Sunday, October 3, 2004
We just got back from Malaysia and arrived at Narita this morning.
It was a tiring trip back to Japan. Japan somehow makes us tired, the whole trip from the airport to the house. I guess night flight is not good also. May be I should take business class from now on. Arrrrr, as if I have the money. When the next trip, we probably will be carrying 3 kids, and at night, it will be too tough to be a father on a plane, trying to make sure they don't fall, and also make sure my back isn't aching. I have never realized it was such a tough job only when we are back to Japan. Japan must be the reason.
The Japanese queue was rather long at the immigration, not to mention the Alien queue. I was surprised to realize that at Narita they now have two counters which cater for elderly, pregnant women, and for those families who have small kids. We came out only after the whole flight was almost clear, and yet we were attended at the special counter right after we arrived at the immigration. This country is not all bad as other people say.
So, we are back safely. and what a stupid thing I did. I tried to get some red onions and the typical small lime as well as some pandan leaves, all for cooking, and what an idiot, I left all in the fridge at my brother's house! Arrrrr. Did I tell you I might not be back for another 2 years time? What? It is wrong to bring fresh food? Sorry, what? I didn't hear you all of a sudden. Okay okay, I didn't make it, satisfied?
Karin was like a hunger when she was served with food, any food, and she would sit down and ate with her chopsticks. We never really taught the kids to hold chosticks actually. She even ate durian! And she kicked the durian like a ball! Well, she realized it wasn't one, as she was screaming "itai! Itai! (painful!)" after that. She is going to turn 2 this month. next year, she will need one ticket to travel. Daddy got to work harder to travel.
Back to Normal Doesn't Need a Second
Wednesday, October 6, 2004
Yeah, I am back to Japan and am going to work as usual. As if the last two weeks didn't happen. There isn't any adjustment needed at all. I feel like if I don't try to write down things I wanted to write, I am going to forget it by next week, or may be tomorrow. Though I did try to take notes when I was in KL, somehow I didn't have the mood to write at all. That's why I tried to take photos. Try as much as I could to take photos that I might feel nothing at the time but most probably I won't be able to see the next time. Bukit Nanas Girl School opposite Star Hills disappeared just like that. I should have taken the photos two years ago. I think lots of old building will have the faith sooner or later.
A few things to write. This is a reminder.
- Education
- Bringing Up kids in Malaysia
- Working Mother
- Chinese Society's Money Money Money
- Maid System
I need to keep writing in English. That's the only way to keep my memory of Malaysian, though English isn't my daily tongue. I really need to read more in English. Okay, okay, I have said that for more than thousand times, right? You are absolutely right.
Got a friend replied my email yesterday, who I wanted to meet but didn't make it. Sigh. Got to wait for another chance.
Btw, when you change your email to another one that you frequently use, perhaps make an announcement is a good thing to do, not to: or cc:, but better bcc:, tell the whole world that things aren't the same. I used to do that, somehow, people don't read details, and don't even update. I still got friends who tried to send me email to old email address which for a while I didn't check at all, but suddenly I thought of keeping it, and found that lots of them still spamming me by sending lots of so-called funny jokes to: all their friends.
Only If You Still Need Me
Friday, October 8, 2004
When the first time I left for Japan, my friend who was going to be in her first year in University, wrote an article published in one of the Chinese daily newspaper, reminded what I had said to her before I left.
Will you come back to Malaysia? Will you leave the country where it has snow, sakura, and Mt. Fuji, and the four seasons that you seem looking forward to so much?
-----
14 years later, last 2 weeks, I went back home, I didn't see her, but I recalled the article, and lots of memory though belongs to me yet it somehow only flashbacked when I stepped on the ground of where it happened; the land where I was born, the place where I grew up, the society where I belonged to but I gave it up to go to Japan, the country where my disappointment with the education system.
This time I visited again. I still thought the same. I never felt like to improve Japan, though as a foreigner here, it is so easy to criticize and to make complaints about Japan, but I never really do so despite being a person who love Japan culture so much. I felt that I never really love Japan. That was something new I found myself. May be daily routine life has made me turned blind that I cannot see things like before anymore. Getting used to something is to lose ones mind in a way.
As for Malaysia, without anyone asking me, I got lots of things I wanted to do, not so much of personal interests, rather it is for the country. Gosh, since when was I a patriot!
The whole country has gone too European, or it was one. I don't mean being one European is bad, Malaysian are not living on their own feet, that's what I mean. There is something they don't see, THEMSELVES!
To the friend who wrote the article, at that time—it was my genuine feeling—I answered, if Malaysia still loves me, I will be back.
And I still have the same feeling. But I think I have got something I want to try it out beforehand.
Reading "The Fortune-teller Told Me" Again
Saturday, October 16, 2004
I got back the book from my old house. Was reading it in the train. I still find it hard to translate, if I want to, into Japanese. Somehow I know the difficulties are not about "untranslatability" but rather my Japanese language capability as well as my understanding of English. But, so far I know what he wants to say, which means, it does have its logic somewhere in my brain that is acceptable. I think it will help me to understand better if I would try to do some translation, whether from English to Japanese, or Japanese to English. By doing so, I may be able to find out what I don't understand and what I don't know. This could be tough, but it should be challenging.
I bet if I go to one of these palm-reader or seer, they would have told me, you will be richer if you can do translation. Yeah, like Peter.
New Internet Radio, not Broadcast but Podcast
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
This is the link. These blog-based homemade radio shows are the biggest thing most people haven't heard of yet.
I have been wanting to try out internet radion broadcasting. That's why this caught my attention. But,
If you've never heard of a podcast, don't worry. Neither has Google. Type ''podcast'' into the search engine and it yields results but also asks, ''Did you mean: broadcast?''
Got to look into it more. But the thing is, in Malaysia you hardly see any Mac. Some might ask, what is iPod?
Somehow, from some of the bloggers' comments, the idea and the media are as old as radio or even worse than radio as it is not doing it live. More reading is needed to find out about the perspective.
Change for the Better, or Worse
Sunday, October 31, 2004
It's as if it had been here for ages. Yeah. Autumn is here. And so is the cold. This year has been rather cold compared to last year this time. And the weather on weekend is rather bad — cloudy or rain since early October, which means it's been raining often since I came back from Malaysia. Yesterday it has been raining the whole day since morning.
Spent the whole day trying to figure out Tinderbox, again. Also tried to redo the html, at last I came up another new design, give it another theme, Thousand Leaves. It's the season. I might change periodically, so get used to my style.
The old archives are still at the same place, don't worry, you didn't miss much. Will put up the urls and links later. When have I really done that? Oh yes, the change only applies to the top page, not even the archive page, which means the permalink will bring you to "my goodness, when will you change the template?" page. You figure it out.
Writing long paragraph isn't something I am good at. Just like some people are good at handling rifle and some are good at handgun. I think when time comes where I need to speak more, I know what I should do.