As I was telling Maki, I tend to have high expectations of service in Japan (as opposed to non-existent service in SG), so I get very shocked when I encounter curt service staff, like today at the post office.  I was seriously kinda stunned.  Oh well, I hope he's just having a bad day and not one of those scary-about-to-snap people a la scary- ( Read more... )

Was reading Yacchan's blog about accents. We all know how a person's 2nd language usually has an accent from their 1st language.  But apparently a person's 3rd language tends to take on the accent of their 2nd language instead of their 1st language.  e.g. if you're a native English speaker, and you speak Korean as your 2nd language, then pick up ( Read more... )

Haven't really been keeping track of the random information 'jobs' I've been doing, but they are still coming in, at least once or twice a month, that's for sure.  There was the auntie who asked me, "Is this the train to Harajuku?" after getting into the train and the train doors have closed. ^^  Then a couple of weeks ago, a granny asked me where' ( Read more... )

I should learn to have more faith in the weather forecast.  They said it wouldn't rain *at all* today.  I went to school without an umbrella, but when I was leaving to teach, the dark clouds were looming big and ominous in the sky, so my kiasu gene kicked in and I brought my (new, unbroken, untorn, yet-to-be-labelled) umbrella out with me.  But as ( Read more... )

... but i'm almost done! yes! bwahahahahaha.

just one nightmare scheduled for tomorrow night. then. wheeeeeeeeeee!

*dance dance dance*

IT'S A WRAP! ... mostly. hehe.

an infant's brain could probably hold more thought processes than mine right now.

my only thought - chocolate chip caramel ice-cream. YUMMM.

this is what being awake for more than 24 hours after having 3 hours sleep does to me.

i do wish sometimes there was more time to sit back and enjoy things. maybe that's why i feel compelled to record all kinds of minor daily details so that when i'm free i can look back and reminisce... or maybe it'll just entertain me when i get alziemers (sp?!).

heaven is a simple mom-cooked meal of steamed fish and veggies - if only i had the ( Read more... )

usually when you have no time on your hands, every hour speeds past like nobody's business. when you do something you're not into, the seconds crawl by ever so slowly. tonight i was caught in the strange situation of being in a room (watching Song of the Storkwith Q&A session no less) where time got stuck, while the time outside sped away. sat ( Read more... )

i can't articulate this very well, but i have always been fascinated and amazed by the intrinsic power that (spoken) words possess. that something so intangible and transient, should have such a great impact absolutely boggles my mind. we throw words around most of the time in such a trivial, off-the-cuff manner, not knowing or thinking about the ( Read more... )