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.

That's What We Live For

(picture taken from last.fm)

Cassandra Steen - Darum leben wir (That's What We Live For)

Wenn es dunkel wird, sagst du zu mir // When it gets dark outside, you tell me
Das darf nie zu Ende sein // this can never end
Und wenn es hell wird, sag ich zu dir // and when a new day dawns, I tell you
Geh nicht, lass mich nicht allein // don't go, do not leave me alone
Denn wir sind doch eins // because we're One

Nichts geschieht ein zweites Mal // nothing happens for a second time
Das kann nicht sein // that can't be
Alles ist nur einmal da // everything exists only one time
Auch wenn es nicht so scheint // even when it doesnt seem like it
Und ich sag zu dem Moment: geh nicht vorbei // I say to this momemt: dont pass
Bleib noch // stay
Du bist viel zu schön // you're too beautiful to go (the moment)

Und darum leben wir // and that's what we live for
Wir leben um da zu sein // we live to be there
Leben um wahr zu sein // live to be true
Und darum leben wir // and thats why we live
Und wir nehmen alles mit // we take everything with us
Jeden Schmerz und alles Glück // every pain and every joy
Der Welt // of the world

In jeder Nacht bricht der erste Tag // in every night the first day dawns
Vom Rest unseres Lebens an // for the rest of our lives
Und jeden Morgen springen wir // and every morning we jump straight to the
Direkt auf die Umlaufbahn // orbit

Wenn nicht heute jetzt und hier // if not today here and now
Wann und wo denn dann // when and where, then?
Keiner kann die Zukunft sehen // nobody can see the future
Kennt den großen Plan // nobody knows the full "plan"

Auch du hast es gesehen genau wie ich // you also saw it like I did
Den Schmetterling im Schnee den Tunnel voller Licht // the butterfly in the snow, the tunnel full of light
Du hast so wie ich das Tal durchwandert // you, like me, wandered through the valley
Und es gab keinen Weg zurück // and there was no way back

(lyrics and English translation from allthelyrics.com)
******************

It's been a while since I listen to any German songs. The last one definitely by Xavier Naidoo or Soehne Mannheims. I just encounter Cassandra's songs from YouTube, and I like her voice instantly. And pretty good lyrics too.

I should brush up my German again but definitely I need to finish learning Japanese first, especially this JLPT Level 2 never ending kanji drill and stuff. 一生懸命頑張りましょう！

Link:
Watch the official Youtube video.
More about Cassandra in Wiki and her official website (only in German though).

Without Plan and Agenda, She Left.

picture taken from impresscreative. One of my favourite photos of late Kak Yasmin.

I attended the Tokyo International Film Festival last week to watch Muallaf (The Convert), one of the controversial films of arwah Kak Yasmin (it has been banned in Malaysia before but insyaAllah will be screened this December with some lines muted). Was my second time watching it, the first time when it first released in Singapore. Although my favourite Yasmin's piece is still Gubra, I admit Muallaf has the aura as well.

Muallaf is a story of three souls finding a solace in religion. Started with the tale of two sisters who runaway from home, they become the subject of attention in school where Rohana, the younger sister studying, as they appear to be weird for some people. Rohana frequently chants some number (with later appear to be versus from Bible, Quran and also Tao Te Ching) and Rohani, the elder ones, is been rumored to work in a pub. Both of them are fan of comparative religion and theology, and discuss it publicly. Then comes another character Brian, Rohana's teacher, who always received call from his mother on Sunday reminding him to go to church, but Brian lost his faith in Christianity because he was humiliated by his late father who is a strict Catholic when he was 12 years old.

I was hoping someone could direct her upcoming project, Wasurenagusa (a Japanese movie, means 'Forget Me Not'), since I heard from Kak Orked (Yasmin Ahmad's younger sister, who came to represent Yasmin in Tokyo International Film Festival) that the script has been completed before she died. Ho Yuhang maybe?

The Tokyo International Film Festival organizer this year made some special tribute to the late Yasmin (read about it here).

We are after all just a normal human being. What I love about late arwah Kak Yasmin's works is the way she reminds us that we are all finding God in our way and everyone wants to find happiness in their life. She always starts her movie with the verse BismillahiRahmanniRahim (in the name of God, the Most Merciful and Most Gracious) and in Muallaf the Bismillah is written in Chinese (奉大仁大慈真主的尊名). I recall encounter some Japanese article about her, ヤスミンアハマド：早すぎる死ぬ / Yasmin Ahmad: Gone Too Soon, and realized she created a strong fanbase here in Japan. Everyone still expecting more from her, but without plan and agenda, she left.

"If I could paint a sad goodbye;
I’d paint your eyes a clear blue sky.
Pluck you grace from a pale faced moon
And slumber down this tattered room.
If I could find an amber train;
Lord I’d ride it to the bitter end.
Passing hope in the summer bloom;
Passing dreams and a fading tune.
If I should stray amid crimson rose…
Whither angels on wings of gold?
Who for flowers in the month of May?
Who for you on your winter’s day?
Who for flowers in the months of May?
Who for you?"
-Pete Teo's Who For You, the ending song for Gubra.

You Decide. I Decide.

日光の紅葉, Nikko, Japan
Originally uploaded by hk_traveller.

Can't hardly wait for the bronze autumn leaves season (紅葉）to come.

My friend, Nauwar asked me whether I can be contributor (co-author) for her entertainment blog covering the news and updates of Japan music industry, considering that I am currently dwelling in Japan and my interest in Japan entertainment industry. I posted my first post (in Bahasa Melayu, mind you, what a biggest challenge to write in my own mother tongue :p) about weekly song ranking in Music Station. You can read the post here.

Another challenge is the WordPress platform. I have been a loyal Blogger user since the year 2002 (although I have changed blog and address few times) and when I first write my post in WordPress, I really had difficult time to find the way how to publish it. I have been considering to change my blog platform from Blogger to WordPress (especially because of their super cool layout) and also Hatena (the Japanese blog service, I think they have pretty cool layout and intergration service as well), but with my problem is getting used with the new blogging service make me daunting.

Too many things in my head right now. About whether I should change my blog platform to Hatena or WordPress. About whether I should get that Canon G11. Whether I should subscribe to Yoga Journal and Monocle.

I reckon what I need is Decision Making 101.

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.