Japan Hour

Because it took me an hour to get the settings for this right. Here goes... hope it works. Day 2 in Hokkaido =]

Oh yeah, to answer some people:

1) yes, I had to stip naked to enter the hot springs and communal baths.

2) no, the hot springs were not unisexual. It's a very relaxing and addictive experience. I can see why the Japanese do it so many times in a day (I once went down at 7am due to an early set off time for the tour and it was PACKED)

Rain On Me

This Is Your Brain On Anime.

Japan Minute

Japan was everything I thought it would be and more. The fresh products of Hokkaido island. Abundant seafood and summer weather was just exquisite. I already miss the practice of dipping myself into the onsen for up to 4 or 5 times a day. Pics will follow when I feel like I've more than a minute.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A preview of what I had the fortune of eating in Hokkaido.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 1:










-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We Little Shits

A very self-important college freshman attending a recent football game, took it upon himself to explain to a senior citizen sitting next to him why it was impossible for the older generation to understand his generation.

'You grew up in a different world, actually an almost primitive one,' the student said, loud enough for many of those nearby to hear. 'The young people of today grew up with television, jet planes, space travel, man walking on the moon, our spaceships have visited Mars. We have nuclear energy, electric and hydrogen cars, computers with light-speed processing and,' pausing to take another drink of beer.

The Senior took advantage of the break in the student's litany and said, 'You're right, son. We didn't have those things when we were young... so we invented them. Now, you arrogant little shit, what are you doing for the next generation?'

No More White Rabbit?

song : Ophelia by Natalie Merchant
mood: bookworm
book(s)-in-hand: His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman





Remember these? Brings back memories of childhood past for us 80s babies, don't it? These candies used to be THE item of treats with its immensely fun edible paper wrapped around the creamy candy. It was like a licence to be naughty. Eat paper? Go right ahead! Hahaha.

Maybe that's why I am so whacked in the head now. The Philippine Bureau of Food and Drugs has stated that they contained potentially toxic formaldehyde. Singapore's AVA has also started testing those imported locally for the toxic substance as well. China and the company has hit back viciously of course, denying such claims. Most are also of the view that this might just be another swipe at China from USA in the ongoing spat between the current World Superpower and its pretender to the throne.

Personally I hope White Rabbit doesn't go down in flames. It's a classic candy. Go Rabbit go!

Lose yourself, let it go, let it out : )

Throw it all away
Let's lose ourselves
'Cause there's no one left for us to blame
It's a shame we're all dying
And do you think you deserve your freedom?

Where Is Summer?

But for the grace of God, I cried myself to sleep
Because the grace of God is something I can't keep.
Oh, it won't be long
Before their hold is broken
No, it won't be long
Until we find our home.

Forget where to begin
Mother, I have not sinned
I have not sinned

When summer comes
Light my life
Snow will melt away

The hope and the spirit
I'd rather not feel it
The hope and the spirit
I'd rather not fear it

Milo On The Rocks Please

song : You Belong to Me by Jason Wade
mood: pensive
book(s)-in-hand: His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman

Recently...

...I've been finding it harder and harder to be happy

...I've been finding it harder and harder to connect to those around me

...I've been dreaming more and more about people I don't want to

...I've been withdrawing further and further into myself

...I've been having trouble going to sleep at night

...I've been shelved in "Lost & Un-found"

...I know the feeling I miss is the pulse-racing-when-I-see-her and heart-missing-when-I-don't kind of feeling

...I realised death doesn't scare me. My lack of love to give out does.

...I've come to a crossroads of sorts

...I've been trying very hard to change myself for the better to no avail.

Keep It Short n Simple (KISS)

Found this hilarious. The actors did a good job of keeping it light-hearted and entertaining. Educational too! Haha. Yes, French Kissing wasn't invented by the French. Lastly, remember "if it feels right, you're probably doing it right".




VideoJug: How To Kiss Someone Passionately

I Passed!!!

Free Online Dating

Ume!

song : Say It Right by Nelly Furtado
mood: relaxed
book(s)-in-hand: His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman
&
Flight by various budding mangaka world wide.


This seemingly innocent bottle of "Plum Juice" is actually quite nice! With a mild 15% alcohol content it makes for a nice drink to sip on the rocks to wind down for the day. It is quite amazing the sheer amount of things humankind has tried to ferment into some form of alcohol. Most of it grains and fruit of course. Here's an interesting piece of trivia:

vodka today is produced from grains such as sorghum, corn, rye or wheat. Among grain vodkas, rye and wheat vodkas are generally considered superior. Some vodka is made from potatoes, molasses, soybeans, grapes, sugar beets and sometimes even byproducts of oil refining or wood pulp processing.

July July!

song : July, July! by The Decemberists
mood: lethargic
book-in-hand: Dance Dance Dance - Haruki Murakami

Just felt like listening to a funny song on this funny date 070707.

July, July!
The Decemberists

There is a road that meets the road
That goes to my house
& how the green grows there
& we've got special boots
To beat the path to my house
& it's careful & it's careful when i'm there

& I say your uncle was a crooked french canadian
& he was gut-shot runnin' gin
& how his guts were all suspended in his fingers
& how he held 'em
How he held 'em held, 'em in

& the water rolls down the drain, the water rolls down the drain, oh what a lonely thing! In a lonely drain!

July, July, July! Never seemed so strange (x2)

This is the story of the road that goes to my house
& what ghosts there do remain
& all the troughs that run the length & breadth of my house
& the chickens how they rattle chicken chains

& we'll remember this when we are old & ancient
Though the specifics might be vague
& I'll say your camisole was sprightly light magenta
When in fact it was a nappy blueish grey

& the water rolls down the drain
The blood rolls down the drain
Oh what a lonely thing
In a blood red drain

July, July, July! It never seemed so strange (x2)

Bad Assness

mood: amused


Bad Assassin?
Bad Ass Assin?
Bad Ass A SSin?
Bad Ass As Sin?

In the news

Found out about Chris Benoit's death (WWE wrestler who was supposed to come to Singapore soon) recently. If it was really a drug induced murder-suicide.... tragic.

Also in the news is the 2 murder cases found in a space of 3 hours right in Singapore. Here and here as well. Singapore isn't as safe as we thought eh? But I always suspected there's an animalistic rage in the psyche of Singaporeans that has been repressed by the oppressive nature of our government. Are these incidents social indicators of something hidden that might be starting to leak out of the seams?

All the bad news makes me weary. I wish for some good news.

Thresholds (2)

song : Rehab - Amy Winehouse
mood: weary
book-in-hand: Dance Dance Dance - Haruki Murakami

Silence is golden? Silence means consent? I wonder how those phrase came about... Silence might be greatly appreciated at times and even instances where it is sought after, but the part about it meaning consent? Surely not. Silence means just that - silence. An absence of a reply equates to being ignored my dear.

A person can only try so much for so long. A friendship, like any relationship, is a 2 way thing. There comes a time when the ignored text messages and un-returned phone calls or emails get to be too much and regardless of assurances made or words said, friends start to lose their sincerity.The effort, patience, good nature and kind words seem to be trampled underfoot so easily. No, it's not "prevention of misleading"; it is plain disregard, downright rude and just disrespectful. So with time, friends get buried like chipmunk acorns. Some you remember and dig up again, making the effort once more because you believe again. Some take root and sprout up, making the effort to grow back into your life. Others you forget and there they lay buried underground.

Not that I am a stranger to being ignored. I always seem to end up alone in the end. Just when I thought it was possible for someone as twisted as I am to be really accepted and taking the risk to open was worth it after all, I get shot down. The outstretched hand hoping for support, maybe even expecting it in some sense for once, grasped air yet again. In the end, I still have no one but myself and have to face it alone. The defenses and camouflage should never have come down so thoroughly.

Both Stephen King and Haruki Murakami wrote something to the effect of "I'm older now, I don't fall in love so easily now." and the statement struck me as somewhat defeatist and poignant. It does have an element of truth though. Won't you build higher walls everytime you get hurt to protect yourself in the future? Amidst the ever tougher and higher walls you forget one thing: the gates were opened from within every time. It matters not how high or thick your walls are. You might as well do without them to begin with. At least the view will be clearer.

So, what is your threshold for loneliness? How far would you go to work at a relationship? How long will you keep at shoring up your defenses before realising you are just boxing yourself in and not keeping anyone out. No one deserves to be lonely. Being alone is fine, but lonely isn't.

Really?

A lady friend told me something ....

"A woman can forgive a man of nearly anything, except his failure to ask for forgiveness"

Do you think it's true? I find it hard to believe. Then again, I've always been kind of cynical.

Brainiac

Sam, you are Balanced-brained

That means you are able to draw on the strengths of both the right and left hemispheres of your brain, depending upon a given situation.

When you need to explain a complicated process to someone, or plan a detailed vacation, the left hemisphere of your brain, which is responsible for your ability to solve problems logically, might kick in. But if you were critiquing an art opening or coming up with an original way to file papers, the right side of your brain, which is responsible for noticing subtle details in things, might take over.

While many people have clearly dominant left- or right-brained tendencies, you are able to draw on skills from both hemispheres of your brain. This rare combination makes you a very creative and flexible thinker.

The down side to being balanced-brained is that you may sometimes feel paralyzed by indecision when the two hemispheres of your brain are competing to solve a problem in their own unique ways.