Wednesday 29 April 2009

Dragon Ball..


When i was back in Malaysia, i had the chance to watch Dragon Ball Evolution. Personally i think that it was darn interesting. Unfortunately most my friends dont agree.
I m not a big fan of Dragon Ball but i did watched the cartoon version on tv 2 every Saturday and Sunday when i was in primary, just to kill the time. Therefore I know a bit of the fact about Dragon Ball.(just abit)

So when i watch the movie itself, I was shocked to see that there are lots of contradiction which i dare not state it out since my knowledge on the matter is considered shallow..But i kinda noticed some of the fact that i find them different from the original version.(so maybe tahts why its called 'evolution')

Nevertheless, i still enjoyed the movie.The character the Chi Chi (Jamie Chung) and Bulma( Emmy Rossum) are kinda cute. Especially Bulma with her knowledge in technology and her skill in fighting,they are amazing! She is cute and look tough at the same time making the character looks cool.

However, the story line was kinda havoc. The movie is too short for a movie with lots of plots. It looks like everything is being squeeze in a short period of time. It should be longer abit so it wont look 'kelam kabut'. Any i do enjoy the story line. Besides there are some amusing scene between Goku(Justin Chatwin) and Chi Chi. Thats fun too.

Anyway, last week, when i was in the second hand shop( place where i got my bed,sofa and comp table) , i saw a Goku doll. It is made out of plastic but the work is neat,nice and into detail . The colour is nice too. Cost around ¥1100 after I bargained with the shop assistant. I wasnt bringing enough cash (-¥100) on that raining day. Simply because i wanted it so much, i rush home, cycling in the cold rain, back to my room and get the ¥100. And returned to the shop a few blocks from my place. At last bought it!

Actually, i bought it coz, i like the movie and now i like dragon ball more.

Thursday 23 April 2009

New Game Boy game!!


Last 2 days, when i was cycling back home from a store near the station, all of a sudden a guy was flagging making a hello sign to me. It was my senior Asyraf, later i learned taht he is going to a game store nearby which i dont know of. He wanted to buy games for his new PS3 which he bought from his Korean friends for ¥20 000 (rm740).

So i followed him and later met Qudduss(my housemate)
Upon reaching the game store,
i went straight to find games for my new (secondhand) GameBoy color.
To my astonishment, there are a whole rack stacked with the console's games dispite its downfall in its popularity.

Besides, the price varies,ranging from ¥180 (RM 5.40) to ¥2990(RM110).
There are 2 types of games, the GameBoy , GameBoy color, and GameBoy advance.
(and most of the GB advance's games are expensive .¥680~)
Most of them are second hand ones.

Since that i m not used to the games, i asked Asyraf for advice, and he said that Wario Land 3 (pic above) is fun. He used to enjoy the game. So i bought it!
cost me ¥680..kinda costy for a second hand game though.

PS: that game wast that interesting..huhu

Saturday 18 April 2009

GameBoy color


Do anyone know what this is? Anyone recall what this is?

Its aGameBoy color!!! and it is my 1st portable game console. Since i was 11 (the time when i 1st time knew what is a GameBoy color is) i had wanted a game boy colour since that my bestfriend have had one. I borrowed his to play Harvest Moon. I have had played Pokemon too. It was damn fun and at that time having a GameBoy color is considered as cool..or rich! hahaha

Just now on my way back home from Shinjuku, Qudduss( my housemate) and i stopped by the chuko(中古, second) hand shop. I was kinda excited to see that there was 3 old GameBoys on the display. I tried one of them which is a purple in colour one. Lucky the bateri is in it.

Then to my supprise, the game tape in the console is one of Donkey Kong's games.
One of my favourite!!!I had played it on the computer quite sometime ago.
SO that was when my desire to buy it grew.


But then when i tried the purple GameBoy color , the one of the button has problem. The next was an dirty golden GameBoy Advance. Unfortunately, it have the same problem. The third one, a transparent cover, was ok.. still can ve used.

So i bought it!

for ¥800 (rm29)

damn best!!!!

although it sounded like a kid.


Friday 17 April 2009

Nomikai (Drinking Party)

Today i had my 1st ever nomikai(飲み会). Nomikai derived from the word 飲み (nomi) 'drink', and 会 (kai) meeting or gathering.. Nomikai is very famous among the Japanese especially among the adults (office worker, company employee etc), where they would go out and drink among themselves after work.. However, even clubs party or a normal party with friends and associates are called nomikai. Usually, they would eat, drink and enjoy chatting. And it is a 'must have' drink during nomikai.

The one i attended was held by my university's Automation Circle.This circle is about computering, robotic related activities and i m impressed of the well construct organization of the club. I decided to attend this club bcoz i think that what they are doing might be useful in the near future especially that i m taking Mechanical engineering.

I knew about the club from a friend of mine, Seko San( my classmate for most of the class i m taking). When i attend the party which was held at the uni's canteen, we needed to write our names and some of the senior was kinda puzzled upon my arrival. I m sure that not always a foreigner will step in and join a club with all Japanese. The newcomers were seated in a row in front of the seniors. I was seated infront of a 2nd year guy. Seko San was sitting beside and he was really helpful in translating what these fast talker was babbling about.

What was so amusing about the 2nd year guys is that, he is kinda quiet unless there is things to talk about. Considering that my Japanese ability is still low, i wasn't doing much of the talking, but just listening. So when we dont have anything to talk about we would stare and each other unless either of us would bring up a topic(which is me) and he would do all the talking..

Then after eating, which was a buffet style one, (lots of choices but out of shyness, i took a small amount of everything..hehe....) then we were required to introduce ourselves infront of others and this was the herdest thing ever considering the fact that I,a foreigners talking in front of Japanese for the 1st time. We were required to tell our name, course, class, year etc..and what you want to do when u join the club..


When it was my turned, my legs was trembling and my heart was beating fast, i became nervous. seriously i was nervous to extend that i was to faint...

'Siriphong Koammapat Niran from 1 year, 5th class, nimber 27. But you can call me Phong. I m taking Mechanical engineringa nd i came from Malaysia....after joining this club i would gain ...know..know...ledge...( i stuck here when i forgotten the word knowledge; then all were correcting me, 'Chishiki!' they shouted)knowledge in computering...yoroshiku onegaishimasu.'

Haahaha..my worries had subsided when i finish the self introduction part..then we chatted and drank..i didnt take alkohol though, but just the serving( it is a custome for others to pour the drink for u or either way) . Seko San was drinking but yet his face didnt turned red.

i took a leave around 8.3o pm...

My 1st nomikai was fun though. I was worried taht they wount except a foreigners at 1st but lucky everything went fine and i gained comfortable joining it.

Thursday 16 April 2009

Japanese Friends (part 2)

In the post earlier, i did state about the friends i made. How ever, they arent that friendly as those of the Malaysians. In Malaysia, when we met and get to know a new person, we would greet each other when we walk pass or we see each other. The least we do is we would nod and wave.

Unlike here, under my observation, these people that i knew, they dont really acknowledge me when we met. I m not sure whether they do it only to me or to others too, but my case is as same as those happened to some of my other friends(in ABK Japanese languages ones). They even told me the same story about how the Japanese student in their University treated them, how their friends behave toward them. This kinda made us uncomfortable.

Like today, i met my lab partner name Shinshi San[進士]. To my suprise, he dont even acknowledge me. I saw him attending 2 same classes as me. But not even once did he greeted or care to nod..

The another is MatsumotoSan[松本]( the guy that offered me to share his book). Only yesterday did i sat with him in the Physic class. He did helped me again, especially understanding the obsure Kanji written by my lecture in class.(eventually he asked me to call him Macchan). Today i met him n greeted him. But he wasnt that friendly today..i m x sure why..but when i asked him, he just answer me shortly and thats was it.

But Seko San[世古], a neardy looking student, who would sit at teh first row in all classes, was kinda better. He al least greeted me, and today, we attended is Automation Club. He was the one who introduce me to his club. Its like a Science robotic related club... I felt much comfortable talking to him dispite the fact that sometimes he dont really understand my Japanese..hahaha

Monday 13 April 2009

Japanese friends...

I have heard that making friends or to mingle around with a Japanese is difficult, especially with the guys. Actually i heard from my seniors who have enter the Universities, and according to them, it will tak e quite some time just to get them to asked for your name. (unless they are your teacher).

Even when me and my ABK(Asia Culture Japanese Language School) classmates and friends (who are not Japanese) start their 1st year in their respective universities, during the 1st week of the university life, they wouldphone called each other complaining about their new unis. And the main topic is always making friends and mingle around with the Japanese.

I received few calls from my ex-classmate and friends. Then they would nag about how snobbish and arrogant the Japanese students are, ignoring the foreign students and this eventually made us feel secluded or left a side.

I have had these problems myself for the 1st 2 weeks. I tried to be good,u see, smilling and making this 'i want to be your friend' face to everyone in my departments students. I tried to talk and ask them question but however they seem not intrested. em?? i look liked a freak or smtg??

I always get encouragement and advice from my senior Tan;he would say' make sure u greet them before they group up into their gengs, and then you will have no friend!', which i did today.

I was resting on a garden bench in my campus with my China friend JO. while doing my class schedule checks when a group of Japanese student came and sat beside me. This is my chance i said to myself. So i took a deep breath and asked the 1st basic question which was whether they are1st year student or not.. then from there we had quite a long conversation and we finally change numbers...(might sound gay but in Japan(under my observation), changing numbers are consider as '1st move to a friendship', i think). His name is Miyaji Akihiro, a Physic studies student.

Then during the my 1st Chemistry Lab experiment, i was doomed because i havent buy the 'must bring' books.. so i was luck enough when a Japanese offer to share his book. I remember his family name, Matsumoto (like Japanese biy band, Arahii 's member's name).

Plus, my lab partner, who had helped me a lot in understanding how the operation of the experiment. His name is Shinshi 進士, from Shizuoka, on the East of Nara and Osaka. It was difficult to communicate with him, considering that my Japanese level is still low. But after an hour or 2. i finally feel comfortable talking with him.

Besides,i got to know another guy who shared the same table in the Chemistry lab. This name is Seko. I seen him before in several of the classes i took, since that he is taking mechanical engineering too. Just now he offer me a sit with him in other classes.. I just noded...

Anyway, from the experience I had, Japanese students are not that arrogant or snobbish. They are kinda kind actually and are willing to help when u ask.

So the lesson here is that, u muct be an extrovert and greet them 1st not waiting for them to greet u because it wont happen. There are possibilitiespon i think it would be low...

NOTE: in my campus, there are only a handfull of girls.huhu. so most of the people i know so far are guys.

Sunday 12 April 2009

Hanami at Yoyogi Park

Today, i went out for my 1st Hanami. Me and my roomate joined my Petronas seniors there as well as other Malaysian students.

Hanami is an activity done by the Japanese for decades.
If i m not mistaken, Hanami is like a celebration to celebrate the beauty of the sakuras.
Hanami derive from the word 'hana' (flower) and 'mi' ( short form for to look or see).
So basically, Hanami is an activity where the Japanese
would go to the garden
and have picnic under the blooming Sakuras (cherry blossom).
Usually they will have meal while enjoying drinking beer and sake(japanese's alcohol drink) with friends or family.
Hanami is mainly done in spring where the sakura is blooming.
NOTE:On other day, it would not be called hanami.

Its quite irony u see, the word 'hanami' itself means 'looking at flowers', but the real fact is that(under my observation) these Japanese were enjoy eating, drinking,karaokeing etc rather than having the time to exactly look and be mesmerised by the beauty of sakuras. My ex Japanese did told me that during hanami, she just enjoy drinking and chatting.

My 1st hanami (which is today) was in Yoyogi Park (near Harajuku).
It was held by the MSAJ (Malaysian Student Association Japan).
I reached at 10am to see that most of my senior and 2 or my junior are there, with other Malaysian students under different scholarships.
The main thing that we did was just eating and chatting and playing games..


it was still early, there werent a lot of people by then, however, in after lunch, the place was flooded with Japanese and Foreigners too..in the pic above, that was us under the tree... we werent lucky enough because the sakuras have fallen..



Lucky enough to spot a tree with big flowers..i think they are not sakura. but the colour the fact that the whole tree is filled with flowers tell me that it is one of sakura's species or smth..hehe

Good thing about the activity is that is have the chance to meet new people and make new friends from other scholarships students..


i was kinda tired that time...what a day...

Saturday 11 April 2009

I can surf now!!!

Finally!!! thanks to my savior Asyraf,
who is apparently my Petronas senior and my Uni senior has did it again.. Thanks to his higlly approved expertise in computering,
i m, well, connected to the putside world again..!!!
ahahaha ( i might sound as if im in living in the country side or cave or smtg)

Wednesday 8 April 2009

3 April .. new apartment...Loving It!!


I was damn happy upon stepping the door steps of my new apartment. Upon reachinh home, i was overwhelmed by the condition of it. Its huge that ever. It looks bigger than i 1st seen it. However i was suprised to see that my room is filled with stalks of boxes, arranged on one side of the room.. i m tired and i need to tidy up the room.
lucky enough, i enjoy tidying up...
I m staying in a 3 room apartment, 4th floor where i shared with my Petronas scholar mate..
i got the western style room( in Japan, there are 2 type of room- the Japanese style 和室 washitsu and the Western style style room 洋室)。


my room has a wooden flooring and a balcony with the scenery of the endless block of houses and a small hill on the right,filled with beautiful sakura( cherry blossom) tree.

my room - the desk which i received from my senior. I m waiting for more stuff which i bought at the 2nd hand store which later will be sent this weekend.




The hill on the right, filled with blooming sakura trees.

endless block of houses.

I really hove it.. my room and my apartment..although there is no swimming pool, but the sceney from my balcony is breathtaking in the night too...enjoy it!

3 April....Returning to Japan...

At last!!! Reach Japan my second home….it was damn tiring..the journey from the airport to my new residence in kanagawa took me nearly 3 hours..luck enough I used the delivery service to send my luggage back home...but it took 2 days..

the journey back was kinda tiring but fun especially when I transited at Changi Airport, Singapore... I love it! They have lots of shops(branded retail shops especially..huhu…just window shopping) . They even have a butterfly garden and proper place to sleep and rest..huuuu..its like a resor...
It has 3 main terminal and I had to board the the NORTH WEST Airline at the Terminal 1....to me Terminal 3 was the best..ihad to wait for 6 hours for my flight at 6 am....so i spend most of the time wandering around the terminals.

In flight- I not luck enough to get a seat between 2 guy.On my left is a big size American and on my right is a small timid Singaporean( I guessed). I learned that he was going japan for holiday...not that friendly...

Way back home- Itook 3 trains, the Keio express line, the Yamanote and the Odakyu line to my home near mukogaokayuen station in kanagawa....its outside Tokyo.

The way a back was fun too. I was entertained by the beauty of Sakura( Cherry Blossom) that dotted the lanscape outside.. I was lucky enough to have the chance to enjoy what is being enjoyed by millions of Japanese, to gaze the Sakuras and to see the pink petals glide through the air like falling snow.....

I m connected!

Yes!!! AT last i m able to access the internet under my own roof...The internet cable has been connected...so now i can continue this blog with ease.....

Friday 3 April 2009

Waiting..cant sleep...

argh i m darn tired waiting...i cant sleep...cant close my eye lids....unless what had happened to Russell might happen if i loose focus...(he was robbed while taking his nap in KLIA, when he was waiting for flight transfer)..kinda tired r...huh....now in Changi Airport in Singapore...

5 hours earliar i was at KLIA with my parents, my Sis Tiq, Charlotte(my childhood friend) and her dad, and my pal Faizal Adam... thanks to Faizal for coming to send me off. although he didnt send me off when i firstly flew to Japan..he said that he dont like sending people off coz he might weep or smtg..hhehehe..yet he came..tahnks man!

nway, i took MAS from KLIA to Singapore....later i m going to take the NORTH WEST Airline to narita , Tokyo at 6am...i m tired r..huhu...2 hours to go...

Em i realize that KLIA and CHangi's securitylevel have doubled, with police in every corner of the airport area...since when??? before this is not that easy too see police women making patrols, checking the passangers' passport and boarding pass and stuff....em there must be smtg fishy happen around here....and i m going to find out!!!

nway, my hand luggage 12 kg to be exact and my laptops is killing me..actually, its not the laptop is making it heavy, but the books and what so ever extra stuff that had been stuffed in it that add its weight..huhu...huhu...i do complain a lot huh???

nway i need to go and check in...n get my boarding pass....