Japan As I Know

Alumni. What does it mean to you?

2011-07-31T01:27:00.000+08:00

Not knowing what to do tonight, I flipped through papers and letters on the coffee table. Suddenly I saw this...

"Oh, a letter from Kyudai!"

Feeling so excited, I opened it harshly..

2 pamphlets on Kyudai News.

They still remember me!

and they took all the hassle to send me the news (even when they can just send it by email?)

That's why I always say to my students- half of my heart is left there.

Alumni is a crucial platform for ex-students to give back to their school. But just giving back is not enough. The school MUST remember the ex-students as well, otherwise, they will forget their way "home".

It should be a GIVE and TAKE, and WIN-WIN relationship.

Come August, the September. Convocation is approaching and I can't help wondering what UKM Alumni does for its members..

When was the last time your teacher touched your heart?

2011-02-01T23:40:00.001+08:00

This entry is gonna be long. It is a combination of experiences I had over the weekend that really touches my heart. "Touches" not "touched". It touches me every time I recall.

29/1 I went to SMAPK to attend our alumni meeting. After the meeting, we chit-chatted with the Principal.

She told us this.

"Kalau setakat mengajar dalam kelas, itu bukanlah dipanggil "guru", tapi pekerja dalam bidang pendidikan. Pelajar tak ingat pun apa yang dia belajar dalam kelas. Tapi dia ingat ketika gurunya membelikan sebungkus nasi lemak kepadanya . Apa sahaja yang menyentuh perasaannya. Orang yang boleh menyentuh perasaan pelajar dengan berbuat sesuatu demi kebaikan mereka, dialah yang layak dipanggil "guru"."

Her words struck me.

All the way home, these words kept on repeating in my head.

Reason being, today (29th), I was supposed to go to my ex-class teacher's house, to attend his son's wedding. I was very close to this teacher, because he was responsible of developing the foundations of me, and I haven't met him since graduating from primary school; which is 23 years ago.

A brief description about this teacher:

He drove a red Volkswagen -- JG245
Sangat macho, kategori handsome yang berjanggut kambing.
He was my class teacher, taught us Maths and never failed to amaze us with his stories.
He built that sprinter in me -- tiap-tiap pagi sampai sekolah je kena lari keliling sekolah a few rounds, berlatih sprint sampai penat -- but at the end there was always hot milo and biskut kering (syoknyaaa)
He was also one of our netball trainers -- like any other sports; football, badminton, etc.
He would listen to us. Fulfill our request to bring our "teater tepi padang" to the stage -- and still remember who played what role (aku pun dah lupa)
He wiped my tears and drive away fear of hurting myself during my first days training gymnastics.
He was the only teacher who had ever caned me (and everybody else in the class!)

His name is Cikgu Rashid Mohd Salleh.

My mother, who attended the wedding, told me that Cikgu Rashid was really looking forward to see me.

Aku telah menjadi sangat tak sampai hati......

sebabnya...when I was at matriculation, I had a chemistry lecturer yang garang but so passionate.

After graduating from my first degree, I heard the news that he was suffering from cancer. Somebody told me that he wanted to see me, but I kept on procrastinating the visit.

Until one day, I received a shocking news that he had passed away....and I regretted for not fulfilling his wish until now....

So back to the story, after finishing the house chores, we drove home to Melaka. Soon as I arrived, I asked my mother the invitation card and saw Cikgu Rashid's hp number.

I smsed him.

"Assalamualaikum Cikgu, Shazlinda ni. Maaf tak dapat datang tadi, ada meeting. Kalau tak keberatan, boleh saya datang rumah Cikgu esok?"

And instantaneously..

"Waalaikumsalam. Jemput datang ke rumah. Saya mmg nak jumpa sangat. Esok datang pukul berapa?"

And so there I was in front of his house the next day at 12 noon.

It was so nice to see him in good shape after 23 years.

We exchanged stories about each other, reminiscing the past memories.

Cerita 1: Drama

"Pada Cikgu, zaman korang la yang paling Cikgu enjoy sekali. Geng Cikgu ; Cikgu Ramli, Cikgu Bahari, Abah awak masih ada. Budak-budak pun tak menunggu disuap. Sekali ajar dah reti buat sendiri. Saya ingat lagi kamu dan Linda datang minta izin nak buat drama. Nazlah, anak Cikgu Muharam, haa..dialah yang jadi permaisuri dalam Ulik Mayang kamu tu. Kamu ingat lagi? ....Patutnya si Lin anak Cikgu Zabidi yang pendiam tu kamu pilih jadi permaisuri..hahahaha"

Cerita 2 : Pontianak

"Kamu pernah nampak pontianak tak?"

"Err~tak pernah Cikgu. Kat mana,kat sekolah ke?"

"Ha'ah, masa tu kami buat perkhemahan kat sekolah"

"Cikgu sendiri nampak?"

"Yee~saya nampak dia melompat dari pokok ke pokok. Tapi bukan pontianak la, penanggal.."

"Haa! Penanggal? So Cikgu nampak la tali perut dia?"

"Nampak~ berjurai2 bermanik2"...Alhamdulillah, dia tak masuk kawasan khemah kita, dah "dipagar" siap2"

"Huuuuuu~"

Cerita 3 : Cerita

"Balik2 pada cerita Lin anak Cikgu Zabidi. Bapak dia SK Tedung, mak dia sekolah ...(aku xingat)..

Mak dia dok fikir kat mana nak sekolahkan..akhirnya dia dia masukkan SRKM2.

Si Lin ni diam je, saya pun tak tahu dia ni ok ke tidak ke...Mak dia pujuk dia, kata lepas seminggu kalau dia tak rasa tak selesa, Mak dia akan tukarkan dia"

Tapi, biasala, saya rasa saya tahu ubat dia."

"Apa dia Cikgu?"

"Cerita! Kamu taulah Cikgu kan suka bercerita. Si Lin yang diam, tunduk je tu, bila time cerita, bukan main lagi mendengar. Dan lepas seminggu bila Mak dia tanya balik, dia kata; tak payahlah tukar sekolah--sebab nak dengar cerita Cikgu!"

--Hah korang, dah Darjah 6 pun ternganga dengar cerita cikgu!--

"Mmmphh, jangan kata Darjah 6, Cikgu, dah naik U pun, kalau time cerita--ternganga juga!"

Cerita 4 : Rotan

"Saya ingat lagi, cikgulah satu-satunya guru yang pernah rotan saya :). Tapi sebenarnya saya taklah takut sangat pada Cikgu. Saya lagi takut kat Cikgu Ramli"

"Hahaha~Cikgu Ramli tu garang sampai habis. Kalau saya, garang tu garang juga, tapi lepas pukul tu saya pujuk balik. Awak dan kawan2 awak pun saya dah anggap macam anak-anak saya sendiri.. Alhamdulillah, anak2 murid saya semua jadi orang."

"Sham, kat mana awak jumpa si Lin ni?"

"Abang nak bawak balik tak kucing ni?"

Family + Cikgu

"Takpe ke Cikgu pakai camni aje?"

"Lepas ni ajak kawan-kawan semua buat perjumpaan kat rumah saya"

I was so happy to see him happy. And he even said that he is gonna find my house in Nilai the next time he travels to his relative's house in Bukit Mahkota.

(Tapi Cikgu kena bagitau awal-awal ya sebab kadang-kadang saya kena pergi bengkel---padahal dalam hati nak selamatkan rumah yang macam tongkang pecah sebelum Cikgu tiba!)

What I did on my 35th birthday

2011-01-30T01:41:00.000+08:00

2.30 am : Woke up to check FB posts and open birthday presents from my students :)

Thank you Iffah!!

Thank you Shafika & Wanie!!

3.30 am : Solat Hajat sempena birthday
4.30 am : Drafting final QM exam questions while sipping a cup of hot coffee
6.30 am : Solat Subuh + took a nap
8:00 am : Woke up and prepare kids for taekwondo
9:00 am : Breakfast @ mamak and went to the wet market
9:50 am : Played badminton with husband
10:15 am : Fetch the kids from taekwondo
11:00 am : Left for SMAPK Alumni Meeting @ SMAPK
Nominated as Vice President 2
2.30pm : Left SMAPK for home +Zohor
5:00pm : Watched Spongebob with kids while having kuetiaw goreng yg dimasak oleh Ustaz Wan Akashah. (Sedap giler!!) + Asar

8:00pm : Maghrib + left for ALPS Electric (M) Sdn Bhd
9:00pm : Left for Melaka
10:15pm : Arrived in Melaka
10:30pm : late dinner + borak2 dengan Mak + online till now

Tomorrow I will be meeting Cikgu Rashid, cikgu kesayangan aku dulu yg dah tak jumpa for about 23 years.

Kesimpulannya, my 35th birthday was just an ordinary day of which I would run around doing things. Tapi aku bersyukur sebab Allah masih membenarkan aku hidup to read bedtime stories to my children and hug them whenever they need it. I know that I am created for few good causes, if not many.

And to my husband who is always understanding (although keep forgetting my birthdays hehe, but not this year), I am glad that I have you.

Lastly, this is a song I love to listen during birthdays. From my favourite star, Koji Tamaki --HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Enjoy :)

Japanese grads are Second Class?

2010-12-01T18:43:00.003+08:00

I had a hectic schedule last week. 22/12, immersed in marking and grading, 23/12 attended meeting with JICA consultants-Pusat Inovasi Kolaboratif-UKMTech in the morning and then off to Look East Policy Symposium at PWTC. 24/12 submitted grades, 25-26/12 participated in Malaysia-Indonesia International Conference on Economics, Management and Accounting. The schedule was so hard I had to send my kids to their grandmother's.

Oh, back to the title. This was a part of a speech by a minister who officiated the Look East Policy Symposium. He mentioned that there is this perception that students who are sent to Japan are second class students, but actually it is not. Whomever gets a scholarship to study abroad are equally excellent; regardless of where they go.

But in reality, I think it is true. I am not saying that Japanese grads are of second class, but the perception does. Why do people think so? The reasons might be

UK and US are always the first choice. The rich and famous send their kids there to study, so if you are selected to go there, you must be the luckiest person on earth.
UK and US have the top (or should I say toppest? :p) universities in global ranking, but Tokyo University, the toughest univ in Japan never topped the chart.
UK and US grads are the nation's decision makers. Japanese grads? Do tell me if you know anyone.

Based on my experience, I applaud those who have successfully graduated from Japanese universities. Can you imagine, with zero knowledge of Japanese language, you have to master it in less than 2 years before entering a university that teaches everything (including English) in their language? Not only that, your actual purpose is to master the knowledge but how can you master the knowledge before mastering the language? At the end of the 2nd year of matriculation we had to sit for the highest level in Japanese language proficiency test (JLPT1) before sitting for another 2-3 exams before qualifying ourselves to enter a university. It was quite painful, but what I learnt from this experience was that we should never underestimate the ability of our brain. All we need is patience and persistence.

On the other hand, those who are sent to English speaking countries are just so lucky. You have learnt English like your entire life and then just learn new things, new technology there. Your probability of passing with flying colors are higher than ours! But this is just a minor concern.

The real issue for me is the third one. Although the program to Japan started in 1983, only 27 years ago, Japanese grads have yet to appeal their presence to the society. We have yet to become the nation's key decision makers. Not many of us are entrepreneurs; what more technopreneurs (the nearest field besides being a technical person at the shopfloor). That is why people think we are of second class.

That is also why I would try my best not to turn down important invitations by the alumni (I belong to JMC/JAD* Alumni). I remembered the first one was to give a motivational talk to JAD first year students who were camping at Gombak (near Perkampungan Orang Asli) and the second one was to attend the symposium as participant cum interpreter. I believe a strong alumni will further enhance the capability of the graduates.

My dream is to see the Japanese grads stand tall, as tall as other overseas graduates and of course local grads, and together contribute to the country. We should be everywhere, just anywhere; private or government, manufacturing or service, having a boss or being the boss, and from there, little by little we should climb that ladder to the top.

None of us are second class unless we tell ourselves that we are. Full-stop.

Meeting sambil berdiri..Ada berani??

2010-11-22T00:09:00.001+08:00

Meeting and eating has become a regime in government departments. You can get a full meal if your meeting stretches the whole day. Meeting rooms are so cozy, you can doze off if the meeting is boring.

This culture has never been a practice in a Japanese company (oh should I mention, manufacturing company). When I was working as an engineer in a Japanese MNC, meeting is usually conducted in meeting rooms in each building you are in. RF Design section was in Building 2, which has 1 meeting room. Meeting is done accordingly, short if everything is ok, a bit long if there is a problem. But never it surpassed 2 hours.

And, eating? NEVER. We were not even served a cup of coffee. If you have a meeting with customer in Building 1, where the General Manager is in, then you will be lucky enough to be served with one. Other than that, you bring your own mineral water la.

You knowla how the Japanese companies are very particular about "Muda" (wastage).They will try their best to reduce wastage in terms of money, energy, time and whatever.According to my husband, the company now is moving a step forward.

To reduce meeting time, make faster decisions, meetings are done standing.The meeting rooms are now locked, only opened for trainings for new staff.Another meeting area will only have a table, if they need to use projector and laptop.And this includes managers meeting which is held every Wednesday. (No wonder my husband looks so tired after work on this day).

They have been implemented this kaizen for about a couple of months now. I am not sure how they quantify the results of this kaizen effort, but I am pretty sure everybody would want to end the meeting quickly.

Who wants to stand up and argue for more than an hour??

It is time for new DIARY!

2010-11-21T01:54:00.000+08:00

Today we spent some time at Low Yat and KLCC. Had lunch at KLCC and then singgah PetroSains, then off to Kinokuniya.

As usual I will go to the stationery corner first and then only the book section.

Hah! The diaries & schedulers for 2011 is out!

Only God knows how fussy I am about diaries. Well, I used to keep the 365days diary during my early years in Japan. Later when I got busier, I turned to scheduler, in which I will plan and record my daily activities.

In Japan, scheduler is a must for nearly everyone. Even the teenagers keep their scheduler. And the new designs would come out as early as October, because usually the calender will start from December the previous year. And the design...oh...just can't help it. Sooo many!! A variety of choice on the sizes too! ( I will upload the photos of my previous schedulers later..no time now lah)

So, what is the design of my choice? Whatever the cover is, the internal part must have

1) Large monthly view, where I can see my overall schedule of the month (this is the reason why I don't use scheduler provided by UKM)

2) No week views. No need for that. I plan by month

3) Ample pages at the back to jot down prompt ideas.

4) The scheduler must be easily opened, meaning that it is flat when I am writing on it.

Oh ya, back to the Kinokuniya story, too bad the imported diaries and schedulers from Japan are way too expensive. And the locally produced ones, not attractive at all. I will wait until more designs come out (which is unlikely for the local product) tapi takpelah.

Uhh..tak sabarnya nak dapatkan scheduler 2011. New scheduler will bring new spirit of the new year..:))

Program Knowing ASEAN+3, Tokyo-Yokohama 2009 (PART 1)

2009-12-15T10:03:00.006+08:00

I was called to our Centre Chairman’s room a few months before to help the students finding funds for this project. The project, Knowing ASEAN, is a program where students travel to ASEAN countries to establish network and learn more about the country they visited. This year, they are extending it to Japan, so that is why it is called Knowing ASEAN+3 (+3 is Japan, Korea and Taiwan). And when it comes to Japan, there is none other in the centre but me ;).

This program was realized last week, after rigorous efforts made by the students (and me, lol). Finding fund was so difficult in this time of economic crisis, so besides cutting the itinerary short, I have asked Matsuzaka-san, one of my good friends in Fukuoka, to introduce me to someone in Hatobus (he worked in the company before). So he introduced me to Yoneda-san whom later I realized is one of the managing directors of the company. Yoneda-san really listened to our needs, and even gave us some discounts on the whole charges. Matsuzaka-san told me that Yoneda-san arranged everything on his own-which task he can always handover to his staff.

So, there we were, on a plane to Narita, on 6^th Dec, 2009. For many of the students, it was their first trip overseas-and of course, their first flight. For me, it was a homecoming, although I only spent 3 months of my total stay in Japan in Tokyo.

We arrived at about 7.30am in Narita, but the immigration queue was so long we finally got out at about 8.30am. After buying Tokyo Metro Pass which is cheaper for Narita users (Yen710 --> Yen600) and rented Japan sim card for 105yen perday (which is much cheaper compared to roaming), we took off to Tokyo Keizai University(TKU) by Hatobus. We were very fortunate because the weather was very clear we could see Mt Fuji from afar. We finally arrived at TKU at 11:20am due to the traffic jam. Prof. Tajima and his colleagues welcomed us with a speech and a lecture on SUICA-how it helps in retaining customers. Then we went on a campus tour and lunch with the Japanese students. There was an “ikemen” in the group and I saw how interested the girls were on him ;). Finally, we moved on the next destination, ASEAN-Japan Center. Like others, I was so tired but the topic presented during this visit was very interesting to me because it was quite related to my phd research proposal theme. Obviously, most questions during the session came from me. Oh, I just wished I had more time there. The session ended at about 5pm and as we went out of the building we saw Tokyo Tower standing proudly not far from us. Apalagi, keluarlah semua jenis kamera!

Finally (nilah baru final), we arrived at Ginza Capital Hotel for check-in. The room was small, as expected, but for me, ok aje. Sangat letih, but I wanted to wait for SMAPxSMAP at 10pm. Meanwhile, as usual, there was Hey3x and on that day it was ARASHI special. At 9, I could not bear it anymore so I thought of getting a nap for an hour before 10. Bangun-bangun aje dah 1am…Missed SMAPxSMAP..GERAM!!!

Majlis Perjumpaan Maahad Muar OB/OG 2009- A lesson to learn

2009-10-22T11:12:00.001+08:00

Kenapa Maahad Muar? Bukan takde kena-mengena ke?
Heheh..well, I was a Sharodzian & SMAPKian, but my husband was a Maahadian (mls nak tulis pjg2) before he became a SMAPKian.It happened that my sister-in-law and her husband were also former students of this school.

So, last weekend all of us + the kids went to this event held at the school. I have been here once before, on a debate competition.

Not many people came, because there was another gathering by one batch of ex-students yesterday. However, what I noticed was that those yang dulu nakal-nakal are now heading the committee. In spite of carrying a title of 'bekas pelajar sekolah agama', they were all gila-gila, and the meeting was alive, but they still buat this one tradition (xtau namanya) they usually do in Maahad.
And without them knowing, I quietly sit at the back of the hall, jotting down a few things & ideas brought forward by the committee & members of the floor.

Last week or so, Cikgu Shimah, my teacher in SMAPK asked me to revive our alumni. There are so many things I would like to contribute to the school, but it happened that after the initial meetings, nearly all of the committee members went overseas to further their studies. And next year, who knows I would not be here to help them?

I think it is time to let the energetic youngsters to take over. We have been wasting a lot of time doing nothing while we are actually capable of helping not only our brothers and sisters in school- the alumni should also look after the kebajikan (tak terlintas pulak english wordnya) of the teachers. And I believe, each batch has their own strong connection - they must be meeting elsewhere, informally - well, at least through facebook.

I guess one good time to do a gathering, informal pun takpe, (potluck pun ok ape-kita datang bukan utk mkn), is during the university students' semester break after the final exams which is around the corner -definitely after SPM (around 16/12-20/12 ke). Yang penting, we get to know new friends and meet our old friends & teachers AND serah kuasa kepada yang muda.

As for the database I keep from the first meeting, it is still with me. Softcopy I am not sure where, tapi hardcopy ada lagi.

So SMAPKians, WHAT SAY YOU??

Oh ya, kawan2ku of Sharodz, this idea applies to all of us too. Selalu lalu kat tepi bukit dok tgk jela ke atas. Rindu pulak nak menjenguk masuk!

p/s We were served with nasi lemak before meeting and nasi beriyani after the meeting. Semua termasuk kuih-muihnya sangat sedap. Taukehnya warden Maahad sekarang and dia cerita nasi beriyani & kuih2 nya dapat tempahan dari Sultan Johor!

Prof Shutto and the gang at my house!

2009-09-01T16:19:00.010+08:00

The most awaited day finally arrived.
Last Saturday, I received a visit by my supervisor when I was in QBS, Prof. Shutto to my parents house in Melaka. He came with 2 of my seniors from the same course, Nagano-san and Kashiwagi-san. They have been planning for this trip since a month ago.

I booked them straits view rooms at Holiday Inn Melaka and reserved a car with driver from my uncle's. It happened that my aunt who was the driver that day, but we didn't tell our guests about that because we wanted to keep it professional :p

They departed at 10am from Ritz Carlton KL to Melaka, as planned, and arrived at about 11:45am. My aunt brought them to a curry house for lunch and searched for stalls selling durians (upon their request) but could not find one. I went there at about 2pm and we quickly went on a short course around Banda Hilir.

Firstly, we went on a riverboat cruise along Sungai Melaka. Basically I would recommend a night cruise because it would be hot during the day, plus you won't be able to watch the beautiful illuminations only available at night. Anyway, kudos to the guide, Mr Bernard whose explanation on the historical buildings was very comprehensive and interesting.

Then we went to a nearby spa, which I recommended them to try fish spa. First time, so they were quite excited. Yang kelakarnya, the spa is surrounded by glass walls so people outside the spa can see us with our kaki dikerumuni oleh ikan-ikan tu..heheh.

Later we took a beca ride to A Famosa. Kesian pakcik yang kayuh beca Prof & Kashiwagi-san, dahle inclined road, pakcik tu tak larat terus turun and tolak beca tu.

After A Famosa, we went to the Independence Memorial Building. I told Prof that there was a painting that really touched my heart: people in UMNO general meeting giving away whatever they have-money, jewelleries they wear and put it on a big white cloth tied to the piles of the building- to support Tunku Abd Rahman expenses to London in his quest for the country's independence. We went in and searched for the painting while learning about other things/events leading to 31/8/1957. I was surprised to learn that these guys do not know about the duit daun pisang (or the Japanese notes in Malaya during occupation). Prof also revealed that he was in Indonesia, as an expatriate in 1970s and know very much about Soeharto and Sukarno.

5.30pm, I brought them to Pasar ramadan Telok Mas. Thought of Pasar Ramadan Taman Cempaka, but I am afraid if any one would get lost in the midst of the crowd, it would be hard to find them. It was quite an experience to them..Yang kelakarnya, everybody noticed that they are foreigners. Twice they got free kuih just by watching it being prepared..heheh. I met my class teacher, Puan Hamidah - which was a big surprise because we both are working in UKM but never stumble upon each other.

Nearly 7, we reached home. Finally Prof got to see Nani, but she didn't remember him! Then we buka puasa together with chicken rice (mak buat), some kuihs and fruits like durian, duku and langsat. I hope they enjoyed the meal.

Later, at about 9, we went to Tesco. It was quite crowded. Seemed like a new experience for them because shops in Japan close after dark. Did some shopping, we went to Secret Recipe for coffee. Prof ordered a durian cheese cake-not for him but for the other two to 'taste' for him because he was already full!.

At about 10, we sent them to the hotel and headed home.

Next day, we went to Holiday Inn again to say goodbye and pass some souvenirs for them. Prof promised me invitations to AdAsia09 (http://www.adasia09.com/) -yess!!

Hopefully I would be able to visit them in Tokyo this December on a project with UKM students.

And I hope they would come to Malaysia again some time.

Ramadhan - my favorite month

2009-08-25T15:55:00.003+08:00

It's Ramadhan again! I was a little anxious about how the fasting month in Malaysia would be after 3 years experiencing it in Japan. Would it be hot? Would I be eating more than I should?

The 4th day now, and alhamdulillah, the weather is not too hot, rainy at night, breezy during the day. I had a terrible sorethroat since the last few days so I didn't (couldn't!) eat much.

The first day was in Melaka, had an all-red (chilli-based) break-fast. Appetite was happy but the throat suffer. Second day, we break-fast in Muar and again..all hot and spicy. A painful headache started to develop on this day and it is a good sign, my body is fighting the toxic accumulations and perhaps trying to get rid of them.

Today I feel lighter and happier- no more headaches, relieved sorethroats..

Some quran readings at work also make things work out.

By the end of the month, I expect a healthier me (physically and spiritually) with a reduction of 2-3kgs of body weight.

To go or not to go..

2009-08-14T11:30:00.003+08:00

An e-mail came from Japan yesterday saying,

"Dear md yusof shazlinda,
I will take you, md yusof shazlinda, as a Ph.D. candidate of Graduate School of Technology Management, XXXX University starting in the spring semester of 2010 with a condition that you will take the entrance examination held on Feb. 13, 2010 in Japan."

I am half-way through my PhD application!
It is unlikely that I would not pass the entrance exams if the prof has already agreed to accept me to be my supervisor -- well, that is what he said..

But, the question is, am I prepared to do a longer journey than my MBA away from my family-again?

Lubang sudah dikorek, nak masuk atau tidak aje...

Oh well, Istikharah is always the best way to solve. But for now, I do not have another choice yet to do that!

Time will tell, and for the time being, I want to enjoy a Japanese lunch today with Prof Miki Toshio from Sapporo Gakuin Univ who is in UKM on a sabbatical leave.

Nak pegi kemas-kemas kereta sikit...

Missing Japan...

2009-07-25T17:20:00.004+08:00

My husband brought back a Toyota Wish from Japan last year. It happened that my workplace is outside Nilai, so he let me drive his car everyday except Fridays. The car is so comfortable for the driver and the passengers, but the radio can only catch frequencies of 90MHz and below. Meaning, I can only listen to Muzik.fm, radio IKIM, and some minor stations while driving.

Whenever the programme is boring, I would switch on the CD. I don't have a lot of CD collections so I would turn to the self-made J-pop collection CD I have always listened to in this particular car when I was in Japan.

Every time the songs are heard, I felt as if I was driving the roads of Kitahara towards either Furukawa or Naruko. The winding roads and crystal clear rivers of Naruko, the paddy fields along the way, the bakery we have always visited during the weekends...everything comes out at each and everyone of the song I heard.

I can never forget the sereneness of country living in Japan. I am always thankful to my chemistry lecturer when I was in Japanese Matriculation Center (JMC), Mr. Fukunaga, who insisted my to choose Kyushu Univ.(Fukuoka) over Waseda Univ (Tokyo). His reason was that my personality fits 'kampung' life. And he was correct!

Tourists may aim big cities like Tokyo or Osaka but for me they mean less compared to the breathtaking sceneries of the countryside.

And I am really missing them, I do.

Maid or No Maid

2009-07-04T06:06:00.003+08:00

The only free-and-easy life I had was the 6 months after graduating my MBA; that was when I moved to Kitahara to join my husband and the 6 months after returning from Japan. Now, I have a permanent job with 2 businesses and soon I will also be a student again.

No matter how busy I am/was, I have never hired a maid. And I will not, if Allah permits.

However, the risks are

1) We have to eat out when I do not have time to cook.

2) My house looks like a .... urgghhh..can never mention..

3) We have to rush home to fetch the kids and consequently bring work home.

BUT.. I can never tolerate our privacy with a convenience of having a stay-in helper at home.

I am extra tired - like today, getting up at 2am and still awake at 6am with a 4-rounds of laundry, cleaning up the kitchen and ironing the clothes - (but still have time to update the blog!)

Later today I will have to go to Melaka, to attend the students and appointments with clients. Visiting my in-law who is admitted to the hospital in Batu Pahat is also something I have in mind of doing (just wish there is more than 24hrs in a day!)

Having heard of so many uncomfortable stories about maids these days, I am already a maid-phobia even before hiring one. So much so that I am willing to sacrifice my 9-5 job if I cannot take this load anymore!

Business is Jihad

2009-07-04T04:38:00.004+08:00

I always admire 2 figures in Malaysian business circle; Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhari and Tan Sri Muhammad Ali Hashim. I've read a lot about TSSMAB but have never seen him speaking in media. He has always keep himself low (which I really like about him).

Tan Sri Muhammad Ali Hashim, on the other hand, is now actively giving talks - his first I saw on TV attracted so much of my attention I realized he is a person with an exceptional aura. And his words - business is jihad - is something I can't agree more.

Owning a business now, I am feeling and tasting the "business is all about a jihad to the community and not all about money" statement. Many people might think jihad is when you are in a field of war, but fighting to survive a business is a battle itself. A good business practice is when you give back to the community and this will only take place when you have well-founded principles.

I was a practising engineer so, I felt the need to practice what I gained from my MBA. Everyday is exciting because every step I would make in maneuvering this business will connect me to the related bits I have learnt from the classroom and my work experience. It is like なるほど。。all the time. Oh needless to say, life in Japan had taught me a lot about managing an ideal business in the eyes of the customers.

I definitely do not know what will happen in the future but I hope as long as this thing is running, I will try to do everything in my power to contribute by providing the best service at an affordable rate. It is an open innovation; I always ask my clients what I can do to help them. And as this business takes off, I will execute the thing I have in mind to return to the community, insya-Allah. Business is jihad, anyway.

MJ's gone

2009-06-27T18:32:00.006+08:00

A lot of people are talking about the news now, I believe- even my husband yang xdengar muzik tu..

I was shocked when I heard the news on MHI. I remembered the first time I saw MJ on TV was when I was in Grade 2, masa belajar kat SRK Convent Infant Jesus(1) Melaka. Masa tu kalau xsilap xde kelas or cikgu xdatang or something, so kami dibawa ke bilik tv, and tgk MTV ranking. Terpegun tgk MJ singing Beat It and Billy Jean.

Later I bought his album yang ada lagu Man in the Mirror. I would read the lyrics all over again, sing along over and over again..and I think that contributed to my English (yg tak seberapa ni).

Every now and then I would follow his updates, tapi sedih juga rasanya bila his life ended like this.

I guess legendaries end this way most of the time...

Takpelah, life goes on..kita ni pulak macam mana agaknya...

Here, knowledge is free

2009-06-05T23:43:00.005+08:00

What I like the most about working here in UKM, apart from the flexibility, is the availability of knowledge for free.

I can ask publishers to send books to me at no cost as long as they are in line with my field/interest, and attend trainings arranged in-house or outside as I wish (and this happens almost all the time)

I have recently registered for a training on repairing printers. I have one unused printer at home because something went wrong but I don't know how to fix it. When I saw the ad in UKM's website, I thought it would be great if I can do it myself-what's more-its FOC!

A training on e-learning which I attended 2 weeks ago was also very helpful, not only for the class I am going to teach inside UKM, but also for those outside. If I have time, I can develop e-content for online learning-utilizing what I have learnt from the training.

As an educator, we also have the priviledge to request for readings not available in univ's library. Just ask online and they will get it for you.

So everyday, quietly in my room, I would devote myself to the ritual of reading--of course playing around with the internet when I get bored--and I can't tell you how fulfilling it is.

Nevertheless, I still hate deadlines but considering all the other 'blessings', it is absolutely fine for me.

It is not the money. It is when the knowledge is free, I am happy.

Somebody is watching me

2009-06-05T16:28:00.005+08:00

There is an awkward feeling about writing this blog.
I feel like somebody is watching me, secretly. Somebody I know.
Blogging means exposing myself to the world, and that is well-understood.
But when it comes to --how come you suddenly know ah?- thing, my curiosity antenna grows longer.

Oh, anyway, as long as it is not detrimental, what a heck. Dozo, bacalah! ;)

A taxing week

2009-05-13T16:58:00.005+08:00

I have been terribly busy for the past 2 weeks.

Pergi balik Melaka, making calls, business meetings...

Inilah rasanya bila nak set up business..

For all these while, sedar tak sedar I have actually underwent portions of my life with big events (to me laa..)

Zaman kanak2 dulu tu malas nak cerita, starting from 20~24 years of age, my first experience in Japan, went backpacking to several countries in Europe. 25~30, working in a Japanese company -- where I learnt the practical things as an engineer and administrator. 30~ 35 (I guess), masters & phd and setting up a company for my family.

I see all these sebagai satu cabaran yang perlu dihadapi.

I remembered when I was at the lowest point masa buat masters dulu.

I thought to myself that that point will pass..and there will always be a silver lining..

So it did...alhamdulillah.

This business thingy, is really taxing, financial and energy wise.

Sampai dah 4 hari rasa xberapa sihat.

Anyway, I will try my best to finally see that silver lining.

Ganbarou!!

I am now "officially" at work

2009-04-08T16:48:00.004+08:00

Today marks my 1st week being a UKM staff.

Owning an individual room, more flexible working hours are 2 new experiences for me...or should I say the first 2 culture shocks in my history of employment..lol.

Since I entered in the middle of the semester, I won't be teaching any subject.

What I have to do is get prepared for my PhD; complete the basic requirements -SLAB course & BTN and get a place + scholarship to study.

Luckily my ex-classmate in Sharodz is here so I'm always accompanied during lunch time. Oh, there are another 2 who reported on the same day, so we keep one another informed of what to do and what not.

I am going to miss doing trainings..had to decline 2 offers this month-just hoping that I won't regret it.

Establishing Asia-Pacific Children Convention (APCC) Bridge Club Malaysia

2009-02-27T18:52:00.008+08:00

In 1998, when I was studying for my degree course in Kyushu Univ 3rd year, I decided to participate as a volunteer in Asia-Pacific Children Convention in Fukuoka during the summer holidays. This huge event is organized since 1988 by an NGO in Fukuoka, now known as APCC to promote peace and international ties between Japan and participating countries.

Every year APCC invites children all over Asia-Pacific countries to Fukuoka. During their 2-week stay, they will experience homestay at typical Japanese homes, and participate in various activities arranged for them. Usually there will be 10 participants from each country, 8 selected school children, 1 PA (Peace Ambassador) and 1 chaperon. That makes up about 400 participants in total. As this international event requires a lot of communication in English/ various languages, anybody can join as a volunteer in documentation, and on field. That was where I came in. I participated in this event as a volunteer to help Malaysian delegates communicate, along with a junior student from Malaysia, Adie, who was assigned to help children from Tuvalu.

You can check the details of this event at http://www.apcc.gr.jp/e/

This was one of the most precious experiences I had in Fukuoka. I got to know people from various countries, esp from those we rarely hear about like Tuvalu and Bhutan. I got Matsuoka's (a top Japanese tennis player at the time) sign my yellow "We are the bridge" t-shirt which kept until last year (that was 10 years). The delegates, homestay families and volunteers were so cheerful and friendly which made saying goodbye to them was so painful to me.

And all those memories come back to life when one of the boys contacted me through facebook recently. Man, they still remember me? Unbelievable! They were 11 years old when I first met them, sekarang dah besar panjang! Syahmi, Zahirah, Sharifah were those I met at the meeting.

That brought me to the meeting between APCC representative from Fukuoka, former APCC participants with officers at Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia and later with Embassy of Japan. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss matters pertaining APCC like sponsorship etc, but most importantly about the establishment of Bridge Club Malaysia. Bridge Club is an alumni for those participated in APCC, and their job is to promote APCC by making activities and social work in their country. Sri Lanka,Indonesia and Thai BCs are already active but Malaysia has yet to start any.

Now it is time for these kids to make their first move, and I think it is my responsibility to help them in any way I can. The establishment of Malaysia's BC will help promote the ties between 2 countries thus realize the motto of APCC, "We are the Bridge".

皆さん、頑張って！応援するよ！！

Hey guys, I'm through!

2009-02-26T14:20:00.004+08:00

On this day, last week, just after I finished the interview session at MDeC, I've got the awaited call from UKM.

And..I am through! Alhamdulillah. They are offering me a lecturer position at the Faculty of Economics & Business. It is actually a breakthrough because never have they selected someone from engineering background for this position.

The unofficial letter of offer from the faculty arrived last Saturday. Until this day, I am still holding from replying the letter. I am waiting the response from MDeC, which environment I have started to fall for from my observation during the last 2 interviews.

We'll see what happens.

Me returning to Japan soon ?

2009-02-09T01:33:00.006+08:00

I don't want to talk about it, actually, but many on facebook who know me already knew so it is not a secret anymore.

I went to UKM (英名：National University of Malaysia) last week for a lecturer position interview. This position is at Faculty of Economics and Business and there were 5 applicants including me.

I was the third person into the interview room. The first two spent half an hour in the room but me...1 hour! Both of them were told to be prepared to be sent to the US for Phd.

The first thing the panels asked me was.."How to say 'good morning' in Japanese?"..

Then one of them asked me to speak some Japanese about myself.

Then the topic moved on to the economics situation in Japan and my personal opinion about it.

When I said that it is unlikely that Japan's economic will recover very soon because of the weakness in the leadership which resulted to lack of trust in politics, they kept on asking me more and more about it.

Then they say that if I am offered this position, I will be sent to Japan for a 3-year doctorate course.

Now, how fast can I go and to which university?

Man..that's a tough question...I just came back and my children are still trying to adjust themselves to the new environment.. but I am desperate to get this position.

Definitely they will not send me to Kyushu Univ. where I graduated my first and master degree. So I said," I don't mind any place but just don't send me to Hokkaido." :)

The first half of the interview gave the impression that they liked me and I am likely to get the position. However, the second part went sour because one of the panels questioned my credibility in teaching because I am from an engineering background. I tried my best to convince them that I have the hands-on experience and that I can share my expertise about Japanese business culture so I hope at least the dean believes in me.

In the end, they asked me to convert my undergrad results to CGPA because in Japan we are graded in A, B, C (A:80%~100%, B=70%~79%,C=60%~69%) and send to them to check if I am eligible for SLAB ( a postgrad scholarship scheme to upgrade bumiputra lecturers in gov. universities).

I left the interview room sceptical about the results I will receive in 2 weeks time.

If I get the position, I will have to return to Japan as soon as mid of this year.

Cepat betul!

So, till the week after next, I won't be having a peaceful sleep.

To Japan Again-Putting All Hopes on AirAsia X

2009-01-21T15:51:00.004+08:00

Tomorrow my husband will be going to Japan to sit for Ginou Kentei Shiken. It is a national examination to test engineers on the field they specialize in. That means my husband will be returning to Kitahara, in Furukawa where we lived before. I really wanted to join him but the skyrocketing Japanese yen value has made me keep that to myself.

Perhap it is too early for me to return to Japan.

Last week, I read on the newspaper that AirAsia X is flying to Japan by end of this year after the relaxation of visa requirement to enter Japan for Malaysians. To 3 places-Hokkaido, Osaka and Fukuoka. Actually AirAsia X has been eyeing to penetrate Japan market since 2 years ago, when I was still in Japan.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/1/12/nation/2997456&sec=nation

Since their main target was to bring Malaysians to Japan and not really vice versa, the strict visa requirement has made the plan postponed.

Now that Tokyo has relaxed the requirement, thanks to the strong negotiation by AirAsia X, I really hope they can start flying soon, because I will be the person taking the first flight to Fukuoka!

To my husband, good luck on bringing the durians to its fans in Furukawa and of course...the exam!

Sayonara Nishimura-san

2009-01-03T02:02:00.005+08:00

23rd of Dec, 2008 was the day Nishimura-san, my ex-boss had to leave Malaysia and return to Japan for good.

I felt sad because he has been very nice to me, motivated me and even wrote a recommendation letter for me when I wanted to pursue my master's degree in Japan-which means I had to quit the job.

Having lived in Malaysia for about 8 years, he told me KL is his second home, and will come back to retire in Malaysia if condition permits.

Hopefully we will see you again, Nishimura-san. Remember us everytime you see the Royal Selangor vase.

And thank you very much for your kindness and guidance all these while.

Sayonara!

Thank you and Sayonara, our family friends

2008-10-29T11:50:00.011+08:00

During all periods of my stay in Japan, I have always been blessed with warm-hearted Japanese friends. And many of them are at the age of my parents.

When I first came to Japan in 1996, I was welcomed by a Japanese lady, Mrs. Chie Miyamoto, who was a volunteer with the Fukuoka-Malaysia Friendship Association. She was close to a senior Malaysian student who taught the members of the association Malay language at that time. Miyamoto-san was a friendly but strict when it came to Japanese language and culture. Usually, Japanese people whom we met will just allow us speak Japanese our way, even if it was wrong. because they thought that we were still new, and we are not Japanese to get it all right. But not Miyamoto-san, she will comment on the smallest thing on my Japanese grammar, how I use the words and even on how I act on some occasions. I can still remember her scolding me for not finishing my meal. "Mottainai", she said, which means "what a waste". She told me in Japan, it is disgraceful to leave even a grain of rice in the bowl-disgraceful to the person who prepared the meal, and also disgraceful to the god's blessings.

Miyamoto-san was also the one who tipped me on the celebrities/VIPs who were coming to Fukuoka. With her efforts, I was selected as a translator for Erma Fatima & Eizlan Yusof team who came for Asian Film Festival in Fukuoka, I got to meet and guided Zaki Sadri, Watson Nyambek and other national athletes around town who were attending a trek competition, and talked to Anwar Ibrahim on the phone who stayed at a hotel in Fukuoka for an international conference.

However, when she moved to Tokyo, following her husband, I only got to meet her once after losing contact because I graduated and returned to Malaysia. I still do not know where she lives now, or her contact number, but I suppose she is still active assisting foreign students in Tokyo.

My second friend is Kaneko-san. I met him in Fukuoka too, just about the same timing I met Miyamoto-san. He used to live in Malaysia for about 2 years nearly 20years back, teaching in Miri, under JICA program. His love for Malaysia never changed since then, and until now he still assist Malaysia homestay program promotions in Japan. He was among the first persons I searched for when I returned to Japan for masters degree. What I like about him is that he understands the way we Malaysians think. One day, I got a phone call from him (he was in Malaysia on holidays) asking if he could stay a night at my mom's house in Melaka. Japanese would never do that, what's more if he/she is not a family member. Everybody home liked him, because he made sure his stay was not troublesome for the family by washing his own clothes, and mingle around well with everyone, including my grandfather.

Kaneko-san is also the first person who called me to ask my condition when the Iwate-Miyagi earthquake happened several months ago. He did not forget to wish me Hari Raya (which I myself nearly forgotten to do the same to my family..).

I do missed my family friends when I moved to Miyagi. However, here we were fortunate enough to get another family friend. He is Sato-san, the person I always mention in my previous postings. He is also about the same age as my mother, and he initially was my husband's co-worker. Now he has already retired from the company and established his own. He is so caring to all of us, and I think he regarded my children as his own grandchildren. He recommended Nani origamis instead of computer games, by buying her origami books and papers. He guided us to Zao, Yamagata and Soma on our holidays trip. And when I asked him about how much he bought his 210mm lense, the next day he gave me his 250mm lense for free. Other things he have given us, especially food are too many to be listed here. Even when I haven't moved here, he sent me 2 boxes of Japanese pears. He also the only person who helped us with house cleaning before moving out.

When I assure him our assistance in Malaysia, he said he will look after Nani when she comes again to Japan for further study. I once asked my husband why he treated us so well and he said that Sato-san told him when he was posted to Malaysia years back, someone kindly helped him when he was injured. That's why when he heard a Malaysian was posted to the company (my husband), he quickly approached and be good friends.

These people are only a part of the endless list of my Japanese friends. Befriending them is a blessing and something that would make my relations with the country inseparable.

Hope chances are there for me to come again and visit my friends of the country in the future. Till then, I will be waiting for them in Malaysia.

Moving out

2008-10-24T23:28:00.006+08:00

I have been very busy the past few weeks because we are going to leave Japan end of this month. Packing is the hardest thing to do and I am bad at organizing the miscellaneous little things. Felt as if wanting to throw away things like that, but each and every one of them is money so I have to consider that before eliminating them. The picture is only a part of our many boxes, which will be sent by air and sea.

So, to make it short, today we have sent all our things through a moving company and moved out to a nearby hotel. We will stay there until the 30th, before heading to Narita for the flight the next day.

In Japan, moving in and out is troublesome and consumes a lot of money. Deposit, key money and the first (if not few) months rent are the whole thing you have to pay before moving in. Don't expect you can get the whole deposit when you move out, because the house owner/agent will charge you almost all (if not all) from the deposit for all the damage that has been done to the apartment. If there is a tatami room, the chances are that you won't be getting a yen because the tatami must be changed for the next occupant.

What I hate most is that during these busy times there are so many invitations to dinner/lunch. Can't they consider us being so packed with our schedule managing this and that before leaving? After a long day sending off our things and doing some cleaning today, we will have to attend a BBQ tomorrow, and then my husband will have to attend a farewell party the night. We will have to return the key to the house owner on Sunday, so everything must be perfectly clean until then, so that we can get as much money returned as possible.

Btw, it was a sad day for my daughter as she had to say goodbye to her kindergarten friends. They have been exchanging letters the past couple of weeks, and what they wrote was only a few words, like "Nani, I will be missing you", "I like you" and such, with some cute drawings of princess or anime character in between. So sweet..Even today when we visited the school to say thanks to the teachers, her friends asked us if Nani could stay until the end and not follow us home earlier. This kindergarten is much better than the one in Fukuoka, because it gives more freedom for the kids to develop their skills. Nani is much better now in communicating, drawing, playing the melodion and origami (just invented a camera using her own method, which really surprised me). She can also read and write hiragana and katakana well now.

Ok, so much more to write but I am too tired. Will try my best to tell more stories on our activities before leaving Japan. Till then, I am going to get some zzzzs now.

Cosmos Garden, Naruse River, BBQ with Msians

2008-10-23T03:05:00.014+08:00

What do you think of this photo?

This picture was taken during our short trip to Cosmos Garden in Matsuyama town, Osaki, about 20mins drive from our house. This is my favorite photo taken using Canon Kiss F, 55mm lense.

Btw, it was a sunny day and the view from the hilltop was magnificient. See some of other pictures taken at the garden. Sorry, no human photos here, just an appreciation to the wonderful view.

On the way back, we passed by Naruse River. The river is so clean and the surrounding is so peaceful, it made us wanted to stop by . The way to the riverside was quite tricky, though, because it was bushy alongside. It was like a mini adventure, we just drove through the narrow, winding road to get to the nearest area to the river. The riverside is so wide, I am not sure whether that was natural or man-made.

On the way, we came across some motocross riders practising their skills. To my suprise, they were only primary~secondary schoolers!. And they flied great!

The short trip was really nice, but it dampened our packing plan. We were too tired to pack even a box after returning home..

The very next day, we went to Sendai to join the Msian students BBQ. We were late for about an hour, but they were still busy grilling seafood when we arrived. The BBQ was done at a river (I forgot the name)situated just behind one of the student's apartment. I was touched again by the surrounding. The river flows in the city, but the cleanliness of the river is like one flowing in the mountains!

The river is quite strange though, because the other bank is a tall cliff and with houses built very near to it. The side where we had BBQ is a flat bank. I wonder if the river was initially really, really deep.

They grilled a lot of fish, about 100 sanmas (brevoorts), calamaries, salmons etc. To my surprise, the fish was really cheap, 100 sanmas for only 2500yen! One menu that was really good was the chan-chan yaki, which is salmon and a combination of vegetables steam-grilled in aluminum foil.

The BBQ started at 12 noon but they were as hungry as bears everytime something grilled is ready.

Oh yea, the picture below was taken when I accompanied Shakir who wanted to play at the riverbank. Met this cute girl who were playing bubbles with her mom .

Know what she did when I was taking her picture? She stopped moving, grinned at me and played mannequin! All of us couldn't stop laughing!

We dismissed ourselves at about 5 because Sato-san was coming to our house at 7pm and we need to settle some things before returning home.

A long weekend, tiring but filled with good memories.

Hari Raya in Japan + Boat ride in Matsushima

2008-10-09T10:26:00.016+08:00

It has been a week since Hari Raya (Eid).

I was not busy on hari raya at all, because my husband was working, and my daughter was at school.

Just a little bit busy on the last day of Ramadan because I cooked a few traditional dishes for iftar. Some nasi himpit, beef rendang, sambal ikan bilis and lodeh. It was the most special iftar we had.

On Saturday night, we went to Sendai, about 40km from Furukawa to attend the Malaysian students' open house. It was my first time meeting most of them because I only met a family and a Phd student during hanami last april. We were supposed to reach there earlier but my daughter claimed she had stomach ache so we brought her to the hospital before departing for Sendai. 2 hours at the hospital with people staring at us, especially my husband who wore a daring pink baju melayu, that was really funny.

At 8 we reached Sendai and gosh..there were so many of them. About 25 students, most of them are studying mechanical engineering. They go to Tohoku Univ. My genius math teacher in JMC was a graduate of this university. Lots of food; nasi himpit, rendang ayam, lemang, bihun, chocolate cake, kuih raya (from malaysia I suppose), roti sardin gulung..and the list went on. I brought an apple cake and agar2 pengat labu. The fruit cocktail was really good.

I took a lot of pictures with my new Canon Kiss F hoping to get good hari raya shots. Later, I realized that I forgot to insert an SD card but I thought that the pictures taken were stored in the camera's internal memory. I was totally wrong!! When I returned home and check the manual, there is no such thing as internal memory for this camera...betul ke? Penat je amek gambar banyak2....

The next day, Sunday we went to a friend's house. He is the company chief cook where my husband works in, and we fondly call him "pakcik canteen". The last time we went to his house was a few months ago, and his parents have been waiting for our next visit for quite some time.

We reached his house at about 1.40pm, and the first thing we did after greeting the family was a boat ride around Matsushima. Matsushima is a popular tourist spot in Miyagi prefecture- declared one of the three grand views in Japan. The name Matsushima came from the 260 tiny islands ("shima" in Japanese) covered with pine trees ("matsu"). Pakcik canteen brought us around the islands on his boat. This was my second time after the first ride on my grandfather's boat around Pulau Besar nearly a quarter century ago.

Although it was cloudy that day, the view of Matsushima was magnificient. The tiny islands were like sculptures; one looks like a person wearing a hat, some look like sea waves, and some has holes resembling doors...As it was a Sunday, many people, men and women were fishing on the islands. We were also shown the place where they culture oysters, laver seaweed and kelp.

Returning to pakcik canteen's house, we were served with edamame (green soybean), japanese tea and biscuits. The edamame was sweet and delicious. They gave us some home, in exchange to our rendang and nasi himpit. Nani was very talkative, she made origamis , sang songs to entertain the grandparents.

A moment later, a friend of pakcik canteen came to guide us to his fish shop. The shop was only about 2 minutes by car from pakcik canteen's house. Man, so many fresh seafood, it was hard for me to decide which to buy.

We bought some oysters, tuna, mackerels, crabs..and the shopkeeper was kind enough to add cuttlefish, some small fish, more oysters, crabs, ikan bilis...bla..bla..They also gave us crab miso soup for tasting and grilled scallops for free. Sedapnyee....

We returned to the house and had some tea and edamame again. We then said goodbye at around 4. The family gave us osenbetsu (a parting gift--because we are leaving for Malaysia end of this month for good)..and it was 10000yen! Alhamdulillah, rezeki.

We went home and the first thing we did was cooking dinner...a seafood nabe(hotpot)! It is easy to make one, just put the seafood with little water and soy sauce (or dressing) , heat it to boil and add vegetables. I wanted it hot, so I took it with some kimchi. With all the giant oysters, crabs, cuttlefish and some vegetables, the hotpot was really good!

Oh yes, if you visit Matsushima around this time, you can also enjoy eat-all-you-want grilled fresh oysters for only 1000yen per person.

A short trip to Soma, Fukushima

2008-09-28T03:56:00.012+08:00

Just a short break from the nostalgic stories in QBS..

Yesterday we went for a short trip to Fukushima ..to buy pears. Oh well, since the pear farm is located in Soma, where the HQ for communication device is located, I was also meeting an ex-coworker who was an expat in Malaysia a few years ago.

Soma is located about 90 km from Furukawa, the place where I live in. We departed at about 8am, along with Sato-san and Kono-san (both were also assigned to Malaysia years ago) in separate cars. The journey was quite long, we went on highway at first, but on small streets around some mountains later.

Finally at about 11 am, we reached the pear farm of Odawara's. The pear was soooo big. Sato-san, as usual bought boxes of pears. I think around 20boxes and each of the boxes has at least 10 pears. Odawara-san peeled one for the kids, and I am sure it was sweet and juicy (we were fasting so we could not eat).

Odawara-san invited inside for some hot tea, as it was a little bit cold outside. Odawara-san was also an expat to Malaysia when he worked with the same company so he can understand Malay a little. I then ordered one box, grade 1 pears 10kg to be sent to Prof Shutto in Fukuoka. The pears was 4000yen, and the packaging and shipping cost another 2000yen. Oh well, Prof Shutto told me once that he likes pears very much, so grade 1 pears should be good enough for a present for him.

The Odawaras were very friendly, we talked about Malaysia, about how he started his pear farm after quitting his job etc.. He told us that it was difficult to raise pears, especially when it comes to the fertilizer things. He learnt pear farming from a veteran farmer, but since he was unsatisfied with the fertilizer because it was 100% chemical, he experimented new fertilizer ingredients. It took him hard work,and to his surprise, he managed to raise much better pears than others. Before leaving the Odawaras gave us a box of pears for free (rezeki, alhamdulillah).

Then we went to somewhere near Soma port, to buy some fresh fish. While the non-Muslims and the kids were having lunch, I bought some fish and seafood products at a market beside the restaurant. The fish was a little bit pricey, but they were really fresh.

Next was the meeting with my ex-coworker, Toita-san. He was the youngest expat in the company, so he was quite popular among the girls (even the operators) back then. Baby-faced and fun to mingle around with, too bad he was too busy for a girlfriend. Perhaps he should slow down a little bit to find one :)

We didn't have much time because he was going to attend a wedding ceremony at 2pm. I met him last year, when I came to Furukawa to visit my husband during the summer holidays, so it was exactly one year since then. It was fun to get to see him and update with the recent news on both Japan and Malaysia sides. He said he is coming to Malaysia end of this year, so if his schedule permits maybe we can meet again later.

At 2, we said goodbye to each other and we departed for Furukawa. We took a different route this time without taking the highways. That was really slow because of traffic jam , we finally reached Furukawa at about 4.50pm ( I dropped by at a vegetable shop run by a local farmer on the way). We were all tired and sleepy (didnt sleep since sahur at 3am) so we just had iftar with some octopus sashimi, home-made onigiri (riceballs), a slice of cake (or half because we shared) , milk and a cup of coffee. Will save the sweet and juicy pears for tomorrow's iftar.

Everyone, especially Papa, otsukaresamadeshita...

* Nice blue autumn skies in the middle of the traffic jam in Sendai

QBS life : ICABE in Nanjing, China 2008

2008-09-14T14:04:00.030+08:00

ICABE (International Consortium of Asian Business Education) is a consortium run by Kyushu Univ. Business School to promote networking, share substance and know-how for Asian business education, which many educational institutions have separately developed. And one of the activities of ICABE is student exchange with universities in China. For the first and the last time, I participated in this program held at Nanjing University, China, sponsored by Toshiba International Foundation in Feb, 2008, just before graduation.

Nanjing is located about in the middle between Beijing and Shanghai. This was my 2nd trip to China, the first one was to Shanghai, about 10 years ago. I definitely expected a huge difference as China now is fast growing country after joining WTO.

There were 10 students with 2 proffesors and 1 asst. prof in the trip. We disembarked at Pudong International Airport, Shanghai before taking a chartered bus ride to Nanjing. Actually we were divided into groups and were expected to give presentation on a given topic at Nanjing Univ. Unfortunately, our group was still unprepared so my friends and I took the opportunity to make discussion on the bus.

At last we reached Nanjing and that took us 5 hours from Shanghai! The first activity was a factory tour to Phoenix Ltd, a German company making connectors. Many people at the crust of this company pursued MBA at Nanjing Univ.

Then we moved to a hotel for dinner. Today was the 60th birthday of my supervisor, Prof Shutto. In Japan, 60th birthday is special (called "kanreki") where people celebrate it as the sexagenary cycle completed and restarts at the 60ths year. Simply said, it is like "Life starts at 60".heheh.. Prof Zhan treated him with a birthday cake and I also gave him a small present. Prof. Shutto made sure my food is halal, and I was very thankful for that. One thing I learnt from the dinner is that how drinking is very important in building relationship (ie business) with the chinese. It is not only the drinking thing but also how they do it, the protocol and rules is what matters. Of course I don't drink because I am a Muslim but I feel that this experience is valuable to understand the Chinese.

After dinner, we went to the hotel we were staying. I shared the room with Cho-san (the Chinese girl)from the 5th batch. As we haven't finished doing the presentation material, we went to the boys room for discussion. And that was not really a discussion, the boys were so funny! Lalalalai!!

But we managed to complete the task, at last, late that night. Before returning to our room, the boys promised to accompany me for breakfast the next morning, because of my Muslim diet.

The next morning, we walked the streets around the hotel to find something I could eat. It was the moment when I saw something written in Arabic opposite the side we were walking. We all approached the shop and walla! it was a halal noodles shop! I knew it was halal because the shop had "清真" written on its signboard. A chinese classmate once told me that 清真 means "halal" in Chinese, and I could understand it from the word. To make sure, I asked the cook if he is a Muslim, and he said yes. So..I was so excited to be able to taste the Chinese noodles, in China for the first time ever. I ordered a beef noodles and an extra fried noodles for all to taste. It was so yummy! We took a picture with the shy, young cook before returning to the hotel.

At about 8 we departed for Nanjing University. I was excited to meet friends from Nanjing Univ. who were on exchange program to QBS the previous year. We always meet in QBS study room because I usually stayed up late writing my thesis so most of them know me, at least. After listening to the lectures of prof. from both universities, it was the students' turn to present. We presented on "Where would China go after the Olympics" (that was not the exact title but what we presented) and we made the Tokyo Olympics as the scenario to compare. Well, at the end we brought the discussion to "ECO" issues...ok. to much about that.

After the lecture hall activities, we were brought on a tour to Nanjing Univ Business School. Guess what, the school operates hotel rooms on one of its floors! The rooms are managed by Mandarin Oriental..and it was damn like a hotel. So next time when we come to Nanjing we can stay for a reasonable price, if the rooms are available.

The night we were treated with dinner in the university. Again I was surprised that the Univ has a high class restaurant, and I mean it! Round tables, chinese ala carte menu...we nearly forgotten that we were in campus area.

After dinner, the asst prof asked if we wanted to join her for a massage. I have never been to one except at my cousin's who runs a salon at her house, so I joined the group. To "protect" us, Prof Shutto joined our all-girls group, and there we were, all of us enjoying the foot massage.

The next day, we checked out the hotel and went for a trip to a world heritage site in Nanjing. It was a an ancient castle ruin of Tang Dynasty. From there, we went to Nanjing Station and took a bullet train to Shanghai. All along the way I could see the large gap between the rich and poor in China, and I was a little bit sad about that.

In Shanghai, Hanada-san, Suthep-san and I said goodbye to the others because we were heading home first. The others stay for another night in Shanghai. My classmate, An-san brought us around the busiest streets of Shanghai and somewhere near Shanghai Tower. There were so many people they walk on the bus lane! However, the air was smoky I already felt a sore throat. Anyway, the view of the surrounding (minus the sky) was great.

Later we took a ride on the fastest train on earth (I think) , the linear motorcar. It took only 8 minutes to Pudong International Airport from the city center. See how fast its maximum speed is.. 431km/h!

We finally reached Fukuoka at around 7pm. Thanks to ECO group for all the fun and Prof. Shutto for making sure of my diet.

QBS life:Trip to Malaysia 2007

2008-09-10T19:56:00.025+08:00

This trip is the most memorable thing I've ever done with my friends in QBS. One day, all of a sudden I had this strong desire of introducing my classmates to Malaysia during my planned trip for holidays home. I was the only Malaysian in QBS, and I think there might not be many, if not none, Malaysian taking up this course, as it requires high level of Japanese proficiency, apart from English, and of course not many people would think of Japan to pursue MBA.

My target is to make the trip valuable and memorable, so I targeted to get an appointment with Tun Mahathir (Japanese respects Tun very much), besides arranging for a study trip to university and Malacca. Frankly, I know nobody and was clueless on how to reach Tun until I found about The Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya. One day, I wrote a very simple e-mail to the manager, and woooshhh! her quick reply suprised me with a promise to help get an appointment with Tun! That really motivated me, so other arrangements were done in no time- my uncle introduced me to his friend for the bus, booked 14 rooms at Cititel Midvalley (only 4 persons sharing twin room) and I got an OK from MMU for the study trip. (I chose MMU because I wanted to introduce the Japanese to Multimedia supercoridor),also an OK from JMC/JAD alumni for dinner.

Only by spreading invitation email to my friends, at last there were 16 people joining the trip including 2 Taiwanese and 1 Chinese.Too bad our lecturer could not join because they had to attend an important scheduled event at school.

So the first day, I met the first group at KLIA and we went straight to Cititel Midvalley. Actually I was surprised to see the bus. Besarnyeeeee dan cantiknyeee...thanks Busu Nuar. The night we went for dinner at the 3rd floor foodcourt. My Japanese friends found it hard to choose from so many kinds of food.Heheh, I didn't really eat because there were another 2 friends coming from KLIA.

The second day was our day in KL. We went to KLCC by train. The weather was nice and hot so KLCC's view is magnificient. During Zohor prayers, I brought them to KLCC mosque, to introduce them more on Islam. It seemed interesting to them; one even took a picture of the toilet in the mosque! (maklumla kita kan pakai air)..Coincidently, it was Saturday and there were many school children who came for a trip, so my friends took the chance talking to the locals. In the evening, we went up to the tower bridge. It was also my first visit there, and I think it was very nice to have a bird's eye view on KL. We then went to a hotel in Ampang to meet JMC/JAD alumni committee members. Most of the top position were from my batch whom I haven't seen for quite a while, so it was like a jejak kasih for me! We had very friendly sessions, everybody was excited and enjoyed the north Indian meals. I think we reached hotel at about 11pm.

The next day, Sunday was our trip to....MELAKA! On the way, we drop by at Cyberjaya to visit MMU's MBA program. We participated in one of the class and had simple lunch, mingle around with the MBA students.

Nearly at noon, we reached Melaka and the first thing we did was visit Taman Mini Malaysia, Ayer Keroh. Too bad the facility was not well maintained so I was actually a little embarassed/dissappointed about that. Next, we went to Banda Hilir. We walked along Jonker Street and they were amazed to see a Chinese and Hindu temple, and a mosque all at one road. At the mosque, we joined the kids who were playing sepak raga and ping pong. One of the Malay boys could speak Chinese, so my Taiwanese friends "interviewed" him. Then we walked up the St Paul's Hill. The cool breeze of Straits of Melaka took away the heat..bestnye.. We walked down to A Famosa and then went for a drink at Dataran Pahlawan. At about 7pm, we moved to Umbai for ikan bakar dinner. I showed them the area where my house is located on the way (too bad I couldnt invite them to my house for some reasons). As we reached the medan ikan bakar, it was sunset. And that was the sunset that would remind me very much about this trip. My mother, sister, her friend and my children later joined in. It was my mother's birthday so we got her a cake and presents to celebrate! Time went so fast, we only board the bus at 10pm and arrived in Cititel midvalley about 12midnight. Esok nak jumpa Tun early in the morning!

There came the morning we were waiting for. I was well-dressed (pinjam baju adik) in kebarung and my friends were also in formal attire. It was the time when I read the newspaper while waiting for my room mate to get ready when I saw this tiny article: TUN WAS ADMITTED TO IJN. Oh dear....what should I say to my friends..?

As usual, we assembled at the lobby and I conveyed the news. Everyone was shocked, but the plan was still on. We went to Perdana Leadership Foundation, and were welcomed by Puan Zarina, the manager of the foundation. She also informed us about the bad news. Anyway, Puan Zarina is an elegant, softspoken lady, her English is so good and she treated us very well. She guided us through the facilities and activities of the foundation.We were then invited for a tea (what they say) which for us was equal to a decent lunch. Tsuruoka-san asked if we could enter Tun's office, and she contacted Tun's aide to get the permission. There we were, posing in Tun's room and checking out what Tun was reading. Our group photo is certainly incomplete without Tun, but we were very thankful to the staff for the nice treat.

Since the second group came later on Saturday, we then returned to KLCC for shopping and such. It was raining heavily as we were moving back to KLIA(some were boarding the evening flight). That night Tsuruoka-san, Wakasugi-san, Watanabe-san,Fu-san and I went to Bangsar for dinner. They were very excited to experience eating at stalls. Furthermore, one of the stalls provide shisha, so the guys tried that. It tasted apple, they said.

Only Wakasugi san and Fu san stayed till the last day. Early in the morning, we went to Dataran Merdeka to visit a museum next to it and posing in front of Bangunan Sultan Abd Samad. Fu san left for Taiwan in the afternoon, so I brought Wakasugi san to Jalan Masjid India. Wakasugi san wanted to watch a Tamil movie, and we did so for only about half an hour. Again to KLCC, had tea, and said goodbye to Wakasugi-san. The moment I stepped into the commuter, I did not remember anything--I felt like the clouds were on me. Again when I reached Nilai, I was nearly unconscious. ...slept like a log.

This trip really challenged me to the limit because I did everything single-handedly. Except for not being able to meet Tun, I am very satisfied and proud to myself when my friends told me they were very satisfied with the trip. And that sunset on the Straits of Melaka put me and the trip members in tears when the photo was showcased during our graduation dinner's finale.

QBS life : Reduce Reuse Recycle

2008-09-07T19:32:00.009+08:00

Japan is a country that has little resources compared to its domestic needs. The country is rich with mountains, volcanoes, had not much of land to use and also does not have much/at all natural resources like petroleum, gas or minerals.

So, unlike us in Malaysia, people in Japan are very concern about what they throw, because they have little space to dump all the garbages. And one good thing is that the Japanese act in groups and this behaviour is one little secret of their success as a civilised society. So when the government outlined that everybody must separate the garbage before throwing it away, everyone does it without much complain (I mean not as much as us in Malaysia).

Some criteria that must be fulfilled when you want to throw garbage in Japan is

1) Identify what type it is (burnable, unburnable, pet bottle, glass bin, large size (like furniture, electrical appliances etc)

2) Put the thrash in the designated garbage bag (you have to purchase a standard garbage bag) and throw it at the designated place on the designated day. (ie, in front of your apartment, every Tuesday and Friday for burnable garbage, once a week for plastic)

-> so you will have to stand a pungy smell in the house until the specified day if you produce mountains of kitchen garbage

3) If you mix up the garbage, chances are you'll get it returned in front of your door with a notice.

If you are coming to stay in Japan, don't worry you will be provided with pamphlets on how to throw away rubbish correctly the day you register with the municipal.

If you are outside, just find the correct bin to throw away the garbage.. But it is not that easy to find one. Everyone here bring his/her own plastic bag to picnics and barbeque to bring the garbage home. We also did that on every similar events we do. This is because no garbage bins are provided..and still people don't leave the trash for the sake of the environment.

Another good thing from this is that, people recycle a lot here. To throw away an electrical would cause you about 3000yen (that is about RM100). So what they do is they sell it at very cheap price or just give it away for free. And there is when I come in...getting every thing for nearly free. My TV with TV rack, large refrigerator, table, cabinet, bicycle, dresser etc..were all used item but at very good conditions. I got all the information from message board in Fukuoka Now, a website for dedicated for foreigners living in Fukuoka. Nani's clothes and toys were also from the recycle center or flea market. And the tradition is that, when the person is leaving, the things will be given away to other Malaysians for free.

To my surprise when I first arrived here, Japanese recycle the milk container, not by merely putting it into a specified garbage bin, but before that they will cut open, wash and dry the containers before throwing it into specified garbage bins usually provided in supermarkets. Man.. thats a lot of hassle but generally people follow it. The box will be recycled to make tissue papers.

The picture below is about Aeon (Jusco) activity of recycling biomass plastic (plastic made of plants) from plastic to wrap vegetables -> egg container. And if you tell that you don't need a plastic bag (because you bring shopping bag etc), you'll get a stamp which you can exchange with a discount coupon when the qty is enough.

Their effort is endless to tell, but the result is there. Longkang belakang rumah ni macam anak sungai yang bersih betul airnya. I was told by a Japanese friend that long time ago, when Japan was a developing country, water pollution was bad, worse than Sg Klang, but with their hard work (not by cleaning the water macam govt buat kat Msia, but the effort of the society), the rivers now are crystal clear.

I really hope the day Malaysians be as environmentally concious as the Japanese will come. And I would like to help my brothers and sisters of my alma mater with that...Tgklah macam mana..

QBS Life: QBS classes

2008-09-05T02:29:00.014+08:00

It has been a while since I last wrote. There is some job I have to do, deadline next week. So for now I will just jot down simple but memorable stories of QBS. One of it is the QBS class. QBS classes are at night to cater working adults. The classes started at 6.20~9:30 pm with 10 mins break in the middle (already changed in previous sem). Nearly half of our lecturers have responsibility in giant companies, and they sit top positions. We also have lecturers invited from other organizations and overseas universities, during summer hols. I took up one class called "Asia Business Management" and the prof. (Prof. Zhao, pic mid->don't mind about me in the pic ,ok..not my latest size) was from Beijing. From the lecture I learnt that making business with Chinese in a sense is no different from the Japanese; "relationship" is heavily required. You have to get yourself into the circle and once you are there, it is easier to do business with them. And to do that you will have to understand their culture, language and etiquitte. I experienced more of this during my visit to Nanjing, China which story I will write later.

We in QBS are like a family. We helped each other and the lecturers also helped us a lot. There was a time when Nani had a high fever, her temperature was 40℃ for 5 consecutive days and everyone was so worried about that. I merely had sleep that in the International Business class I went to the lecturer to ask questions, but I couldn't say it. In Intellectual Property class, I missed the last class because of this and a classmate helped explain the requirements for the final report. I did exactly like what he said and I was praised sky high by the lecturer, saying that the report was one of the best in the class! Arita-san, I owe you one!

MBA classes are very interesting for me because we can say almost anything. The students also evaluate the performance of the lecturers and the management of QBS itself at the end of each semester. I remember once in Organizational Behaviour I asked the lecturer this question, "Do Japanese think that a person who quits a job an works somewhere else a traitor?".Even the lecturer was shocked to hear it, but I think that was a question I really wanted to ask a Japanese...heheh, I did get an answer for it of both Yes and No sides.

I also like writing reports for the class, because we are given freedom to choose anything we want to write about an addressed issue. For the accounting final report, we were asked to evaluate financial performance of 2 companies we like, and I chose the company I worked for previously and its competitor. Man..that report cost me more than 40 pages to finish but I really satisfied with it.

I really missed the days in QBS. I wished I could turn back time. The only thing I hate about it was that I had to be away from the family, that's all.

Ramadan's here!

2008-09-01T02:20:00.016+08:00

Yesterday, 31st Aug, marked the 51th anniversary of Malaysian independence. It was also yesterday that in Malaysia, the 1st fasting day of Ramadan determined. And today, has been proclaimed as the 1st day of Ramadan. In the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims do not eat, drink and are also obliged to follow other restrictions from dawn to sunset.

Ramadan in Japan is very much different from one in Malaysia. We do not have Bazar Ramadan, which sells so many kinds of food especially as the breakfasting time is approaching and most importantly we do not have the chance to savour mom's dishes..At the moment, the dawn and sunset time is also different, 3.30am to 6.00pm (as in Miyagi) so we have to wake up earlier to eat some food before starting to fast.

But one thing we enjoy fasting in Japan is that the weather is not as hot as in Malaysia. Daily temperature is generally 28℃ max so we don't feel as tired. And another thing is that when we have breakfast gathering with other Malaysians. It is usually potluck style where we bring our own dishes to share with our friends. These are also the time for the bachelor kohais (junior) to show off their talent in cooking. See pic, teh tarik depa kaww..siap buat kuih keria lagi...

When I was in Fukuoka, the Muslim student association holds breakfasting and terawih prayers (special prayers only in Ramadan) every day at school and one big event on Sundays at the International Students Hall. In the Sunday event, many people will come, including women and children so every country will have to take turns preparing food for breakfasting. Usually Malaysians will work with some other countries with small population in Fukuoka.

During the days when I had classes at QBS, I remembered asking my lecturer for permission to have a bite on biscuit for breakfasting. QBS classes are at night, usually from 6.20pm~9.30pm (2 periods) so if I don't eat, pengsanlaa..Not to mention that I was also working during the day, from 10 to 4. Time in Ramadan was very short because I had to wake up as early as 2.30am to eat (I don't sleep after eating), do assignment or housechores, prepare for work and Nani's kindergarten..and sleep at about 11pm after finishing school at 9.30pm. In one Ramadan, I lost about 8kgs...(but now bounce back..heheh)

Ramadan this year is the last one for me in Japan. The last chance to lose weight too, before returning to Malaysia. For all Muslims out there, enjoy Ramadan!

QBS life: Hakata Dontaku Parade

2008-08-27T09:17:00.017+08:00

This is another annual event that I haven't failed to participate when I was in Fukuoka. Hakata Dontaku is a festival developed by merchant of Hakata from a traditional celebration of Hakata Matsubayashi. Today it is one of the largest festivals in Japan, mobilizing about 2 million visitors from all parts of the country,held in the long holidays period of "the golden week", particularly on 3~4th May.

One of the unique characteristics of this festival is that it also includes the participation of foreigners living in Fukuoka. So there I was, joining the parade under the proud Malaysia flag. Most foreigners participating in the parade are students of Kyushu University and Japanese volunteers of each country (ie Malaysia Shimin no Kai) so generally we know each other.

Before the parade starts, we gathered at the nearby foreign student hall. We were given a few things to wear like "happi"(err..what do you call it..outer clothes?) and decorations to bring during the parade. Everybody was in celebration mood, so it was fun.

During the 2006 dontaku, we met a high school student volunteer who had been to Malaysia for homestay. Shocked to learn that he is a fan of AF and Mawi! (He is the one in yellow "happi" in the 1st pic above). Although it only took us about 10 minutes to walk the parade, we do get excited especially when people waved at us and called out Malaysia...Malaysia!".

★Watch some of other Hakata Dontaku scenes here.

At the end of the route, there are stalls selling food and souvenirs. But the heat of excitement made us crave for water more...

QBS life : Coming of the Age Party

2008-08-26T08:29:00.016+08:00

In Japan, one is considered adult when he/she reaches 20 years old. The coming of the age day (held second Monday of January) is a public holiday in Japan where major ceremonies are held here and there to celebrate "new" adults.

In Fukuoka, apart from welcome party, Malaysian also celebrate this coming of age day since the students will reach 20 in their first year in Japan. The organizer of this celebration is a local community of Uchihama, Fukuoka. Uchihama community has a close relationship with Malaysians ever since they were appointed as a homestay area for Malaysian athletes participating in Universiade Fukuoka 1995.

Since I was in Fukuoka from 1996-2000 and again from 2006-2008, I have attended the party 6 times without fail. Before the party starts, the newcomers will be dressed in kimonos, and these kimonos are really expensive. Not all Japanese can afford kimonos like we think, and for this special day many people rent kimonos instead of buying it. Another reason is that they also do not wear it as frequent as we Malaysians wear baju kurung. It is also not easy to wear, you might need at least one person to help you wear the multi-layer clothes and tighten the "obi" or belt. In the 2008 celebration, my mother and younger sister (mid and right) who were visiting me had the opportunity of wearing the kimonos. Oh yes, I did not wear it because I am not 20 (of course..I have worned it in 1996) and also I have to look after the children.

The party started with a speech from the head (ketua kampung) of Uchihama and then self-introduction by the students who wear the kimonos. Later we eat and mingle around, play bingo and eat some more..It is easier to mingle with the Uchihama people because they already understand our religion and culture. They also prepared a room specially for us to pray Zohor.

Oh yes, Uchihama residents also invite us to their school sports every autumn. Seronok dapat main lari dalam guni again! Some even take the hassle to attend Malaysian students wedding in Malaysia!

I really hope that the friendly relations, not only between Uchihama and Malaysia but Fukuoka-Malaysia and much more Japan-Malaysia is further fostered in years to come. Special thanks to my close friend, Kaneko-san who is really pushing very hard despite his busy job to make it happen in Fukuoka.

My student life at QBS

2008-08-25T08:06:00.006+08:00

After graduating from Kyushu University, Japan in 2000, I have always had this dream of pursuing my studies to greater heights. But all along the way, it was I who gave too many excuses to myself. Only 6 years later, I finally succeeded on getting myself out of the comfort zone.

So April 2006, marked a new start for me as an MBA(Business & Technology Management) student of Kyushu University Business School. I pledged to myself that I will not waste the precious 2 years although had to juggle my time being a "single mom" and a student. And the hardest thing was being away from the second child (only 5 months at that time). I did everything to ensure myself stayed focused and my spirits on.

I was assigned under Prof. Noriyuki Shutto, who is at the same time an executive advisor of Japanese advertising giant, Dentsu Inc. Prof. Shutto had lived in Indonesia and Malaysia so he can speak Indonesian. Every time I arrived to the his marketing class he would greet me,"Hi Shaz, apa khabar?". At times we shared some secret stories in front of other Japanese. He is very friendly and understanding. Once I could not find a babysitter for my daughter for my Saturday class and had to bring her along. He did not mind at all and later in the final sem, he let her play in his office while we had discussion on my thesis. He also introduced me to a consultancy company,Deloitte-Touche Tohmatsu where I did my internship in summer. I really owed him a lot.

The following diary will be about my activities in QBS and Fukuoka. Till then, I will have to stick to my housechores routine.

Dealing time with the Japanese

2008-08-23T22:45:00.007+08:00

My next plan to write on this blog is about my experiences living in Fukuoka, Kyushu which ended last March. That may take some time.

Today, let's talk about managing time with the Japanese. I am talking from my experience so if you think its incorrect or inaccurate, do let me know.

We all know Japanese really, really puts priority on time. A train may come at , like 12:07 or 15:13, and it is punctual. What amazed me was that buses were also punctual in Japan, at least where I lived, in Fukuoka. The bus is equipped with a GPS system which is linked to the communication network, so you can check on your handphone the location of bus you are waiting for real-time. Maybe it has arrived at 2 earlier bus stops or will take another 4 minutes to arrive. I was a "single mom" when I did my MBA, so this information is extremely valuable. Usually I go out 3 mins before the bus arrive to the nearby bus stop. If there was an accident or traffic jam, the system will tell you the delayed arrival time.

Enough of that. Now, all of us know punctuality is important. So what happened if you missed the bus or woke up late?

With a Japanese, you MUST tell him/her that you are going to be late, and when you are expecting to arrive. Many non-Japanese people that I know failed to do this because they thought that the Japanese person will be angry with them. Of course they will be angry but if you do not tell them they will be angrier! And they will think,"Ooh, Malaysian time..".By informing them when you are arriving, they can do something else meanwhile.

However, there is one case that you should not be punctual or come earlier. Once, I was invited for a home-party by a close Japanese friend and some other guests were expected to come, not only me. In Malaysia, it is preferable if you could come earlier to help especially if the host is someone close to you. NEVER EVER do that in Japan! I came 20 minutes earlier to see if there was anything that I could do to help but I was scolded instead!

I should not come earlier because I was the guest and that the family is not prepared to have guests before the scheduled time. The best is if I came 5 mins later than the time.

Oh by the way, if you are going for an interview or meeting (you are at a lower position.such as supplier etc), be sure that you are there at least 5 minutes earlier.

Depart early, walk faster or run to be punctual, not only when you deal with the Japanese..anyone you deal with and make yourself stand out.

Is there any service such as this?

2008-08-22T07:20:00.004+08:00

A couple of days ago, I made a purchase through Yahoo! auction.

The payment was made through internet bank transfer but at the end of the process something was wrong. It got stuck.

A few hours later, my husband called me telling that the bank called him informing that the transfer was unsuccessful, and that the bank will call me soon. A few minutes later the bank called and the staff apologized for the inconvenience. He said when the system is corrected he will contact me so that I can redo the payment process.

A few hours later the door bell rang. The person introduced himself as a bank staff and informed me that the central bank asked him to come and renew my husband's passbook. I felt suspicious because the bank did not contact me or my husband beforehand. I politely refused.

The next day, the bank (call center) called me again telling that the staff will come very soon to collect the passbook. I asked him to postpone the time to later in the afternoon. Quickly I called the bank on to verify whether they offer such service as this. The phone was passed to the staff I talked yesterday on Yahoo payment transaction. He explained that he was the one who asked Furukawa branch to come and renew the passbook as a service to compensate on the payment failure and he apologized for the miscommunication. They do not do such service usually but this time is special.Only this time that I trusted him.

In the afternoon, the staff came collected the passbook and 2 hours later he returned with a new passbook.

To be honest, I am thankful that the passbook is renewed but such service really, rea~lly made me anxious...

Obon Yasumi: Kesennuma

2008-08-19T21:21:00.014+08:00

In the mid of obon yasumi week, we went to Kesennuma, in northern Miyagi prefecture, about 60km from Furukawa (our house).

Kesennuma is a port city and it is most famous for its shark's fin. I suppose it is the largest sharks fin producer in the country. The road to Kesennuma was like going through a jungle and in between mountains (lucky ada navigator). But the scenery was very interesting and classic because here and there I could see big 2 to 3 storey traditional houses - as if some great samurai had resided there.

Too bad the weather was not so good. It was rainy and a foggy when we stopped at a beach before reaching Kesennuma. The first beach for the kids, Nani had a lot of fun while Shakir was a little bit hesitated. The beach was clean enough to see fish swimming around.

At the other side of the beach I could see people fishing.

Then was the Kesennuma, the first thing we did was to isi our perut yang dah berbunyi. Yes, we had sharkfin for lunch.

After lunch, we visited Rias museum. It was all about sharks. Shakir was so afraid he cried so loud. Papa had to comfort him outside.

Next was the -20C aqua museum. It was a small museum inside a cold room, exhibiting fish swimming in ice blocks...heheh

The market sold fresh seafood at reasonable prices. We bought some fish and cuttlefish home. Had a cup of Anchor coffee, a local Starbucks-like coffee shop memang best..especially dalam sejuk2 hujan tu.

Heading home, we opted for the road along the coastline this time and it was a good decision. The scenery of the beaches before sunset was beautiful. Finally reached Furukawa at about 8.30pm...

What a long day..

Obon Yasumi: Himawari no Oka

2008-08-19T20:36:00.009+08:00

On the third day of the Obon Yasumi,we went to Himawari no Oka (the Sunflower Hills). It is located at Sanbongi, only about 10 minutes drive from our house. There are about 420,000 sunflowers planted at this area, which is opened for public from end of July to end of August. Later the sunflowers are cultivated for the seed to make oil, pastries and other related products.

The sunflowers are taller than a normal person (at least me!). There was also a mini choo-choo train track within the area so you can take a ride through the jungle of sunflowers.

The day was hot so after walking around the area, we had some sunflower ice-cream (yummy!). Then we left for Higashi Naruko for a picnic by the river.

Naruko area is famous for its "onsen" or hotspring but I just prefer Higashi Naruko for its beautiful surrounding and also because I hate the road up to Naruko onsen.

We had rendang ayam, ketupat and mee goreng for picnic before playing at the river. The water is crystal clear you can see small fish swimming around. On the way home, we stopped at a A-ra Michinoku Road side Station. It is like an R&R area located along the prefectural or national road. The vegetables sold by the local farmers were really cheap! Its like 10 big tomatoes for only 120yen! A plate of mini crabs was also very nice.

Anyway, at last it was my son who conquered the day because he has had 3 ice-creams today..

Obon Yasumi: Zao and Yamagata

2008-08-19T14:02:00.014+08:00

Last week was a long holiday in Japan, the Obon holidays.

It was the time when Japanese return to their kampungs to pay a visit to their ancestors' graves or take the opportunity to travel overseas.Somewhat like Hari Raya la.

Since my husband got a 10 days off, we went to a few places nearby. A Japanese family friend suggested Zao and Yamagata. Zao is an active volcano and Yamagata is a prefecture west of Miyagi, facing the Japan Sea.

So on the 1st day of the holidays we went there with a Malaysian trainee and the Japanese friend, Sato-san. The road up to Zao was like cacing, as seen on the navigator. On the way, we stopped at a stall for a break. The weather was foggy but getting clearer as we reached the top.Zao was amazing, the color of the "lake" is green, not blue like Mt. Aso.

Then we drove down to Yamagata..again jalannya macam cacing. Pening lalat dibuatnya. At Yamagata we only did 1 thing...we bought "suika" --tembikai. It was a shop run by the local farmer and they served some for tasting...Mak oii...manisnyeeee....and the tembikai was so big and solid (isinya tak lembik). Ada orang tu sampai terbeliak mata bila makan tembikai yang manis tu..hehe

And there I was buying 2 for the family and another 2 for my friends in Fukuoka. And guess how many Sato-san bought? 10 !! Nasib baik muat kereta Wish tu...

Amazing Hokkaido

2008-08-19T06:28:00.030+08:00

Summer is the best time to visit Hokkaido...especially for those who are "allergic" to coldness like me. This was our family trip last month, from 18~21 July.First time for me and the kids, as my husband is a Hokkaido Univ. graduate.

After reaching Shin-Chitose Airport, we rent ed a Toyota Vitz car from Toyota rent-a-car and drove about 2 hours up north to Asahikawa.

Extensive meadows and farms, decorated with beautiful flowers along the way..it was a breathtaking view.

The next day we visited Asahiyama Zoo, the most popular zoo located northenmost in Japan. Why is it so popular?

Since 2004 the zoo bears a new concept; it is the animals that watch you, not you watching the animal. As in the pic, the cages/aquarium are designed in a way that the animals can have as different and natural as possible view of the srrounding. You can stand side by side to a leopard or below it and watch penguins fly. This way it allows the animals to relax even in the limited environment.

The zoo has many repeaters, most are adults with a total of 3 million visitors peryear. And it was I yang beriya-iya nak pergi zoo ni, not the children...heheh

Then, we drove down heading for Furano, which is famous for its summer lavenders. We stopped at a few places like Biei on the way, quenching thirst with lavender ice-cream and visit smaller flower farms. The pictures below were taken at Farm Tomita, Naka Furano.

We reached Furano at about 4pm. Farm Tomita, is a must-see if you want to enjoy the beautiful lavenders and the local products like musk melon and sweet corn.

Man.. the corn is super sweet I have never tasted one before.The fresh corn is picked early in the morning and boiled for a short time to maintain its sweetness. Furano is also famous for its white corn. We'll talk about it later.

We then head for Sapporo to meet a Malaysian student. Malam tu kami lepak kat rumah dia..kira sewalah jugak.At least at a much better rate than hotel. Very nice orang Muar.

The next day was a trip to Hokkaido Univ., my husband's alma mater. Cantiknya.. tak macam Kyushu Univ (old campus). Many people come over just to rest by the pond,main2 dengan itik or jog around.

Sapporo city is bigger than I thought. Sapporo ekimae is spacious dan gah. Since we had to return the car later in the evening, kami x ke mana, but to Odori Koen, near Sapporo tower and then pergi Ichiba (wet market) untuk beli & makan ketam.

Ketamnya memang la besar. So big that my daughter did not dare getting any near to them.We bought 3, two for our Japanese friends and one for us. Mahal betul, about 20000yen and that's nearly RM600! Takpelah sekali sekala.

The trip to Hokkaido though short, was very nice. And if you want to get around in Hokkaido, renting a car would be the correct choice.

Do you eat kulit tembikai?

2008-08-06T05:12:00.005+08:00

This is what I saw on TV here a few weeks ago.

There was this Japanese lady who suggested kulit tembikai as a dish.

In the program, she made pickles from it.

Then there was I trying to make something out from the kulit tembikai.

When I cut the outer layer (the green one), the cutting sensation is like cutting a petola.

So I thought, maybe I can try cooking "tumis air kulit tembikai" for dinner.

I did it, and the family ate it without knowing what it was.

They thought it was somekind of a vege (like petola) and said the taste was good.

Now that I have a new recipe that can reduce the garbage. Yatta!!

Maklumlah kat sini nak buang sampah kena bayar...

Everything is going up here too

2008-06-05T13:22:00.001+08:00

Read in Malaysian newspaper about the fuel price hike.

Increased 78sen from RM1.92 per liter. That's a lot.

But it did not really shocked me.

In Japan we are experiencing fuel price increase at more than a couple of times this year only.

Here there is no such thing as subsidy for petrol, so it is already expensive, but fluctuates by world market price.

Not only fuel, food, dairy products, oil, tissue papers and so many other things are getting more expensive..

What I do to face this problem is by learning from the Japanese housewives.

Almost everybody does it here but it is not our culture in Malaysia.

THE HOUSEKEEPING BOOK..

This is a half diary half housekeeping book I bought from 100yen shop for a starter.

Ganbare!!

Kimutaku and Change

2008-05-26T23:10:00.002+08:00

Just now I watched the 3rd episode of new Japanese drama series, "Change" featuring Kimutaku.

Geram je bila dengar Hakata-ben (dialect) dalam drama tu.

Apsal shooting after I moved out from Fukuoka?

Apsal? Apsal?

Tapi I bangga Change dah berjaya mengatasi Gokusen 3.

Kimutaku, GANBARE!!

Warm at last..

2008-05-23T22:40:00.001+08:00

Semenjak datang ke Furukawa April lepas, everyday sangat sejuk...
Kekadang terfikir apsal la sejuk sangat cam ni...
Finally this week suhu naik sampai 27Celcius
Tido tengahari pun best aje...uwahhh