another kind of looking back

It's the last day in 2009 and I am beyond thankful that I am still here in a super good condition, physically and mentally. Physically, yes, because I have no health issues, and mentally because I just finished packing for my new year trip 6 hours from now.

And in addition to those essential reasons, I look back and find stacks of blessing my heavenly Father has showered me through out the year. Here goes the major list:

JANUARY

- got my temporary job

- tuition fee: paid

- passed all the subjects I took

FEBRUARY

- Jason Mraz concert

- Osaka - Kyoto trip

- Taiko practices to save me from endless boredom in Beppu

- good parties

- new job at McDonald

MARCH

- unplanned trip to Malaysia

- great reunion with Denise and abundant good times

- new cameras to accompany my previous family of fisheye, holga, and diana

- succeeded the performance in Entrance Ceremony

APRIL

- another good time performing at PicaPica

- Honor scholarship

- endless BBQ parties

- hanami and new batch of mates

MAY

- good health and mental condition through out the chaotic preparation for Indonesian week

JUNE

- good friend who was there 24/7 to cheer me up during the breakdowns and sleepless nights

- super fun fellowship camp

JULY

- SUCCESS OF INDONESIAN WEEK 2009!!

- birthday blast

AUGUST

- nagano trip and Global Education Program Camp

- IN DO NE SI A !! indescribable bliss with the family and friends back home

SEPTEMBER

- BALI!!

- brightspot

- safe trip back to Japan

OCTOBER

- New spirit for the new semester

- good subjects to fight

- another camp with high school students

- halloween blast

NOVEMBER

- right on time 'faith reminder'

- peace of mind and new hopes (sounds cliche but i seriously mean it)

DECEMBER

- passed the 1st screenings for Daikin and Kyushu Oil scholarship

- fun online shopping haha

- fukuoka trip to close the year

and of course, endless support and love from people around me.

Thanks, Lord, for keeping me safe in your embrace..

2009 has been a blast and I believe, 2010 has more in store awaiting.

Happy early new year everyone!

screwed it up? not likely

I just had an interview, the second screening for a $2000 scholarship from Daikin company. Does the company ring a bell in your head? Well, it's a pretty famous air conditioner manufacturer.

So how did it go?

I can say it was a mess. The interview was in Japanese and it was a group interview. Dang! Two things I expect the least for an interview.

They didnt ask that many questions, I didnt even feel like I've said something qualified to be judged for a scholarship interview while one of my 'competitors' in the group spoke fluent English and got the highest GPA in my batch.

So, technically, I screwed it up. But I dont give up, since everything has happened, the only thing I can do now are pray and fast because didnt the Bible mention that God always answers prayers of the righteous? :)

Well, miracles do happen dont they?

But despite of all the mess, I had so much fun writing application for the 1st screening. They asked us to make a story about credibility where Pichon-kun, the company mascot is the main character in it. *yep, for the first time I can use my imagination to pass a scholarship screening.Woot!*

So, here goes the story I wrote..

At the beginning, when human had not existed, the earth consisted of only 4 big islands; fire, ice, water, and rock island. Water Island, inhabited by drops of water, was the most prosper, peaceful, and the strongest among all. It is all because of the leader, King Pichon.
King Pichon had reigned for more than 2000 years and during his service, he had won most of the wars with brilliant strategies, he designed all infrastructures in the island, he solved every crime cases with wise solutions, and he successfully made no one live in poverty with his thoughtful income and resource distribution. All water drops in the island loved their king and kept electing him for 5 consecutive periods.
Not only to his island, King Pichon was also well known for its huge help when Rock Island was direly destroyed by earthquake. He moved all water drops to save and help rehabilitating the Rock Island. Because of King Pichon's initiative, the Rock Island could quickly recover from the disaster and continued its existence.
One day, the Ice Island sent its warriors and attacked Water Island. King Pichon was badly injured and the water island was cursed to be frozen for 500 years. The water drops were really sad because their strong leader lay powerless on the hospital bed. A new leader was elected to replace Pichon while he struggled to recover. During that time, all water drop visited King Pichon everyday with food, medicine, and other things to make him feel better. Finally, after 500 years, King Pichon was freed from the curse and gained his strength.
All water drops in the island were very happy and made celebration parties. They asked King Pichon to reign back as their leader. King Pichon refused because he felt guilty of the loss in the previous war but the water drops convinced him that he has the power, wisdom, and quality to be their leader. King Pichon finally accepted their request and reigned back.
However, when they were celebrating King Pichon's recovery, the fire attacked the water island. But this time, King Pichon defended the island by conducting the water drops to form huge tidal waves, but the flames from Fire Island were really strong and the water drops started to lose their power.
When they were about to give up, the rocks unexpectedly came in rescue. They formed very thick stone walls all over the island that could not be penetrated nor burned by the flames while King Pichon took the lead of water drops to keep attacking the flames with immense waves. After a long struggle, the water island under King Pichon's command and the help of rock island won the war. The water drops were really thankful to the rocks but it surprisingly turned out that those rocks came to rescue because they remembered the massive help and support from King Pichon and the water drops while they were in trouble.
After the war, the water and rock island built a good mutual relationship and water drops lived peacefully under the lead of King Pichon with his power and wisdom.

King Pichon is an illustration of a company with social credibility. When a company has gained credibility from its customers through its quality, good record, and social contributions as the example of King Pichon who was trusted by his nation, even when the company faces a hard time, the customers would not easily move to its competitors. Even more, the costumers would still trust the company regarding its credibility and when the company gained its power back, the customers would stick to the brand, and be the main power of a company to strive in the tight competition.

With such good records, proven quality, in balance with the social contribution, Daikin Industries,Ltd. has what it takes to gain its credibility and thus can retain its customers from time to time.

*random, I know, but I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when I wrote it* :p

pardon my nerves

I've always proclaimed myself as a plurality appreciator with above-average tolerance yet however, having a close interaction with Japanese people in my daily live does get me on my nerve sometimes. It's either the language barriers, the cultural difference, or well, maybe we just aren't meant to live side by side.

So, I've recently lost my endurance to live in this far-away-from-home land where:

the kids look super cute in their distinct Asian look and the school uniform that makes me drool. But the cuteness doesn't last long. Once they grow a bit older, they would turn into geeks who get no life other than stacks of comics and video games. Then they grow a little bit more. Turning into youngsters who get pimped-up with their self-proclaimed-cool outfits which I don't get how could they think its cool, most of the time.

The young ladies would find it's hard to see clearly behind their mascara because it's just too thick and some of them are proud to not knowing where Australia really is because they think it's cute. (Well, they may not realize the rest of the world simply calls it DUMB)

Then they would turn to big-headed adults who can't even order properly at McDonalds, complain at their own stupid mistakes, and give an 'urgh foreigners' look when those foreigners try to speak Japanese while 90% of those Japanese can't even pronounce a single proper sentence in English. Unfair? Yes.

Then finally, by the (almost) end of their cycle of life, the would turn into grannies who wait faithfully at home for their husbands who spend pennies they've earned on pachinko slots or nights on karaoke places accompanied by bottles of sake and young pretty girls to talk, touch, and God knows what happens.

Geez.......take me out.

p.s please be wise enough not to take any offense, it's mere opinion.