Monday, May 31, 2010

31st May 2010

After class a group of us students went out and had a walk in Osaka Park. It wasn't bad at all.

i can't believe 2 months have passed and only 1 more is left.

today the guy who works in the dorm, told me i can stay the extra day, no need to go to hotel. He's very kind. I will get him some sweets before i leave, him and the ladies that work in the kitchen.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

30th May 2010

my dorm's internet sucks! i think we should all write to them, i'll try to fire up the guys here to complain also.

today's weather was very nice... i did manage to wake up early and go to starbucks to use the net... but there you only have 30 minutes once you log in, so i sat and did some work before logging in, only to find out afterwards that there was no internet at that location... sucks right?

we went to play football, the tournament was long and tiring, the Japanese teams were jerks! seriously, they play very rough! at the end, the teams playing for 3rd and 4th had a fight and people were stacking up on each other pulling punches etc. very silly!

we got 2nd place... but only because we tied and played stoppage time and no score... we then had penalties but only 1 shot... (sudden death penalties) so we missed that one...

anyway, next time i'll go to the starbucks i usually go to.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

29th May 2010

this is my 8th week now?

i don't know why but my sleep is off a bit these days.

we went out today me and two of my Taiwanese class mates to the Osaka Aquarium, but first we stopped for some curry rice, indian style...

the aquarium was fun, honestly. I did feel sorry, very sorry for the fish and other animals there, image, you're supposed to have the whole OCEAN as your world, and now you're cramped up in a tiny space swimming in circles... then again, in the ocean there are predators, so i dont know... Freedom vs Safety, which is more important?

then we went and have an ice-cream... Hokkaido ice cream is still the best though.

then we went and saw a 3D movie in Imax. Wonderfully created.
http://www.imax.com/vancouver/films/seamonsters.htm

After that, we headed to Namba parks and had dinner in a nice Hawaiian place.

pictures still not working, so i'll try tomorrow

28th of May 2010

Please click on the images to see them in their correct resolution.

sorry i was late in writing this post, i was so tired from football.

i had a good night's sleep... there is nothing better than to sleep on freshly cleaned bed sheets... hot out of the drier aaaaahhh... i dreamt (for some reason this word 'dreamt' comes up as wrong spelling, but i checked the dictionary, its correct, past tense of dream) about work mainly but the rest of the dreams were calm and peaceful.

ok this picture i took because the double height of the cafe looks very relaxing, i think it gives the place a totally different atmosphere, a better one of course.

this is an old picture, i think that was Wednesday's market visit, the coconut milk is amazing, its the round plastic up in the center, again around 15 KD :P don't eat apples in Japan i guess

Pink is the new blue :P

i know, the two shirts look awful here, but they are nicer in real life. The guy gave me a free polo shirt (the turquoise one)

Ah! Nike! This is me... exactly the same color clothes as well.


It shows you all your runs

I was playing with my looks as well here.

You can track your run and save your route... cool!

again, your recent run, etc etc.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

27th of May 2010

2 days ago i went on the Nike+ipod website. Ever since last november i have been running with the Nike chip in my shoes and it syncs with the ipod i have. Going to the website is so much fun. You can track all your runs, calories, you can map it, you can set challenges etc etc. I recommend all runners to get a nike shoes and the chip as well.

i went and did some shopping today, i am happy with what i bought :D

and regarding 'Mapping the Mind', here is another fact (i kind of knew this, but to confirm it is nice). Brain areas are like muscles, the more you exercise them, especially in youth, the better they will be and they will be bigger actually. Like Remembering, or Face Recognition, Music Ears etc etc.

tomorrow i'll try to go to starbucks and upload the pictures :( sorry


PS. the coconut milk was amazing... aaaahhhhhh i want moooore....

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

26th May 2010

What i'm learning to the book "Mapping the Mind" is truly a revelation to me. I think once i read how the brain works, i started reevaluating how i see things in life... Our brain is a magnificent tool, but its not perfect. A small fault can have huge consequences. And apparently, lets take 'eye-sight' as an example,

'seeing' is not a simple procedure , A to B = C
actually onces an image enters the eyes, then it goes a place where the image is corrected, then it goes to a place to put meaning to the image, also, it goes to a place where the brain does 'facial recognition' so if you're seeing someone you know, then the brain tells you its Mr. X or Ms. Y, at the same time, in the beginning, information from that scene you saw goes directly to somewhere in your subconscious, this is to evaluate if what you're 'seeing' is causing a 'threat', this is a shortcut path, so for example if you're seeing a SNAKE, then the brain doesn't want to wait for the normal path of the view to go to those places, so it also sends this 'warning check' to another place.

its even more complicated than what i wrote, so any place with a fault will cause big problems.

for example, lets say, yours eyesight works fine, and all the process is fine also, except, this subconscious place, the chemicals there are over productive, that means 'you' will interpret everything is dangerous, and even though your brain knows you're watching a cat, but your body will react and feel like you're watching a snake...

etc, etc...

its makes you wonder, if personality is just a by-product of your brain and it's faults.

----

the khaki pants i got, were XS, waist 28. Both guys at the shop were saying no no go for 30. i was telling them i am size 28, but i don't know why they insisted i go for the 30. I almost felt like they DIDN'T want me to be a 28??? Anyway i tried it on in the store and it was a ok. Today i realized it is actually a bit loose, and i need a belt with the pants to fit perfectly. so probably i'm a waist 27 now.

---

i went to the supermarket today, another 15 KD lol i bought something that i'll try after this post, Coconut Milk :D

i dont want to post the picture through facebook, i'll wait till tomorrow and go to a coffee shop and use the internet there... this dorm's stupid internet really sucks...

-----
i found these amazing website... they are purely magical... you must see them! Must!

Record Tripping
Record Tripping is a nifty experimental game by Bell Brothers. You are invited to solve a series of puzzles by scratching a record with your mouse’s scroll wheel. Clever game play and a lovely interface make this online Flash game as fun as it is weird.

Sound of Hamburg
Here is one of the most creative and unconventional Flash websites we’ve seen lately. Sound of Hamburg lets you compose music on and with the city of Hamburg. The combination of brilliant idea and unique interaction makes for an absorbing Web experience.

Verbatim Championship
Verbatim Championship is a hilarious Flash-based website where you can build your own “Media Monster” using Verbatim recording devices and use it to fight other monsters.

Incredibox
This fun and well-developed Flash application lets you conduct a beatbox or a capella band. The website is available in both English and French.

Optus Whale Song
An amazingly creative experience is offered by the Australian telecommunication company Optus on its official website. You can compose a song for a whale and make an orchestra perform it. This is a must-see Flash website.

De Montagetafel
This website was definitely among the best for Flash Web design for 2009. You are invited to try your montage skills and create your own documentary on an edgy topic.

Bubols
Bubole will definitely make you smile. It is an amusing monster builder and game. You create a weirdo and make it fight with monsters created by other players. The funny sound effects and typography are nice touches.

Flame
Flame is a brilliant JavaScript painting tool that proves that anyone can be an artist. The program was created by Peter Blaskovic as part of his experimental project “I am Artist.” Using a number of nifty drawing tools and, of course, your imagination, you can create some cool psychedelic drawings and then export them in a resolution of 1680 x 1050 pixels. All you need to use this tool is Java (probably already installed on your computer).

Beans
This is the pearl in our collection of bizarre JavaScript and Flash websites. Who would have thought that crushing little screaming beans could be so much fun?

Labuat
Labuat is the most beautiful and enjoyable time-killer in our selection. It’s a song illustrated by an interactive brush that reacts to music, and the lyrics won’t leave you cold.

Infinite OZ
The Infinite Oz is an interactive Flash animation that features a collaboration between nine acclaimed international artists. Exploring fantastic sci-fi worlds that replace each other infinitely is a quite relaxing pastime.

Drum Machine
Drum Machine has several pre-loaders that play before the actual animation starts. In most cases, you would not wait so long for a Flash website to load, but Drum Machine is an exception. a mesmerizing combination of animation and sounds won’t let you leave.

Papervision 3D
Before entering the official website of open-source Flash framework Papervision3D, you have a chance to explore an interactive 3-D underwater environment.

Bio-Bak
Bio-Bak is indubitably a trendsetter when it comes to bizarre Web design. Enter this kingdom of the absurd and fun to load up on positive emotions.

Neave
You will never get bored on this website. This online home of interactive designer Paul Neave is a fount of engaging Flash applications and games.

And Then There Was Salsa
Although this is a video, its amazing!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

May 25th 2010

i was counting the Kanji's i've learned so far, 140+, this is more than arabic and english alphabets combined!

Today i went to do some shopping, but i only bought socks. that sucks! lol :P

i still don't know what to get my parents from here... :( and also the shoes hunt, is still on.

aya7mar! ish hel serwal!


what kind of shop promotes smoking! i'm never buying from here

i swear.. one day i'm just going to bite into you....

the latest in bottle designs

My favorite drink in my favorite cup


Is alshaya'a running this promotion? i doubt it.


I thought only Kuwaitis and American's eat extra-stupidly-large-burgers?

and my dinner.. i think its Nagroor? from the brown meat.

Monday, May 24, 2010

May 24th 2010

i bought another conditioner by mistake! God Damn it!!!!

lol i'm kidding :P

today was an uneventful day, school, jogging, studying at home...

the best part of the day was watching Lost Finale... part 1, dont ruin it for me, i'll see part 2 tomorrow.

Japanese is getting a bit difficult with all the new kanji's and new ways of saying things...

Sunday, May 23, 2010

23rd May 2010

before you read on, play this and continue reading while it plays

ave maria

today was too rainy so the game was canceled :(

i went out and shopped a little, i was feeling tired and sleepy all day.

i went to tokyu hands and got these powders etc for a bath.

seriously, i'm loving Bagel & Bagel, they've got the most amazing bagel i've ever tasted.

sorry the pic is not clear, but it says "i'm going out it" looool what does that mean exactly? what are you "outing" exactly ? gas? :P

nice shorts? it looks like a traditional arabic sofa texture doesn't it ?


The rain was cold and lovely... i'll miss the rain when i go back home :(

i know the shirt is not clearly traced out, but its light beige

lets see here, this is not a wine bottle, its bubble bath apple flavor.. and then chocolate cream flavor and then skim milk cream goodnight (dont know why goodnight) flavor... this is a cappuccino not a bubble bath

round two at pasta... this time it was much better... and seriously this time i tried Wassabi sauce... amaaaazzzzinG :D

and the two bagels there, blueberry and the other is green tea and vanilla.


Meet the sloths from Amphibian Avenger on Vimeo.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

May 22nd 2010

7 weeks down, and 5 to go :(

Today i woke up late and i didnt leave for the park until 3.00... i got lost so i didnt reach there till 4:45 and they close at 5 so i couldn't enter... but it looked much bigger than i thought and it looked very beautiful... i will go there next week for sure.

then i chose a different way back to Namba are (shopping area) and i stopped at a station that looked very familiar. I remembered it at once. A few years back we came here, Mr. A, Mr. W and me. We left Panasonic factory and we walked to this area to get a subway train back to our hotel. Mr. A was in a dishdasha! lol that was funny, i still remember that day.

i saw Mister Donuts and i couldn't resist :( aaaaaaah i ate two donuts... even as i am writing now i can recall the taste.

i then went to starbucks and did some work on my laptop and got home afterward.

Tomorrow we have a football tournament, but it will be raining :/ yikes!




Sun tower

yep... thats the place... 2 guys in a suit guarding a guy in a dishdasha walked by here lol




aaaaah oishiiiiiiii tabetaiiiiii... ippai tabetaiiii

i should have gotten coffee with those



some musicians in the street

and some in a hotel lobby



and now

the tv shows



that one was about the guy making those dominos thing with the animals



Friday, May 21, 2010

21 May 2010

It was a good day, again... :)

after school i went to play football, and we didn't lose... i think we were the best team.. it was tiring yet rewarding in a way.

i was supposed to go out with a friend to a bar or something like that... (i'll drink diet pepsi)

but last minute i changed my mind... i prefer a quiet night at home, relaxing, studying, reading... i'm not in the mood for noise, tobacco smell, and too many drunk people.

tomorrow i might go to this park

http://www.expo70.or.jp/

yesterday i watched american idol, and i am hooked on a song that was played in the background... lol all day i was replaying it in my mind....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HNY0rx2fw4

Thursday, May 20, 2010

20th May 2010

Today at the dorm, the person in charge was asking me if i'm leaving the dorm on the 30th of June... and as i signed in agreement, i couldnt help but feel a pinch in my soul... i'll miss this place :)

tomorrow football! exciting... and sunday there is another tournament but it seems to be a difficult one... 4 hours, so we'll see...

i think time alone in Japan helped me a bit... i guess esperiencing solitary will help anyone... it will make a person self analyze (or maybe thats my OCD) i don't know now...

but i do feel i'm calmer now... i think a little bit more before taking rash actions... i had many emails that i wrote (they weren't nice ones, actually they were not bad but they were a bit strict and hard) but after writing them, i changed my mind and thought... i'd should try a new approach, a more supportive approach...

I think this comes from trying to put myself in the other person's shoes. In the end... life is short... really short... why waste a single breath on negative energy. (of course i'm trying to be like this, but i'm not 100% there yet)

anyway... normal day... school, jogging, supermarket..

13.720 KD... kaaaa ching! lol

---

i saw these funny clips on a friend's facebook page...



Wednesday, May 19, 2010

19th May 2010

I didn't do well on last week's kanji test 24/30 :( its good and bad.. its bad because i made silly mistakes that i shouldn't have made, and its good because i knew the harder parts of the test.

today's tests :( lol i think i did badly... it was a bit hard...

but that will not discourage me from keeping on studying hard...

when i was working for NBK in 2002, my boss told me... "ya Zizo (thats what he nicknamed me) you know the story of the rabbit and the turtle? You are the rabbit.. you're very smart but you get lazy and try to enjoy your time... while the turtle is winning the race"

so this time, i'll be the turtle... and if i didn't do well on this test, its ok... there is always tomorrow... and if not tomorrow... then the day after that... with Will and Determination, everything is achievable right?

today they finally fixed the kitchen sink... apparently the filter thingie is loose and they replaced it.

:)

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

18th May 2010

my allergies are back... i think i went off the medicine a bit too early...

i took the medicine again just now... so i'm looking forward to a good night's sleep... i studied a lot today because i have two tests tomorrow...

each day i fall in love more with Japan... it will be hard when the time comes to go back home... but i miss my family and friends as well...

today i also so part of another funny show... its like sumo wrestling but with girls.. and they can only use their butts to push each other out of the circle looooool and this coach is teaching this girl moves and tactics loool

Monday, May 17, 2010

17th May 2010

let me just say this... i LOVE my parents...

to grow up in a house with so many books is just a blessing.

I took one of the books i thought might be interesting with me. Its called "mapping the mind" even though its a bit old and might (certainly) be outdated by now, i still find it very interesting.

it has a part about OCD which made me learn about myself, or let me rephrase, it made me understand why i act the way i do in so many instances.

there was a part about OCD that i liked reading, let me quote

"People with OCD tend to be exceptionally good, in that they go to extreme lengths to avoid doing anything wrong. They are often obsessed with morality and are scrupulously honest. The need to be truthful may be taken to absurd lengths, as with this patient:

'if I was talking to you and I mentioned that I had seen some one in a red dress, as soon as I said it I would start to think: "was it really red? Or could it have been another colour?" Once the idea had got into my head that I might have misled you - even if it didn't matter one bit what colour the dress was - I would start thinking: "should I confess that I said the wrong colour or should I make myself live with the guilt?" So I try to avoid saying anything that could be wrong. I put "I think" or "I'm pretty sure" or "it could have been" in front of everything. It is a sort of ritual- a way of making sure I can never tell a lie." [Rita Carter, Mapping the Mind, p.90]

very interesting book throughout.

anyway... other than that it was a normal day, school, 6.5 K jog, laundry, and studying...

Sunday, May 16, 2010

16th May 2010

today was a very fun day indeed.

i woke up around 10 and headed to the station where we're supposed to group up and then go together to the football tournament.

we won the tournament, but to be fair, the level of the other teams was a bit lower than our level. we even played a team with some children playing... i felt bad winning against that team.

then i got home and showered quickly and then went to Umeda and got me a polo shirt and another nice shirt.

I got home and met E. from the dorm and we talked a bit. He's really a kind guy.

the area we played in was really nice

thats me running

Saturday, May 15, 2010

15th May 2010

6 down and 6 weeks to go... i'll miss this place...

----

let me start by saying... I'm such an idiot! idiot! lol how many times do i have to screw up and buy conditioner not shampoo!

today i went to get a cellphone but they told me i cannot since my visa is less than 90 days... i went shopping and was just looking around... on my to-get list are; jeans, shoes; and polo shirts

i then past by a bookstore and got me 2 Haruki Murakami books... (if you love reading, and you like Paulo Coelho, you must read for Haruki Murakami)

then went and had a nice 50 min massage... i still feel sour though... went to the super market to get a SHAMPOO! and came back home.

-----

make sure to read the Shoes Challenge part after the pictures.



quick... whats wrong with this picture?

Well atleast now, when someone asks you, "do you know where the kichen is?" you can say "yeah its were the day is 26 hours not 24!"

i liked this elevator stickers, we should do it at work

i dont know why but i liked this statue
I then passed by this shrine, and saw the two statues 7amood wo faisal

7amood

faisal
-------

Shoes Challenge

you know i want to buy a pair of shoes right?

Well... i want the shoes to be formal to be worn with suits + Dishdashas and i can wear it with jeans and a shirt... so today i saw these... i love them...

what do you think?

I love the texture.. it looks like its worn out and kind of old medieval europe no?

I like the one on the left... the reddish one... I have seen people here were brownish shoes with black suits which looks cool as well...

the one in the middle?

the one on the left, the bluish one... funky and cool lookin' ain't? and the one on the right is also nice

once i saw the footprint of this shoes... i fell in love... seriously cool... seriously...

so what do you think? if i buy any of these shoes.. would i be able to wear them with dishdashas ? suits? and jeans ?

Friday, May 14, 2010

14th May 2010

today was a good day in all...

i went to school... had fun there and wasn't very stressful... i'm bonding more with my fellow class mates.

Left directly to go play football and met Mr. L on the way (the guy who allowed me to play in the first place) we chatted a bit and he seems like a nice guy.

came back home and the dorm's dinner was pork so i went out and got me some toast and i have the Philadelphia cheese from last night that needed to be finished off.

Did my laundry...

as i was eating... the piece of toast with the cheese on it slipped from my hand and , OF COURSE, landing on the laptop keyboard, and, OF COURSE, landed with the CHEESE side down :(

so i did what every man would do... i licked the keyboard clean (eeeewwwww disgusting) but that was the only way i'd insure the right balance of cleaning liquid and stickiness to remove the cheese... without drowning my keyboard in water. lol and then i wiped the keyboard with sanitary disinfecting tissue... this is a company laptop so one day someone else will use it loooooooool

i am sooo sleepy... i just finished studying...

you know... i'm at that place where the more i watch tv and understand what they say, and the more i feel like being able to express myself freely, the more i feel satisfied yet, in a single instant, if i get confused, my feelings turn to frustrations right away...

its a roller coaster... but i'm weathering the storm as they say... and licking keyboards on the way...

Thursday, May 13, 2010

13th May 2010

school is really getting more difficult... aaaah...

i didn't do anything interesting today other than studying...

looking forward to the weekend..

i had the mango i bought yesterday, i actually bought the one with the highest price, thinking it will be the best... it was around 1.2 kd lol but it wasn't that tasty. I think its because it was still partially green... :/

i saw a very funny tv show today... they put a guy in a room... and he has to build this domino's game you know? the one where you stack domino pieces one behind the other and make a nice roll-over effect image / thingy...

BUT... BUT... LOOOOOL they throw in there a dog, a chicken and a monkey LOOOOOOOOOOL and even though the dog and the monkey behave and do not step on the domino's... sometimes the dog chases the monkey and the chicken... and accidentally step on the pieces... looool and the guy has to correct that part again...

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

12th of May 2010

Again, a good night sleep... but i was also a bit drowsy the whole day... i think its the medicine...

anyway... i got the results of last week's kanji test :( 23/30 terrible! but i think today's test i did better...

i went for a 10 K jog today... took me an hour... (actually it was 9.78 K)

then i went to a smaller super market that i've seen before which is closer to my home than the one i go to Max Value. This one turned out better.. they have more variety... Its called Hankyu Stores Market... Hankyu is a department store so i guess that explains the better variety.

----

too see the full image, please click on it


spring.. butterfly season

sun tanning turtles

this was yesterday i was walking near the river and i saw a twig... then the twig moved LOL and holly cow!!! that was a good 30 cm long worm

this was actually sunday's dinner... these things on the left are sundried tomatos

i saw today a today of 8 cats

and another

to see cats here is very strange for me... almost like its out of place.

i love this area... seems peaceful

Nice view

i also found some ducks

13 KD :/