Resume.

No. It's not suppose to be read as resume as in curriculum vitae, but as resume or continue.

First. It is hard to resist all the laziness feeling during winter since coldness will only help you gain some fat due to excess in sleeping and eating activity (unfortunately the theory does not work for me).

Second. The pilates class in my campus ended yesterday and the next session will only started next spring semester. Since the class basically just cater the needs for general attendees without considering the level of each student, it can be said that it's pretty basic and refreshing. Nonetheless, some of the movement did hurt my abs muscle.

Third. Am also done with JLPT Level 2. Don't wanna talk more about it since I didn't read the question properly (due to my slow kanji reading :p). I'm pretty much sure that I will fail it, but hey yeah, I still believe in lady luck and hope some miracle will still exist next February (when the result is announced).

Fourth. This week I've become a proud owner of Karrimor Flyer 55L backpack.


Now I'm ready to hit the road for backpacking! Backpacking plan so far:

1. Hong Kong stopover for 3 days this coming February! I know it's a bad timing since my travel date will coincide with Chinese New Year celebration, but I hope the festive season would do me some cheer moments (looking forward to the spectacular fireworks and pyrotechnics show). Any supportive advice for Hong Kong would be much appreciated.

2. Istanbul! This city always in my travel list and there is no way I'm gonna skipped Istanbul in my whole lifetime! Hopefully the plan with Dolly next coming Golden Week goes well.

3. Snowboard trip to Nagano. One of my lab friends, Nishiiri hails from Nagano, famous for its mountainous area and ski (Nagano once hosted Winter Olympics) and hope I can go there this coming January!

4. North Japan summer backpack trip. Initial plan is Tokyo-Sendai-Hakodate-Sapporo-Furano-Akita-Tokyo. Options so far is Seishun 18 Kippu or Hokkaido Pass. Really wanna try hitchhiking in Hokkaido (heard it's pretty popular there, but dunno whether I have enough guts to show my thumb and stop the stranger's car for a lift, somehow it feels scary yet exciting)

Anybody here is a member of Hostel International? or Japan Youth Hostel? Wanna apply for their membership card, but dunno how it gonna benefit my trip plan.

Fifth. Drooling over Docomo Smart Series phone. But still wanna keep my Softbank number and iPhone. Geez, temptations people!

Sixth. Going to reactivate Flickr and start using hatena.

Till the next post people.

Burberry Alligator

picture taken from Selectism

I personally feel the limited edition Burberry Alligator watch is indeed sleek and awesome looking, especially the green ones. Albeit the fact that my birthday has been belated for quite few weeks, can I have this for my birthday? Anyone?

And the craving for Canon Power Shot G11 and Cole Haan bags is haunting me again. I need help.

ps- Forgive me for such a short and unrelated updates. I have so many things to blog, about comparative religion, recent issues and so on, but let me stay in this solemn state for few more days.

Post Raya Thoughts

It is second day of Raya and here I am at lab, connecting to the Internet since I lost my connection at home (serve me right for stealing, sigh). Too lazy to upload Eid pics to Facebook, instead I spend the day reading the news and blogs I missed since last week. Not much of updates, in Japan mostly it's all about the new Hatoyama line up and his plan to cut out CO2 up to 25%. The new environment minister, Sakihito Ozawa would soon pass the basic bill to Diet regarding the emission trading system and environment tax to meet Hatoyama emission vision.

And my fingers not really in the mood of typing. In my mind now:
1. internet connection at home (thinking of NTT Flets Hikari),
2. English teaching certification,
3. Copenhagen and aurora trip (watching aurora in front of my eyes is one of my life must-see list and I always want to backpack to Scandinavian country albeit its crazy super expensive cost), 4. Olympus Pen EP-1 (oh, that Panasonic GF1 looks good too),
5. autumn peacoat at Hanjiro (definitely must buy),
6. United Arrows's Green Label Relaxing chronograph (surprised to know their sunglass and wrist accessory collection are not that expensive),
7. walk around Ochanomizu neighborhood (to look for sax and some cheap CD title include My Favourite Ennio Morricone presented by Junichiro Koizumi) and Ueno.
8. Panasonic essay contest (still deciding what to write though, sigh)

On another note, Murakami Haruki's Norwegian Wood is awesome. Still few chapters more to complete, what a difficult book to put down. Murakami Haruki definitely one of my favourite author to date, especially in modern Japanese literature. Really can't hardly wait to be able to read his pieces in Japanese though I know that need a lil bit of hard work (kanji, and so on, sigh again)

I'm trying my very best to stop listening to Raya songs this few days, but still can't stop listening to Amy Mastura's Setahun Sekali



and Black Dog Bone's Cahaya Aidilfitri.



And the new Yuzu's Niji comes in between.



Have a lovely day everyone.

The Sun Shines, After The Storm

PROLOGUE: Al-Fatihah to the late Yasmin Ahmad and Asri Ibrahim. May Allah blesses their soul. For all the good deeds they did to our world and humankind.

And I am finally back at blogging. After months of dreadful life.

All praises to Allah, I pass the entrance exam and officially belong here. Although some people said the entrance exam is just a formality to be accepted in, but I know I had tried my best and worked very hard for it. And for sure now, I feel liberated that I already passed one stage of my life here.

Another six months to go before I started my postgraduate course. Six months full of plans. Six months packed with pursuing my interests, exploring cultures, learning new stuffs. And start thinking about the direction of my research.

I am a man of planning. Detailed and organized. Not a multitasker. Some people said it complicated and wasting time, but I can't helped being myself because it's in my gene. I prefer to do job one at a time. And since I settled with the exam thing, now is the time for doing the next task and make it work.

In my list include: back at blogging (let this be the first post to start with), resume my reading list (The Second World: How Emerging Powers Are Redefining Global Competition in The Twenty-first Century by Parag Khanna is on my currently reading status), continue yoga (my last stretch is last year, what a long time. Miss the pretzel-ing moment), prepare for JLPT Level 2 this December and aiming to read Murakami Haruki's 1Q84 (of course in Japanese, so far no English translation yet) at least by the time I pass JLPT Level 1 next year. Pick up at least one blowing instrument before April next year, jazz saxophone is in my mind now. So much of a list, I questioned myself whether I can keep up with that or not.

But no harm listing, I said to myself. Having goals is way better than having nothing at all. Than living aimlessly.

I am happy and content that all of you are here with me; families, friends and acquaintances. We might not living within reach, but somehow I can feel the connection to make me less feel that I am so far away from home.

"My yesterdays are all boxed up and neatly put away
But every now and then you come to mind
Cause you were always waiting to be picked to play the game
But when your name was called, you found a place to hide
When you knew that I was always on your side"
-Always On Your Side by Sheryl Crow feat. Sting, 2005.

EPILOGUE: August 2006, London, United Kingdom. The moment when my life ended, and started again.

The Time When It's No Longer Tick

I've purchase the fake version of Bell & Ross BR 03-51 with two time reading but it is a pink gold version with yellow-ish dial. Looks kinda gigantic in my hand, but I like the casual feeling instead of my normal chronograph. Now people in the street can assume I am wearing a wall clock instead of a wrist watch. Yeah, funny.

But at the same time, my old fake Breitling stops ticking. It has the automatic/kinetic function which stops when it is not moved after a while. But normally, in just a few shakes, it'll going back to normal. This time it stops ticking for good.

Now, I don't have leather strap chronograph for formal function. My eye blinks twice as fast when I browse Tag Heuer website, especially the Carrera model, black leather and a bit red there. Is that a sign?

p.s. Forgive me God, who have sinned because alluring over the brand instead of its originality.

p.ss. It is 6 days before departure, and I haven't pack anything yet. Blame the lazy ass.

Prayers Answered and Some Little Updates.

As some of you had heard, I has passed my JLPT Level 3. Although it's not really appropriate to reveal the score here, but I am happy to say that I received quite a high marks and what surprises me more is that I can score a few marks from Listening paper (which I still feel that I made a major careless mistake) but praise to Allah, I able to tackle the challenges smoothly.

And now, it is just a few weeks before departing to Tokyo and start the new phase in my life. Excited and nerve-wrecked, I realize that I will miss many things and peoples here in Malaysia and at the same time, wondering whether I can assimilate well into the Japanese society later. Being introverted, I am known as a person who not really talk much to strangers or new acquaintances and until now, I believe that is the major make-over I need so much to start making new friends.

On another note, some little updates I wish I could elaborate and post it here, but I keep procrastinating because of my daily workloads and my TOEFL preparations (I am scheduled to sit for TOEFL this Saturday):

1. I really can't wait any longer to watch Slumdog Millionaire, not just because they are the monopoly of Oscar trophies, but the cute kids and inspiring storyline. Inspire me, people.

2. Zara starts their final clearance and I really need to do some retail therapy on spring clothes. It is 7 degrees in Tokyo, and I reckon I need some layers instead of jacket. Previously I was drooling over trench coat, and I found a nice one from Armani Exchange (with a nice price tag mind you), but they ran out of my size so there goes my bargain list, another deferment.

3. I need luggage. Or suitcase. What ever you call it. What I have in my mind is the Globe-Trotter super-awesome luggage. But of course, I will only get it in my dream considering my current financial situation.

4. Still on bag topic. I love Monocle and its content including all their merchandise items.Their collaboration with Porter for bags is what I think a smart man will choose for travel(but they're actually too pricey). Pay a visit to their online shop.

5. I need a new chronograph. But put aside all the formalities, I think I opt for more casual design this time. What I have in mind is Bell & Ross military green watch. Better get one before I depart to Tokyo.

6. I will start applying for visa next week.

7. Panasonic Scholarship Office has arranged for us a visit to Japan Foundation on 18th March. Time to practice my rusty Japanese and bow.

8. I am thinking of being a member of Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE, UK) but apparently my degree is not accredited by them.

9. I need a new reading material. Right now I am still reading Heat by George Monbiot but I think I need some fiction to turn me back to the world of literature. Haruki Murakami is on top of my list now.

10. Last but not least, still on books. I just finished A World Without Poverty by Dr. Muhammad Yunus and I was in awe, what an inspiring person he is. I wish there could be more people like him (especially Muslims) who can inspire people to the max rather than complaining and downgrading the moral values of the society.

11. I am currently hooked up with Anggun's latest album, Elevation. Seize The Moment not really sounds like her previous tracks but I admit I like her new experiment. Good job, Anggun!

More to come soon. But until then, give me some time to check out what it takes for me to prepare for my TOEFL.

The War on Plastic

Nick Schonberger from Selectism had posted something about the canvas tote bag as the replacement for paper or plastic from grocery stores. As part of the campaign to use more recycled paper and a sustainable biodegradable world, all of us knows that plastic is a hell no-no. But to fully eliminate plastic in our daily lives would be bollocks.

I think the idea of cooler canvas tote as your grocery bag is awesome (although I haven't got any, shame on me). Remember the Anya Hindmarch's 'This is not a Plastic Bag' ridiculous queue for the free giveaway campaign? People loves fashion and cool stuff, and a bonus when it is free. But sadly the Anya Hindmarch campaign initially wants to promote the use of canvas tote as the substitute of plastic when you do your grocery shopping, not as your normal handbag. I've seen a lot of people here in KL use those totes as handbags, and still use plastic when they go to Tesco. The campaign has gone meaningless then.

Definitely the canvas totes are easier to handle, cooler and simply more fashionable than the normal grocery plastic bag. The plastics are annoying, unbiodegradable (although I read somewhere the biodegradable plastics is a great solution) and a mess sometimes (I remember my mom used to keep the plastic bags from grocery stores and use it over and over again).

There are a lot of cool design for canvas tote bag out there, and you can check some of the list here in Design Observer. I found one in which by Lovegrove and Repucci's. It is lime green in color, functional (you can crumple it in the size of a bomb; how cool is that?) and cheap (sells at USD16).

Shop your shopping bag now!

Of Many Things

There are so many things evolve in my head everyday, give me some sort of urgency to blog it out. But I am currently not in a mood to elaborate and lengthening the sentences for any kind of writings, my head is spinning around, and I just had a fever yesterday, and a mild one today. It has been so hot in Malaysia lately, albeit the usual rainy season. Blame it to the global warming I guess.

I think I just point out some of the things in my head recently. Some of them might get special attention for further elaboration but for the time being, let it be.

1-Che Det open letter to Barack Obama - funny and witty in Che Det way, I am totally going to give him a standing ovation if this speech is given right from his mouth in any occasion. The time has come for the States to change their foreign policy, respect the UN and sign the Kyoto Protocol.

2-Although I love to read some of the magazine like TIME, Newsweek, GQ and National Geographic, it doesn't change my opinion towards some of the global issues. Apart from these mags, I am a big fan of Monocle. Do check it out. It covers all topics that took my interest, politics, economy, environmental and also fashion. It costs about RM50 here for one latest issue of Monocle, so I prefer to buy the backdated issue which costs only RM10 in mamak news stand! They had listed 20 new heroes who deserve a bigger stage to 10 clever companies to watch in 2009 but since I am not a subscriber, I can only wait until next month to read it. And they just opened their merchandise shop in London! I am so excited to buy some of the their suitcase (join with Porter) and furniture, but they're so pricey and London is not my future stopover anytime soon. They also had named Munich to be the most livable city in the world (last year ranking), and that easily make Munich to be plotted in my travel map.

3-I just finished reading Laskar Pelangi by Andrea Hirata. Nope, they're not Japanese. Andrea Hirata is actually an Indonesian novelist from Billiton (Pulau Belitong, Indonesia), kilometres away from Borneo. The Billiton people is actually Malay, so they speak Malay just like I do. Laskar Pelangi is about 10 poor children in Billiton who strive to live the best in their life, including to get better education for better future. I must say it has been years since I read Malay novel, let alone a good one, but I'm glad that Laskar Pelangi is one of them.

4-With Gaza Carnage 2008 issue and some of personal issues, I started put my interest in Islam Reformist and try to find some info from the Internet and books. My findings stumbled upon Tariq Ramadan and Muhammad Yunus. I tried to buy their books in Kinokuniya KLCC, but there's no stock left and I need to wait until end of the month to get them. More about them soon.

5-With my resolution to start learning how to play oboe, I tried searching for the instrument from major music instrument shop in Kuala Lumpur, but unfortunately, they're not available. To make it worse, some of the staff even don't know what is oboe. I reckon classical music is not a mainstream genre among music fan in Malaysia, thus not many people actually know what is oboe, and its influence in modern mainstream music. Coy mentioned in her blog that there is one neighborhood area in Tokyo, called Ochanomizu, known for its various musical instrument stores. I hope oboe is available there since I know there are few famous Japanese oboist (is that the right terminology?) so they're more exposed I guess. My sister even had told me she wants a new violin and PSP when I go to Japan (unfortunately sis, your brother is not Bill Gates or Mittal whosoever!).

6-I have added one more new resolution in my previous list, which is to buy Panasonic LX-3 and shoot more awesome pictures. Materialistic I am, I know.

Okay that's all for today's ramblings. This topic will be explained more in later posts. Have a good day everyone!

Yohji Yamamoto or Onitsuka Tiger?

I have been showering this blog with a stream of feeling to blog recently. I just came back from Jakarta, Indonesia for a short holiday trip with family and to attend my uncle wedding ceremony last Sunday. Still not fully recovered from the dust and polluted air of Jakarta, I am back here to spill some bollocks.

I will blog about Jakarta later, but before that..

I was in Senayan City Shopping Mall in Senayan, Jakarta which is located near my hotel where I stayed. And I managed to do window shopping (because as usual, I am dead broke) and found myself astonishingly glaring at few Yohji Yamamoto silver men sneakers to put into my wannabes list.

But I was actually looking for white shoes and a pair of white Onitsuka Tiger catch my attention too.

Yohji Yamamoto is too pricey, but they looks fantabulous. Silver is too hard for me to say no. Onitsuka Tiger on the other hand, is a must have.

Here I am, stuck between two shoes.

Hey where is my paycheque again?

My New Wishlist Entry: Panasonic Lumix DMC LX-3

Lumix LX3 Assessories
Originally uploaded by Nokton.

I know I have been drooling for so many other things, but this one is simply irresistible. While I am still grateful and absolutely still in love with my baby Casio Exilim S100 which I bought almost 3-4 years back, I am desperately need a camera that can take beautiful and significant images. Its not like my old Exilim not able to do that, but the 3.1 megapixel baby does have limitations.

Looking through sample of images on Flickr, list of accessories and the fact that LX-3 is a compact camera but able to capture SLR-ish quality of pictures make me even drooling more.

I have been hesitated whether to buy SLR or not due to the reason that I might not been able to keep up with the high cost of accessories like lenses and flashes, and plus having bulky camera in my hand is certainly not my likings. Thus, LX-3 is just perfect for me.

And yes baby, I want the Leica brown case as well to match my brownish iPod case!