So, I came up with this lame idea to write some of the things I experienced during my four day trip to Tokyo. Well, three actually if you discounted that first day when I first arrived, and that last day where I didn't go anywhere except straight to Narita.

Without further ado, let's start with note number one.

TOKYO FIVE DAY NOTES - DENSHA 01

Densha is the Japanese word for "Trains". Why am I writing about trains on my first note to Japan? Because trains are what brought me to Tokyo in the first place. Trains are the integral part of the whole transportation system in Japan.

- Take the train, it's cheaper -

When I first arrived in Narita, I recalled something I read about making trip to Tokyo: Never take a taxi from Narita to Tokyo. They're bloody expensive and the distance from Narita to Tokyo is bloody far. Plus, unbearable traffic. A train ride to Tokyo will cost only around 1000 yen, that's 38 ringgit more or less, and really worth the ride. You can see part of Japan's life spectrum just from a train ride.

- Know your lines -

At the guidance of my friend Daiki, I learned that trains in Greater Tokyo has many lines. Knowing which Line to take is really important in making your way around Tokyo. That ride from the airport to my friend's house alone took me on three different lines, and two different train companies to boot: the Keisei Company and the JR East Company. It's best to bring a Line map just in case that diagram in the ticketing booth can't help.

English can help you, but only for a short while. Trust me on this, you will need a Japanese person to guide you on your way to the trains, or better yet, you know Japanese. As far as I know, only several stations has a railway line map with English written on it. JR East has trains that speak English on most of its line, although maybe that would be a bit too late if you want to know where you're going in advance. Plus, you have to know which line goes to your destination. Even with my meager Japanese language skills I still got lost on my way from Akabane to Nippori.

Fortunately, these lines are color coded for your convenience. For example, the Yamanote line that encircles an area within Tokyo is colored light green, and this line goes through most of the famous destinations such as Shibuya, Shinjuku, Harajuku, Akihabara and Ikebukuro. I think I spent most of my time on the Yamanote line, listening to the jingles. I'll touch on the jingles on my next note.

つづく

Soklannyer senang jer.

Huhuhu....interview tu ambil masa lebih kurang 20 minit jer. Soklannyer bukannya banyak pun. Tapi.... arghh... result keluar 12 Nov nih. Kalau tak berjaya aku nak berkelana.

1. Citerkan tentang diri awak.
2. Kamu ambil bahasa Jepun yer. Kenapa?
3. Apa pendapat kamu tentang isu kuil di Shah Alam tu.
4. Sebagai perancang bandar, kamu akan berpihak kepada siapa?
5. Apa yang kamu faham tentang "pembangunan mampan"
6. Pada pendapat kamulah, adakah Putrajaya ini mencapai pembangunan mampan?
7. Bagaimana pula dengan Shah Alam?
8. Apa aspirasi kamu?
9. Ada soalan kepada kami?

SPA Interview!

8 pagi 11/09/09. Temuduga SPA.

Cemas. Khuatir. Risau.

Jawatan kontrak. Perancang Bandar. J41.

Soalan latarbelakang. Isu semasa. Perihal jawatan.

Esok. Terbit. Soalan.

Doakan saya berjaya. Lepasi temuduga. Dapat jawatan!

abc

You've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with the ABCs of YOU.

A - Age: 23 years and 11 months

B - Bed Size: Single

C - Chore you hate: Mopping

D - Dad's name: Abd. Aziz

E - Essential start-your-day item: Wristwatch

F - Favorite colours: White, Blue, Black

G - Gold or Silver: Silver

H - Height: 1.75m

I - Instruments you play (ed): Recorder

J- Job title: 24/7 retail assistant's assistant

K - Kid(s): Soon.

L - Living arrangements: Parents.

M - Mom's name: Noraida

N - Nicknames: Noll, Enol, Ipin, Pin, Paine, Aripiyayin, Aripunandos, Aripinarnia, Bluer

O - Overnight hospital stay: Never.

P - Pet Peeve: Unnecessary noises.

Q - Quote from a movie: I've a bad feeling about this.

R - Right or left hand: Right.

S - Siblings: Two brother and two sisters

T - Time you wake up: 7.30 am

U - Underwear: Owns whatever underwear there is out there, but mostly boxerbriefs

V - Vegetable you dislike: Gourds, cucumber

W - Ways you run late: late night internet surfing.

X - X-rays you've had: Two?

Y - Yummy food you make: Scrambled eggs.

Z - Zoo favorite: Birds.

Be responsible

My throat's dry. I'm coughing. My nose isn't running, but I'm still inhaling mucus. Looks like it's time for some spring cleaning.

Grey clouds are marching over the sky. The air is still, though occasionally a cool breeze drifts. The sun is hidden, struggling to get its light through. It was victorious, shining its golden light over the landscape, though the grey clouds persist.

I didn't have dinner last night, so my stomach's grumbling this morning. Was thinking of scramble eggs, but we ran out of bread. Went to the shop, but it wasn't open yet. Couldn't afford to wait for half an hour. Returned empty-handed, and chugged a glass of warm lime.

An article I wrote in Wikipedia got featured in the main page yesterday. That is some feat, you see, considering Wikipedia has a great number of nonsensical policy and anal police running amok. I stopped contributing majorly years ago.

I find it strange. We have close to 2000 cases of swine flu and 37+ deaths from it, but Germany has 9000 cases and no deaths so far! Japan has 5000 cases, and nobody's dieing? Philippines has 3200 cases - and only 9 deaths?

I'm gonna go drink 8 glasses of water now.

Mean? Sarcastic? Me?

I was tagged to do this. So, yeah. Read on.

If an annoying person says:
1) I am cute.
YR: Yes, you are. *snrk*

2) I am the most beautiful/handsome.
YR: The maggots would love to chew on that.

3) See, everyone likes me because I am rich and famous!
YR: That's a sad existence..

4) Unlike you, I am perfectly multi-skilled. I do everything very well from sports to academic thingy.
YR: It's a wonder you're not solving world hunger yet.

5) You don’t know me? I am Bruneian artist; I have albums.
YR: Oh, the ones that didn't sell, huh.

If an annoying hot woman/man says:
1) I know you like me.
YR: Only on the outside.

2) What are you looking at? I am not interested in you!
YR: No, it's just that, you make a pretty good traffic light.

3) Sorry, you are nice but seriously not my type!
YR: Its a wonder your brain had the capacity to judge.

4) UNLESS you are rich, then don’t dream that I will get a ride with you!
YR: I pity the fool riding with you.

5) Look, I am pretty/handsome; I can make people hate you!
YR: And I care about what others think, when?

If an annoying extremely ugly woman/man says:
1) I think you and I can make a good couple.
YR: No, you're better off alone.

2) May I have your cell phone? Please please please?
YR: I'm sorry, only people I care have it.

3) Hi, wanna hang out? I want you to be with me the whole night.
YR: I'm really busy... with life.

4) What do you like about me?
YR: That's a pretty difficult question (silent for five minutes) got a clue yet?

5) I want you to say that I am pretty/handsome and you like me sooooo much!
YR: How much would you pay me?

If your enemy says:
1) Hi bitch!
YR: Your vocab's pretty limited, eh.

2) You smell like shit!
YR: You've been washing toilets for too long, that's all you ever smell.

3) What an ugly creature you are!
YR: It gets one to know one.

4) I am going to kick your ass in this race for sure!
YR: Does it really matter?

If your annoying ex says:
1) I still love you...
YR: And I still don't.

2) I know you still love me!
YR: I guess you don't know me that much.

3) Please, go back with me honey/hubby.
YR: Please, leave me alone (sarcastic cry)

4) Please call me...
YR: My credits are too precious to be spent on ya.

5) The break up hurt me so much.
YR: You get what you ask for.

If an annoying salesperson says:
1) Wow! You are so pretty/handsome!
YR: Either you have a very good eye, or a very bad mouth. I'm rooting for the latter.

2) Seriously, I used this product and I've changed!
YR: For the worse?

3) We are giving a discount up to 50%!
YR: It must be a pretty worthless product.

4) This one is good sir/madam. Buy sir/madam, buy.
YR: You really have no faith in your product to resort to begging?

Verdict: I'm a nice guy.

I tag people who wasted at least three seconds reading my entry. Go go go....or not.

I has a webcomix

It hit me while I was in the bathroom. Dur dur dur...

...I was cleaning said bathroom.

Masuk Akal?

Ini aku dapat dari sorang member yang forward dari sorang member.

"Cuba fikirkan. Seorang lelaki Inggeris masuk ke dalam pub membawa buku agama Islam. Sedang dia membaca buku tu, seorang pemuda muslim yang mabuk menegurnya. "Hei, mana boleh bawak buku agama Islam masuk pub." Lelaki Inggeris itu membalas, "habis awak Muslim, macam mana pula awak boleh masuk pub? Pemuda muslim itu terdiam dan tersipu-sipu malu."

Memang tak masuk akal langsung. Pertama, pemuda muslim. Kedua, dia mabuk. Hey, member, kalau betul dier muslim macam mana pulak dier boleh mabuk? Kalau dier mabuk minum arak, lagi aku tak boleh terima. Ni agenda memburukkan penganut agama Islam ker? Lagi satu, takkan perpustakaan dah takder nak baca buku agama oi!

Apasallah member aku ni, suka ati jer forward benda-benda mengarut ni. Apasal bodoh sangat?

Face the music

I must face the music. I may be the son of a commercial airline pilot who earns thousands of ringgits a week - but I'm not rich. That money is not my money. Therefore I am a poor boy of the slums.

I am jobless. I have a study debt of RM17,000 ++. I owe it to my parents for my food, lodging and clothes (which mainly consists of my father's old clothes). I am helpless without them, my father especially.

And yesterday one scenario summoned that truth which smacked me right in the face. I am too dependent of my parents. I thought I was well to-do. I thought I could get anything that money could buy. No. Those things are lies.

Today onwards, I must realize, I am not rich. I am moneyless. And I must live with that truth in mind. No more desires. No more pride. Live with what I have, and don't ask for anything.

Last minute

I've been doing things in the last minute! Here's a list:

1. Last minute spell check
2. Last minute book binding
3. Last minute job application
4. Last minute appeal for a marks revision
5. Last minute cleaning laundry for interview the next day
6. Last minute application for visa
7. Last minute buying travel tickets
8. Last minute cancellation of invitation
9. Last minute grocery shopping for feast the next day
10. Last minute call about book reservation
11. Last minute grammar correction
12. Last minute consultation on paper
13. Last minute laundry pickup
14. Last minute asking for a sleepover
15. Last minute request for a holiday

There's actually more but I feel this too much a punishment already. Haha.

Cita-cita? Aper tu? Is it edible?

Aku akan menghadap pensyarah untuk sesi "viva" menjelang April. Kendian aku kena jilid paper aku lepas tu kasi hardcover. Then, I'll be waiting for my convocation, officially receiving my degree.

Persoalannya, apakah jalan yang akan aku tempuhi selepas ini? Sekrg aku tgh buat bodo, tolong mak aku dgn cafe dimsum dobi dier. What then, working in that post for all eternity?

Bonda tersayang mencadangkan supaya aku memohon lesen penerbangan untuk menjadi seorang juruterbang komersil. Tapi yg problem nyer, aku rabun dan pakai glasses. My father insists that this condition will affect my application and I will be rejected.

Yang amat menghairankan, ayahanda seakan sanggup untuk membayar bagi rawatan untuk memulihkan penglihatanku. Bapak aku ni betul ker or dier ni main2 nak sedapkan ati aku? And I have a feeling I'm not cut out to become a pilot.

Aku masih tidak dapat menentukan masa depan aku - bagaimana jika sudah sampai masa untuk aku berkongsi hidup dengan teman takdirku? Xker jd masalh nnti, dgn duit blnjanyer, nak buat anaknyer, pastu makbapak sure nk rs duit kiter gak! And here I am, a 23 year old male, still deciding what to become when I graduate!

Sesiapa sahaja diluar sana, sudikah anda membantu? Kasila opinion, apa yg korg pikir boleh tolg aku? I am very computer literate, I love languages, I have short attention span, I don't care much about other people's problems, I play video games and read books, I love to travel abroad, I am addicted to the internet and I don't keep like to keep pets.