Japanese, the Jogaholic

The first thing I notice in Japan, is that, whenever and wherever you are, you will sure see somebody jogging over you.

This makes me ponder upon why are they doing so?

Perhaps that is why Japanese are slimmer? I think I lost weight after coming to Japan for about two months.

A mobile phone service provider, Au, even has this Run & Walk club, which records how many steps you have walked, and how many calories you have consumed by doing that exercise.
http://run.auone.jp/everyone/index.html

They are also having this '5 Minutes Walk Makes You Better' campaign. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDV2rDGNwYE
The number people joining this community is increasing.

What makes you think they are addicted to to jogging is that, there are many marathon events in the country, all around the year. It so happened that today is the once-a-year Tsukuba Marathon. This is the 29th Tsukuba Marathon. The weather was not that great, drizzling and 9 Celcius, the coldness just seeps through your clothes, and there were so many people eager to join the marathon. To join the 42.2km marathon, you will be charged 4500 yen, and 4000 yen for the 10km run.















An even more surprising fact: University of Tsukuba even has this 1-credit Tsukuba Marathon course, which prepares the students to join the annual Tsukuba Marathon.

When being asked why are the people jogging at odd hours, these are the reasons:
1. Most of the Japanese are working long hours. So after coming back from job, jogging at odd hours are considered normal.
2. Some of the time are less packed, which ease them to jog.
3. Some time are warmer, which is better for jogging.

我在日本的文化冲击（一）

用铅笔的文化

在马来西亚的时候，日本人都在用铅笔或笔芯笔。来到了日本，就理做当然地用铅笔来书写。

怎么知道，实验室的学长却说：“实验室里有好几个规则是你必须遵守的。就好像说，现在你用着的铅笔，在实验室是被禁止使用的。”当时听了，真的吓傻了。日本人不是都用铅笔的吗？印象中，好像还是日本人发明了笔芯笔的。铅笔上的橡皮檫，也好像是日本人改进的。

结果，再观察四周的人，他们都好像都在用圆珠笔！

中学的时候，老师说过，除了图表等绘画用途，书写都得使用圆珠笔。心想：“可能在日本也是这么样吧。”

于是，再问了一下，得到了更惊人的答案--所有的东西，无论书写或制图，都用圆珠笔！

大概，这可能和实验室是理科实验室的关系，教授要学生们减少出新的错误，而让学生们用圆珠笔吧。再打听，却得到不同的结论：为了避免使用笔芯笔时，笔心弹出，而卡在键盘当中，所以禁止使用。同样的道理，用橡皮檫的橡皮屑也会粘在键盘。所以就禁止了铅笔的使用。

那，我日文功课要用铅笔书写，要怎么办？看来只有回到宿舍才可以做日文练习了。

My Many First Times (Part 1)

So, finally on 1 October 2009, 10.55pm, I stepped onto the plane, JL724 which will bring me from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo in Japan. At 7.04am, I arrived the Narita International Airport.

On the plane, I was mistaken as Japanese, and not given the cards of declaration and embarkation, which are needed to be filled in by foreigners. Even the air-stewardess spoke Japanese to me. I was terribly sorry, but I spoke English to them in the end.

It was my first time taking plane overseas, and my first time travelling overseas.

On the plane, I saw for the first time, sun rise in the plane.

Next, it is the first time I passed through the customs at Narita International Airport, which took me less than 15 minutes in all to pass through all procedures. Quite efficient of them.

Going on, I took the bus ride from the airport to the town of my university, Tsukuba City. Well, the way of Japanese managing bus luggages are quite different from Malaysian. They tag your luggages, and give you numbers, and they limit the luggage in their baggage storage. Instead of that, you will have to bring all your luggages which cannot be put into the storage right onto the bus.

Spaghetti

I am home!

Since I am the onle person at home, and I have no car, nor bicycle, and the nearest shop which sells food is 1km away, so I have resort to cooking by myself.

Why cook by myself? You know, when you have to walk 1km to eat and another 1km to go back home, whatever you eat will be 'eaten up' by your body in the process of walking... So no point walking over there and eat, must so cook by myself.

I have decided to cook spaghetti, since it is the easiest, and I have all the ingredients at home. But when I opened my fridge, I found that my spaghetti sause became mouldy...
So I was thinking of using the Tom Yam paste as my sause alternative...

This is the spaghetti being cooked. You should press the others into the boiling water, which some salt and oil has been added into it. This is just at the beginning, where I have just put in the spaghetti.

But in the end... I bought a can of tomato puree.

And finally, the spaghetti, ready to be served! (Some one said it looks like mee goreng)

Sakura in Malaysia

Spring is coming in Japan... So does here in Malaysia!!!

I happened to see this last year, but not as fantastic as this year does!!! Plus... the tree is in pink!!! Should have make this as the rememberance of my final year in Engineering Campus here.

The piece de resistance!






I never imagined that the scene in a Japan tourist guide can be sight of here.
















Just like what you can see in the guide book!

















To imagine that this is in Malaysia, and what's more, a small town call Nibong Tebal!!! Unbelievable!
































Right in front of the front gate of my university!

















There are sakura trees....

But in fact, they are called as pink tecoma.

Scenic Sight in Nibong Tebal

It was our night...
Venue: Bukit Jawi Golf Club
Date: 13 February 2009

Pineapple Tarts for CNY

Wow! CNY has arrived... To have biscuits is a must... I am proud to tell others that I am making some tarts myself.


This is the pineapple jam for the pineapple tarts. Imagine using a blender to blend four pineapples and cook the juice of them until they become like this... I heard it took some of the people hours doing so (I wonder their sweat mixed well with the jam?) I put the juice into a microwave oven for 2 hours 40 minutes, then cooked it on stove for about 15 minutes. Luckily it did not take me long at the stove... or else I dare anyone would eat my tarts.





These are the tarts which I am going to put into the oven. Bad shapes though, I am not good at art. Next time I should consider slicing my dough into equal sizes and weight, then use a mould to help me. This was the last batch to be put into the oven that day... I made 130 tarts on that day. Another 140 tarts before I got back to the campus.

Well, just to console myself: This is what we call hand-made products. No one blames you for making awful shape cookies, as long as they are edible. I am not following Six Sigma production. Not suitable to be a quality engineer. I think my GR&R (Gauge Repeatability and Reproducibility) would be 60%. Don't mind about that... just try to relate what I have learnt in my lectures (maybe my lecturers would be happy listening to this)


Now you see why I said no one cares? They are put into cans... no one will notice the big difference... The trick is at the packaging... Perhaps I should opt for marketing... haha

Odd shapes make more prices... try ask your mothers... It is more original, I guess one of the reason.... Should I chop my mark on my biscuits? Maybe that will be more expensive... Odd makes it special? (That's why we call them home specialty, right?)

Sabah Trip December 2008

Period: 30 November 2008 - 5 December 2008

This life-jacket is too small for me. Can't they just give me a larger one? In the end, on the next trip, the guide gave me a larger one indeed...

On one of the islands of Taman Negara Tunku Abdul Rahman, Sabah.

This was what we ate for lunch on the island.

The Pine Resort, our lodging on the first day.

View of Pine Resort at night. There was one snake under one of the chalet.

Mount Kinabalu.

Taking my first flight in life. Air Asia.

Can you see my sun burn?

This one?

It is not apparent yet, I think. But I suffered a lot when skin started to peel off days after...

CNY 2009

Date: 28 January 2009 (Wednesday) - Third day of Chinese New Year
Time: 7.00pm
Venue: Milwaukee, Metro Prima, Kepong, KL

Everyone seems to be satisfied with the food?

Trying to moved backward so that I would not be too big. :D

Best Friends

Our Gang (Opps... watch out that hand!!!)
Our Gang II

Still the same, our gang!!!
Attendees: (standing, from left) Tuck Mun, Serene, Choon Hoe, Mei Chee, Sin Yee, Swee Fong
(sitting, from left) Kar Kheun, Guang Yi, Yoong Keen, Kwan Yee


Our gang... (Maybe we should consider taking photos before eating or when the food is served, rather than after we have eaten?)