My new peeps from 2C: Fri 20 Oct 2006

Tonight I went out with the class I had previously called 'a bunch of animals'. hehehe....They are crazy!! I think I wrote a post last term about going clubbing with the 1C (now 2C class) and their sensei! Well I take it back, they are awesome!! I just crack up laughing when I'm with them... My class (2B) has now turned into a boring class. Its just not the same anymore. I guess the people are too smart for their own good... hehe. Anyway, thank God for 2C, a refreshing breath of fresh air. I couldn't take any photos of our sensei ripping up Travolta moves on the dance floor, but here's two of the girls from the class. (NOTE: picture looks more innocent than it is...) By the way, don't you think this shot of me epitomises the term "A Yellow Asian"? hahahahaha.....

Rippin tunes with my homeboys: Mon 9 Oct 2006

So what do you do on a Monday night, when karaoke costs RM 12 an hour??? You sing your heart out with your new housemates! First Cat, Yuta and I had dinner at this Asian foodcourt, secretly shoved into an office building in Shinjuku's Kabuki-cho (the slutville of Tokyo- also known as the red light district). Yes, and there I had my first Nasi goreng in Tokyo. Total heaven!!! Aaahh....Sedapnya!!! I can still taste it... Then the 3 of us went and cranked up some tunes on the old Kara-O-K, exercising a few vocal chords here and there...

Is Tokyo safe or what!!??!

When I was still living in Kajigaya, I took a photo of this little boy walking in front of me. He had just been to the convenience store to buy something, and was walking along the street with his plastic bag. I couldn't believe it! He was around 4 years old, but there he was walking at the side of the road, ALONE doing an errand probably for his mom! He kept looking back at me (with wary eyes), but somehow I managed to sneak in this shot. All the while, cars were passing us on the road. Maybe in the 'kampung' this is normal, but I sure was not expecting this in suburbia Tokyo. So I guess this was one of the 'safe' aspects of my old neighbourhood, but coincidentally, a few nights before I moved to the new house, a girl was stabbed in our area (don't freak out, all is fine. it was quite a fair way from where i lived). Still, i was a little relieved to be moving finally! Anyway, it seemed to be a murder because she wasnt robbed or anything. Probably a lover's fight, who knows...A freak accident I hope.

Mommas in Shibuya

Here is a photo of some crazy girls in Shibuya. To top it off they are not only girls, they are mothers as well!! These 'geru girls' (thats what we call heavily made-up, brown haired, bling bling wearing Japanese girls) walk around with strollers constantly having a fag here and there. It must be the trend now to have REAL LIFE DOLLS, because their kids sure look like little Harajuku baby models. The babies even have dyed hair like their mummys. I guess its not a real shock to me. I expected nothing less from Tokyo...

The Rock Gig I went to: Sat 7 Oct 2006

Ok, here's a photo of the rock gig I went to with Yuta and Cat (the night before my mac had a seizure). These are his friends. They were playing that night. A real cool bunch of guys (the group was called 'gigbox'). Totally Tokyo Punk in dressing, but their music was Rock! I Loved it!!!

My mac had a heart attack：Sun 8 Oct 06

Well last night, I came back from the rock gig and tried to log onto my mac. It would not start up and kept thinking for an hour (I know the guys at work are probably rolling their eyes now...) So today, I am at the Apple Mac store in Shibuya waiting for my turn at the Genius Bar. It’s great! I hope I can use my mac tomorrow and link back up again to my loved ones.

My new room: 7 Oct 06

It's been nearly a week since I moved into the new place. It's fantastic. I love it! I'm so much more happier than I was at my last place. The location where I'm at is so convenient. Lots of shops, banks etc and its only 1 train stop away from Shinjuku (It takes me 15 mins by train to Shibuya, where my school is at). I don't feel like I'm living in a concrete jungle at all! My neighbourhood has an old 'retro' feel to it. There are lots of small traditional shops run by some very friendly old people. Most of the print ads they place are still from the 70's! The street is also very quiet. The walk to the station is less than 5 mins, and if you walk a bit further, there is a beautiful Turqish mosque 10 mins away.


My room is a traditional Japanese tatami mat room, I even have a low table and cushions, where I do my work in. Off course I have decorated my room to my tastes, which you will see in the pictures. I have a sliding door that opens out to the garden and a little veranda area, where I can put potted plants etc. The loving area is small, but cozy for the 5 of us. The kitchen is stocked up with an oven, microwave, fridge, cutlery, the works, more than enough to start cooking.

And what can I say about my housemates, we get along really well. Usually, we all get back home late and stay up and watch a bit of telly (which is Cable TV so I can swap the language from Japanese to English) but usually I try and watch in Japanese. The last few days, we've been staying up just chatting to each other. I feel like I'm back in civilisation again, after living with half-mute people at the dormitory. Ok, they weren't so bad, just extremely shy I guess.

One of my housemates (Yuta 20, Japanese born Korean boy) just returned from the Middle East last month (Syria, Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan). He even gave me a tasbih he bought in Turkey. He is only 20, but he went alone to the Middle East to see all the fuss the media is making and to judge it with his own eyes. I think that is so brave (even I wouldn't go to the Middle East now). My housemates are all quite supportive of me as a muslim. So far we have the same taste in music, which is a bonus point, as all of us can share each other's playlist through the internet. (Catherine 24, English) sleeps next door to me. She is very english, loud and fun and has a string of boyfriends she always has stories to share about. There is never a dull moment with Cat. The girl from my school (Anita 26, Hong Kong), is also sweet. A bit quiet but very kind. We even chat in Cantonese sometimes. he is so surprised that I know some words. (i practice to impress Jeff saje la..) Last night, Anita shared with us some mooncakes she received from Hong Kong (its now mooncake festival). Naoko (27, Japanese) works in a clinical trial group (testing clinical products etc etc). She is also great. Everynight so far, I have been chatting to Naoko and Yuta, both in a mix of English and Japanese. In fact tonight, Im going to a rock gig with Yuta and his friends. The other girls all have their dates, since its Saturday night. But we should be planning something soon anyway.

For more pictures: Click on the link 'Sasazuka' under links on the right column

Le Petit Prince Museum: 28 Sept 06

Can you believe that we found the only 'Little Prince' museum in the whole world, in Hakone. It was so beautiful! I felt like I was in France. They did a good job with the museum. The whole place looked like the South of France. The museum itself was a tribute to Antoine de Saint-Exupé. There were photos of his flights all around the world, and rooms where they re-created his office in Argentina and his childhood bedroom and also the cargo hold of his plane. They had a collection of 'Le Petit Prince' books published in all sorts of languages. Archived sketches of Antoine's initial ideas conceiving the Prince were also displayed. I even saw books on Barbapapa! He is quite popular here in Japan. Dezryn and I grew up with the Barbapapa family. It's such a pity that they don't show it in Malaysia. Anyway, Ive noticed the Japanese are closet francophiles. You can see French sensibility and elegance in shop window designs, fashion, cafes, bakeries etc. I must say, i was so impressed with the museum that it was the highlight of my trip to Hakone.

For more pictures: Click on the link 'Little Prince' under links on the right column

Hakone Lake Ashi: Wed 27 Sept 06

For the Autumn Holidays, Julie and I went to Hakone. As soon as we arrived from Tokyo (the trip took 2 hours by train), it was pouring cats and dogs. So we waited a little and finally 3 hours later, arrived a beautiful sunny day. We went to Lake Ashi hoping to see Mt. Fuji, but sadly, it wasn't visible throughout our whole trip (or more like I couldn't recognise it without the famous snowcap). Lake Ashi is quite famous, especially the shot of the lake with the red 'torii' gate.

A snapshot from the 'Pirate Ship'
The whole day was packed with riding all sorts of transportation, we began with the train from Shinjuku to Hakone, then took a bus to the B&B (checked in, waited for the rain to pass) and then took a bus to the lake. There we got onto a Pirate Ship ferry, then onto a Ropeway up the mountain. There the volcano was still active, steam from the hot springs were spurting out everywhere and the air stank of sulfur. After eating the famous 'black eggs' of the mountain, we took a cable car down the mountain, and another train back to the station. Then another bus back to the B&B. The route took around 5 hours.

At night, we jumped into the hot spa of the B&B (similar to a hot spring). I thought I would test this out first before trying out the real thing, but I didn't even last 5 minutes! I was out of there by 10. It was too hot, and I was getting dizzy and lethargic. It was also my first experience having to strip bare naked with strangers ( just us girls laa...) Aiyo, malu betul, but I got over it fast. We have to shower first before getting in. Once that was over, I slowly dragged myself up to bed for a good nights sleep. On the way up to the room, I stopped by the vending machine to get some chips. The vending machines in Japan sell almost everything! From socks and towels to microwaved ready made pasta. They're one of my favourite things about Japan.

For more pictures: Click on the link 'Hakone' under links on the right column

Selamat Berpuasa: Mon 25 Sept 06

To my dearest family and friends who are fasting. Selamat Berpuasa! Maghrib here is around 5.30pm, so its not too bad. The weather is also getting cooler too :)

September Babies: Sun 24 Sept 06

Tomoko and Me

Wow this September is a busy, baby month for me. I just came back from visiting my ex classmate, Oo-san and her lil new addition Tomoko. What a darling she was. Did I mention to you all that I am also a proud auntie of another nephew? Whilst Oo-san gave birth to Tomoko on the 9th of September, three days earlier, my eldest sister gave birth to her 6th son! What an amazing woman huh? Not to mention it was on the same day Japan welcomed its new emperor.


Yasmin and AJ Junior

This blog is dedicated to all the mom's and September babies out there... Did I mention, im in love with a September baby too?

For more pictures: Click on the link 'Tomoko-chan' under links on the right column

Yey! Term is over: Fri 22 Sept 2006

Dedicated to my fellow shoe-loving girlfriends!

Wow! 3 months has passed by sooo fast! My first school term is now over. Today was a looong day, we had all sorts of speeches and presentation for the closing ceremony. I was happily surprised to get the best student award for my class, and had to go up to receive it on stage. Hatzukashi!!!! Well I worked my ass off for the exams anyway, I think 2nd time round when you get the chance to study again after uni, you are so much more enthusiastic. After the ceremony, I did a bit of shopping at Zara and bought myself a pair of 'celebratory' shoes. They were hot and sparkly! I needed a new pair anyway. The winter boots here are sooo amazing! The chicks are equally as stylish here in Tokyo. After Zara, we had to hurry back to school to meet our sensei. Then we went straight to an 'izakaya' (a japanese pub). Its different than a western pub. Its like a tatami mat restaurant but with lots of rowdy, drunk people. It was quite fun, because students from other classes were there too, so there was a bit of intermingling happening. I was so embarrased, because the 1A class said my name was so famous, and they had all wanted to meet me. hahaha.. later i found out because Aby, when spelt in katakana as 'ebi' means prawn. Anyway, after the rowdy as hell drinking and eating session, we went out to a club, and danced off all our stress. The 1C class kids were on an outbreak. They're really wild! Even their sensei was ripping out some hardcore moves on the dance floor. It was an awesome night all up, except for a few indecent groping happening, the girls were all safe and taken care off...

China in Yokohama: 10 Sept 2006

This man was a real blast from the past, I just dont know whether he was Chinese or Japanese!
Yokohama is Japan's 2nd largest city. The crowd puller is its Chinatown and the seaside development Minato Mirai 21. This time however, Theresa and I just concentrated on Chinatown. Even that was enough for the day. I really felt like I was propelled to China, however this was one of the cleanest Chinatown I've ever been too. And of course, the people were all speaking Japanese. I couldn't hear a bit of Mandarin/ Cantonese at all! There are tons of little shops, and restaurants selling Chinese food. I even got myself a prawn pau. I would have gotten the red bean one, but I misunderstood it for an Apricot pau! Apart from the food and the chinese temples, the highlight of my day was buying 4 novels (in good condition) for just ¥50 each. All together it was RM6! Yokohama, is a place I will definitely return to for a 2nd visit.

For more pictures: Click on the link 'Yokohama' under links on the right column

Tsukiji Market: Sat 09 Sept 2006

Picture courtesy of www.perkowitz.net

I had to wake up at 6 am to go to this market. Its a giant fish market, where most of Japan's fishes are caught and sold in wholesale auctions around 4 am. I missed all that action though, when I got there it was around 7am, and the crowd was dying down. My digi cam died on me at that time, so I had to take photos with the Holga. Should be sending you the films in the mail soon darling. Anyway, the most surprising thing that I saw were tuna heads the size of a 4WD wheel. It was HUGE! wish i could upload the pics... aah well no regrets.


Picture courtesy of Julio Marcos

Happy Birthday Jeff: Sat 02 Sep 2006

Im sorry I missed it! Hope you had a great one darling!

My first earthquake: Wed 30 Aug 2006

Finally, I am up to date on this blog! I experienced my first earthquake whilst sitting at Starbucks, a TALL building over my head and the earth wobbling for about 3 seconds. It was after school around 5.18pm. I was having a caramel frapuccino and suddenly the ground started swaying like a rubber platform. It was quick, but the scariest thing was watching the building we were under 'sway'! It was as if my vision faltered a bit and went zig zaggy. The earthquake wasn't really violent, but we were more afraid of aftershocks. The whole cafe was quiet for a few minutes, then business went on as usual. The news reported the strongest magnitude being 4.8. I think the one in town was around 3. No damage or loss of life reported. I wonder if the earthquake is like a wave effect, or if it happens all at once. Apparently, the movement types differ depending on what sort of tectonic plate you are on. Only proffessionals can tell, so I won't even bother. Well all is fine, Im glad I wasn't in the subway!

Gelman@GGG: Thu 24 Aug 2006

Since I have been craving for design these last few weeks, I have been stalking the internet for various talks or exhibitions I could go to. Tokyo, known as the 'big mikan/mandarin' like its sister city, NYC has much to offer in terms of design. So I found myself after school one day, at the Ginza Graphic Gallery listening to Alexander Gelman speak (thankfully in English!). So who is this Alexander Gelman, I wondered?To quote the Museum of Modern Art in New York: Gelman is amongst the “world’s most influential modern and contemporary artists in all media.” Hmm.. I was intrigued. The talk ended up good. I managed to ask him a few questions and even got an autograph on his book. You can check out his work at: http://www.designmachine.net/

Summer Holidays: 10-20 Aug 2006

Omatsuri Parade

Believe it or not, I did not go anywhere during the summer holidays. I spent most of the days lazing around at home and going to work at Hakuhodo. On the weekend, I went to visit Mom's friend, Auntie Kiku and her husband Uncle Hirao. They used to live in KL during the late 70's. But both are not doing so well now. Hirao-san just got out of the hospital after a year of hospitalisation and Auntie Kiku has cancer. So it was really kind of them to ask me over to their place. Usually, the Japanese rarely invite people to their home. Anyway, having arrived at their place, we had 'koroke' (fried potatoes) and looked at photos of me when I was a child. They still kept it! I think I was around 12 years old, and Auntie Kiku, kept insisting that the girl in the photo was Dezryn and not me! It took me awhile to convince her, but in the end I did. Apparently, she thought mom had only 5 kids. So I didn't exist. How sad huh... Anyway, let's rewind to the morning. Before I went to Auntie Kiku's house, I went to see the 'Omatsuri' with Baba-san (one of Auntie Kiku's friends who used to live in KL too). The Omatsuri is a festival/ parade, where the Japanese carry these floats ( with mini temples), supported on big long bamboo sticks. That was during the time of Obon, when dead ancestors come and visit this world and family members return to their hometown and give offerings. I think it is similar to the Chinese version of 'Hungry Ghosts'. After watching the parade, we went to the temple which was full of food stalls selling lots of yummy food. Surprisingly I didn't pig out, as I still had lunch to go to at Auntie Kiku's. At the temple, there were kids playing Kendo. I even considered joining but I don't think Im tough enough. One of my classmates, does Kendo near our school. And he is a tank. Ok, I won't waffle on anymore. Im glad I got to meet Auntie Kiku again and experience the Omatsuri. That sure was a nice day!

For more pictures: Click on the link 'Omatsuri' under links on the right column



Well, working at Hakuhodo was fun too. I was surprised at first when I arrived there, the creative staff all worked separately in cubicles. Only when they brainstormed, they get together in one of the rooms. Anyway, they put me to work immediately, and I was to sketch out ideas for one of the clients and present to the director and then of the week. Apart from the sketching, I met two international creative directors. They both are a duo from Italy, but Jonathan was originally from England. In fact they reminded me of Ming and Ton. Both have worked together for awhile now, and are each other's sounding boards. Jonathan and Annaritta work freelance at Hakuhodo, and surprisingly don't speak much Japanese at all! Both of them were kind enough to take me around to a little design studio called 'Cosmos' to meet some real Japanese designers. Some work usually gets outsourced to external design studios. These small studios then work directly under the Art Director at Hakuhodo. The studio I went to was really small. It had around 5 designers, similar to freeform. But the work they did, was pure corporate stuff you see in Advertising. Nothing too interesting. Anyway, the way they work is crazy though. They might come up with 20-30 sketches of a bottle packaging and even mock it all up! Because of confidentiality, I could not really see what they were working on, so I ended up showing them photos of Malaysia from my mac. They were all especially impressed with the photos of Redang and my Kampung house. All in all, I had a nice holiday and couldn't wait to return to school to hit the books again!

Heaven's Door: Mon 07 Aug 2006

Well it was a Monday night, and we were headed for a LIVE HOUSE at a place called Heaven's door. Why at 7pm on a Monday night? Beats me. But it sure suits my schedule. After all, with a curfew at 12am, my life as Cinderella sure limits my late nights out. Anyway, LIVE HOUSE is when newbie bands get together and perform on a stage. I guess you could call it an 'open-mic' night. But its catered to specific genres and the bands have to bring in the customers by selling tickets. We got to know about this through Ryoko (daughter of akiko. ming's yoga friend in KL). Ryoko is such a sweet girl, and was dating the lead singer from one of the bands. The music was mainly punk and hard rock. It was really underground. Both in terms of the music style and the place they performed. Heaven's door was 50-60 steps below street level. Most of the kids there were really kids (from 16-25yrs). I felt a bit old. he he... They were also mainly international school kids, so Theresa and I did not stick out too much!

For more pictures: Click on the link 'Heaven's Door' under links on the right column

The way of the Samurai: Sat 05 Aug 2006

Miniatures from the Edo Period

Well it was a boring Saturday morning, so I decided to go and visit the Edo Museum and pay my Samurai ancestors a visit. The museum was a wonderful experience. I could have stayed on for hours. They had beautiful period costumes and live size installations as well as miniatures which depicted life in the Edo period. Half of the museum was dedicated to the Edo period (when the Samurais were still around) whilst the other half of the museum was pre-industrial Japan up to WW II. It was great looking at all the propaganda in those days, and the illustration styles. Very 1950's. And to top it off, there was also a step by step display of woodblock printing to show how they printed books during the Edo period. Unfortunately, I left my camera, so I had to use my mobile phone but I haven't managed to upload it on to the Mac. Believe it or not, my mobile phone is only PC compatible. Anyway, here is a shot from the net.

Hanabi Flower of Fire: Tue 01 Aug 2006

We went to see the Hanabi Fireworks. Hanabi literally means Flowerfire in Japanese. The end of July and early September is the time for Hanabi. The bigger towns usually have the Hanabi. It usually lasts for 1 and 1/2 hours, with about 10,000 fireworks shot into the sky. It was really beautiful, but towards the end of the night, my neck was aching like crazy. I went with Teresa, her host family and Shu-hey, a pen pal I made from World Friends before I left for Japan. There were soo many people, sitting by the riverbank. Our Hanabi was not so famous, but this particular one in Minami Sunamachi happens only once every 24 years. So I was lucky to see this. Anyway, enjoy the pictures. It might be a bit lengthy. I think I went overboard, taking all those shots!

For more pictures: Click on the link 'Hanabi' under links on the right column

Meiji Jingu: Sun 30 Jul 2006

Marriage procession at Meiji Jingu

Okay this post is a month late. So sorry. Anyway, this is a shot of Meiji-Jingu, one of Tokyo's most famous Shinto Shrine. Completed in 1920, Meiji-Jingu was constructed in honour of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, under whose rule Japan ended its long isolation from the outside world. It was obliterated in the WWII bombings, and sprang up again in 1958. The walk to the shrine was beautiful. It was a wide gravel path that could fit 4 cars in between a row of pine trees. It was a peaceful change to the busy neighbouring Harajyuku. Okay. I better stop now before I write the whole Lonely Planet guide down. Anyway, on top of it being peaceful, we were lucky enough to see a wedding procession. The guests all looked like models, a change from the Cos-play kids we saw modelling at the bridge. Cos-play means dressing up in costumes, either of their favourite anime characters or some sort of role-play. The ones I frequently see are the lolitas and the gothic vamps.

For more pictures: Click on the link 'Meiji Jingu' under links on the right column

Ode to Odaiba: Sat 29 Jul 2006

We went to Odaiba in Tokyo Bay today. It used to be garbage land fill but now has been commercialised and changed to a little tourist island. Well Odaiba has its fair share of tourist gimmicks, like a giant ferris wheel and a mini statue of liberty. Anyway, I spent a full day there with Evan and Theresa, my classmates from school. There was a strip called 'little hong kong' and it was selling retro things in beautifully designed packages. From 1950's tin toys to Posters of actresses in the sliver screen days. It was a designer's wonderland!

For more pictures: Click on the link 'Odaiba' under links on the right column

The Ginza that Glitters: Fri 28 Jul 2006

Wow, I finally made my way to Ginza, one of the most expensive real estate on the planet. Ginza at night is spectacular, not to mention less crowded. As soon as I stepped out of the station and onto the streets, I could feel the place oozing money and class. The people here were well-dressed and so different compared to the pink haired teeny boppers in Shibuya. Ginza is also known as Tokyo's 5th avenue. There were so many boutique stores from Channel to Mikimoto Pearls, each with a unique shop front design. It was euphoria to the eyes, but definitely not for the wallet. The only free thing we could do was visit the Apple Mac store with 5 floors built into a sleek cube-shaped building. You can surf the net for free here or participate in the Mac workshops regularly screened in their own ampitheatre. After that, we spent most of the night hunting for a cheap place to eat, which was almost impossible. I saw a menu displayed at a french restaurant with a set meal costing ¥17,000 (RM542)!! Crazy huh? Whoever said that 'the best things in life are free' obviously never came to Ginza...

For more pictures: Click on the link 'Ginza' under links on the right column

Kooky Kabuki: Mon 24 Jul 2006

Well, a few weeks ago, I went on a school trip to watch the Kabuki Theatre. Off course, when I say school trip, Im sure you all imagine a big yellow bus, with lots of excited kids screaming and yelling. The Tokyo style of a school trip is to assemble at school and walk in big groups towards the station. Just another day commuting with the good citizens of Tokyo. When we got there, we went straight to our seats. There was a pre-amble before the show explaining the origins of Kabuki and its techniques. The storyline is so complex with twists and turns that purposely tries to throw you off the story (Even the average Japanese finds the kabuki hard to follow). Basically there is a bad guy that Rokusuke (the main hero) has to chase and during then he falls in love with a girl and saves a little boy from bandits. It was so difficult to follow, that I fell asleep throughout half of the show! It also didn't help that the men playing the shamisen were lulling me to sleep. On a good note, I must say the set design and costumes were great. Simple yet eye-catching. So, to wrap up my kooky kabuki experience, once is enough to last me a lifetime...

For more pictures: Click on the link 'Kabuki' under links on the right column

The Yamadas and Seaworld: Sun 23 July 2006

Papa whale in the pool

Today, I went to visit the Yamadas. They are my guardian here in Tokyo. Currently, they live in Kisarazu, sort of far out from Tokyo. Mr. Yamada is an MD at a golf club there and his house at Kajigaya (5 mins from my dorm) is under renovation. They'll be moving back in September. I started of the morning from home with 2 train changes to the bus terminal at Shinagawa. The bus ride took me through an underwater tunnel through Tokyo Bay. The whole trip from home to Kisarazu took 1 hour 40 mins. Lunch was at the golf club. Very peaceful. Lots of trees and hills. Most of the club members commute from Tokyo or Yokohama. After lunch, we decided to take a drive to the coast. Kisarazu is on a peninsula. Spontaneously, Akiko and I drove to Seaworld in Komagawa. It was nice to see the killer whales, dolphins and the beluga whales. Kisarazu is very quiet and peaceful. Most of the people there are rice farmers. I had heaps of fun with Akiko. By the end of the trip though my brain was getting all slow and mushy digesting the Japanese words I was being fed by Akiko. I underestimated how tired I can get just translating languages back and forth in my brain. It seems to explain why I have been getting tired and sleepy very early at night. Akiko reckons its coz I live alone, so I get bored quick,which probably leads to my sleepiness...

For more pictures: Click on the link 'Kisarazu+Seaworld' under links on the right column

Karaoke with class: Fri 21 July 2006

"And aiyeeai..will always love youuuu...."

So at last, I got to experience the 'Japanese Karaoke'. Some classmates of mine organised a little outing with our sensei, Friday night after school. It was great to exercise my lungs. My classmates were cool, they weren't shy at all. Some sounded like frogs, and others like superstars. I won't say which category I fall under, but its safe to say that I could have been a Super-star frog. One of the top ones. hehe... Well, the songs all vary from English to Japanese, to Chinese to Korean. The karoke booth under the TV even had a score board which calculates how good we are! There is a portable menu that you click on like a palm pilot to select your songs. They also had the traditional 'giant remote control'. After karaoke, we went for dinner at the local Japanese pub 'Izagaya' in Japanese. Friday nights were filled with business people loading off their work stress with tons of Sake and Western Alcohol.

For more pictures: Click on the link 'Karaoke@Shibuya' under links on the right column

Karma Kamakura: Sat 15 July 2006

Worshippers leave messages at the temple

It was a lovely, hot and humid Saturday when I decided to go to Kamakura with some friends. Monday was a public holiday, so we took the chance on Saturday to go on a 1 day trip out to Kamakura, the 'Kyoto' of Tokyo. Kamakura is a little seaside town filled with temples. It is set in a valley of mountains opening out to the sea. The Kamakurans must be a religious community. There are just too many temples to count (Even 2 hands are not enough!) The beach was nothing to shout about, it was dirty and full of people. The sand was dark grey! Anyway, we saw the giant buddha (2nd largest one in Japan). Kamakura was a nice change to the hectic pace of Tokyo. I heard from some Tokyo-ites that the Kamakurans are a close knit community. It is very hard for an outsider, even a Japanese person, say from Tokyo to move into the little town. I must say that the monks sure had a peaceful life. The gardens are just gorgeous. Surprisingly though, food in Kamakura was much more expensive than in Tokyo!

For more pictures: Click on 'Kamakura' under links in the right column

Akihabara: Wed 12 July 2006

Well, my next destination was Akihabara, Tokyo's electric district. One day after school, T and I decided to visit Akihabara and get a mic for our computer. For those with Skype, let me know your username so we can talk on the internet. Anyway, Akihabara was filled with neon signs and bright lights. I was getting used to this more and more as I continue to stay in Tokyo. I don't know which sign to look at!! It is a real visual overload not to mention a burden on the city's electric generator! There were bargains everywhere but the prices still can't beat the ones we find at Low Yatt or Sungei Wang. I noticed A LOT of sales people there were foreigners from the middle east, china, eastern europe. AND, they all speak great Japanese! Akihabara is also known for its anime, from the kosher kind to the 'Hentai' porno kind. I turn a corner and I see a business man ducking into a little underground shop, probably for a quick flip through. Gross, i know... but it seems the norm here. That's one thing I still can't figure out about the Japanese. It is amazing that a society with such an array of social rules, have a hidden persona (from tiny porn shops, to vending machine selling school girl undies, to tanned girls with pink hair wearing clown make-up). They have a saying that in Japan if you are different, like a nail that sticks out, then they will hammer you down to conform. The funny thing is, the younger generation are competing to look so different from one another, but no one seems to stand out anymore. Just like the street signages at Akihabara...

For more pictures: Click on 'Akihabara+Coffee' under links on the right column

Shibuya Train Home: 09 July 2006

It's been awhile since I last wrote, but where I left off was at Asakusa temple. The journey back home is getting to be quite the routine for me now. I can finally get the gist of when rush hour is and when to catch the express train which saves me a good 8 mins and skips 6 stations! Tokyo has a gazillion train lines. There are so many lines owned and operated by different companies. I can't simply get a train ticket that takes me everywhere on the Tokyo rail network. Currently I have 2 train tickets. One is direct from Kajigaya Station (my dorm) to Shibuya. The other ticket is a debit card ticket for one of the major lines (JR lines) JR= Japan Rail? has a line called Yamanote which loops around major destinations like Tokyo, Akihabara, Shibuya, Shinjuku and many others. The rest of the places like Ginza and Ropponggi are accessible by subways, which you guessed it requires a different ticket! Like I said before in my email, the thing about catching trains in Tokyo, is you MUST know which station exit leads to your destination. Pick a wrong one and you can expect a detour from 10 mins to an hour!

For more pictures: Click on 'Shibuya Train Home' under links on the right column

P.S: Check out the Asakusa link too for more pictures...

Asakusa Day Out: 09 July 2006

On Sunday, I went to a beautiful temple in the old part of Tokyo called Asakusa. Muto-san from Hakuhodo along with his tennis club partner were my tour guides for the day. It was a crowded place and full of worshippers from hip Tokyoites to Yukata cladded men and women, getting in touch with their tradition again. Apparently, now it is quite hip to wear kimonos and yukatas again. The difference between a kimono and a yukata is that a yukata is made of cotton and is worn during summer, while kimonos are usually silk or brocade and worn for more formal functions. Colours vary from bright to pastel. Men usually wear dark blue yukatas with simple motifs knocked-out in white.

The temple I went to was called Senso-Ji. Here I am, looking like a real tourist with my umbrella. By the way, that umbrella is really cheap! Around ¥300= RM10. There are tons of the transparent types around.

This is so cheesy!

At the temple, the worshippers crowd around a giant bowl full of incense and start waving the spiralling smoke towards themselves for goodluck. It smells quite similar to incense burned in a Chinese temple.

If that was pot, Japan would be a very happy place indeed...

We went into the temple full of people worshipping and getting their fortunes from these ready made fortune chest of drawers. Again, it is very similar to Chinese temples where you have to shake a container of sticks until one comes out with the number of your fortune. I call it the 'take-away' fortunes. They even have an English translation at the back. Mine goes along the lines of "Only master jeweller will turn rock into marvellous brilliance. The patient in bed long, does not hurt him". Basically, I think my endeavours will all come true with patience and hardwork. It also said that someone I am waiting for will come...but late. (Hmm, I wonder who that could be?)

Hello.Konichiwa.Apakhabar?: 01 July 2006

Sorry this post is late. I sent this email to some of my friends and family. For those I missed out, please have a read

To my dearest family, friends and my mini-lover.,

Hello from Tokyo. What can I say about this city... It is overwhelming. As we drove in from the airport into the city, I was greeted by a concrete jungle, worse than New York (well from what i see in the movies). Rows and rows of multi storey buildings were intertwined with triple decker highways. If any of you have had a chance to play Tokyo Street Racer on Sega, they would understand me. I think the new Fast & Furious movie (Tokyo Ridge racer) would illustrate just what I mean.


The Japanese favourite sport is baseball.

I was already getting claustrophobic, just looking at the buildings. Well, we were dropped right at our hotel. Thank God I posted my bags straight to my dormitory, that really saved us a lot of trouble. You do not want to carry heavy luggage around in Tokyo. At the hotel, we just collapsed, fell asleep and woke up for a semi- expensive dinner. "Semi" meaning that you get a plate of pizza 7 inches wide and 2mm thick. It was like eating paper that costed RM25. Our coffee break at the hotel was RM 25 per coffee cup. A phone card to call Malaysia is RM30=average of 16-18 mins.


Lots of traffic jam coming into the city

Now I know really understand the true meaning of expensive = life in Tokyo. But sometimes, if you look hard enough, you can find a packet of biscuits, beautifully wrapped with individual wrapping (different designs for each) for ¥100= RM 3.20. Well, I guess Tokyo is a big challenge for the bargain hunter.

I will keep this email short. I plan to continue writing to you all through my blog. There, I can also upload pictures. Just note, my address:

http://www.abyjunus.blogspot.com

My camera is dead, and I cant seem to find an international adaptor anywhere. One reason a lovely Japanese man gave me was "This is Japan, we only get Japanese people buying our plugs.". Well... he obviously hasn't heard about FREE TRADE.

Anyway, today i did a recce of the Tokyo subway, braving it with my two senior but adventurous mom & dad. My sisters would be proud, although I did lose my temper a bit,when my mom started wanting to navigate us through a different way (especially when we had just walked the same street 30 mins ago, mind you I had a map!). Well Kak E, did this happen in Germany? I really sympathise. hehe... And pops, well he of course had to have his toilet breaks, and always wanting to break-off from the group. But in the end, I must say we survived. Amazingly, I only spoke Japanese the whole day!! I think Ive learnt about 10 new words per day since Ive been here. We managed to ask for directions, shop for shoes, look for cough medicine, check into the hotel, order our meals, browse through prepaid mobile phones (all in Japanese. phew! its slowly coming back.)


Not so busy in Shinjuku on a Saturday

The trains stations were ok. It's just a pity for you if you take the wrong exit. If you are in Tokyo, you must know what train line you want to get on. From there, you will have to buy tickets at the specific train line destination counter. Forget about asking help in English, again I had to speak Japanese. Surprisingly, there are not many information counters.

The dorm was great. I have a nice room in a lovely little neighbourhood. Very quite compared to the city. The busy city was getting to me by the end of today. I will write about my dorm another time, when I actually move in properly.. probably next week.

A funny thing happened near my school. There was a small hotel next door, so mom wanted to see how much it was (thinking we could move there). I walked in and asked the price and was surprised to find it so cheap. She was quite accomodating. Suddenly mom walked in all decked with her tudung and said hello to the lady. She started saying that the hotel wasnt appropriate for us and that we should go into the opposite inn. I kept asking why and she shook her head, until I heard laba's hoteru. (which means lover's hotel). So she was so embarrased that she personally took us directly to the inn next door. Now wonder the hotel was so dark! I thought it was cozy. hehe

I must say the Japanese are quite accommodating when you approach them, although there are also the few that live the real "i am a busy city folk, please don't disturb me" attitude.

Well, that's the end of today's story. It was very tiring and hectic. Sometimes I am amazed at what I got myself into. Tomorrow I will brave another day, this time a quick exam at school and battling with the local city council to get my "Alien" Registration Card.

I miss Malaysia and all of you very much. The loneliness hits the pits of my stomach when I sit in my room alone. Its that kind of feeling I used to get when I was returning to boarding school (my sisters will fully sympathise.. hehe).

My love to all my nieces, nephews and brother in laws.

Love heaps.

Aby
xoxox

Proffessor Stein's Reply

(Please See post below this one for the email I wrote to Proffessor Stein. Yey. Nara here I come. At least I know that the tsuba was made around the time my great grandfather was born. For those interested, below is a write up on Nara Tsubas. I have also found out where the Japan Center for Asian Historical Records is - They keep records from Meiji Era- WWII: 1870-1949.)

Ko-Nara tsuba, also called old Nara or early Nara tsuba, were a style of decorated iron plate tsuba popular from the Momoyama period through the mid Edo period. This group produced tsuba with kinko (soft metal) Goto style inlay on iron plates, some of which may have been produced by other tsukako - possibly Saotome makers. The first Nara master, Toshiteru, is believed to have studied under the Goto school and applied the Goto kinko techniques to iron plate tsuba. The Ko-Nara group are those makers working before approximately 1700 who preceeded the fourth Nara Master, Toshinaga. While this type of tsuba is called Ko-Nara, they were made by a variety of different makers, some only distantly related to the Nara school. The later or new Nara school (Shin Nara) became one of the most prolific and influential schools of tsuba and kodogu makers producing works into the Meiji Period. It is the later Nara work that most collectors refer to as the Nara school. The Three Great Nara Masters (Nara Sansaku) were Toshinaga (aka Riju) (1667-1737), Sugiura Joi (1700-1761) and Tsuchiya Yasuchika (1669-1744). Works by the great Nara masters are often reproduced, copied or forged (gimei).

The Ko-Nara and Nara school are considered by some to be the progenitors of many other schools of tsubako, the Hamano, Shonai Shoami and Iwamoto schools among others. It was artisans of the Nara school who formed the Hamano school. The style of the Nara school was often copied by workers of the Aizu Shoami and Mito schools of tsuba and kodogu makers. The work of Hamano, Aizu Shoami and Mito are often difficult to distinquish from that of the Nara makers. It is not unusual to see tsuba in this genre all labeled as Ko-Nara style.

CHARACTERISTICS OF KO-NARA TSUBA
These tsuba are characterized by well forged and hammered iron plates decorated with figural and naturalistic motifs in gold, silver, shaduko and copper inlay. The motifs commonly depict stories from Japanese or Chinese mythology or various naturalistic themes. On the better tsuba, the decor is quite detailed and extremely well done, rivaling that found on Goto or Soten tsuba in my opinion. Most Ko-Nara tsuba are done in maru-gata or mokko-gata. Iron bones (tekkotsu) are commonly seen on the edge (mimi) of Ko-Nara tsuba which are sukidashi or uchikaeshi. The surface is normally tsuchime (hammered finish) although some smooth plates were done and the carving done in shishiai (sunken relief) style; some will have iron on iron inlay which appears takabori (high relief carving). Ko-Nara tsuba are rarely signed.

To Proffessor Stein: Ko-nara tsuba?

(I wrote to Proffessor Stein who knows quite a lot on Japanese swords: http://www.geocities.com/alchemyst/nihonto.htm. Next week I might head off to the Sekaido Bunka Art Museum. They have a collection of swords there.)

Dear Proffessor Stein,

I am not familiar with the world of Japanese swords and tsuba, but our family has in our possession a tsuba that supposedly belonged to my great grandfather. Could you please shed some light on its origin? I am now in Japan studying, and would like to do some more research on the tsuba and where it came from.

Firstly, I will explain how we got the Japanese tsuba, considering that it is now in Malaysia. My grandmother is Japanese and was born during the early 1900's in Singapore ( I dont know the exact date). She was given away by her parents to a Malay family and was brought up as a Malay in Malaysia. She did not know of her Japanese heritage.

Her parents were shop keepers in Singapore and when they had to return to Japan, in the early 1900's they gave her away to the shop owners, leaving with her a sword. She was not the only one given away. Apparently she had a brother as well. But he did not survive. The sword was sold, and what remained was the tsuba.

We do not know what happened to her parents. But it is said that during those days in Singapore, the Japanese that were sent there were usually on reconnaissance missions.

During the World War 2, Malaysia was occupied by the Japanese, so my grandma refused to acknowledge her Japanese ancestry. It is all kept hush hush in Asian culture if one was adopted. My mother who was born in 1940 remembered that right after the WW2 (1947-49, a Japanese man came to Malaysia looking for my grandmother, but the older members of the family told him she had passed away. In fact she only passed away at 62 years old in 1965.

As you can imagine, most of the family members who were old back then have now passed on. As I mentioned, I am now in Japan studying Japanese and as a personal project of mine would like to trace my family. Even if i do not find them, I hope to gain a lot of experience understanding this culture we never knew as a family.

Apparently, the Japanese man who came to Malaysia was my great grandfather's brother. He mentioned that my great grandparents had commited harakiri. Please forgive me if it is beginning to sound like a fantasy story. Usually 'word of mouth' stories tend to be exoticised a little. I now do not know what is true and what has been exaggerated upon. I only have this tsuba and a small idea that it might have come from Nara.

A cousin of mine has been there to look for a name and has come up with an even more seemingly absurd tale that my great grandfather was a samurai descendent of Yoritomo and from the Clan of Minatomo. So I will have to brush up on my Japanese and start looking at the archives in Tokyo, perhaps beginning at the War Memorial Shrine.

I will start with the facts first, and if this tsuba did come from Nara, then there could possibly be a link. I have a photograph of it that I will attach in my personal blog, if you are interested in having a look.

I found your website very easy to read and informative. It would be great to hear your response.

Please find below a link of the photograph on my personal blog:

http://www.abyjunus.blogspot.com


Warm regards,

Abyan Junus

American Stars

Sat: 14 jan 06
@Kenny Hills
my 23rd birthday party was attended by:

01 billy the kid
02 billy's sherrif
03 paris hilton
04 george w. bush jr
05 buddy holly
06 dirk diggler
07 andre agassi
08 hugh hefner
09 missy elliot
10 some lakers fan
11 yoko ono
12 wonder woman
13 wonder woman's bitch

and moi: statue of liberty