.... and I Will Be Flying On a Broomstick

As far as first experiences go, it is pretty exciting to be on a ferry bound for Osaka. The ferry's name is Sunflower but for some reason, the flower on its side is painted orange and red. In the lobby, on the reception desk, you find a basket filled with colorful rolls of confetti tape. You ask, "What do I do with with these?" "Take one and go to the deck." You're not really sure what to do but you pick one and go anyway. The deck is a cold, dark and windy place. The neon sign in front of you reads "Welcome to Beppu" even though you're leaving Beppu. Talk about irony. From your vantage point on the deck, you see the cars and the city lights. You think you can also make out the dark shapes of mountains in the distance. Up above, the stars and the moon hang onto the night sky. It was a perfect night. Everything is in its right place. Except you, maybe. You make your way to the railings where everyone seems to be gatheri

Listening tests.. Where we are introduced to indecisive shoppers... Case 1: "Hmm.. Okay then, I'll take the square-shaped clock with the black dial." (You: Ready to circle the answer.) "Oh wait!!! That round one with the white dial looks cuter. Maybe I should buy that one instead." (You: Move to the other answer.) "Oh well, never mind, my friend said he doesn't really like white. So, I'll just take the black one." (You: Oh, god dammit!!)   Where people are forever lost and never get simple directions... Case 2: "Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the fitness center?" "Oh, go straight until you get to the crossroads. Turn left. Go past two traffic lights. Turn left into the third street you see after the second traffic lights. On your right, you'll see a green building." (You: Finally! Pencil poised to choose the answer.)  "That's the bakery. And then turn...." (You: -________-) W

Once you begin those "sidebar journeys" on youtube, it's like being sucked into a black hole. And say bye-bye (or sayonara or au revoir or ta tar or Zàijiàn or whatever) to the next three hours (or more) of your life.. Anyway, since all my finals and reports are done and dealt with, I think I deserve the right to waste some time.. :D Here are a few songs I came across on one of my "sidebar journeys" and a few posted by facebook friends.. In no particular order.. - The Dreamer by Tallest Man on Earth - Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men - All I Want by Kodaline - I Can't Make You Love Me (Bon Iver Version) - I Love You More Than You Will Ever Know by Never Shout Never - Gonna Get Over You by Sara Bareilles - Freight Train by Sara Jackson-Holma - Your Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

I once saw a TED video by Josh Sundquist.. He lost his left leg when he was young but later, he became a paralympic ski racer. He said he has these three letters written on both of his skis.. 1MT 1MT It means 1 More Thing, 1 More Time. Whatever you do, do 1 more thing than what others are doing. And do it one more time than you would normally do. It means more hard work but when all's said and done, I believe it will be worth it. So here we go! 1 More Thing, 1 More Time..

8:45 pm. I like turning off all the lights in my room at night and looking out of my 4th floor window. I can see city lights blinking in the distance and their reflections on the water surface. Tonight, only a few lone stars up there. Down here, just a gentle breeze. The silence is much welcome. All in all, it's a quiet night. And moments like these are my favorite here.

Dear Dad, Happy birthday, Dad! Last time I saw you was at the airport. You kept waving at me every time I look back. There was the glass screen between us and I wanted to shout out but I knew you wouldn't hear me. And did you know? In that moment, I just wanted to run back and not board that plane. I hope I can meet you soon. I know you worry about me. But I'm doing fine. I love you and miss you. :)

3 words. 8 letters. It is HOTT.  Yep. With an extra "T". Coz that's how hot it is. -_- Seriously. The heat is unbearable. It's getting to my head.  I can't concentrate on the lectures. I can't bring myself to get any work done. I just wanna stay in my room and sleep all day.  Oh wait. These are just the normal symptoms. ke ke.. :P It's been a long and tiring day. And it's just the start of the week. Geez.. Now, I should probably prepare for my Japanese speaking test tomorrow. I have two reports to finish and a midterm on Thursday. Yet, here I am, listening to "All of me" by John Legend and blogging about my mediocre life. July needs to end quickly so that I can breathe. Enough complaining. Getting back to work. Signing off for now. Over and out.

Taking a moment of silence... To mourn for what? For the words that died on the tip of my tongue Or all that time wasted on thinking what could have been? For the things that I couldn't understand Or the things that I lost along the way? For the expectations that were buried alive Or the pride that was tossed aside countless times?  This moment of silence It feels like a lifetime And it hurts in the most delicious way.

On Wednesday, we organized a Tanabata event in AP House. So, I got to learn some interesting things about the Japanese Tanabata festival. First, a short introduction. Tanabata is written as 七夕　in Japanese. The first kanji is "seven" and the second one is "evening". It means "evening of the 7th". It celebrates the meeting of two stars on the 7th day of the 7th month. The custom is to write your wishes on a piece of origami paper and hang it on a bamboo tree. You can also make other shapes such as paper cranes or hearts. Image taken from http://japansocietyny.blogspot.jp/2012/07/tanabata-tutorial-seven-ways-to-wish.html There's a story behind it and it goes like this. Once, there was a princess who was very good at weaving. Her father was the Sky King. She worked hard every day at the bank of the heavenly river (which is the Milky Way, by the way). But at the same time, she was very sad because she didn't have time to fall in love. So, t

Not the type of sickness you can recover from with pills and bedrest.. There's no prevention.. There's no cure.. With time, it might get worse or you just learn to live with it.. Damn.. Everything feels so far away and I am down with that sickness again.. I'll recover later but not tonight..

... for a few hours. Not a year, not a week, not a month, hell, not even a whole day. It makes all the difference. First of all, one becomes so much more productive. One gets a lot of work done without all that distraction. Second of all, one's creative juices start flowing. Online, it's mostly about absorbing everything one comes across. Offline, one's mind can settle back and take time to think Like, really think. Lastly, there might even be some peace. Maybe, sometimes, what one really needs is a time out from the cyber world.

The sun sulked behind dark clouds Raindrops jumped from the sky to commit suicide Muddy footprints in the corridors Unbrellas abandoned, useless and broken It was too cold and wet The fog was too thick It was too gloomy It lacked something It was one of those days When you just can't seem to find the bright side of life.. 

I don't even know how that happened. The only thing I remember is that I was walking down those last two steps when it happened. It took all of a second for me to go from a human being with two perfectly working legs into a limping, wobbling and grimacing mess.  I twisted my ankle is what I want to say. And it sucks living with an injury like that. It can't heal fast enough. When your limbs are working fine, you sit on your ass in front of the PC all the time. When that is no longer the case, you have these strong urges to go out, run and exercise. Oh, the irony! I just hope the apocalypse doesn't happen while I am stuck with a bruised ankle.

Japanese homework is a wild elephant and I, the girl who got lost in the forest... It's charging towards me at full speed, making a scary noise, which if you listen carefully, sound very much like "Dueee Tomorrrrrroooooowww".... If you ever stumble across a body lying on the forest floor, let it be known that I died trying.. -_-

That woman.. She's small but her heart's big enough to hold all the love in the world. Like the two sides of a coin, she and I are the complete opposites. She has the patience of a saint while my patience always seems to hang by a thread. She has a smile even when the days are dark and cloudy while I have a grumpy scowl even when the sun is smiling. She is always calm and level-headed even in the midst of chaos while I rush about like an elephant in a room full of china. But like the two sides of a coin, we are made of one. She, the mother and I, her daughter. That woman.. She taught me how to read and write. She read me stories about kingdoms far away and knights in shining armor. She reminded me how I can't always wait for the prince to come and that sometimes, I would have to be my own knight in shining armor. She bought me jigsaw puzzles and we spent lazy afternoons trying to put together those little pieces. She bought me pink barbie dolls, plastic swords, guns

AP House 1 and the bridge to campus Campus

I’m so eager to see you again, but I wouldn’t ask to see you. Not because I’m proud. In fact, in front of you, I cede all my pride. Yet only if you asked to see me, our meeting would be meaningful to me. — Simone de Beauvoir, Lettres à Nelson Algren 1950

It's like an artist's palette here. Splashes of color everywhere. The flowers had finally been coaxed out of their buds. Yellow flowers. Pink flowers. White flowers. Doesn't matter. All pretty flowers. :) All surrounded by the courting young leaves. The sun is glowing with happiness. The wind dances in sprightly steps. The sky is so clear and blue. The kind of blue that makes you want to daydream. The kind of blue that makes you forget there's homework to do and classes to go to. What about the people? I think they seem to buzz with an energy that was not present in winter. For girls, skirts are shorter and shorts are back in fashion. Besides, I think everyone's footsteps seem lighter. Maybe it's because they're finally able to shed the thick and heavy overcoats. Or maybe it's just the fresh air doing wonders. The average temperature is normally in the range of 16-19 degrees in the afternoon. Definitely lower than what I am used to. Last

Tabula rasa It means "blank slate" in Latin. I like that word. Wiping everything out and starting from a clean slate. An appealing concept in life sometimes. Don't you just wish you could go back to the start? Back to the way things were. Before they got too confusing. Too complicated. Too ugly. Too painful. Tabula rasa Tempting.. But no.. Not just yet ..

Moments.. Fleeting by nature. But when you think back, they are all that you can remember. You don’t go through life thinking, “Ah, here comes a moment. I must make sure to keep that one.” Moments, they just take root in your mind without your knowledge. A look. A smile. A touch. A feeling. Everything can be a moment and a moment can be everything. Significant moments. Like that time you did very well in the matriculation exam and saw that look of unbridled joy and pride on your parents. Like that time you turned your back to board the plane and you were furiously fighting back the tears threatening to fall. Like that time you were on the stage for your first impromptu competiton and your heart was trying to beat out of your chest but you had to stay calm on the outside. Like that time you were on the motorbike along a bumpy road holding on for dear life but you felt strangely happy. Insignificant moments. Like that evening you were at the balcony, lookin

"It's a quarter after one.. I'm a little drunk and I need you now.." That's what happens when u drunk-dial ur ex in the middle of the night... "Hey I just met you.. And this is crazy.. But here's my number.. so call me maybe.." Attention, all stalkers.. Someone's just got a new phone and can't wait to be ur victim... "I'm at a payphone.. Trying to call home... All of my change I spent on you.." Poor man.. Someone please just help him out with some loose change.. "I knew you were trouble when you walked in.. So shame on me now.." Easy to be wise after the event.. Shame on you indeed, girl.. Shame on you.. Just for fun.. :P

I haven't updated the blog for some time.. If anyone is looking forward to my updates, sorry. (Although I very much doubt if there's anyone who's waiting eagerly for my updates. A girl can dream, right? kekekeke.... :P) Anyway, I could give a lot of excuses. New semester, busy with studies, no time for blogging, etc, etc... But I won't. :D  I will try to update more regularly. Writing for writing's sake. It's fun and it's therapeutic. There's something satisfying about writing lots of sentences in a language you know well after struggling with Japanese khanjis and grammar. It's like coming up for air after drowning. You know the feeling? ;) Anyway, have a nice weekend wherever you are!

So, today is the start of the new spring semester. The comfy lazy days are over. In a way, I am kind of glad to get busy with my studies again. It makes time fly faster. :) Spring has sprung at APU. In fact, I think it sprung so far, almost right into winter. When I made my way to my Japanese class at 10:15 am, the crazy wind was celebrating manically outside. If I were wearing a wig, I bet it would have flown off and landed in front of my house in Myanmar. (In case you were wondering, I don't wear a wig. Thank you very much.) Since my hair is real, the wind was trying to pull it off the roots but it did not succeed, thankfully. It was chilly today but I could use the heater in AP House again. So, I didn't freeze to death. During the holiday period, the university was empty and quiet. Kind of like a shell. But now, the place is a beehive of activity. I love this APU. Alive and throbbing with students. I felt high today, going to new classes. No doubt I will come down f

Yayy!!! It's the 22nd post. I like the number 2. Because it's like my lucky number. After one too many coincidences with the number, I have come to regard it as my special number. Okay. Here are just a few of the coincidences. (1) My birthday is 22nd February 1993. Which means 22.2.1993. 1+9+9+3 = 22!! So, it is basically, 22.2.22.. (2) I was born on a Monday which is the 2nd day of the week. (3) My favorite subject in high school was English which was always the 2nd subject to take in exams. (4) My roll number in my first year at YUFL was 2. (5) My zodiac sign is Pisces which means 2 fish.  So, in honor of the 22nd post, I would like to sing a song. "One, Twenty two guns Lay down your arms, give up the fight One, Twenty two guns Throw up your arms into the sky" Huh? What do you mean it's twenty one guns? Wait, really? Dammit! Why couldn't they have made it 22 guns? It would have been perfect for this post. Sigh...

I was watching a movie called "Duplex" the other day. (It's a good comedy, btw.) The couple in that movie bought a house and the moving company they used is called "Murray's Movers". That got me thinking. You know how some businesses are named after their owners? Like "Charlie's Cheeseburgers", "Sam's Sandwiches", "Pan's Pizza" or "Harry's Hardware" (oops.. the last one sounded not quite right.. @_@) Anywho, in that vein, let's see what kind of business options are available for me. Kyay's Kebabs? Kyay's Kites? (I could have made a fortune with this one had I started it between 1860-1910 aka "the golden age of kiting". Oh yeah. I did extensive research to get that info. In other words, I looked it up in wikipedia.) Kyay's Kaleidoscopes? (I know. It's weird.) Kyay's Keyrings? (Seriously, self? You couldn't come up with a better one?) Or I could start an ass

I think it's true what they say. I believe that we have an other half. Umm.. No, no.. I'm not talking about soul mates or any of that romantic stuff. I see a little bit of confusion there. So, allow me to introduce you to my other half. My other half always gets out of bed as soon as the alarm sounds off. She doesn't suffer from early-morning-sleepiness Syndrome. She doesn't think the best place on earth is under the bed covers every morning. She doesn't hit the snooze button and try to steal another 15 mins of sleep only to find out she has overslept by 30 mins. She's up and ready in just a few minutes. A real morning person, that one. My other half has a healthy approach to deadlines. She doesn't do the "up-all-night-before-submission-day" thing. Nuh-uh. Slow and steady wins the race. Always has it all together, that one. My other half doesn't use social media. Coz she knows all about the evil trio: the book, the bird and the tum

If you think I don’t miss you, I might need to have a word with the stars. They promised me they would pass on my message to you. You know, they have this giant communications network spreading across the night sky. Maybe there was a glitch in the network. Looks like even the stars can’t keep the promises they make these days. If you think I don’t miss you, I might need to remind the moon again. I told him that I miss you. But he’s getting forgetful. It must be because he’s been around for a long, long time. Sometimes, I see him staring down at the bright city lights with a sad look on his face. He seems to be thinking of the old days when he used to be the star of the midnight show. If you think I don’t miss you, I might need to shout a little louder to make sure the wind heard me when it passed me by. I whispered those three words into the wind because that’s how you’re supposed to say according to the books. But I guess its hearing capability is no longer what it used

Sometimes, all you need is a song to lift you up. :) (1) Defying Gravity - Glee version "It's time to try defying gravity  I think I'll try defying gravity  Kiss me goodbye I'm defying gravity And you won’t bring me down" I get chills listening to this song. It will make you feel like you can really defy gravity and fly. Metaphorically speaking, I mean. It is strongly advised not to jump off the balcony while listening to this. (2) Firework - Katy Perry "Cause baby, you're a firework  Come on, show 'em what you're worth  Make 'em go, oh, oh, oh As you shoot across the sky" I get a buzz whenever I hear this one. Take a moment, listen to Katy Perry, go find that spark and set yourself off! ;)   (3) The Climb - Miley Cyrus "There's always gonna be another mountain  I'm always gonna wanna make it move  Always gonna be a uphill battle  Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose Ain't about how fast I get there  Ain&#

What's the one thing the Japanese love to do when spring comes? The answer is "hanami" or "flower viewing". Crowds of people flock to parks or other famous sightseeing places to enjoy the colorful flowers in full bloom. But it's the sakura that steals the show. This is my first "hanami". We didn't have that kind of thing back at home. So, I didn't really get what all this hype was about watching those flower blossoms. I mean, how beautiful can they be? As it turned out, very beautiful indeed. Breathtakingly so. I love spring in Japan. It's a very nice change from the cold drab winter days. The sakura blossoms don't last long. So before they all fall to the ground, I had to go see them. (And upload photos on facebook and instagram. :D) So, last weekend, I went to a place called Lake Shidaka. It's a camping site. When the lake came into view, it was like I had stepped straight into a postcard. It was that beautiful. Now,

I thought I would write a story. We all know every story begins at that one particular point in time, don’t we? So, my story started out like this: "Once upon a time, I have come a long way with this story I am writing. Will it have a happy ending? I don’t know yet. We will have to wait and see. It’s still being written as we speak. I am not that concerned with the ending. It’s the middle part I am worried about. And I will admit this. I tend to lose the plot sometimes and I have to flip back through the pages to remember. To remember what I have written along with the mistakes I made, the words I crossed out and the characters I have forgotten. Some parts I couldn’t have written any better. Some parts I could have and should have done better. But there’s this one rule. I can’t change what I have written. One shot is all I get with this story. No editing the chapters I don’t like. No tearing out the messy pages. That’s why I am more careful now although I still make

When I was back in my country, the weather was consistent. If it's summer, it's all sunshine and blue sky. If it's the monsoons, you can expect rain and clouds. But here, the weather is full of surprises. You never know what it's up to. Sneaky weather, I call it. One day, it's calm and warm with the sun shining oh so brightly. The next day, you wake up to rain pattering against your window and there's a thunderstorm warning. Like I said, sneaky. One of the habits I have picked up since I came here is checking tomorrow's weather regularly. I would like to be prepared if I were to get hit by lightning, you know. And then there's the fog. On certain rainy days, the fog would creep in softly, obscuring the trees and the mountains far away. I dubbed it the "fuzzy weather" since everything becomes blurred. My room looks out onto a track that runs behind the dormitory. There's two lamp-posts along it. In the evenings, the yellow light streami

Okay, so let's start from the wind. It's not always that bad. But when it's bad, it comes with a vengeance. The APU wind should come with a warning. That's all I have to say. Here are my survival tips: (1) If you are going against the wind, imagine you are a knife. Lean forward and push through the wind. Stab it with everything you have!  (2) But if you are going in the same direction as the wind, you are a plastic bag. (Remember the Katy Perry song? :P ) Don't try to resist it. Just let it carry you away. (Hopefully, not over the mountain.. keke) (3) Never try to use an umbrella when it's raining and the wind is particularly strong. Within five minutes, your umbrella will be transformed into a grotesquely twisted shape. Trust me. I have lost innumerable umbrellas to the wind. It's an umbrella-eater. It just gets stronger if you feed it with umbrellas. You will be better off with a raincoat. (4) Don't be alarmed by the noises it makes. It will

Have you seen the movie, "Now is Good"? It stars Dakota Fanning. Last time I saw her, she was just a little girl running for her life with Tom Cruise when all hell broke loose in "War of the Worlds". Now, in this movie, she's all grown up and has leukemia. And no, she didn't make it alive in the end like her previous movie. This is not a spoiler since the director makes it obvious from the very beginning that she was dying. This movie is about a teenager called Tess who's dying of leukemia. It breaks your heart little by little as it progresses. I may or may not have cried at the end. Anyway, it's one of those movies that reminds you about the brevity of life.  How would you feel if you knew you're dying and there's nothing you can do to stop it?  How do you find the strength to carry on when each passing day is just taking you closer to that inevitable moment?  How would you spend your last days on earth? Maybe, you'll r

(1) The hot weather My peeps suffering the heat back there would probably scoff at this . I hear that it's extremely hot now. I too thought I would never say this but up here in the mountain, it blows, it's cold, it rains and it's insane. So, I can't help but think about what it would be like at home now. The melting heat, the endless sweating, the burning roads, the scorching sun, the.... Oh, I think I'll just look forward to spring here.. :P (2) Padauk flowers Usually, around April, we'll get special rain showers. It's like a short reprieve from the heat. It's called "Thingyan-moe" which can be translated into "Thingyan-rain". (You'll know more about "Thingyan" later.) This rain heralds the blossoming of Padauk flowers. These flowers are pretty special because they bloom only once in the whole year. It rained here today and it made me think about how I would miss the Padauk tree in front of our house with

Sometimes, I’m in a court. There’s the jury who barely knows me. Standing in the witness box, I can see their cold judging looks. That’s when I feel like it’s me against the whole world. Sometimes, I’m on the running track. I am running with everything I have. My legs are burning. My lungs are ready to burst. Ahead of me, I can see those people. Those people with their stronger legs; they run so much faster than me. That’s when I feel like giving up because I doubt I will ever be able to catch them up. Sometimes, I’m in the big city. It’s so easy to get lost in the busy streets and the never-ending flow of traffic. I’m just another nameless face in the crowd. That’s when I feel so small and insignificant. Such times, I stand alone on my own and I place my hand on my heart. That’s when I feel my dreams, my hopes, my love, all beating away quietly. And that’s when I find that courage to carry on, despite the fears, the insecurities and the doubts.

Once, there was a man. During a walk, he "fell head over heels in love". Love was like a hole. At first, "falling in love" was scary. But it was also a rush. A thrill. He thought he could fall forever. But it came to a stop. Now, he realized that he was "helplessly in love". After some exploration, he found that the hole had several buttons he didn't even know were there. He pushed one accidentally and a trapdoor appeared. And that's how he "fell out of love". The END

Today's the day for the installation of new lights in our rooms at AP House. And you know what? New doesn't necessarily mean better. To my dismay, the ceiling lamp no longer have that string which you can pull down to change the light settings!!! Previously, I could just tug that string from my bed to turn off the lights before going to bed. It went like this: Tug once: 100% light twice: 80% light thrice: a glowing yellow light Tug for the last time, it goes off. It was a cool arrangement. I didn't have to go all the way to the lights button near the door. But alas, all good things must come to an end. Now, the lights can only be operated with that button from far-away land!! Not cool, man! Not cool!! :( Bring back the STRING!!! The STRING is the KING!!! No STRING! No STING!! (Ok, that didn't make any sense. It was hard to find a meaningful word that rhymed.) I am so sad today. I think I will just sit in the dark tonight in loving memory

Today, I finished a book called "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" by Gregory Maguire.  It's set in the Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum. As a child, I had a children's book about the adventures of Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, the Lion and Toto, the dog. I still remember the illustration of Dorothy in braids and her blue-and-white gingham dress on that book's cover. However this book is very much unlike the light and simplified version of my childhood. For starters, it is told from the side of the Wicked Witch of the West. Under Maguire's writing, the land of Oz is transformed into a magical world of complex politics and exceptional characters. As the blurb says, "we will never look at Oz the same way again". ( To put it simply, a blurb is the text at the back of the book that tells you it is awesome and you should read it. I had to google it. kekeke.. :P ) Besides, it also gives you a lot of things to think abou

I was watching a Japanese drama the other day and came across this interesting fact. A female ninja in Japanese is called kunoichi. Look at how it's formed below. Japanese language is fascinating, huh? :D

I woke up today with a very familiar feeling. A feeling that I have managed to elude for nearly a month now. It's that groggy feeling of not getting enough sleep. My brain is just whirling round and round and round and round and... I think you get the point. I have been sleeping so well during the holidays that I conveniently forgot that disturbing feeling of limited sleep. You might be wondering why I didn't get enough sleep. What, you're not? Oh well, either way, I'm going to tell you. :P I had my SA shift today. I am working as a Systems Assistant at my university. SAs help students and staff with computer problems. Usually we work in the MMR ( a computer room in the library ) and the Information Systems Office (where we have to deal with equipment lending and reservation). But that's not all. SAs have many other responsibilities, too. Like working as teaching assistants in programming classes, taking on projects assigned by the Academic Office or dealing wi

  It’s the city.  Sky-scrapers loom overhead, effectively blocking the sun. These giants spawned by human ingenuity and craft are everywhere, looking down at you from their vantage point in the clouds. Then, there are the billboards. Sirens in the sea of modern consumerism. Calling out to you and luring you in with their sweet words. Oh and the lights. Like someone trying too hard to prove something, they shine too brightly with forced enthusiasm. The big stores with their sliding doors, gobbling up people into their shiny showrooms. The powerful force behind the stream of traffic, pushing forward relentlessly. The city. It’s always in transition. The traffic lights, the trains, the trends. The city. It’s alive. Always hungry for more. Throbbing with the flow of people. The city. It’s where I am. Waving and drowning in the sea of a million other faces.