All in a day's work

it's been 3 months since i last logged into livejournal. HAHA. i should get back into the habit of blogging, i think army has taken that big part away from me.

Today - CNY Day 2

Went up north to my dad's business associate's place in this rather remote village in JB (well, just a half hour ride from the city centre). Dinner was particularly exciting. Stir-fried vegetables taken from the backyard, and this most amazing 'kampung' duck. Tender and fresh.

We were brought around the village, and it totally brought back memories of Vietnam, where people were friendly and hospitable, and neighbours look out for each other. Doors were wide open, and people seemed to have known each other for ages (i think they really do). I guess it's really easy to spot who's not from the village, cause everyone knows everyone. How amazing.

And then, the firecrackers and fireworks came... rockets, poppers etc. It was so freaking awesome, it prompted this blog post. If i could, i'd buy some back to SG and release them. If i could, i'd bring my friends to experience that. Watching fireworks, playing with firecrackers, sipping wine, with some CNY snacks at the side, and not forgetting kong ming lanterns drifting across the sky. What quality of life.

yeah. and it was nice seeing my dad have so much fun. HAHA!

i feel like doing something crazy right now, to make me feel alive.... am i looking for self-fulfillment?

Went for a group interview today. 2 other guys in the same group. Well, i thought the interview went well. but i must say i was offended at one of the interviewers remarks and some comments. If this was not an interview, i would have retorted and shot back. BUT, this WAS an interview.. interviewer was the most senior person in the room... bo bian, smile and agree, even though i was tempted to rebuke.. 

One question which i found highly amusing. 
Interviewer: *with a smirk on his face* So.. have you all known and exchanged numbers?
(Probably to see how 'sociable' we are)

Well, think about it. I'm there for an interview, the other guy is there for an interview. Our objective, the interview. Yes we talk, but... exchanging numbers before even entering the interview room is just plain weird when we only spoke for 5mins. I really wonder if the interviewer does that. 

There were many others but it's over! So i shan't bother so much about it.. as much as i would want to do some mental embarrassment to the interviewer, i guess it's best to just smile and get over with it! C'est la Vie!

back from my 8-day Japan trip, and it sure was one hell of an eye opener.

i must self-praise for my planning.. cause it turned out good. the climax of the trip being the hot springs and fireworks in the night, over at Lake Toya. hahahaha!

and food over at Japan was so mind-blowingly good. average cost of a meal per person, 1000yen = approx $16. but yeah, we also had the economical beef bowls at 250yen, a box of 5 cherry tomatoes at 270yen, yakitori at 100yen each, 1 apple for 150yen, ramen at 600 yen, bento sets at 1000 yen, sashimi at 1500yen and SNOW CRAB at 8000yen!! but the snowcrab was well worth the price. paired it up with a relatively premium bottle of sake we bought from the sake gallery, it'll be my last meal before i die.

Service was to die-for. The endless arigato gozaimasu.. and bowing.. and arigato again.. and bowing again.. hahaha.. such hospitable people! and i had fun with the toilets, although most bathrooms in our rooms were really small.

We had such good meals.. raw seafood with the freshness of the sea. and agriculture is BIG there.. if i was a Japanese, i'd be a farmer. Selling melons at 4000yen each is such good business. pricey but quality crops! their supermarket was such an experience.. i never had such fun in a supermarket. hahaha... and wines go so cheap there, dad and i was amazed. we had lots of alcohol there.. sake and beer and choya and sweet wine. hahaha..

shopping, yes shopping. got 2 pairs of shoes for about $50 each. could never get such great deals anywhere else. HAHA!

We had a taste of the youthful nightlife over at Sapporo. As nightfalls, the shopping street and the Odori park gets filled with youths. stunt bikers, skateboarders, bboys, lockers n poppers, dancers, buskers with their guitars (their voices SOOOO GOOD!), magicians too, all strutting their stuff and using that place as a practice ground. it'll be nice if we had one such place for the youths, with youths who would work so hard to pursue such dreams.

oh, and Sapporo and Tokyo were the only 2 places with nightlife. The other places we went in Hokkaido, shops close at around 7. what's left after 9, the 24-hour convenience stall. cup noodles anyone? hahahaha..

Going green was the name of the game. People moved around in bicycles, they walked, they use skateboards, and public transport. street congestion in these places, non-existent i must say.. cars waited for pedestrians, no honking at all..

Japan was great, no, it was fantastic. Seen a lot, learnt a lot, and experienced a hell lot more. oh yes, and i did the public baths. which means getting naked with other men and soaking in a big common pool of hot spring water. HAHA.

So looking forward to Sunday. it'll be a nice change to go overseas. ahhh, the smell of Japan... And the smell of cool autumn air...

would like to have a little alcohol tonight, but... because i'm still on some medication, i guess not. Hope to check out one of those izakaya bars over at sapporo. HAHA!

Voluntary work today, another new and invigorating experience which i was really glad to be involved in.. looking at them with drips, it made me realize how lucky i am. And i hope everyone had a good share of fun, parents and children alike. Happy Children's Day!

kinda feeling a little uneasy. I have no idea why i get such random bouts.

I should go exercise it out. Maybe i've been too lazy sitting around and just doing my readings, i need to go out and take a walk, run maybe. i'll do that tomorrow. for tonight, i'll just relax. maybe a a small glass of whiskey would do me well.. and i realized that Macallan that i was drinking all this while... doesnt come cheap. HAHA.

Decided to finish up my application for SIT, and i finally sat down to write up a short statement on myself. Was supposed to write something about a personal achievement, something about my goals in life, and my plans for the future. Well, it got me thinking about what are my goals in life. I wrote to 'have meaningful connections with people all around the world'. It sounds like something so abstract.. but it essentially means being able to travel all around the world, and have friends all around the world, as we become more interconnected than ever. 

A few more documents and i'll be done with the application.. 

 like how it should be, take it neat. yeah. why waste a nice single scotch by adding mixers! 

haha.. i wanted to try making my own vodka, but i'm a bit skeptical about how it'll turn out. haha.. or it's money wasted.. or should i just buy duty free from the airport.. *sigh* what beats making your own home-made stuff!! 

ahh. got close to a nice 'high' but yet to make it there yet. haha.. glad to be just 20, for once i feel a little teeny weeny bit younger. haha. OMG. dim sum tomorrow.. hope the food's good!!! HAHAHA! 

life's getting boring.. there should be more to this.

Cant wait for saturday, wonder what savings i might get..

sometimes maybe it would be interesting if we start defining the things we did on a particular day that makes us happy.

Sunday = rest + relax (yeah, that makes me happy!)

Like how a pregnant lady looks at pictures of cute kids. I too, should look at goodlooking people, to hope that one day, i might see myself as them in the mirror. hahaha! ok, fat hope, but i dont mind gorgeous people at every corner of my room. 

I'm into classical music. And Chopin's my favourite. haha.. timeless pieces. Would someone remember lady gaga 300 years later?!