Every Life is a Story in the Making...

New Blog Address

2008-09-10T22:29:00.002+08:00

Sorry for the long delay in updating my readers. The past few months have been real busy with work as well as preparing for my wedding sometimes early next year. This will probably be my last post in this blog. Thanks to all my friends and readers who've dropped by and left kind comments.

To find out more about the happenings in my life, and what had transpired during the periods of my absence, please feel free to drop by http://loveschronicle.blogspot.com Here you'll get to see me and my fiancee in person.

Hope to hear from you again. Do take care and stay cheerful. Domou arigatou gouzaimasu...

The Long Absence...

2008-04-27T18:46:00.003+08:00

It's been a long time since I last posted in this blog, my very first blogsite. Going through all the past posts brought back loads of memories and feelings. How time flies! Before you knew it, a couple of months had come and gone.

To update all my readers, if there're still any left since the blog was left inactive, the long period of absence has been a time of change for me. Not so much about my work, though I'm in the preparatory phase of starting out on a new attempt. Rather, it has something to do with my personal life.

You see, I came to know of this girl slightly over two years ago. But things didn't pick up until early last year, and now it has blossomed into a relationship. There's much to learn when you share your life with another person, especially one of the opposite gender. I can't tell you how glad I am that I've finally found someone special, someone who accepts me for all my strengths and imperfections, and who is willing to share her world with me.

Hachiko is my pen name, which is named after a loyal dog I mentioned in one of my earliest posts. My friends and colleagues called me KT, and I'd like you to remember me by this initials too. In the not too distant future, I will stop blogging altogether here as I would be blogging full time in another blog I started with the love of my life back in November last year.

For this I seek your kind understanding. I'll put up the link to our blog when it's time; don't worry, you won't have to wait too long, though. Meantime, take care and have a wonderful year ahead.

Cherish Today

2007-07-22T12:35:00.000+08:00

Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
And today? Today is a gift.
That's why we call it -
THE PRESENT.

When Two Persons Cross Paths...

2007-06-24T13:52:00.000+08:00

One look, one smile, one touch, one embrace, one kiss, one love.
Two people, two minds, two souls, two destinies.
One road, one journey, one ending, together.

Hope

2007-05-31T09:21:00.000+08:00

The person who's filled with hope
will be able to find something beautiful
in the imperfection of another person;

The person who's filled with hope
can reopen that door
which was shut tight by despair;

The person who's filled with hope
will treat the misunderstandings by others
as a necessary price to pay
in order to serve his fellow humans.

Do you have it...?

Who'll You Choose?

2007-02-19T08:36:00.000+08:00

Ask yourself this question and answer it honestly: "When you are happy, who would you want to share your happiness with?" The person you'll think of is the one you love. Ask yourself another question and answer it honestly: "When you are sad, who do you want to share your pain with?" The person you'll think of is also the one you love.

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If you think of the same person when you are happy and sad, that's the most perfect. But if you don't think of the same person, it'll be better to choose the one you are willing to share your sadness with.

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In life, there are more sorrows than happiness. There are many people whom you can share your happiness with, not necessarily just the person you love. If you live your life happily, you can also enjoy it alone. However, not many people are willing to share your pain.

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If you are willing to share your happiness with someone, that person has got to be someone close and understands you. But it shouldn't stop there. If that person only thinks of you when he or she is happy, but looks for someone else when he or she is sad, this person is not very reliable; he or she doesn't treat you as someone whom he or she can spend the rest of his or her life with.

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When you are sad, who comes to your mind first?

When You Were Young...

2007-02-03T10:26:00.000+08:00

The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing.
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The trees wave and the flowers bloom in our bodies as well as our souls, and nature's song - from all of creation, is our song, our very own.
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There is a bridge connecting heaven and earth. It is called the Rainbow bridge because of its many colors. And just this side of the Rainbow bridge, is where you and I meet.
.
Sono mukou de kitto anata ni aeru.

Hello Mr. Turtle

2007-01-22T21:51:00.000+08:00

moshi moshi kame yo kame san yo
sekai no uchi de omae hodou
ayumi no hayai mono wa nai
doshite sonna ni hayai no ka

Now what could that be? Here's the translation:

Hello turtle, hello Mr. turtle.
There's no one in the world
who's faster than you...
Why are you so fast?

Got it? Good! :)

Happy New Year...

2007-01-02T10:10:00.000+08:00

New Year is a time of...

Celebration...

Recreation...

and Together-ness with people you care about...!

Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu (Happy New Year!)

You Never Know...

2006-12-15T16:33:00.000+08:00

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You never know when someone
may catch a dream from you.
You never know when a little word,
or something you may do
May open up a window
of the mind that seeks the light
The way you live may not matter at all...
but you never know - it might.
.
And just in case it could be
that another's life through you.
Might possibly change for the better
with a broader brighter view.
It seems it might be worth a try
at pointing the way to the right.
Of course, it may not matter at all,
but then again, it might.

Living in Vain, or Finding Life?

2006-12-08T19:46:00.000+08:00

Life is vanity that is the life we think matters. All our striving and building and self-satisfaction is an illusion. Illusions get us through the day, but every now and then something happens. There we stand naked and dripping wet in tears and laughter.

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We don’t find life’s meaning in the barns we build or fields we harvest or accolades we receive. All that is just gloss. We are merely seekers of the Life. And at the end the best that can be said of any of us is that we loved well.

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Every now and then the clutter of our living parts and God peeks through reminding us what really matters and the meaning or purpose of our existence. We aren’t the makers of life. We don’t create meaning. We are the messengers. We are the instruments through which God has voice. This is our purpose, our task, and, yes, even our risk. This is our destiny. Everything else is but vanity.

Contentment...

2006-11-16T19:39:00.000+08:00

The world can be a much better place if we humans can learn to be content with the simple blessings of life, instead of competing with one another for that illusive prize of pride and prestige.

Cat on left: I'm so glad to have a friend like you. Purr...

Cat on right: The feeling is mutual. Purr... purr...

How Do You Measure Love?

2006-11-08T21:13:00.000+08:00

It takes 3 seconds to say "I love you," 3 minutes to explain it, 3 hours to demonstrate it, 3 days to appreciate it, and a LIFETIME to prove it.

Lion Heart (Food Fight)

2006-11-05T14:53:00.000+08:00


This is the ending scene of the TV series Food Fight starring Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, one of the member of the famous Japanese group SMAP (stands for Sports and Music Assembled People). I did mentioned the song Lion Heart twice in my earlier blogs, but now you finally got to hear the song. (well, at least the first part of it) Hope you like it!

What Really Matters

2006-11-04T23:01:00.000+08:00

Something written by an American girl (j.s.) which I find quite profound but simple, philosophical yet meaningful, succinct yet on the mark:

Not where you live, but how you live.
Not what you say, but what you do.
Not what you take, but what you give.
Not what you own, but what you share.
Not what you avenge, but what you forgive.
Not who you know, but who you help.
Not how you play, but how you pray.
Not how you enjoy, but how you endure.
Not how you look, but who you are.
Not how much you work, but how much you love.
Not what's in the bank, but what's in your heart.
Not what others think of you, but what God knows.

Neko no Uta

2006-11-04T22:31:00.000+08:00


The title means Song of Cats. Well, it's a collection of photos of cats that's put up as transitional slides, played to the tune of Teruu no Uta. Hope you'll like it!

Mid-Autumn Festival

2006-10-06T15:48:00.000+08:00

Today is Mid-Autumn Festival in the Chinese lunar calendar. This is a time of reunion and renewing of bonds and friendships. Below is a poem written by a Chinese poet of the Song dynasty (Shu Shi):

Reminiscence in Song over Water

Bright moon, when was your birth?
Winecup in hand, I ask the deep blue sky;
Not knowing what year it is tonight
In those celestial palaces on high.
I long to fly back on the wind,
Yet dread those crystal towers, those courts of jade,
Freezing to death among those icy heights!
Instead I rise to dance with my pale shadow;
Better off, after all, in the world of men.

Rounding the red pavilion,
Stooping to look through gauze windows,
She shines on the sleepless.
The moon should know no sadness;
Why, then, is she always full when dear ones are parted?
For men the grief of parting, joy of reunion,
Just as the moon wanes and waxes, is bright or dim:
Always some flaw-and so it has been since of old.
My one wish for you, is long life
And a share in this loveliness far, far away!

Work, Work, Work...

2006-07-06T20:19:00.000+08:00

Work: something that not many people really enjoy doing (I mean the eight-to-five regiment kind), and yet we can't do without it (after all, there are the bills that have to be paid). I heard someone remarked that if there's something worst than meaningless existence, it's working for the sake of working. And I can't agree more...

I've been in my present company for over sixteen years (yes, you read it right, sixteen years!). They say as the world gets smaller with globalisation, the thing about an iron rice-bowl will be a thing of the past. Maybe. But in my case, if I should throw in my resignation letter now, it'll probably create a great ripple (I wouldn't use the word 'tsunami', which means 'harbour wave') that'll unsettle not just my department manager, but another one or two level high up. I'm not kidding (or exaggerating). A few years back, I stated in my appraisal that I wanted to transfer to another department just for a change of job scope, the next thing I knew, the divisional manager was persuading me to change my mind.

To be frank, I'm not that indispensable as my managers would have me believe; it's just that with me around, it seems to instill a certain confidence or sense of security when they wanted to make some business decisions. After all, they reasoned, if Hachiko can't do it, it is doubtful anyone else can. Give me a break! I mean, being recognised by the boss is a good thing, but to let them work you to the point of breaking, that's a different story altogether, if you know what I mean. Sigh!

Lately, I'm beginning to develop a great dislike for the work I'm doing. Gone are the satisfaction that I used to have, and with each passing day, the sense of fulfillment grows lesser and lesser. Even my colleagues are noticing that I'm no longer my usual self anymore. Perhaps it's time for me to pack up and go do something else.

Yuutsu ni narimashita.

Friends Are...

2006-06-06T21:42:00.000+08:00

Well, I guess people who have certain things in common, but not necessarily everthing in common...

but one thing is for sure: they enjoy one another's company even if words are few and far in between... it's just being there that counts!

Over the Hedge

2006-06-03T22:35:00.000+08:00

Just watched the movie Over the Hedge by Dreamworks, and thought it to be a hilarious but enjoyable piece of animation work. Come to think of it, I've not stepped into the cinema since the Godzilla debut (and that's a long time), though I've watched quite a number of such animation works by Dreamworks, Pixar and Walt Disney on TV.

It was a reminiscence of the good old days, but I really wondered how the cinematography and picture animation have improved over those years of absence. Apart from the few "rude humor" that contributed to the PG rating, this movie was generally fun to watch. I liked especially Ozzie who played dead whenever he is in a tight spot, and the porcupine triplets were really cute!

If the movie comes to town, go watch it with your kids. I'm sure they'll enjoy it as much as you do, too.

(Picture inset: Vernie the turtle, Hammy the squirrel, Stella the skunk, Lou and Penny, the porcupine parents, with their triplets Quillo, Spike and Bucky, and Ozzie the oppossum with his daughter Heather. Missing is one of the main character, RJ, a racoon, who does not belong to the group above, but tried to make use of them to steal a list of grocceries from the suburbia to pay back a bear named Vincent, whose supplies he tried to steal unsuccessfully earlier.)

Humorous Religious Bearing (Literally)

2006-06-03T10:26:00.000+08:00

A priest, a Pentecostal preacher and a rabbi all served as chaplains to the students of Northern Michigan University in Marquette. They would get together two or three times a week for coffee and to talk shop.

One day, someone made the comment that preaching to people isn't really that hard. A real challenge would be to preach to a bear. One thing led to another, and they decided to do a seven-day experiment. They would all go out into the woods, find a bear and preach to it.

Seven days later, they're all together to discuss the experience. Father O'Flannery, who has his arm in a sling, is on crutches, and has various bandages, goes first. "Welll," he says, in a fine Irish brouge, "Ey wint oot into th' wooods to fynd me a bearr. Oond when Ey fund him Ey began to rread to him from the Baltimorre Catechism. Welll, thet bearr wanted naught to do wi' me und begun to slap me aboot. So I quick grrabbed me holy water and, THE SAINTS BE PRAISED, he became as gentle as a lamb. The bishop is cooming oot next wik to give him fierst communion und confierrmation."

Reverend Billy Bob spoke next. He was in a wheelchair, with an arm and both legs in casts, and an IV drip. In his best fire and brimstone oratory he proclaimed, "WELL, brothers, you KNOW that we don't sprinkle... WE DUNK! I went out and I FOUND me a bear. And then I began to read to him from God's HOOOOLY WORD! But that bear wanted nothing to do with me. I SAY NO! He wanted NOTHING to do with me. So I took HOOOLD of him and we began to rassle. We rassled down one hill, UP another and DOWN another until we come to a crick. So I quick DUNK him and BAPTIZE his hairy soul. An' jus like you sez, he wuz gentle as a lamb. We spent the rest of the week in fellowship, feasting on God's HOOOOLY word."

They both look down at the rabbi, who was lying in a hospital bed. He was in a body cast and traction with IV's and monitors running in and out of him. The rabbi looks up and says, "Oy! You don't know what tough is until you try to circumcise one of those creatures."

Lessons from Noah's Ark

2006-06-03T10:13:00.000+08:00

1. Don't miss the boat.
2. Remember that we are all in the same boat.
3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
4. Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
5. Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
6. Build your future on high ground.
7. For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
9. When you're stressed, float awhile.
10. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
11. No matter the storm, have faith ... there's always a rainbow waiting.

~Author Unknown

Stone Pot

2006-05-09T21:14:00.000+08:00

Not exactly the pot of gold you'll find at the end of a rainbow...

But it contains all the best wishes of a friend to you, my dear readers.

Ganbatte kudasai!

Nihon Ryori - The Cutesy Way

2006-05-08T21:03:00.000+08:00

Talk about making food looks so good you can't bear to eat 'em. Take a look at these Japanese dishes with a touch of artistic appeal:

Now that's what I call authentic artistic ryori!

(Hmm... thot I saw imouto-san's taste-bud twitching just now.)

This One's for Daijoubu...

2006-04-22T09:30:00.000+08:00

Bunny Story

Once upon a time there was a man who was peacefully driving down a windy road. Suddenly, a bunny skipped across the road and the man couldn't stop. He hit the bunny head on. The man quickly jumped out of his car to check the scene. There, lying lifeless in the middle of the road, was the Easter Bunny.

The man cried out, "Oh no! I have committed a terrible crime! I have run over the Easter Bunny!" The man started sobbing quite hard and then he heard another car approaching. It was a woman in a red convertible. The woman stopped and asked what the problem was. The man explained, "I have done something horribly sad. I have run over the Easter Bunny. Now there will be no one to deliver eggs on Easter, and it's all my fault."

The woman ran back to her car. A moment later, she came back carrying a spray bottle. She ran over to the motionless bunny and sprayed it. The bunny immediately sprang up, ran into the woods, stopped, and waved back at the man and woman. Then it ran another 10 feet, stopped, and waved. It then ran another 10 feet, stopped, and waved again. It did this over and over and over again until the man and the woman could no longer see the bunny.

Once out of sight, the man exclaimed, "What is that stuff in that bottle?" The woman replied, "It's harespray. It revitalizes hare and adds permanent wave."

(You like it, imouto-san?)