.

Next, the mindset of the tops that really pissed me off. It was about the mindset of the Japanese companies. By talking to the staff from one company, you could see the character of the company he works at. Well, the horrible truth is that he is already one part of the company and he was well brainwashed by the company.

I apologized that I am not good in writing.

There was once I had to run 6/11 colleague`s break (We take turns on break) including Japanese High School students. According to the Japan law, these youngsters must clock out by 10pm. There is only two hours before clock out time. The worst is that I was the leader of the day.

I made the decision of putting the seniors (1 senior=2 manpower) into the front line. Immediately I run the break for 4 colleagues.

I was a total nightmare. The next 10 mins we were in hell. The manager was furious the moment he knew about the decision I made.

He came to me and asked "Why are you running the break for them?"

I looked at him, explained,"Do I have need a reason? They are tired and deserve their break now."

"Then we could forget about the break and move on! Our customers are our first priority!"

The next minute, I found myself quarreling with him because our interest are different.

Manager: Sales, Career, Customers as First Priority

Me: Juniors tired, Responsible as a leader, Time management

These managers have been perfectly brainwashed to make Customers their first priority. I was much amused. The brainset is too strong. I will still have to salute them with my hats down with them dealing with claims from customers.

So what are we? Are we your robots? Even robots need maintanence all right. Risks always happened. Risk something to solve a problem. This is cool.

I find myself unhappy to work here even I was given an offer. Since that day, I know I could never work in places that involved people. Moreover, this place I am working now does not match me. Hell I will let them brainwash me to be their pawns.

Besides, if you decided to do part-time job here. The excuse of `studies is my first priority` would never get through them. The moment you got the job, they expect you to give it all to them. You would have lots of troubles trying to making your own time table.

%While I am writing this, the thought of "The customers can wait" and "Protect my colleagues priority" popped out. It can be interesting to make this as a new debate topic. LOL%

My bro, who is now currently studying Japanese in a language school. I heard a lot from him regarding the people around him. It reminded me of the good(suffering, though still suffering) old days of mine in Musashi-urawa.

There are some who wish to study bio, arts, cars, business and other interesting stuffs in Japan. They have high hopes of studying and working in Japan. It is a great country. We know about it. I admit the people is great, the place is superb, security is there. I know, these people have made the great decisions in their life. They should be proud. I know that they will in the future.

Sometimes I wondered whether am I as hardworking as the Japs. Or was I influenced by my surroundings to work hard.

The conclusion I got I was probably born to be a workaholic.

Every time while I move on with my work, I would be thinking a list of "To do next" before I finish my current work. It has been a habit of mine that always felt like one playing a game of Shogi moving my pieces around the board and controlling my life.

I have a few juniors who have made great decisions in their life.

It is still a family factor. Japanese families dun spend much. Although it is true that their earnings are higher than the figure we earn there. Living expenses is too high. Not all families could pay for their lust and expenses of their children. In fact, taxes has been increasing annually.

Most are already mature by the time they graduated from junior high(around 15 years old/Malaysian Year: Form 3). Why do I say so? They went job searching after graduation. Many chose not to continue their studies in high school. In my opinion, that is a very brave decision.

In the end, we could find those high-grads doing better than uni-grads. Some high-grads worked hard by saving from part-time jobs and use the money to make business. This guy I know has been who likes to take risk and he always manage it well. Now he is making great ramens in Kichiouji.

I had this weird thinking in my life here. Is getting into uni necessary? What is the purpose of getting into one? To get a clean job? You dun have enter Uni to be rich in your life. There are people who are rich despite only graduated from junior high here. After all, it depends on the individual. We live in a society of resume.

Back to the point. Yeah, pocket money is limited. The Japanese law has set the age for students to start work by 16(depending on the school, some prohibited its students to work). They used their teenage energy well. One part where I need to respect them when they ask for the job on the phone. That, takes a lot of courage!

Back there, I already have friends who got a car from his parents even before he could get his license. What still shocked me that he could ask for more pocket money after he used it all in the internet cafe playing Dota. Well, he is their golden child. Sometimes, I wonder what kind of person will he be in the future since I could not comment much about it. Maybe he will be better than me in the future.

This is my 5th year here in Japan. I experienced lots. The good ones and the bad ones. I realized that I can`t sit at home quietly after those years. I felt like moving around my hands and legs. I had to. I could see why my doc is so mad about me.

Lately, I was left thinking, what am I? Am I supposed to follow the society rule in order to live? Am I supposed to live on neglecting the society rule?

`In order to get a job in Japan, I need to get myself stained with the color of the company.`

Is that the thought these hope-to-live-in-Japan people have been getting?

*** Great, to write your working experience in different language is so fun, they would never find out about this. LOL ***

Decided. I am making one. It is on my wish list.

PS. I wrote this during the lecture for an hour. LOL

I and They called me Sensei

2010-05-27T23:43:00.005+09:00

#1 Well, not this microscope they are using, a much more simpler one

They called me sensei.

I settled on with my new part-time job. I settled as a SA(Student Assistant) in another campus in the Uni where I began to assist the new juniors in their experiments. The group that I will be in charge of is the clinical course and the nursing course. I will be giving assistance in their biochemistry experiments twice a week for each group.

So far, we have been teaching them how to measure the pH of the solutions. The using of the microscope on studies related to micoroorganisms. My job is mostly focused in their practical work.

The feeling was complicated when they began to called me sensei. I was happy, surprised and moreover nervous with them calling me sensei.

Worst, when these students began calling me sensei when they have problems with their work. Holy crap! Am I in heaven?

Instead of being called "teacher", "cikgu" or "raoshi". I got to admit, being called sensei is cool!!!

Frankly, it is a very tiring job. You have to look after them so they could conduct the experiment safely.

But, I dun mind about it cause I got the greatest happiness in my 22-years lifetime. I am in the harem of the kawaii nurses.

I and Sickness Depato

2010-05-19T00:31:00.005+09:00

#1 Physical Injury

Lots of things happened while I retreat from the blogosphere.

Since the end of Golden Week, I was hit by a sickness (which I am quite embarrassed to talked about) for the first week, to my horror, I had a knee injury in the next week. By the next week, I got my gout back again. That makes me in the condition of 3 weeks sickness.

Asked by the doc about my lifestyle and he told me this...「やすめ！」 (yasume!) where I was ordered to rest at home and he even crossed the border by issuing me a letter each to my dean and manager.

I have been unable to give myself enough time to rest in week. In my current situation, weekends are like weekdays. In a day, I am only at home for 6 hours. I only slept for 3-4 hours in a day. The rest of the time is spent outside.

Actually I should not be talking about my privacy here. I am currently engaged with 2 jobs. One which I hide from my manager. The reason? To pay for my examination fees. Another reason is that I realized that I dun suit the Japanese working society which I will blog in the future. One of my sensei who have give me lots of guidance in cell research has invited me to be a SA (Student Assistance) in the new faculty at the new campus, clinical course. Though the pay is lower than the TA(Teaching Assistant). It was a great experience. I will just giving guidance and look after my kouhais while they conduct the experiments.

My schedule will be like in a day I will be inside Tokyo, 3 days in Tama, the other days in Hachiouji. Still in my 4th year and I am tasting the busyness of society life. Btw, I could not find time to study for masters which I know I will be doomed before August.

The great thing I got to skip from my projects in the weekdays from my experiments (good grief that I worked hard in the past months) excluding the days I have lectures.

I still made the effort to go to school and find stuffs for my project. But I could not stand too long due to my injury which is another burden for me in biochemical experiments. I will be running around the lab doing time management and chemical preparations.

Guess what? One of my sensei jabbed me by calling me 「病気デパート」 (Byouki Depato) meaning "Sickness Supermarket" after I told him about my problem.

Well, some Japanese are that scary. Got used to it from my part-time jobs. Those are far worst than how sensei addressed me.

I and Mother`s Day

2010-05-13T21:37:00.005+09:00

Great news. My netbook which I set up at home has actually has its spacebar lost from the keyboard and I must say its hard for me to type again in English but do not find the trouble typing in Japanese since Japanese seldom require the usage of the spacebar key.

On Mother`s Day, I was back on work.

But the manager made a theme for the day and I was ordered to memorized it and enforce them.

In the 4 new themes, the last theme of the day was rather surprising.

「家に帰ったら、おかさんにありがとうと伝えてください。」

"Thank your mother once you are back home."

And I did made everybody reminded...

(I guess the juniors will look at me as a busybody)

My boss can be humorous but irritating.

That night, I called my Mum and we chat over the Skype.

"Thanks a Lot and Happy Mother`s Day."

I and Can Coffee

2010-05-07T02:26:00.006+09:00

Have little time to settle down in front of my blogger page not forcing myself to update the blog. I would take my time and prevent myself from ruining.

In my working place, there is a rule regarding the shifts. You need to find a replacement if you fail to turn in on the day. Well, the strictness they looked into it is awful. If you think the Japanese way is superb and respectable, I do not think so as this place I am working is actually what we call a "black" company.

This pal is my only junior who I can rely on that day in terms of skill. At least a leader level skill-man is needed on stage.

I called him and asked whether if he is willing to replace me in the day.

It is sad to find that he has to rush a report on the day. But he was willing to stay replacing me for the whole day under one condition.

Well...

A can of coffee will solve the problem. I bought him a can of sweet coffee which costs 120yen.

#1 Yah...MAX Coffee, the super sweet coffee which is sweeter than Teh Tarik

I have to admit there are great and nice people around me if you offer them a can of sweet coffee. The friendship of coffee? Sounds cool.

But take care not to get diabetes..

I and the Foreign Students Welcoming Party

2010-05-03T22:38:00.000+09:00

It has been a hard week that I got sicked and had to get through it without enough rest. Though the Golden Week of Holidays started a week ago, I was still busy getting myself to school and work through the week.

Finally, I just gave in and called for an offday.

Well, I confessed to my sensei who is also the dean of the school. Then later on we have a Foreign Students Welcoming Party. I was also invited but I had some troubles attending the party which I have an experiment to be done on the day.

I only joined the party for food. After all, I was looking forward towards the party since I could cut some living expenses.

However, the party started with a sad announcement.

From next year, the reduction of the tuition fees by 30% will be called off. Until today, the Japanese gov has been paying a part of our tuition fees (the 30% reduction was paid by the past govs). I could not see the reduction back in the next few years even though the party changes in the next election.

I find the news sad and shocking. This is what I got as a taxpayer. It reminded me of my 6 figure tax that I worked really hard to pay last year. Now, thanks to DPJ. They even cut the costs for the reduction in tuition fees. I felt so betrayed but I could not do anything cause I do not have the rights as one citizen has. Sad & Pathetic.

I did not manage to join the party from the beginning to the end. I was still doing my experiment. My mind was full with the party and my work. I know, having two things in the mind would bring you nothing in the end. Guess what, I was running around 16th floor(the party venue) and the 9th floor(the lab) while looking at my experiment.

Although the experiment failed because I forgotten to pour in methanol before the blocking process. FAILED.

#1 Electrolysis in action (See the blue line, it has something to do with my current work)

#2 Group Shot...

I and The Confessions to Move Forward

2010-05-01T02:45:00.000+09:00

I finally confessed.

I mean, to my sensei regarding my wish to further my studies in the other Uni. Not that.

The month of May is near. The date to hand in the application form is on July. I will need sensei`s recommendation letter. Yet I have not make my move. I did stated that I liked to continue masters. But I did not state my wish to further it in other Unis.

The reason why I did not state it in the first place was because my sensei is the dean of the school. If you mention that you liked to do master, his mindset is that you are continuing in this school. The many reasons where we have to think about regarding his position when doing such confession.

Lab of the dean... wahahahaha.

In the lab, there were 3/12 of us (including me) who wished to further our studies outside due to personal matters. (One was thinking of continuing in the current Uni if things dun work well, all he have to do is APOLOGIZE) One was doing job hunting and was hooked up by his experiment that he changed his mind. He told sensei. A week ago, he told sensei he is doing his job hunting. He was given a scolding.

Its kinda scary if you were to ask me how do I feel before preparing myself. I obviously felt nervous and frustrated. Before entering his office, I was walking around the tea-room thinking about my words and how should I be prepared towards his questions.

I went in and I came out in 20mins.

My mind went blank and I dun remember what I just spoke in sensei`s office. The 3rd in the year. Wow. All I remember is that I could not continue further in a Private Uni. Also, I gave some good points about the current experiment that was given to me. The most important thing is that I emphasized I have insufficient funds to continue.

Guess what sensei told me.

"I believed that there are also many other ways to solve this problem. There are so many sources for you to continue on. Look for some other resources if it is possible to continue on in this school. If it is impossible, I will not force you."

I made this small calculation below comparing Private and Public in Japan regarding sensei`S resource research.

Private:

Tuition Fees(￥1,000,000) - TA(Teaching Assistant) (￥300,000 in 6 months) - Scholarship (￥100,000)=￥600,000

Public:

Tuition Fees(￥500,000) - TA(￥300,000) - Scholarship(￥100,000)= ￥100,000

Isn`t it obvious??? _(=.=)/

I and Conflict in Interests

2010-04-30T21:44:00.003+09:00

If I mentioned about my manager, you would be reminded of my previous post about my manager who tried to commit suicide. He resigned and we got a new manager with us now.

About this new manager, either he is too good or he is too skillful in these stuffs in catching our weaknesses.

Case 1

Manager: I need you to be here early on (Day/Date/Time). I need you to educate 4 newbies on this day.

Me: 4???

Manager: You know. Since A-kun & B-kun resigned, we are already having a trouble in numbers. Since you are working on that day, why not

Me: But 4 is too much.

Manager: It will not change the fact that you are teaching by that day.

Me: 4 is too much...

Manager: We are running out of numbers....

Me: I am bad in morning...

Manager: Two of the newbies is a kawaii JK（JK： short form of Jyoushi Kousei, High School Girls 女子高校生）...

Me: Please count me in...

Case 2

Manager: Please, I need you to be here on (Day/Time).

Me: NO WAY. I am already very tired after all those experiments in the day and I will just be a burden if I come to work in a tired condition!

Manager: What a pity. I was thinking of handing you the ticket of SKE48 (an all girls artist group) concert to you...

Me: I will definitely be there punctual on time!

My manager is too good in getting people to work on difficult times. I always lose in the battle of conflict in interests.

Great, my manager has caught my weakness. My lust is my enemy now...

I and my Weekly Timetable

2010-04-21T10:25:00.001+09:00

Monday

9am-12pm Subcultivation

12pm-1pm Lunch

1pm- 4pm Analysis & Report

6pm～ Work

Tuesday/Wednesday

9am-12pm Cell Confluent Check (Subcultivation if needed)

12pm-1pm Lunch

1pm-6pm Samples/Analysis/HPLC column cleaning

6pm-9pm Reports/Journals/Group Meeting

11pm Home

#1 In the eki near the school by 10:30pm daily

Thursday

9am-10.30am Lecture

11am-12pm Cell Confluent Check

12pm-1pm Lunch

1pm-5pm Analysis/Western Blotting

5pm-7pm Group Meeting

7pm-9pm Reports

11pm Home

Friday

9am-10.30am Lecture

11am-12pm Cell Confluent Check

12pm-1pm Lunch

1pm-5pm Western Blotting/Subcultivation

5pm-9pm Reports/Journals

11pm Home

Saturday and Sunday

-Confidential-

Yeah, this is my life.

I and April Fools Day

2010-04-20T21:13:00.003+09:00

In the morning, I got this call from friend (A-chan) who is living in Nagoya.

"I got something to discuss with you."

"Ok, dozo."

"I am pregnant with Nagashi`s child."

"..." (Shocked for a few seconds)

A-chan is the gf of my current lab partner, Nagashi (nickname). Nagashi once introduced me to her in the past. I could say that we are good friends.

"Errr....Have you told Nagashi about it?"

"I planned to talk to him after this."

A few moments later, Nagashi came running to me screaming...

"Jong-kun, I became a papa!!!"

Then, screaming at me by grabbing my hands...

"I... I became a papa!!!"

"Congratz!!! How many months?"

"3 weeks!!!"

Huh? 3 weeks? There is something wrong here. I tried to get through the atmosphere and giving him wishing words.

"3 weeks?" I was very confused. Was the Japanese technology so advanced?

I thought about it again. Then, Nagashi suddenly said to me right in my face.

"April Fool!!!"

No wonder!!!

A few moments later again, A-chan called to apologize. Hahahaah. I was just laughing all the way when she told me about the plan they planned before the day.

Hmm.. Well planned. I was too careless not to recognize the date that day. But the level of the trick was too high for me. Wahahahaaha.

I was given another April Fool joke in the noon from my manager that my pay increased. Seriously, I wish it is not April Fools that day. Later on, I was so careful with everybody including my senpais but I got tricked again later on. I guess I must be an easy bully target in the lab now.

I apologized for the bad writing.

I and Magic Sakura

2010-04-15T23:15:00.003+09:00

Thanks for visiting the blog frequently to check for my updates. Being very busy lately. I apologized for being offline.

Another fantastic invention from the Japanese. A mini Magic Sakura.

I got this Magic Sakura from my friend. I got this Magic Sakura which was sold in a period of time. Surprisingly, it only costs 500yen. It was selling like hot cake currently through the amazon. You could not find it in the shops and you could only get it online.

I got the package on Monday but was too busy with my work. Inside the package, there is only the folded tree, the culture dish and the mystery liquid (the ingredients were Top secret and I just being so curious of it). It surprising that you get to plant a sakura tree in 12 hours. If I wanted to observe the sakura blooming hour by hour, I arrange my time and decided to do it on Thursday in the lab.

I went to school early for the first class which starts from 9am and it ended early since it is just a guidance. I am planning to take 3 subjects to cover my insufficient credits needed to graduate. I took the first class in the morning so that I could focus into my lab work in the noon.

I started to set up the tree by 10am. After the tree was set up into the dish, I poured the mysterious liquid from the top as shown inside the instructions.

#1 Magic Sakura

#2 The Mysterious Liquid

#3 Tree Set up in the liquid

#4 A closer look. The Observation starts by 10.24am.

#5 The sakura began to bloom in the first hour, we used the pipetteman to add the liquid to retouch the untouched parts

#6 The 3rd hour...

#7 The 6th hour, Sakuras bloom but a little shake will bring the pink product down to the dish

#8 7th hour, the liquid in the dish has been well absorbed by the tree

#9 The final product

I can have a good Sakura view for a month from now on. I hope I save a space for it as my desk is running out of space in the matter of time.

I and Todai

2010-04-12T01:29:00.007+09:00

Todai: Short form of Tokyo University

Another choice to make before deciding my route. I visited the main campus of Tokyo University, attending a briefing session of a `certain` graduate school.

I did said I aimed for Kyoto Uni in the past. I changed my mind. I would prefer to stay neutral before deciding things now. I will looked through a number of Unis before making a decision. Anyway, please be aware that this is a blog where I write my thoughts from time to time. I regret about my past writing after looking through that post.

This is my second time visiting the campus. The previous was 4 years ago attending the same briefing session years ago. Most of you who have followed my blog for years would probably realized the past year of Autumn theme was taken in the same campus I went that day.

I visited the Uni with my gf. Honestly. I ditched my bro`s entrance ceremony to attend the briefing session. After that, I realized that I may have made the perfect choice as the ceremony ended quick by just calling the student`s name. Oh great, I ditched my bro over the session for many good reasons!

My gf, who I have not told anyone including my family members. She was also aiming for masters with me. It was great to have somebody accompany me to attend the briefing session.

It was Saturday. Surprisingly, I think that the campus would probably worked well if it were to be tourist spot as I could see many foreigners around the campus taking pics around the campus. It was probably the crowd of Sakura hunters who went around Tokyo before returning to their home country.

#1 The symbol of Japanese Education?

Reason why you should choose Japan as bio-research site?

First, I wanted to get involved in the front-line of the bio-research. Japan is already in the front line of nano-technology techniques in the 80`s. China and Korea is currently moving forward in the 80`s stage of Japan while the country is moving with solutions to make the techniques simpler and useful for the future. What I wished to get involved is seeking the anti-ageing answer. What I am doing now...is only 30% concerned with it.

Secondly, my country is unwilling to put money on science research. Japan, is investing up to 5 hundred million yen in Science research. That is 17 million ringgit, all right!!! Try imagine a country who is willing to invest for the sake of the next generation even though the country is having a very huge debt now. The facilities in the campus is probably the main point where I am very touched on.

Third, bio-ethics. How are we scientists gonna do work in a religion-bound country!!!

You would probably asked me now. Why are you studying `something` like this? For the money? I dunno how many times I was asked on this. I said doing research. People like this would give me the answer, " Harh? Do research can make money ahh?" I dun blame them, money minds.

I got used to it and played dumb and just act that is for the money. The truth is that I wanted to bring hope and happiness to people through my work. This would never go through our previous generation`s mind if only they could understand our work. But I hope that they would understand us in the future.

The only person who understand my work now is my dad who had been supporting me with advices and informations even though he is in a different line, IT. I thanked him for all the supports he have been giving me.

#2 The schedule of the day

Would not talk much about the program. Very tired now. But I was confused with the things I wish to do in this uni. The cancer research line or the anti-ageing line. Both studies are interesting and I would probably have to think about it after I visited the labs.

#3 Before leaving

What should I be preparing after listening to the briefing session?

Study. That is the first priority.

We left after we got the past year papers from the print shop.

I and the Fatty who tries getting in the Densha

2010-04-09T10:56:00.004+09:00

What would you do if a fatty tries to rush into the already very packed densha and he is heading towards your direction?

I do this.

I push him away before the door closes.

Take the next densha, please.

Yes, I do feel guilty as i am writing this but I do not want to be suffocate by him.

I and Pathetic Japanese Working Life

2010-04-08T10:22:00.004+09:00

My manager called me on the phone,

"If you don`t come to work this Friday, I would commit suicide."

How pathetic.

The branch manager under him ran away from his job for some reasons. So the manager was left to battle with the lack of staffs and managing in the position as a store manager and branch manager. He would have to hold on until the new store manager came to take over.

Ohh, I rejected his wish...

Thesis>Work

I heard this morning from my colleague that he really tried to jump down from his apartment.

I and Sakuras

2010-04-07T18:40:00.000+09:00

Sakura, their beauty is short.

From a distance, they are a beauty. Once we got near to it, it was never the bright white sakura color we saw through the reflection of the sunlights. The green leaves can be seen growing out from the branches.

It is so clearly understood that the beauty of sakura is short-lived.

By looking outside the scene through the densha, it was beautiful to see the living spirit of sakura. But I was very disappointed that the color of the sakuras faded once I got near to them. Yes, the petals have fall. I must admit that the gust of wind has add in the beautiful effects into the flying sakura petals around there.

Today, I would not be talking too much nonsense. But I would gather pics from 3 sites and share it with you. The quality is not good enough as these are all taken through my cell phone. Bringing out the heavy DLSR is putting a lot of burden into my back. Well, let us continue then.

Inagi

It was raining by the time I took these shots in Inagi.

Bunkyo-ku

Ueno Park

The color of sakura has faded but the beauty of nature remains.

I and the Lab

2010-04-06T20:14:00.000+09:00

The lab has been the new wonderland for me. A new place for me to settle in the year.

The lab is an all new atmosphere to us and I would be honest that I still do not get used to the atmosphere yet. Some of us are still doing job hunting. Some of us are focusing in their studies for thesis and graduate school.

The greatest thing was I got a seat of mine. Yeah, I got my seat after the previous senpai moved out after graduation. I was very surprised that the seat was full of weird stuffs left by the senpais. So I thought that the desk needs to be cleaned.

I cleared the desk and set down my stuffs on it. I brought some of my little figures given by my pals. I thought of bringing my own figures from home to decorate the desk. But I better beware of my senpais who are behind me. They could see every thing in my desk and what I am doing in my PC.

In the morning, The first thing I will do will be adjusting the magnet dice to show my current status in school such as Which floor am I in now? Bio-Nanotech Centre? Having a lecture? In the lab?

#1 List and magnet dice to show your status in the school

Then, I went to my locker to hang my coat and put change into my inner slippers.

#2 A personal locker to hang your coats and throw in ur umbrellas

Next, I do some retouch on what I should be doing in that day looking at my experiment notes. Then, I turn to my PC and get some docs and reports done. To use the clean bench, I need to get bookings and make sure my bookings were not overlap with the other labs. Time management is very important so that you do not have to bring further trouble to the next person who wants to use the clean bench.

#3 The desk of mine

Surprisingly, the view from my desk is superb but with the sunlight hitting towards my window. It can be hurting.

#4 The view from my desk

#5 Then back to work in the clean bench doing subcultivation

#6 By the time everything is done, it is already the evening

Great, I need to be back for my studies. I do hope I write one nice report this time.

I and New Beginning

2010-04-01T12:30:00.001+09:00

April means a lot to the Japanese, the month where everything new starts. The students continue on with a new semester, the new recruits starts to work in their new working place. All of them starts the new month with new hopes. A new hope with a fresh new starting line.

The Sakuras which blossomed matches the month perfectly in many meanings. In the language of flowers, Sakura signifies "whiteness", "beautiful spirit" and "bland". All these words show a meaning near to the new fresh start.

#1 Sakura Blossom (lately this year)

I will be getting along in my lab under a new theme for a new year. A new start. Although the work had not been progressing well lately. I and my partner had lots of trouble on extraction and analysis. Lots of trouble happening and I gotta thanked loyal reader for reminding me the persistence needed in researches. It is my final year I should be doing it in a beautiful way.

I got my seat. I got my name on the list. Many things that I would loved to blog in my next post.

Work(baito) has not been going well. I finally realized that I lost the passion in this job where I have worked for 4 years. Work got tougher. But the pay has not changed. I have began to think that it maybe the time to change my job. A job where I could focus into my studies on graduate school in the weekends.

Mentioning about graduate school, I am still troubled about the timing to tell sensei about my wishes to enter graduate school outside. Sensei still thinks that I would be entering graduate school in the same lab today. It is not kind enough for my parents to pay such a big amount of tuition fee. The resources is big and the facilities in the lab is great. If it is possible I would loved to stay and continue my work, but I know it is impossible. At the same time, I would prefer to do more studies in the other lab. I will have to put this in my to be considered list. I think that D-day to tell sensei about it could be near and I should be prepared well by choosing the suitable words.

By next month, my bro who have just finished his SPM will be joining me in Japan. He will be doing his one year pre-U course in a Japanese language hoping to do naval engineering in Japan.

People might wonder why the sibling of akatsukiotoko is studying together in Japan. I dunno too. You hear it from him. I know, I am responsible for it too. He might have the same Japanese dream he wished to pursue here. All I know he is lucky that he gets to stay in my place. Just weeks ago, I bet with my mum on how many A`s will he get for his SPM before the big day (how evil we are~) behind him. It was great news I heard from my mum that he got 9A`s and a B for his SPM which was better than me (I got my reasons, I only got 6A`s and 3B`s, thanks to school transfers). I won the bet and I got my Rm120 without him knowing about it. He might have read this and found out what happened behind him now.

I cleaned the room today. The last time the room was cleaned out of the mess was months ago. My family cleaned it and was made to maintain the cleanliness which I have not being doing. I brought out the futon, the kotatsu and the fabrics. Then I vacuumed the room. Brought out the space for my brother and made sure things were perfect.

This year, I know I would be a busy man. I will need to do my thesis. I will also need to study for graduate school. Not to forget that I need to provide my bro Japanese assistance & improvement. I guess I would have to forget about play and focus in work and studies.

Welcome to Nippon, my bro!

#2 My report to Oka-sama(My Lord Mummy) on the current cleanliness of the room

I wonder, what kind of plot would we be making in this year. A great start with a great end is lovely. I would loved to make sure my journey crosses with a number of challenges. Seriously, I loved to challenge new things. In fact, I am having a new challenge now.

Getting the new whitening start away from contamination.

#3 Contaminated sample (taken from my failed sample)

So, what kind of color would I(we) be contaminated into this year?