Next Level by Ayumi Hamasaki

No, this is not the post about her new album. But more about the song with the same title by her, in that album. Many people just can't understand my weird taste of music, I almost can listen to every genre (from kroncong, dangdut, jazz, hip hop, rock and Mozart's pieces). I admit Ayumi's voice not the best on her class, but she has this unique sound and beautiful tunes and lyrics that make me love her even more.
My favourite song from Ayumi is none other than Naturally (from the album I Am...). The lyric drives me, and so with the rhythm. And since Naturally, all her songs start to bore me a bit, due to some experiment she did to her following album after I Am. And then comes Next Level, her new album, and I starting to like the melody and lyric of the song with the same title as her new album. It just suit my situation right now and my flowery purpose to come to this land.

動き出す次のステージへ向けて
僕たちは歩き続ける

どこまでも続くこの一本道を
僕たちは光り続ける

ここからもう一度
始まってくスタートを
どんなふうにきっていけるのかな

空を見上げたらふわり笑顔がこぼれたよ
恐くないよ大丈夫だよって聞こえた
空を見上げたら不意に涙がこぼれたよ
過去に残した傷跡さえ今は愛しい

響いてる未来を告げる合図が
僕たちは瞳合わせる

高鳴るこの鼓動
何を選び、描いて
どんな地図が出来上がるのかな

風を感じたらぎゅっと強く手を握ろう　
多くの言葉なんてもう必要ないから
風を感じたらぐっと強く歩き出そう　
同じ速度で同じ景色眺めて行こう

空を見上げたらふわり笑顔がこぼれたよ
恐くないよ大丈夫だよって聞こえた
空を見上げたら不意に涙がこぼれたよ
過去に残した傷跡さえ今は愛しい

風を感じたらぎゅっと強く手を握ろう　
多くの言葉なんてもう必要ないから
風を感じたらぐっと強く歩き出そう　
同じ速度で同じ景色眺めて行こう

We start to move for the next stage
We keep on walking
On this endless, straight road
We keep on shining

I wonder how I'll be able to
Make a start again
From this point

* I looked up at the sky and smiled softly
I heard, "Don't be afraid, it's all right"
I looked up at the sky and tears rolled from my eyes suddenly
Even the scar left in my past is dear to me now

I hear the signal sound for the future
Our eyes meet each other

My heart is throbbed with excitement
I wonder what I'll choose and draw
And what kind of map will be made up

** When we feel the wind, let's clench our hands tightly
Because we don't need many words any more
When we feel the wind, let's make a strong step
Let's go with the same speed, looking at the same scenery

* (repeat)
** (repeat)

The New Cabinet and Malaysia Boleh Spirit

Being away from Malaysia does not mean that I do not know what is going around back home. In the age of internet and globalization, everything in the world is connected.
Below is the line up of new cabinet under the leadership of Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak, the new appointed Prime Minister of Malaysia. I personally like the line up, especially the new Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water.

Prime Minister and Finance Minister 1: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

Deputy PM and Education Minister: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

Ministers in Prime Minister’s Department
Unity and Performance Management: Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon
Law and Parliament: Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz
Religious Affairs: Brig. Gen. (Rtd) Datuk Jamil Khir Baharum
Economic Planning Unit: Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop

Deputies: Datuk Liew Vui Keong, Senator Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim, Datuk SK Devamany, Ahmad Maslan, Senator T. Murugiah

Finance
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
Finance Minister II: Datuk Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah
Deputies: Datuk Chor Chee Heung, Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussein

Education
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
Deputies: Datuk Wee Ka Siong, Datuk Puad Zarkashi

Transport
Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat
Deputies: Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri, Datuk Robert Lau

Home
Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein
Deputies: Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop, Jelaing Mersat

Information, Communications, Arts and Culture
Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim
Deputies: Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum, Senator Heng Seai Kie

Energy, Green Technology & Water
Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui
Deputy: Noriah Kasnon

Plantation Industries and Commodities
Tan Sri Bernard Dompok
Deputy: Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin

Rural and Regional Development
Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal
Deputies: Datuk Hassan Malek, Datuk Joseph Entulu

Higher Education
Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin
Deputies: Dr Hou Kok Chung, Saifuddin Abdullah

International Trade and Industry
Datuk Mustapa Mohamed
Deputies: Datuk Muhkriz Mahathir, Datuk Jacob Dungau

Science, Technology and Innovation
Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili
Deputy: Fadillah Yusof

Natural Resources and Environment
Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas
Deputy: Tan Sri Joseph Kurup

Tourism
Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen
Deputy: Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abdul Taib

Agriculture and Agro-based Industries
Datuk Noh Omar
Deputies: Johari Baharum, Rohani Abdul Karim

Defence
Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Deputy: Datuk Dr Abdul Latif

Works
Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor
Deputy: Datuk Yong Khoon Seng

Health
Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai
Deputy: Datuk Rosnah Rashid Shilin

Youth and Sports
Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek
Deputies: Datuk Razali Ibrahim, Wee Jeck Seng

Human Resources
Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam
Deputy: Datuk Maznah Mazlan

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs
Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri
Deputy: Datuk Tan Lian Hoe

Housing and Local Government
Datuk Kong Cho Ha
Deputy: Lajim Ukin

Women, Family and Community Development
Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil
Deputy: Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun

Foreign Affairs
Datuk Anifah Aman
Deputies: Datuk Lee Chee Leong, Senator A. Kohilan Pillai

Federal Territories
Datuk Raja Nong Chik Zainal Abidin
Deputy: Datuk M. Saravanan

I wish every best to the new Prime Minister and his line up to work hard for the country. Having to live in country like Japan, where Malaysia is left behind comparatively, make me strongly believe that the spirit of Malaysia Boleh should be instilled back to our citizen. Like the Japanese says, 'がんばってください’(ganbatte kudasai) when they are wishing somebody for the best of luck, although it is not directly translated as good luck, but wishing ones a hard work in what their do. Comparing our level with Japanese, do we have time to relax and stay left behind?

Some personal note:
1-I'm still reading Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore and enjoying it. I need to start reading some Japanese reading stuff, and I found Kitajima Kosuke's autobiography, 夢，はじまる。。　(Dream, Begin...) is a good read. Yes, I'm a big fan of Kitajima (although I am not really a swimmer myself, but everytime I see Kitajima's face, I feel spirited and bersemangat)

2-Attending the advance Japanese class make me even spirited to brush up my Japanese level to a more advance level. My lab mate, Tanaka-san said my Japanese is good, but I know that is not really true. There are still thousands of kanji that I don't understand and so many words that slowed down my conversation with my Japanese friend. がんばります！
3-So far, there are only four Malaysians in my campus, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa Campus, including me. And from these four, two of them are Malay (again including me). I've get the opportunity to mingle with the international student community here in my campus, and few of them are saxophone player. I always find saxophone as interesting and sexy. Maybe I should learn how to blow a sax than oboe since the variety of tunes the sax can fit in.

Okuribito by Youjirou Takita

I used to have some perception regarding Japanese movie; they tend to be draggy, slow and monotonous. If they are scary type of movie, the ghost is easily predicted or recognized. A long rebonded hair is so Japanese type of spook. Or in general we can call it Asian type of ghost. If they're melancholic type of story, it must be one of the main cast is dying for serious illness. Yada yada yada.

I know about Okuribito long before I came to this land of Japan. I know it wins the Oscar. And I know Ryoko Hirosue is in it. But perception does influence me to temporize watching it. Although deep inside I do think it's gonna be a good watch.
And finally I downloaded it. And yes, now I know why they deserve the Oscar. It is like the same feeling when I first watched Volver (by Pedro Almodovar).
I do not want to further explain about the plot line and so on. Watch it yourself. I highly recommend it.
My favourite quote from Okuribito:

"Working here for a long time make me think
that death... is a gateway.
Death doesn't mean the end
but leaving the present, heading for the next stage.
Truly a gateway.
As a gatekeeper..
I've seen off many people
"Have a nice trip, and see you again"
I would say."

Updates

No, I am not busy. Maybe not yet. But to post something about what's on my mind is somehow kind of complicated. There are so many things in my mind right now that not easily composed in one complete essay. So, for the time being, let list it down to few points:

1. I love shinkansen (the bullet train). Contrary to popular belief and my own otherworldly mind, it is not really feel fast inside the train. Yes, you can still see the view from the window and read the letters from sign board and so on. But I believe the train runs fast from outside view.

2. I love Land Rover bicycle and I want it for my ride. Forget about Freelander folks. They are too pricey for my current financial flow right now, and I am going environmental. Not talking about saving another whales, but living eco-friendly life and stop releasing another CO2. Yeah, and I didn't even bother to switch off the light during Earth Hour campaign because I was totally forgotten that campaign. Sigh.

3. I have Konosuke Matsushita: His Life and Management Philosophy book to review (and to write report to Panasonic as well) and Kafka on the Shore by Murakami Haruki to read now. Finally. I have been hesitating to read Murakami's for almost 2 years because there's too much to read in my reading list and I just don't bother to read in train sometimes (back in my working life back then).

4. I listen to Ayumi Hamasaki new album, Next Level and Koda Kumi's Out Works and Collaboration recently. They're good.

5. I just downloaded Okuribito, the Japanese film who won the Oscar. Some of the cinemas here is still rolling it but I don't want to watch it alone and I don't want to spend another 1500 yen for it. And please somebody upload Talentime as soon as possible because I am desperately want to watch it too.

6. Another so called sustainability stuff. I love it when the bus driver here turned off the engines when they stopped in traffic light. That's super awesome. Malaysian (and the rest of the world too) should follow this good move.

I am extremely exhausted. Off to bed people. Have hanami date tomorrow.

The Land of Train

Japan is known with so many terms like The Land of Sakura and also The Land of Rising Sun, but not many people call Japan as The Land of Train. Train might be the first thing you see when you first enter Japan by airplane, since that type of transport sprawling all over this nation and connects almost every place (even the remote and rural ones). And don't even start mention about the Tokyo subway and train system, it confuses all foreigners and newcomers to this city.

Despite the complex train system in Tokyo and major urban center in Japan, undeniably it the most important factor in daily Japanese life and one of the most important factor in the rapid development of Japan after World War II period until now. Each train lines and subway system has their own history, like the bullet train (known as Shinkansen) is opened in times with Tokyo Olympics 1964. Japanese spend most of their life inside the train, while commuting back and forth to work place, and also for other purpose.

Train system in Japan is not just famous for its effective and complex network, but also for its punctuality. Japan railway network has been regarded as one of the most punctual in the world. With some of the train has interval for only few minutes for each train schedule, it is not a surprising thing to see train schedule in unusual time like 10:43 and so on.