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It's a Physical Limit

It was 2.30am, way past my bedtime. Neuron-firing rate dropped to 4 Hz. Brainwave pattern was transiting into the theta phase. High level of adenosine was detected. I tried to ignore the signs but the warning message flashing on the terminal distracted me from what I was working on.

Standing on the balls of the feet, I reached at the tallest part of the bookshelf. There it was, a thick tome with a woven binding, covered under a thick layer of dust collected over years of disuse. Blowing off the dust jacket off the cover revealed the title "A User Guide to the Human Body (5th Edition)".

I skimmed down the table of contents, stopping at the section "Your Brain: That Chunk of Stuff in between Your Ears". Flipping to the listed page showed the technical specifications of the brain.

• Weight: Approximately two pounds
• Size: Varies across individuals; ranges from something between the size of a peanut or a football
• Number of neurons: Something between a hundred and a hundred billion
• Temperature for optimum performance: 37゜C

These were but just a few selected points. The number of bolts and nuts required to build a brain from scratch was written in detail too, among other trivial stuff.

Nope. These were not what I was looking for. I needed to check the section on troubleshooting.

Q: I'm supposed to sleep two hours ago but I need to stay awake and finish some work first. There's this warning message flashing since an hour ago. I've been trying to ignore it but it's distracting. What should I do? Should I just smash the terminal?
A: Check your EEG, if it falls below 8Hz, go to bed already for the love of God. Forcing yourself to stay awake may undermine the hardware performance of your brain, or even cause the brain to switch to zombie mode Now, if that does not frighten you enough, please be informed that the warranty shall become void should the hardware be run beyond the recommended conditions (refer to section 42.18.2.1.6).

See? Staying awake overnight was not as simple as a matter of will. It was a physical limit. And heck, I was compromising my warranty thanks to some sadistic guy who gave us an assignment which was to be submitted the next morning, by 10.

What the hell? Why 10am? Why not 5pm? I didn't have the first lesson in the morning. And why not just next Monday? This wasn't any assignment you could finish in minutes by enlisting the help your fingers and toes to do the arithmetics. These were the calculations for the designs of a hydraulic jack, the very beginning part of our project for the next six weeks. Obviously, we were screwed. And this was just the prelude to a worse nightmare that is to come.

Just a little bit more. Damn. I hate "Machine Design and Drawing".

A Cocoon in the City

No work last Saturday; it was a long weekend indeed. Despite the sunny weather out there, this is the season when pulling yourself out of the bed proves to be a major feat. I'm so proud of myself for being discipline enough to wake up early, well, after a couple of hours' struggling. So, it was no early than noon that I eventually got ready to go out before I rot in the suffocating room (Nowadays, I wonder if I'm claustrophobic).

Usual photo session. I had a couple of places in mind but somehow, I wasn't in the mood to travel far. Besides, I had to drop by at Bic Camera. So Shinjuku it was. After grabbing an ND filter (which sadly is yet to make its debut, so more on that some other time) at Bic Camera for my Tammy 17-50, I took a stroll in the west area of the station. Then, it caught my attention. Yes, one of the strangest buildings I've seen in Japan (if you don't consider the black pyramid next to Tokyo Tower). To some, it may look like a monolithic phallic monument. To me, it resembled some kind of monster cocoon from the Ultraman series.

Oh, it is the Cocoon Tower, duh!


The first time the building caught my attention was during a trip to the observatory in the Tokyo metropolitan office building a few blocks away. Frankly, I was ignorant of the fact that the building was a recent addition to the already packed metropolitan district - as recent as last summer. In fact, the official opening was on last October.

Oh well. So we've got another high rise building in Shinjuku. What's new?

Hey, don't miss the point here. It's a piece of artwork, don't you think so? To put it curtly, it's a strange design. A subtle way of rephrasing that, would be "futuristic". It was hard to find a spot in the crowded district to take a shot at the structure in full. So just check out their official website for a photo of it. Simply speaking, it's a gigantic cocoon with a gigantic ball (or is it a dome?). Ah, pardon my lack of vocabulary.

Now, this building was designed by Tange Associates. Though it wasn't by Tange Kenzo himself, I must say that this building is second to none of his other works.


So, what purpose does this cocoon serve? Believe it or not, it houses three vocational schools: Tokyo Mode Gakuen (東京モード学園), HAL (ハル東京) and Shuto Ikou (首都医校). The former two specializes in designing, and the latter, medistry.

Whoa, a 204-meter tall 50-story monolith as vocational schools... I wonder what justifies that...

Interestingness

Down there at Flickr's homepage, there's this section called "Explore". (You'd know what I mean if you're a Flickrite.) I had no idea what the hell it was. All I knew was if you click on it, it'd take you to some page called "Explore" (duh), where you can spend hours browsing through tonnes and tonnes of interesting photos. Obviously, someone, somehow, keeps track of all those photos and decides if they're interesting enough to be showcased on this page. That's all I knew all these while, despite having an active Flickr account since more than a year ago.

Alright, I'm a slow learner...

But two days ago, I eventually learned more about this interestingness thingy, when I stumbled upon Big Huge Labs. It hosts a number of cool Flickr toys developed by some generous folks. And one of the gadgets, Scout, has become my favourite.

Scout: Find your photographs in Flickr Explore

it says.

At that point, I still had no idea about Flickr Explore. But I gave it a try anyway. Then, voila! It returned two results.

I... what(?)... have two photos on Explore? Now, that's interesting!

This photo which I took in Miyajima last summer was one of them.

What's more, this photo has a ranking of #57, it said.

Then, there was this other photo I posted the other day.

Mt Fuji at sunset, taken at Yamanaka Lake, one of the famous Fuji Five Lakes. And this one ranked in the #40's.

Wow, that's cool. I had to find out more.

By doing a quick search, I found out that Flickr has got some kind of algorithm that figures out the interestingness of each photo uploaded everyday. No one knows how the algorithm works exactly. But common sense tells that page views, number of comments and favourites are surely part of the recipe for the interestingness algo. So, obviously the ranking changes over time, as photos get viewed, commented or faved. I learned that my Miyajima photo was once a #8. It has slipped down the rankings over time.

As for the second photo, it now ranks at #10. I've no idea how much longer it'll remain on the front page of Explore 19 November 2008. But making it into Explore certainly meant a lot. I've been wanting to take a shot of Mt Fuji from the lakes but the weather hasn't been cooperative; sunny days on weekdays but when it comes to Sundays, it's always cloudy or rainy. When the weather forecast on Tuesday predicted a stretch of sunny days, I made up my mind about making a trip down to Yamanaka Lake the very next day after the first lesson. It cost me 4000 yen and frozen fingers (it dropped to as low as -1゜C after sunset). Of course, at first it was plainly for the pleasure I derive from photography that I took the trouble going there. Nevertheless, the fact that the other Flickrites like it is a very warm encouragement.

Though I'm very well aware that there're many other photos out there that deserve better compliments. So, let's not get too lightheaded.

Anyway, just one last little publicity.

詮索（いや、取調べ？）

「今日、また図書館？」

放課後、相変わらず詮索してきたんだ。

「いや、帰るよ。用がある。」

冷たいけれども、それは答える気がないから。

「用？デート？」

こいつ、最近うっぜなぁ。疑問形多すぎ。次々と押し付けられた質問にいちいち答えるつもりはねぇよ。

「ほぉ、今帰って、６時までに渋谷へ…間に合うよね…きっと、そうでしょ？」


また疑問形…無視されたにもかかわらず、取り調べを続けた。いかんにシツコイッ！誰か渋谷ってったっけ？誰かデートなどってったっけ？まあ、いいや。こいつの妄想力はどこまで暴走してんのか、俺も知りたいから、しばらく付き合ってやるよ。

「渋谷？東京って、渋谷だけじゃないよ。」あえて聞いてみる。

「だって、便利だもん。両方にとってね…」そして、自慢げな顔をして、ニヤニヤと。

どうやら、こいつは俺があの子と何かがある、と確信してる。

ぶっちゃけな話で、確かにあいつには気に入るんだけど、それ以上の展開は望んでおりません。（…うむ、かな？）まあ、とりあえず、各自の「妄想力」にお任せします。もう詮索だけは勘弁していただきます。

Hyottoko and Okame

This one is related to a post two weeks ago. (No Entry, October 28 2008)

Okay, after coming all the way to Yokosuka, my plan was ruined because I was refused entry into the Navy Base. Sure enough I left before they changed their mind and decided to give me an anal probe security check.

But luckily, I managed to take some cool shots during the procession earlier. Now, that made my trip worthwhile. I've posted these photos on both my Flickr Photostream and my photoblog. I know it's redundant, but I'll just post two of them here together with the short descriptions which can be found on the other two sites.

Kagura Masks: Hyottoko ひょっとこ

Kagura (神楽 - God Entertainment) masks are used in Shinto theatrical dance. They can often be seen in matsuri (Japanese festivals). This one here is a boy character called hyottoko. (Those who have watched the Japanese movies, Death Note and L: Change the World, can probably recall the mask used by L to conceal his identity.)

There're several versions to its origin. One has it that it comes from hi-otoko (火男 - fire boy), who blows out the flame in the kitchen stove with a bamboo stick (thus the shape of his mouth).

The other version comes from a local myth in Ishikawa prefecture. It is said that there was once a boy with an odd face who produces gold in his navel. Ever since his death, it is believed that by placing a mask resembling his face at the kitchen stove, the family will be blessed with prosperity. Somehow, the name of the boy hyoutokosu (ヒョウトコス) transformed into hyottoko.

The girl character, okame complements this one.

Oh, and that's not a salut. it's just the awkward mechanical way he walks (imagine tin man with stiff joints marching in a parade and you'll get a rough idea).

Kagura Masks: Okame おかめ

This one here is a girl character called okame or otafuku.

The squished round nose, the high cheeks and the moon face are the main characteristics of this character. She complements the boy character, hyottoko.

Sometimes, though, it is also used to represent a boy character.

When Dreams and Reality Run on Parallel Tracks

It's true that my blogging style has changed - not to say the blogging frequency too - since a year ago or so. I don't have to re-read my previous posts (I never do) to come up with that conclusion; I'm aware of the circumstances that lead to this.

It's not that my life has become uneventful these days - there're plenty of things I can blog about. The fact that I no longer bother about sitting down, arrange my thoughts and put them into words, is a worrying sign. This is not motivational at all, but admittedly, I'm beginning to simply accept things the way they are.

Contentedness, what's so bad about it?

It doesn't have to mean that you're satisfied with your life. No, it's not contentedness but apathy, to put it crudely. It means that you no longer care about what's going on. And in extreme cases, it happens because you don't give a shit about dreams and hopes anymore.

Remember those childhood days when you sat next to the window, imagining flying a jet when you grew up, or visiting that twinkling star in the night sky at a place far, far away - nothing was too far-fetched. But in the process of growing up, you're brought back to reality; you start to realize that your dreams are too far-fetched. That's why as adults, we dismiss those thoughts as "day dreaming". It's a "dream" because one day, you're going to wake up and come to terms with reality.

I quote a friend of mine who said these words in a nomikai last week.

人間は誰でも夢を与えられるべきだ。俺は相思う。 (I believe that everyone should have the right to dream.)

It still amazes me how a semi-drunk man could spout words as inspirational as these. It kept me thinking. True enough, without a dream, there can be no motivation. And once you lose your motivation, your life is no different from that of a washing machine.

Angela Aki, a famous J-pop artist wrote a letter to her future self when she was in high school. I was about to do the same after reading that article. Even though I've long passed high school, I wonder what I'd write to in my letter to my future self. About the list of things to do when I grew up? About the girl in the class I had a crush on? About how well I did in the recent test?

But most of all, whatever is the content, would I have the courage to rip the envelope and face my former self, with pride and dignity?

Gone in a Poof

There're two main reasons I keep this blog.

1. To rant
2. To brag

I'm here now because of reason number 1. I'm mourning, my external HDD is dead, bringing together with it 250GB of data, if not 300. Mind you, that's a colossal loss:

Photos - Fortunately, I happened to backup part of them on a DVD. But still, bye bye to all the photos taken between April to July this year.

Videos - Not many but just two or three video clips that I was considering of submitting for screening in next year's Cannes Film Festival.

Documents - The blueprints for a new Death Star, the ingenious plan for world domination (and oh, some of my assignments and reports) are gone forever.

Others - This accounts for 90% of the loss, but no further elaboration on this because they are stuff that'd incriminate me for copyright infringement. Well, you know what I mean.

But now that I think about it, I should have seen this coming. You see, when I went back to Malaysia during the spring holiday earlier this year, I did something unimaginable. Without realizing that my external HDD was without a power adapter, I simply plugged it in and, horror of all horrors, it exploded. No kidding, it exploded a soft poof and white smoke wisped out from the air vent.

That happened less than 30 minutes after I reached home from the airport.

Come on, why on earth does Japan has to have a different power voltage from the rest of the world? And what the hell, don't all electrical appliances nowadays come with a power adapter that supports different kind of voltages? Sigh, some people are just too stupid to consider about what stupid things some idiots like me can manage to do.

Anyway, after sulking for a few days, I managed to persuade myself that it was the power supply that went kaboom; that the hard disk was still intact. True enough, I managed to get it back to life by plugging it into a new casing.

That worked, at least until recently. Sometimes, it just went on strike. I guess the damage was done during that little incident that happened back home. Yet, I didn't expect it to go so soon. I guess that's what it means by "death comes at least the expected times".

With my dead comrade relegated to the neglected dusty shelf, I've just got a new one. This time, a 500GB. (Heck, it cost less than my former 300GB.) Cool. Now I've got 500GB worth of virtual real estate at my disposal. Frankly speaking, I'm quite at a loss about what to do with it.

Anyway, I'm still trying to persuade myself that my former comrade is just in a comatose state. Perhaps all it needs is a new casing...

No Entry

An hour away from Tokyo, in Yokosuka, there's a U.S. Navy Base. During normal days, the place is off limits to everyone without prior registration. But once every year, it is open to the public - during a local festival known as Mikoshi Parade (みこしパレード). This year, the festival was held last Sunday. As the name suggests, it's a procession of portable shrines (mikoshi) and floats. It is taken place along the main road in front of the Chuo Yokosuka Station (中央横須賀駅) and within the premise of the base. That's probably the only time when the public is allowed into the base.

There's a catch, though...

I've heard rumours that you can get really, really cheap Coke in the base; 100 yen for a dozen when that's not even enough to buy a 500ml bottle of Coke elsewhere. (Well, anyway, it's cheaper than anything.) Thinking I could confirm it for myself (and grab enough Coke to make it my staple food for a week or so), I decided to hop on the train and head there last Sunday.

After getting bored shotting photos of the parade by the road, I joined the crowd queuing up to enter the base. Obviously, bags need to be checked before entry. But I didn't make it all the way there. Whether it was because I resembled a perverted dog rapist - or a maniac who bombs public toilets, or an inhuman psycho who beheads cactuses - I was stopped 20 meters before the gate.

"Do you have an ID card?"

Of course I do, you idiot. Do you think I'm an illegal immigrant or what?

"Oh, you want me to show it to you? I thought you wanted an autograph."

The fella passed the card to a second fella who popped up beside him.

"One moment please."

After an eternity, the second fella came back and whispered to the first fella, "OK, it's genuine."

Cool. Do I really look that suspicious?

I was too dumbstruck to establish any intelligible conversation but this is how it'd go had I been able to.

"Thanks, but you could've just confirmed with me."

"Just doing my job, you know. Oh, we haven't done humiliating you yet. One more moment, please." After disappearing for a while, the first fella returns with a faint smirk on his face which he doesn't care to conceal.

"Okay, now what? Can I go in?" I try to sound as innocent as possible.

"Unfortunately, no. Because you're from Malaysia." He pointed to the part where "Malaysian" is proudly printed.

"And Malaysians aren't allowed into the premise without prior registration." It sounds so well-rehearsed.

"But, I'm no terrorist. I wouldn't even hurt an ant, I swear!"

"No no. Rules are rules. Now off you go."

"But, but... But..."

Of course, that conversation did not take place. But, the truth is, Malaysians were denied entry when the place was supposedly opened to the public. That's an interesting revelation. Who knows, a Malaysian is probably considered to pose a threat risk no less than a taliban. I presume, Malaysia is blacklisted by U.S.

That must be it, or it was just because I look like a beardless, heard-scarf-less, AK-47-less, accent-less taliban.

Photo Slide 1

Just a short photo slide I made in one night using Flash. It's my first Flash project so there's still plenty of room for improvement. Photos featured in the slide are taken in various places in Japan from December 2007 to September 2008.

Yeah, I know the colours are terribly compromised after the compression. But all photos are featured in my Flickr Photostream, so feel free to drop by.

Morning Caws

I hate crows. And I'm sure you'd, too, if they wake you up every day at six in the morning without fail. (Oh, except when it's raining. That's why I always welcome morning rains.)

I just can't help wondering what the hell are they doing: All crows are (presumably) assigned with their respective posts within the neighbourhood, trees, lamp posts etc. Then,

1. Crow I caws.
2. Crow II reciprocates.
3. Crow III joins in.
4. ...
   
5. ...
   
6. ...
   

14. Crow N caws.

Where n → ∞.

But, "caw"is not even a close onomatopoeia. "Honk" would be a better one. Yes, their honks are so awful that they can surely make a honky tonk jealous. It's reasonable to suspect that they're playing "follow the leader" game. (That was one of my earliest conjectures.) But I came up with a more reasonable one. I understand no bird language but these morning caws, erm, honks, is no ordinary morning assembly, because these are no ordinary crows you get in your ordinary back yard. These are evil crows. Evil crows that convene every morning to discuss their evil plans to take over the world.

DAILY EVIL MEETING (Cancelled in the event of rain)
Agenda:

1. Meeting cawed to order
2. Speech by Evil Leader
3. Evil topics of discussion
   
1. Evil WORld Domination (E-WORD) Plan A
2. Evil WORld Domination (E-WORD) Plan B
3. Evil WORld Domination (E-WORD) Plan C
4. (Ditto)
4. Meeting adjourned

I cover my ears with pillows to muffle the awful caws but to no avail. (Evolution has endowed crows with a super-powerful syrinx). Don't get me wrong though. It's not that I'm apathetic over this evil world domination plans by evil crows; but lack of sleep makes me cranky. Evolution has endowed man with a super-powerful brain which nevertheless requires plenty of sleep to recharge, no less than a powerful computer requiring plenty of power to run.

This morning, though, I managed to sleep through the morning caws. But, oh, not for long before the earthquake jolted me awake at seven. That's why I'm here, typing away.

I'd like to go back to sleep now but it seems that the relentless crows aren't going to stop any time soon. Sigh, this is going to be a hell of a day...

Oshinomura

SUMMER VACATION 2008
10-11 Aug: Mt Fuji
12-18 Aug: Kansai, Hiroshima
21-27 Aug: Japan Tent, Ishikawa Prefecture

Okay, that was my plan. First item, checked. Second item, checked. Third item... Damn, they rejected me again!

Japan Tent is an annual homestay programme organized by some good folks in Ishikawa Prefecture. Free of charge - transportation, food, accomodation, everything. Sounds interesting, no? Everything that's FOC is enticing!

That is exactly where the problem lies. The number of foreign students applying for the homestay programme way exceeds the limit the Ishikawa folks set - 350 participants. So, every year, they draw lots, Bingo-styled or somehow. Unfortunately, Bingo-styled or not, when it comes to drawing lots, my chances are between nil and zero. True enough, I couldn't make it to Japan Tent.

I thought I was going to be busy this summer holidays. Okay. Cool. I'd have to make some adjustments.

Then, my host family called.

"Wanna join us for a family trip to Oshinomura?" Mrs Yoshida invited.

"Uh, Oshino.... Uh Oshimu... Oh, yeah, of course!" I didn't even have any idea where it was, but man, I was more than glad to join! From what I gathered, it's some village near Mt Fuji. Apparently, it's famous for the approximity and the view of Mt Fuji, duh.

But oh oh oh, wait! Must update my map...

2008 Summer vacation map, version 2.0. Zoomed in on Kanto region.

See? It is close to Mt Fuji! The drive there took less than three hours. It was a slow ride; should have taken less time but Mrs Yoshida insisted on showing me around the area so she took a slight detour.

The place where we headed to, Oshinomura (忍野村) is also famous for the eight springs of Fuji (忍野八海, literally translated, the Eight Seas of Oshino). Glaciers on the summit of Mt Fuji melt into water; the water then passes through subterranean rocks and makes it all the way to the eight springs. Believe it or not, the process takes 85 years! In other words, the water in the springs was formed from glaciers 85 years ago!

"Try keeping your hands in the water for 30 seconds," a signboard by spring challenged. Nah, what's the big deal, I thought. But I couldn't manage to do it. The water was icy cold!

It's a cool place alright, both literally and figuratively. Unfortunately, throughout the recent years, more souvenir shops start to pop up and one can't help but wonder if bringing in more tourists is in the best interest for the village in the long run.

The inn where we headed for wasn't far from the springs. Inn Fujitomita is run by a family whom Mr and Mrs Yoshida have known for over 30 years. It's a very nice place with tennis courts, BBQ huts, a camp site, a pool and onsen. The place is frequented mostly by hikers, especially in the summer.

When we got there, a group was already checking out. So, soon, we had the whole place to ourselves! Muahahaha! And I even had the room with the best view. Unfortunately, the weather hadn't been favorable.

"But, wake up at 6 tomorrow morning," I was told. I did, and voila, Mt Fuji was standing right there. Without the glaciers, it looked kind of bald though. This photo was taken at 5.45. Soon after that, Mt Fuji disappeared into the clouds once more.

Sorry for not posting the photos in chronological order. But allow me to rewind to the previous night, just for a brief introduction of the people I met.

This photo was taken after the nomikai (drinking party). It became sort of a reunion between old friends.

The first guy on the left owns a boutique, together with his wife (far right). We had a chance to stop by at their shop, Gabacho, just next to the torii of Sengenjinja, the starting point of Mt Fuji's hiking course in the olden times.

The second guy is the owner of the inn, Mr Tsuji, a multi-talented person. He used to study in the States, then worked for the famous John Wayne as a gardener for about five years in the 70's. After returning to Japan, he helped his parents at their inn. He expanded the building, dug a swimming pool, set up a campsite nearby, cleared a land for three tennis courts., tends the garden.. All by himself! Oh yeah, he even made wooden toys for his grandsons. A local magazine featured him in a 12-paged interviewed in their first issue. He proudly showed me one of the few yellowed copies he kept. The second lady from the right is his wife.

In the middle is the Yoshida family who was kind enough to bring me along for the trip. Though it was only a short one, it gave me a glimpse into Japanese families. Quite like a homestay, I'd say. And yes, Oshino Hakkai (忍野八海) was definitely worth a visit.

Now, one month left before the new semester starts. Of course I was already making plans for my next trip...

Hiroshima: Going South

1600hrs, 12th August
Even after a night's sleep, I'm still feeling like a zombie. Needless to say, the whole body aches too. And sheesh, can't the cicadas out there are give me a break?

This is my schedule for summer. Super-packed, no?

Leaving for Kyoto tonight but am yet to pack my bag. Gotta make a move... Now!

0040hrs, 20th August
Back from trip. Tired like shit. The messy room's giving me a headache. But I just can't wait to post these photos!

京都金閣寺

奈良興福寺五重塔
The clan temple of the Fujiwara clan, which commanded both power and fortune in many centuries.

奈良東大寺
Listed as a UNESCO Heritage Site, Todaiji is also reputedly the largest wooden building in the world.

奈良燈花会
Lanterns light up the grounds of Todaiji and the compounds of the surrounding temples in Nara for 10 days in this summer festival.

大阪万博記念公園

万博記念公園太陽の塔
The Tower of the Sun was named after a Japanese novel, The Season of the Sun, where a character broke through a sliding paper door with his erect penis.

広島原爆ドーム

宮島厳島神社大鳥居
The enormous torii gates to the Itsukushima Shrine stands magnificently in the sea. During low tides, the gate is accessible on foot from the shrine. The gate was built with four extra columns to provide stability.

May be posting more once I settle down. So long for now!

Mt Fuji: Making it to the Top

I'm back from Mt Fuji, alive! Woohoot! Well, half-alive!

* * * * *

1134hrs, 10th August - Preface

This is where I'll be by tomorrow morning... Well, if we make it...

1950hrs, 10th August - Departing from Shinjuku
Boarded the bus at Shinjuku. There were seven of us.

Ogikubo and Kuramoto (my classmates)
Takeshima (we used to be in the same class but he's now in another major)
Martin (from Argentine)
Ying Ying (from China)
Chew (friend of Ying Ying who's under a student exchange programme in Waseda University)

When we came out into the highway, it started raining. Although we have brought along raincoats, hiking in the rain is no joke. Just on the previous day, a 52-year-old hiker was killed by lightning. (cf: nikkansports.com) There was a hailstorm too.

It was on the next day that we found out that it rained heavily in Tokyo that very night. Luckily, weather was favourable at Mt Fuji.

2200hrs, 10th August - 5th Station (2305m)
We reached the 5th Station 10 minutes before schedule. We tried to look for a changing room in the souvenir shop but later decided to change in the dark outside just to save 100 yen fee. Jeez, misers...

It was at the souvenir shop that I bumped into... Gosh, Kim! She's a Malaysian post-graduate in TITech. I haven't got many chances to meet her even in the school. But here at Mt Fuji? Wow, talk about coincidence. (Photo by Kim)

"Oh my God, Dai Kah Zheh (Big sis in Chinese dialect)! What a surprise. Are you going up or down?"

"Wow! Thought I got the wrong person. Yeah, We're going up."

With her were Yeap from Kuala Lumpur and Danny from Singapore. All fellow TITech-ians. It happened that Yap's birthday is on 11th August. They brought a cake along to celebrate the occassion.

Phew, birthday celebration on Mt Fuji...?

2300hrs, 10th August - Starry night
After taking a group photo (need to get it from my friend before posting it up), we started our climb from Yoshida-guchi, in high spirits.

In the beginning, everything was easy-going. We chatted and gazed upon the starry night. And hell, there were plenty of shooting stars! I counted a total of three throughout the whole journey!

"Gosh, this is better than a planetarium," someone commented.

Yes, indeed. The stars were shining bright. That's not something you can see back in Tokyo. Of course, most importantly, we were lucky because the sky was clear.

In no time, we reached the 6th Station. It was rather crowded there. So we only stopped for a while, took a snap and continued our ascend to the 7th Station.

2400hrs(?), 10th August - Comes the tough part...
I didn't take note of the time. But I suppose we reached the 7th Station around midnight. There were plenty of rest houses along the route, serving drinks, food and accommodation. But things were damn expensive. A bottle of Coke was 500 yen.

A simple rule of thumb: Price α Height
Or, we called it "inflation"

I met Kim and company more than a few times on the way. Gosh, they looked tired. As Kim told me then next day on MSN, "You look bubbly..."

Yeah, I was, but not for long...

0100hrs, 11th August - "8th Stations"
We could see the lights from the rest houses on the 8th Station. But it took us almost forever to get there. Well, honestly, we didn't really know which one was the 8th Station. We came along many "8th Stations". All the rest houses had different names and they were all "8th Stations".

When we came to the first "8th Station", it was barely 0100hrs. Our initial plan was to make it till the 8th Station by 0430hrs for sunrise... Which meant we were 3 hours ahead. Though we were all very sleepy, we decided that it'd be hard to wake up once we fall asleep there. So, we started off again. Our target was to get to the summit, if possible, before sunrise.

But the route got tougher. Landscape changed from easy slopes to loose pebble and stone paths... Everytime we came to the next rest house which we thought was the 9th Station, it appeared to be the 8th Station. Spirits were low.

One... Two... Three... I don't know... Hell, I lost count... But there were so many rest houses and they were all "8th Stations"! By 0400hrs, we came to yet another "8th Station". There, we decided to rest and wait for daybreak. It was cold up there, with temperatures hitting as low as 5°C. To worsen the situation, the wind was strong.

0400hrs, 11th August - Puking on Holy Mt Fuji?
Kuramoto immediately fell asleep. I would have done so too if I felt better. At first, I thought it was going to get better once I take a short rest. But instead, it got worse and I eventually puked.

Oh my God, I puked on Holy Mt Fuji!

Luckily, all was well after that (at least for the meantime). I managed to pull myself together and got the camera ready for sunrise.

Martin had his tripod set up at the cliff. I didn't bring mine along because my backpack was already overloaded. 50% of it food. And now that I think of it, the throwing up was probably partly because of overeating. If only I knew I didn't need that much.

0430hrs, 11th August - Then, There was Light
At about 0430, the eastern sky started to glow in an orangy fire. The moment we were anticipating was about to come.

Daybreak!

Snap, snap... Snap, snap. Martin and I took many photos. We spent one whole night just for this moment. Neither of us wanted to miss the chance. This photo was taken at 0457hrs. (F7.1 17mm, HDR, 3exp ISO400)

I didn't manage to capture the clouds well. Martin has got a better one on Flickr. But somehow, he's not satisfied with it...

Martin was busy snapping away when we took this group photo. Nice backdrop! Notice that both Kuramoto and I had the same cap. We got them when we visited Hitachi a month ago. Kuramoto brought it along because it's the only cap he has; while me on the other hand, thought that it might look nice in my resume should I consider of working in Hitachi! (Photo by Ogikubo)

0515hrs, 11th August - Making it to the Top
The ascend after that was terrible. We were roughly 500m from the peak. But each step was torturous. Pressure was about 620mmHg (compared to the 720mmHg at sea level). Air was thin up there. Many people suffer from the so-called high altitude illness. In worse cases, hikers die.

I almost died too. To go on or to turn back, it was a difficult decision to make. Whether it was a wise choice, I don't know. But I didn't have the courage to turn back. Afterall, we made it all the way up here.

Taking every painstaking step slowly, I proceeded ahead. (Imagine taking a 2-minute rest everytime after taking 10 flights of steps.) Takeshima and Kuramoto walked behind me.

"I thought you were going to black out and roll down the slop!" Takeshima later recalled.

Well, thanks to everyone, I made it up there. Without their encouragement and help, I wouldn't have made it, or worse, I could have gotten killed!

0700hrs, 11th August - Woohoot! The summit!
Woohoot! The summit! The very place that took us more than 3 hours to get to although we could see it from the "8th Stations"!

Back at the 8th Station, there were many hikers. But not everyone made it up here. Most turn back after sunrise. But the summit was already crowded enough.

Photo of a random hiker.

At 3772m, on top of Japan! (Photo taken by Ogikubo)

I was totally worn out and was not in the shape to scout the area. We made a brief stop at the crater though. Much to my disappointment, there was no bubbling lava...

0830hrs, 11th August - The Descend
After a short rest up there, we started our descend. Thank God it was easy as pie compared to the ascend. I galloped down the slope, braking with the hiking stick every now and then so as not to rush down the cliffs and be gone forever.

We were like trekking on martian landscape. Brown soil at first, then pebbles. Further down, rocks and finally black volcanic ash.

Another random hiker in orange. He looked like a ghostbuster. "I ain't afraid of no ghosts! 'Cos I've got my hiking stick!"

There's nothing much to talk about the descend though. Except that it was a long way down! Longer than the ascend! When we later checked the map in the souvenir shop at the 5th Station, we discovered that the descending route took us on a long detour. Okay, it wasn't psychological.

1300hrs, 11th August - Dirty, Hungry and Sleepy (and retarded?)
14 hours of hiking without a proper nap. Everyone was dirty, hungry and sleepy by the time we made it to the cafeteria at the 5th Station.

Ogikubo and Kuramoto were acting like retards. Obviously, they suffered from brain damage due to the lack of oxygen up there.

We booked the 1600hrs bus, which was a miscalculation. We were thinking of entering a hot spring but it appeared that there is none!

So we spent our 3 hours in the cafeteria, eating... and sleeping...

...Sleeping on the table like Takeshima here! It's a must-know skill every university students have to acquire!

Took this photo at the entrance of the hiking route before heading home. Mt Fuji was covered in thick mist. (Photo by Martin)

2030hrs, 11th August - Home
Finally, got home. Went to the shower directly. Gosh, was I dirty. I could rub black volcanic ash off my face! Even my nose was stuffed with ash! And when I looked into the mirror after a satisfying bath... there I saw, pink cheeks and a pink nose... Hahah!

Footnote
I have been thinking whether I'd go to Mt Fuji again. But the answer now is, no. At least not in the near future! Though it was an invaluable experience, you have to really earn for it. And if you do think of attempting the feat, never do it alone!

Useful links (Japanese)
For those who're planning for a trip to the summit:
富士登山に行こう！ - A comprehensive guide to
富士吉田市登山ガイド - Another guide maintained by Toshida City
後悔しない富士登山 - A guide to various hiking routes
富士山御来光時間 - Timetable of sunrise

Dan et Napoléon 6: Les Week-ends

Napoléon: Bonjour, mon ami. C’est une bonne journée, n’est-ce pas?

Dan: Bonjour, Napoléon. Oui, mais il fait chaud… Oh, Marengo est ici aussi!

Napoléon: Oui. Je commencé à travailler à Mc Donald’s. Mais aujourd’hui c’est dimanche. Je ne travaille pas. Donc je sors pour une promenade avec mon Marengo. Et toi? Qu’est-ce que tu fais en général le dimanche?

Dan: Moi, je sors pour prendre des photos en général. Mais les journées chaudes comme celle-ci, je reste à la maison et j’écoute de la musique.

Napoléon: Ah bon. Tu préfères quel type de musique?

Dan: Euh… Je préfére la musique classique, en particulier les oeuvres de Beethoven. « Pour Élise » c’est mon favori.

Napoléon: Oh la la. Tu as du bon goût pour la musique! Je l’ai rencontré quand je suis allé à Vienne. C’est un génie.

Dan: C’est ton ami? C’est superbe! Je voudrais le rencontrer un jour!

Napoléon: Bien sûr! Allons à Vienne cet été!

Dan et Napoléon 5: Des Anniversaires

Napoléon : Bonjour, mon ami. C’est moi, encore! Ça va bien?

Dan : Bonjour, Napoléon. Ça va, merci. Tu viens ici pour faire des courses?

Napoléon : Non. Je cherche un cadeau pour ma mère. C’est son anniversaire la semaine prochaine.

Dan : Quel hasard! C’est l’anniversaire de mon petit frère aussie!

Napoléon : Oh la la! Il a quel âge?

Dan : Douze ans. Il habite avec mes parents dans le Quartier Crevette.

Napoléon : Je vois. Tu vas lui acheter un cheval?

Dan : Non, non. Ma famille habite dans un appartement. Donc il ne peut pas avoir un cheval. Je veux lui donner un poisson.

Napoléon : Il aime manger du poisson?

Dan : Non. Il a eu un poisson mais il est mort parce qu’il mangeait trop.

Napoléon : Oh, c’est triste…

Dan : Dis-moi. Donnons une fête dimanche pour eux!

Napoléon : Bonne idée! Viens chez moi avec ta famille.

Dan : Bien sûr! Je vais apporter des sushis.

Napoléon : Des sushis! J’aime les sushis!

Dan et Napoléon 4: Le Journal de Napoléon

Récemment, je vais toujours au Quartier Poisson dans la matinée pour faire des courses. J’y vais sur mon beau cheval, Marengo. Ça me prend deux heures. Je ne pense pas qu’il y a des problèmes. Mais d’après Dan que j’ai rencontré, au Quartier Poisson, on ne monte pas à cheval. C’est bizarre, n’est-ce pas?

Bien que Marengo soit un superbe cheval, il n’est plus jeune. Il est fatigué à cause des côtes au Quartier Poisson. Donc, j’aimerais bien un vélo. Malheureusement, je n’ai pas d’argent. Alors, je suppose que je dois travailler! Peut-être, à Mc Donald’s?

Morose

Browsing through my old posts made me feel like I was reading someone else's blog. Plenty of nonsense, plenty of rambling, plenty of whining.

"What the hell was I thinking about when I posted this?" I couldn't help asking myself.

It is discomforting to realize that how much one can change in so short a period of time. More so when the subject is you, whom you thought you knew so well.

The multifaceted human psyche undergoes a never-ending metamorphosis, unconsciously shedding itself layer by layer over time. It is an onslaught of relentless process, driven by the host's turbulent experiences. When the host eventually realizes, he has then lost his former self, for better or worse.

Sometimes, I'm an active party-goer; sometimes, I revert to this morose, pathetic wimp. "Revert" is probably not the right word for there's no telling which one of the contrastive personalities is my true identity. For now, at least, the former seem to be fighting a losing battle against its rival. This leave-me-alone-I-don't-wanna-talk-to-anyone feeling is getting worse. And no, I can't pinpoint the exact problem.

I started off this blog as my sole outlet for taking out my frustration during times of turbulence. And obviously, I divulge more than too much sometimes. That, coupled with another issue which I cannot address here (because it is another conflict which must be dealt with personally) is probably why the blog has been undergoing a cool-down period.

How long this will persist, I do not know. But I have a feeling that the rambling is going to start again.

Dan et Napoléon 3: Le Journal de Dan

J’habite tout seul dan le Quartier Poisson. C’est près de l’úniversité où j’étudie. C’est pratique parce que la gare la plus proche est à seulement sept minutes à pied. Mais, je ne vais pas à l’université en train, parce qu’on doit changer deux fois pour y venir. Si on y va à vélo, c’est plus rapide.

C’est ce que je fais, qu’il pleuve ou qu’il vente. Normalement, ça me prends environs quinze minutes pour venir à l’université à vélo. Mais, si je me dépêche, ça ne prend pas plus de dix minutes. Je pars donc à neuf heures moins le quart.

Récemment, je rencontre toujours Monsieur Bonaparte quii vient souvent dans le Quartier Poisson le matin pour faire des courses. Donc je suis souvent en retard pour l’école…

J’ai cours jusqu’à quatre heures et demie tous les jours. Mais normalement, je mange au Resto-U et étudie au la bibliothèque avant de rentrer vers neuf heures.

C’est toujours la même routine. Mais… Eh bien, c’est la vie!

St Luke's Tower

There's a list of places which I'd like to visit. But you know, travelling costs money and time, both of which I do not have. That's why these plans are more often than not, stalled...

Well, until one those days when I get this uncanny twitches that I feel wouldn't go away unless if I do something... Something like grabbing the camera bag and rush off somewhere.

This time, I went to St Luke's Tower in the vicinity of Tsukiji (築地), the famous fish market.

It's a high-rise building with hotel, expensive restaurants and an observatory deck on the 46th floor. Since I'd no business to visit a hotel, neither would I enter an expensive restaurant for a gourmet dinner, my destination was obviously the observatory deck.

The place is probably the smallest observation deck I've ever seen. But, what could I say? Entrance was free after all.In one corner was a fella hiding behind a black umbrella like a sniper under his camouflage net. I doubt that Japanese are superstitious about opening umbrellas indoors, but still, what he was doing, I couldn't understand until I tried to take a snap.

Geez, the reflection on the window was terrible. Now, that's what the umbrella was for! How thoughtful!

I headed back downstairs, got a folding umbrella and returned to the observation deck on the 46th floor.

Lesson of the day: An umbrella comes in handy, even if it ain't raining.

On one of the benches in the room, sat a teenage couple. Still in their school uniform, they probably headed directly to the observatory. Hell, these guys surely do know how to pick their dating spot!

"What's that guy there doing with an umbrella?" the girl whispered.

"To avoid the reflections on the window while taking photos. See the other man in that corner? That's what he's doing too," the guy surmised.

Cool. I had to admit that the guy was not only good at planning romantic escapades after class, but also had a sharp observation.

But I digressed.If I were to grade the place, I'd give it 9 out of 10. One point off because it doesn't offer a full 360-degree view. Another thing is, they close early; at 2030 hours. Since I was taking long exposure shots, it was pretty time consuming. Besides, I had to take time tweaking the aperture and shutter speed setting to compare the results. So before long, the staff came in and inform us that they're closing (i.e. shooed us out).

But apart from that, the place is totally great. Nice view on the bustling metropolitan city of Tokyo (good for photography); and romantic atmosphere. Just pray that there're no stupid photographers blocking the view by opening umbrellas, though!