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～みはる～
15 years ago
0
Intrusion of privacy
I'm like, so seething mad right now. Even though the reason is trivial.
I slept really late last night, so (naturally) I overslept into the late morning. It's pretty much okay, since it's Sunday anyway. However, my slumber was rudely interrupted by this hard knock on the main door and a guy calling out, "Hello". First, I thought he might be a sales man or the likes, so I ignored and went back to sleep. However, the b*****d knocked on the door and called so persistently I wanted to scream at him to get the hell out of my premises. He definitely wasn't my acquaintance, and if he were looking for my housemates, he should give up as they were not in. It's not like my housemates left any message for me saying that they are expecting someone. Logically, a girl alone in the house wouldn't simply open the door for people she don't want to entertain rite?
While he persistently knocked, I persistently ignored him. Finally, after what it seemed like ages, あのやろう gave up. But hell, my slumber was interrupted beyond the point of return, so I got up unhappily and went to the bathroom to freshen up. And WTH!? He came back to knock on my door!!!! I didn't answer, since I was in the bathroom anyway. He gave up after a minute and peace ensued.
I trudged back into my room, and sat on my bed, pulling my gauzy curtains to cover the windows completely. You see, my bedroom is situated in quite a precarious location, in that anyone from the hallway outside can actually look in, but a clothes rack is in the way, so unless the person really wants to peek in, he/she can really do it. As I was absentmindedly thinking what the guy had probably wanted, he returned, this time with a middle-aged woman in tow.
I tell you... that OBASAN really snapped my nerves. Ok, so she yelled on top of her lungs and knocked the door so hard, I thought it would break. That I still don't care. What really pissed me off is that she asked the guy to lift my curtains and PEEK into my room!!! WTF???
Still seated on the bed, I was shocked and angry. What right does she have to intrude in my privacy??? That is TRESPASSING, woman! It's a violation of human rights!
As the guy lifted the curtains, I stared at him in shock and annoyance. The lady said (in this bloody loud commanding voice) that she is from the (highest) 12th floor and they want to wash the aircond compressor, so she wants me to close my master bedroom windows. She was like DIRECTING me okay... like "You have to close it right now cause we are washing the aircond. Right now, close right now!" she bloody yelled in Mandarin.
It took all my willpower to restrain from giving her a piece of my mind on her actions. It disgusts me that someone elder than myself, a middle-aged woman with more experience than myself, acted in such an unrefined and un-adultly manner. Would you yell at someone when asking them to do something, that is in your favor?? Would you PEEK INTO SOMEONE'S ROOM just to get your bloody message across?? That is, to me, terribly disrespectful and an intrusion of privacy. My blood wouldn't boil if she had explained and asked nicely. I wouldn't be so mad if she hadn't LIFTED THE CURTAINS AND PEEKED INTO MY ROOM. She could have left a note under my door or something. I may not be of her age group, but I felt that it is a matter of her respect and courtesy to neighbors. All the yelling at my face, directing me to do that, and intruding my privacy, really pissed me off.
that obasan............... :X
～みはる～
I slept really late last night, so (naturally) I overslept into the late morning. It's pretty much okay, since it's Sunday anyway. However, my slumber was rudely interrupted by this hard knock on the main door and a guy calling out, "Hello". First, I thought he might be a sales man or the likes, so I ignored and went back to sleep. However, the b*****d knocked on the door and called so persistently I wanted to scream at him to get the hell out of my premises. He definitely wasn't my acquaintance, and if he were looking for my housemates, he should give up as they were not in. It's not like my housemates left any message for me saying that they are expecting someone. Logically, a girl alone in the house wouldn't simply open the door for people she don't want to entertain rite?
While he persistently knocked, I persistently ignored him. Finally, after what it seemed like ages, あのやろう gave up. But hell, my slumber was interrupted beyond the point of return, so I got up unhappily and went to the bathroom to freshen up. And WTH!? He came back to knock on my door!!!! I didn't answer, since I was in the bathroom anyway. He gave up after a minute and peace ensued.
I trudged back into my room, and sat on my bed, pulling my gauzy curtains to cover the windows completely. You see, my bedroom is situated in quite a precarious location, in that anyone from the hallway outside can actually look in, but a clothes rack is in the way, so unless the person really wants to peek in, he/she can really do it. As I was absentmindedly thinking what the guy had probably wanted, he returned, this time with a middle-aged woman in tow.
I tell you... that OBASAN really snapped my nerves. Ok, so she yelled on top of her lungs and knocked the door so hard, I thought it would break. That I still don't care. What really pissed me off is that she asked the guy to lift my curtains and PEEK into my room!!! WTF???
Still seated on the bed, I was shocked and angry. What right does she have to intrude in my privacy??? That is TRESPASSING, woman! It's a violation of human rights!
As the guy lifted the curtains, I stared at him in shock and annoyance. The lady said (in this bloody loud commanding voice) that she is from the (highest) 12th floor and they want to wash the aircond compressor, so she wants me to close my master bedroom windows. She was like DIRECTING me okay... like "You have to close it right now cause we are washing the aircond. Right now, close right now!" she bloody yelled in Mandarin.
It took all my willpower to restrain from giving her a piece of my mind on her actions. It disgusts me that someone elder than myself, a middle-aged woman with more experience than myself, acted in such an unrefined and un-adultly manner. Would you yell at someone when asking them to do something, that is in your favor?? Would you PEEK INTO SOMEONE'S ROOM just to get your bloody message across?? That is, to me, terribly disrespectful and an intrusion of privacy. My blood wouldn't boil if she had explained and asked nicely. I wouldn't be so mad if she hadn't LIFTED THE CURTAINS AND PEEKED INTO MY ROOM. She could have left a note under my door or something. I may not be of her age group, but I felt that it is a matter of her respect and courtesy to neighbors. All the yelling at my face, directing me to do that, and intruding my privacy, really pissed me off.
that obasan............... :X
～みはる～
By
Miharu
Lucky
I have never ever won anything from a lucky draw before. Seriously, in my entire life, I was never lucky with lucky draws. Be it just a measly pen or the grand prize of a trip for two to Hong Kong, I was never the one to win in the lucky raffle. Until today.
Yesterday, AL and I went to the e-resources fair organized by our university library, and we combed every booth for information, and... ahem, free goodies :P The booths proved their competition by organizing small lucky draws for gifts such as Samsung MP3 players. So, I thought I could try my luck.... although I never had much of that, but since I was there anyway. AL even chucked me several copies of the coupon to put our names down, "Increase the probability of your chances to win" that's what she told me. I was like thinking, "Hahah. Won't make any difference, I'm not lucky anyway". After leaving the fair, I even forgot that I had placed my name for the lucky draw.
Then just now after class, I was feeling pretty tired and headed straight out to the shuttle bus stop for a ride home. Two stops before my alighting stop, I received a call from AT. "Eh, you've won something from the e-resources lucky draw!" I was like... "huh? What lucky draw?"
It took a few seconds before the historical event dawn upon me... OMG! I got picked in a lucky draw for the first time!!! And guess what I won?!
.... a 128MB thumbdrive.
-_-'''
I've 2 thumbdrives with larger memory capacity to boot........, but still, it's nice to win in a lucky draw >_<
Guess I'm pretty lucky after all.
～みはる～
Yesterday, AL and I went to the e-resources fair organized by our university library, and we combed every booth for information, and... ahem, free goodies :P The booths proved their competition by organizing small lucky draws for gifts such as Samsung MP3 players. So, I thought I could try my luck.... although I never had much of that, but since I was there anyway. AL even chucked me several copies of the coupon to put our names down, "Increase the probability of your chances to win" that's what she told me. I was like thinking, "Hahah. Won't make any difference, I'm not lucky anyway". After leaving the fair, I even forgot that I had placed my name for the lucky draw.
Then just now after class, I was feeling pretty tired and headed straight out to the shuttle bus stop for a ride home. Two stops before my alighting stop, I received a call from AT. "Eh, you've won something from the e-resources lucky draw!" I was like... "huh? What lucky draw?"
It took a few seconds before the historical event dawn upon me... OMG! I got picked in a lucky draw for the first time!!! And guess what I won?!
.... a 128MB thumbdrive.
-_-'''
I've 2 thumbdrives with larger memory capacity to boot........, but still, it's nice to win in a lucky draw >_<
Guess I'm pretty lucky after all.
～みはる～
By
Miharu
Bloody Meal
I morphed into a vampire and had blood for dinner. Ha Ha.
No, I'm not serious. I just thought it looked like a bloody drink when I prepared it. It's actually red spinach soup.
Now please excuse me while I put my fangs away.
～みはる～
By
Miharu
It's A Weird World
I have come to believe that the world is full of weird people.
You see, yesterday I was taking a train to town. It was a normal Saturday ride, with lots of people and no seats available. So I stood throughout the way. Precisely, I stood approximately 3 arms length away from the door. Normal, rite?
I was wearing a pair of khakis pants, a pink top, Americaya white sandals, and listening to Mp3. Not very outstanding. Normal, rite?
Then, at one station, several people boarded the train. One of which is a tanned balding uncle in striped shirt. Immediately upon entering the train, he stood near the door, about 1.5 arms length away from me, and facing away from me. Nothing extraordinary, so normal, rite?
A few stations later, Balding Uncle suddenly turned to my direction talking and grinning sleazily. I was abit caught off guard, but reasoned that he probably is talking on his handphone. But when I looked closely, he wasn't holding one. Then I thought he might be using Bluetooth. But when I looked carefully, he didn't have a receiver on his ear. I was getting uneasy as he kept grinning and his eyes kept sweeping in my direction, up and down as if I'm a mannequin on display. His eyes diverted a little to a direction approximately 45 degrees behind me. Then I thought he might be smiling at his kaki behind me. But when I cautiously swung my sight in the same direction, no other ah pek was behind. Nor is there anyone smiling back at Balding Uncle. NOT NORMAL, RITE??
I thought I was paranoid, but the more Balding Uncle grinned sleazily, the more nervous I became. He was obviously enjoying himself with whatever view in my direction that appeared to amused him so much. I prayed hard that he didn't plan to jump on me in the midst of the crowd in the train. Rather, I prayed hard that he would get off the train before me. At one point, he simply let the sleazy look hung on me that I was on the verge of running to another end of the train. Fortunately, several station later, 2 women boarded and decided to stand in front of me, blocking me from Balding Uncle's view. And when they did, Balding Uncle turned around and resumed his initial position of facing the opposite direction.
I was relieved at the reprieve from the sleazy stare, and totally disgusted by his daring-ness. I mean, it's so discourteous to stare at someone for goodness sake, and what more with THAT look and suggestive grinning. At that time, I wished the trains here have cars designated specially for women, just like the Women Cars I saw in Osaka Subway. It would be nice to put the perverts away from within stare-able diameter, ugh.
～みはる～
You see, yesterday I was taking a train to town. It was a normal Saturday ride, with lots of people and no seats available. So I stood throughout the way. Precisely, I stood approximately 3 arms length away from the door. Normal, rite?
I was wearing a pair of khakis pants, a pink top, Americaya white sandals, and listening to Mp3. Not very outstanding. Normal, rite?
Then, at one station, several people boarded the train. One of which is a tanned balding uncle in striped shirt. Immediately upon entering the train, he stood near the door, about 1.5 arms length away from me, and facing away from me. Nothing extraordinary, so normal, rite?
A few stations later, Balding Uncle suddenly turned to my direction talking and grinning sleazily. I was abit caught off guard, but reasoned that he probably is talking on his handphone. But when I looked closely, he wasn't holding one. Then I thought he might be using Bluetooth. But when I looked carefully, he didn't have a receiver on his ear. I was getting uneasy as he kept grinning and his eyes kept sweeping in my direction, up and down as if I'm a mannequin on display. His eyes diverted a little to a direction approximately 45 degrees behind me. Then I thought he might be smiling at his kaki behind me. But when I cautiously swung my sight in the same direction, no other ah pek was behind. Nor is there anyone smiling back at Balding Uncle. NOT NORMAL, RITE??
I thought I was paranoid, but the more Balding Uncle grinned sleazily, the more nervous I became. He was obviously enjoying himself with whatever view in my direction that appeared to amused him so much. I prayed hard that he didn't plan to jump on me in the midst of the crowd in the train. Rather, I prayed hard that he would get off the train before me. At one point, he simply let the sleazy look hung on me that I was on the verge of running to another end of the train. Fortunately, several station later, 2 women boarded and decided to stand in front of me, blocking me from Balding Uncle's view. And when they did, Balding Uncle turned around and resumed his initial position of facing the opposite direction.
I was relieved at the reprieve from the sleazy stare, and totally disgusted by his daring-ness. I mean, it's so discourteous to stare at someone for goodness sake, and what more with THAT look and suggestive grinning. At that time, I wished the trains here have cars designated specially for women, just like the Women Cars I saw in Osaka Subway. It would be nice to put the perverts away from within stare-able diameter, ugh.
～みはる～
By
Miharu
Anime : Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori
The second season of Jigoku Shoujo " Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori " premiered 7th October 2006.
Read more.
～みはる～
Read more.
～みはる～
By
Miharu
Musings : Honey & Clover
Probably due to the 100-fold increase of glucocorticoids in my bloodstream after a 6 hour-long information overload today, I spent 2 hours rambling about Hachikuro goodness in my *soon-to-be-stale* review blog. So it seems a 100-fold surge of stress hormone will result in me doing weird things at weird times. No wonder the frequency of my blogging increases as exam creeps closer. This maybe a good experimental subject...
Anyway, my thoughts on Hachikuro here.
～みはる～
Anyway, my thoughts on Hachikuro here.
～みはる～
By
Miharu
Hentai lurking
Suddenly, I get the feeling the world is full of perverts.
My housemates just lost a few pieces of undergarments under broad daylight. UNDER BROAD DAYLIGHT, some pervert actually had the guts to nick a few bras and panties. I mean like,... what in the world???? To think that twisted being would choose a few bras and panties and swoop it off the drying rack on the walkway at the entrance of my unit..... there can only be these possibilities:
(a) seriously perverted man picking lingerie off apartment residents to satisfy his perverse urges;
(b) bankrupt woman in desperate need of an underwear change;
(c) immoral cat with a sudden urge to morph into sexy Catwoman.
I striked out possibility (c) after finding out that the thief carefully placed the clothes peg pegging the stolen undergarment onto another shirt hanging next to it. No way a cat would be that nifty. Neither would a bankrupt woman be so cautious about the pegs. She would more likely be busy thinking if the size fits.
It can only be possibility (a). And it is so freaky to think that someone with high level of perverse mental condition is eyeing on our movements (and our expensive bras!).
There's a chill running down my spine. Is that the roving eyes of a pervert from a distance?
*shudders*
～みはる～
My housemates just lost a few pieces of undergarments under broad daylight. UNDER BROAD DAYLIGHT, some pervert actually had the guts to nick a few bras and panties. I mean like,... what in the world???? To think that twisted being would choose a few bras and panties and swoop it off the drying rack on the walkway at the entrance of my unit..... there can only be these possibilities:
(a) seriously perverted man picking lingerie off apartment residents to satisfy his perverse urges;
(b) bankrupt woman in desperate need of an underwear change;
(c) immoral cat with a sudden urge to morph into sexy Catwoman.
I striked out possibility (c) after finding out that the thief carefully placed the clothes peg pegging the stolen undergarment onto another shirt hanging next to it. No way a cat would be that nifty. Neither would a bankrupt woman be so cautious about the pegs. She would more likely be busy thinking if the size fits.
It can only be possibility (a). And it is so freaky to think that someone with high level of perverse mental condition is eyeing on our movements (and our expensive bras!).
There's a chill running down my spine. Is that the roving eyes of a pervert from a distance?
*shudders*
～みはる～
By
Miharu
Hideous exam timetable
A prelude to my nightmare 7 weeks from now:
Nov-16 : LJ82 - Japanese Language Level3
Nov-22 : BS405 - Current Topics in Neurobiology
Nov-23 : CV4202 - Human Resource Management
Nov-24 : BS406 - Current Topics in Cell Biology
Nov-28 : BS407 - Current Topics in Genetics & Genomics
Nov-29 : BS408 - Current Topics in Immunology
Dec-01 : BS411 - Current Topics in Virology/Microbiology
Dec-03 : JLPT Level3
The severity of my examination timetable just hit me. The image of living hell has finally sunk in. It's gonna be a 2-week load of back-to-back stress.
Don't you just lurrrve exams?
～みはる～
Nov-16 : LJ82 - Japanese Language Level3
Nov-22 : BS405 - Current Topics in Neurobiology
Nov-23 : CV4202 - Human Resource Management
Nov-24 : BS406 - Current Topics in Cell Biology
Nov-28 : BS407 - Current Topics in Genetics & Genomics
Nov-29 : BS408 - Current Topics in Immunology
Dec-01 : BS411 - Current Topics in Virology/Microbiology
Dec-03 : JLPT Level3
The severity of my examination timetable just hit me. The image of living hell has finally sunk in. It's gonna be a 2-week load of back-to-back stress.
Don't you just lurrrve exams?
～みはる～
By
Miharu
もうだめだ
I believe mastering language is all about immersing yourself in it and frequently practising it to the extend that you live with it. Apparently, that is what I am currently doing in learning Japanese Language. However, what happened earlier is probably a sign of my Japanese-overdrive.
I was sitting at home when a phone call came. So I picked it up and this Malay lady asked to speak to my dad.
M-lady : Helo, boleh saya cakap dengan Encik C?
Me : だれ？
Or so, I was going to say. My Malay vocabulary blanked out on me. Racking my brain frantically, I searched for the right word to say.
Me : Siapa? (I can't even think of the correct translation for 'Who's there?" -_-''')
M-lady : *said something that was not quite legible to me*
Me : なに？
Shimatta... I really can't carry a decent Malay conversation. So I replied in English. And what the crap, the lady CAN'T SPEAK ENGLISH! So when she asked if she could have Dad's handphone number, I wanted to say that he's not having his handphone now. Instead, all that was going in my head was... ”今けいたいをもってないが。。。”
After some struggling, I managed to carry through the conversation with a smattering of Malay and English, while keeping Japanese words at bay. たいへん。。。
Looks like I have to do some re-wiring of my Language output mode asap.
～みはる～
I was sitting at home when a phone call came. So I picked it up and this Malay lady asked to speak to my dad.
M-lady : Helo, boleh saya cakap dengan Encik C?
Me : だれ？
Or so, I was going to say. My Malay vocabulary blanked out on me. Racking my brain frantically, I searched for the right word to say.
Me : Siapa? (I can't even think of the correct translation for 'Who's there?" -_-''')
M-lady : *said something that was not quite legible to me*
Me : なに？
Shimatta... I really can't carry a decent Malay conversation. So I replied in English. And what the crap, the lady CAN'T SPEAK ENGLISH! So when she asked if she could have Dad's handphone number, I wanted to say that he's not having his handphone now. Instead, all that was going in my head was... ”今けいたいをもってないが。。。”
After some struggling, I managed to carry through the conversation with a smattering of Malay and English, while keeping Japanese words at bay. たいへん。。。
Looks like I have to do some re-wiring of my Language output mode asap.
～みはる～
By
Miharu
xxxHolic Season 1 ends!!
Sad!
xxxHolic anime season 1 ended with episode 23 T_T
I didn't expect it to end at 23 episodes, but when I was watching the final ep, I was like thinking, "Hmm...the way they portray the Watanuki x Doumeki relationship is very finale-like". And true as it is, season 1 ended with the end of this episode.
The finale episode is a potpurri of sad, sweet, melancholic, mysterious and touching emotions. I was especially sad for Watanuki when the obasan died of Doumeki's spiritual arrow and when Yuuko told him that he had to chose how he should approach Doumeki after the incident. I was also touched when Doumeki said he did what he did because it was a choice that he made; and that is he chose to keep Watanuki alive, at the expense of going against the latter's wishes. How aptly the episode was named: センタク(Choice). This is really the beginning of the whole Watanuki x Doumeki dependence thing (the manga now is showing lots of it). I hope we'll get a second season of xxxHolic that will animate all the current manga arcs.
With this finale, I'm terribly sad because xxxHolic has been and still is my favourite spring anime for this year. I love the colors, animation, soundtrack.... but most of all, the storyline, characters and the voice actors. As a result, xxxHolic anime is fantastic. How can I not have anymore xxxHolic to look forward to every week?????? T_T
Thank goodness, however, the manga is still going on and it looks like Clamp is going to unfold many more mysterious secrets and fabulous plots in their beautiful signature graphics. I can't wait to see what going to happen to Watanuki, Doumeki and Himawari. Apparently, Clamp loves to hold us all in suspense *tugs hair in frustration*
Well, all I can say is.... xxxHolic banzai!!!
Loneliness shared between Watanuki & the ayakashi.
Doumeki, stoic and cool, chose to fire at the ayakashi.
Yuuko: Doumeki also made a choice.
マルとモロはワタヌキに心配しました。
Screenshots from Fansub.tv
～みはる～
xxxHolic anime season 1 ended with episode 23 T_T
I didn't expect it to end at 23 episodes, but when I was watching the final ep, I was like thinking, "Hmm...the way they portray the Watanuki x Doumeki relationship is very finale-like". And true as it is, season 1 ended with the end of this episode.
The finale episode is a potpurri of sad, sweet, melancholic, mysterious and touching emotions. I was especially sad for Watanuki when the obasan died of Doumeki's spiritual arrow and when Yuuko told him that he had to chose how he should approach Doumeki after the incident. I was also touched when Doumeki said he did what he did because it was a choice that he made; and that is he chose to keep Watanuki alive, at the expense of going against the latter's wishes. How aptly the episode was named: センタク(Choice). This is really the beginning of the whole Watanuki x Doumeki dependence thing (the manga now is showing lots of it). I hope we'll get a second season of xxxHolic that will animate all the current manga arcs.
With this finale, I'm terribly sad because xxxHolic has been and still is my favourite spring anime for this year. I love the colors, animation, soundtrack.... but most of all, the storyline, characters and the voice actors. As a result, xxxHolic anime is fantastic. How can I not have anymore xxxHolic to look forward to every week?????? T_T
Thank goodness, however, the manga is still going on and it looks like Clamp is going to unfold many more mysterious secrets and fabulous plots in their beautiful signature graphics. I can't wait to see what going to happen to Watanuki, Doumeki and Himawari. Apparently, Clamp loves to hold us all in suspense *tugs hair in frustration*
Well, all I can say is.... xxxHolic banzai!!!
Loneliness shared between Watanuki & the ayakashi.
Doumeki, stoic and cool, chose to fire at the ayakashi.
Yuuko: Doumeki also made a choice.
マルとモロはワタヌキに心配しました。
Screenshots from Fansub.tv
～みはる～
By
Miharu
Hanami~!!
Hanami on my desktop!!
Yup, thanks to Rick Jansen, hanami is all year round on my desktop! うれしい！！
The sakura petals from the branch on the top left will gently fall every 2 seconds or so and sometimes a gust of wind will blow the petals across the screen, settling the sakura petals all over the task bar. The petals can even land on windows! See the bottom right corner? They accumulate on top of the wireless bubble. Kawaii~!!!
Against the background of Honey & Clover wallpaper... I can't help minimizing all the work windows so that I can admire the falling petals. It simply brings back memories of Otaru, Hokkaido, where sakura trees in Temiya Park are bursting in full bloom and the petals floating in the chilly spring breeze.
なつかし。。。本当にもう一度日本へ行きたいな。。。
～みはる～
Yup, thanks to Rick Jansen, hanami is all year round on my desktop! うれしい！！
The sakura petals from the branch on the top left will gently fall every 2 seconds or so and sometimes a gust of wind will blow the petals across the screen, settling the sakura petals all over the task bar. The petals can even land on windows! See the bottom right corner? They accumulate on top of the wireless bubble. Kawaii~!!!
Against the background of Honey & Clover wallpaper... I can't help minimizing all the work windows so that I can admire the falling petals. It simply brings back memories of Otaru, Hokkaido, where sakura trees in Temiya Park are bursting in full bloom and the petals floating in the chilly spring breeze.
なつかし。。。本当にもう一度日本へ行きたいな。。。
～みはる～
By
Miharu
Split
時が過ぎて
何もかもが 思い出になる日は きっとくる。。。
でも
僕がいて
君がいて
みんながいて
たったひとつのものを探した
あの奇跡のような日々は
いつまでも 甘い 痛みとともに
胸の中の 遠い場所で ずっと
なつかしく まわりつずけるんだ。。。
"Although time will pass and the day when everything will become a mere memory will come, I was there, you were there, everyone was there, looking for only one thing under those miraculous days. No matter when, it feels sweet and painful at the same time. It will remain in that distant place in my heart. Always feels nostalgic, always turning". - Honey & Clover 12 [End]
My hat's off to mangaka Umino Chika and the Hachikuro production & animation team.
Hachimitsu to Kuroba is truly a wonderful story unparalled by many others of the similar genre. It is probably the only series that could make me laugh and cry over the lives of the individuals so wonderfully portrayed in the story.
The end of Honey & Clover season 2 at such a serene yet bittersweet note gave a powerful meaning to the ending theme of Honey & Clover II by Suneohair - Split.
Honey & Clover II ED: SPLIT
By Suneohair
ありふれている 気持ちなんてさ
何も言わずにいっそ
消えてしまえば楽になれるのに
見つめ合ってた君の瞳に
映る自分が揺れてる
とぼけた様に口を開けたまま
それぞれの道を行く
その分かれ道
もう二度と逢う事の無い
出会いは悲しすぎる
足りない気持ちを持ち寄って
温めた先から冷えていって
そんなはずないって信じてる
一体いつまで同じ言葉を
抱え込んでんだ 抱え込んでんだ
見つめ続ける君の瞳に
映る景色が変わった
僕の知らない新しいヒカリ
それぞれに道を行く
今、分かれ道
もう二度と振り返らない
気持ちが走り過ぎる
消えそうな夜に抱き合って
冷えきった体で縺れたって
何か足りないって感じてる
一体いつから嘘もため息も
抱え込んだんだ 支えきれない程
足りない気持ちを持ち寄って
温めた先から冷えていって
こんなはずないって信じてる
一体いつまで同じ言葉を
抱え込んでんだ 抱え込んでんだ
(If these dull emotions could just
Disappear sooner without a word
It would have been easier
When I gazed at you
I saw myself trembling in your eyes
My lips parted as though I had a blank expression
We went on our separate paths
At that crossroad
It pains me so much that
We may never meet again
Gathering emotions which are lacking
Things that were warmed just a while ago have grown cold
I couldn’t believe something like that
Just how long am I going to hold on to the same words
How long am I going to hold on…
When I continue to gaze at you
The seasons changed in your eyes
My new light which I’ve not known before
We will walk our separate paths
Now, at that crossroad
I can never look back again
My feelings are too overwhelming
You embrace me in the night that is about to disappear
Entangling me with your body which has grown cold
I feel that something is lacking
Just how long have I been holding on to
Lies and sighs to the point of falling apart
Gathering emotions which are lacking
Things that were warmed just a while ago have grown cold
I couldn’t believe something like this
Just how long am I going to hold on to the same words
How long am I going to hold on… )
～みはる～
Lyrics from Gendou anime music
何もかもが 思い出になる日は きっとくる。。。
でも
僕がいて
君がいて
みんながいて
たったひとつのものを探した
あの奇跡のような日々は
いつまでも 甘い 痛みとともに
胸の中の 遠い場所で ずっと
なつかしく まわりつずけるんだ。。。
"Although time will pass and the day when everything will become a mere memory will come, I was there, you were there, everyone was there, looking for only one thing under those miraculous days. No matter when, it feels sweet and painful at the same time. It will remain in that distant place in my heart. Always feels nostalgic, always turning". - Honey & Clover 12 [End]
My hat's off to mangaka Umino Chika and the Hachikuro production & animation team.
Hachimitsu to Kuroba is truly a wonderful story unparalled by many others of the similar genre. It is probably the only series that could make me laugh and cry over the lives of the individuals so wonderfully portrayed in the story.
The end of Honey & Clover season 2 at such a serene yet bittersweet note gave a powerful meaning to the ending theme of Honey & Clover II by Suneohair - Split.
Honey & Clover II ED: SPLIT
By Suneohair
ありふれている 気持ちなんてさ
何も言わずにいっそ
消えてしまえば楽になれるのに
見つめ合ってた君の瞳に
映る自分が揺れてる
とぼけた様に口を開けたまま
それぞれの道を行く
その分かれ道
もう二度と逢う事の無い
出会いは悲しすぎる
足りない気持ちを持ち寄って
温めた先から冷えていって
そんなはずないって信じてる
一体いつまで同じ言葉を
抱え込んでんだ 抱え込んでんだ
見つめ続ける君の瞳に
映る景色が変わった
僕の知らない新しいヒカリ
それぞれに道を行く
今、分かれ道
もう二度と振り返らない
気持ちが走り過ぎる
消えそうな夜に抱き合って
冷えきった体で縺れたって
何か足りないって感じてる
一体いつから嘘もため息も
抱え込んだんだ 支えきれない程
足りない気持ちを持ち寄って
温めた先から冷えていって
こんなはずないって信じてる
一体いつまで同じ言葉を
抱え込んでんだ 抱え込んでんだ
(If these dull emotions could just
Disappear sooner without a word
It would have been easier
When I gazed at you
I saw myself trembling in your eyes
My lips parted as though I had a blank expression
We went on our separate paths
At that crossroad
It pains me so much that
We may never meet again
Gathering emotions which are lacking
Things that were warmed just a while ago have grown cold
I couldn’t believe something like that
Just how long am I going to hold on to the same words
How long am I going to hold on…
When I continue to gaze at you
The seasons changed in your eyes
My new light which I’ve not known before
We will walk our separate paths
Now, at that crossroad
I can never look back again
My feelings are too overwhelming
You embrace me in the night that is about to disappear
Entangling me with your body which has grown cold
I feel that something is lacking
Just how long have I been holding on to
Lies and sighs to the point of falling apart
Gathering emotions which are lacking
Things that were warmed just a while ago have grown cold
I couldn’t believe something like this
Just how long am I going to hold on to the same words
How long am I going to hold on… )
～みはる～
Lyrics from Gendou anime music
By
Miharu
幸せ。。。
本日はあたしの誕生日です。
そして、あたしの優しくていいお友達たちは私の為にケーキをかって、一緒にあたしの誕生日を祝いました。
それから、夜には家の近くのホーカーセンターで別の友達と一緒に晩ご飯をたべました。赤いたまごもたべました。
一日中沢山たべました。友達のことがいいですね。。。
今とても幸せだとおもいます。。
Yes I know, the whole lot of Japanese scribbles may meant nothing to most of my readers here....I just want to flaunt my Japanese writing competency. :P
Anyway, what I really want to convey is that I'm one happy H.sapiens today!!
In the morning, I received a surprise phone call from Mum, who took a few mins off her office work just to wish me a Happy Birthday. I had just finished rehearsing my Genetics presentation for the last time and was rushing to leave for campus, when my handphone buzzed. I was very touched that Mum took the time out to call me... and it gave me a good start for the day!
So, my presentation went on pretty smoothly, although I was pretty nervous up on the stage. I had only 4 hours of sleep last night and was not in a very alert state of mind, so when Prof. T asked me a slightly tricky question for the Q&A session, I was thrown off the balance and started crapping whatever I deemed logic at that moment of time and just stunned when he further questioned me. Nevertheless, it is all over and after the class, my school friends bought me and AL (whose B'day was a few days ago) a cake and celebrated together at the school cafe. We even got b'day greetings from the cleaning aunties at the cafe!! >_<
After school I went back to my room with the intention to take a nap. However, I ended up reading papers for this Friday's assignment deadline, downloading Bleach 96 and finally was surfing the Internet for postgraduate Monbukagakushou information. So ineffective.
Then in the evening, my housemates returned and along with a few close friends, we went down to the seafood hawker coffee shop for a hearty dinner. Although small in number, but it was nice to have a scrumptious dinner with my friends.
In the night, Dad then called to wish me Happy Birthday. Then I chatted with my parents for a good 30 mins about my happy day.
To this moment, I have received many calls, MSN messages, SMS-es, e-cards, and even Friendster messages of people wishing me a Happy Birthday. Some may not be very close friends, but the fact that they take the time to say 'Happy Birthday' touched me deeply. What more, I'm especially happy to receive greetings from my old schoolmates... it serves as a reminder that no matter how long or how far we've been apart, they still remember me as a friend.
So, the events on this day when I graduate from 22 years of my life in this tiny planet Earth showed me that there are many people in the world that still care about your existence. Not to sound bitter, but in the 22 years I have seen and experienced many moments that left me wondering if I have a sliver of faith left in the people around me. I find that I had a tendency to distance myself from people to avoid drowning in the emotional whirlpool that comes with complex human relations. But sometimes, these people then remind me that there are good people on Earth and no matter what happens, having faith in friends can make your world a little happier and cheerful.
So, this is to all of you who made my day today.... Cheers to friendship!!!
～みはる～
そして、あたしの優しくていいお友達たちは私の為にケーキをかって、一緒にあたしの誕生日を祝いました。
それから、夜には家の近くのホーカーセンターで別の友達と一緒に晩ご飯をたべました。赤いたまごもたべました。
一日中沢山たべました。友達のことがいいですね。。。
今とても幸せだとおもいます。。
Yes I know, the whole lot of Japanese scribbles may meant nothing to most of my readers here....I just want to flaunt my Japanese writing competency. :P
Anyway, what I really want to convey is that I'm one happy H.sapiens today!!
In the morning, I received a surprise phone call from Mum, who took a few mins off her office work just to wish me a Happy Birthday. I had just finished rehearsing my Genetics presentation for the last time and was rushing to leave for campus, when my handphone buzzed. I was very touched that Mum took the time out to call me... and it gave me a good start for the day!
So, my presentation went on pretty smoothly, although I was pretty nervous up on the stage. I had only 4 hours of sleep last night and was not in a very alert state of mind, so when Prof. T asked me a slightly tricky question for the Q&A session, I was thrown off the balance and started crapping whatever I deemed logic at that moment of time and just stunned when he further questioned me. Nevertheless, it is all over and after the class, my school friends bought me and AL (whose B'day was a few days ago) a cake and celebrated together at the school cafe. We even got b'day greetings from the cleaning aunties at the cafe!! >_<
After school I went back to my room with the intention to take a nap. However, I ended up reading papers for this Friday's assignment deadline, downloading Bleach 96 and finally was surfing the Internet for postgraduate Monbukagakushou information. So ineffective.
Then in the evening, my housemates returned and along with a few close friends, we went down to the seafood hawker coffee shop for a hearty dinner. Although small in number, but it was nice to have a scrumptious dinner with my friends.
In the night, Dad then called to wish me Happy Birthday. Then I chatted with my parents for a good 30 mins about my happy day.
To this moment, I have received many calls, MSN messages, SMS-es, e-cards, and even Friendster messages of people wishing me a Happy Birthday. Some may not be very close friends, but the fact that they take the time to say 'Happy Birthday' touched me deeply. What more, I'm especially happy to receive greetings from my old schoolmates... it serves as a reminder that no matter how long or how far we've been apart, they still remember me as a friend.
So, the events on this day when I graduate from 22 years of my life in this tiny planet Earth showed me that there are many people in the world that still care about your existence. Not to sound bitter, but in the 22 years I have seen and experienced many moments that left me wondering if I have a sliver of faith left in the people around me. I find that I had a tendency to distance myself from people to avoid drowning in the emotional whirlpool that comes with complex human relations. But sometimes, these people then remind me that there are good people on Earth and no matter what happens, having faith in friends can make your world a little happier and cheerful.
So, this is to all of you who made my day today.... Cheers to friendship!!!
～みはる～
By
Miharu
Minna, arigatou!!
It was 11.59pm and I was trying hard to finish preparing for my Genetics presentation tomorrow, when my housemates AM and WW popped into my room with a chocolate and candle and birthday wish. I was pleasantly surprised and.... the standing fan blew off my candle. -_-'''
We lighted the candle again (AND switched off the fan) and adjourned to a short midnight birthday party ^_^ And then, my phone started ringing, SMS-es came in and a MSN window popped up with at least 6-8 ppl 'singing' happy birthday over the web to me. Yeahh... the power of digital technology. A simple wish from everyone simply made my day!!! I'm so touched and very happy!!
Thank you, everyone!! For the thoughtfulness and the birthday wishes =D
.....Now back to my Genetics presentation........
～みはる～
We lighted the candle again (AND switched off the fan) and adjourned to a short midnight birthday party ^_^ And then, my phone started ringing, SMS-es came in and a MSN window popped up with at least 6-8 ppl 'singing' happy birthday over the web to me. Yeahh... the power of digital technology. A simple wish from everyone simply made my day!!! I'm so touched and very happy!!
Thank you, everyone!! For the thoughtfulness and the birthday wishes =D
.....Now back to my Genetics presentation........
～みはる～
By
Miharu
Honey & Clover II 10
I cheated 20 mins of my presentation-preparation time to watch this episode. And I just have to blog this ep.
It's a very depressing episode.
No, it's not supposed to be taken negatively. I love watching Honey & Clover because it gives such a vivid portrayal of reality and the struggles each of us would bound to have to come across. But this episode dished out so much reality and sadness, I felt depressed watching it. It was especially sad when Hagu-chan cried her fears to Shuuji, and it was even sadder when Hagu-chan took Morita in her arms allowing him to cry his fears to her. It was clear Shuuji will give his life to care for Hagu-chan, but at the same time, it is Morita that Hagu-chan could very well relate to (sans his eccentric behavior). And although Morita was seen as the 'joker' of the group, it was very well conveyed in this episode that he has his deep insecurities & heartache and he, too, longed for someone to be together always (Kaoru and Hagu-chan); just as Hagu-chan wanted someone to open all the 'boxes' together with her in her life.
I don't even know where to start commenting this brilliantly-done-epsiode from, but I definitely recommend Honey & Clover series to everyone (for ep. reviews of Honey & Clover, please visit Random Curiosity; Omni did a great job). The complexity of human relations and the harsh reality are so vividly portrayed and I'm sure many people can relate very well to the characters in the series. Be warned though, that the second season is generously served with depressing issues.
ハチミツとクローバー
～みはる～
It's a very depressing episode.
No, it's not supposed to be taken negatively. I love watching Honey & Clover because it gives such a vivid portrayal of reality and the struggles each of us would bound to have to come across. But this episode dished out so much reality and sadness, I felt depressed watching it. It was especially sad when Hagu-chan cried her fears to Shuuji, and it was even sadder when Hagu-chan took Morita in her arms allowing him to cry his fears to her. It was clear Shuuji will give his life to care for Hagu-chan, but at the same time, it is Morita that Hagu-chan could very well relate to (sans his eccentric behavior). And although Morita was seen as the 'joker' of the group, it was very well conveyed in this episode that he has his deep insecurities & heartache and he, too, longed for someone to be together always (Kaoru and Hagu-chan); just as Hagu-chan wanted someone to open all the 'boxes' together with her in her life.
I don't even know where to start commenting this brilliantly-done-epsiode from, but I definitely recommend Honey & Clover series to everyone (for ep. reviews of Honey & Clover, please visit Random Curiosity; Omni did a great job). The complexity of human relations and the harsh reality are so vividly portrayed and I'm sure many people can relate very well to the characters in the series. Be warned though, that the second season is generously served with depressing issues.
ハチミツとクローバー
～みはる～
By
Miharu
家族がいつもどこでも一番大切だと思います
そうですよ。私はそう思う。
いつも、どこでも、自分の家族は誰でもより大切です。
Dad and Mum came over for the weekend to celebrate my birthday in advance. And I am so happy to see them again, and to have them camp over in my little room. >_<
Although it's only a short weekend together, I can't help but think family is the most important thing in the world to me. Often I think of what my family (i.e. Mum, Dad, and my sis) means to me. And everytime tears would threaten to fall when I think what it would be like to not be near them or to have to be apart. Yea... I'm pretty pathetic, but that is just how important they are to me.
I come from a very close-knit family. With just the four of us, there's almost nothing that we don't share with one another. I love the memories of us travelling to different countries together (ahem.. *read* JAPAN :P), because it is the time in which we are all in a relaxed state of mind and will cramp in a single hotel room together. It bonded us so well, that when we are apart, we miss each other so much.
Three years ago, I took the chance to venture out of my hometown to pursue my undergraduate studies. Initially it was all exciting, novel and the idea of being able to stand on my own feet far away from my family enchanted me. But as the years go by, I come to miss my family so much that I would seek every opportunity to go home. The farther we are from each other, the fonder we grew for each other's presence. Tears never fail to fall when I have to leave home for campus at every end of my vacation at home. Everytime I wished I could stay home just for a little longer.
Now that even my sis is in Sg, Mum tells me that home is very quiet and lonely. It pains me to hear that from my parents. And it always makes me wonder which is more important: to be with family for every living moment of your life, or to leave in pursuit of something in life that might take you very faraway from the ones you love? Is there meaning in chasing after the material or ambition when what accompanies is an emotional void? Separation or death is something no man can predict, and it scares me to think that if we don't spent every living moment with the ones we love, we may not have the chance to tomorrow.
When Mum tells me earnestly that she now knows the significance of "reunion", I couldn't stop my tears and agree. In life, for everything that we want, there is an equal price to pay in order to have it. And the price is not always in terms of money, but sacrifices of the things we hold dear. The question is always this : are we willing to pay the price?
～みはる～
いつも、どこでも、自分の家族は誰でもより大切です。
Dad and Mum came over for the weekend to celebrate my birthday in advance. And I am so happy to see them again, and to have them camp over in my little room. >_<
Although it's only a short weekend together, I can't help but think family is the most important thing in the world to me. Often I think of what my family (i.e. Mum, Dad, and my sis) means to me. And everytime tears would threaten to fall when I think what it would be like to not be near them or to have to be apart. Yea... I'm pretty pathetic, but that is just how important they are to me.
I come from a very close-knit family. With just the four of us, there's almost nothing that we don't share with one another. I love the memories of us travelling to different countries together (ahem.. *read* JAPAN :P), because it is the time in which we are all in a relaxed state of mind and will cramp in a single hotel room together. It bonded us so well, that when we are apart, we miss each other so much.
Three years ago, I took the chance to venture out of my hometown to pursue my undergraduate studies. Initially it was all exciting, novel and the idea of being able to stand on my own feet far away from my family enchanted me. But as the years go by, I come to miss my family so much that I would seek every opportunity to go home. The farther we are from each other, the fonder we grew for each other's presence. Tears never fail to fall when I have to leave home for campus at every end of my vacation at home. Everytime I wished I could stay home just for a little longer.
Now that even my sis is in Sg, Mum tells me that home is very quiet and lonely. It pains me to hear that from my parents. And it always makes me wonder which is more important: to be with family for every living moment of your life, or to leave in pursuit of something in life that might take you very faraway from the ones you love? Is there meaning in chasing after the material or ambition when what accompanies is an emotional void? Separation or death is something no man can predict, and it scares me to think that if we don't spent every living moment with the ones we love, we may not have the chance to tomorrow.
When Mum tells me earnestly that she now knows the significance of "reunion", I couldn't stop my tears and agree. In life, for everything that we want, there is an equal price to pay in order to have it. And the price is not always in terms of money, but sacrifices of the things we hold dear. The question is always this : are we willing to pay the price?
～みはる～
By
Miharu
My kitchen is the CLEANEST !!
Right... my kitchen has to be the cleanest. I just flooded it.
The draining tube of the washing machine in my unit is not sealed to a drainage pipe. Instead, every time we want to do laundry, we have to manually place the drainage tube into the bathroom, which is just adjacent to the washing machine. When I was living in hall, we needn't do that as the tube is connected directly to the drainage pipe system. But not here. And I keep forgetting to place the tube into the bathroom.... so the kitchen is flooded for the second time in 3 weeks.
After I showered, I was like thinking, "hmm, since it's only 10.50pm, I can still do my laundry." So, I put them all in the washing machine and went into my room to make a phone call. Half an hour later, I went into the kitchen and... tada! My kitchen is swimming in soap water!!!! T_T
I spent 45 freaking minutes mopping the kitchen dry. After which, I immediately wrote a bloody notice and pasted onto the cover of the washing machine. It reads, "TUBE into BATHROOM!!".
I'm soooo not going to mop the kitchen like this again.
～みはる～
The draining tube of the washing machine in my unit is not sealed to a drainage pipe. Instead, every time we want to do laundry, we have to manually place the drainage tube into the bathroom, which is just adjacent to the washing machine. When I was living in hall, we needn't do that as the tube is connected directly to the drainage pipe system. But not here. And I keep forgetting to place the tube into the bathroom.... so the kitchen is flooded for the second time in 3 weeks.
After I showered, I was like thinking, "hmm, since it's only 10.50pm, I can still do my laundry." So, I put them all in the washing machine and went into my room to make a phone call. Half an hour later, I went into the kitchen and... tada! My kitchen is swimming in soap water!!!! T_T
I spent 45 freaking minutes mopping the kitchen dry. After which, I immediately wrote a bloody notice and pasted onto the cover of the washing machine. It reads, "TUBE into BATHROOM!!".
I'm soooo not going to mop the kitchen like this again.
～みはる～
By
Miharu
Dad's the BEST!
At 10.35pm just now, I was struggling with my Duffy-antigen assignment report when a very familiar voice called me from outside my window. I turned and my eyes almost popped out - it's DAD!! びっくりした。。。
Yes, Dad came for a (albeit very brief) visit. Apparently he's on a short business trip to JB and since he had time to spare, hopped over the Causeway to check on sis and I. What a pleasant surprise! We chatted for a while before he had to leave for JB... since it's really late and all. But being Dad, he insisted on inspecting and fixing the water heater I had complained to him a couple of weeks ago. The water pressure coming out of the water heater was unbelievably low (to the point of trickling droplets of water instead of a healthy shower) and when Mum called I would complain how pathetic it is to be stucked with cold shower for a year. And voila..! Dad is here to fix it! Just when I longed for hot shower on a cold rainy day......
So Dad did the fiddling and tweaking and yanked out a tiny piece of rubber filter from the heater outlet...SETTLE! It was all that simple and within 8 mins. That's Dad for you! Observative, efficient and absolutely number one with handy work.
THANK YOU, DAD!!!!
I'm so happy to have hot shower from tomorrow onwards.
うれしい。。。
～みはる～
Yes, Dad came for a (albeit very brief) visit. Apparently he's on a short business trip to JB and since he had time to spare, hopped over the Causeway to check on sis and I. What a pleasant surprise! We chatted for a while before he had to leave for JB... since it's really late and all. But being Dad, he insisted on inspecting and fixing the water heater I had complained to him a couple of weeks ago. The water pressure coming out of the water heater was unbelievably low (to the point of trickling droplets of water instead of a healthy shower) and when Mum called I would complain how pathetic it is to be stucked with cold shower for a year. And voila..! Dad is here to fix it! Just when I longed for hot shower on a cold rainy day......
So Dad did the fiddling and tweaking and yanked out a tiny piece of rubber filter from the heater outlet...SETTLE! It was all that simple and within 8 mins. That's Dad for you! Observative, efficient and absolutely number one with handy work.
THANK YOU, DAD!!!!
I'm so happy to have hot shower from tomorrow onwards.
うれしい。。。
～みはる～
By
Miharu
日本語能力試験
Nihongo nōryoku shiken. a.k.a. Japanese Language Proficiency Test.
Yeap, the test I wanted to take is finally open for registration........ except that I'm in a bind now to opt for either Level 3 or Level 4.
Due to administration changes, Sensei regretfully announced that she could not afford to give us a crash course prior the exam. Which, is actually quite important. Conventionally, students from my university will finish with the school-offered Japanese Language Level 3, attend the 2-day crash course before taking JLPT3. Alternatively, if they finish at Japanese Language Level 2, they can opt for JLPT4. Even with the completion of Japanese Level 3 course, there is still quite a syllabus gap between Japanese Level 3 and JLPT3. So the crash course serves to bridge the gap.
So, life loves to present surprises... and coincidentally, just when I am eager to take the test, the crash course was cancelled. Meaning..... bridge the gap yourself-lor. 自分で勉強しなければなりません。
The JLPT guidelines stated that to take JLPT4, the individual should fulfil 150 studying hours of Japanese. For JLPT3, it is 300 hours. I would have only fulfil 152 hours by the end of this year. So now is a matter of comfortably taking JLPT4 with a higher possibility of passing OR benkyou-ing on my own and taking the (low-passing possibility) risk for JLPT3.
I do not really feel like taking JLPT4 as it is not very challenging for my proficiency level. I have tried the 2004 paper and did not find it too difficult. However, there are still many JLPT3 grammar and vocabulary syllabi that I have yet to learn. Will taking JLPT3 the end of this year be akin to a suicidal act? If I study the remaining syllabi on my own, would I manage to cover all before the exam?
I think a more crucial question will be.... do I have TIME to bridge the gap myself?????
With all the assignments, presentations and tonnes of school work, can I manage? But I love learning Japanese language alot.....
多分時間がないけど。。。。
でも JLPT3をしたいと思いますな。。。
どうしお かな。。。。
～みはる～
Yeap, the test I wanted to take is finally open for registration........ except that I'm in a bind now to opt for either Level 3 or Level 4.
Due to administration changes, Sensei regretfully announced that she could not afford to give us a crash course prior the exam. Which, is actually quite important. Conventionally, students from my university will finish with the school-offered Japanese Language Level 3, attend the 2-day crash course before taking JLPT3. Alternatively, if they finish at Japanese Language Level 2, they can opt for JLPT4. Even with the completion of Japanese Level 3 course, there is still quite a syllabus gap between Japanese Level 3 and JLPT3. So the crash course serves to bridge the gap.
So, life loves to present surprises... and coincidentally, just when I am eager to take the test, the crash course was cancelled. Meaning..... bridge the gap yourself-lor. 自分で勉強しなければなりません。
The JLPT guidelines stated that to take JLPT4, the individual should fulfil 150 studying hours of Japanese. For JLPT3, it is 300 hours. I would have only fulfil 152 hours by the end of this year. So now is a matter of comfortably taking JLPT4 with a higher possibility of passing OR benkyou-ing on my own and taking the (low-passing possibility) risk for JLPT3.
I do not really feel like taking JLPT4 as it is not very challenging for my proficiency level. I have tried the 2004 paper and did not find it too difficult. However, there are still many JLPT3 grammar and vocabulary syllabi that I have yet to learn. Will taking JLPT3 the end of this year be akin to a suicidal act? If I study the remaining syllabi on my own, would I manage to cover all before the exam?
I think a more crucial question will be.... do I have TIME to bridge the gap myself?????
With all the assignments, presentations and tonnes of school work, can I manage? But I love learning Japanese language alot.....
多分時間がないけど。。。。
でも JLPT3をしたいと思いますな。。。
どうしお かな。。。。
～みはる～
By
Miharu
Embodiment of a beautiful illusion?
> Business plan writing. Squeezing brain juices to the max.
> Part-time job. 9-5, 5-days a week.
> No room = no internet connection.
> Mum & Dad came for a visit. Endless shopping and indulgence in good food.
> Quit squatting in J’s room, moved to a temporary room and then to a rented unit within a span of 14 days.
> The new academic term began. Timetable scheduling madness.
> The first day of school. Assignment and presentation avalanche. Presentation slots scheduling madness.
> Presentation and assignments begins. Journal-searching-cum-reading mania.
…are the reasons to my blogging absence. It has been such a busy month.
Now that I’ve stepped into my final studying term, I feel like….. yelling. 7 examinable subjects to read over a duration of 13 weeks. And the 5 compulsory core prescribe electives are madness. Each elective demands at the very least, a scientific paper presentation, tonnes of written assignments, quizzes, team discussions… AND GAZILLIONS OF SCIENTIFIC PAPERS TO READ!!!!! I’ve been reading so much journals and scientific papers to the very extent I’m now numbed reading them. It seems like there is an inverse linear correlation between the number of papers read with the awe you have for the discovery reported. The more I read, the less enthusiastic I become of their brilliance.
The avalanche of group presentations and assignments meant increased frequency of working in groups (duh). This translates managing inter-personal relations to achieve the goal of task completion. Although Week3 has just ended, I have already accumulated enough emotional negativity. I learnt that in the harsh reality, friends are not real. There’s no such thing as true friends. No such thing as loyal friendship. Those are simply embodiment of a beautiful illusion. When you are cornered to the edge of the cliff, no friend will take the fall for you. Human are selfish creatures. They act on their natural instincts to protect their best interests above all else. I have seen plentiful emotional and material selfishness to numb my senses. And I have seen enough to know that in reality, you can only depend on yourself. No matter how deep the friendship runs, it can never be true.
～みはる～
> Part-time job. 9-5, 5-days a week.
> No room = no internet connection.
> Mum & Dad came for a visit. Endless shopping and indulgence in good food.
> Quit squatting in J’s room, moved to a temporary room and then to a rented unit within a span of 14 days.
> The new academic term began. Timetable scheduling madness.
> The first day of school. Assignment and presentation avalanche. Presentation slots scheduling madness.
> Presentation and assignments begins. Journal-searching-cum-reading mania.
…are the reasons to my blogging absence. It has been such a busy month.
Now that I’ve stepped into my final studying term, I feel like….. yelling. 7 examinable subjects to read over a duration of 13 weeks. And the 5 compulsory core prescribe electives are madness. Each elective demands at the very least, a scientific paper presentation, tonnes of written assignments, quizzes, team discussions… AND GAZILLIONS OF SCIENTIFIC PAPERS TO READ!!!!! I’ve been reading so much journals and scientific papers to the very extent I’m now numbed reading them. It seems like there is an inverse linear correlation between the number of papers read with the awe you have for the discovery reported. The more I read, the less enthusiastic I become of their brilliance.
The avalanche of group presentations and assignments meant increased frequency of working in groups (duh). This translates managing inter-personal relations to achieve the goal of task completion. Although Week3 has just ended, I have already accumulated enough emotional negativity. I learnt that in the harsh reality, friends are not real. There’s no such thing as true friends. No such thing as loyal friendship. Those are simply embodiment of a beautiful illusion. When you are cornered to the edge of the cliff, no friend will take the fall for you. Human are selfish creatures. They act on their natural instincts to protect their best interests above all else. I have seen plentiful emotional and material selfishness to numb my senses. And I have seen enough to know that in reality, you can only depend on yourself. No matter how deep the friendship runs, it can never be true.
～みはる～
By
Miharu
Entrepreneurial Mess
The much *un*waited BS402 Entrepreneurship module has started last Saturday. Yes, although I'm studying biology, for some reason Entrepreneurship is also a compulsory subject. Whatever.
Last Saturday was the orientation day. Orientation as in get to know your class members. Already I wasn't in the mood for it, as Mum & Dad came down to Sg for a visit, .... and there I was, time spent getting to know people I already knew instead of spending precious time reunion with my family. But whatever, it was compulsory so I can't help it but to attend.
The first half of the orientation was going pretty well until we came to a part where we were supposed to build structures using a combination of a few items e.g. cups, bowls. We worked in a large group and produced a bridge-like structure. And decided to market it like a bridge connecting the Causeway between Sg & Msia. I thought it was an innovative idea. But when the "investors" i.e. organizers came to evaluate our model, they threw questions and comments which offended me alot. I did not mind constructive criticisms, but the way they gave their comments was completely undiplomatic, insensitive and thrown out with an air of arrogance. I was feeling quite pissed at that time, but kept silent. Did they not even consider the presence of international students within the group? They said things like, " So if the two countries decided not to share the bridge anymore several years down the road, how is the bridge going to be separated? Whose side are you on?" If it was said constructively it would have sounded alright, but the organizer had this condescending look on her face I wanted to wipe off badly. That moment onwards, I lost all my respect for the organizers. And mind you, it wasn't only this instance, there were remarks made that would offend Chinese nationals as well. The lack of sensitivity and diplomacy in these "adults" who pride themselves "entrepreneurs" is really appalling.
The other issue that totally ruin the mood for this module occured during the grouping of students. As there were almost 40++ students, we were broken into groups of 7. Initially, the instructor group individuals randomly, thus most cliques are broken and people who are not very close friends are put together in a group. The instructor's rationale of doing this is to get the students our of their comfort zone and to work with new people. Fine by me. But then, some students voiced out their preference to work with close friends and requested to form groups of their own preference. This discussion led to a heated argument between this group of clique-ers and a minority group of students who preferred to stick to the random grouping as they echoed the instructor's sentiments. I had thought it would be a heated argument that would result in no difference, as the instructor wasn't willing to budge to the request to change. But student X butted in and said that even though the instructor did not agree, they would still swap amongst themselves. And then, student X just left his group and moved into his clique. This trigger the rest to do the same, and in the end, everyone just move into their preferred group, completely ignoring the instructor's presence. I was, again, appalled by the lack of maturity and diplomacy of these young adults in handling such petty situations. In the end, the heated argument and all these chaos resulted in strained relationships between the class members.
Following to that tension, today's session was just as dreadful. Again, the two groups of students with different opinion are at loggerheads. This time, they lash out at each other via war of words. They bombarded each other's oral presentation with destructive comments and questions... that I thought I was sitting in a battlefield. I find that many of my peers are not quite intellectually mature for their age and are very emotionally driven in their counteraction. They appear very defensive, judgemental, and unwilling to give in to make peace. So much for entrepreneurial spirit.
It is going to be such a long week ahead.
～みはる～
Last Saturday was the orientation day. Orientation as in get to know your class members. Already I wasn't in the mood for it, as Mum & Dad came down to Sg for a visit, .... and there I was, time spent getting to know people I already knew instead of spending precious time reunion with my family. But whatever, it was compulsory so I can't help it but to attend.
The first half of the orientation was going pretty well until we came to a part where we were supposed to build structures using a combination of a few items e.g. cups, bowls. We worked in a large group and produced a bridge-like structure. And decided to market it like a bridge connecting the Causeway between Sg & Msia. I thought it was an innovative idea. But when the "investors" i.e. organizers came to evaluate our model, they threw questions and comments which offended me alot. I did not mind constructive criticisms, but the way they gave their comments was completely undiplomatic, insensitive and thrown out with an air of arrogance. I was feeling quite pissed at that time, but kept silent. Did they not even consider the presence of international students within the group? They said things like, " So if the two countries decided not to share the bridge anymore several years down the road, how is the bridge going to be separated? Whose side are you on?" If it was said constructively it would have sounded alright, but the organizer had this condescending look on her face I wanted to wipe off badly. That moment onwards, I lost all my respect for the organizers. And mind you, it wasn't only this instance, there were remarks made that would offend Chinese nationals as well. The lack of sensitivity and diplomacy in these "adults" who pride themselves "entrepreneurs" is really appalling.
The other issue that totally ruin the mood for this module occured during the grouping of students. As there were almost 40++ students, we were broken into groups of 7. Initially, the instructor group individuals randomly, thus most cliques are broken and people who are not very close friends are put together in a group. The instructor's rationale of doing this is to get the students our of their comfort zone and to work with new people. Fine by me. But then, some students voiced out their preference to work with close friends and requested to form groups of their own preference. This discussion led to a heated argument between this group of clique-ers and a minority group of students who preferred to stick to the random grouping as they echoed the instructor's sentiments. I had thought it would be a heated argument that would result in no difference, as the instructor wasn't willing to budge to the request to change. But student X butted in and said that even though the instructor did not agree, they would still swap amongst themselves. And then, student X just left his group and moved into his clique. This trigger the rest to do the same, and in the end, everyone just move into their preferred group, completely ignoring the instructor's presence. I was, again, appalled by the lack of maturity and diplomacy of these young adults in handling such petty situations. In the end, the heated argument and all these chaos resulted in strained relationships between the class members.
Following to that tension, today's session was just as dreadful. Again, the two groups of students with different opinion are at loggerheads. This time, they lash out at each other via war of words. They bombarded each other's oral presentation with destructive comments and questions... that I thought I was sitting in a battlefield. I find that many of my peers are not quite intellectually mature for their age and are very emotionally driven in their counteraction. They appear very defensive, judgemental, and unwilling to give in to make peace. So much for entrepreneurial spirit.
It is going to be such a long week ahead.
～みはる～
By
Miharu
つまらない
つまらない。つまらない。つまらない！！！
本当につまらないな。。。。。。。。。。。
I'm so so so so so so bored. No new animes to watch. No money to go shopping. Most friends are back in hometown. I'm stuck in the campus without a room. And bored to death. So bored I've resorted to studying bacterial genetics. さいあく。。。
Not having my own room makes me feel uneasy. Although I'm thankful for shelter over my head, but still.... I don't feel comfortable. Now why wouldn't I have a room? 長い話だよ。。。
+~+~+~+
It goes like this: in order to secure on-campus accommodation, undergrads need to earn points by joining extra curriculum activities. And if your total points meets the cut-off for the on-campus application, then you stand a chance to get the room of your choice; if not a random room will be given. If your total points do not meet the cut-off, then you wait. And wait. And wait. Until they send you an email to notify you that you've got a room. And only god knows how long you have to wait. The administration do not care whether you are homeless or not, they just chase you out of your room when the time to vacate your current room comes.
So, yea, I'm currently homeless because I was chased out of my room. And having no relatives, I have no where to go except to bunk over at friends' who already had rooms. Thankfully, I had friends who were willing to take in this nomad. *tears of relief*
So, why didn't I collect points in the first place? To collect points meant to join the management committee of clubs and societies... and this translates into having to attend meetings and organizing events. I've done that for 2 years and I've come to a conclusion: that most people here have no sense of punctuality. Absolutely zilch. Meeting scheduled to start at 4pm would most likely start at 4.30-5.00pm. It could drag as late as 6pm. Apart from that, meetings are hardly well directed, as in most of the time, discussion topic would get side-tracked and it takes ages to come to an agreeable solution. And meetings can last as long as 5-6 hours. Imagine if you were to experience that a few times a month for 3 different committee clubs. Just how much time will be wasted? Apparently, people here do not seem to mind wasting my precious time.
Besides, for females last year, the demand for rooms was so great that those with lesser points had to wait several months for a room. And in the mean time, they would "squat" (some times illegally) in friends' rooms until they get a place. The one thing that annoyed me most was that there were plenty of vacancies, but the administration took their own sweet time with the processing. They do not seem to have a tiny bit of consideration for full time international students who have absolutely no place to go. ひどいよね？
On top of that, the number of courses offered this year has increased greatly and more freshmen will be offered hostel rooms. This means the vacancies available for senior students are greatly limited. Meaning that, if you have meagre points, good luck waiting several months for a room. As such, I decided to forfeit. I did not join any management committees and didn't collect points. I decided to move out in the new academic year. This explains why I had been hunting for property lately. And fortunately, I had found a suitable unit just outside the campus, which I will be sharing with two of my friends, WW & AM. However, as the current tenant is still occupying the unit, I would have to wait until they vacate the unit to move in.
話がおわり。
+~+~+~+
I personally think that no matter how world-class a university is, it is hardly impressive if it does not perform well in protecting students' welfare. The administration just suck lots money from the students and do nothing when they are students that require assistance for something as basic as accommodation. When you complain, they just nonchalantly reply "The system works like this by default," and shrugs you off. The hell with default systems. It is as if the human up there haven't the intelligence to work out a solution for the benefit of the people who are the source of their pay check. What an irony, with the establishment of a new humanities and social sciences school.
ま、it seems like I've digressed quite a bit.
I'm still bored.
Looking forward to going back to lab tomorrow.
～みはる～
本当につまらないな。。。。。。。。。。。
I'm so so so so so so bored. No new animes to watch. No money to go shopping. Most friends are back in hometown. I'm stuck in the campus without a room. And bored to death. So bored I've resorted to studying bacterial genetics. さいあく。。。
Not having my own room makes me feel uneasy. Although I'm thankful for shelter over my head, but still.... I don't feel comfortable. Now why wouldn't I have a room? 長い話だよ。。。
+~+~+~+
It goes like this: in order to secure on-campus accommodation, undergrads need to earn points by joining extra curriculum activities. And if your total points meets the cut-off for the on-campus application, then you stand a chance to get the room of your choice; if not a random room will be given. If your total points do not meet the cut-off, then you wait. And wait. And wait. Until they send you an email to notify you that you've got a room. And only god knows how long you have to wait. The administration do not care whether you are homeless or not, they just chase you out of your room when the time to vacate your current room comes.
So, yea, I'm currently homeless because I was chased out of my room. And having no relatives, I have no where to go except to bunk over at friends' who already had rooms. Thankfully, I had friends who were willing to take in this nomad. *tears of relief*
So, why didn't I collect points in the first place? To collect points meant to join the management committee of clubs and societies... and this translates into having to attend meetings and organizing events. I've done that for 2 years and I've come to a conclusion: that most people here have no sense of punctuality. Absolutely zilch. Meeting scheduled to start at 4pm would most likely start at 4.30-5.00pm. It could drag as late as 6pm. Apart from that, meetings are hardly well directed, as in most of the time, discussion topic would get side-tracked and it takes ages to come to an agreeable solution. And meetings can last as long as 5-6 hours. Imagine if you were to experience that a few times a month for 3 different committee clubs. Just how much time will be wasted? Apparently, people here do not seem to mind wasting my precious time.
Besides, for females last year, the demand for rooms was so great that those with lesser points had to wait several months for a room. And in the mean time, they would "squat" (some times illegally) in friends' rooms until they get a place. The one thing that annoyed me most was that there were plenty of vacancies, but the administration took their own sweet time with the processing. They do not seem to have a tiny bit of consideration for full time international students who have absolutely no place to go. ひどいよね？
On top of that, the number of courses offered this year has increased greatly and more freshmen will be offered hostel rooms. This means the vacancies available for senior students are greatly limited. Meaning that, if you have meagre points, good luck waiting several months for a room. As such, I decided to forfeit. I did not join any management committees and didn't collect points. I decided to move out in the new academic year. This explains why I had been hunting for property lately. And fortunately, I had found a suitable unit just outside the campus, which I will be sharing with two of my friends, WW & AM. However, as the current tenant is still occupying the unit, I would have to wait until they vacate the unit to move in.
話がおわり。
+~+~+~+
I personally think that no matter how world-class a university is, it is hardly impressive if it does not perform well in protecting students' welfare. The administration just suck lots money from the students and do nothing when they are students that require assistance for something as basic as accommodation. When you complain, they just nonchalantly reply "The system works like this by default," and shrugs you off. The hell with default systems. It is as if the human up there haven't the intelligence to work out a solution for the benefit of the people who are the source of their pay check. What an irony, with the establishment of a new humanities and social sciences school.
ま、it seems like I've digressed quite a bit.
I'm still bored.
Looking forward to going back to lab tomorrow.
～みはる～
By
Miharu
The Return of The Pantry Devil
It's disgusting. It's skin-deep disgusting. The Pantry Devil returns.
My stomach churned when I saw the heap of "trash" at the common hallway. It can't be, I thought dismally. She's back already?
I'm talking about a fellow blockmate. She used to live a few doors away from my room, and her things, especially shoes, would spill out into the hallway. But that's okay. What was worst is that she makes a horrible mess in the pantry and NEVER cleans after it. When I say 'horrible', I really mean disgusting horrible. Anyone would have thought the pantry was caught in a tornado and the perishables are left to mold. Noodles are scattered all over the counter, rubbish is strewn all over the floor (and not in the trash bin), pots and pans are left unwashed for DAYS. I had to hold my breath when stepping into the pantry to get drinking water. I could feel fungi and bacteria crawling all over my skin. IT'S DISGUSTING!!!!!!!
And she cooks almost everyday. Somebody, exterminate the devil!!!
My stomach churned when I saw the heap of "trash" at the common hallway. It can't be, I thought dismally. She's back already?
I'm talking about a fellow blockmate. She used to live a few doors away from my room, and her things, especially shoes, would spill out into the hallway. But that's okay. What was worst is that she makes a horrible mess in the pantry and NEVER cleans after it. When I say 'horrible', I really mean disgusting horrible. Anyone would have thought the pantry was caught in a tornado and the perishables are left to mold. Noodles are scattered all over the counter, rubbish is strewn all over the floor (and not in the trash bin), pots and pans are left unwashed for DAYS. I had to hold my breath when stepping into the pantry to get drinking water. I could feel fungi and bacteria crawling all over my skin. IT'S DISGUSTING!!!!!!!
And she cooks almost everyday. Somebody, exterminate the devil!!!
By
Miharu
Hunting for property
I'm finally back to blogging. There's so much I wanted to blog but haven't the time. I know my account of the Hokkaido trip has been neglected. Sumimasen T_T But the last 2 weeks have been terribly eventful. And it all started with a phone call from the property Agent N.
"Ms. Miharu, I can't find any property that fits your needs. It is very difficult to find one in the area you want."
That was what Agent N said over the phone on the day that marked the beginning of my nightmarish 2 weeks. I was like thinking "whaddya mean you can't find?" I had given Agent N an allowance of two weeks and in return, that dead-end statement was thrown at my face. I began to suspect her credibility. And I started panicking. What the heck? I need a roof over my head in a month!
The moment I hung up the call, a rush of adrenaline coursed my bloodstream and I started calling every other property agents that are in my phonebook and feverishly browsed thru all advertisements for property rental.
The first fruitful phone call was to Ms. Angel. yea.. I had hope that she would be the angel that will provide me with the accommodation I needed. Apparently, Ms. Angel had a common room for rent (In Sg, common rooms are smaller than master bedrooms in the apartment unit). So I made an appointment to view the room that Saturday afternoon. The sun was out, the day was good, and I started to feel a bit more positive. However, when I started my walk from my hostel to her block outside of campus, an ominous cloud threaten cloudburst. I quicken my pace and armed myself with my umbrella. Barely halfway thru my journey, heaven floodgates gave way. It was pouring hard and the strong wind blew the piercing raindrops in my direction. My jeans were drenched to the calves. I began to wonder if the deterring rainfall was a bad omen. It rained too heavily for me to walk across the campus to the apartment block, so I took shelter at one of the hostel lounges.
And then... my phone rang. It was Ms. Angel. And she offered me a ride to her house since she was on the road then. I felt blessed. An angel to rescue at the low of your life. The bad omen must've been not accurate, eh? I took her offer and true to her word, Ms. Angel came in a Toyota Altis and kindly gave me a lift. She actually came with her husband, and they are a rather young Malay couple renting out rooms in their 5-room unit to students. I thought, "I'm so lucky. This might just work out perfectly for me." Location - walking distance to campus. Cooking, Internet allowed. Kind landlords. I was getting excited.
When I reached her unit at the higher floor, I was taken aback. My glee burst like a bubble. No offense, but the place far from well-kept. It was quite messy, dark and not sparkling clean. Several mental criteria were crossed out immediately. The room was actually quite narrow and dim, although it had quite a good view. Another minus point was that the unit had other foreign tenants. I wasn't comfortable with the arrangement. They asked for $400 for the rental. In my head, my little voice shrieked, "$400?? This unkept, small room?"
However, I thanked them for their kindness, told them I would consider and left. The rain reduced to a light shower and I trudged slowly back to my hostel. Every drop of my optimism evaporated. There's no way I could share that tiny, dim room with my future housemate. And to live with a houseful of strangers (couples included) was the last thing I wanted. My emotional rollercoaster took a dive.
Reaching my room, I continued browsing more advertisements in dejection. That is, until I saw this advertisement:
Add: xx-xxx, Blk xxx (corner unit)
Rate: $300 (room)
Location: 5 mins to XX mall, 3 mins to Interchange, 5 mins to campus
Condition: Very clean, quiet, windy. No owner.
Furnishing: Fully furnished, cable tv, broadband internet, bed, desk, cupboard
Availability: Immediate
Light cooking ok
I called the number given and made an immediate appointment for viewing. Bringing my future housemate, WW & her boyfriend along, I proceeded to view this unit, with renewed hopes. When we reached the area, we threaded amongst the blocks to reach the corner unit. While walking, I surveyed the neighbourhood. It is neat, clean and quiet. "Hmm.. I like this environment," I thought to myself. When we reached the block, I headed for the unit, and was greeted by a less-than-pleasant sight. The neighbouring unit is a house full of guys. And they looked like construction labourers. I began to feel uneasy. I knocked on door of the unit I came for and was greeted by a PRC student. Apparently, we are from the same campus, but of no acquantaince. He showed us the unit, and I took liking to it in an instant. It is spacious, clean, quiet and windy. The two rooms for rent were essentially furnished and quite roomy. The kitchen was also clean and the entire unit was quite well-kept. The bonus point is that the owner is not staying and should we rent the two rooms, we'd be essentially renting the entire unit. $600 for a unit! I believed I had striked jackpot!
Both me and WW liked the unit immediately, we would probably had made the deal if the owner was there. However, the owner is located in China, and we would have to make a call to him to make the deal. So we left the place, feeling ecstatic. I was particularly excited as the rent was freaking cheap and the unit is freaking huge. However, when I reached my room and sat down to think, I sensed something amiss. Why would the owner rent out the whole unit for such a cheap amount? There's something fishy to the unbelievable deal. Furthermore, I was perplexed at the prospect of 2 females living next to a houseload of middle-age guys. It seemed to me the environment was less than secure. In the end, both WW & I decided to email the owner and clarify the questions we had in mind. However, both of us still couldn't help liking the unit.
The following day, I received an international call on my phone. It was the owner!! He sounded like a middle-age businessman, and affirmed that he received my mail and will attend to our questions. When I checked out the reply he sent, I was bowled over by his deal. He favored us over other applicants and is offering us the unit for $700, all included, as a favor for fellow Malaysians. Yes, he is a Malaysian and is kindly offering us the deal of a lifetime to help us poor souls. I was overjoyed and sceptical at the same time. OMG, the deal is the cheapest I've come across! But can he be trusted? I thought over and over until my head hurt. He had wanted us to give him a yes-or-no reply by that night over the phone and it drove me & WW crazy. We were tempted to jump on the offer instantly, but each of us have our reservations. I was worried about the neighbour, whilst WW was sceptical about his motives.
We consulted my parents, seniors, and friends... and a good majority adviced us to beware of the too-good-to-be-true deal. I wanted to believe the owner was being kind, but the insecurity of having too many men next door was something I couldn't really shake off. We called the owner to voice our interests and also our concerns, and he convinced us that it was not too big a deal, at least, for the neighbour-problem. He then gave us another day to make our decision. And all that happened in 24 hours. Pressed to make such an immediate decision, I didn't know to follow my heart or my mind. My heart wants the spacious unit so badly, but the warning bells in my head wouldn't stop ringing. All this mental fiasco lasted till 3am. When I reached lab the next morning at 9am (I'm currently working on a lab attachment under a professor), I felt like a mental mess.
To cut the long story short, we finally decided to give up the offer. I felt like I had threw a million dollars into the sea. The unit was such a good deal. But it's all in the past now.
After that incident, we viewed other rooms available for rent consecutively every night. I've called Agent S, Agent J, Agent K and so many other landlords, I felt like a nuisance. And currently, we've seen another unit that we both like, but negotiations are still being made. I'm beginning to feel worn out and tired of this property-renting exercise and really hope to land on a shelter very very soon.
Up next week is another one full of appointments for property viewing. Wish me luck.
疲れたですよ。
～みはる～
"Ms. Miharu, I can't find any property that fits your needs. It is very difficult to find one in the area you want."
That was what Agent N said over the phone on the day that marked the beginning of my nightmarish 2 weeks. I was like thinking "whaddya mean you can't find?" I had given Agent N an allowance of two weeks and in return, that dead-end statement was thrown at my face. I began to suspect her credibility. And I started panicking. What the heck? I need a roof over my head in a month!
The moment I hung up the call, a rush of adrenaline coursed my bloodstream and I started calling every other property agents that are in my phonebook and feverishly browsed thru all advertisements for property rental.
The first fruitful phone call was to Ms. Angel. yea.. I had hope that she would be the angel that will provide me with the accommodation I needed. Apparently, Ms. Angel had a common room for rent (In Sg, common rooms are smaller than master bedrooms in the apartment unit). So I made an appointment to view the room that Saturday afternoon. The sun was out, the day was good, and I started to feel a bit more positive. However, when I started my walk from my hostel to her block outside of campus, an ominous cloud threaten cloudburst. I quicken my pace and armed myself with my umbrella. Barely halfway thru my journey, heaven floodgates gave way. It was pouring hard and the strong wind blew the piercing raindrops in my direction. My jeans were drenched to the calves. I began to wonder if the deterring rainfall was a bad omen. It rained too heavily for me to walk across the campus to the apartment block, so I took shelter at one of the hostel lounges.
And then... my phone rang. It was Ms. Angel. And she offered me a ride to her house since she was on the road then. I felt blessed. An angel to rescue at the low of your life. The bad omen must've been not accurate, eh? I took her offer and true to her word, Ms. Angel came in a Toyota Altis and kindly gave me a lift. She actually came with her husband, and they are a rather young Malay couple renting out rooms in their 5-room unit to students. I thought, "I'm so lucky. This might just work out perfectly for me." Location - walking distance to campus. Cooking, Internet allowed. Kind landlords. I was getting excited.
When I reached her unit at the higher floor, I was taken aback. My glee burst like a bubble. No offense, but the place far from well-kept. It was quite messy, dark and not sparkling clean. Several mental criteria were crossed out immediately. The room was actually quite narrow and dim, although it had quite a good view. Another minus point was that the unit had other foreign tenants. I wasn't comfortable with the arrangement. They asked for $400 for the rental. In my head, my little voice shrieked, "$400?? This unkept, small room?"
However, I thanked them for their kindness, told them I would consider and left. The rain reduced to a light shower and I trudged slowly back to my hostel. Every drop of my optimism evaporated. There's no way I could share that tiny, dim room with my future housemate. And to live with a houseful of strangers (couples included) was the last thing I wanted. My emotional rollercoaster took a dive.
Reaching my room, I continued browsing more advertisements in dejection. That is, until I saw this advertisement:
Add: xx-xxx, Blk xxx (corner unit)
Rate: $300 (room)
Location: 5 mins to XX mall, 3 mins to Interchange, 5 mins to campus
Condition: Very clean, quiet, windy. No owner.
Furnishing: Fully furnished, cable tv, broadband internet, bed, desk, cupboard
Availability: Immediate
Light cooking ok
I called the number given and made an immediate appointment for viewing. Bringing my future housemate, WW & her boyfriend along, I proceeded to view this unit, with renewed hopes. When we reached the area, we threaded amongst the blocks to reach the corner unit. While walking, I surveyed the neighbourhood. It is neat, clean and quiet. "Hmm.. I like this environment," I thought to myself. When we reached the block, I headed for the unit, and was greeted by a less-than-pleasant sight. The neighbouring unit is a house full of guys. And they looked like construction labourers. I began to feel uneasy. I knocked on door of the unit I came for and was greeted by a PRC student. Apparently, we are from the same campus, but of no acquantaince. He showed us the unit, and I took liking to it in an instant. It is spacious, clean, quiet and windy. The two rooms for rent were essentially furnished and quite roomy. The kitchen was also clean and the entire unit was quite well-kept. The bonus point is that the owner is not staying and should we rent the two rooms, we'd be essentially renting the entire unit. $600 for a unit! I believed I had striked jackpot!
Both me and WW liked the unit immediately, we would probably had made the deal if the owner was there. However, the owner is located in China, and we would have to make a call to him to make the deal. So we left the place, feeling ecstatic. I was particularly excited as the rent was freaking cheap and the unit is freaking huge. However, when I reached my room and sat down to think, I sensed something amiss. Why would the owner rent out the whole unit for such a cheap amount? There's something fishy to the unbelievable deal. Furthermore, I was perplexed at the prospect of 2 females living next to a houseload of middle-age guys. It seemed to me the environment was less than secure. In the end, both WW & I decided to email the owner and clarify the questions we had in mind. However, both of us still couldn't help liking the unit.
The following day, I received an international call on my phone. It was the owner!! He sounded like a middle-age businessman, and affirmed that he received my mail and will attend to our questions. When I checked out the reply he sent, I was bowled over by his deal. He favored us over other applicants and is offering us the unit for $700, all included, as a favor for fellow Malaysians. Yes, he is a Malaysian and is kindly offering us the deal of a lifetime to help us poor souls. I was overjoyed and sceptical at the same time. OMG, the deal is the cheapest I've come across! But can he be trusted? I thought over and over until my head hurt. He had wanted us to give him a yes-or-no reply by that night over the phone and it drove me & WW crazy. We were tempted to jump on the offer instantly, but each of us have our reservations. I was worried about the neighbour, whilst WW was sceptical about his motives.
We consulted my parents, seniors, and friends... and a good majority adviced us to beware of the too-good-to-be-true deal. I wanted to believe the owner was being kind, but the insecurity of having too many men next door was something I couldn't really shake off. We called the owner to voice our interests and also our concerns, and he convinced us that it was not too big a deal, at least, for the neighbour-problem. He then gave us another day to make our decision. And all that happened in 24 hours. Pressed to make such an immediate decision, I didn't know to follow my heart or my mind. My heart wants the spacious unit so badly, but the warning bells in my head wouldn't stop ringing. All this mental fiasco lasted till 3am. When I reached lab the next morning at 9am (I'm currently working on a lab attachment under a professor), I felt like a mental mess.
To cut the long story short, we finally decided to give up the offer. I felt like I had threw a million dollars into the sea. The unit was such a good deal. But it's all in the past now.
After that incident, we viewed other rooms available for rent consecutively every night. I've called Agent S, Agent J, Agent K and so many other landlords, I felt like a nuisance. And currently, we've seen another unit that we both like, but negotiations are still being made. I'm beginning to feel worn out and tired of this property-renting exercise and really hope to land on a shelter very very soon.
Up next week is another one full of appointments for property viewing. Wish me luck.
疲れたですよ。
～みはる～
By
Miharu
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