In search of sunrise

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88868809930628778422012-02-16T21:14:51.284+09:00In search of sunriseIt's about me. All about me. Nothing but me. I'm from Singapore, spending some time in Japan. <br>These are my memories.insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.comBlogger1091100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-10236278591879322322011-09-28T17:25:00.006+09:002011-09-28T18:07:18.861+09:00

Wednesday. 28th of September, 2011. Sunny.After 4 years, I have finally done my last day of teaching.I have quit teaching. I am starting on a new journey.What prompted my resignation midway through the school year?For various reasons.Being an English teacher, there isn't any job security. Contracts are renewed on a yearly basis. If a city decides that your service is not needed anymore after a

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-25890501978518008762010-05-18T21:20:00.011+09:002010-05-18T22:15:04.775+09:00

Tuesday. 18th of May, 2010. Sunny.Too fast! Too soon! Too quickly!Time passes too quickly!Right!It's been months since I last updated. Anyone misses me? Don't answer that!Well, I moved. A new prefecture, a new city, a new place and of course, a new job. Not quite. Same job, different company.Why did I move? Why did I get join a new company?The previous company lost the contract for my old schools

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-51559414276297024862010-01-07T21:35:00.013+09:002010-01-07T22:39:45.637+09:00Thursday. 7th of January, 2010. Sunny

Too fast! Too soon! Too quickly!Time passes too quickly!It's the last day of the winter vacation today.I go back to school tomorrow! *ugh*But then, I will have a long weekend. Monday is a public holiday. 成人の日. Coming of Age Day.It's a holiday held annually on the second Monday of January to 'congratulate' those who have reached the age of twenty. For the rest of the populace, they get a day off.I

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-53737401619157941452009-12-31T12:47:00.005+09:002009-12-31T12:53:08.655+09:00Thursday. 31st of December, 2009. Windy.

The last day of the decade, the last entry of the year.How will you spend this last day? Who are you spending it with?Happy New Year.In Japanese - あけましておめでとう (akemashite omedetou)Or in short - あけおめ (ake ome)

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-74221267089809002232009-12-24T20:19:00.005+09:002009-12-24T20:40:00.063+09:00Thursday. 24th of December, 2009. Sunny.

I know this person who is really into shopping. He really enjoys buying stuff on the internet. Recently, he re-discovered the joy of shopping in real mega malls.He showed me what he got. I must say, he has got good taste. Really.Since he likes shopping so much, maybe he should consider setting up a blogshop. Maybe I'll suggest it to him. What do you think?Oh, by the way, winter break starts

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-92106228618656728392009-12-10T18:10:00.013+09:002009-12-25T12:23:09.396+09:00Thursday. 10th of December, 2009. Sunny.

In life, there are different kinds of challenges. There are different kinds of people. There are those who sit around, wallowing in self pity. There are those who take the bull by the horn and forge on.I used to be one of the former. However, life was not particularly bad to me. I had a job (which I resigned from). I had enough to eat. I had a roof over my head. I had no reasons to complain. But

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-48695622998279751972009-12-05T13:02:00.012+09:002009-12-07T01:24:33.344+09:00Friday. 4th of December, 2009. Sunny.

Free as a bird. Well, not quite yet.But in three weeks, winter holidays!Jingle bells, Batman smells!Robin laid an egg!Last week I went to a 'Thanksgiving Party' at Shinjuku. I was told there would be good food, delicious turkeys and a great atmosphere.In case you are wondering...No. Not at all. There were two long tables with some vegetables, bread, cheese, supposedly turkey meat served on paper

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-46569042038224628362009-11-22T21:36:00.014+09:002009-12-07T00:34:54.763+09:00Sunday. 22nd of November, 2009. Cloudy.

What do you do when you take a break from writing?You shop.... and shop ...... and shop.Just the other day, I was out at this event. I met a Japanese man who has been to Singapore. He had great things to say about Singapore and her residents."Singaporeans speak pidgin English, right?""Singaporeans cannot speak good English.""Singaporeans speak with a Chinese accent.""When I go to the hotel, the

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-40484657208979983922009-09-06T22:41:00.014+09:002009-09-07T07:13:23.631+09:00Sunday. 6th of September, 2009. Sunny

The summer vacation is over. For the past week, I stayed in school till 6PM every day, practising the speech with a student. The Japanese teacher felt that my reading was incorrect. He said it was not the way Americans read. He said the word before a comma must end with the sound trailing up, not down. He 'corrected' the student's reading with his perceived-to-be American way of reading. The way

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-2955826511598007002009-08-31T04:18:00.005+09:002009-08-31T04:26:58.680+09:00Sunday. 30th of August, 2009. Rainy

Time for a new Japanese Prime Minister again.Since Koizumi Junichiro, Japan has seen three Prime Minister handovers in three years. The fourth one is forthcoming.2006 - Abe Shinzo2007 - Fukuda Yasuo2008 - Aso Taro2009 - Hatoyama YukioThe ruling LDP has suffered a crushing defeat, the main opposition force, the DPJ has won a landslide victory.The face of politics in Japan is in for a major shake

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-59677364655076928732009-08-29T02:08:00.006+09:002009-08-31T04:30:37.454+09:00Friday. 28th of August, 2009. Sunny

It's coming.TS 0911. Krovanh.Tropical Storm number 11 of 2009.I keep myself updated on the weather every day. A few times a day.So I notice changes in the weather like this.Just this week, it was sunny weather throughout. But come next week, rain is expected nearly everyday. A gander on the Japan Meteorology Agency site reveals some excitement.Based on the probability arc, it should hit land on

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-53827051002520719682009-08-27T14:35:00.058+09:002009-11-24T01:17:55.070+09:00Thursday. 27th of August, 2009. Sunny

The speech piece I translated for a student was edited by another teacher working at another school. Apparently, a Japanese teacher had asked him to check the piece. It had become one with impact to one riddled with weird English sentences that do not flow.This is the beginning part of what I wrote. It was changed to this.Now, what does "it is a kind of seal made of ivory which was handed down

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-85775876223930220552009-08-26T01:32:00.012+09:002009-08-31T04:32:46.649+09:00Monday. 24th of August, 2009. Sunny

So I went to a 祭り at 麻布十番 on Saturday. As usual, I drove there. A journey by train takes about 1.5 hours or thereabouts. Took me twice the time to drive though. People who are hard up for money can sell their unwanted hardware to Hard Off. There are other ~Offs like Book Off, Hobby Off, Garage Off, Turn Off, Jack Off and F...Finally!Singapore Restaurant at Roppongi HillsJapanese 祭り are all the

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-70996585647430236452009-08-22T00:57:00.009+09:002009-08-31T04:33:11.257+09:00Friday. 22nd of August, 2009. Sunny

Slow week. No big news or events. Just playing with the Ricoh CX1.Going to Azabu, near Roppongi tomorrow. Some kind of 祭り. :)Some weird powder left behind after ice had evaporated. I think it's calcium.Simple meal of noodles and egg. 塩味.Jagermeister. ¥1980. Easy to drink. Strong stuff. For me.

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-77637133258053914922009-08-17T23:03:00.010+09:002009-08-31T04:33:56.551+09:00Monday. 17th of August, 2009. Sunny

Finally, I got down to finish the translation of a student's script for the speech contest! お疲れさん!Went to Roppongi on Saturday. That place was still as sleazy as ever. There were still as many touts as ever. The staff in the bars were still as annoying as ever. You do not know what "annoying" means until you step into a bar in Roppongi. But it was a great night. We met a Japanese woman who works

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-66118624991677598052009-08-14T14:16:00.006+09:002009-08-31T04:34:37.685+09:00Friday. 14th of August, 2009. Sunny

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-29908398147473897652009-08-14T01:56:00.006+09:002009-08-31T04:35:34.358+09:00Thursday. 13th of August, 2009. Sunny

I am afraid of earthquakes. My place shook for about 40 seconds due to an M6.9 earthquake on the 9th of August.Then on the 11th of August, while I was in bed, it struck again. This time an M6.6 off Suruga Bay, Shizuoka.Suruga Bay area is the area where the big one, the Tokai earthquake, is expected to hit. According to what I found out, Japan has been preparing for it the last 25 years. It has a

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-48886086058620471452009-08-09T15:10:00.004+09:002009-08-31T04:35:59.974+09:00Saturday. 8th of August, 2009. Rainy

Question: What do you call someone who breaks your car antenna, bends your windscreen wiper?Answer: A Japanese.

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-17428211827767110352009-08-03T12:31:00.022+09:002009-08-31T04:36:56.574+09:00Monday. 3rd of August, 2009. Sunny

Believe it or not, I have not used the MBP at all except to set it up. I have a desktop and an iBook. Now I have another notebook. Why did I buy the MBP? I have absolutely no reasons to offer. It was a 'need' vs 'want' issue. In this case, 'want' prevailed. So, in order to allow me to use the MBP, I set out to re-arrange my living space.There is this space that has been empty for the longest time

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-36692424744288792962009-07-30T22:05:00.025+09:002009-08-31T20:48:40.892+09:00Thursday. 30th of July, 2009. Rainy

Did I mention that it's summer vacation now? Yup! Yayyy!!Dinner for tonight - Chinese food.There was rice.There was shrimp.There was I don't know.Very good dinner. ¥348.I was waiting for something I ordered to arrive. So I went out yesterday to buy the darn video cable that Apple neglected to drop into the box. My iBook had one in the box. Mini display port -> dvi. ¥3400. SGD52. Why would they

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-89699855801563156552009-07-24T19:32:00.011+09:002009-08-31T20:47:52.024+09:00Friday. 24th of July, 2009. Rainy

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-73678124231491975532009-07-14T23:52:00.009+09:002009-08-31T20:47:26.005+09:00Monday. 14th of July, 2009. Sunny

The rainy season is officially over as of today. The wrath of summer is about to be unleashed!Look at the maximum temperature for tomorrow. 35℃! More of these days to come.Something for those who have an iPhone/iPod Touch; Metro. I have been waiting for this since forever. It is an offline tool I've used since my Palm days to find out how to get to places on the 12,000 railway lines in

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-74539397509755439612009-06-28T22:18:00.011+09:002009-08-31T20:49:06.469+09:00Sunday. 28th of June, 2009. Rainy

One more month. One month of summer vacation.The weather is getting terribly warm. Over 30℃. There are only fans that circulate the warm air around in the classrooms. The air-conditioners in the staff room - not switched on. Even if they were, the thermostat would be set at 27~28℃. Eco, they say. Save the Earth.Incidentally...A very eco Shinjuku night scene. Eco.I've been on a very 'un-eco'

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-27265874044744090382009-06-26T19:14:00.007+09:002009-08-31T20:49:27.207+09:00Friday. 26th of June, 2009. Sunny

Japan giveth, Japan taketh away.Not long after receiving the ¥12000 gift money from the Japanese government, I was served notice to return it to them - via resident tax.Now I understand why they need eight staff members to serve me!In the registration room:One to check my name and confirm I am still in Japan.One to copy my ID so that they have the correct address.Two to remember my face in case

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-78515051480968122742009-06-08T21:56:00.005+09:002009-08-31T20:49:48.429+09:00Monday. 8th of June, 2009. Cloudy

The ¥12000 gift money from the Japanese government; I got it today.The notification letter came in April, if you recall. It required my name, my bank account number, a copy of my foreigner ID and my seal (not the fish-eating one) or signature.Or, for those without bank accounts, the money would be paid out in cash.At that time, I was beginning to fill in the form and felt that it was too much of

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-66972451244200654932009-06-08T13:25:00.014+09:002009-08-31T20:50:12.491+09:00Sunday. 8th of June, 2009. Sunny

I was sitting at home, caressing, feeling and fingering the Garmin GPS. Then I decided that I should go to Kamakura via Fujisawa. Along the way, I saw so many things that makes Japan, Japan. The wide open fields, the boundless skies, the ubiquitous 暴走族 (motorsiao in Singapore speak).These people above, were not really so terrible; just loud exhaust pipes. There was one who was weaving around cars

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-35326960147557291232009-05-31T22:12:00.010+09:002009-08-31T20:50:31.544+09:00Sunday. 31st of May, 2009. Rainy

How time flies.The Golden Week holiday came slowly and went quickly. I couldn't find the energy to post because I am down with a terrible affliction. More on that later.It has been a month of warm weather and rainy days. Japan is entering the rainy season. There will be many mosquitoes. I was assaulted by one recently. I had no choice but to buy incense to offer to these mosquitoes.Thirty pieces

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-53328570827732196042009-05-03T06:14:00.012+09:002009-08-31T20:50:48.351+09:00Saturday. 2nd of May, 2009. Sunny

Golden week has started! Yayyyyy!!Only five days (including Saturday and Sunday). Cheyyyyy!!!I have been really, really busy... shopping!So, I was hooking up the keyless entry system to the car. I did not have to use any of the actuators that came with the kit. The car has all the actuators needed already installed. I just needed to tap the cables from the control box to the door relay and it

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-27450259797861846492009-04-26T08:14:00.010+09:002009-08-31T20:51:16.399+09:00Saturday. 25th of April, 2009. Rainy

It rained the whole day and it was really, really cold. I realized that driving a manual transmission car is not easy during a cold day. I was shivering and that made clutch control next to impossible.Why was I shivering? Because I was cold.Why was I cold?Because I installed these on a cold and rainy day.It was so cold, my fingers were numb. I had a hard time prying the door panel from the door.

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-66544157978735422322009-04-19T18:11:00.014+09:002009-08-31T20:51:33.275+09:00Sunday. 19th of April, 2009. Sunny

It had been a busy week for me. I got the car transferred to my name, went shopping for parts to replace the rotten ones and went to Yahoo auctions to source for door linings.I changed the screen wipers, bought a multi cigarette socket, an ioniser, an iPod car charger and changed the door linings! Yayyyyyy!!To transfer the car to my name, I spent more than an hour filling up the cryptic forms,

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-62548110269126477532009-04-12T09:55:00.006+09:002009-08-31T20:52:16.829+09:00Saturday. 11th of April, 2009. Sunny

The Pajero Mini came today. I was surprised that the seller did not bother to wash it. I was even more surprised when I saw scratches and dents that were not mentioned in the auction page. I felt cheated when I saw the door trimmings frazzled and the door pull cup loose. They were not shown in the photos.I had to tell myself these are the risks when buying without viewing. I had to tell myself

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-3360285884367865432009-04-05T23:42:00.008+09:002009-08-31T20:52:32.187+09:00Sunday. 5th of April, 2009. Sunny

ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!School's starting soon!ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!The letter for the ¥12000 government handout has arrived. I need to fill it out with my bank details and send it back. Lazy. It's still sitting somewhere around.I have been watching The Office. It is bloody funny and annoying at the same time. But mostly funny. Jenna Fischer is so cute

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-4658184760957008832009-03-26T23:08:00.004+09:002009-08-31T20:52:53.649+09:00Thursday. 26th of March, 2009. Sunny

Bike or die!Die!Today is the last day of the school term. As usual, I took out the trash and went to my bicycle.It wasn't there. Instead, there was an empty space where my ¥30000 bicycle used to be. It was stolen. Rather, both my bicycles were stolen. They must have loaded them onto a truck or something.畜生。クタバレ。クソタレ。ファック！I am now thinking of getting a motorcycle. My new school is a lot further

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-86120859339511846422009-03-25T16:52:00.004+09:002009-08-31T20:53:12.038+09:00Wednesday. 25th of March, 2009

I went clicking on Yahoo auctions again. This time, ¥12000, for an iPod nano. I SOLD MY IPOD NANO!!~~I got the nano at ¥17000 and the casing cost about ¥2000. Glad I could recover ¥12000!The end. Bye bye.Get back to work!

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-89170792678418798982009-03-20T14:57:00.007+09:002009-08-31T20:53:27.940+09:00Friday. 20th of March, 2009. Sunny

Besides checking out Japanese/English dictionaries, I have been checking out some games. For a free Japanese/English dictionary, I recommend Kotoba!. It's not the best but it's free. You get your money's worth! Get it at the appstore.I don't really like playing games but the iTunes appstore has more games than any useful stuff. The good thing is that there are many 'lite' versions of games that

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-45432313739890876412009-03-16T23:09:00.013+09:002009-08-31T20:53:45.246+09:00Monday. 16th of March, 2009. Sunny

I know I shouldn't, but, I did. Online shopping is a bad habit, an addiction, a slow and deadly poison. I was thinking of getting a Nintendo DS Lite. I didn't.I got something even more expensive.iPod Touch 16GB. ¥30800.It was impossible to separate if from the plastic holder. I tried for ten minutes and gave up. I had to google to find out how to get the thing off! I had to peel off the sticker

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-72664616717620272622009-03-09T21:54:00.012+09:002009-08-31T20:54:03.464+09:00Monday. 9th of March, 2009. Cloudy

I guess you should have heard, especially foreigners living in Japan, that kind Mr Japanese Prime Minister, Aso Taro, had enthusiastically pushed through an economy stimulating package to give people living in Japan, citizens and legally registered foreigners, a princely sum of ¥12000 (about SGD200).Whew, that was a long sentence. All ¥12000 worth.The highlighted part spells out that a foreigner

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-14423140152841042832009-02-25T22:10:00.004+09:002009-08-31T20:54:28.401+09:00Wednesday. 25th of February, 2009. Cloudy

I got a message from the school board.I will stay for the next school year.Back to shopping! Now, about the DS Lite ...

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-54288660354040186252009-02-20T22:16:00.007+09:002009-08-31T20:54:46.258+09:00Friday. 20th of February, 2009. Sunny

Last weekend, the temperature climbed all the way to the 20s despite still being at the end of winter / beginning of spring. It felt warm after being chilled by the winter.Immediately after the weekend, temperatures returned to the low 10s, hovering around 12-14 degrees Celsius during the day.Surprise surprise. It snowed today. Perhaps the one and only time it will snow at my area. No, Tokyo had

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-37218072379615786602009-02-13T18:26:00.013+09:002009-08-31T20:55:03.974+09:00Friday. 13th of February, 2009. Cloudy

Friday the 13th. It was a holiday on Wednesday and so I thought I would do some light cooking. Light!I put the rice into the rice cooker. Halfway done. Light!Today's menu: Chirashi-zushi. A packet of chirashi-zushi ingredients. ¥198.Cooked rice.Move the rice into a bigger container.Empty the chirashi-zushi ingredients onto the rice.Mix well.Empty the nori-goma (seaweed and sesame seeds) onto the

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-56935806731637427742009-02-02T18:35:00.031+09:002009-08-31T20:55:20.861+09:00Monday. 2nd of February, 2009. Sunny

After such a long time, I felt the earth shaking again. Twice. In the space of five minutes. 0657 and 0702 hours. Yes, morning. The bed was shaking and I was rolling. I woke up, still rolling. I closed my eyes, still rolling. I was determined to go back to sleep, still rolling. I didn't care about earthquakes anymore. Terrible.I succeeded in getting back to sleep but was woken up by the second

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-31223997699205127332009-01-25T22:25:00.008+09:002009-08-31T20:55:37.922+09:00Sunday. 25th of January, 2009. Sunny

It's Chinese New Year's Eve. A day when families come together to have dinner on the occasion most important to Chinese people. My mother called me last night. She told me to eat something better for dinner. Reunion dinner. I did, I guess. I even set up a small table, so that I did not have to squeeze everything on the PC table. Usually, I eat off the packing the food come in. But today, I used

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-53654018304585441762009-01-24T09:42:00.006+09:002009-08-31T20:55:56.684+09:00Friday. 23rd of January, 2008. Rainy

The worsening economic crisis in Japan is getting hairier day by day. Though I do not feel it, yet, news articles are painting a very bleak picture.I hope education budget will not be cut. Hope.I should cut back on shopping. Cut.These were taken during the summer when these worms visited the school. Forgot to post them. Current situation is as hairy as them. Hairy.

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-57955826107444216562009-01-17T11:50:00.013+09:002009-08-31T20:56:30.776+09:00Friday. 16th of January, 2009. Sunny

It was supposed to snow last Friday. Instead, rain came. Mixed with a bit of snow. So, I learnt a new English word; sleet. Rain mixed with snow is called sleet. 霙 (mizore) in Japanese. The other day, the delivery man came. He asked me what I was doing in Japan. He delivers things to me so frequently that he felt that he needed to ask. I shop too much apparently.I just got a new pair of boots. I

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-64080283495470128852009-01-06T22:06:00.016+09:002009-08-31T20:56:49.430+09:00Tuesday. 6th of January, 2009. Sunny

あけましておめでとう。 Happy new year in Japanese. I called my mom the other day. On NYE actually. I had been wanting to call home but kept forgetting till it was too late. As in, past 12 midnight.So, my mom was telling me to eat something good for Chinese New Year. This would be the second year I am not having reunion dinner at home. I always eat good food in Japan. How much better can I eat? It has been a

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-68554879106729946952008-12-25T21:24:00.012+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.323+09:00

Thursday. 25th of December, 2008. Sunny.Question.What does a Singaporean do when he is not shopping online?Answer.He goes out to get a driving licence.Question.How many times does a Singaporean take to pass the Japanese driving test?Answer.Once.Question.Why?Answer.Because this Singaporean is very elite. Refer to previous post.Including me, there were eleven persons taking the test. I was the only

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-29092359347500909192008-12-17T20:08:00.009+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.324+09:00

Wednesday. 17th of December, 2008. Rainy.After a long smooth sailing internet shopping experience, I hit my first roadblock. The weather has turned so very cold and I so very need a...(nother) jacket. So I fired up the internet shopping tool (commonly known as Firefox) and went to clicking heaven. I set my sight on Snugpak Sleeka Elite Light, a Japan-only model. Yes, I am very elite. Pictures

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-54731503928847120072008-10-17T10:59:00.007+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.325+09:00

Friday. 17th of October, 2008. Sunny.Great week this is. I worked only Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Monday and today off!Nothing much going on these days. One student in my school is going to the English speech contest. She got 6th and 3rd place in the school district contest and city contest respectively. The big one - prefectural contest - is happening next week. I have been practicing with

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-22051718658000799092008-09-30T21:07:00.009+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.326+09:00

Tuesday. 30th of September, 2008. Rainy.There is a Festival of Storms going on this very moment. There are three typhoons being tracked concurrently. One of them is heading my way. One of the other two is ravaging Vietnam while the last one is hitting the Philippines first. It may just come my way.So the temperature has dropped really drastically. At least by my standard. Since last Friday, the

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-53038868903317612442008-09-21T23:45:00.004+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.331+09:00

Sunday. 21st of September, 2008. Rainy.Typhoon Sinlaku has gone past Japan. Honestly, my area is really safe. The wind was not even strong. Was there even wind at all? Strangely, there was no rain yesterday when the typhoon went by. But it rained the whole day today.So, I was thinking of updating the blog. I took out the SD card where some photos I took the other day when I was going to work were

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-47378821471494667342008-09-10T19:50:00.007+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.332+09:00

Wednesday. 10th of September, 2008. Sunny.Faithful readers would know that I enjoy online shopping. It is convenient, easy to compare prices and I do not have to carry the stuff home. My favourite shopping site would have to be Amazon Japan. Why? Spend a minimum of 1500 yen and the delivery would be free! This is quite unbeatable. I have not found a site that waives delivery for only 1500 yen

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-3912917102291714622008-09-05T19:37:00.008+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.334+09:00

Friday. 5th of September, 2008. Sunny.Summer holiday came. Summer holiday went. First week of school has come to an end.Coming back to Japan, I had a strange feeling. Why am I in Japan? Am I really working in Japan? How did I end up working in Japan?The three weeks spent in Singapore threw me back into the life before coming to Japan. I would wake up around 5 or 6pm, eat my lunner and look for

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-71819603122612722842008-08-22T18:58:00.002+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.335+09:00

Thursday. 21st of August. Cloudy.I just came back to Japan today. I received a call. A friend in Japan passed away. Agent M. Matt Murphy. I knew him for about eight months. Though short, I feel sad. Sad.

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-22846824922692464082008-07-26T23:27:00.008+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.336+09:00

Saturday. 26th of July, 2008. Cloudy.Kawagoe. I have heard about this place. It's called Little Edo. I have been wanting to go there. So I did! Today! I took a bus to Higashi Matsuyama station for the Tobu Tojo line and came back the usual way; JR. I bet you have no idea what I am talking about.Anyway...Higashi Matsuyama station　東松山駅Kawagoe 川越

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-12564836976812133542008-07-25T16:44:00.010+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.338+09:00

Friday. 25th of July, 2008. Stormy.School's out! Officially! Yippee!A storm is brewing as I'm typing this. The speed of the buildup is spectacular. There are lightning flashes nearly every 5 seconds. The clouds are thick and dark. This is going to be a very angry storm.Regarding the electricity bill. It doubled!

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-51816624941092913452008-07-22T22:18:00.009+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.339+09:00

Tuesday. 22nd of July, 2008. Sunny.School's out. At least for the students. I still have a few days of nothing to do in school. The weather has been unbearably hot and humid. Topping 35.8 degrees Celsius two weeks ago. It can only get hotter. Last year, the temperature hit 40.9 degrees Celsius.Back in Singapore, I never really felt the effect of high temperature that much. Usually, I would be

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-28645435575948504052008-06-30T18:36:00.007+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.340+09:00

Monday. 30th of June, 2008. Sunny.So... What does a person do in Japan during his free time? Me, I shop, from home. Online, I can find the cheapest price for the items I want to buy. I do not need to take the expensive trains to go long distances to look for things I may not be able to find. Even the deliveryman from the delivery company commented that I have been buying many things. He serves my

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-14050039826025976262008-06-29T22:53:00.005+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.341+09:00

Sunday. 29th of June, 2008. Rainy.Just a few weeks more. I'm counting the days; 26 more days to summer vacation. I can't wait to be free from work, not having to face kids who have no resolve to study. No, not only English, but other subjects taught in their native language.They prefer to sit sideways, talk to people behind or stamp their feet on the ground. Generally being a successful nuisance

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-17374593981295342452008-06-14T12:16:00.006+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.342+09:00

Saturday. 14th of June, 2008. Sunny.A big earthquake in Iwate/Miyagi roused me from my sleep. I remembered I was chasing a car into a multi-storey carpark, something like that. I was on the second level and then I felt the carpark shaking. I was thinking that the carpark was structurally weak. I was even able to shake it by pushing my legs. The shaking kept on for about 20 seconds. Then I opened

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-42731106520619499662008-05-12T19:27:00.009+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.343+09:00

Monday. 12th of May, 2008. Cloudy.Can you believe it?? HUH HUH!!! Can you?? My last post was February 27th. It's May 12th now. I did not post for two months. Well... :SSo many things happened during these 2.5 months; I switched to a new company, I moved to a new city, I go to new schools, I have a REAL bed, I AM HANDSOME, I got scared shitless by an earthquake and much more! I have written about

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-57752975936080057872008-02-27T17:21:00.005+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.344+09:00

TOKIO - 僕の恋愛事情と台所事情TOKIO - Boku no Renai Jijou to Daidokoro JijouWednesday. 27th of February 2008. Sunny.Today, for the first time, I had relative success in capturing the attention of the kindergarten kids for the whole 1.5 hours; 2 sessions, 45 minutes each session. Maybe it's because I am very handsome. Eh.. No. I have found the secret to making kids attentive at flashcards! Hurray! Showing

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-48924746950648162892008-02-25T17:07:00.005+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.345+09:00

Monday. 25th of February 2008. Sunny.The footsteps of spring are nearing. It's getting warmer during the day but still freezing at night. Soon, my gas bill will come down to earth, I hope. Last month's total came up to 7640 yen; 103SGD! But, that could be a result of falling asleep while cooking rice. Boys and girls, don't try this at home. I am a trained professional.Nice right? Looks like a

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-11664582471309967822008-02-12T21:27:00.009+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.347+09:00

Terry Jacks - Seasons in the sunMonday. 11th of February 2008. Sunny.There are many things in life that cannot be expected. But like what people always say, 'expect the unexpected'. Honestly, that's bullshit. You knew it already, don't you? You don't? Umm...Anyway, I knew I had to do something before the shit hits the fan. Remember the IDIOT asked me if I wanted to move? I didn't really think he

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-35412382043415132882008-02-04T00:17:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.348+09:00

Do As Infinity - Week!Sunday. 3rd of February 2008. Snowy.Another week has gone. I see light at the end of the tunnel. This tunnel leads me to...... the ticketing machine. Surprisingly, the week at my other school went by quite well. I prepared some trivia and matchstick puzzles for the second year students and managed to elicit some response from them. AMAZING! ME! They were having fun trying to

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-7605241473164083212008-01-26T23:47:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.349+09:00

Kinki Kids - Snow Snow SnowSaturday. 26th of January 2008. Sunny.This must be the coldest period of my life. Every morning, I wake up shivering and having to thaw myself before going for shower. Luckily, the heater here is gas powered. Hot water flows non stop. Thank my wallet. On Wednesday, it started to snow, snow, snow. The snow was supposed to come on Sunday but it was late. So on Wednesday,

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-14124694242219598482008-01-17T17:37:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.350+09:00

Thursday. 17th of January 2008. Sunny.The biggest fish in the pond, got so big because it knows when to keep its mouth shut.Oh, how true this is. This applies to people as well. Specifically, me.Today, there was a meeting about the state of English education in Japan, and the way forward. The discussion progressed into the topic of the problems Japanese people face in the pronunciation of

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-41143571962736041642008-01-14T13:11:00.002+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.351+09:00

Many people - We Are The WorldFor a little nostalgia, We Are The World. This song is being taught in school now.Sunday, 13th of January 2008. Windy.The first week at work breezed by and I get my much deserved weekend rest. *pat pat* I had stayed indoors the whole time because I have something to do.I had this for lunch and dinner. Plain rice with furikake.Remember how I spent Chrismas clicking

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-84005035099958477292008-01-08T18:09:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.352+09:00

中島美嘉 - LifeNakashima Mika - LifeTuesday, 8th of January 2008. Sunny.The winter break is over. I go back to work tomorrow. How I regret going to Nagoya… my vacation was cut short by 7 days just like that.Something happened and I just got to know it today. Agent M has returned to the states. Apparently, he told the IDIOT that his brother is seriously ill and he had to go back. The IDIOT thinks that

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-56684695247802913852008-01-05T16:49:00.002+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.354+09:00

コブクロ - 蕾Kobukuro - Tsubomiコブクロ - 蒼く優しくKobukuro - Aoku YasashikuFriday, 4th of January 2008. Sunny.When it comes to making bad decisions, one wrong one can lead to a wave of regrets. I learnt that clicking Yahoo auctions till 4AM was a very good way to spend Christmas. I should have known that is also a good way to welcome the new year. I made a bad decision to go to Nagoya. I wasted 8400 yen on

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-26589464673252357292007-12-25T15:48:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.355+09:00

桑田佳祐-明日晴れるかなKuwata Keisuke - Ashita hareru kanaNew feature.Everytime I update, I will find some nice songs to introduce to you, my faithful reader. So, check back.Here's Kuwata's funny commercial for dandyhouse.Tuesday, 25th of December 2007. Cloudy.Wow! It had been forever since I last updated this blog! I am getting lazy. No! I AM lazy!Autumn is over and I didn't realize it. It snowed on

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-54966906694394089912007-12-03T23:31:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.356+09:00

Monday, 3rd of December 2007. Sunny.It had been one great weekend. Long weekend. Five days off from school. They flew right by in a flash.Summer has come and gone. Autumn is in full swing and almost over. Winter is on its way. You can see it everywhere. Yellow and red leaves. Trees with no leaves. Fallen leaves on the pavements. I went to Tokyo and got my bank account done. It's the cheapest way

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-41325043231360506602007-11-17T13:57:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.357+09:00

Friday. 16th of November 2007. Sunny.The plot thickens ~After hanging around the school for a week, we went go look for apartments with the IDIOT. Agent M had been on an apartment search once as he arrived before me. He had actually decided on an apartment. It’s a 1DK – 1 bedroom and a dining kitchen. I commented to him that it’s small and expensive. He said it was ok – anything goes. So, this

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-27656324655314367802007-11-12T09:22:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.358+09:00

Sunday. 11th of November 2007. Rainy, cold.Hey kids, look who’s back. It’s me. I’ve been gone for the longest time and everyone misses me, for sure. I know, but you won’t admit it. Now, you must be thinking to yourself that you don’t miss me at all. See! I knew you wouldn’t admit it. It’s autumn now and I’m freezing my toes off. The gas and electricity are making me see stars. Literally. It’s

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-15419900138739287292007-08-08T17:56:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.359+09:00

Tuesday. 7th of August 2007. Sunny.I was in Vietnam for a week and back on Sunday.Today, I got my ticket to Japan.I leave on the 14th of August.Lots of love, lots of luck. To me.I am going on an adventure again. I think.

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-44384066969383514082007-07-25T21:10:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.360+09:00

Tuesday. 24th of July 2007. Sunny.I had decided to close this chapter of my life earlier. I had decided to leave Japan earlier. I had called up the airline to change the flight to the 24th of July. Today.I am home.

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-51606312527918780712007-07-21T17:01:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.362+09:00

Friday. 20th of July 2007. Sunny.Tsukasa san left for Dubai today. I have the place to myself now. Before he left, he handed some money for the trip to Vietnam. I will be checking the market for used cars there. I may forgo the teaching vocation in Japan if the market is good. We’ll see.Immigration on Tuesday was bit of a pain. The photographs needed to be 4x3 cm. I forgot to bring a pair of

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-38290464616181882562007-07-19T01:13:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.363+09:00

Monday. 16th of July 2007. Cloudy.Typhoon Manyi (known as typhoon 0704 in Japan – 4th typhoon of year 2007) swept through Okinawa, Kyuushuu, Shikoku and headed for Tokyo. I was expect some strong wind over here at Saitama. No strong wind. Just some rainy days. That was all. The typhoon veered away from Japan into the sea. The end.I didn’t go for the other interview scheduled for today. I’ve

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-41557786474399723172007-07-14T16:27:00.002+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.364+09:00

Friday. 13th of July 2007. Cloudy.I went for the interview. I got the job. I will be going to immigration next week to sort out the visa issue. I will update more next week!!

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-13169538350525948692007-07-13T01:35:00.002+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.365+09:00

Thursday. 12th of July 2007. Rainy.Look at the bruise I have on right leg, above my knee. My back is aching and my shoulders are breaking. My neck too. My arms… well…Tsukasa san needed to load a container of tyres bound for Dubai. He asked me to help. And help I did. Well, at least he paid for lunch.Anyway, I received two emails asking me to go for interviews. There would be one tomorrow and

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-43390260117212897112007-07-05T23:52:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.366+09:00

Thursday. 5th of July 2007. Sunny.I have started looking through job advertisements for Singapore. With less than a month left, chances of landing a job in Japan are next to zero. Honestly, I am truly disappointed that I messed up my two precious interviews. I was not confident enough, I suppose, as I have this mindset that I’m disadvantaged by the fact that I am not a Caucasian. This fact will

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-44245054971232083322007-07-02T03:14:00.002+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.367+09:00

Sunday. 1st of July 2007. Sunny.I noticed the blog has not been updated for two weeks. The reason is because I did not update it for two weeks. ☺Eddie came to Japan on the 25th of June and left on the 30th of June. I went to Tokyo station to meet him and went to the hotel he had booked.Eddie is a rat-turned-chinchilla. I knew him for about nine years. Back then, he was always complaining that he

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-38886162609450722212007-06-20T16:11:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.368+09:00

Tuesday. 19th of June 2007. Sunny.One and a half months away from home and one and a half months to going home. I have more or less gotten used to a simple life. Sleeping in the middle of the night and waking at twelve noon, thinking of what to eat for lunch and dinner, staying indoors the whole day. Thoughts of clubbing and going out have gone through the windows. Late night suppers and gossip

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-31048656727841593762007-06-17T00:33:00.002+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.369+09:00

Saturday. 16th of June 2007. Sunny.I went for an interview with an English school yesterday. Actually, it is not really a school. This company actually has contracts with local city Board of Education to supply assistant language teachers to local public schools. In other words, this company sources for qualified English teachers, signs a contract with them and packs them off to teach in

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-51600384079018310912007-06-13T03:04:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.371+09:00

Tuesday. 12th of June 2007. Sunny.I was supposed to go for an interview with an English school today. But I didn't go. Not that I didn’t want to go, it’s just that they may have retracted the offer.I received the email from them yesterday, asking me to go for the interview today. I was supposed to bring my passport, resume, certificates and foreigner registration card. Ok, ok, ok, not ok. I do

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-84168449908171454802007-06-10T13:51:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.372+09:00

Thursday. 7th of June 2007. Cloudy.We went to Gusto at Kuki for dinner and study. Well, as you would guess, there was nothing interesting. Just pictures. Also, some test shots I took with the S500. Byebye!My dinner.The extremely tough questions.My student. Yes, of course I'm a good teacher. THUMBS UP!What I see everyday, through the Nikon Coolpix S500It will rain on Sunday, 10th of June 2007. No

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-19727182415640264502007-06-07T01:28:00.002+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.373+09:00

Wednesday. 6th of June 2007. Sunny.Well, guess what? I got emails from two schools that may be giving me interviews! How exciting! I was about to go to Akihabara and did a mail check before leaving. And there they were. Two cute little bundles of joy. I hope I don’t screw up again. No promises though.After considering for an eternity, I finally bought a new camera. A Nikon Coolpix S500. For a

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-37964685637335243312007-06-05T02:46:00.002+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.374+09:00

Sunday. 3rd of June 2007. Sunny.I mentioned that Roppongi is boring right? Well, I forgot to tell you what I saw last night.There was this old man, maybe in his 50s, dressed in tracksuit. I saw him outside GasPanic the whole night talking to people and some young girls. He had some kind of ex-mafia look that I can’t put my finger on. I could see that he was not the typical Japanese. Anyway, he

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-12251583991440396072007-06-04T01:51:00.002+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.375+09:00

Saturday. 2nd of June 2007. Sunny.Exactly one month since I left home. So far, no good. I am keeping a pet now. Guess what it is?Guess what I am keeping now.I called Fai at 10 AM in the morning. He’s leaving Japan today so I thought of meeting him before he leaves. He would be leaving for Narita airport at 2 PM.I reached Ueno at about 12 PM. He was with his managers and Meng Meng. Meng Meng is a

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-79821849755546368842007-06-02T02:45:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.376+09:00

Friday. 1st of June 2007. Sunny.I slept very late again the previous night. Actually about 4.30 AM this morning. I had some very weird dream about me collecting loads of money from some kind of counter. I was very happy, I think. Then suddenly, I felt myself being shaken. Left right left right. Damn! It was such a good dream.An earthquake just occurred at the prefecture where I am staying. The

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-67999252104862352007-05-31T00:43:00.002+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.377+09:00

Tuesday. 29th of May 2007. Cloudy.I rang up Fai and asked him what time he would be free to meet up. He said he would be going to Chiba and would be free around 6 PM but not earlier than that. OK, so I said I would call him back later.About 5 PM I left for Ueno to get a refund for the JR East Pass. The process was rather painless. “Rather” because there was still pain involved. 2000 yen. 10% of

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-65136001253453036962007-05-29T01:25:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.379+09:00

Monday. 28th of May 2007. Sunny.I had curry and rice for lunch again. I did mention there was nothing to cook. So for dinner I decided to get something from Daiei. At 8 PM, I changed into my berms, put on my thick fleece jacket, put on my socks, wore my shoes, opened the door, felt the cold wind, decided to go ahead, stepped out, closed the door, locked the door, walked a few steps, walk a few

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-53282637739414572722007-05-28T14:21:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.381+09:00

Sunday. 27th of May 2007. Sunny.Tsukasa san came back last night and said something about going out together today. Ok… It’s uber boring staying indoors everyday.Guess what was my breakfast and lunch. Yes! Instant noodles again! I’m lazy to cook rice. Besides, there’s nothing to cook except rice and rice. Maybe rice. Look at my noodles. Wanton ramen with real wantons inside. The packing featured

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-22387434576223159332007-05-27T00:06:00.002+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.382+09:00

Thursday. 24th of May 2007. Sunny.Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday came and gone. My suit was collected on Tuesday. It was OK. I went for the interview on Wednesday. It was not OK. I got the answer today. No go. “We haven’t got a second interview for you. Anyway thank you for your time.” The moment I started filling up the feedback form, I knew it’s over. My handwriting looks worse than a five year

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-30357735496319859262007-05-21T20:00:00.002+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.384+09:00

Sunday, 20th of May 2007. Sunny.I bought my suit today. Base price is 9450 yen. The suit comes with two pairs of pants. The overall price I paid was around 12000 yen. I had to pay for alterations for both pairs of pants and got a shirt to go with the suit for 390 yen. Tsukasa san will collect the suit for me on Tuesday, just in time for Wednesday. On the way to KazoArriving at Kazo city shopping

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-23498856749995524212007-05-21T13:57:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.385+09:00

Saturday, 19th of May 2007. Sunny.We had an agreement to go to Tokyo. The last time, I went to Tokyo to meet Ando first and Tsukasa san didn’t want to come to Tokyo alone.Tonight was the first time in many years he was actually going to Tokyo for leisure and the first time he was going to a club. He was rather excited and enthusiastic. We left the apartment at about 9.10 PM and reached the train

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-39458147599978251582007-05-18T17:38:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.387+09:00

Thursday, 17th of May 2007. Rainy.I wanted to go to 洋服の青山 to look at suits but was kind of lethargic. So I went to Daiei to check out the price. I can get some groceries there as well. Two birds one stone. Convenient!I saw suits that cost 10000yen and up. I can afford the cheapest! But I didn’t ask. I don’t know anything about suits, how to ask???Let me show you the stuff I bought and the

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-80278662717303793942007-05-18T00:05:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.388+09:00

Wednesday, 16th of May 2007. Cloudy.How did my interview go? I did not go. I caught a cold. The nights here are freezing. For me, at least. I was up the whole night kicking myself for being stupid enough not to give myself more time and not checking the suit and pants properly. I reckoned that if I go for the interview, my attire would most certainly kill any slim chances I might have. I have to

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-57084644367389590982007-05-16T19:08:00.002+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.391+09:00

Tuesday, 15th of May 2007. Windy.I replied to the email and confirmed my attendance for the group interview in the early afternoon. They put time put place, I agreed!The shirt Tsukasa san lent me was rather worn, so I decided to get the cheapest I could find. I went to the Youfuku no Aoyama (洋服の青山) in Kuki City (久喜市) to find the ONE.Kuki city street by nightOne of them cigarette vending

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-63525118330583861742007-05-16T19:05:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.394+09:00

Monday, 14th of May 2007. Sunny.You know what! The English school replied. I ~AM~ invited to an interview at their headquarters. But it's a group interview. This means that there will be a few hundred others. The interview is scheduled on 16th of May. That means two !@#$%^ days away. I have an option to reschedule for next Wednesday though. Should I? Maybe.. not?-*-*--*-*--*-*--*-*--*-*--*-*--*-*

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886880993062877842.post-39989912414380746272007-05-14T13:06:00.001+09:002009-08-29T02:29:06.400+09:00

Sunday, 13th of May 2007. Sunny.I was quite surprised when Tsukasa san asked me whether I want to go to a shopping mall in Kazo City. All the while, I’ve been thinking he needs to stay home forever to finish up his never-ending work.He had gone back to his home in Kuki City in the morning. He had washed his car as well as changed the engine oil, he said. The shopping mall in Kazo City is not

insearchofsunrisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103192463964182656noreply@blogger.com1