千九百三十八： Numb3rs

The address is 1-1-1

I love taking pictures of signboards, of road signs, of mailboxes, of numbers and words.

Why? Maybe cause when you look back they tell you where u have been, where you have left your foot steps etc. Especially when your memory starts to fail you, the pictures won't. my MIL is the best example. She travels alot, maybe 3-4 countries a year, Switzerland, Greece, Rome etc, but when I tried to help her sort out her travel pics in the PC, she had no idea where the places in the pics were. -.- I was thinking omg, wats the point of travelling when u dun remember all the sights and sounds that you went there to experience, even looking at the photos you took, you don't remember where you went. because not a single road sign or signboard to identify the place, just scenery shots. what a waste... (like bringing kids /babies to tour and its a waste of money cos they can't really remember the place after they grow up.. )

Been taking alot of pictures lately - because Ryo works on the weekends and I have to spend the weekend fending for myself and finding interesting stuff to do. Basically decided to explore the city & take pictures, after French class, usually i have lunch with Ryo & then we split up ..

so I went for a walk around Osaka (shopping streets) - http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexxis/sets/72157625903122948/

the Historical CBD areas : http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexxis/sets/72157625817509537/

The previous run on 23 Jan at Takatsuki City : http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexxis/sets/72157625817234289/

& had a gathering with some Singaporean ladies here i got to know at the SG embassy lunch a few weeks ago, for some Dim Sum at Kyoto: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexxis/sets/72157625943751466/

I haven't been to Kyoto since August when my family came over; it was pretty much the same except the weather was VERY COLD. apparently Kyoto is in a valley, so all the winds blow through it. The bad thing is when Ryo finally joins me sometimes to walk around, he really irritates me cos all he does is complain: *i'm sleepy, i need coffee, i'm cold* ... I want to go out and take photos since we rarely go to Kyoto! and then i just think damn it, i'm too used to travelling around by myself liao, it's nice to have company but it's so troublesome to accommodate someone else. I'm fine with having a coffee/drink but i'm not ok with the supposed companion continuously being so negative behind/ beside me. The only good thing was at Starbucks, this quite cute guy who was sitting outside, finished smoking and came in to escape from the cold and to finish his drink. He saw the few seats beside me was empty, our eyes kinda met and he kinda gave a hesitant smile and started coming in to sit down. I wasn't sure if he was asking are the seats empty, but the whole row was empty except for me & Ryo beside /behind me cos i wanted to look at the sidewalk so I was kinda turned away from Ryo & looking outside (hence able to see the cute guy) and i wasn't really sure I wanted him approaching me with Ryo behind me and i was just thinking sighz.. why am i married ... so when he came in, he gave a hesitant smile again, and i was like like half nodded to try to say ya, the seats are empty, but refused to make anymore eye contact after that even though he kinda half turned around like he wanted to get some courage to chat. I think he finally gave up when he saw me turn back to Ryo when Ryo said something to me. sighz....... what a waste .. even if just to make friends... but then i really don't even want guys to hv the chance to get the wrong idea or to have any temptations since i'm alone so much. :(


Will be back in SG next weekend onwards for a very short week though. Looking forward to having some chicken rice and KOI everyday :D

千九百三十七： Impulse

my favourite ラーメン from 一風堂！

It's been another long week. & it's the 3rd night this year that I'm home alone. 3 nights in 3 weeks - 49 more to come?! sighz. but I'm kind of resigned to the fact that Friday will never be date night in Japan because friday is Tokyo day for Ryo. I'm swamped with work 4 projects in total & I've barely anytime for myself.

On some sort of weird impulse while discussing the GC marathon, I signed up for Sundown full marathon. I wanted to sign up for half marathon to prepare for GC.. but it was already full registration.. then J said join full lor.. and i was like .. ok wth, GC will be full marathon anyway, I should be ready by then.. and i did it. Meaning that I have to be ready to run a half marathon by March! & i signed up for one in Osaka today as well. on the spur of the moment. sighz. well... what's done is done, at least I have all the time i want in Japan to train with not much of a social life. Good luck to me!!!

At least work is the only thing on my mind during my waking hours; tu me manques..

千九百三十六： Long week

can you believe that this dog is a handphone strap!?

what a long week.

what a long week.

i think next week will be longer..

i'm feeling so exhausted this whole week from the barrage of questions i face everyday & from coordinating so many things at the same time that i think my brain just shuts down around 9pm and i don't even want to go near the laptop cause I feel kinda repulsed by it.

The worst of the questions are things I've said b4, did training for so many times for the most basic work, the supposedly 'senior' people come to ask me again how to do. I don't mind people asking me stuff, i'm willing to help if I'm quite free but when i'm not, and i'm dodging arrows left and right and still have to teach you to do stuff and make decisions for you, should I get 20% of your salary?? Or people asking questions that are not even in their duties to check, I'm thinking just do what I ask u to instead of doing so many extra things when you haven't finished your own work !! can really strangle these people...

what a long week.

Photos of my first ever winter run here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexxis/sets/72157625784164288/

It was a great experience, especially to see how events are held in different countries and how different cultures behave at the same kind of event. It rained/snowed a little during the run, super windy for most of it, sunny for the most of it too.. at first it was really hard to stand around in the cold, but actually with all the adrenaline and jumping around, it was really that bad despite the temperature being around 5 degrees celsius.

Got 2 big ulcers in my mouth now, worst thing is 1 is on the left and the other is on the right side of my mouth and is about 2cm long. Hurts like hell when I eat..

ok.. am exhausted now too... am going to grab some dinner (alone for the 4th time this week) and stone at the couch.

千九百三十五： First week of 2011

the shrine's 柴犬 sniffing around - why do dogs do that??

It's been a hectic first week. I'm feeling a little like the dog in the pic, sniffing around alot cos of the cold and feeling kind of lost.

I've been piled too many things on for work and I'm starting to get tired of idiots who refuse to learn / step up. But as I'm typing this, I remember Xinhuan's philosophy about not writing negative stuff cos why should we put down the bad things in our blogs and remember these bad events for eternity?? so I am now trying to think about good stuff that happened this week.

1. Snow snow snow! First time I seen so much snow in Kobe/Osaka. Snow that actually you can feel on your face! but of course it's too weak to pile up so no snowman pictures..
2. Signed up for french class - I don't know if it was a good move because it means I can't sleep in on all Saturdays from now on. But at least progressing on my resolutions for the year.
3. Managed to run almost every alternate day, at least 18km this week since 10km on sunday upcoming? This is really hard, because it's so cold that the natural thing to do is just nua in the house under the blankets in your fleecewear and to get changed into running clothes is already a feat by itself. I'm quite excited about sunday, but half regretting it because i didn't expect it to be so cold. Weather forecasts says highest degree is 10degrees I hope no super cold winds is good enough for me.
4. Only a few more weeks before I'll be back in tropical Singapore! We complain so much about the heat when we are in SG, but seriously, I would rather have a Singapore day over this killer coldness anyday.
5. Bought around 5 books at Kino's New Year 20% off Foreign books sales, at around S$7 per book!

I'm hooked on CSI / CSI:NY these days, CSI:Miami sucks, the police just looks like they aren't taking everything seriously. Signed up for cable TV and enjoying every minute of it :D at least there is something to occupy me when I'm home alone.

ok am superbly hungry... going to go home now..

千九百三十四： 2011 Resolutions

2010's resolutions:http://booboogal.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-year-resolutions.html
Let's see how many i have achieved.

1. Run alot more. Working out at home do not help me get rid of fats on my thighs. - ran ran ran alot!
2. Find more time to myself & work less. Need to get a better work life balance, esp when working at home you lose track of time & just work work work until no night no day. I want to start doing more craft stuff, learn to bake / cook better food, and trying very hard to keep in touch with friends in SG.
*edit* resolution to knit/crochet a red & white checked muffler for myself this year at least. saw the girl in Nodame Catabile drama wear one and it looked so cute. - fail
3. In accordance to Keeping in Touch with friends in SG, i guess I overdid it for some people, so I'll try to keep less in touch with these people who feedbacked. - failed. will do this next year. how fast time flies, the same pple complained of too much contact again.
4. Keep in touch with Family more. - visited my sis / they are on watsapptoo
5. Save up money for D5000. Last i saw, it was 80000yen. Hopefully some waiting will drop it's price. - Bought D3000!
6. Clean up the house regularly instead of doing it during the yearly spring cleaning. - hmm FAIL!


now for 2011. I think i can make more concrete resolutions this year.
1. Running - 80km monthly, Run a half marathon by June, a Full marathon by end of the year.
2. Photography - Improve on skills with all lenses.
3. French - Take classes and get to finish book 1 of the text book.
4. Spend more time at home in JPN. seriously need to improve variety of food i can cook. & to try to wake up earlier...
5. Read /write more. & love myself alot more..