[068] Meetings are like constipation 開會就像便秘

Meetings are like constipation. Everything is an empty fart until the real shit comes out.

Apologies for the slow updates. I'm finally recovering from my big illness and starting to draw again. I was thinking if I should replace the word "shit" because it sounds a bit vulgar but the phrase would simply have no impact if I replace it with a more polite word such as "faeces". I'm glad that after eating more vegetables and fruits, drinking more water and walking more distances, I'm no longer friends with mr. constipation. I wish I can say the same to meetings...
 

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Can't imagine life without insurance! 還好有保險！

First, I experienced the massive earthquake, then radiation fears. But no, heaven thinks that's not enough so it had to send a typhoon to Tokyo on 21st (Wed) and cast a spell on our professor to release his class at the peak of the storm. So half of us were trapped in the campus while the other half braved the winds to go home. I waited till the storm was over but with a sore throat that got worse the next day.

經過巨大地震，輻射恐懼之後，老天爺還覺得不夠殘，非要來個台風到東京才滿意。而偏偏我那天有課，老師卻在暴風雨的巔峰時刻才放我們下課。真是他X的...所以一半的人困在學校，一半的人冒著大雨，奮勇豁出去了。我雖然等到晚上台風過去後才回家，但是已經喉嚨痛到不行了。

I struggled back to the intensive course, with the thought that even if I die, I would die in the classroom. Luckily I eventually decided not to die in the classroom and went to see the school doctor. 39.2 degrees, everyone was shocked and the doctor asked why I delayed my treatment. At this level, its amazing that I could feel hot and cold at the same time.

隔天以死都要撐到教室的決心，好不容易到了學校。幸好臨時決定還是不要死在教室，所以去看了學校醫生。39.2度，在這高燒的境界，竟然可以同時感覺又冷又熱 =_= 。大家都感到非常驚訝，問我為什麼現在才來看醫生。

[067] Unable to resist temptation 無法抗拒的誘惑

I was able to save some money after noting my monthly cash flow...but unfortunately... I couldn't stop shopping! Maybe I need more time and will power...

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[066] Everything needs Strategic Planning 戰略規劃

Remember my Shopping Strategy at Borders Clearance Sale? Well, if you're going to those bargain sale, it's better to go with a friend and queue up rotationally to maximize your time. Too bad if I only have more money...

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Back to my Crappy Dorm with new company 和不速之客一起回到爛宿舍

After 1.5 months of lovely summer vacation back home, I'm now back in my crappy small Tokyo dorm that is slightly less than 9sqm, roughly the size of 3 super single beds. I tried to take a shot that shows everything, but it was too embarrassing to reveal all the ugly hooks and what not. What I can tell you is that besides those shown in the photo, there's a bookshelf, wardrobe, laundry basket, small TV, fridge, microwave oven and a shoe rack/shelf. I can't imagine that I'd managed to stay here for 18 months already! You can check out my old complains from the very moment I stepped in last year!

回家過了美麗的1個月半暑假後，又回到了爛東京宿舍。宿舍面積少過9平方米，大概有3張超級單人床那麼大吧？我試過把全部都拍下來，但是因為實在是太醜了，所以就透露一半就好了。除了照片中的物件以外，還有書櫃，衣櫃，洗衣籃，小電視，冰箱，微波爐和一個鞋櫃。真無法想像我已經在這簡陋小房間待了18個月了！要回顧我去年一搬進來就開始狂投訴的記錄，請點這裡XD
 

...and great... while doing laundry I found these insect eggs sticking onto my net.
...正想晾乾衣服時，竟然發現有昆蟲蛋在我的網上！

Wonderful... guess which insect is this?
幹....到底是何方神聖？

[065] Inflation Woes 通貨膨脹的恐怖

I got the shock of my life after returning to Singapore for vacation. Houses were 30% more expensive than when I'd left less that 2 years ago! Looks like my dream of buying a small studio is popping into bubbles... Meanwhile, it looks like inflation in US and in China is not any better, only Japan is suffering from deflation. Oh heck, with Japan living costs getting cheaper and Singapore getting more expensive, I wonder if we'll end up the same eventually? Hmm...

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[064] US Economy 美國經濟

What's with the new debt to pay old debt?

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[063] Humans are born to sleep 人生出來就是要睡覺的！

Can't help but feel sleepy all the time!

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[062] How to end a conversation with a Japanese 如何於日本人結束聊天

I had to attend many events that has interaction with Japanese. I found that pretty often after introducing my country and the languages I speak, the Japanese usually express their awe, followed by an awkward beat of silence. Yes, I had found the best way to end a conversation with a Japanese!

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[061] Chewing Improves Your Memory! 咀嚼多次可讓記憶力進步！

I watched a Japanese health variety show some time ago and it was about the miracle benefits of chewing many times! If you chew more than 30 times per bite, it'll not just make you fuller, but also improves your memory and prevents cancer! Then the show presented this case study of a bedridden near-senile old man, who suddenly became alert and was walking around, after only undergoing a few months of "biting" therapy. Amazing!!!

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Singapore Mooncakes 新加坡月餅

In 5 days time, we will be celebrating our Mid Autumn Festival, a much celebrated festival by the Chinese. It is the 8th month 15th day on the lunar calendar when the moon is at its roundest form. Thousands of years had passed, but our lunar calendar never fails to nail down the date for the roundest moon. On this day, families come together, much like Chinese New Year, to eat mooncakes and admire the bright moon. It is also a custom to give mooncakes between relatives or business associates to wish them have a happy reunion with their families.

Mooncakes are traditionally baked with lotus paste filling and sometimes with yolk. These are usually favored by the older generation. However for younger people like me, snowskin mooncakes are appealing too, such as the ones shown above.
再過5天就慶中秋了！以前的天文學家真是厲害，千年後的農曆還是能準確算出月亮最圓的日子。

[060] NASA's Last Mission: Mid-Autumn Festival NASA最後的出發：中秋特輯

I liked Astronomy when I was a kid. Too bad NASA will not be getting money to fly anymore. Meanwhile, it's our Chinese Mid Autumn Festival! I'll talk about more in my next post!

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[059] The World is Unfair 世界是不公平的

If you're pretty or handsome, you can get away with a lot of things.

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Shopping Strategy at Borders Clearance Sale

Just returned from the Borders Sale at Expo with 50% discount off all books. The original price tag was way too expensive, no wonder they're going out of business in Singapore. In fact, you might find some paperback version cheaper in Amazon than the 50% discounted hardcover versions found there.

I arrived at 11am and spent 1.5 hours browsing and selecting my books. By the time I join the queue, it was already incredibly long and I had to drag my basket of books for 2.5 hours before reaching a cashier. When I was done, it was already 3pm, too tired and famished to "cheong" (battle) the John Little Sale at Hall 3.

Here are some shopping strategies to share when you go to a "clearance" sale:

• Just grab the things that you're interested in, if you're having a hard decision, just grab and go.
• By the time you're done scavenging, the queue would have been really long. So if you're going with a friend or family member, a good strategy is to have one person queue up while the rest hunt for their kill, then alternate positions.
• Along the way, there would be other shoppers' unwanted box of stuff that they dump after having second thoughts. You can dump yours there too or pick up new ones. I picked up 2 books that way.

Most people came with their friends or family. There were even frequent "missing parents" announcements when they left their kids to hunt or dumped them at the queue. If you're bringing your kids, make sure your partner is there to help.

The sale will end on 6th Sep and I believe the discount will get steeper and steeper to clear off those less popular books. Good luck to your hunt! :P

My New Samsung Netbook NP-NC110

Introducing my brand new netbook bought from the COMEX IT fair at Suntec City, Singapore. Yes, I'd been saving up for a netbook so that I won't have to carry my 2.5kg MCP to school everyday!
今天買了一台小型筆記電腦！因為不想每天帶我的2.5kg重的蘋果電腦去學校，所以存了幾個月買的。