New Horizons

Start to a new year with another birthday. Im 25yrs old today and it's my second birthday without twin being here with me (no worries, she's healthy and wealthy in India.. jeez!) Strangely enough I feel closer to her than ever before (distance makes the heart go fonder.. closer??)

She called exactly as 00hrs struck in Japan. I had a few yummies here and the candles were lit, ready to be blown away. So we counted 1, 2, 3 and blew~ Silly and childlike as it sounds, it was the best blowing candles I've done in years :) Working in a kids school is definitely catching on. I laugh almost at any situation and my giggling has increased manifolds!

Newho~ I'm older by an additional 3.5hrs now (cuz India is 3.5hrs behind Japan time)!!!

A strip from today's Calvin & Hobbes in 1995. Found it quite appropriate~

Lots of Love to everyone all over the world reading (or not) this post.

Celebrate each day and smile more often

Best Santa of them all

Christmas List

Great, greater, greatest

Be not afraid of greatness.

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, some have greatness thrust upon them.

Take the first chance to be great today.

You are the Source

"If you are given 10 compliments and 1 insult, you will hold on to that 1 insult. You will forget all the 10 compliments.

Similarly, in life there is 80% joy: 80% happiness and 20% problems but your mind makes that 20% into 200%. Life isnt only disappointments. There can be only one disappointment - that is about your mind. Expecting wrong things at the wrong places, making wrong choices.

You dont have to be disappointed in life about many things. You be disappointed about only one thing that is your own mind. When this mind is causing so much problem, why dont you drop it? Why you hang on to that mind?

Have you done something about your mind? Have you learnt to drop it or tune it? It is just out of tune I tell you, it needs a bit servicing (Laughter). If you service your mind you will see everything is proper. It runs properly on wheels."

- Excerpt from a discourse "You are the Source" by Sri Sri Ravishankar,

The Art of Living Foundation

... ... ... ... ...

This path is not a place where you have to keep a long face all the time, to be so serious that you are digging the mountain. Here you sing, dance, listen to knowledge, sit still and meditate.. all the aspects have come together here.. isn't it !!

Meditate, celebrate, serve and smile.

You are Love, You are Joy!

Life is a single skip for joy...

first day with kids

What do you do when the kids you are teaching English to are having a conversation, in their mother tongue (in my case Japanese), unaware that you understand every word they are saying??

Today was my first day of work at Codomo GEOS. I had expected it to be a nightmare which, to my relief, it wasn't. I taught a range of kids from 2yrs to 12yrs. All the lesson's target phrases were learnt through silly games I prepared. For the first time in my life I felt exposed cuz the kids rip you apart by scrutinizing and commenting on every part of your physical and mental state. For instance, a group of 6yr olds concluded that I was from the moon cuz I wore circular earrings, pendant and bangle all of which were silver in color. After this they started talking about all the countries I could possibly be from Arabia because I wore heavy eyeliner.

Throughout the lesson I was emotionally charged up hearing so many comments in Japanese. They had no idea I understood the language and went on about things casually. But Im barred from speaking in Japanese to them because if they find out they will always talk to me in Japanese - which is not the reason of coming to an English conversations school.

To conclude, at my first day of work I -

- was mostly red in the face cuz the kids scrutinized everything I did

- heard tons of weird comments abt every instructions I gave

- said "mo-ikkai", the Japanese for one more time instead of saying it in English (what kind of an English teacher am I? lol)

- learnt that planning your lesson before a class is THE MOST important thing

- realized that the lesson may never go according to plan

But then again everyday is different and new. For now I've 2 days of holiday starting tmr during which I am going to sleep. Yipeeeeee!! :)

More musings later...

The Speaking Tree - The Times of India, 11 Aug 2009

Young people today engaged in self-exploration are looking for inner peace. They question the relevance of rituals and religious practices. Religion needs to be reinterpreted to suit the context of modern times; otherwise today’s youth might lose faith in Sanatana Dharma – the timeless faith.

The hallmark of Hindu tradition has been its great capacity to adapt itself to the lifestyles of people without losing its identity, and helping seekers focus on attaining the transcendent absolute.

The inquiry into the nature of God and self, and the practices thereof could be termed as the Hindu way of life. The ultimate aim of a Hindu is God-realisation through the spiritual practices he adopts. It is a way of life which respects and accepts all paths to self-realisation.

Hinduism is based upon the qualities of acceptance, absorption, continuous change and expansion. It is thus a dynamic, living, ever-growing set of ideas, rituals and spiritual practices. It incorporates constant acceptance and freedom of thought for all other Religions of the World.

One cannot be ‘converted’ to Hinduism. For every other religion, there are ‘rites of baptism’. Hindus consider that everyone is naturally on a journey to reach a higher awareness through the cycle of birth and death; and that the soul continuously reincarnates to experience Karmas – the effects of actions performed in earlier incarnations. This is something automatic.

In a way, everyone who is trying to explore their divinity is practising Hinduism.

Hinduism is a way of life and does not conflict with any religion for it is simply the commitment to search for the truth. One does not have to give up one’s religious identity to follow Hindu practices.

The greatness of Hinduism lies in its infinite capacity of acceptance and allowance. As long as an individual is mindful of ‘raising consciousness’ – of self, community, and humanity as a whole, one is following tenets of Hindu religion.

This has been termed as ‘Shreya’ – the essence of the Hindu way of life, in a single word.

(Finally know the meaning of my name :P tee.hee.hee)

- Relevance Of A Faith That Is Timeless

by Deepam Chatterjee

The Times of India, 11 Aug 2009

Tralaaa~ Tokyo .. "I'll be back!"

The past two weeks have been remarkable.

I visit my Japanese family in Beppu for the birth of my sister's baby. The baby girl, was late by 9days and finally born after I cooked a huge Indo-Mexican meal for my would-be-mommy-sister. I was utterly happy! I also spent sometime with my nephew, Souma, who is the most outspoken 2yr-old-japanese boy I've met.

Beppu is also the city where I lived for 4yrs during my Undergrad at Ritsumeikan APU so it holds a special place in my heart. I met up with a friends over softball game practice and had dinner with two of my English language students, Kimiko and Miki. Miki, who now has 3 grown up kids, is a busy mom and it was amazing to see her manage the crazy lot. She had 3 kids in a span of 4yrs and her eldest, Ryunosuke, is 4 while Kaede and Aoi are 3 and 1.

During the entire trip I realized how much energy goes into raising kids. After the age of 25 life sort of 'seems' stagnant cuz our face doesnt develop that much and all the pictures look the same with a few pounds here and there. But with kids every month is different from the previous cuz you can see how they change and grow-up :P I found a new (probably hidden)sense of respect for my own parents for raising 5 of us siblings, who so different from one another. It still is quite a job handling us all together!

Since my return to Tokyo last Sunday, I have been hopping from one friend's place to another's. I will be relocating to Hikone city, near the largest freshwater lake Biwa-ko, to work for GEOS for Kids. Im super excited about this chance as, at some point of time in my life, I want to write books for kids and getting a chance to be with them this close is electrifying!

Anyways, with tons of new changes saying goodbyes is always the toughest. But if I never go how will I ever return home?

Tralaaa~ Tokyo .. "I'll be back!"

Polar Bears are huggable

Polar bears have to be at the top of my favorite animals' list.

This piece reveals my feelings towards these magnificent and endangered creatures.

* Everything, big or small, effects the universe no matter whether we're aware of it or not. Take responsibility for the environment and know that you make an impact.

better version on Flickr

The Art of Living

We live in a rapidly changing world where things are becoming multicultural at an exceedingly fast rate. We are introduced to so much information that it gets a bit difficult to keep up with all thats going on "within" ourselves and in our minds while being constantly on the move.

The Art of Living courses help us have a mind free from prejudice and judgments by tapping the breath which, as you all know, is vital to our existence and also connects our body, mind and emotions.

For instance, if you notice our breaths change according to our emotions. When we are upset or angry, exhalation, sighs, hmphs are frequent as compared to when we're happy or excited, we inhale, laugh or gasp more often.

So, when these three rhythms in us are in sync, we feel a sense of harmony and well-being :)

You should try it, it is an amazing experience!

Lady Elf

The first artwork created by my new palette of Winsor and Newton Cotman watercolors.

Love the way her hair turned out.

better version on Flickr

Buddha

BETTER VERSION ON FLICKR

Japan Chronicles

BETTER VERSION ON FLICKR

Charlie's Angels

Being a former student of Welham Girls' School, India, I create designs for t-shirts and greeting cards that are sold as souvenirs during school events.

The funny looking dots on the girls' uniforms are, what we at Welham, call "tadpoles". They are a Welhamite's identity - a print every girl associates herself with and can't do without after living in the boarding school for 8 years.

BETTER VERSION ON FLICKR

I Have Wings

Illustrations for I Have Wings coffee-table book released as a memento for Welham Girls' School's 50th Anniversary in 2007.

BETTER VERSION ON FLICKR

Pegasus and the Ladies

The character of Pegasus in Disney's Hercules has been a personal favorite since I first laid eyes on him in 1997.

I had used Pegasus in a black & white illustration I created for my high school magazine, Chrysalis, in 2006. To add some perspective to the illustration I have been itching to remake it in color ever since and finally did so only a few weeks back.

I love both the works and here it is in color.

BETTER VERSION ON FLICKR

The Lifesaver

With growing urbanization and slums around the globe, the number of deaths caused by drinking contaminated dirty water is on the rise. We wonder how we could efficiently provide these people and secure ourselves of having this basic commodity no matter where we go.

Well, here is the solution. Its called The Lifesaver.

If you're like me and you'd rather watch than read, check out a talk given by its founder Michael Pritchard at one of the TED conferences.

The Lifesaver is a safe, easy-to-use water purifier that can make the most revolting water drinkable in seconds.

Why spend money on mineral water or wait for a natural calamity to hit?

Get your own Lifesaver now.

Making the Right decision

Sometimes when logic prevails, we ignore our gut feelings, understanding later that a rational approach was only one way of determining the situation.

After much debate in my own head I took up a 9-to-5 job in a Japanese company as my gateway into the world. Between testing & cleaning machines and experiencing the comfortable life in sub-urban Tokyo I made peace with the usual office chores that almost all my friends are mentally (if not physically) doing with their lives in Japan.

I had taken up this job by looking at patterns in lives of people around me. While I associated myself with them I also convinced myself that the same is bound for me unless fate makes things happen.

Now, after one and a half years, I realize that we are never given anything unless we truly have the desire for it.

Fate, chance, luck - exists only in our hearts and minds to help us achieve what we want. But the first step into seeing that dream has to be ALWAYS done by us alone.

I decided to quit my job just before they moved me into the highly respectable Sales office so that I can pursue my dream of studying art.

At work some mates told me its crazy to QUIT a 'secured' in this economic situation while my bosses said its a crazy idea altogether to go school when I'm already making a living.

I know all of the above are true. But more than anything else I know I am not going to be one of those who lives their entire life only realizing in the last days that I could have been somebody had I done it differently.

Its always harder to do the right than the easier wrong.

What follows after 20th August might be an easy or a difficult set of experiences. But I know I will MAKE my own path, look back and smile at whatever was.

Solar Eclipse - limelight or ill omen?

While the world marveled the total solar eclipse 2009 earlier today morning, my Japanese workmates in Tokyo were least interested to know anything about it.

Occurring for the first time in 46yrs, the next predicted to be in 2132, the sun, moon and earth aligned themselves for 6 mins 39 secs to create near darkness after dawn in Asia and the Pacific regions.

I was thrilled to receive constant updates in Japan from my twin sister who watched the eclipse in our hometown of Patna (India), which was one of ideal cities to view the occurrence. She told me that her excitement matched nothing compared to that of one of our helpers at home, whose small village of Taregna was the BEST spot to view the eclipse.

With more than two lakh researchers, astronomers, scientists and people from across the globe descend in Taregna to view the event, the villagers didn't know what they had done to deserve the sudden limelight. Taregna (means "stars" in the local language) and nearby Khagual (derived from khagshastra which means "astronomy") are the places where the 6th century astronomer-mathematician ARYABHATTA* had camped and built his observatory at the Sun Temple for his studies.

*ARYABHATTA found the notion of zero and also proposed that the earth rotates on its axis.

It gave me a kick to think that in India, where superstitions sometimes takes the excitement out of people's lives (like the eclipse being a bad omen i.e. a triumph of the evil over good) people, even in a rural areas, were more concerned whether they would get a view of the eclipse more than anything else.

For me this a positive change in the mindset and I don't think there are any ill omens to it. Moreover, it is inspiring to see people be in awe of the universe unlike my workmates in Japan who don't seem to care about anything.

Life is to enjoy, celebrate and be happy about and not just stare at a screen 24/7.

Scared to be ME?

I am going through an artist’s block these days.

After attending my very first SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) in Tokyo last week, I was enthused to create a portfolio like no other for my art school applications. Since majority of my works are illustrations in black & white (owing to the format of a students’ magazine I was a part of during high school), I wasn’t sure whether presenting these drawings would be good enough to get me into a school.

Almost every one of the designers and authors I met at SCBWI network meeting said that I should remake a few illustrations by adding colors to them. Getting suggestions from people who were in the field I am hoping to plunge into, I put my energy in asking them for as much feedback and advice as possible. They reciprocated and were kind enough to give me tips on page layouts, backgrounds, designs and most importantly – on creating a storyline while showcasing my work.

All said and done, I returned to my den excited as crazy on Thursday with scraps of paper and visiting cards but then the weekend came along and turned me upside down, taking away my thrills.

The weirdest thought occurred to me just before I sat to start my first illustration re-make. I was scared as hell to re-do my own drawings, petrified whether I will be able to re-create it or not. Being a person extremely annoyed with distorted and imperfect pictures, especially if I am the artist, I have been holding back for a week now to work on my own portfolio.

Ironically, I need to gather strength and support from me to be me!

Switch to Electric?

An overview of BETTER PLACE, the leading electric vehicle (EV) services provider, catalyzing the transition to sustainable transportation -

Although we have consumed only 30% of the Earth’s proven reserves, much of the remaining supply is locked away in unconventional sources like tar sands and deep water, making it far more expensive to extract.

Over the last 100 years, oil has fueled industrial development, mobility and prosperity for much of the world. Future progress will be made possible by new sources of energy.

A sustainable electric automotive solution is vital to economic opportunity, energy independence and a cleaner planet. Never have the prospects been better. Consumers are enthusiastic about the shift to electric vehicles (EVs) and their potential to eliminate exposure to surges in gas prices, foster new job opportunities, and reduce CO2 emissions and improve air quality. Governments are increasingly supportive as they look to stimulate weakened economies and improve trade balances. Automakers are developing an increasingly diverse range of new electric powered vehicles in hopes of revitalizing exceptionally weak consumer demand.

View my MINIFESTO!

The meaning of Travieso

It completely slipped out of my mind to explain the meaning of my blog "stash-travieso" on Blogspot.

For starters, Travieso is a Spanish word, with a number of meanings.
Some of these are - transverse, oblique, Restless (inquieto), uneasy, flighty, knavish, turbulent, noisy; mischievous.
Its not that I chose Travieso because a number of people mistake me for being a Spanish/Mexican.
What amazes me is that an English word can sound really cool by adding an "o" or " i " at the end of it. You know what I mean... finito, momento, inquieto !!!
I seriously feel I would enjoy learning Spanish and have the ability to become pretty good it.
But with my present toils to cope with speaking and learn Japanese at work make me tired.

Nonetheless, given the right frame of mind and time, I think I will give it a shot to learn some Spanish !!!

How fish leads to Absinthe

Hearing about a friend's visit to Tsukiji, the largest seafood market in the world, I couldnt stop myself from searching for videos of it online. Enormous fish being brought in, sliced, packed and frozen for the sushi eating Japanese was pretty amazing!!!!

As usual I got caught up on youtube and watched a couple of big tuna fishing videos, which led me to read a few chapters of the online version of THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA(you see, the old man used to catch marlins!!) Then I started reading about Hemingway ('cuz he was the author of OMS) and began wondering why he shot himself. This made me discover that he drank heaps of ABSINTHE (which causes mental instability) and that one of its cocktails is actually called DEATH IN THE AFTERNOON (cuz Hemingway shot himself in the afternoon). This led to articles on the origins of absinthe, how it has medicinal value but then it was banned cuz a couple of people started to go high on it, and what is its status quo.

Soon enough I realized I had spent an hour and a half reading/viewing/searching/finding stuff on the internet just as I used to flip through channels on the TV as a kid.

I have tons of weird information that can help me initiate good conversations on any of the above topics. But is it really going to help me anywhere??

God bless the internet, the new idiot-box.

Aesthetic alteration or a painful experience?

My first tattoo sprang out of a rush of heat in the summer of 2006.

It was the graduation of four of my closest friends and 3 of us, including me, had planned to get ourselves printed-on before D-day. The graduates were tied up in their packing and throwing away sprees of clothes, furniture and what not (everyone collects crazy stuff over 4 years of life in Japan), I was left alone.

It was a now or never situation and so... I went for it.

Deep Tattoo Studio is a small white structure behind Shidax karaoke. Even though the building looked unfinished from the inside with its revealed skeleton of grey pipelines and beams, I could feel the "hygiene" on entering the studio with the faint smell of antiseptic in air.

After 10 mins of brainstorm I decided it was safe to get a Japanese kanji cuz I didn't want to freak out myself more than anyone else by getting cats, snakes or any sort of creepy design, plus a kanji would represent my life in Japan. I didn't want the usual cliches 幸福、調和、愛、平和 (happiness, prosperity, love & peace) instead smth that looked cool yet complex with tons of sharp strokes and I settled for 優.

'Yu' can be written using different kanji characters and can have meanings that range from benevolent, amiable & fond to excel & superior.

A stencil with the kanji print was pasted on my right shoulder and then the outline, shading and filling started. For each of the three process there was a different kind of needle used. The process wasn't painful although I do recall it being similar to a million ants crawling over me. Once the tattoo was complete I was bandaged properly and given a small box of tattoo-goo for the aftercare.

I was excited like a newborn I galloped on my way home.

x x x

With puzzled "Did it hurt?" and "Why did you do it?" from friends and family it has been three years since. I still smile at these questions and look forward to getting a new one soon...

The acting is Abysmal... Watchmen (3/10)

" This is, after all, a movie where the lead character is a naked blue man on steroids who uses his super powers to duplicate himself and have a me and myself threesome with his superbabe.
... ... ... ... ...
With the exception of Jackie Earl Haley's Rorschach, the acting is abysmal, particularly MArin Ackerman's Silk Specter, who after being teleported to another planet, exclaims "OHMYGAWD, we're on Mars!" She also gets the fakest looking sex scene this side of "Showgirls" with Patrick Wilson's Nite Owl. (And fans of Leonard Cohen will wince at the cheap use of his song "Halleluja" here.) "

Source http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ff20090327a2.html

For starters, we didn’t have a clue of how these superheroes got their powers in the first place. I got the point that they all had messed up childhoods and were pretty down to earth and pissed about humans being a bunch of loonies trying to kill each other and fighting all the time. But Watchmen were the SUPERHEROES!!

There was nothing super heroic about the character of Rorschach except his paint-moving mask or the Night Owl, a simple man in love with the superbabe, or the superbabe herself who waves her black hair in the yellow latex jumpsuit every now and then.

There were a LOT of unnecessary flesh-muscle-blood flying around in the movie, especially the scene with two diseased dogs fighting over a little girl's leg for meat was highly gruesome and uncalled for. I mean, the audiences have a heart you know!!! Even 300 or Dark Knight - which got into a bit of controversy for the amount of violence - were far from being this insensitive.

The only character in the movie having actual super powers was the blue man Dr. Manhattan - was naked 90% of the time!! He wore nice suits once in a while but seriously how about trying on a pair of boxers or briefs for the rest of the movie? It would have saved the audiences from having scary dreams of your blue weenie.

I guess the movie made sense only to those who have read the book because it gave them super visuals of what they had read. It was something like the Da Vinci Code, where the audience was a bit clueless about what was going on had they not read the book earlier (and Tom Hanks hair was unforgettable).

All in all, I would rate Watchmen as a 3 on 10. Those who see it, might do so on their own peril.

Realization of Death

I have often wondered how we understand the concept of death.

When my grandfather passed away in 1990 I was only 6years old. My twin and I were rushed out of our classroom and taken home. As we came into the living room I saw my grandfather lie on the floor covered with white sheets. To me he looked sound asleep and I wondered why he wouldn't just wake up when there were so many people around him.

We wandered from one room to another noticing that crying was a common practice in all of them. She saw my bewildered expression and said "He's never coming back again." I didn't understand what she meant so I replied "From where?"
And she shushed me down.

It was 1995 and my family had broken its journey in Delhi on their way to seeing us twins off to Welham, a girls boarding school in Dehradun.
I had a strange dream that night. I was in a battlefield and my neck had been slashed open - causing my head to continuously tilt backwards because of lack of support. It was gruesome. I ran from soldier to soldier in the dream, asking them to stitch me back so that I could carry on fighting against the enemy, but no one could hear or see me.
This was the first time I understood death.

The next day I hung on to my aunt, mum & dad throughout the journey, continuously stroking them to make sure they were there (looking at family members with a fear of losing them can be highly traumatizing for a 10year old).
I have tried to re-dream that battlefield for as long as I can remember, but I still haven't been able to stitch my neck back.

Death is the end of life whether we acknowledge it or not.
Even though I am bad at saying goodbyes, I think its realization ever since that day gave me the freedom and strength to dream, be fearless of losing people or moving places, because in the end we stand alone to leave and gather memories of those we love.

a-wake or a-sleep

A normal Wednesday, my alarm went off at 7am, I got out of bed, walked through the kitchen to the bathroom, brushed and was taking a shower when I realized that my alarm was ringing again it was 7.30 and I was still in bed!

This was a weird incident for me because even though I have very realistic dreams, today was the first time I believed that I could sleep while making my body do smth I didn’t want to do – i.e. get out of bed in the cold to take a shower.

I have heard of kids peeing in their beds, but showering... lolz, that would have been a sight!
Neways,
I think its a sign to hit the bed @ 10pm tonight!!
My consciousness really needs a break from worldly winter rain, cold and creative TED talks :)

Getting out of the puddle

Consumers or Creators on HIGHER GROUNDE - A must read !

I think am definitely working or at least trying hard to become a creator so that I can live my life the way I want to. But the attractions of a consumer’s life - the new iPhone or an overseas trip on my company's expense, just keep enticing my mind from putting in my 100% in achieving my goals.

I read somewhere that all material goods have a short lifespan, a snap and their happiness fades away like a dream.

There is no doubt that once we have achieved a certain level of maturity in the field that is most suitable for us, all the things that we crave now IS easily accessible and their pleasures are certainly more satisfying if not forever-lasting.

If we understand and know all of this, why is it so hard to channel our energies to take actions that will make us happy in the long-term? Why does the mind get stuck?

I guess I will stop brooding over such thoughts and figure it out on "the road to my higher grounde..."

Sneak-Peek Week

Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis

- a quick look -

Read more on - http://community.livejournal.com/pearlswine/?skip=80&tag=crocs

being extra 'chanto'..

Im just sooooooooo mad right now.

First of all, this ex-boss of mine pesters to provide a pick-up everyday to Yon and me, saying that its too bad we don’t get transportation fee cuz we live within 2 kms of our office.
Now, he’s supposed to come between 8~8:10 every morning to pick us up, and today he royally forgets to not only come but doesn’t even call to inform us!!!!!

I mean, there is a perfectly secure and an on-time bus service that runs from my place to the office, but noooo Yon says, “Shrezza~, we should not spend 170yen when we he is being so generous“… for WHAT !!

So today morning, when he reached our house at 8:20 (BTW, first bell for work goes off at 8.25am), he called Yon to tell her that he already punched our time-cards at the office since he was there earlier, so we can be late.
Now Yon, for some reason skipped ‘him’ punching our cards, and tells me to call Bunpo – who works with us – to ask him to put our cards. So I message Bunpo, who puts in the cards too.

On reaching work, Yon and I go to see if Bunpo did as instructed and we find that both our cards are signed in at 8:01(ex-boss’s punched in time) and then signed out at 8.29 (Bunpo’s punched in time).
Since I am usually unaware of the dates and days, I think that 15th was yesterday, conclude that NOONE punched our cards, and slide my card into the machine before Yon gives out a faint ‘nooo Shreza’ when the machine prints a bright red 8.35am… i.e. I messed up!!!!!

So now MY card has 3 different times on it Yon has 2 but moreover, I have one that is bright RED in color… perfectO
You know, this is the reason I always do my work on my own. I do not trust people - especially those who laugh like jackasses saying ‘you never listen to me and always raise your voice when I am saying something’. Well mister, you’re crazy and too old to get stuff into your head, who wants to hear it from you, you tried to act smart and it backfired BIGTIME putting our creditability at stake!!

I come late and even take extra holidays (for which the company cuts my salary as it is against the soul of a Japanese to do so) and I’ll prolly go to jail in the Japanese hell for these bad conducts- all said and done, I take do as I please, suffer the consequences, I even pay for it and I don’t look back.

But I do not lie or ask ppl to put cards in to ‘show’ that I am always on-time and chanto (i.e. extra cautious and proper in Japanese) sumi-freaking-masen!!!
Im just soo mad right now… aarrggh…

To top it all, when I told him that it was his mistake and we should have just let our cards be as they were - cuz we were late by mere 5mins - he has the balls to laugh hysterically and say that he is the highest ranking person in the office, and so I should not disagree with him. Uh, earth to dumbass, you messed up and me look like a stupid person...
Do hell with it!
If the HR says anything to me, I will tell them it was his fault.
Moreover, I am commuting to and from work on my own starting today evening after work, I don’t care a rat’s ass what he or Yon or anyone else thinks.

I am done listening and having this crazy-old-japanese-man snigger at me all the time.

home again

Happy New Years Everyone!!

Im back in Japan and still NOT in the back-to-work mode.

My new year's trip was a blast esp. becuz I met up with friends after 5yrs of high school graduation. The years we haven't seen each other for didnt matter. We have all started working and a lot has happened in each of our lives ever since we left school, but none of it mattered or showed in the manner we behaved with each other - We were 18 again (and it happened quite naturally!!!) hahaha

I realized that friends are there just to remind us of who we are, what we dream of, and to believe and become what we want.

Have been feeling grateful for all those I have shared my life with.

Thank you all for being there :)
Tons of Love and Hugs

* Twinnie *

Being in Japan without Isha makes me feel like a single kid for the first time in my life.

Whenever someone asked me - how does it feel to be a twin, I just said "its normal" because I never had an answer. But I think its the biggest support and strength I have been given.

We occasionally met up after starting work in April in different cities, but the constant status updates by either messages or calls every-30mins after work kept us informed abt whats happening/happened in our daily lives.

Now I feel like being left alone in open sea, I dont know what to swim towards, and more than anything else, I dont have her with me.

*Note to Self: Im not as depressed as this post sounds, just overwhelmed that there is no more of Ish-n-Shre together in Japan anymore.