The finer art in eating yakitori.

First, it taste better with beer.
Then you need raw cabbages doused in vinegar dressing to clear the after taste.
Next comes all sort of yakitori ranging from the innards to vegetables, my personal favourite is mushroom wrapped with bacon.
Then when you finish the yakitori, you toss the little sticks into the container (not unlike a miniture version of a divinity lot holder) provided.
Sometimes you can order other little dishes such as grilled pig trotters and agedashi mochi (a kind of stick rice) to go along with the meal.
Everyone is huddled in a small little room where there are hardly any space to sit cross legged.
In any case, ladies are not expected to sit cross legged.
Frankly speaking, i think i have enough yakitori for the rest of my trip but i wouldn't mind more of that grilled rice ball please.

Some days i think that i would like to be a cartoon character and bash the people i am upset with into a pulp.
I think that there must be some satisfaction in causing real physical pain.
But since we are all civilized here, it is hardly right to do so.
No?

Windy in Hakata.

Sounds of deep bells along the pavements
of rattling wires on lamp-posts.
Watching banners bellowing like sails
sailing across our journey towards...
Lights shimmering like stars
outlining the rustling trees
baring all in the winter's night.
Blown off course, we travelled onwards
numbed with cold.

Yatai...

Perhaps one of a more local japanese culinary experience. Sitting huddled together in winter with other people in a temporary little wooden hut, drinking beer and eating ramen or yakitori has its definite charms. Beer seems to taste better served in little glasses, ramen has more flavour in the cold and damn, if you do not feel a certain comradeship with the dude in a suit next to you. You can sit there and grin like an idiot over the conversation you do not understand and still no one would think the worse of you. Perhaps everyone is just intoxicated after a long day's work and having one glass too many but isn't that the point?

Blog ate up my last two attempts to post some thoughts on vending machines...
I wonder why...
oh well...
finally succeed, though not sure if its really worth the trouble.

Ah... Japan, the land of Vending Machines (VM)?

It is quite amazing to see that there are at least two VMs at every street corner around here. You can buy almost anything from one of this ideally located VMs. From the conventional hot/cold drinks to ciggies to the not-so-conventional items such as sandwiches, snacks, condoms, pay-per-view tv card, fare card, maps and even a bowl of ramen, pipping hot ready for consumption. In a way, it probably helps to create little personal oasis in their daily lives where there is no need to face another human to get what you want and you can be a hermit amidst this lush urban environment. Yet, this is a country that prides itself in terms of their service towards others. I must admit their sales staff is the most helpful and polite i have seen anywhere else. Just try stepping into a departmental store, they actually pay people to stand at the door to hand out sweets and say goodbye even if you have just been looking only. At least i did not feel bad when i did not buy anything unlike certain places where they don't bother to even look at you once they see how you are dressed. So it is a little strange to me to witness how this do-it-yourself system co-exist within a culture seeped in rigid hierachical protocols, strict service attitudes, and need of maintaining veneers of respectibility.

We alternate between having to do everything ourselves and having everything done for us. It all stems from this visit to a nearby VM cafe where people were buying lunch like ramens, sandwiches and drinks from rows of different VMs and eating them on the tables/chairs provided before disposing the bowls/cups into the bins provided. No waiter or host was needed. After seeing this cafe, we had dinner at this eating place where the host (a 80yr old lady) insisted on serving us everything throughout the dinner. It is an interesting contradiction in experiences. In any case, this is only my fifth day here and i hardly profess to know everything about Japan. It is probably just the tourist speaking but still, it makes interesting food for thoughts doesn't it?

Googlism for: aurorin

Sorry, Google doesn't know enough about aurorin yet.

Hee hee hee.. yay! i am still an unknown!!

Fukuoka is quite cold now... though i expect places like to tokyo to be much colder. Heard that it was snowing. Wont mind seeing snow actually. Was thinking of mt aso but heard its below zero degC now and inconvenient cos bad public transport... Similar to natural onsens (hot springs) since they are usually not along the main road which means its better if you have your own transport. HmmMm rent a car in japan? Perhaps, perhaps not.

So far, i have not been doing much during the last 3 days (this is my fourth day morning), other than wating at Fukuoka Asian Art Museum (or FAAM for short) visiting various museums and walking around downtown. He is working very hard at NHK which is the TV station here, editing his videos, so i hardly get to see him except during dinner. In the meantime, our friend (singaporean, who is coordinating his piece for the museum) and another japanese friend from tokyo (who had came down to liase and research in the museam) has been bringing me around for lunch and checking out the various museums. I even went to Kyushu University to have a look around and sat in for one of the art critic presentation in an old classroom (the uni was 100yrs old and nothing much have changed i gathered from the grime) because my friends were looking for an art journal there. Not exactly your usual tourist sport ya? Then there was checking out the xmas decos at the nearby canal city... expensive stuff there and coffee aint cheap... that`s all i can say... I think i have to rethink my souvenir strategy abit...

Anyway though i have only been here for 3 days, it certainly felt like its been more. Probably because i am not exactly doing anything that a normal tourist should be doing, hence there was no urgency to "milk the milage" of my visit yet. It has been quite relaxing and infact boring at times as i am really just waiting for him to finish. I think the gear will pick up in a bit when his finalize his work.

Okie dok. Time for lunch now... I think i am going to put on weight when i get home... Sigh...

Went to visit grandma first today before running a few errands before i fly off. Got some dog food for my dog. The pet shop ran out of the 15kg pack, so i had to buy 3 small packs to tide over this period while i am gone. Also bought a scratching pole for my cat. He is sniffing at it quite earnestly now but has not start scratching it yet. Perhaps i have to show him how? :D

My cat is making cute little sleeping noises again.
I am going to miss him.

Gone tomorrow.
Back after christmas.

Yes, yes. I whine because i am angry.

Things screwed up again...

I think i have the most inept paternal extended family. Stories of our family would be more dramatic than your usual mediacorp channel 8 fare... heck, it would be way to dramatic than your tvb hong kong serials! Anyway, the story this time: grandma fell in toilet yesterday because stupidity of certain uncle.

My grandma has been quite weak and vague for quite a long time after her bout of pneumonia in July. She is also bedridden and cant really recognize her family anymore, so has been staying in a nursing home for the last 3 months. She seems to be better these days though she still doesn't eat much, but at least she does not need a feeding tube anymore. Yes, back to yesterday... It seems that this uncle of mine wanted to bring my grandma to the toilet. Now, first of all, my grandma is wearing adult diapers and doesnt need to go to the toilet. Secondly, she cant really walk and is very weak, why else would she be in a nursing home right? Thirdly, she has been very vague these days and would answer "yes" for any questions you asked her.

"Are you hungry?"
"Are you thirsty?"
"Did my father come to see you today?"
"Did you have sharks fin for dinner?"
"Do you want to go to toilet?"

She just doesn't really understand what people say anymore. Apparently, according to this certain uncle, my grandma has been gesturing to him and to him, it would mean logically that she wanted to go to the toilet. He asked and of course, she said "yes". So, he "gallantly" helped my grandma up from her bed, walked her slowly to the toilet, put her on the toilet seat, turned around, walked out and CLOSED the toilet door! Amazing things that people do isn't it? Putting a weak and blur old woman, wearing her diaper, on the toilet seat, on her own, closing the door while you stand guard outside. Why on earth should he feel surprised when he heard a thud and her crying moments later? She was send to the hospital immediately, turned out that she had dislocated her right shoulder and fractured her right arm.

More amazingly, this uncle rang me out later that night telling me his side of the story. When i asked him why possessed him to let her go to the toilet on her own, he replied matter-of-factly "Its the female toilet mah, its not nice for me to go in with her right?". I applauded his logic right there and then, which of course he then told me i am too rude and all that.

The Aftermath:

Grandma needs to go to hospital next monday for another medical appointment. Someone needs to go with her. I will be in Japan by then. I cannot imagine if i were to have left last week what would have happened to them... Anyway, immediately this certain uncle told me that he would not be able to go with her because he has a school alumni gathering in Muar. Oh ya, he empharsized that he is the president of the alumni in singapore and he had already missed the gathering in Beijing last year. Of course, wouldn't want you to miss your gathering uncle dear. What about others?

"Sorry, an appointment with friends which i cannot push away." (certain fat aunty)
"Sorry, working and i cannot take leave course i need the money." (certain small aunty)
"Sorry, cannot make it." (certain gay uncle)
"...." (certain aunty which cannot be found)

Wonderful family support isn't it?
Anyway, this certain uncle actually had the... dare i say, audacity, to ask me if my father can come back from china, whether my brother can come back from australia or even perhaps i can don't go to japan... I am quite speechless. Probably from shock and seething anger I think. I really hate dealing with them. They make my teeth itch to bite something or someone. Looks like i have to sort out their mess again. You know how different people serve different function in a family? Like if you are the breadwinner, the housewife or the mediator? I guess my family has been appointed the official mess-sorter, caretaker, omnipotent solution giver for all situations for my father's side of the family. Not bad considering that my father has TEN siblings (and that's only from one side of Lee Clan - my granddad had two wives) and we are appointed such prestigious position. Oh well. Enough of sarcasm and really sort this thing out. I think one of these days i am going to hide somewhere where none of those people can ever find me.

Ya, I am going to hide now.

Sometimes i am not very sure of myself and what i want to do.
Somedays you are just not here enough to make a difference.

Realization no 48:

Dreams can destroy relationships too.

It really doesn't matter if i don't make it for Japan.

I have been having such hectic weekends just going out with friends. It was quite weird initially being with two couples but everyone was real nice and we did have really good time at clubs, suppers, ktv and coffee. So much so that i have not been sleeping till at least 4am each day. Boy, its really cool not having to go to work and getting to sleep in the whole morning. Went to yoga yesterday morning after a 2 weeks lapse and got a really good workout/stretch. We also brought two other friends along and think everyone enjoyed it. I always feel really relaxed after yoga. We also bought yoga mats that came with its own carrier bag as well. Quite happy with myself in general.

illusion

misty shades of grey
colour splashed
blink. gone.
again.
closed my ears
gripping rumbles controlling my
heart.
beating.
squeezed. hard.
taking a deep breath
choking.
fear?
impenatrable mist.
deaf.
What was it that i saw?
What was it that i heard?

Well I am still here, when i should be in Japan. A real traumatising 3 days for me. First of all was running around getting stuff ready for my trip to Japan, changing money for my brother, packing stuff to send to him, buying things i need, sorting out library books, clarifying some phd application process, meet colleagues for department dinner, movie, pick up my dad from airport, send dad and brother off at airport, pick up mountain bike, change spore dollars to yen, and pack pack pack.

Now... that was before i found out, a day before my planned departure, which incidentally is at 9.30pm tonight 4/12/02, that i require a visa to enter japan. Yes. Visa. Tricky four letter word. Before anyone throw any brickbats at me, i assert that i DID check about visa requirements when i went to buy air tickets. Unfortunately the girl who sold me the tickets at chan brothers told me I do not need a visa because i am a spore PR. Wow. So much for trusting your travel agent. A well known one at that. The worse thing is, when i called their hotline to confirm visa requirements again, another person actually told me the same thing, though with less conviction, probably because its one day prior my departure.

Which is why for the whole day, on the 4th of december 2002, i was running from japan embassy at nassim road to chan brothers in south bridge road and back to japan embassy again to get my documents and visa application done. And it was only until 1pm today that i realize fully i wasn't going to be up on that plane with him after all, but join him one week later. In any case, it was off to M1 office in compass point to pick up another phone to be used in japan. Just my luck that japan don't support GSM phones. After getting the phone, i realized that they don't support SMS either. I must say i have seen much better days than these. In any case, he took the phone with him to japan which i am sure should come in useful somehow now even if he can't SMS with it. Then it is back home to wait for the DHL guys to pick up the package i wanted to send to my brother in london. Except... the guys never came. Called up DHL, turned out that they will be late. I requested they come between 5 to 6.30pm but they said they would be late and perhaps come after 8pm which was going to be impossible because i would be at the airport sending him off then! Did i say i have seen better days than these? Perhaps on second thoughts it is not such a bad thing that i have to stay in spore since the DHL guys can only come tomorrow. If i were to fly off tonight, my brother might have to do without his package.

See how i ramble?

Anyway, i have tons to do this week and i better make full use of my time here before i fly to Japan. But i really hate flying on my own when i can fly with company. Not the mention all that emotional trauma we went through because of this silly farce. Ho ho ho.

I really should be quite numb from life's little jokes by now huh?

Today is a weird day.
Surreal.
I want to remember everything about it.
I wish i can write it down.
But i can't.