Friday, July 27, 2007

Exam Stress

First of all, I've caught a cold and have a sore throat.. Shoot, the first time I get sick in Japan, and it just has to be a sore throat.. Moreover, during my examination period..

I had Soil Engineering(geology?donno.no direct translation.) and Hydraulics today.. Not really that hard.. but I just couldn't concentrate that well.. Sleepy and freaking tired.. Brain just won't turn the way I want it to.. and for Soil Engineering, the teacher must have knocked his head around.. 4 pages full 12 questions(typed in font 12) in 50 minutes?? Goodness, that must be his secret mission to fail us all in one go.. >.<

Hydraulics, my brain just wouldn't work properly for me.. In truth, it's no different from what we learnt in physics about water pressure and all.. just a bit more.. well, at least I can be sure I won't fail that one..

On wednesday, I had Concrete..The subject I dread the most..There were 9 questions, and I finished only 3..Not sure if I can pass, but I hope I do..

Yesterday was Maths and English.. Well,these are kacang putih, although I did do some mistakes for Maths..

two more days, 4 more papers..need to work harder.... and get this throat and flu fixed!

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Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Wet Day at The Pool!

Oh, how I wished I brought my camera along with me to the pool today...(you know why.. lol) Anyways, we swam for the PE today.. it was a bright day..a bit hot too.. almost the same temperature as m'sia I guess..

I'm still not that good at swimming.. (ps. What about you, Calvin?) too bad.. had quite some fun in the pool.. but not as much as I should have.. I was just too sleepy today after wasting too much time last night.. Gotta work hard tonight! >.<

Won't be updating that much..Exam!~ jia you!

Day 10 of abstinence

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Monday, July 23, 2007

Price War!!! in a globalized world

Updating on what I posted a few days ago, the price war of the seventh Harry Potter book between major bookstores and supermarkets continues to heat up..It's hot on the newspaper, and one of the subjects of heated discussion in the Harry Potter fan community..So, I searched up on the internet for the price of the book around the world to see if there are price wars in other parts of the world too..

Cash tills ring to the tune of Harry Potter

LONDON (Reuters) - Cash tills around the world rang to the tune of Harry Potter over the weekend and the seventh and final book in the boy wizard series looked on course to become the fastest selling book ever.

The Asda supermarket chain has been selling the hardback at a heavy loss, charging five pounds ($10) for the 608-page volume, a fraction of the recommended retail price of 17.99 pounds.

The heavy discount paid off in terms of volume, with the store selling 97 percent of its 500,000 copies within about 36 hours of the book's release. More copies have been ordered.

Source: ABC News

And a bit more on that...

Asda sparks Harry Potter price war

Press Association
Thursday July 19, 2007 6:43 PM

Asda has sparked a Harry Potter price war by charging just £5 per copy for JK Rowling's final tale.

The supermarket had earlier put a maximum £8.87 retail price on Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - the same as rival chains Tesco and Sainsbury's.

But Asda's allocation of 500,000 copies will be priced at £5 per book when it launches on Friday night, the chain said.

Asda stores will limit sales of the £5 books to just two per person to prevent bulk-buying.

Customers who have already placed pre-orders with the chain will be charged the same price.

Spokesman Ed Watson said: "Kids trust Asda as the place to get a copy of the Deathly Hallows at a great price and that's exactly what we'll be giving them.

"Harry Potter has reignited children's passion for reading and our colleagues and customers are gearing up for the biggest book launch we've ever seen."

Asda's announcement will prompt other retailers to slash their prices.

The supermarket was forced to apologise to Bloomsbury earlier this week after it criticised the publisher's recommended retail price of £17.99 for the seventh and final Harry Potter instalment.

Waterstone's and Woolworths have set their prices at £8.99 per copy while WH Smith will charge £10.99.

© Copyright Press Association Ltd 2007, All Rights Reserved.

Source:Guardian Unlimited

As you can read here, different supermarkets offer such different prices in the UK.And it's not just about the price war, or the profit.Asda actually made a heavy lost selling it at 5 Pounds.. It was about providing the book at the most affordable price people(in this case, children) could get.I believe that the price or market is not a problem.. It's about availability and affordability..If the supermarkets in Malaysia did not sell the book, obviously, there would be less books on the shelves(but because the bookstores didn't sell, I guess it didn't change that much in the end)..and less privileged people(ex:children who save their pocket money just to buy the book) won't have the chance to buy the book at a lower price than the retail price at major bookstores which are available for bookings(the richer ppl can buy from there..=D)..The major bookstores have to come out of their shells..It's not just about the profit anymore!

Oh,btw,Amazon Books is selling it at $17.99 half the retail price of $34.99.

Day 9 of abstinence

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Sunday, July 22, 2007

The Mysteries of Math

Let's take a little rest..
How much is 1+1? 2 right? But I'm going to prove to you that 1+1 is 1.

Let's put a=b=1
and a^2=ab
deduct b^2 from both sides,
a^2-b^2=ab-b^2
(a+b)(a-b)=b(a-b)
divide both sides with (a-b)
a+b=b
1+1=1
RIGHT?Find out the mistake if u can, and tell me in the comment if u found it. =)



okay, here's a clue for calvin.. wat is a-b?

Day 8of abstinence

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My lazy head..

Okay, I have a confession to make.. I spent the whole of yesterday without studying...The best day to study and I didn't.. Well, since I always study at the last minute, I suppose I won't fail.. But that's not the point, is it? To have come this far, it's not about marks or passing or failing.. It's about gaining knowledge and to able to apply it in our work later..

Well, have to be more hardworking from now on.. well, let's just put it as "less lazy". Ganbarou!

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New Blogger Template

I've changed the template to the new type.. There are more functions than before, of course, but I think the old template was easier to modify and manipulate.. With the new template, it's hard to add any templates of your own..

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How Do You Eat Sushi?

This one is interesting.. if you're patient, i'm sure you'll have a very good laugh! =) Enjoy!



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Saturday, July 21, 2007

Anime Songs

I've been downloading manga and anime for Bleach and Naruto.. and I've noticed that the Opening songs are a lot better than before.. Remember Haruka Kanata from Naruto? The new Naruto Shippuden Opening, Hero's Come Back is so much better than that!



And the new Bleach Opening Alones too.. Before, we would always skip the opening song when watching.. But now, I just have to watch it.. it's very nice!



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My Layout!

OOps I messed with the layout and this is wat I get.. it'll be back to normal in a few mins, I promise!

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Ramen, again


This is the Hokkaido Ramen again.. a bit diff mix of flavour this time.. well, just a bit diff..Taugeh still there, and the eggs, I just cracked it and put in the hot water together with the ramen. and the prawns.. No, I didn't fry that.. Bought it from the nearby supermarket.. Obviously it tastes good(but not good enough).. Maybe next time I'll try buying the fresh prawn and boil it.. ^^

Gyoza
And this time, I added a side dish! Gyozaaa~. I'm sure some of you have tried it before in the chinese ramen restaurants.. They're abit like dumplings, with vege or meat inside..Usually fried..I bought this from the supermarket and fried it..I'm not that good at frying, so it doesn't look as brown.. but it tasted great all the same..It's very easy to make, to tell the truth.. 是非試してみてください!

Day 7 of abstinence

Friday, July 20, 2007

Ooooh.. this is hot..

Schoolboys hungry for sex

SCHOOLBOYS are willing to go hungry so that they can spend their money on illicit sex, Harian Metro reported.

Some were even willing to share their pocket money to fulfil their basic instinct, the tabloid said in its exposé.

“My mother gives me RM4 every day for my school money and I skip my meals to save the money.

“At the end of the month, my friends and I pool our money to visit prostitutes,” said a 15-year-old boy who introduced himself as Ahmad Firdaus.

The paper learnt that the students would visit brothels in the day, when the rate is cheaper.

Ahmad, interviewed by the daily in Kuala Lumpur, said he had been going to these places for a year after being persuaded by an older friend.

Initially, the elder youth, in his 20s, took him to Lorong Haji Taib “to just mencuci mata (ogle)” at the women soliciting there.

“A man who confided that he was a pimp offered to get me a woman for RM50,” Ahmad said, adding that the experience was an eye-opener for teens craving to try something new.

Another friend of his, however, had a painful encounter when a man, who claimed he was the boyfriend of the woman the boy had booked, beat him up.

The 15-year-old boy, who said his name was Ahmad Rosli, said he has since stayed away from vice dens and regretted his immoral activities.


Source: Star Newspaper

Darn, 15 year olds visiting prostitutes?? Talk about underage prostitution.. ^^;

Harry Potter Book

Amazon Books
Bookstore chains refuse to sell Potter book (update)

KUALA LUMPUR: Four major bookstore chains -- MPH, Popular, Harris and Times -- have confirmed they will not sell Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows in protest against selected hypermarkets being given hefty discounts to sell the book.

The recommended retail price of RM109.90 is being violated by hypermarkets advertising and selling it at RM69.90, they said.

The four chains, with a total of 100 outlets nationwide, said they were protesting the indiscriminate price discount and wanted to show customers that they were not "blatantly profiteering" from them.

Officials from the four bookstores held a meeting at 4pm Friday to announce their stand.

They said they were also cancelling all promotional events associated with the release of the seventh and final Harry Potter novel, and apologised to their customers. However, the said they would honour all pre-orders.

Author J.K. Rowling has said that two major characters would die, which has increased the buzz over the book's release.

Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows goes on sale nationwide from 7.01am tomorrow.


Source : Star Newspaper

Okay, this is weird.. never heard of such protest.. Oh, anyone planning to buy the book? Lend to me after you finish it, k? Thanks.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

My Bad

Goodness, you gotta be kidding me.. Am I destined to be so bad at words? It seems that I always hurt someone without realizing it with my words.. Well, I have to admit it's my fault, since they are my words..

Maybe I don't understand people enough.. That's why I always say something wrong to them.. (Anyways, if you don't understand what I'm talking about until now, you can stop.Those who do know will know where to look for answers)

I know I got to stop hurting people.. But how? I'm not sure.. I could just shut up and not talk to anyone.. But then, I'd be depressed and most probably die of boredom..

I know that things that are done are done and I can't change it.. But it hurts me so to know I've again lost a friend because of my words.. Maybe this is what the Lord wants, and I don't see the purpose now, but I'm sure the answers will be clear somewhere in the future..

For now, I just want you to know, sha, if you're reading this, that I do care for you.. You are a good friend and I'll always appreciate you.. I know it's my fault for saying such things to you, and I'm so very sorry..

Google Earth

Today I will be posting on Google Earth.. I believe most Malaysians are not yet exposed to this program..We are going into the border-free world, so it's better if we know about these type of things..

Google Earth is a virtual globe program that was originally called Earth Viewer and was created by Keyhole, Inc. It maps the earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite imagery, aerial photography and GIS 3D globe. It is available under three different licenses: Google Earth, a free version with limited functionality; Google Earth Plus, which includes a few more features; and Google Earth Pro, intended for commercial use.

Formerly known as Earth Viewer, Google Earth was developed by Keyhole, Inc., a company acquired by Google in 2004. The product was renamed Google Earth in 2005 and is currently available for use on personal computers running Microsoft Windows 2000, XP, or Vista; Mac OS X 10.3.9 and above; Linux (released on June 12, 2006); and FreeBSD. In addition to releasing an updated Keyhole based client, Google also added the imagery from the Earth database to their web based mapping software.

The viewer will show houses, the color of cars, and even the shadows of people and street signs.

The degree of resolution available is based somewhat on the points of interest, but most land (except for some islands) is covered in at least 15 meters of resolution[3]. Las Vegas, Nevada and Cambridge, Massachusetts include examples of the highest resolution, at 15 cm (6 inches). Google Earth allows users to search for addresses (for some countries only), enter coordinates, or simply use the mouse to browse to a location.

Google Earth also has digital elevation model (DEM) data collected by NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. This means one can view the Grand Canyon or Mount Everest in three dimensions, instead of 2D like other map programs/sites. Since 23 November 2006, the 3D views of many mountains, including Mount Everest, have been improved by the use of supplementary DEM data to fill the gaps in SRTM coverage[4]. In addition, Google has provided a layer allowing one to see 3D buildings for many major cities in the US and Japan.


It has amazing resolutions even for Malaysia.. For example,
Image Source :Google Earth
This is the Tim Phek King(donno how to spell,sorry..) building in Kuching..

The Google Earth Community is an online forum[23] which is dedicated to producing placemarks of interesting or educational perspectives. It may be found on the Google Earth webpage or under the Help section on the program itself. After downloading a placemark, it will automatically run Google Earth (if not opened), and fly to the area specified by the person who placed it. Once there, you can add it to your "My Places" by right clicking on the icon and selecting "Save to My Places". Additionally, anyone can post a placemark for others to download; as long as you have an account.

Google earth also can be used to locate "disasters". Currently a user can find these items within the google earth community. An example is a capsized ship off of the shore (69°15′32.22″N 33°14′17.11″E / 69.25895, 33.2380861) or a burning car, on A3 autobahn near Gieslenberg, N of Leverkusen, Germany (51°4′47.04″N 6°59′17.77″E / 51.0797333, 6.9882694).


Source : Wikipedia

If you have enough space and enough connection for it, I recommend you to download Google Earth and have fun seeing sights from around the world. =)

Day 6 of abstinence

Second Attempt at Random Cooking


This is my second late night supper cooking.. (I just don't like the canteen's dinner that much) As you could probably guess, this is a bowl of bacon and eggs.. but wat's that squary whitey thing? Give it your best guess..




Those were apples! My crazy idea of mixing apple with scrambled eggs... haha.. Those who have cooking experience would know it was not that nice.. apples are just not meant to be cooked.. They oxidize easily and lose their nutrients once cooked.. I've learnt my lesson.. I'll go back to chai poh, if I can find that in Jap.. hehe

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

HEY!

i'm trying to send this from my handphone.nvr try this before.wonder if it is usable in m'sia too?

A Promise

Today I made a promise with my old friend,Gab, ex-classmate from my former school, St Thomas..If he doesnt have a girlfriend by the age of 30, I would treat him to a meal at TGI Friday's.. and if he does, we will be holding a class reunion at TGI Friday's at his expense. =D

Free Game

Today I will post on a freeware game.. My internet connection here is a bit wild, especially when I just start my computer, so I'll play this game to kill time till the connection becomes normal..It's a very addictive game.. quite hard actually.. can't get past level 3 yet.. but it's fun.. But I don't recommend it for animal activists or those who can't stand violence and blood..It's very gory and bloody and merciless, to tell the truth.. ^^;

Here's the link to the site I downloaded the game from..
The Seal Hunter

Have fun!Don't get fooled by the penguins!

My connection here at it's best would allow downloads at 2 Mbps..which means that download would end in approximately 5 or 6 seconds.. cool ya? A few minutes ago I downloaded a 69 MB game in 1 mins 8 secs..hoho...I hope Malaysia would be able to beat this type of service in the years to come.. (see E-Malaysia post)

Day 5 of abstinence

E-Malaysia

Super fast Net access with fibre-optic service

KUALA LUMPUR: It will not be long before Malaysians join the ranks of privileged Internet users in other parts of the world who are already enjoying blazing fast broadband access.

Telekom Malaysia (TM) Bhd is moving to provide 100-megabits per second (Mbps) access to the home through the use of fibre-optic connections and the electrical wiring in our houses, apartments and condominiums.


Source:Star Newspaper

First Food Post



This is my first Hokkaido Ramen!!(instant ramen of course) Made it late last night as a supper/dinner.. heh.. green leaves and taugeh for the vitamins, and fried fish sausages.. the fried egg seems a bit out of place, no? I used too much oil when frying the sausages..so I decided to fry an egg too.. =)

If you think it looks nice, to be really really honest, it tasted awful.. the leaves weren't fresh and didnt taste good with the soup, and the fish sausages were just terrible.. I enjoyed the egg and taugeh though.. heh

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

上野スカイブリッジ(Ueno Skybridge)

I went to mahooba forest in Ueno last month with my host family and a bunch of other international students.. On the way to the limestone cave we were going to visit, we had to pass this bridge..The view from the bridge is quite breathtaking..The pics i took are underneath..


地上90mの空中散歩
上野スカイブリッジは、関東一の鍾乳洞で知られる『不二洞』と、対岸尾根の『まほーばの森』を結ぶ壮大な吊り橋。 橋の高さは90m。長さは歩行者専用吊り橋としては日本有数の全長225m。 眼下には美しい森と渓谷が広がり、上野村の雄大な大自然を満喫しながら、空中を散歩しているかのような感覚をお楽しみいただけます。

Source: 上野スカイブリッジ
You can play bubbles by clicking on the picture at the site.. it's fun.. and you can actually do that at the bridge itself..blow bubbles.. haha.. unfortunately I couldnt take any photos of the bubbles.. too transparent..



I don't think there are any English pages for this Bridge, so I'll translate..
A Walk on the sky 90metres off the land
The Ueno Skybridge is a big suspension bridge connecting the Kanto Region's best known limestone cave, Funidou and the Maho-ba Forest in Taigan Ridge. The height of the bridge is 90 metres.As a pedestrian bridge,the full length of 225 metres is a prominent in Japan. The overlooking view of the bridge would present a beautiful forest and mountain stream.(the forest is actually man-made though..meaning they replant every tree they cut with trees that they could use in a better and easier way..example:pine)


View from the bridge..Green...heh


A bit dark.. but i think this one looks best..

The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge

Great Pic
The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge (明石海峡大橋, Akashi Kaikyō Ō-hashi?), also known as Pearl Bridge, is a suspension bridge in Japan that crosses the Akashi Strait; it links Maiko in Kobe and Iwaya on Awaji Island as part of the Honshū-Shikoku Highway. It is the longest suspension bridge in the world to date, as measured by the length of its center span 1,991 metres (6,532 ft), substantially longer than the second longest suspension bridge, the Danish Great Belt Bridge. Total length is 3,911 metres (12,831 ft). It was planned to be one of three Honshū-Shikoku connecting bridges, annexing two borders of the Inland Sea.


And it's not even half the length of our Penang Bridge

Carries 6 lanes of roadway
Crosses Akashi Strait
Locale Awaji Island and Kobe
Maintained by Honshū-Shikoku Bridge Authority
Design Suspension bridge
Longest span 1,991 metres (6,532 ft)
Total length 3,911 metres (12,831 ft)
Clearance below 65.72 meters
Opening date April 5, 1998
Toll 2,300 Yen or US$20
Coordinates 34°36′59″N, 135°01′13″E


Source: Wikipedia
Pic Source: 明石海峡大橋 観光情報

Penang Second Bridge


Only picture I could find of it on the net.. it's from the star newspaper.. sigh..


Penang Second Bridge

Official name Penang Second Bridge
Malay name Jambatan Kedua Pulau Pinang
Locale Penang Second Bridge, North-South Expressway Northern Route
Carries Motor vehicles
Crosses South Channel
Longest span 17 km
Total length 24 km
Width 250 m
Opening date January 2011
Design UEM Builders
Designer/clients Malaysian Highway Authority, UEM Builders
Contractor/construction UEM Builders


Source : Wikipedia

RM1.7bil loan from China for second Penang bridge
By WONG CHUN WAI

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is set to secure a loan of more than RM1.7bil (US$500mil) from China for the construction of the much-awaited second Penang bridge – the largest for any single project given to a foreign country by China.

Source : Star Newspaper

The Penang Bridge




This is the Penang Bridge we Malaysian are all proud of.However, it is terribly surprising and dismaying that there are only a few pictures of the Penang Bridge on the net.. It's one of the longest bridges in the world, guys!.. I'm a bit interested about bridges now.. going to post some on Japanese bridges and famous bridges around the world.

Official name Penang Bridge
Malay name Jambatan Pulau Pinang
Locale Penang Bridge, North-South Expressway Northern Route
Carries Motor vehicles
Crosses South Channel, Penang
Longest span 225m
Total length 13.5km
Width --
Opening date 1985
Maintained by PLUS Expressway Berhad Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd
Design cable stayed bridge
Designer/clients Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM)
United Engineers Malaysia Berhad (UEM)
Contractor/construction Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company (Korea)
Ltd, United Engineers Malaysia Berhad (UEM)

Bridge specifications

* Overall Length: 13.5 km (8.4 miles)[citation needed]
* Length Over Water: 8.4 km (5.2 miles)
* Penang Island Viaduct & Approach: 1.5 km (0.9 miles)
* Prai Approach: 3.6 km (2.2 miles)
* Carriageway: 2 lanes per carriageway except in the central span where it is 3. Work to widen the entire bridge to 3 lanes per carriageway has begun.
* Height of Tower Above Water: 101.5 m
* Height of Bridge Above Water: 33 m
* Main Span: 225 m
* End Span: 107.5 m
* Other Span: 40 m
* Speed limit: 80 km/h
* Maximum Gradient: 3.0%



Source : Wikipedia

North Korean Nuke Situation

◆ 6-way nuke negotiators arrive in Beijing, hold bilateral talks
BEIJING, July 17 KYODO
N. Korea nuke negotiators begin arriving in Beijing
North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan waves as he arrives at Beijing's internati...
Chief delegates to the six-party talks on denuclearizing North Korea began arriving in Beijing on Tuesday, with some holding bilateral discussions ahead of the multilateral negotiations which will begin Wednesday.
U.S. top nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill and his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye Gwan began talks over lunch around 1:30 p.m. at a Beijing restaurant.
There will be ''a lot of bilaterals,'' Hill said upon his arrival at Beijing's international airport.
''We've got a lot of work to do, a lot of catching up to do,'' said the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs.
Before leaving North Korea, Kim told reporters that the upcoming discussions should focus on the second stage of denuclearization measures, saying the first phase of a six-party deal reached in February has now been completed.
The first phase ''has been accomplished,'' Kim said. ''So the talks will focus on the sequence of the obligation and actions to be taken by the concerned parties at the second phase under the Feb. 13 agreement.''
Upon his arrival in Beijing, Kim told reporters, ''Please follow (developments) carefully.''
The talks in Beijing involving North and South Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia follow North Korea's halting of operations at its key nuclear facilities in Yongbyon over the weekend.
The shutdown of the facilities marked the first concrete step toward Pyongyang's denuclearization under the six-party deal.
Under the agreement, North Korea was committed to shutting down and sealing the nuclear facilities in Yongbyon and inviting International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors back into the country in exchange for the start of the shipment of 50,000 tons of fuel oil.
The next stage of denuclearization requires North Korea's complete declaration of all its nuclear programs and disablement of all its existing nuclear facilities, according to the agreement.
In the upcoming talks, the six delegates are also expected to try to set schedules for further talks, including dates for meetings of working groups that deal with specific topics.
They also plan to try to set a date for a meeting of their ministers, which under the Feb. 13 agreement is scheduled to be held after the initial phase of the denuclearization is completed.
''We'll have a ministerial, but we've got to work on the timing and then work on exactly what we're going to do,'' Hill said.


Source: Kyodo News

A Day after the Earthquake

9 dead, over 900 hurt in M6.8 quake in Niigata, vicinity
KASHIWAZAKI, Japan, July 17 KYODO
An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 rocked a wide area centering on Niigata Prefecture on Monday morning, killing nine elderly people, injuring more than 900 people while causing a blaze at a nuclear plant, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency and a Kyodo News tally.
The 10:13 a.m. quake caused minor tsunamis measuring up to 20 centimeters, disrupted public transportation and destroyed 780 houses, leading about 10,000 people in Niigata to evacuate. It also resulted in widespread power failures and cuts in water supplies, as strong aftershocks continued in the area.
Four of the seven nuclear reactors at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station, the world's largest nuclear power plant in terms of power output capacity, were operating or set to commence operation at the time of the earthquake and automatically shut down after sensing the strong quake.


Source: Kyodo News

Fortunately, nothing big happened in Gunma.. ^^

Day 4 of abstinence

Monday, July 16, 2007

Earthquake

余震か新潟・長岡市と出雲崎町で震度6弱、震源は中越地方
中越沖地震
 16日午後3時37分ごろ、新潟県中越地方を震源とする地震があり、長岡市と出雲崎町で震度6弱を観測した。

 このほか、柏崎市で震度5強、上越市、小千谷市、刈羽村、新潟市、燕市、弥彦村で震度5弱を記録した。同日午前10時13分ごろに発生した地震の余震とみられる。

 気象庁によると、震源の深さは約10キロ、マグニチュードは5・6と推定される。


source: 読売新聞

Earthquake epicentre in chuuetsu hitting niigata prefecture and nagaoka city at 6 on the richter scale. 3.37 in the evening.According to weather experts, the epicentre was 10 kilometres deep, at 5.6 on the richter scale.

I felt a small shockwave in Gunma.. there has been a lot of damages in Niigata and Nagano.4 deaths have been confirmed, and lots of injuries..The Jyouetsu Shinkansen have gone out of rail and electricity was cut in a few places

Day 3 of abstinence

It was shakin'!

There was a small earthquake this morning.. happened just as i woke up..and I thougt it was some guy's stupid joke of shaking the walls or something.. haha..well, ntg dropped and i'm not hurt, so, all's good.. hehe

July 16 (Bloomberg) -- A magnitude 6.6 earthquake shook central Japan at 10:13 a.m. local time.
The quake was centered near Niigata on the Japan Sea coast, the Japan Meteorological Agency said on its Web site. A tsunami advisory was issued, the agency said.
Japan, one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, is located in a zone where the Eurasian, Pacific, Philippine and North American tectonic plates meet and occasionally shift, causing quakes. Quakes of magnitude 5 and more can cause considerable damage.

seems like what hit gunma was just a small shockwave..

New chatterbox

The old chatterbox seems to have a lil prob loading on internet explorer.. so i changed it.. Shout all you want! ^^

Sunday, July 15, 2007

A Good Day


It was quite a nice day today.. drizzles in the morning, and praise and worship at church was quite fun.. I was given the duty to pray after the message and for the collection.. went quite okay.. the japs told me i was quite good.. but I've come to understand that they are just trying to give me encouragement..that's a Japanese.. the Filipinos and others didn't say anything.. Big diff eh? heh.. Well, I got to say I actually am very Japanese in character.. Don't really say what's in my heart(本音(honne)).. the Japanese type of character is called 建前(tatemae)..anyways, I'm going way off the point..

Xin Ning (ベイちゃん as the japs like to call) was quite in the mood today.. bought herself some new clothes.. talked to her a lil more than usual.. bought mister donut donuts for a light dinner.. then, went out to eat some gyoza and fried rice (chinese food) with Cheak..not a bad day at all..



Day 2 of abstinence

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Letting Go

Okay, this is not new.. I've been trying to let go since, like, what, 2 or 3 years ago?Let go of what,you say?Well, simply put, PORN

I suppose ppl will say I'm crazy and it's a silly idea.. I know a bunch of guys who would say "WHAT? HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" reading this.. but, anyways, porn is literally destroying my life..

I need to let go, but it's hard.. It's hard to even confess this sin to someone face-to-face.. I always pray to God that I want to let it go and change and ask Him to give me strength.. but then again it is always me myself who says "Oh, it's okay just this one time.." I suppose that's the devil at work..

2 weeks ago at church, after hearing about giving thanks to God for everything, I realized that my weakness actually had it's purpose.. First of all, if I hadn't had this weakness, I wouldn't have seeked God for an answer for it..Second, I suppose it is one of tests God wants me to go through.. Letting go of the things of the world and picking up the cross..When I prayed after the message, I thought about the failures I had in my life.. and I gave thanks, and cried for about 3 or 5 minutes.. I just couldn't hold back the tears.. I finally know in my heart that He has plans for me, plans He has carried out since I was a child..

Either ways, I need to let go.. and the count starts from today.. If I'm able to log on to the internet, I'll post.. even if just to remind myself I need to abstain.. I'm afraid that I would fall again into the devil's trap, but I believe I have Jesus on my side..
DAY 1 of abstinence

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Superior and Inferior

Today I talked to two very different human being..and i consider these conversations as one of the things that would shape my life in the future..

The first one I spoke to was the inferior guy.. or so he thought.. he is shy to talk in a crowd,and isn't talented in many things.. he's just a simple guy.. nothing much to say about such a guy, right? but is that really so?

The second guy is the superior guy.. He's smart, he's talented, he's creative.. He can do anything and excel at everything.. The Jack of all trades.. He's good at jokes, everyone likes him and he's got style.. He's the type we call "has a very bright future"..Honestly, even I have a hard time denying that..

And to be very honest, I'm a lot like the first guy..I'm shy, I'm afraid to try out things, and I can't seem to excel in anything.. Well, if you like, you can say I excel in studies.. but anyone who has gone through modern (or should i say 21st century) secondary education with fairly good marks know that anyone can excel in studies as long as they try hard enough, or just do past year questions and learn how to solve general questions..but in tertiary education, what matters would be creativity and intuition.. I lack these, unlike the superior guy..And truth be told, It's hard for me to make friends, and I'm bad at jokes, and people just don't have much to say about me..Yes, it is so, at least in the world I'm living in.But anyways, through these years, I've changed, less shy and more able to joke, and like to try new things.. suppose I'm in the middle.. ^_^

This last paragraph is mainly for Christians. I believe in the Bible when it says that the strong will be made weak and the weak will be made strong.The inferior guy I spoke of is a Christian, and the superior one isn't(prob an atheist)..It is obvious, through this example, that superior people do not find it in their hearts to seek God.. For they feel that they are strong enough, superior enough.. but inferior ones understand that they are imperfect, and acknowledge that they need strength..but they can't find it in themselves.. They need God and Jesus..So, by the world's standards, the superior will be great..but by God's standards, the inferior who love Him will be the ones who will inherit the world..

In Kawaguchi-Assembly of God



Kawaguchi kaikan(hall),Saitama.. 2 months ago..for the Assembly of God meeting



A park at the back of the building of the hall..can u spot the bird? if u can zoom in on it and sharpen the image, tell me if it is a live bird or not ^^



church members..not all.. mostly the females..

my phone

Okay this is the toshiba 911T which i am using now.. 1800++ yen per month.. that's around rm50 i guess..slide phone, 3G phone with wansegu(to watch tv)..3.2megapixel camera and.. blablabla..heh..oh im testing to paste this from friendster.. not sure if it works..