Opening Hours for the Working Class of Japan

Looking at openings hours as a whole in Japan makes you wonder if the country was made for housewives. A colleague once said that it was always the women who handled the household finances because they're better at it. But really, at a time when more husbands worked than wives, what working adult in Japan could make it to the bank between 9 am and 5 pm on a weekday? Shopping malls close at 8pm, which is way too early for most of the working class. Parcels almost always gets delivered in the middle of the day when a working adult can in no way be at home.

Japan is not really convenient for people working here. Do they really think that everyone has a housewife to rely on? Does Japan really believe that the people who have money or who are actually earning money don't deserve to enjoy the convenient services they have?

I say, either open way earlier than 10 am or close way later. Think of your services and who needs them.

How I learn new Japanese vocabulary

Learning new vocabulary is not only essential but necessary if you intend to master a new language. Whether you are a beginner or if you're an advance level student, there will always be new vocabulary to learn.

I divide my learning stages into 7 days in order to ensure that I am able to retain the new vocabulary. I've learned that SRS apps such as Memrise and Mnemosyne are great if you want to learn to recognize 漢字 (or read) but if you want to be able to write, the classic pen and paper technique is the only thing that works best.

Learning Schedule:

Day 1
Select article / learning material.
Try reading the article with the help of a dictionary.
Create list of about 25-50 new vocabulary. (100 if you are ambitious.)
Learn (memorize) up to 50 new vocabulary words on Day 1.

Day 2
Review 25 words.
Use SRS app to decide which word to review.
Otherwise, read the list you've made.

Day 3
Review 25 words.
Learn up to 50 new words.

Day 4
Review 25 words.

Day 5
Review 25 words.
Finish learning remaining new words, if any.

Day 6
Review remaining words.
Try reading selected article / learning material without help.
Review words you were unsure of.

Day 7
Try reading selected article / learning material without help.
Review any word you are still unsure of.

Repeat with new learning material or continue reviewing for another 7 days.
Try to get new learning material every 1-2 weeks.

If you're ambitious and you chose to learn 100 new vocabulary a week, review 50 words at a time instead of 25.

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If you are even more ambitious you could try a 4-day regime:

Day 1
Select article / learning material.
Create new vocabulary list.
Learn all new vocabulary words.

Day 2
Review all new vocabulary words.

Day 3
Try reading selected article / learning material.
Review words you are unsure of.

Day 4
Try reading selected article / learning material without help.
Review words you are still unsure of.

Repeat with new material.

Thoughts on Malaysia

I was back in Malaysia for about a month and have just returned to Japan this week. It was truly a time for relaxing and slowly enjoying my days in Malaysia.

I have not returned home for 3 years since I came to Japan. My excuses were always that I had not enough cash or time but really I think I wanted to explore Japan more. I was just checking out my jalan.net history and was pleasantly surprised to see that I have visited 30 out of the 47 prefectures in Japan and that the total number of districts I have visited was an astounding 1,741. (It's astounding at least to me).

But I digress.

I had intended to share about my feelings on returning to Malaysia after being in Japan for so long.

I've always said that the public transport system and Japanese manners were top notch when asked about Japan. There is so many more things I wish to experience in Japan and places I want to go. Because of that, I have very little room to think about Malaysia or the things I might have left behind. I talk to my family and friends every day through various software and applications so that even when I meet them back home it felt like all I was doing was to continue our conversations. I do however enjoy them.

The one thing that I wanted to do in Japan that I couldn't do was actually to drive. I miss driving so much. In Malaysia, if you can't drive, you didn't go anywhere. It was a country where driving a car was cheaper to maintain than using public transport. Which was why I made it a point to apply for an international driver's permit. I recently drove up to Wakayama from Osaka and enjoyed the breathtaking view from Mt Koya. I truly felt how convenient it was to be able to drive and wondered if I would still think of trains and buses the same way. I'll be moving to Chiba when I start work next month so I think I will definitely be leasing a car.

I love Malaysian food. If it's one thing I love it's food. I had so many favorites that I could never be sick of eating Malaysian food. I made sure that I sampled all my favorites before returning to Japan so I have no regrets.

People-wise, I might be missing the way my country is so easy-going and somewhat lackadaisical nature when it comes to rule-keeping and manners. (Although I would never agree it's a good thing.)

Driving, food, and attitude... I think I've covered everything.

Where should I go to next?

George Carlin

“Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.”

I laughed when I first heard this quote. It sounded so ridiculous! The idea that the fact that there are people stupider than you are should affect you somehow was incredulous. It also assumes that you live in a perfect world where perfect bell curves exist and that outliers or skewed graphs do not exist.

Assuming this fact is in some way true, how would this affect you?

Or is it human nature to look for people with similar minds? Who gets what you say or what you want to say or why you said what you said? Someone who can figure you out?

No one reads anymore!

It finally occurred to me that no one reads anymore. They skim, scan, or glance over articles, posts, or tweets but they don't read. No one reads anymore!

Is there anything sadder than this?

You read all sorts of comments after reading an article and realize, no one reads the actual content.

(Fine, it might not be a new concept and I might have been in denial all this while believing in the human race but my bubble has finally burst.)

2015

It just occurred to me that it's the end of 2015. Today is the last day of the year 2015. 

All I knew about today was that it is the only day I planned nothing on my itinerary and it's the only day rain was expected all day. It didn't occur to me that this was the last day of the year. 

Perhaps I thought I would be washed over by a wave of nostalgia or that I would be reflecting on my year this very day. But nope. I'm too preoccupied with my winter trip to notice. 

Overall it was an okay year. It was more of a roller coaster ride. I've been to more places this year than any other year. I keep forgetting that I've now been to at least 4 countries instead of 3. In 2016, I hope to visit one more country. 

This year I forgot myself. Forgot who I was and what I can do. Forgot why I am who I am. I sought to appease an inner conscience that had no care for my future or my life. An inner conscience that could take over my entire being without difficulty and wreck my life. 

In 2016, I hope to remember how to be myself again. To find joy in the pleasures I enjoyed. To find peace in the comforts I seek. To find stability in the rolling waves that come my way. 

I wish that remembering was a choice I could make instead of something I can only hope for. 

The Japanese and Debates

I've noticed that ever since I came to Japan, the Japanese have been very accommodating and polite when it came to differences in opinions. They rarely say what they dislike or like openly without being sure they're not insulting anyone by just saying their preferences. In Malaysia or Australia, a difference in opinion often results in a lively debate that I miss so much. My conversations in Japan have mellowed down to mostly explanations, descriptions, and asking about current events. There are no debates here. Lively, healthy or otherwise. I miss having to reason out my opinions.

A healthy discussion helps work your brain. It keeps the cogs and wheels turning when you have to keep thinking of reasons to back up your opinion. I like open discussions because of that. It's rare to find people who are not stubborn about their opinion and is open to challenge or is accepting of differences in opinions.

It doesn't even matter if something isn't well thought out. When you start talking about it, you start reasoning it out and it helps you see their perspectives and your own. It's how you get to know if a person is just shallow or if they know what they're on about. It lets you know more about the person you're talking to.

I think I just figured out why I'm so irritated. The people I don't understand have no opinions of their own or are simply too shallow to have a conversation with. They won't argue with you or persuade you. They won't try to see your perspective or even think that there may be more than one way to do something.

Facets. It's what's so fascinating about our 3D world. There is always a side we can't see. It's something you can only see with the help of someone else. Or a mirror. But still, you need help to see every side of an object. Much more a person. If you can't hold a conversation with someone, how are you going to see them for who they are?

That is why I think it's very important to be with someone you can hold a conversation with. If you can't even talk to each other, what's the point?

Streaks of Blue

There are only certain periods in your life when certain behaviors are acceptable. Wailing and fussing in public as a babe. Throwing tantrums as a toddler. Being friends with anyone and everyone as a child.

When is it ever acceptable to dye your hair blue? 

The way we dress is somewhat dictated by our age group in that we try to be as appropriate as possible while being unique.

Workplace ethics would require a working adult to appear conventional, trustworthy and conforming to the social norm. Blue hair does not portray such a person.

The most logical time of your life to have blue hair would therefore be in college. Right? That and when you're retired.

Running out of storage

It's been a little more than 2 years since I got my iPhone. It's been 5 since I got my Nexus.

I've had to clear up space in my iPhone every 5-6 months. I have almost 300 apps in my Android and I've never had to clear up storage space. I even have friggin music in my android and no other media in my iPhone! They're both 16gb. They both do not support external storage devices.

That just added one more reason I can't understand why do people want to insist that iPhone is the best. It's so frustrating to use! I keep going back to my Android just to breathe better. Just so I know I have a better option here.

iPhone. You may have a longer battery life, but you're not all that.

Do you keep a journal?

There are many benefits to keeping a journal; from expressing emotions to logging daily events, the reasons are plenty.

What are your reasons for keeping a journal?

I am a sporadic journal-keeper. I had diaries during my pre-teen years. Then I kept online blogs and took to typing my thoughts as opposed to penning them down. It wasn't something I did every single day but I knew I had to do it. It was in my soul. There was a yearning that kept me looking for empty pages to fill with my handwriting. I just had to write.

Granted my musings may not always been inspirational or amusing or in any way interesting to the general public, I did have a sense of satisfaction in simply writing things down. Be it making a list of things to do or a list of things I am thinking about to organize my thoughts. It helped create a sense of fulfillment. A sense of accomplishment in my otherwise quotidian life.

Mostly, I had to write because I was afraid of forgetting. I have this fear that I'll forget everything one day and I won't even recognize myself. I am afraid of forgetting who I am, what I stand for, what I believe in, or simply forget what makes me, me.

So I write, to remember. To remember what I want to do. My aspirations. My inspirations. My opinions. I write so that I will be able to remember that this was who I used to be. However embarrassing my past self was. (I know I am embarrassed of my past self; I've read my old diaries.)

Even so, I don't think I will ever stop.

Point of View

As it turns out, no two persons can ever share a perfectly identical point of view. You may be able to get what someone else is saying but you'll never truly understand why. 

Everyone leads a different life no matter how similar their upbringing. No two siblings are 100% alike, despite growing up in the same environment. 

If that's true, is it worth arguing or wondering why people don't get what you're saying or is it worth trying to make people see things your way? 

Is my way always the right way? Is your way always better? 

Was the last argument you had worth it? 

Everyone sees things the way they want to anyway. Would what I say change the way they think? Would my words enlighten them or belittle them? How are my words perceived? 

I write in awe and wonder and I wonder if some might find me bitter or sad. Or simply unsatisfied with an imaginary situation. 

Sometimes I don't understand what you're saying or why you do what you do. But I have learned to accept that people being people are different and I know I shouldn't be bothered if I don't understand. 

Yet, when I see the look of confusion in your face and that twinge in your expression that says you can't accept that I don't understand, I'm equally as confused as you are. There are many things you may believe to be common sense, but I may not know what is common sense to you. 

So I smile an empty smile. I let out a breath or two to simply let go. It's okay. I'm me and you're you. If I like you just alright, I hope you'll like me enough to hang around long enough to be okay with what I am. 

Activating a dormant CIMB account overseas (Part 2)

:: Updated! Issue Resolved! See Latest Post! ::

So the Internet had no answers for me. I opted therefore to look for a Facebook page. Yes, I turned to Facebook.

Turns out, CIMB did have a facebook page and people do post their problems on their wall. I decided to post my problem and it turns out this Facebook page was properly manned and a customer service representative was assigned to me almost immediately.

They requested for my contact particulars, which I happily gave. Since then we've exchanged two e-mails, requiring a formal request letter from me to my CIMB home branch. I have sent both a PDF and the actual physical letter to CIMB.

I now await news of its arrival and the resolution of this problem.

Until then.

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Activating a Dormant Malaysian CIMB Savings Account whilst Overseas

:: Updated! Issue Resolved! See Latest Post! ::

Googling this title might not bring up a lot of information for people who need to know but many people are certainly familiar with getting notices about inactive accounts and steps to take to activate dormant accounts within the country.

But what if you weren't in the country when the bank notifies you?

I recently found out that my CIMB savings account became dormant (just two days ago) and not only did I not know it was about to become dormant, I had money transferred to that dormant account to pay some bills. Now I can't use that money.

What should I do?

Situation:
1. Bank probably sent notification to my address in Malaysia (but I wouldn't be able to get it anyway because I'm not in Malaysia).

2. 1.5 years ago, I informed the bank that I won't be in the country and would like to be able to access my accounts from overseas. Was told this was possible and that I won't have anything to worry about. Yet, they fail to inform me directly of my account becoming dormant.

3. Online sites suggest that I make withdrawals from my bank account to activate it... at any branch in Malaysia. (I'm not coming home just to make a bank withdrawal.)

Solution:
1. Call CIMB International and tell them about my current situation. (Problem: No one is ever available at the customer service center and it's freaking expensive to make phone calls from Japan just to wait for an hour for no one to pick up.)

2. Make a withdrawal myself.


I mean, I don't really have much choice here. Where am I going to go for help? CIMB won't pick up my calls. I can't get my family to do anything for me. I've tried with the Maybank account but no luck. They say that I need to be there in person. Which is bull.

Banks these days have to consider people who need to travel for their jobs. I think, I may never want to come back to Malaysia.


+ Updated +
Part 2
Latest Post

Old English Books

On one Sunday evening I found myself meandering through the streets of a quaint shopping district in Kawasaki. The weekend crowd was nowhere to be seen, which was strange. But it gave me courage and peace enough to walk through streets at my own pace. My walk brought me to a Book Off bookstore that sells second-hand books.

This was a very fortunate find for me, for I have been dying for a good English book to read. Modern literature can be interesting at times but I needed a proper English book that wouldn't be finished within hours. Second hand books would mean books written in proper old English that hasn't yet known the changes introduced by modern English. It would mean words written to be savored and experienced and not sped through just to past time. (I still can't believe it took me less than 8 hours to finish Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. For the record, I hated all the characters in that book.)

English books in Japan are relatively expensive for me. Although, it'll probably cost the same in Malaysia, variety in Japan is to be desired. I've started a small collection of Japanese books but my reading speed is still too slow for me to truly enjoy them. So, for the price of one new foreign book in Japan, I bought three old English books. One is a whodunnit and the other two are series to a fantasy.

The Other Side of Midnight by Sidney Sheldon proved to be just what I needed. It took me three nights to get through the prologue because the characters were so colorful and there were too many to remember. Just the way books were to me when I was 10. It took me three nights to gain momentum because it's been so long since I've read a well-researched book! Each character was carefully thought out, the semblance of historically accurate details set the scene for each unfolding event. The characters were alive!

The one thing I found annoying though was the way Sidney Sheldon tells you of a crime in trial but then he takes an entire book to tell you how it happened (or who were actually involved) before delivering justice in the end. It was a long, drawn-out suspenseful book. I don't think I can go through that again any time soon. (Matthew Reilly has ruined slow-paced books for me.)

I've just started on the other books and if they bring out the need to write in me, I'll blog again.

For those interested in the book: goodreads.com.

Irony or Not?

Does this count as irony?

Last week I went all the way to the research center to use the mass spec and realized I didn't have a USB to transfer all my results.

Today, I made sure I had my USB but when I was ready to transfer my mass spec results, the room was locked!

T^T

If this is not irony, it's still a very unfortunate circumstance.

耳から覚える日本語能力試験

I finally found out where my previous Japanese language school got their material from. The material was straightforward. It explained the sentence structure and grammar rules and had example sentences to support them.

「耳から覚える日本語能力試験」はその本のタイトルです。

Loosely translated, I suppose the title would be "Learning by Ear, Japanese Language Proficiency Test".

Guess this will be what I'll use to study~~

The afternoon of a cold autumn day

Never was a fan of rain. Especially now when temperatures are so low you don't need an actual refrigerator. 

But sometimes, it's so calm outside after the rain that you forget there was rain. 

Waffles

The thing about being abroad isn't that you're exposed to the land overseas. It's also about how connected you are to the land you came from. 

I keep getting news feeds on facebook from Malaysia and this link sticks out and rubs itself in my face knowing I can't go back just yet. 

http://www.foodadvisor.my/best-waffle-subang-jaya/

What would I do for a good waffle right about now...

Reading sessions

I would love it if I could get someone to help me read my Japanese book. I've been reading just fine because I can more or less tell what the words mean but I want to know how to actually read them. 

It'd be nice if someone could read the words I don't know for me and help explain them to me as I read the book. 

That's my new request for the day. 

Looking for something to do

It isn't as easy as it sounds. For the very accomplished it may seem absurd to not be able to find something to do. 

No. To not be able to find something to do is simply impossible.

There's always something to do. People to meet. Deadlines. Work. Chores. Hobbies. 

There's always something that needs to be done. 

What's your motivation? Why do you do them? What makes you do what you do? 

Why do you need to do what you do? What are you accomplishing? What end result are you seeking? What is the goal? 

There's always something to be done. But looking for something to do, isn't so easy. 

I need a reason to take the next step but there's no motivation. No reason. No real reason. No risk or benefit involved. 

I just need something to do.