Things you don't actually want but the society deems you should have

I have had a mentor at work.
He wasn't supportive of my wish to move overseas and experience living.
Be it, living alone and be totally independent/helpless, or living overseas for a totally different environment, or pursuing my passion of wanting to perfect myself in another language... whichever it was, this decision isn't going to make me rich.
It probably doesn't come with a bright future either.
Anyway, since he wasn't supportive, I stopped asking for approval.

Recently, we communicated again and he believes I must be in greener pastures to have given up on all that "glorious" days I have had in my previous company. Perhaps, compared to some people, it did seem like I was bound to do well. Personally, a tiny part of me did believe that there could be some good ending to that job but I wasn't sure if I want to spend x years to get to the so-called good promotion/position. Plus, there's no guarantee.

Anyway, I've decided since it's been a while now, I'll be more honest and politely inform him that I'm not in a stable position right now but I'm quite happy so it's okay for me.

Stark rude reply? --> Noted. It seems quite okay as you can feel "quite" happy. It's your life.
Yes, period. That was all I got.

Hmm... I don't know if that's sarcasm there but hey, regarding the so-so attractive promotion/position/bonus that was hinted not promised, and of which anyone who had the patience could get, giving it all up or not is ultimately up to me. Finding that worthy of my time and effort or not is also up to me to decide.
I gave it some thought, I don't want it. As much as most people are going to think those aren't bad rewards, if it's not what I want to be recognised for, it's useless. It's my call.
I see people slogging, lying, pretending just to get there. Maybe that's their life goal but it's not mine. So what if I gave up after 3 years? It's not your problem but mine. Which is why, I decided to go do something that made me happier but out of courtesy, I said "quite". The real loss to me is if I have stayed in a place that allows(/is too blind to see) bad work ethics and gave my youth away but in the end, get none of that "promised land".

I know I'm not always good at making decisions but looking at time vs money, my youth is worth so much more.

As we mourn the loss of a brilliant mind and a national identity

Woke up to the news of your passing this morning, Sir.
As with most great figures, you shall be shunned when you were living for everything that you've done or did not do.
And as we watch you go, everyone will cherish you more than ever. We will be thankful and we will weep.
And there, you've left behind a legacy that will be talked about.
Over the years, the stories may change and it wouldn't matter anymore.
One day, you might become a legend, some sort of hero who was a Singaporean.
May you have gone in peace and may our country continue to prosper as you have built it to be.
Rest in peace.

My first really bad cold in Japan

I caught a really bad cold that developed over the days until I finally had fever and had to go to to the doctor. He's a doctor nearby and it's a pretty fancy clinic that looks like a mini hospital. Anyway, over here, most people will say "let's go to the hospital" (病院に行く) when it's just a common sickness they have. I guess we have different medical systems.

Anyway, in Singapore, a typical visit to the clinic would be, first, fall sick.

Or first, pretend to be sick.

Well, go in, register, get a queue number, see the doctor and get on with your problems real fast or give him a grandmother's story. Sometimes, he's the one telling the story. Finally, get back outside and wait for the missy to call your name where you get your medicine and pay.

My first visit to the clinic/mini hospital was pretty different!

Of course, you wait to go in as usual.

I was number 2 that day and the first patient was a mum with 2 kids.

They went in and came out. Of which, I would be expecting my turn next.

Then the nurse came out of the doctor's office and blabbered something, asking for her to go in again which she happily and quickly agreed to.

I thought one of them must have a serious problem. I mean, to see the doctor twice?!

Did they take a test or something?

Finally, it's my turn.

We went through my medical history and symptoms and he did the basic checks and he let me out.

So I sat down, waiting to pay and get out when the nurse asked me to go in again.

Hur? Why?

Apparently, you go in the second time to have the doctor tell you how to take your medicine.

How meticulous!

Anyway, he repeated about 2-3 times to make sure I take the correct amount of dosage, maybe because I'm gaijin (a foreigner) :P

I don't know if all clinics/hospitals do that but I was pretty impressed, both by how they took care of everything little thing and long I spent an hour in there when there were only 3 patients.

The internet is going viral over Mr Lee Kuan Yew's condition (and shame on you sick people!)

Even though I'm away, my friends and family are still updating me on Mr Lee Kuan Yew's situation. It's sad to hear that his condition is only worsening.

At times, we might not have liked him very much.

We might have criticized him or his party and even made jokes about them.

Whatever it was, I think we can agree that we're very thankful for where Singapore is today.

On the internet, there are still some sick people creating hoaxes about his condition and this is NOT FUNNY.

No matter how much you hate him (even if you have a personal feud, please deal with it privately), have you ever watched an old men die?

My grandfather passed away last year.

We weren't close and I've probably never been his favourite grandchild. 

Even so, watching him during the last moments was difficult.

We tried talking to him and he couldn't really respond. His consciousness was dying. 

It probably started from his vision... then his hearing... 

I passed my driving license while he was sick so he never got to ride in my car. 

When we visited, I asked my dad to tell him that I've passed and we showed him the license and put it in his hands. He couldn't really say much but I guess he sort of smiled. When we were taking back the license, he held on to it so tight. Maybe that was all that he had left.

Over the days, his breathing only got weaker.

On the last day, breathing became so difficult, he was just gasping for air.

Every once in a while, he would miss a beat and you would have thought he's gone.

I didn't get to see him at the very last moment and I cannot imagine how that last breath would have been like.

It's been a year now and even though we weren't close, still it eats away a part of you.

I can only hope that Mr Lee is in a comfortable state, whatever it might be.

so into cooking (a beginner's post)

I don't know how to say this but I'm really into the auntie hobbies, e.g., going to supermarkets, cooking, finding the cheaper deals, saving water (but because I'm environmentally friendly :)) <-- not a double chin.

Since I've been living alone, I've gotten A LOT more opportunities to make my own food.
So far, 99% edible and maybe 20% delicious.
So I've decided I'm going to improve my cooking!!

 In the first month, the first photo was actually all the food from the supermarket but I just want to show you who I was watching while having my ossan dinner (Japanese middle-aged man style:  beer and some dishes to go along with the alcohol. of course not forgetting the tv). Then, I made some pasta and mashed potatoes because I didn't have rice yet.

Here is when I received my first visitor and we had nabe (hotpot) for dinner and toast + eggs + oranges for breakfast. I also made curry and that hideous looking thing that seems like whine's food actually tasted good.

Finally after weeks of living like a refugee, I moved into the room I'm in now and got my cooking apparatus and R-I-C-E. The first row was actually what I've prepared along with my junior who's also here and that was our new year course meal.
The second row was just oden (like yong tau foo), a bowl stuffed with rice, fried eggs and some meat & vege. That last one? You must be kidding me if you didn't get it.
By the way, it was Ando Momofuku san's 105th birth anniversary yesterday so let's take a moment to thank him for his instant noodles invention. By the way, he's Taiwanese.

 Getting more adventurous, sesame with spinach, granola + strawberry for a healthy choice, curry rice decorated like cafe style, fried rice, salad using kinako powder + honey + yoghurt, and a random chinese style dish with rice.

 With New Year and Chinese New Year, there's gotta be some special food. Takoyaki with my first takoyaki machine and chinese dumplings (yes, handmade) and Singaporean style yusheng (a dish of raw fish and sliced vege).

Here are my more luxurious dishes, usually with a fish for the meal, I cannot possibly stuff everything into a bowl so I had to lay them out.
And the last row, well, it was Valentine's Day last month so I tried out some handmade chocolates because they were selling the ingredients EVERYWHERE. It's so readily available I couldn't not buy anything.

I AM SO HUNGRY NOW and gawd, I miss Chinese food a lot.

Getting back on track again

After lots of procrastination, I'm starting to study Japanese again.
I signed up with a voluntary group and I'll be meeting my teacher in a week's time :)
I also went to the store and found this really comprehensive book for self-studying.
Feeling good now.
I feel like I can really do it.

How did I get all this motivation?
Well, a kid of mine just passed her entrance exam into her dream high school.
We've been working on it for months and we're really happy!
Anyway, like I said, the last time she made me real depressed so I've decided I should really start doing things instead of just staying lazy and taking the easier way out.


So you see, here I am learning the kids' language while they are learning mine.
I must say, apart from being more wise given the age advantage, some really crack me up!
Example, "cat" and "rat".
If you can read "cat", I'll give you a hint that "r" sounds like "rrrrrrr" and you should try and read "rat" which is why I said "cat (points to both words) and rrrrrr (points to r)".
You would expect the kid to say "rrrr... rat!"
No, the kid repeated after me,"cat and rrrrr".
Why, you have a talent at being a parrot.

Some are so not concentrating, when I ask "what is this?" and they answer "purple!".
I shake my head and they go, "2?"

Good try, hahaha.

Japan 101: Japan for the first time, where should I go?

Yen (JPY) is really cheap thanks to the prime minister's "Abenomics"  it's so cheap to visit Japan now!
Wait, I know most of you cannot understand FX terms so you can refer to this entry to review.

Top 5 Cities to Visit on your Virgin Trip

1. Tokyo
It's going to be "Singapore, Singapore" like it will always be "Tokyo, Japan", if you know what I mean~
I don't really know what I meant but if you got it, you must be one kind of a genius :)

Tokyo is the capital city of Japan and it is a bizarre mix of so many things!
You will be missing out if you've never been to the other great cities of Japan (like Kyoto) but something's missing if you've been to everywhere else but Tokyo.
Moreover, Tokyo has an efficient (I did not say "easy") railway system and helpful tourists' information counters located in almost all of their popular tourists spots.
Even if you can't speak their language, it's quite possible to travel without much difficulty.

2. Kanagawa
Kanaga... what?
Kanagawa is located south of Tokyo and its name might not sound so familiar to you but it houses Yokohama and Kamakura. The train ride takes about 40 mins ~ 1 hour (more about trains next time, okay? don't bitch yet) and Mt Fuji is visible from both Tokyo and Yokohama.

Yokohama was one of the main ports that was opened up for foreign trade. While you'd think the place will have much western influence, Yokohama is also famous for its Chinatown.
There is Chinatown all over the world because we have Chinese in all corners of the world. (Yay or nay?)
The usual Chinatown is often old and dirty but I must say, Chinatown in Japan and Singapore are one of the cleanest that I've seen in the world. Then again, it kind of feels like something's missing without all that porky/drain smell floating amongst the dark and torn buildings.

Further west, Kanagawa-ken (prefecture) also sits a big Buddha. Welcome to Kamakura.
Maybe you aren't interested in history but of the eras in Japanese history, Kamakura was one of the significant ones. There, you'd find temples, an old street and a beach.

3. Osaka
The food paradise of Japan!!!! Glico man says "yay"!

In Osaka, you can visit Dotonburi which is an area filled with eateries. The place is famous due to its crazy many and huge neon light signs that line the streets. Osaka is one of the busiest city in Japan and the people in Kansai (west side of Japan) are famous for their outspoken personality and humour.
Rumour has it that if you pretend to shoot any random Kansai (Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe) person with your hand shaped like a gun, they will pretend to look like they were shot. Funny~

But here's an interesting fact, Osaka is well known for Kushiyaki (fried stuff on a stick) and it is known that you CANNOT dip any stick into the sauce TWICE. The sauce is put in a shared pot so if you dip it once, take a bite and want some more of that sauce, you're dirtying the pot with your saliva~~ Anyway, that wasn't the interesting fact. The interesting thing was a Japanese TV programme actually did a survey on this and found out that less than 10% of the Osaka people have EVER eaten Kushiyaki in their entire lives. It is like not all Englishmen eat fish and chips. It is not common to their diet. It was just an image that spread. Okonomiyaki and Takoyaki on the other hand, are popular local treats :)

4. Kyoto
Tokyo is the fashion capital.
Osaka is a gourmet land, and
Kyoto is old.
Unlike the old streets you see around Japan, the whole of Kyoto is pretty old.
Old doesn't mean dirty.
The place isn't famous for skyscrapers or neon lights.
Kyoto is the old capital of Japan but unlike most ancient capitals in the world, the place remains intact. Kyoto is elegant, beautiful and a little mysterious.
You DO get to see geisha(s) & maiko(s) walking around in kimono.
One of my favourite places in Japan!

5. Sapporo
Sapporo is the main city for Hokkaido and while it does not have as much to offer compared to the other cities in Hokkaido, Sapporo serves as a good introduction to the perpetual chilly island (?) Sapporo also has a Chitose airport that serves international and domestic lines. The neighbouring cities are also easily accessible by train or bus.

If you are still concerned with the radiation levels, I think this was one of the best articles for layman-- a BBC article that used bananas to describe the levels of radiation. Also, refer to BED (banana equivalent dose) #imanerd

Helio~ New Year Resolutions?

It was Chinese (Lunar) New Year 2 weeks back. Welcome to the Year of Goat, everyone!
I didn't have holiday so I didn't get to go back to Singapore for the celebration. Hope everyone's doing good back there.

To make up for it, some of us have met up and lao-ed yusheng. I miss this yummy shit.
The first one I went for started out as a courage test because we didn't have plum sauce. I was given the task to get it from Chinatown but I couldn't find it. To digress a little, I spoke with a Canto granny who was raised and born here but still speaks pretty good mandarin! Anywho, we used honey, soy sauce, some odd plum sauce (the only plum sauce we could find), and sweet thai chilli (what?!)...
Turns out, the dish was pretty yummy! I think the cinnamon powder, pepper and the Chinese 5-spice powder did the magic.

Settling into my new job and well, it's not all smooth sailing but it's okay.

Sometimes I get real frustrated, not sure if it's due to work or my biological mood swings.

Then every now and then, I always try to remind myself that as much as it does seem like an easy job, I am probably here for a reason and there are going to be things to be learnt. Even if they are the simplest lessons in life.

Be patient, be calm and be kind.

I've figured how as a 'superior', someone obedient does make your life easier. Also, people who (even if they pretends to) like you do make you feel happier about yourself or the stuff that you're doing for/with them. 

People aren't perfect and I cannot expect them to be. Some aren't smart and some of those think the world of themselves. Some can't accept failure or mistakes. Some... are just the reflections of parts of me.

Gawd, I can be so irritating!

Good health everyone!