Wednesday, June 17, 2009
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 !!!
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Aesthetic alteration or a painful experience?
My first tattoo sprang out of a rush of heat in the summer of 2006.
x x x
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...
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
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.
... ... ... ... ...
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.
Friday, March 06, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
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 :)
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 :)
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
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..."
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..."
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Sneak-Peek Week
Thursday, January 15, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
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
Tons of Love and Hugs
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
* 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.
Monday, December 22, 2008
brim full of changes as the year gets over..
My last day at work for 2008 today!! I’m leaving for the US tomorrow afternoon.
It was a crazy decision to make, and its going to be a WILD trip with a reunion of school friends after almost 6yrs~ I am excited, yet a lil tipsy abt how the next year will be when I come back in Jan 09!!
Thinking over all that happened this year brings tons of mixed feelings.
A lot of crazy occurances took place, and (hopefully) theyve made me as strong as the change they brought with them. Working in a Japanese company, I spoke enough about it so I wouldn’t go over the topic in this entry again :P Having said that, out of the three major changes this year (including the former), my twin’s engagement stood second on the list, smth I am still trying to make peace with.
I am the most excited - after her - and extremely happy she is going to spend her life with such an amazing person. I have no doubt they will have an incredible life together. But having been with her continuously for 24yrs is inbuilt into my system since before I was born. Marriage brings one of the greatest changes in a person’s character, and relationships esp. between siblings become quite delicate. (I remember everyday I would change the topic or simply run away whenever we were alone at home, because I didn’t want her to tell me that she had made up her mind to get married, and thus, was ready to leave home.)
Smts I think one of the silliest reasons we live our life is to get really good at letting go and realizing the impermanent nature of everything around us. It brings a huge strength or it brings great fear - either of them lead to the same point - Life Changes. The bad moments go with a blink, and the good ones fly away even faster. Nothing lasts, yet we all remain.
So,
Live and Love in 2009 with greater intensity than before. May the year bring amazing experiences, and may you work towards making all your dreams come true.
With all my love,
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
xx
It was a crazy decision to make, and its going to be a WILD trip with a reunion of school friends after almost 6yrs~ I am excited, yet a lil tipsy abt how the next year will be when I come back in Jan 09!!
Thinking over all that happened this year brings tons of mixed feelings.
A lot of crazy occurances took place, and (hopefully) theyve made me as strong as the change they brought with them. Working in a Japanese company, I spoke enough about it so I wouldn’t go over the topic in this entry again :P Having said that, out of the three major changes this year (including the former), my twin’s engagement stood second on the list, smth I am still trying to make peace with.
I am the most excited - after her - and extremely happy she is going to spend her life with such an amazing person. I have no doubt they will have an incredible life together. But having been with her continuously for 24yrs is inbuilt into my system since before I was born. Marriage brings one of the greatest changes in a person’s character, and relationships esp. between siblings become quite delicate. (I remember everyday I would change the topic or simply run away whenever we were alone at home, because I didn’t want her to tell me that she had made up her mind to get married, and thus, was ready to leave home.)
Smts I think one of the silliest reasons we live our life is to get really good at letting go and realizing the impermanent nature of everything around us. It brings a huge strength or it brings great fear - either of them lead to the same point - Life Changes. The bad moments go with a blink, and the good ones fly away even faster. Nothing lasts, yet we all remain.
So,
Live and Love in 2009 with greater intensity than before. May the year bring amazing experiences, and may you work towards making all your dreams come true.
With all my love,
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
xx
Thursday, December 04, 2008
To scare or not to scare, that is the question
About 2 weeks ago, my next door neighbor, Yon had a weird occurrence in her apartment. On reaching home returned home after work she found her laundry basket displaced about 2-3 feet from its original position of being next to the washing machine. She was certain that she hadn’t moved the object for the simple reason that Japanese apartments are space constraint and doing so would leave just about 10cms between the washbasin and the bathroom – impossible for her to stand in the middle.
Caution was the need of the hour, and we checked her house to make sure no one was in her closet, toilet, hiding under the mattress or in the bed. With all the windows and doors closed we found no evidence of someone had broken in, so we concluded that Yon must have forgotten to put the basket back in its place in the morning. As a matter of fact, most of us do our early morning chorus in a haze of sleepiness – routines like brushing ones teeth or going through laundry baskets to find a pair of semi-clean socks, isn’t something anyone pays attention to if you’re sleepy and cold.
Having said this and being certain that she was indeed too sleepy to remember the details we carried on with our dinner in our respective homes.
The next day we went to work and later that evening when we returned home, Yon gave a loud scream on entering her house. She had let the door ajar, so I ran into her room to find her standing in the center of the room pointing at the basket which had been displaced again!
For a second I thought that she might be playing a practical joke on me and had put the basket in the same position as the previous day. But the expression on her face was of anxiety and shock, and matched with mine.
We checked the inner tatami room (this time I had a pan in my hand and she had a huge roller) - whacked the quilt to see if anyone came out, checked the cupboards and bathroom again.
I realized my house was left open, so we went and locked it and quickly came back to Yon’s place. We sat and stared at the basket and called up our company’s HR department. In a jiff our supervisor came over.
We explained the happenings to her to which she gave us some very peculiar but believable explanations and told us what to do next.
(To be Continued…)
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
still searching
Life has changed much since the last time I posted an entry.
I am now living in a small town called Isehara in Kanagawa (a bit far away from Tokyo), working in a Japanese manufacturing company that makes huge machines for famous manufacturing companies in the country.
Knowing about machines, like rolls, mills, their motors and working pipes and wires or even working in a factory sounds just about manageable on a temporary basis. It’s weird that unlike most others who finished university with me, I am yet to find something that I REALLY want to continue as a career. And the work I do now is definitely ‘not’ something I was expecting to do after APU, let alone it being the job I am going to do for the rest of my life.
So the question is – how is it that I find MY ultimate & perfect work (if there is smth such as that)?
Should I look into a Graduate school, or find myself an art course/job - which is one of the things I ‘think’ I can do well. But mostly I want to know how long is it going to take me to get out of my current workplace to find that something I'd love doing?
I am now living in a small town called Isehara in Kanagawa (a bit far away from Tokyo), working in a Japanese manufacturing company that makes huge machines for famous manufacturing companies in the country.
Knowing about machines, like rolls, mills, their motors and working pipes and wires or even working in a factory sounds just about manageable on a temporary basis. It’s weird that unlike most others who finished university with me, I am yet to find something that I REALLY want to continue as a career. And the work I do now is definitely ‘not’ something I was expecting to do after APU, let alone it being the job I am going to do for the rest of my life.
So the question is – how is it that I find MY ultimate & perfect work (if there is smth such as that)?
Should I look into a Graduate school, or find myself an art course/job - which is one of the things I ‘think’ I can do well. But mostly I want to know how long is it going to take me to get out of my current workplace to find that something I'd love doing?
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
rust, rain and refrain
Working in a Japanese factory can be more life altering than working in a Japanese firm.
While most of my friends in Japan sit in front of computers, mixing and matching documents or conduct surveys for the next business deal, I sit in a factory with bunch of workers who are trying hard to teach me about heat, pressure and atoms in Japanese. It only brought back memories of studying Physics, and made me realize that Im still good at making perplexed expressions when I dont comprehend what the other person is saying.
Anyhow, with the rainy season coming to an end the smell of wet leaves refreshes my days in the factory, but some of those who joined with me seem to be going insane. The smell chemicals and weird liquids is becoming an integral part of our lives. What gave us headaches and nausea earlier has now started giving us the same if not inhaled once a day. Bruises and cuts tattoo our exteriors and some of my friends have altered so much that they are able to identify whether the water they’re drinking comes from a boring-line or tank – depending on the odor of rust or pipes!!
Nevertheless, out of 4 of us who joined Inoue in 3 months back, one is quitting the company 2 months prior to his decided date. Another is going back to her country to discuss her future with parents. While the 2 of us remain here till the time we’re looking for a better option, we don’t know what is to become of us in a few months time.
This also makes me want to share an amusing event that I experienced a couple of nights ago.
After having dinner with my seniors we started playing a Japanese triumph card game. The rules were simple - players had to finish their cards ASAP, the last one to finish would get punished. Being a new player I was exempted from getting punished. But it was unfair to let a round go without any punishment so the boy who came 2nd last was the victim.
Now here’s the twist. The punishment was that every other player was to put a strip of brown tape (the thick scotch-tape used for packing in the factory) to pull out a strip of hair from the loser boys legs! I had to excuse myself from pulling strips and decided on squinting and getting goose bumps.
By the end of the 3 hrs that we played, they were pulling hair merely by tweezers cuz the tape had gotten over!! Somehow people were highly enthusiastic, laughed and cheered each time the game got over to see the next victim.
Even though it was unbelievably stupid, gross and a painful sight for me, it was hilarious ‘cuz in the end all the guys had a side of calf absolutely clean. Whether I join the next game or not I am sure the guys will be ready to show off their ‘sekushi’ legs in summer.
While most of my friends in Japan sit in front of computers, mixing and matching documents or conduct surveys for the next business deal, I sit in a factory with bunch of workers who are trying hard to teach me about heat, pressure and atoms in Japanese. It only brought back memories of studying Physics, and made me realize that Im still good at making perplexed expressions when I dont comprehend what the other person is saying.
Anyhow, with the rainy season coming to an end the smell of wet leaves refreshes my days in the factory, but some of those who joined with me seem to be going insane. The smell chemicals and weird liquids is becoming an integral part of our lives. What gave us headaches and nausea earlier has now started giving us the same if not inhaled once a day. Bruises and cuts tattoo our exteriors and some of my friends have altered so much that they are able to identify whether the water they’re drinking comes from a boring-line or tank – depending on the odor of rust or pipes!!
Nevertheless, out of 4 of us who joined Inoue in 3 months back, one is quitting the company 2 months prior to his decided date. Another is going back to her country to discuss her future with parents. While the 2 of us remain here till the time we’re looking for a better option, we don’t know what is to become of us in a few months time.
This also makes me want to share an amusing event that I experienced a couple of nights ago.
After having dinner with my seniors we started playing a Japanese triumph card game. The rules were simple - players had to finish their cards ASAP, the last one to finish would get punished. Being a new player I was exempted from getting punished. But it was unfair to let a round go without any punishment so the boy who came 2nd last was the victim.
Now here’s the twist. The punishment was that every other player was to put a strip of brown tape (the thick scotch-tape used for packing in the factory) to pull out a strip of hair from the loser boys legs! I had to excuse myself from pulling strips and decided on squinting and getting goose bumps.
By the end of the 3 hrs that we played, they were pulling hair merely by tweezers cuz the tape had gotten over!! Somehow people were highly enthusiastic, laughed and cheered each time the game got over to see the next victim.
Even though it was unbelievably stupid, gross and a painful sight for me, it was hilarious ‘cuz in the end all the guys had a side of calf absolutely clean. Whether I join the next game or not I am sure the guys will be ready to show off their ‘sekushi’ legs in summer.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Random Killings
I don’t know how many of you heard about the random killings that took place this weekend in Japan. There was a 25yr old man who posted a note on a Japanese ‘website’ on Sunday morning that he would go to Akihabara to kill. He even mentioned that he would crash people with his car and then stab them. After his arrest, he said it as a matter-of-fact that he was ‘tired of the world’ and ‘anyone was OK’ to kill. 7 people were killed, and 10 were injured as this man tried to find something worthwhile to do with his life.
I know Japan is a safe country and all, but if a small city like Beppu can have police cars patrolling around the city every 30mins, I fail to understand why there were only 2 police officers at Akihabara, which is a highly crowded place esp. over the weekends.
So, a psycho Japanese guy can go around write crazy posts on websites saying that he is going to kill people cuz he is frustrated with life, and it goes unnoticed. Had it been a foreigner, he would have been put behind bars and sent back to his country for disturbing this peaceful country.
My main motive is NOT to start with how foreigners are discriminated in Japan, but to bring out the few issues that have been
bothering me.
1. For some grave reason there are too many stressed out and frustrated-with-life souls living in Japan. Recently I read that there are websites/blogs and even clubs where people can let out their frustrations by writing about how they would kill someone or commit suicide. Luckily these are all there in Japanese, so if you don’t understand or know the language that well, your mind is saved.
2. An amusing hobby of the police in Tokyo has been to ask foreigners for their ID cards and proof that they are ‘legal’ to stay in the country. I’ve been asked to do so at least 3times in my 2months in Tokyo !!! However I would consider myself luck in comparison to "a few chosen one" who went through a much worse situation, cuz he had accidently walked 10 steps from home leaving his card in the wallet. ike hullo.. will I kill someone? Do we look like terrorists?
3. Plus, there was a heated discussion at work today whether this man could have been caught by the officer before causing all the chaos had the officer choked up and taken out his gun a few minutes instead of playing macho with his poking-rod. Or was it ‘fate’ that no matter what the measures had been taken, one could not save the victims.
I think its easier to accept the situation by saying its fate, but yea, those people could have been saved if there was more security and awareness.
Im tired, and I need to sleep.
God bless those who gave up their lives, and God help those who got out to take the lives of others.
Be safe and keep it real.
LOve and big hugs to everyone!
I know Japan is a safe country and all, but if a small city like Beppu can have police cars patrolling around the city every 30mins, I fail to understand why there were only 2 police officers at Akihabara, which is a highly crowded place esp. over the weekends.
So, a psycho Japanese guy can go around write crazy posts on websites saying that he is going to kill people cuz he is frustrated with life, and it goes unnoticed. Had it been a foreigner, he would have been put behind bars and sent back to his country for disturbing this peaceful country.
My main motive is NOT to start with how foreigners are discriminated in Japan, but to bring out the few issues that have been
bothering me.
1. For some grave reason there are too many stressed out and frustrated-with-life souls living in Japan. Recently I read that there are websites/blogs and even clubs where people can let out their frustrations by writing about how they would kill someone or commit suicide. Luckily these are all there in Japanese, so if you don’t understand or know the language that well, your mind is saved.
2. An amusing hobby of the police in Tokyo has been to ask foreigners for their ID cards and proof that they are ‘legal’ to stay in the country. I’ve been asked to do so at least 3times in my 2months in Tokyo !!! However I would consider myself luck in comparison to "a few chosen one" who went through a much worse situation, cuz he had accidently walked 10 steps from home leaving his card in the wallet. ike hullo.. will I kill someone? Do we look like terrorists?
3. Plus, there was a heated discussion at work today whether this man could have been caught by the officer before causing all the chaos had the officer choked up and taken out his gun a few minutes instead of playing macho with his poking-rod. Or was it ‘fate’ that no matter what the measures had been taken, one could not save the victims.
I think its easier to accept the situation by saying its fate, but yea, those people could have been saved if there was more security and awareness.
Im tired, and I need to sleep.
God bless those who gave up their lives, and God help those who got out to take the lives of others.
Be safe and keep it real.
LOve and big hugs to everyone!
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Spiders, not as good as Mr.Spidey
The itsy bitsy spider, crawled up the water spout,
Down came the rain, and washed the spider out
Out came the sun, and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider, crawled up the spout again.
theres smth about spiders that freaks the living begeeses out of me.
i have a common dislike for all creatures crawly, slithering, slimy, posessing-tenticles like snakes, lizards, roaches, grasshoppers, crickets, octopus, crabs and the kin. no matter what you call them or how sweet the name may sound (like cockroaches are called gokiburi-chan in japanese!) i mean, WHATS IN A NAME!!! it still crawls and makes you climb up that chair/bed/ or the highest place from ground where its crawling!!
but spiders - shiverrrrsss & my teeth clatter.. brrrrrrr ($%^#*^) there is NO OTHER insect or slithery thing that can make me 'feel' yucky for as long as i can if, like today, i came in contact with a spider!
i know i know.. there are much terrifying things oon earth, but who cares.. even though i killed by spraying insect-repellant on it from a 3feet distance, picked it up by a looooong stick and threw it down my balcony, i can still feel all scratchy and i keep dusting/ brushing/ scratching myself as if i am surrounded by thousands of them in a locked room (T-T)
i mean, arachnophobia is all fine. but im going nuts here!
WHAT IF it crawls its way back up like the Itsy-Bitsy spider and comes for revenge. WHAT IF it attacks me when im getting out of the building. WHAT IF it informed all the spiders in the surrounding area of its death right before it died - in a wavelenght deaf to humans, and told them of being sprayed and thrown off a balcony.. AND WHAT IF they're coming to avenge him.. buhuhuhuhhuhuhuhu.. im DOOOOOOMED!!
Down came the rain, and washed the spider out
Out came the sun, and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider, crawled up the spout again.
theres smth about spiders that freaks the living begeeses out of me.
i have a common dislike for all creatures crawly, slithering, slimy, posessing-tenticles like snakes, lizards, roaches, grasshoppers, crickets, octopus, crabs and the kin. no matter what you call them or how sweet the name may sound (like cockroaches are called gokiburi-chan in japanese!) i mean, WHATS IN A NAME!!! it still crawls and makes you climb up that chair/bed/ or the highest place from ground where its crawling!!
but spiders - shiverrrrsss & my teeth clatter.. brrrrrrr ($%^#*^) there is NO OTHER insect or slithery thing that can make me 'feel' yucky for as long as i can if, like today, i came in contact with a spider!
i know i know.. there are much terrifying things oon earth, but who cares.. even though i killed by spraying insect-repellant on it from a 3feet distance, picked it up by a looooong stick and threw it down my balcony, i can still feel all scratchy and i keep dusting/ brushing/ scratching myself as if i am surrounded by thousands of them in a locked room (T-T)
i mean, arachnophobia is all fine. but im going nuts here!
WHAT IF it crawls its way back up like the Itsy-Bitsy spider and comes for revenge. WHAT IF it attacks me when im getting out of the building. WHAT IF it informed all the spiders in the surrounding area of its death right before it died - in a wavelenght deaf to humans, and told them of being sprayed and thrown off a balcony.. AND WHAT IF they're coming to avenge him.. buhuhuhuhhuhuhuhu.. im DOOOOOOMED!!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Summer Solstice 夏至
The event of Candle Night began on June 22, 2003 as a volnteer event organized by many Japanese environmental NGOs. With its lil-too-cheezy-slogan of "Turn off your lights, and take it slow," calls for a two hours of complete 'lights out' and spent in the serene atmosphere of candlelights.
Many groups such as the Ministry of the Environment of Japan, businesses, governments & public facilities as well as artists in a variety of fields across Japan have shown their support for this event.
The website www.candle-night.org even gives you "quidelines" on how to enjoy two hours in a candle lit environment. From DVDs and CDs sets to play on the event, to the kind of music you should listen (punk rock, jazz, electronic), the sort of activities you can do: read a book, have a quiet dinner, games you can play such as hide-n-seek, even take a bath, have a party, or sleep!!
The event is organized in almost all over Japan, with CandleNight special talkshows over the radio in Tokyo, and candle-lit temple visits in Kyoto.
This year's 'Candle Night Summer Solstice' will be held from June 22 to 24, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
No matter where you are and how busy your work might be, take out 2hrs on either of these 3days and be relaxed.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
EARTHQUAKE shakes Beppu, Oita
so basically we came home after watchng "pirates: AT WORLDS END" and we had the biggest earthquake (in my experience).
the building shook with small tremors at first and we thought it was the wind, cuz the apartments are made from wood and it usually shakes from slightest winds.
but then it came again, and this time for a good 40seconds!
i remember rajat screaming at the top of his lungs to get out of home. i tried to unlock the main door with trembling hands and him screaming, and managed to twist my right foot. i was shaking badly the whole way as we ran down from the 6th freaking floor.
there were more students that met us on the street. with the japanese families who live in our building driving off with packed bags and calm expressions.. i couldnt understnd what made them remain soo bloody pacified in life. after about 15mins of waiting, we walked all the way back up the 6floors, and came home. i packed a bag with some chocolate bars, our wallets, Id cards and some medicines. we could hear cars moving around the neighbourhood, and bikes zooming across as well with ppl looking fr open spaces. while i admired the shampoo, soap, conditioner bottles fallen in the bathtub wondering 'that quake shook us, eh" and filled a bottle of water to be kept in my emergency bagpack, it came again!
i looked at my face in the mirror and it was swaying. this time as we ran down again i felt a lil better cuz we were ready for whatever happened next (and mostly cuz we were wearing shoes unlike the first time). we sat on the roads for another 20mins, and whenever we got ready to go back in, we felt another tremor and decided on the contrary. and THIS happened atleast 7times. by the end of it ppl had collected in a huge games feild near our home, and everyone was out of out our building.
when we came home finally, we kept 'feeling' tremors in our heads. shibi, prashmu and megu came over. petrified as we all were, we stayd up till late feeling the quakes in our heads. finally at 2am, we called it a day and crashed at our place. 6ppl in 2rooms.. and we already felt safe knwing tht all those who matter the most were right there with us, leaving no scope of uncertainity of the whereabouts of the others.
throught the night the tremors kept coming and ish n me were up everytime the earth trembled. we kept 'refreshing' the japanese website to check out the magnitude of the EQs that cme. the probabilities showed 80% to the predictions for the EQ that we kept tonight. they ranged only from 3 ~ 4.8 and we were shitting in our pants. now comes the scary bit...
there are predictions for the NEXT one - with my city, Oita, as the epicentre again!! - for 28th June, with a 100% probability is a 5.8 !!
wonder how we re going to survive that eh!
the building shook with small tremors at first and we thought it was the wind, cuz the apartments are made from wood and it usually shakes from slightest winds.
but then it came again, and this time for a good 40seconds!
i remember rajat screaming at the top of his lungs to get out of home. i tried to unlock the main door with trembling hands and him screaming, and managed to twist my right foot. i was shaking badly the whole way as we ran down from the 6th freaking floor.
there were more students that met us on the street. with the japanese families who live in our building driving off with packed bags and calm expressions.. i couldnt understnd what made them remain soo bloody pacified in life. after about 15mins of waiting, we walked all the way back up the 6floors, and came home. i packed a bag with some chocolate bars, our wallets, Id cards and some medicines. we could hear cars moving around the neighbourhood, and bikes zooming across as well with ppl looking fr open spaces. while i admired the shampoo, soap, conditioner bottles fallen in the bathtub wondering 'that quake shook us, eh" and filled a bottle of water to be kept in my emergency bagpack, it came again!
i looked at my face in the mirror and it was swaying. this time as we ran down again i felt a lil better cuz we were ready for whatever happened next (and mostly cuz we were wearing shoes unlike the first time). we sat on the roads for another 20mins, and whenever we got ready to go back in, we felt another tremor and decided on the contrary. and THIS happened atleast 7times. by the end of it ppl had collected in a huge games feild near our home, and everyone was out of out our building.
when we came home finally, we kept 'feeling' tremors in our heads. shibi, prashmu and megu came over. petrified as we all were, we stayd up till late feeling the quakes in our heads. finally at 2am, we called it a day and crashed at our place. 6ppl in 2rooms.. and we already felt safe knwing tht all those who matter the most were right there with us, leaving no scope of uncertainity of the whereabouts of the others.
throught the night the tremors kept coming and ish n me were up everytime the earth trembled. we kept 'refreshing' the japanese website to check out the magnitude of the EQs that cme. the probabilities showed 80% to the predictions for the EQ that we kept tonight. they ranged only from 3 ~ 4.8 and we were shitting in our pants. now comes the scary bit...
there are predictions for the NEXT one - with my city, Oita, as the epicentre again!! - for 28th June, with a 100% probability is a 5.8 !!
wonder how we re going to survive that eh!
Sunday, May 06, 2007
the K-O
friday night fever was on. we had a yummy dinner after which shibi and i went to our fav 'speak easy' & then infront of tokiwa where we shared a few 'chu-hi's. after being in our 'happy' state for sometime, we walked towards pastel & world sports bar where we met ankur strolling outside, and then followed him inside to the white-chambers of pastel.
shibika being the smart one didnt have any other drink/shot, while i got extremely enthusiatic about having a KO - a true 'knock-out' - with 96%alcohol rasberry vodka, gin, and cranberry juice. when i got the glass, the only thing i could notice was the smooth googley glass infront of me. with every sip, something snapped in my head, and even though i was aware of the fact that i would be going crazy VERY soon, i kept on having the devil's drink. no kidding, it was one of the yummmmiest drink ive had so far!
then smth struck, the strings went loose and i was on a highway to dumptown. as im still in no position to recall the events of that night, i was told the next day that i had gone insane! i was having a very majimena conversation with the professor who took my interview for a TA - and in no time, i was screaming at him abt women-rights and empowerment (i can just remember his scorn expression at me like he could kill me - trust me he COULD) which followed with the screams being transfered at Masa, who was behind the bar that evening, about india being more culturally diverse & rich in comparison to any part of the world, esp. china! after which my waterballoon burst and i was howling like an irritating kid like the world was going to end tomorrow. and before being dragged out of the place, i insisted on paying for isha's drinks as well and threw a 5000bill on the counter (umm... isha wasn't even there that night!)
if it wasnt for rajat & shibika, i would have been left lying on the street smwhere. they put me in a cab, heard me screaming "stupid boys" like a zillion times followed by my skrieks to pay for isha & myself !again! for the cab-ride, somehow got me home where they saw me throw up and passout in the toilet.
i was my WORST-est behavior and if it wasnt for them, i dont knw what i would have done.. i can get very pissing off and irritating - something i HATE abt getting drunk.. but they stood by me and were there. it means a LOT that they went through this trouble of bearing with my nuisance again, and so i want to promise myself and you all, of never getting unconsciously drunk EVER in my life again, and esp decline any offers of having a 96%
thank you for always being there for me.
love you all.
shibika being the smart one didnt have any other drink/shot, while i got extremely enthusiatic about having a KO - a true 'knock-out' - with 96%alcohol rasberry vodka, gin, and cranberry juice. when i got the glass, the only thing i could notice was the smooth googley glass infront of me. with every sip, something snapped in my head, and even though i was aware of the fact that i would be going crazy VERY soon, i kept on having the devil's drink. no kidding, it was one of the yummmmiest drink ive had so far!
then smth struck, the strings went loose and i was on a highway to dumptown. as im still in no position to recall the events of that night, i was told the next day that i had gone insane! i was having a very majimena conversation with the professor who took my interview for a TA - and in no time, i was screaming at him abt women-rights and empowerment (i can just remember his scorn expression at me like he could kill me - trust me he COULD) which followed with the screams being transfered at Masa, who was behind the bar that evening, about india being more culturally diverse & rich in comparison to any part of the world, esp. china! after which my waterballoon burst and i was howling like an irritating kid like the world was going to end tomorrow. and before being dragged out of the place, i insisted on paying for isha's drinks as well and threw a 5000bill on the counter (umm... isha wasn't even there that night!)
if it wasnt for rajat & shibika, i would have been left lying on the street smwhere. they put me in a cab, heard me screaming "stupid boys" like a zillion times followed by my skrieks to pay for isha & myself !again! for the cab-ride, somehow got me home where they saw me throw up and passout in the toilet.
i was my WORST-est behavior and if it wasnt for them, i dont knw what i would have done.. i can get very pissing off and irritating - something i HATE abt getting drunk.. but they stood by me and were there. it means a LOT that they went through this trouble of bearing with my nuisance again, and so i want to promise myself and you all, of never getting unconsciously drunk EVER in my life again, and esp decline any offers of having a 96%
thank you for always being there for me.
love you all.
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