Ambivalent ramifications

The sequence of perplexing thoughts sequaciously breeds ramifications-of ambivalent nature. The root and final outcome lies of the same kind. (oh crap) This suggests circular motion again. (oh wow). When will I break out of the affliction of a mind that works towards convergence. Listening to Mozart makes me happy now (really!). Amidst the confusing environment where everyone is obliged to think in an oblique course, sometimes we should embrace the ephemeral. For once.

Sometimes, the evident evidence of duality in many things is really scary. More often than not, we are ambivalent towards other people, other things. (this really is that frigging word I have been searching for since day one, thanks wei song!) Otherwise, we are bias. ( that is more of a two pronged attack actually ) Sometimes, we all do experience some kind of split personality. That is simply more consistent inconsistency of behavior. We all contradict ourselves once in awhile. We all behave not like ourselves sometimes and behave like ourselves sometimes that it blurs the meaning of "ourself". We are constantly changing and so Heisenberg uncertainty principle serves as a good analogy. How accurate is body language when a person's thoughts is moving like a train (like the saying-a train of thoughts? HAH!).

I made my point. Precisely or not is another problem. Either way. Time is ticking (again). I hate this hackneyed point of mine. Yesterday's party was rather enjoyable. "Relatively" because not everyone glued themselves to "rock band" or it's variants. Though I used to think it's simple, but it ain't as simple as it looks. I still gotta give credit to people who can not perceive that sort of sound to be music. (really, I have to resist being acerbic here). It is actually hard and hats off to people who find comfort in actually wasting their time. Well, I didn't do much better. I laughed so hard that I literally ROFL (roll on the floor laughing) at some silly commercials on the TV. "whose line was it anyway" was really mind blowing. Literally, it owned me.

Today did not feel like Sunday. The festive season somehow has it's paws on every single moment. I keep getting the vibes and I actually do get more hyper. It's this "feeling obliged thing". I think I'm opening up more. I think I'm becoming less antisocial. I think I'm actually trying to be sociable right now. I think I am making a big fuss of nothing (and making mountains out of molehills is a deep thinker's field of work). Okay, sad digress but anyway playing the piano at the Piano Man Shop today was another daunting experience. An annoying feeling I've experienced is receiving praise you do not deserve. I played La Campanella (I am VERY out of practice, I know). Strangers said it was good. Well, when I played Revolutionary I suddenly had like five people coming into the shop standing there. When I stopped I noticed. People praised me despite that sloppiness. What discomfort. When I jolly well know the wrong notes I have, the tempo fluctuations, the things which I just BLURRED through (literally). And it made people so amused (or mirthful I would say) [new word I learn].

Today is already in the past tense. I have no more time to practice. I am getting sloppy. From bad to worst. I already have no hope. Someone save me. I am getting depressed.

Resonance

Where did I last stop. Many days have gone by just like that. We're heading towards a gigantic ice berg, where the ship of socializing, fun, party and so on will crash into these huge obstacle. And then we're sink into that icy cold dimension which we usually refer to as "everyday life". I usually have this dramatization of how holidays will end and school will begin. This year, however, is one drastic change, where "routine" is procrastinated, and then, I will (ironically), be 'plagued" with loneliness and lack of activity again. The humdrum nature of life kicks in, and it will definitely take some adaptation to get used to it.

No school next year and even in the more distant future. School is water and I'm in a desert. I am caught up in all that socializing and partying that guilt and remorse is overwhelming me. Why do I feel as if my life is going to end soon? I always get that sickening feeling!

So much for direction. The future looks bleak, but I don't really care. After all, happiness or unhappiness is just a mere feeling, a feeling that is overrated. The concept of relativity is very applicable here. If happiness in life is one straight line it wouldn't be worth living, but only in the sinusoidal path of happiness it is possible for anything to become close to palpable. Excitement is the derivative of feelings and if you differentiate emotions you get thrill. (think of it graphically) This is something which I've kept close in my mind for sometime.

I've always wanted to say that writing Christmas cards for a circle of friends suddenly weighed more negative than positive. Again, it might not be a pro-cons discussion but I am inclined to believe that on a whole, on a macro-scale, it does more damage than good. It is a time where people evaluate their circle of friends and really sit down to see who they prefer. Trust me, if you write cards you will know. It is a time where you put everyone on that large gigantic judgment scale whether you like it or not. You tend to write more for people you prefer, write more with people you can click with. For people whom you find no affinity with, you might not even feel like writing a card. I finally understand all of these, from a sender's perspective and the receiving end as well. the plague of the human mind is relativity really.

There will be a series of events which will follow along the closure of this year. Omega night, new year stay over and there's a birthday party these evening. From my perspective I think this is the last ever long holiday I am going to experience. But I have to say I am not exactly enjoying myself. Naturally, people who are narrow minded (like me), tend to think more. (trust me, the only way to dig deeper is to dig straight for very obvious trigonometrical reasons!), I like to think in one direction very intensively. I tend to indulge in introspection and unhappiness, sometimes I wallow in self pity. I'm an intellectual emo. (putting it bluntly). And perhaps this will never change because I'm like this. But still, I yearn to be emotional stable. But somehow I start to feel things resonating.

Untimely inspiration

AHHHHH

8 year old playing WINTER WIND on youtube. CRAP. I'm struggling with the first page. Technically insane stuff. I better wake up early to practice tomorrow.

CRAP. im losing composure. it's so burning in me now.

Tempest Christmas

I don't know why every Christmas feels like a storm to me. A storm of fatigue. Stay over party last night, and I slept through. It wasn't really the fatigue but I don't like to feel obliged to keep awake. Feeling tired is inevitable and it is just how well you want to control it. I spent the day sleeping AGAIN after waking up at 2PM. I slept again till now (almost 9PM). What a day to spend Christmas! Celebration in dreams!

Really.Writing cards was a good experience, I did enjoy it but I have to admit that writing gets a little too exaggerated (like too long) after warming up quite a bit. the first few cards tend to suffer from what I call " cold syndrome " where my writing abilities freeze. Some cards had weird phrasings because it was like the 20th card in the row and I do write quite a bit for some people. there are people who received insanely long cards and there are people who did not. I do not choose that in advance, it just flows naturally. Same for quality of language-do not be offended. Either way in receiving or giving, relativity is usually not encouraged. It's not nice to compare. Running around looking for people to pass the cards too while being stopped and given cards, there is no room for nitty gritty "bag keeping matters" to take place. All the stuff gets all over the place. I think this is the first and last experience for me.

Christmas concert was orchestrated. Well besides the fact that the strings over powered the other groups of instruments. ( I always get that feeling). It's really inspiring because the violin is such a nice instrument.

So post concert we hanged around with that usual festive mood exchange where cards, greetings and food were subjects of trade. Some people were taking pictures (but personally, photos aren't my thing because I usually remember more than an average person. not photographic, but still, I find it unnecessary), some people were hanging around. Some person forced me to sign up for omega night. The usual dilly dally took place and eventually we all staggered to al azhar for somewhat of a dinner/supper kind of thing.

That was where I realized the impulse and impatience of everybody who couldn't resist. they took out their heaps of Christmas cards and start reading it in front of everyone else. I feel obliged to do so as well. And then the food came, and sharing food with Teng jin was just another stupid experience because I was coerced to pay everything. Oh well.

Then a distinct controversy struck. Whose house for the night? Elder Sam opened his house, some people are going there and some people prefer mine. But even separate ways that diverged converged in the end at my place. Many people came over to watch a movie which I hardly have any interest in. I think I would have just fallen asleep halfway. We should just play some ice breakers and play lame stuff to keep us awake. If not that infamous pseudo gossip would do fine as well. there were disparity in ages of people who stayed over, and as evident as that were preference issues. Still, it went well. (because I was asleep). I was hoping for more structure in the night. But my personal stand is that nothing is nice when you're fatigued, worn out and magnetized by the bed. Oh well. It's just another problem with me. I had a very cool time with my cool down at my bed.

there's always this tempestuous turmoil during Christmas. The evident cry of loneliness, and also not wanting things to just end like this. In hopes we experience dismay. I hope it's just not another festive thing. It's more bittersweet than I thought. It's fun and everyone seems cheery. Seems.

Rapidly

Many days without a post. Some people thought I died. Most people know that my desktop died on me. It was so filled with content that it refused to boot up. What a stupid way to die. Anyway I am using my brother's labtop and I am by no means, guaranteed the undisturbed usage of it. A maelstrom of events happened in the previous days, just that I did not get a chance to write about it.

Sentosa was staccato amidst legato for me. Well, not really. Highly accentuated by many people, and highly loved as well. I use to say I abhor Sentosa, maybe some parts of it, but perhaps after actually deciding to walk out (literally and figuratively) out of my comfort zone, I've learn how the fun goes. The mechanism behind the fun is still a mystery to me, because perhaps unlike other people the machine within me does not fit with the typical mechanism of fun. Either way, I still had fun. Weird, but worth it.

Firstly, there is one problem with mass games with involve a ball and many people. Some people get left out. Wait, you might be guessing. It's me. It's really inevitable for a person with hardly any sense of what is happening in a three dimensional locus of say 10 meters. To be able to track movement in the X-direction, Y-direction and Z-direction which eventually makes up a complex vector system of many objects moving at once is really unthinkable. I cannot identify where the ball is going, I cannot block because I have no idea when the ball is coming (if they had proper mitigation and warning systems like when earthquakes do happen, then perhaps). I cannot really relate with everybody who is running around with their natural monkey sense. For me, I am short changed with the disability to play such games with involve so many people and I ball. It's not the lack of ball sense which many people contribute my disability to. I used to play competitive badminton which suggests that I have no lack at ball sense at all. (which in fact, requires ball sense which transcends beyond captain balls or it's variants). But still, I don't like put into a more civilized brawl, where people out for personal glory dominate. People who judge, people who are inconsiderate, people who don't trust, people who exhibit paradoxical behavior, and people who behave this way subconsciously really fail to make such brawl-natured games fun.

I was sulking most of the time until I could actually understand touch rugby because it's less "haphazard" and spontaneous. Really. The sun was moderate but had fluctuating intensity. I eventually end up with slightly reddish skin, which is actually not that bad. I was expecting to hurt but thankfully it did not.

However, overall Sentosa is really not my thing. Not my cup of tea. Drinkable, but bitter and also tasteless. But when I decide to actually pour in a little sugar from my part, it tastes better. I did enjoy myself to a certain extent though I was actually putting in a lot of effort to. Sometimes, this brings me back into introspection. I know some people think it's unthinkable for a guy to lack that monkey tingly sense, the sporty adrenaline, the urge and craving to go dance in the sun, to love being baked etc..but once again, I resist the generalization, for people who try to define me by my gender and age are people unworthy of conversation. Generalization has adverse effects but yet it is instinctive. Selective generalization may be helpful, but yet it comes to the point of where and when does it's real usage manifest?

The mingling around, and talking rubbish once in awhile has a very refreshing tinge to it. Even under horrible conditions-dirty sand, scorching sun. The day was seemingly perpetual. Having set out at 0900 hrs we endured till about 1800 hrs before we set out in our own separate ways.

The night before sentosa, crabbing was one new experience. The cooling breeze! But we only caught one pathetic miserable crab! Crap! Bear was making friends with all sorts of uncles and small boys (pedophile!). We met a boy and we called him Bishan Boy. He was really chatty, speaking very fluent broken English. Oh of course, what would you expect by someone who hangs around the sea catching fish!. But still, he was same age as Tay Yang. and he was probing my brother's PSLE score fervently. He seemed full of confidence!...And then when it finally came down to declaring their scores. My brother scored 100 points higher than him. (ouch, the disparity!). He scored low 160+. Well, even lower than my height for PSLE. And then there was this awkward amplified silence whereby Tay Yang was deciding whether to fake his score. Perhaps 220 would sound really not that bad after all. but since thou shall not lie, the inconvenient truth moulded into a dagger and shoossh it flew and stab it went. Ouch. And then after that, the frequency of conversation plummeted. But anyway, who goes around asking when his one of the lowest scores I've ever HEARD around.

Forcefully

The days pass by swiftly. A bad sign for the timer is ticking and time is leaking from the palm of my hands. What is left but an increasingly increasing reluctance. Most things I treasure will be void and most things left will be effaced. Sadly enough, this is the affliction of every Singaporean Male on this planet. I dread, I abhor the thought of what is going to happen to me. Talk about comfort zone.

On a 'happier' note, tomorrow is Sentosa. A place I'd rather not go. But there's a post camp outing so I have to drag my feet. Maybe it will be fun. Keyword? Maybe. Or rather, it will be fun. (attempt to psycho myself). It's dying down and I feel it. Obligation takes over everything, and I find myself suspended between two forces.

Well, there's nothing much to do at home either. Like I said, suspension was never a pleasant feeling. I may not be stationary but I am certainly not getting anywhere. (talk about oscillating to and fro). Perhaps. yes perhaps. But very soon I should find some direction. I am feeling remorseful for not practicing the piano. Granted, I did about 1 or 2 hours here and there but that is certainly negligible. There will be no improvement in playing for merely 2 hours. There will be, in years to come, but for someone who is impatient. 4 hours is the bare minimum.

Franz Liszt said this. " Stop playing for one day, I notice. For two days, my wife notices and for three, the audience notices ". It's very applicable. And I think I haven't been really playing for about 2 weeks since I went overseas on a holiday. After all, like I said, what I have will be null and whatever remains will also be null. The future is bleak.

For the field of force is strong I have lost some motivation and inspiration to stagger on. Wavering determination and bad concentration.

Abstain the inevitable

Wielding a double edged sword yields nothing. But since usually both factors aren't in one single continuum I suppose it's safe to assume the vector sum of pros and cons do not cancel out. I am a deep thinker and I like to get to the bottom of things-at least that was what I was told. A double edged sword works in a way it can either win you a fight, or you could stab yourself. It's an either or situation. But what I am wielding is not exactly a sword. Not exactly as an tangible artifact, but it is something that causes palpable recoils.

Sometimes, I like to get to the root of why I am feeling a particular way, but one paradox is how I try not to be honest with myself. And as usual, (like how I always like to put it), friction applies and there it wears and tears. I am left fatigued without anything fruitful resolved. I feel I'm changing. Blogs are an effective way to document change but I wonder how many people do feel remorse or shock when they read what they wrote years back. I did. For we are what we assume to be the best possible situation we are in now. Naturally, we tend towards our ideals, and that I feel, is something which induces recoil damage. Plentiful recoil. Friction comes in and wears us out.

I think I'm becoming more serious. But yet I've always believed that simplicity and complexity lies in the same plane. I am still left perplexed. Convinced yet confused. Do they lie on the same plane? Or are they inversely proportional, or are they the freaking same thing. Chopin said that the end result of complexity is simplicity, and does this prove that all about simplicity and complexity resolves in a circle and in a case where circular reasoning applies everything becomes null as we hurt our brains trying to figure out what everything means. And so is complexity and simplicity defined by perception, the same about good and evil. Is such terms absolute terms, are there degrees of compromise. I've been thinking about all these, and I need answers. And even by doing so, what have I accomplished-this is a simple but complex question. (or is this just merely a duality?). But what has it got to do with seriousness (again!)

It's past midnight and this is where I start writing nonsense. Camp and Post camp dynamics are highly predictable. It's like free fall. How is it fair that when we bond, it's uphill and we break it's down hill. Bonding took time, effort and energy, and of course, the correct temperature, pressure and catalyst (in other words, camp environment and events), to take place. It is a reaction which is totally not feasible in standard conditions. Just like how ice exists below certain temperature it surely brings us to the point that remaining bonded after camp is like forcing Ice to remain Ice in a blazing desert. Where conditions do not comply, situations cannot be forced. Are we all forcing water to freeze in desert. In everyday life where the days are lived in haste and everything is done so forcefully, the heat is blazing. Ice is a simple analogy. How about getting Neon or Argon to react. We group leaders are forced to be Sodium and Potassium while some naturally are Caesium.

Today's party was haphazard but it was a good but futile attempt at restoring these conditions. These conditions where by water freezes into ice or vice versa. You can see how gaseous we were. There are natural inevitable preferences and these held priority over all others. The so called displacement reaction occurs (though I believe, not exactly). We tend to settle into our comfort zones and chemistry teaches a lot. We need energy and work to be be done to force things into their unnatural states-this applies with people. Cliques were more than evident today. They became so evident like layers of multifarious immiscible layers of solutions. Yet there is one hope that "intra molecular bonds" and "inter molecular bonds" will keep all us connected. Cliques are molecules. While covalent bonds are strong, we have to keep in mind that Van der waals are weak. We have risen up to the excited state, now is the metastable and very soon we will all plummet more.

I know I have been speaking in analogies but this is how these situations are best explained.

By the way, I am not trying to intimidate, just trying to get a point across.

Now on a friendlier note, I start to doubt my own intelligence. I hate myself because I cannot solve riddles which I thought I am supposed to. Trust me, these riddles are intellectually challenging, but since I've failed, I've proven myself to be a useless person with a useless mind. Granted, these riddles aren't easy but solving easy riddles is just like eating candy. Sweet but bad for health. I find myself not mentally malleable. I am rather rigid, and I am logically deficient. But yet people say I'm deep. Deep, yes, perhaps in a superficial manner. Deep but shallow, profound yet callow. How ironic.

Oh yes. Yesterday night was amusing. VERY. I tried to dye my hair. DIy for your information. I tried but apparently it seemed as if my hair resisted the color (dark brown). Anyway I am lazy to type and I should be going to bed very soon. >_<

Fresh air at last

After a few days of staying at home, finally I get to see the real blue azure sky right above my head. Today was actually another slack day. Early in the morning, I went to the squash court aka the slaughterhouse to play squash. It was actually amazingly exciting considering how I got owned. Squash is a difficult game, a sadistic game-as it's name suggest. Anyway. Anyway. Tomorrow is Christmas Party and so, it makes me feel slightly a little happier. I'm sure the days ahead will set itself apart from the very humdrum nature of the days so far. I am actually, at excited state. Following squash, me dom and tim sat ourselves comfortably outside church to have stone-ing fellowship.

Something which I have been so evidently lacking lately is "intellectuality". Our camp theme this time round was "transformers", and it was disappointing to know that majority of people do not understand my MSN nick "transformers-with a soft iron core". It's really sad being in a group where everyone is so young and everyone pauses and flinches when I say da magic word-"benzene". It's really scary how I relate hexagons to benzenes and vice versa. I really like to talk more about Newton or his friends, but I rarely get the chance to. My fundamentals to Musical Acoustic book is overdue (due to the hectic nature of overseas trip etc..camp..etc), I wasn't given ample chance to work on it.

There has been emotional turmoil within me for the past few days. I am polarized in two directions and a state whereby I am actually in dynamic equilibrium. Stationary, but yet the effort and forces pulling me is quite straining. I feel obliged, and urged to do many things which I do not want to. Yet on the same point I find myself not doing somethings which I want to do. I feel a very evident sense of stability degradation. Still, I shudder to solitude and company alike.

Prison Break and Heroes have been awesome. It was an episode spree after a long time of that draggy one episode per week aka the weekly dosage I would call it. Prison break takes an unconventional turn and Heroes is as usual getting more and more complex. (Well, everything in this world tends towards entropy after all. Second law of thermodynamics). Season three is over! I'm so hyped up about Ando's new ability-the supercharger!

I'm still thinking about the Martial Arts Showdown from Camp. Since the video has been posted on youtube , I caught myself watching it repeatedly (yes, the magic word here is LIFELESS). I find myself addicted to the bed. Camp blues are terrible, though I could actually conclude (from experimental trial and error and personal experience) that Camp Blues decline with time with a constant half life. (evidently, there is not much left. it's already about the 4th half life. Say, there's only 1/16 left. sad :( .... )

There have been many goals I set myself upon but none of them is appearing to be materializing. I set myself upon wanting to learn Hungarian Rhapsody, but yet the length and difficulty repels me. Some way, I feel implored by my very own lazy nature to stone in front of the piano. Of all the hundreds of tracks in my Ipod, the Hungarian Rhapsody caught my attention this holiday, yet I was so caught up with my other pieces. And what is so disappointing is that I cannot play anything now. Yes, La Campanella-bad shape. I can run through from the front to the back, but still, I am a one trick pony. Difficult but yes, but finally the call to widen my repertoire is distinct. Revolutionary Etude comes in next, Opus 10-4 is getting better. And Small Dom and Tim jsut had to remind me that everything I play is fast, (and showy).

I actually teared to Ballade in G minor. Really touching. But, yes, overplayed.

Wanderer Fantasie

I can't get down to do anything productive. I'm just leading a nomadic (with respect to time), and direction deprived day. I miss studying days, I miss the days where life has so much more structure than now. Today, fatigue still remained the canvas as dull colors made their marks. The result? A lifeless dull picture, which greatly depicts my life. Sigh.

The traces of a sore throat vanished. Sore throats are my sworn enemy, but paradoxically I am very accustomed to facing it. Boredom plagues, camp fever strikes, and I never felt so bedridden before in my life. True enough, if I was less selfish, there could be things that I should have done.

As a result, today was spent again, lying on the mattress with my trusty laptop (my brother's to be specific) and the silk pillow I got from Suzhou, I lived a relatively relaxing day, without worries. Mid day, it rained, and that aggravates the excruciating restlessness. I ain't ashamed to admit, I really really want to go back to camp.

It is usually a pity that I do not get to blog specifically about overseas trips or camps because they span more than my memory can handle.

I really have no mood to do anything. Save me.

fatigue that overwhelms

Somewhat i find it hard to settle back into the introvert's routine. fatigue induces somewhat of a vertigo upon me, impeding any will to do anything. I am left wallowing in bed, either smsing, talking to people or surfing the net. Anything requiring more energy I am unable to carry out. Fatigue, fatigue, go away!

Sets the timer ticking again

I finally am able to settle down to normal life. By normal I mean life that is not extraordinary. Having spent the last two weeks either overseas or at camp, I feel a sense of uneasiness at home. Well, a large percentage of the myriad of emotions here may be a camp blues, camp fever or whatever you call it. Yes, this year's YF camp was more than awesome. I think most people are suffering from camp blues or it's variant. And additionally, i find myself being attached to a sore throat.

This was my first year being group leader. Honestly, I had expected a bed of roses, albeit many people telling me/warning me otherwise. Life wasn't easy, and I was put to the test countless times. I miss my group right now, which is definitely something strange for a very dedicated introvert like me. Is this going to open me up? With all that activities coming up, (which I am actually feeling excited for), am I going to forsake my isolation life? Perhaps.

The games were one of a kind. Majority of the games were original and creative. The committee I think did a very good job here, I believe. The logistics made things seamless, flawless and the running of camp suffered little or no lag. So now we have to blame these successful people, these dedicated people for our camp blues! hahaha

However, it really puts me in a spot now. I am currently at a perplexing junction. the camp blues is bittersweet, and the more one puts thought into it it becomes bitterer and bitterer. bittersweet feelings are rather complex and I rather not sink into it. Yet I feel obliged to dwell in it. When we look back, anything seemingly perpetual will be reduced to a few second frames of memories-this is the cruel fate of memories. We cannot preserve these times of fun laughter peace and joy, but the only thing we can take back is what we have learn from the message. Learning it, and integrating it into our lifes. That is the only way not to lose everything we have experienced in the last four days. group spirit, memories of games will diminish. And then it boils down to how long are we willing to keep the flame alive.

I'm back, really

I'm back and I find myself at the entrance via exit. Following this one and a half week Japan/China trip would be Yf camp! There is a sense of excitement but yet it is very (sadly) engulfed by fatigue. It's 1AM in the morning (few hours to camp), I've not unpacked my luggages from overseas, let alone pack for camp! and I'm sitting here, typing this. Ayy, packing is in the mind, after all.

I did enjoy myself in this trip. I bought a myriad of stuff. Namely, pseudo branded goods. Pseudo is a good word for this situation because I got stuff like some LV wallet (don't know what it stands for, but I heard it's some insanely day light robbery material) for a relatively cheap price. Fake? Perhaps not because these goods are illegal "real" products whereby factories smuggle their excess in order to earn black market profit. Thus, pseudo comes into handy usage. A surfeit of stuff I bought, everything from head to toe. Japanese's latest gel/wax to Adidas shoes from Japan's Factory outlet (not cheap, but still, I NEVER shop so it's now or never kind of situation). I bought a lot of stuff ( in my opinion ). Really.

But I have to admit it feels better. Somewhat.

The gelid floor and the winter wind really made life tough. The temperature fell to below the zero degree mark (not kelvin, mind you!) more often than not. Three layers, gloves, beanies, scarfs were all essentials over their ornamental value. Most food in Japan were steamboat based and since we visited Hokkaido we were treated every meal to somewhat of seafood or it's variant. Salmon became something so common that I hate it now. Kobe Beef, Crabs were optional delights which were served in buffet style with a hefty cost. but still, I don't like buffet because I feel obliged to eat more.

Hotels come in two kinds. The classic western style, a valley system comprised of two beds. Two luggages on the floor and one would be forced to hop around the room (no wonder Japan is so famous for Ninjas). It is surprising how good a hotel would be depends on how competent it's bathroom is. Yes, especially in winter time. Hot baths are definitely something I look forward to.
The other kind, is called the Tatami style or the mattress style. Which I myself have no personal preference. I still think ultimately it depends on the bathroom.

Japanese vending machines should be the 9th wonder of the world. The first day I was caught paralyzed in front a row of vending machines with myriads and myriads of bottled drinks. The variety scares. Intimidated, I settle (usually) for the ones I find in Singapore (or find somewhat familiar), and that is a sad irony. Japanese goods are not cheap, they don't have price tags as lofty as the common goods in Europe but still, they are relatively very expensive. But some stuff are certainly on par, cheaper than their Singaporean counterparts. (rarely though).

The service in Japan is really superb. Impressive I would say. It does take more than words to describe. Furthermore, we made a short transit at China before coming back home and that made the contrast very obvious. China is notorious for Melamine, bad service and bad manners. Somewhat, I agree that Chinese are selfish more than gracious. It's a competitive world where everything is done in haste. Suddenly, we, as tourist, find ourselves looking out for our stuff more than in Japan. Thefts are probably more rampant, pirated goods are more in abundance, and every is just...just...so China. But of course, it does have it's impressive side. It's rapid advancement is one of them, but other than that, I prefer not to go there again.

I don't have much time, and this post is merely meant to be a summary. (yes it actually IS a summary). Time is ticking! The first few days the snow pilled the grounds and all of us engaged in frequent snowball fights. (not exactly balls, but rather, snow flake fight I would say). Snow is good. (good is a word plain enough for snow).

The food...etc...the company...the experience...the bus rides were all one of a kind. I enjoyed myself, but the best was still the touchdown at Changi Airport. the rest will come in the next installment for now I have to pack my stuff and settle myself in bed.