Johann Low

水曜日, 3月 29, 2006

[Grasping time]

As I spent 2 futile days at home recuperating from my shellfish allergy, I began to develope this fear of losing time, esp to the fact that my MC is ending and I wil be returning to work the next day. The thought itself dries me up. I look at my mac clock, wishing time will just stop at that moment forever. This feeling is not new, it has happened before when I was in NS. The unforgetable feeling of pulling urself out like stubborn hair to bikini wax to don that digusting uniform with a heavy fieldpack, that pair of boots and that stinky cap.

But this feeling has a concoction of a new element. That subtle yet crippling trace of fear is hardly distinguishable now. Or was it the fact I do not really care anymore?

Honestly I do not know what the prolonged period of fear and uncertainty (coupled with other factors) during that NS stint has did to me. My shattered mind just feel like it is only plastered, yet the wounds do not really heal and blood oozes out so every often even with the slightest jolt. Gorging myself with animal fats and sugars simple serve a temporary platform of sanity.

elow at 12:03 午前 | (0) comments

月曜日, 3月 27, 2006

[Severe seafood allergy]

I never thought a canned of baby abalones cld have such adverse effects on mybody until last evening. My mum opened the can of baby abalones which she bought before CNY and added them into the mui fan. I had eaten a few before dinner. At abt 7+pm, my throat began to stir and I started coughing. I dunno what irritated my throat then and I did not choke on anything too.

While watching TV, my eyes bagan to feel itchy and abit itchy. I though some mosquito bit me on my left eye. I washed my eyes and it felt better for awhile. After sometime, my right eyes began to swell too and now I looked like as if I applied dark red eye shadows all over my eyes. As it got worse, I began to wheeze and was breathing hard with increased heartrate.

I went google for seafood allergy and true enough, I had all the symptoms of it. Extracted from EZYHEALTH.com "For example, allergens that are inhaled usually results in nasal congestion, itchy nose, mucus production, coughing and wheezing. "

When I went down the clinic below my flat, my nose was getting blocked and mucus was free flowing. It was a terrible feeling as I was wheezing too with chest discomforts. Obviously, I looked terrible and a bloated face and muscus running from my nose. The doctor was abit shocked too to see that I had such severe reaction esp this is the 1st time. I ate all kinds of raw seafood, from fishes to squids to octopus and I had no problems and now a can of baby abalones caused so much havoc.

Anyway after he adminstered the allergy shot, I felt better though my nose was still blocked then and as a result I was on MC today. :P

elow at 12:46 午後 | (0) comments

日曜日, 3月 26, 2006

[some pics]

Reaching out

East and West

elow at 12:56 午前 | (0) comments

月曜日, 3月 20, 2006

[fundamentally lacking, something?]

Apparently, I am not alright today. Many things happened, obviously in my head. Here am I at home, instead of at work. I do not know if I need to see my psych soon or not but now, I can't afford to.

These few days, esp my trip in Jpn. I have been gorging myself with food. I am not sure if I am really THAT hungry or what but having a bloated stomach beats feeling empty somewhere else. Then now for the past few days, gorging myself seems to have lesser effects, now I am going rather gaga over Nana the Movie and its whatever franchise there is. I dunno what cause this, but listening to the songs n reminiscing touching scenes of the movie seem to take abit of load of whatever void there is. It is just taking off my load somewhere, somehow. For the 1st few times I listen to the song, tears fell. The lyrics seem to convey something, what 'something' this is, I cannot tell. It seems to signify something, just some silhouette deeply symbolising something or maybe someone?

So as it is, focusing myself on some fictional stuff seems to make it easier. I believe I can watch the movie countless times. The songs, the scenes...I just want to get touched. (not physically) Too bad the comic is shoujou manga and I dun really like that style of drawing.

Sometimes, I wish I could just leave everything here and go somewhere where there is lesser things for me to get bothered abt..some place like Jpn or something. I just hate to be bothered by work, work work, meeting demands, deadlines, school and other stuff. It is not like I dun have the money to go there for a 'healing' therapy ahhahaha...ok, I miss Japan. Now I am kinda glad I was alone at Narita Airport cos that's when I really felt freedom, ?

elow at 10:52 午前 | (0) comments

[Time flies]

Thinking back, i was probably on my way back from Changi Airport at this time or perhaps i have already reached home. It is quite unbelievable how fast time flies. This week alone i wa so busy. Needless to say tired. Nothing much been going on except for work, work. I am so dead beat every evening I came home. Tho tired, I did not seem to have enough time to go online. I will definitely be online until 1+am every 'morning' which nevertheless adds on to my tireness.

This few days I have been crazy over this manga/novel/movie called Nana. It orginates frm the manga, then the movie which I watched when i was flying to Beijing on SQ flight. I did not really think much abt it then but the songs did somehow penetrate into me and so is almost everything else. Even though i was switching channels all over, some scenes of the movie still get to me. I saw the DVD (special edition) when I was buying my CD at Narita Airport..haiz now i kinda regretted I nv bought it. Now I wanna buy the novel based on the movie but it was sold out. The sound track is sold out maybe in most major stores in Japan..Yes the sound track is [b]THAT[/b] good. The song Endless Story is DAMM F88king nice can!!!!!! I have never been so crazy abt something since eons ago..but ordering the special edition DVD from Jpn is not cheap leh...If I order the DVD and the novel, it will be ard $90..

Urgh, tml is work

elow at 12:00 午前 | (0) comments

金曜日, 3月 17, 2006

[Endless Story Nana the movie OST]

This is one of the touching songs I ever heard. I heard this song while on my trip to China while watching the big hit Jpn movie Nana on KrisWorld. If u watch the movie, im sure most will cry when Nana and Nana watched the performance of this song.

If you haven’t changed your mind?
そばにいてほしいよ Tonight

強がることに疲れたの?
幼すぎたの Everytime I think about you baby?
今なら言える I miss you?
It’s so hard to say I’m sorry

たとえば誰かのためじゃなくあなたのために?
歌いたいこの歌を?
終わらない story 続くこの輝きに?
Always 伝えたいずっと永遠に

Memories of our time together?
消さなでこのまま don’t go away

あたたかく溶けだして確かめるの?
優しさのしずくこの胸にひろがってく?
切ないほどに I’m missing you?
重ねた手離さないで

たとえば叶うならもう一度あなたのために?
歌いたいこの歌を?
終わらない story 絶え間ない愛しさで?
tell me why 教えてよずっと永遠に

たとえば誰かのためじゃなくあなたのために?
歌いたいこの歌を?
終わらない story 続くこの輝きに?
Always 伝えたいずっと永遠に

たとえば叶うならもう一度あなたのために?
歌いたいこの歌を?
終わらない story 絶え間ない愛しさで?
tell me why 教えてよずっと永遠に

elow at 12:27 午前 | (0) comments

水曜日, 3月 15, 2006

[Japan Japan Japan~!]

Woot, back from Japan.

1st time travelling overseas alone. Quite an experience I mst say. Anyway, I made it from Singapore - Tokyo Narita Airport - Sapporo Chitose Airport. I did not even have a good time to look ard Narita before I made my way to the domestic flight wing which was all the way at the end. At Sapporo Chitose, I met with my boss and the Jpn agent whom I have been working with, Mr Yamamoto..anyway no pics. But here's an airplane ahhwha We were having lunch at one of the airport's resturants. Now there's this odd looking gadget called the 'waiting card' if I rem correctly. You are supposed to put this blinking thing onto ur table, where there's an area to put. Here's how it looks like.

Sapporo was snowing when I was there! AHHA being in tropical SG all my life, I seen snow for the 1st time. It was indeed a beautiful sight..That is if u see it under a roof. It is no fun if u go outside in the snow where the snow will hit u 'piak piak piak' and all that's left is a wet patch. Here's some pics I took when I was whisking my way to Nagoya in a bus.

We stayed at this nice little inn called Toyoko Inn. The stay in Sapporo was a short one. READ: there's no time. This is a biz trip not leisure. After meeting our Jpn clients, where we had quite a lengthy meeting, from afternoon til night. I was basked in endless cig smoke for almost 8 hrs. We had dinner which was mostly sashimi,some seafood,beer,sake..I was quite thirsty then and I down quite an amount of beer on an empty stomach, soon I began to feel the effects hahahaha..anyway I was told I mst drink no matter what, if u are doing biz with Jpn. I had conversation with my clients..tho at times I cld not catch what he was talking, so I just nodded my head hahahaha..

The next day we moved to Nagoya to a small town called Toyohashi. 豊橋. This is the streets ard the hotel I stayed.

I had my 1st lunch there. Tempura soba.

Oh yeah, it tasted great.

The resturant.

Interior decor.

Travelling in Jpn can be a daunting task, esp if u are travelling with like 60+++kg of HEAVY n BULKY luggage. That's my boss's luggage btw which includes a ultra BULKY bag for collecting of samples. Their train systems ARE a mess. U need to purchase tickets btw, no way as convenient as local MRT. Their trains systems are messy because there are several types of trains. Some stops at every station, some at some stations, some at major stations and some stop at only selected stations. There's the well known Shinkansen which can costed u hundreds per trip and among others. Some seats are free seating (cheaper), some are reserved (more exp) some are smoking cabins.

Here's some resturants which we went as well as the food.

Had cold soba..oke not to my taste.

At another resturant on Fri night with a nice manager whose wife joined us later during the dinner.

This taste DAMMMM good cos they were so fresh and sweet.

The best place was prb at this small little town where a business partner/old friend of my boss stayed. I met this very nice elderly man in Beijing. He is really such a grandfather figure and so nice,warm and friendly. He is staying at such a nice house..and its REALLY nice with gardens and wooden planks and..more flowers.

Then we had our lunch here.

After meeting, he brought us to a huge electronic supermarket. We saw this nice oven which heats up water til 300 C. As the video demo, this 300C water is so hot, it can light up a match and burn paper! It is not ordinary water vapor or steam. It is just heat. It also have hundreds of pre-installed menus in it, so u can simply select what u wan, close the lid and press start. It is very simple to use cos it was designed for elderly people. Amazing product which u might not get to see in local stores. Basically, there were games, mp3 players, computers..Service was quite good, as demo by the lady who demostrated the oven. I almost bought PSP there and a Jpn mac keyboard ahaha but I went home empty handed.

Anyway, the next day it was time to go back home. I went to Tokyo alone via Shinkansen..with a 30+kg luggage (the sample bag) as well as my own luggage. How can I go shopping in Tokyo with that?? Tokyo Station is a nightmare cos it is sooooo huge and the signs are not helping much. I got onto a wrong type of train, luckily I can pay on the spot for that ticket. This train was heading to Narita Airport and so was the other one I bought the ticket for.

This is the plane i took, Pokemon..

The funny thing is whenever Im in Jpn, the Jpn all speaks to me in Jpn. Do I look Jpn? I got comments I look Jpn twice by 2 of my clients. I thought I look 101% Singaporean..but overall, this is a good experience to practice my Jpn. One conclusion, it is not fun working in Jpn cos I see most people working into their twilight yrs, like tat nice Jpn uncle who lives in the nice house showed above. Work to Jpn is VERY important and it comes 1st for most people. Jpn eat VERY fast too. Anyway, I gotta brush up my liquior holding ability and eating speed.

So food there for me was basically raw fish, green tea,beer, sake and rice. Not so much of rice tho..and I been feeling hungry since Sun..ahha Oh yeah, how can i forgot to mention. I actually managed to buy some stuff for myself and my company and mum. For myself, I got a new Casio I-Range watch which costed me ard SGD300. I initially wanted a Citizen, it is very unique with multiple faces, digital analogue, temperature and some other stuff. It is ard $350 if im not wrong. When I took a look at it, it is 'cased in China' and the back of the watch dun feel very good..compared to the front. So I hesitated abit and walked ard the airport.

After getting my cakes and cookies (honestly, I dunno how they taste when I bought them ahhaha), I went back to take a look and then i saw the i-range watch. It feels pretty slick and good and it is wholely made in Jpn and is sold in Jpn only, so without much hestitation, I bought it. I always wanted a more...I also bought a CD, Koda Yumi's Best / 2nd Session. Honestly, I got to know her name from FF X2 soundtrack, then I somehow know now she is one of the hottest, literally hottest singer in Jpn now with her F cup boobs, sexy image and sex oozing MVs. Anyway I got the limited edition which comes with 1CD + 2 DVDs. After hearing it last night, I realised this is quite a good album! After coming back on Sunday, I have been dead beat everynight after work.

okok im broke. I am gg to save money to go on a spree in Jpn sometime in the future. I LOVE JPN!!!!, it is a thril lto go shopping ard there!

elow at 12:32 午前 | (0) comments

火曜日, 3月 07, 2006

[bye all]

goodbye all,

will be flying to jippun in abt 3 hrs time..will update if i can get my hands on a laptop.

til then

elow at 5:47 午後 | (0) comments

[sss]

sss

elow at 12:49 午前 | (0) comments

月曜日, 3月 06, 2006

[old times & Zara]

Finally went back to my usual Sat's Jpn lessons..some odd happenings there and I realised it is not the 1st time. Anyway, it is probably just mindless teasing and joking.

When lessons ended and i went back to that familar bus stop where i will take 167 home..there's this realization on how much I actually missed taking bus 167 back home. I realised how much hectic my life is esp now after I took up Uni lessons. Everything seems to be moving at lighning speed and I cld hardly catch my breathe. I enjoy taking bus rides, esp if it is a bus ride home. I dunno why but I always look forward to going back home, the feeling of 'going home' is just so assuring. I dun like fancy taking MRTs because everything is so concrete, everything is fast, everything is plastic and it is not really 'down to earth' I dun like to be transported 'sideways'.Taking bus rides allow me to enjoy the people whisking by, the trees, the roads, the cars,the bikes and such, at least in buses, I am moving 'forward' and not being shuffled sideways ard like some canned food in a conveyor belt.

Okok, crap asides. So after my Jpn lessons, I headed down to FEP to have my haircut. It is much thinner now. The stylists there are going to Jpn for tour and for hairdressing course at the end of the month. hahaa..Met my friend at kino before heading down to Zara. I got myself a nice tie there..they have VERY nice blazers,suits,berms there..and they are really VERY VERY NICE..and so is their price tags.

Then then we went for our dinner at the new Wisma Atria foodcourt, fcuk so crowded but we managed to get seats, much thanks to a couple who helped to 'defend' our seats from some Indonesians whom one lady flunk herself onto the empty tables with her tray of kuey chap. I had the knife sliced noodles (dao siao mian) with chicken instead of beef. Hey it is not bad! except the soup was tad salty. I was treated cong you bing by my friend. The food there aint cheap, the bowl of noodles is $5.

Later we headed down to Changi Airport, thanx to me..being paranoid.

It is getting apparent to me, that I hate to be alone. I hate to shop alone, I hate to eat alone..though I am relatively fine being alone.

elow at 12:06 午前 | (0) comments

木曜日, 3月 02, 2006

[have u ever...]

have u ever..felt so tired...so..spreaded out..so thinned out, so wrung that u almost cannot feel urself anymore? As in u can feel so oblivious abt things happen ard u, except for a few stuff. The moment they end, u simply fall into some hibernating mode. I admire some people for their energy level, such my boss. Even at his age, he seems so full of pep. I wonder how he substain that kinda energy level. Exercise (which i admit i need some badly haha), diet, commitment?

Anyway by this time of next wk, i will be somewhere in Japan. I heard being on a biz trip with the boss means running ard meeting endless hordes of clients frm morning till night. How true is that, i will know next wk. He did mention that he will make sure everyday is packed (like Jpn subway trains) to the brim. This is probably to ensure every nickle and dim spent into the lodging, travel and accomodation is fully maximised. Talk abt efficieny.. I just hope there is sometime where i get to snap some pics from the place where i wanted to visit since 1996. I know Jpn is a fun place but maybe things will be different if u go to a place for work and for tour. The mindset is already different.

Travelling due to work = *yawnz, uncertainties,yawnz yawnz* travelling on a touring/tourist is different. U are out for enjoyment! I guess u are already ecstatic. I have people telling me how envious they are cos i get to travel..Eh I felt the same way too when I saw my ex bosses being able to travel overseas for work. The keyword is WORK. Who like to work? Well except for Jpn. Work seems to be the sole thing on their mind.

I never felt so tired for a long time. I can go 'unconcious' on my way home. Literally I am conked out from Cityhall till Sembawang.

2006 seems to be a good start for some of my then single friends. 2 gals managed to get back with her ex. 2 guys managed to find their loved ones, a dear poly senior finally found someone too. These people used to belong to the grp of singles where we did hang out a few times before. Well as much as I wish we cld still hang out like before, aint it a better thing they finally have that someone special? Hope things will turn out well for all of them. Truely I wish them true happiness frm the bottom of my heart. At least it brings a smile when I heard of their new status.

Believe it or not, my mum while watching that Matchmaking show by Kym Ng and Bryan Wong sorta 'urged' me to find a new gf...yeah like so easy...

elow at 11:45 午後 | (0) comments