It’s holiday…wake uP!

I’m in the lab today. Nothing’s special ‘bout it. What makes it special is that today in Japan is a holiday. I don’t even know what national holiday it is, but who cares? The big issue is “how come I miss a national holiday that falls right in the middle of the weekdays?”. Well, I did arrange my schedule to do some experiments today, but not from early in the morning.

I woke up this morning with a lot of efforts. I even had to watering my head with cool water to make me conscious enough to walk. Compare with the other working days, today I was quite early reached my campus. In parking lot I was still not aware of the small number of bicycle parked there which in the normal day it always full booked, ‘till I reached the main gate and saw two Giant Hinomaru (Japanese flags).

Headed to my lab’s building, I bumped into a man with a very familiar face, my supervisor. He greeted me, and in the same elevator he told me that he didn’t realize that today is a holiday. Congratulation Mr. Supervisor, you’re already successful creating your own clone. The next hour, we were the only moving objects in the room.

It almost 5pm, and still I have to wait couple of minute to begin my other experiment (two other experiments had been completed before lunch).

I am so sleepy right now, missing my mattresses I bought not long time ago from Ikea. Two single size mattresses which I had to carry all around JR train stations. I’m sorry mattresses, I don’t use you too often.

Happiness ain't free..

“Today you will start to move into a more inward time, where reflecting on your life will feel valuable and even a little bit fun. You should be more deliberate about figuring out where you want to go, what you want to do, and who you want to do it with. But you will still have time to get things done. You'll have enough time to look inward, as well as outward. It's a good detail planning day, when you should schedule a new social event and finalize the guest list.”

I copy-pasted my horoscope from Yahoo! today. I don’t really understand what it’s all about. But previous days, they quite reflected my current conditions. Sometimes it’s fun to be superstitious. The ones that Yahoo! had is quite worthy to follow, since it’s not saying such “you gonna meet you’re future wife today” kinda thing. I like to read horoscope that stir me, motivating, and even full of warnings. It’s not actually a fortune teller; it’s kinda like a collection of wisdom words in the name of astrology. (??)


Japanese tend to believe in such things. At the shrine, they pay for some yen, and pick their fortune from the sack of wrapping paper put in a box. I did too in a trip to Takao-san couple months ago. And like usual I picked the good one. Thanks God!

Since I was very little, my pals used to play such fortune teller thing. Reading your palm lines, ur birth mark, or any other things. It’s fun to do indeed. My pals even did fortune telling for such serious thing like “will I pass the exam?”. I hope kids nowadays do not do such uncivilized sort of things. Frankly, back then, we’re quite moron.

I believe in any good things they say about my future, but the bad ones, never ever!

In a Chinese restaurant couple years ago I picked a fortune cookies that said “your life will be full of lucks and happiness”. Wow..that the best one anyone could get. And I strongly believe in it. Luckily for me happiness is not a pirate’s treasure, or a falling star. It’s just like a kani-sarada. Still u need money or some kind of effort to get it, but it tastes 100 times than its worth. Easy to get, various form and shape. I am easy to be pleased, hence easy to be happy. Sincere smile from a complete stranger is one kind of happiness for me.

Happiness needs to be prevailed. And since it is not a free thing, don’t even take it for granted. Cherish it .. that’s the reason you live for, the main goal of ur life.

Dear Japanese

This is an open letter for all the Japanese especially in Tokyo.

Being a foreigner is never been quite easy for everyone. Living in Japan is my first experience living outside my beloved country. So maybe the feeling that I feel right now is just a common feeling other foreigner must’ve been felt regardless the country they’re living in.
Not trying to be offensive, just wanna say how I feel bout u guys.

Dear Japanese,

I know about you long long time ago back when i was in primary ‘till high school, thru some tv dramas played in our tv station, which some becoming so popular in the country. That time, my thoughts about you were, comical, expressive, straightforward, and fun.

The next opportunity to know you was happen when I was in college, met up with you together with other foreign student in a foreign country. It was a relaxing moment, kinda like a holiday where people were all in a great mood, good spirit, and positive mind. My thoughts about you that time were ‘lil bit shy, polite, nice, and sweet.

The last impression of you was coming not long time ago, after I was officially not a guest anymore in this lab and hence have to work and act just likes any other members. The thoughts of you….

We chatted pretty long, told each other’s jokes, spoke ‘bout private things, made fun to each other. We said good bye. The next morning, I met you at the campus’ hallway, I gestured with enthusiast, and you just passed with plain face, and barely looked at me. Indescribable.

While I checked my email on my desk after doing experiments dozen times, you called me up, and told me that I shouldn’t wasting time chatting, and I must work harder and harder. The next week I spent Friday’s night until 1 am, working on your project, and you said don’t overworked. Indescribable.

We knew thru the internet, sent e-mail to each other. I sent pic of me, you said I looked nice, you sent yours, I said ok. Next you said you want to meet up. I say ok, where? You reply: hope to see you soon. I replied, ok just arrange time. You reply I really want to see you, hope to see you. I said are you busy this week? You replied, hope to see you. I was blank… and replied what do you mean? What do you really mean? Zenzen wakarimasen… n you never reply..not anymore. Amazingly indescribable.

But still, I must learn to love you.


To wrap it up, let me dedicate this next song for u…

What have I got to do to make you love me?
What have I got to do to make you care?
What do I do to make you want me?
What have I gotta do to be heard?
(lyric courtesy of Sir Elton John)

The blue sky above

Friday… lately becomes my fav day. Though every 2 weeks I have to clean the animal facility on this day, and it happen to be today, I still love Friday.

A day when everything goes in a reasonable pace. Not like the day before, when routinely I have to submit my research progress, along with discussion mixed preacher from the most genkii man in this lab, which most of the time ended up making me so paralyzed.

Tokyo’s weather is wonderful today. It’s quite windy, but so bright. I love the day when I can see the blue sky vividly, or stars studded nite sky. Just enough to be considered a happy day.

There’s something about the blue sky…

It is so special that I’m always longing to see. Not only because its existence means I can ride my bicycle and reach my campus faster n dry. Not also because I don’t have to worry about my laundries which those I can only do on weekend.

Much more than that…

Every time I look above the blue sky, it moves me. Because it never changes, it becomes the only thing that can connect me to my hometown, to my childhood memories, and to my hopes and dreams. From the isolated area I had been working at, to the most populated city I had been spending my teenage, from the classic town of Adelaide to the sophisticated downtown of Tokyo…sky in every place looks just as similar as the smiles from Chinese babies’ faces.
It’s pure, preserved, and yet full of mystery.

I believe that sky is the place where God hangs our dreams and challenges all of us to reach out for it. It’s boundless, and indeed it’s limitless.

As our dreams in an unreachable place, we’re also gifted with the unlimited strength. The strength to build every step of ladder that we need to set higher and higher every single moments of our life until the time we reach our dream.
Any pain, any scars, any rejections..could means 1, 100, or even millions steps, depends on how you react with all those things. Whatever that doesn’t kill you, makes you even stronger.

So when you feel so gloomy, despair, or be at the lowest point of your life, head your head up high and look at the blue sky.
Up there your dream is waiting to be reached. You are much stronger than what you’ve thought you are. Believe in yourself…as much as I believe in you.

Towards better life, no more good life..

Feel like yesterday when I woke up at 6am freshly and felt like there’s nothing to worry about. Those days brings back my memories of the good life that I had been going thru.

Shortly after I graduated from dental school, I worked in some private dental clinics. Seem promising at that time. But, still I must get the permanent license to do private dental practice. I enroll for serving under the government and soon after was appointed to served in the very isolated area..thousands mile from civilization. No electricity, no adequate clean water, no proper transportation to that place.

No worries, no hesitation at all. I told my family, packed my stuffs, and I flew away.

The place was not bad at all.. the foods were great, the people were even greater. Most of the time I was only weary thinking in how to kill the time that seemed to run soo slow. Life’s so simple at that place.. people lived with simple mind, simple action. 6 months flew away, and I finished my duty in that place, packed my things, and went back home to the capital city.

Soon after I reached my city, I began working at the same dental clinics I had been working at before, and some others new places. For the first time in my life I was in my comfort zone. I had enough money to hang out, and I had fabulous job that made me even feel so comfy.

But by the moment I felt so cozy, I also felt numb and static. Fixed schedule was killing me, and I was so thirsty of study n experience new things. Just 2months after came back from rural area, I got the opportunity to continue my study in Tokyo. The process took around 6months from searching for the professor until officially accepted. Very quick process for the program that gonna last at least 4years. I was lucky..and I can’t stop give my highest gratitude to God for it.

Today, I was in my lab. Like almost everyday during my time here in Tokyo, I didn’t have good sleep last night. Working 12hours a day, in a room equipped with devices working 24hours a day, along with some members who are barely speaking with you… some time it’s killing me.

This condition will run mostly every day, at least 4years. Almost every nite I dream about my experiment in the lab, mix with a dream gathering with my family.. Unconsciously I miss them so much. Life runs so fast in this lab. 1,5 years since my first visit to this lab runs like a bullet train from Tokyo station towards Osaka. Everyday I meet the same faces, eat at the same places, taking the same roads. Since the time I step in this lab, I feel like a treated mouse running on the rotary wheel. Chasing for something façade, half a world away from the finish line. Ironically, mice are the subject of my experiment.

This condition kills me.. as much as it motivates me. The more I feel so despair, the more I smell success. Only smell, not more than that.

The enemy of a good life is better life. I had been in the good life-version of me, and now I am in the process for the better life. Ganbatte…ganbarimashou.

Bored...Boring...Just as simple as it can be...

I realize that writing is a tough work to do, but I didn’t have any idea how tough it was ‘till I was about to begin typing the first word for this blog. English or my mother-tongue lingua..hmm..i ended up choosing English, considering this as a practice session to write my final dissertation or publication, if those days finally depart.

I started writing this blog this afternoon, after chatted with some friends of mine during lunch break. We share our thoughts as a graduate student in this city and have the same feelings. Living surrounding by 13 million people, but most of the time feeling so lonely, and bored. That feeling struck in my mind, and eventually inspire me to write about it. So let's the journey begin, with the simple yet infectious feeling..bored-boring

As a human being we are gifted with one of the obnoxious but advantageous feeling. BORED/BORING. When we get bored life can be so miserable, and the effect of feeling miserable can be resulting in much more miserable things. People get divorced, fired, and lose everything primarily because they get bored.

A love affair comes from the boring spouse, resulting in break-ups.
Big fire, fatal accidents also begin from a moment we feel bored, thus sleepy and finally lose concentration.

But how can bored becoming so advantageous?
The answer is as simple as the word itself. Because this feeling has been the major reason why we can live in this wonderful world. Feeling bored force us to be dynamic, to move faster, and to gain higher.

Human is created with different background and ability, but they live in the same spirit and feeling.
And that’s why God is almighty justice and fair in this case.

To make it more clear let me elaborate one simple condition.
Every single person in this world regardless their status, or background, has the same feeling of having the new things.
New humfy for the rich man can be less joyful than the bicycle bought in a second hand shop by the poor man. No matter how pricey the stuffs we have, gradually we lose interest in it.
Do you remember the feeling of having your first bike?
You can not wait to come home ASAP, and riding it all the time until your mom chased you with broom in her hand.
Can you recall how gloomy you are when you got the first scratch on it? feel like the end of the world. But more and more scratch you have, make you feel numb, and eventually even tough losing it it’s not a big deal anymore.
After you get bored with old things you have, you crave new, better, and much grander things. And for it, you must work harder, sacrifice bigger, n sometime experience harsh much more.

And that’s what life is all about. Push yourself harder and you’ll gain a lot much more. Life’s smacking you fucking hard, for you to bounce even higher..and higher.

I’m easy to get bored, and probably for some people I’m boring. Well with that possession I have, I wish I can achieve higher, and by being boring for someone else’s ..hmmm wish they can gain more too, and indeed may God forgive their souls.

So when you feeling bored about any condition of you right now. Well it's a wake up call. Get up, contact me...and let's go wild!!!