Lake Kawaguchi and West Lake

Lake Kawaguchi (河口湖), Lake Motosu (本栖湖), West Lake (西湖), Lake Shoji (精進湖), Lake Yamanaka(山中湖) ~ Fuji Five Lakes

First trip of the year.

The trip to Lake Kawaguchi and West Lake last Saturday was totally not up to my expectation. Lesson of the day, never believe in websites or travel brochures. What you see in those photos aren't always what you get. Even with just a low budget, the one-day trip wasn't quite worth it. Which brings me to wonder if it'd have been better had we visited Nikko instead. And, especially when you're the one who arranged the trip, you're responsible to make sure that things go accordingly. In this case, they didn't really go too well.

Since we weren't planning to stay overnight, time was a main issue. Scheduled to leave from the dorm early in the morning; but as usual, there're those incorrigible ones who can never be punctual. It doesn't take a psychic to foresee that, though. So, it had been taken into consideration.

So, we started our trip by taking the 8 o'clock train. A long ride, about two and a half hours, with a few transits in between. Being uncertain of which train to transit to, we resorted to taking the slower one, which cost us an extra hour to get there.

The train ride was generally boring. During the journey, caught sight of this old man reading an English newspaper, while scribbling some notes in the margin. Rare sight in Japan.


Noon. Finally, Kawaguchi Station. Snow-capped Fujisan could be seen from the station. Phew, fine weather, it seemed, even though it snowed in the morning. Thank goodness the weather forecast was reliable.


Diving into the tourist information center, we learned that the only way to get around the place was by taking this thing called Retro Bus. As the name suggests, it was really retro, and the system was rather inconvenient: circles the lake in only one direction. Which means, there's no way to take the bus down the other direction but to make a complete round, one way (that's an hour).

Then, things went wrong - I rushed into the first bus without noticing that it circles Lake Kawaguchi instead of West Lake, which was where we were supposed to be heading. Luckily, the bus driver was kind enough to have let us off at a bus stop where we could transit to the other bus. And again, luckily (I must say), the bus we're supposed to take came 10 minutes later and not otherwise. Or else, we'd have to wait till the next round, which was like an hour more.


It took us 40 minutes, but we eventually reached our first destination in West Lake for the 西湖樹氷の祭り (Saiko Jyuhyō no Matsuri). It wasn't at all impressive.

The "snow decorations" were half-melting because of all those people who ignored the sign at the entrance which said, "Keep your hands away from the decorations 'cos the snow melts, you idiots".


Illumination was to start after five. But we had to keep on with the schedule since the crappy Retro Bus service ends by 5.30. So we had to do with it by having a snowball fight.

Nothing interesting at all.

Unless if you don't mind fooling around with the camera.

Alright, so one hour wasted. Next stop, Iyashi no Sato Nenba (いやしの里根場).

Near the mysterious lake of Saiko, where nature is preserved as it was long ago, lies a unique place where time has stood still.

Lake Saiko, Nenba, where once stood exquisitely-made thatch roof houses accompanied by the breathtaking vista of Mount Fuji, was said to be the most beautiful place in Japan. However, in 1966 an enormous typhoon struck, causing a mud slide which tragically destroyed the village. The town of Fujikawaguchiko decided in 2003 to rebuild the thatched roof village of long ago, and thus Iyashinosato Nenba was born again. ~Iyashi no Sato Nenba Pamphlet

Sounds promising, eh? But again, big disappointment.

What we got to see were houses like this. A "resource center", and the rest of which were mainly souvenir shops. In fact, about half of the place was still under construction.

Mount Fuji could be seen alright. But, not so much as to be called a "breathtaking vista".

Oh, we got stuck with a guy who was a descendant of some big guy in charged of a place somewhere some 400 years ago. He kept babbling away about history, which we listened half-heartedly and nodded from time to time as courtesy, although we couldn't wait to leave already.

Then he showed us this old house, which survived the mud slide and was left in a state of neglect after that.

"No, no! Don't take photos! The spirits of the mud slide victims are resting here!" he warned as we started snapping away. "Shh, can't you feel the aura?"

Oh, uh... Yeah? Erm... (Rolled eyes)

After that, we bid farewell to the great-great-...-grandson-of-Mr-Whoever-He-Was-Big-Guy and rushed for the last bus to get back to Lake Kawaguchi. Had dinner till seven something, and left for the winter festival.

Winter fireworks, this should better be good.

I would say it wasn't too bad. But after watching the summer fireworks display in Tama last August, this wasn't so splendid after all.

Because I was all the time getting ready to snap away at the right moment, I didn't really get to enjoy the hanabi (花火) that much. What really pissed me off was that I could only take crappy photos like this...

...with people blocking me away. And photos like this...

... because I was standing too close.

8.30 pm. Now's the time to worry. No more bus service, and we had to rush to the station by foot to take the last train; we had 30 minutes; it was -1°C. Luckily, with the help of the kind lady at a minimarket and the guy in a restaurant, we managed to find our way 10 minutes early. Phew, saved...

So, there we go. 8,000 yen poorer and tired like rats which struggled in a barrel of beer. While I was worrying whether the rest of the group was disappointed about the trip as I was, they said otherwise. Whether they really meant it or was it a courtesy, I do not know. But, anyway, お疲れさまでした!

- January 27, 2007 -

Searching for the Lost Smile

It's amazing how sometimes, you wake up in the morning and suddenly see things in a different light.

For longer than enough, I've been wallowing in self-pity. Long enough for me to have eventually lost my previous self. I pretty damn know that it's corrupting me, but I've been so acquainted with it that I started to accept it as part of myself.

Looking at the people around me, I realised that it is those who're happy that happiness seeks. Yes, I may get some attention by feeling bad for myself. But in the end, I end up feeling worse. Whether I feel good or bad depends mostly on me. So, why not try to make things better for my own sake?

A change in point of view should be helpful.

Say, when someone purposely tries to make your life miserable, the best way piss him off is to return it with a smile. When someone keeps telling you how lousy you are, thank him for pointing out your weakness so that you can improve yourself.

Undoubtedly, what I went through hurts a lot. But, all the pain that I suffered would be vain if I do not gain something from it. Yeah, easier said than done, eh? What have I gained, then? It took me quite some time to seek it, but I'm glad I eventually discovered it.

Firstly, thank you for being my motivation during the end-of-term exam. The mid-term exam was a disaster and if I screwed up the other one as well, I'd be done for sure. But no, I couldn't let that happen because you were there.

Thank you for the good times you spent with me, although I have to admit that there were bad times as well. I wish we could go on, but just as I get to make my decision, you get to make yours too. Fair and square. I was too selfish to have overlooked that. I've tried my best to try to make things work out, but I can't blame you for giving up.

There're still a couple of questions lingering in the head. Yet, no longer am I insisting on the answers. From now on, things shall be the way they ought to be. Broken promises there are, but I shall not break the last promise I made; and from you, I hope for the same thing as well.

Although a certain regret and faint hope still remains, I've ceased to stubbornly hold on to them. Unpleasant episodes always appear worse when you're going through them. But once you get over them, look back and you'll be proud of yourself for having gone through the obstacle. For that reason, I believe I've grown stronger. I can't tell what other obstacles are there waiting for me but at least, if something unpleasant does happen again, I can just shrug and say, "Ah, I've been through such things. I can make it, alright."

Ups and downs are inevitable parts of life. It's futile to attempt to avoid the downs so what's important is to recover from them. Whatever happens, take your time to get over it but make sure that you learn something from it.

For those who supported me through those seemingly hopeless days, thank you, too. For those whose concern I crudely ignored, I'm sorry but again, thanks.

The search for the lost smile is over. I hope it can stay with me for as long as possible. But, even if I were to lose it again, I know where to look for it once more.

Snow-capped Fujisan

Taken this photo quite some time ago during autumn.

Snow-capped Fujisan as seen from the seventh floor of the dormitory. The building on the left is the police academy; the right, the gymnasium.

- 15 November 2006 -

You're Not "Potato-ed"

Mister Potato! Everybody loves it! (Yeah, we all love junk food, don't we?)

A few packs of Mister Potato were lucky enough to have been sent all the way to Japan. They're not merely finger-licking good potato chips but also come with a surprise!

You see, Mamee was having a scratch-and-win promotion. You find a card inside each pack of Mister Potato, scratch it, and stand a chance to win a Nokia 6233 or an LG Plasma TV. Ooh, aah... Cross your fingers and pray hard!

"Gores! Kalau kentang anda menang!" it says. Literally translated, it means, "Scratch! You win if you're potato-ed!"

Knowing that the chances of winning a scratch-and-win contest are slimmer than getting squashed by Godzilla in New York City, we scratched anyway.

As expected, we're not in luck.

"Anda tak kentang. Cuba lagi." - You're not potato-ed. Try again.

And, as a consolation, there was a ridiculous conundrum to keep you entertained.

"Benda apa kalau gosok, lepas tu jadi tegak?" - What becomes stiff after rubbing?

Oh, you're dirty-minded. The answer is "seterika", iron. "Gosok" in Malay language has a couple of meanings: brush, rub or iron. As for "tegak", it can mean: straight or stiff.

Oh, here's another one.

"Which kind of bird doesn't feed its offspring?"
Well, "bird" can be an euphemism for you-know-what. But in this case, it means the real bird.

"Belatok bird. Because it only feeds his grandfather." (Bela: feed, atok: grandfather)

Global warming sure is driving people crazy, eh?

Oh, I wonder what's in the other packs of Mister Potato...

7.40am

7.40am

Hey, are you awake? Can I just go over? I think I'm going crazy.

Set my alarm to nine, but woke up 20 minutes ago despite shutting the curtains the night before. Still kind of dark. I want to sleep longer. Yes, I wan-

Oh, dang. Not that again. Come on. Why does this have to happen again? Especially in the morning immediately after waking up? This is the most cruel way to start the day. Now I can't sleep anymore. Even though I can afford to waste some more time on the bed. I'll probably be alright as long as I make it through the morning. After all, I didn't have problem going to sleep the previous nights... Or, did I?

Just give me something to keep my mind busy. Just anything. Perhaps, like going somewhere far, far away. I don't care, I can just travel by myself. I need to do something to past time. No, not in the room, though. At least, not in the room by myself.

I need company. Please. I'll just sit in a corner so just ignore me, go on doing whatever you want. I just don't want to be left alone.

Don't worry, though. I'll try to be fine. I'm still "timidly strong" enough...

Mental Health Hazards

Have been sleeping too much that I feel as dumb as a guy who has had half of his brain munched away by a tree worm. It's kind of boring here in the neighbourhood, to begin with. Still the old place I knew. So much, yet nothing much has changed.

For starters, the haggard old man downstairs is still faithfully puffing on a stick of fag every hour. I feel so like greeting him, "Howdy! Doing fine? How's your lung cancer progressing?" To which he'll probably reply with more than a dry grunt and an angry glint.

Then, there's this friendly new guy upstairs - a fervent believer of the best-seller "93 Reasons Why You Should Not Oversleep". The thoughtful lad makes enough noise every afternoon - enough to bring a cemetry to live, or at least just to wake up hopeless, nothing-better-to-do sleeping bums like me who indulge in a three-hour afternoon nap on top of a regular sleep at night.

In the meantime, nearby on a hill slope where a tertiary forest used to grow, an ongoing effort to completely deforest the island is progressing quite smoothly. Trees were chopped down only to make way for the fancy, high-class semi-detached houses soon to be owned by upper-middle-classmen. "Hey, Ah Beng. A couple of century-old trees used to grow over where I place the welcoming mat now. Do you know how much it took to turn the spot into this porch?" I'd expect Datuk Adam to boast during his house-warming party.

Oh, then, a couple of trees in our area were gone too. The folks were rudely waken up one morning by the dazzling morning sunlight; because the trees in the back yard suddenly went missing. The local committee held a meeting concerning this matter and concluded it to be the prank of the rampaging orcs who go on a tree-chopping frenzy every other night. They used to live peacefully until thier orcish camp got razed by the local developer. Talks on compensation are going between the orcish chieftain and the local council.

Geez. I'm so sick of this place. Remind me to consult the guys in the students affairs department regarding what constitutes mental health hazards and discuss the possibility of working the circumstances to my financial benefit with the National Health Insurance. Well, I can't tell them that I'm feeling sick because of oversleep, that's for sure.