Departures

Academy Award® Winner for Best Foreign Language Film of the year, "Departures" is a delightful and sensitive journey into the heartland of Japan and an astonishingly beautiful look at a sacred part of Japan's cultural heritage.

The story revolves around a symphony orchestra celloist who is forced to make a career change by the circumstances, and somehow tumbles and fumbles into a very unique world of "encoffination". The lead actor portrays the struggles of working a well-paid and not understood job, and his relationships with the people around him.

A truly touching film that will somehow make you tear regardless how strong you are.

Not to forget Ryoko Hirosue as a main lead actress as well. She's still as cute as ever, despite being married with children.



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Departures

Scary Night

Last night was ridiculously scary.

First I suddenly had a fever, 37.5. I took 2 panadols and started sweating like hell, den a drank loads of water and I got better. And I fell asleep.

I had this dream, it was dear and me going somewhere for breakfast. Initially we went to Ya Kun, somewhere. But I somehow got pissed off with Ya Kun and said I want to go somewhere else. Den we drove off, we were driving this huge mercedes and we got to this tight alley, like the ones behind my house. den 3 or 4 china kias were walking in the middle of the road. I was driving straight into them, so I horned and horned. most of them jumped out of the way except for one guy, he kneeled down to his side, and raised his arm as if to block the car. I jammed my brakes and the front of the car starts to dip down and then.. we smashed into that guy, but it was like smashing into a rock wall, the car flipped forward and the top of the car faced down and flattened. Some how me and dear were out of the car and fine. And that guy, just stood up and left. Then the rest of the china kias help us turn the car back up. the rest of the dream was a blurr...

It's just weird and scary!!

The Way to a Happier Study life.

The main thing that made my life better recently or say for this semester is that I've been to classes more regularly. Sometimes it's just so tempting to not go to school, cos no one really cares if you go or dont go. But here's the thing, if I dont go, I'll feel left behind with respect to the class stuff. It's not that I cant read up on my own or study from books myself. It's just so different, if you dont go to class, I can assure you, I WONT be bothered to go read up myself. And it's not just showing up in class, it's paying attention in class, even though sometimes the lecturer really likes to crap. Paying attention is actually half the work done, Idont even have to copy much stuff down, as long as I listen, it's more or less 70-80% gain when I review the notes. If I dont listen, looking at the notes will just seem so much tougher. Anyway, I think i'm getting into a rhythm for my school work, so I hope to keep it going.

I wish to think I have all the time in the world, but the world keeps reminding me that it's taking time away from me. And giving me less and less time. Why must we always be chasing after time? Time is relative, therefore we have to chase after time because some SMART ALECK started to move ahead of the rest of the pack eons ago. And becaused he moved, others follow, and the cycle goes on, and here we are chasing after a time which we will never see the end. Does anyone even understand wat i'm saying?

Duke-NUS medical School. It's a post graduate medical doctor degree which is open to all types of degrees, but you must have a degree first. It's an interesting option for me, to pursue a medical career is not something i've thought about, cos i've been shunning away from all-things-bio in my school life. My mum is encouraging me to pursue it, and dear is also saying she'll support me if I choose to do so. But here's the question, "Am I interested in that field?" That's a question i really dunno how to answer. How am I suppose to know if I like to do that when I've never done anything like it before?

but I think these are the part of it that attracts me,
the money,
the prestige,
the ability to help others medically.

and what scares me,
the toughness of getting in,
the toughness of the course itself,
the age i'll be if I eventually get to graduate,
the extra $$ I have to put in for this course.

How am I to decide?????

My way of Living MUST CHANGE!!

So far I've been living a very blessed life. There is nothing much to worry about except for myself. Most of the basic aspects of living had been taken care of for me, I do not have to worry about food, clothes or shelter. But yet, I'm still so lost as to what I shld be doing. How am i suppose to choose a path for myself? I do not know what i want for myself. What are the things I do know? I know I am not doing much with my life at this point in time, and i've not done much in my life thus far. Many people my age have experienced, so much more than I have. I feel I'm so poor in experiences.

I need to drag myself out of my slumber. I need to move. I need to act. I need to stop wasting my time. Cos there's not much time left for me.

Sustaining Rejuvenation

I've straighten out alot of my thoughts in the past month. I've tried to get myself more interested in what i'm doing, so I think I'lve gotten some results. So mentally, i'm improving my motivation, but physically, I feel like i'm imploding. Aches, sprains, nerve & joint pains, the list goes on. I just don't feel in shape, and trying to get into shape is just thougher than I thought. It's sapping me both physcially and mentally.

There's alot of work all pile up for me at this point in time, I have little doubt that i'll be able to do them, but I'm not sure if I caould finish them in time. Most of the time i'm just too tired to start doing. I've laid off PPS for a while so that i could spend more time on work, but sometimes it seems like i'm the only person who's bothered to complete the work. That kindda sucks!!

I've started using the calendar in my MS Outlook to organise my stuff. It has helped me alot, I feel everything is much more organised once I can see them list properly in a timeline. It helps me decide what to do first and what is more important. It's not as convenient as just writing in a traditional organiser, but it works no less.

The worst part of me now is basically my right ankle, it has been killing me ever since US, but in US it was just a sprain. It seems to have deteriorated to a damaged tendon or vein or nerve or something. I'll be getting it check at the school medical centre on either tuesday or wednesday. It's making me feel so paralaysed....

It's Time

This blog has not receive anything new to talk about for a long time. Now I think it's time to try to revive my blog activity.

This void inbetween is simply caused by a concurrent void building up in my mind. What is my future? What will my next course of action be when I graduate? Will I be able to graduate? When questions do not get answers, the void expands. This void is like a dark cloud lurking overhead, at any moment it can just engulf you and lead you breathless, choking, gasping for air. It's very difficult to clear the dark cloud that looms overhead, you need to think positively, avoid negativity and you need to self-motivate or self-hypnotise to keep yourself from feeding the void. It's difficult to do it when there's alot of negative energy around trying to make comparisons. Sometimes family & friends unknowingly, do it out of concern, not knowing that at that point, it's encouragement and motivation that's need, not pressure nor comparison.

I've been trying to withdraw myself from this vicious cycle which I have been whirlpooled into. Sometimes it just takes some believe to do it. I have been sceptical abt alot of help that has been given to me, either rejecting or just not believing in it. I know that i'm the only one who can bring myself out of this predicament, and yet I was reluctant to help myself.

Today, with whatever little believe I have in myself. I managed to pull thru a day at school with pretty good results, and not feeling too bad even though when it does not seem to be working out for me.

The day started off with a class of introduction to japanese studies, it's tough to bring myself to a class which previously I had given myself reasons to avoid it. Once you avoid it, it accumulates into a negating force pushing you away from it even further. Coming for this, I had to reassure myself, convince myself and believe in possibility of things just working out, eventually. I survived and I feel good abt it, even though I left the class without a project group. Which means I might have to do a whole research paper on my own however that did not sound too bad to me. That thought somehow had pretty good chain effects on me. I started thinking abt the possibility of exploring whatever subjects I wish to. I also began to wonder who I could turn to for suggestions or help, I thought if yi, and sms'd her immediately, that made me smile too. Its been a long time since I last contacted her, I'm just glad I did.

And I have a pleasant surprise just now, cos I received an email from one of my Jap Studies classmates, whom I approached earlier to request to join their group. She said they rethink their decision and thought it is possible to have me in their group. I was really happy to see that email, even touched! But I replied asking for more info abt what they would be doing, cos I dun wanna give up the chance to do some topic by myself. But I'm happy now. :)

USA West Coast Day 18 - Last Day!!

Last Day in USA, how fast time flies, and it's time to return to the reality of Singapore once again. SobzZ.. We decided to make the most of the final day.. so IHOP here we come!



We visited Venice Beach on the last day to experience the beach scene in US, the sand is just so so so FINE, the sand is SG is simply gravel, it's not sand at all!!



We returned the car to the airport and chceked in before meeting up with matt and his gf for dinner.



Dinner's at Bumba Gump!! It's an exciting place for dinner. You know if u have ever been there.



BYE BYE USA!!!

USA West Coast Day 17 - Downtown + J Town

Spent the day exploring Outlet stores and doing some last minute shopping, it's quite rewarding i would say. I found another food i love a lot...


Explored J town in the evening and had the most authentic jap food ever. I think.. haha..

USA West Coast Day 16 - Hollywood Boulevard & Beverly Hills

It's time to walk down HOLLYWOOD!!

USA West Coast Day 15 - Hoover Dam

We leave Vegas today and here's our trusty Hotel for the past few days.



We made it a point to visit the Hoover Dam before going back to LA.



By the time we made it back to LA it's late at night, and we found a 24H Yoshinoya for some supper. Wish we have that in singapore, 24h yoshinoya.