[#49] Day 1

Stayed up all night so I could hobble away with luggage and get to the airport excatly on time: Never seen so few people at the airport, the immigration gate was not even opened...I was one of the first visitors!

Anyway, Korea airline has HUGE double decked planes and I was sitting on the 'second floor', by the window. *Huge* means the seats and the gap between them, so comfortable for  a economy class! I totally fell asleep unexpectly and after I woke up, it's Korea already! After refreshing myself in the toilet, I started window-shopping before my transfering. Airport at Seoul is just grand and endless. There was even a car exhibition going on inside of the shopping area! Funny things was, the Korean Obasan shop assistants all talked to me in Japanese while they were trying to sell their stuff to me, hehe.

Then I was on plane again. Another 12 hours' flight made it a 15h+ trip...yet the seat was way too small compared to the flight to Korea, but I drank a lot of water to keep myself refreshed. There were a few amazing programs about castles (history, ) all over England shown on the plane and after seeing them I was so ready to go to Scotland or Ireland to check them out! Felt deadly tired so constantly fell in asleep yet was excited whenever I woke up. It was funny seeing the beautiful sunshine above the clouds right before landing but when the plane touches the ground of Great Britan. I started to worry about the weather but it seemed to be nice except being cloudy. Not too cold either. The immigration check just took forever but it was nice to see Dirk greeting me with a smile at the exit...he's been waiting for an hour!

Heathrow airport was huge but we didn't have time to see around. Got on the TUBE, exchanged several times and there was Dirk's place, very close to Tower Bridge. It sits above a small English breakfast cafe, 3 storeys, narrow but very nice, has a share-mate Sarah.

I had my first meal right at the corner of the street where the apartment is, roast lamb, veeeery yummy! (Foto Right: Dirk & Lamb)Then we went to see the Tower Bridge, such a great night view from the banks of the Thames River. It was soooooo nice to have Dirk beside telling me the history around the area. Then went to visit two friends of Dirk's, Filippo and Torrocino (Foto Left), a nice and interesting Italian couple who both are working for Starbucks. They were watching Sex And The City, last season in their apartment when we visited. I haven't watched any of that since Season 4!

When Day 1 finished, I went to bed with a huge smile...still couldn't believe that I'm in London now! Oh, appologies guys, I'm updating so late is because I'm enjoying every minute of staying here these dayz and always only have too little time besides site-seeing every day. Ane the computer here is pretty slow, also it won't allow me to upload the (thousands of) pics taken by my digital camera...so here are only a few from my cell phone...sorry! But wait till more coming up soon...oh! and please MIND THE GAP!

[#47] Shocking Pics of The Year

 

Tower Records is having a book fare of ...

of...

Ok, I can't even read the kanji, too weird!

But this artist's works seem to be all about lesbian love, transsexsual,

...and death. Very dark tho.

Noticed the female angel with a penis in the background?

I just felt that I had to take this pic...power of the mid-earth darkness had me. Too much L.O.T.R?

 

 

''Oh pretty woman, walking on the street. Pretty woman...''

Well this lady has been seen many times walking cross Ni-chome like this even in wintertime like...now!

And this time, captured by my fone-cam. lucky moi!

BTW you can see Hay-chan't right arm in the picture. We were so worried that she was gonna head straight to the station like this...

 

 

 

HAMBURGER, an invention of the Westerns, is now put to damn good practical use by Eastern food culture.

Yes, it's a RADISH in the middle covered with Miso -- soy-bean paste.

Is it delitious? Haven't tried yet.  But since it's so Japanese, it should be called JUMBURGER!

 

 

Yes, he's totally naked.

Stop sqeezing your eyes and staying so close to the screen! I already enlarged it for you!

Well, I totally didn't expect this when it was sent to my fone by this friend.

This was a way of saying 'Happy New Year!' and 'Yoroshiku' (lost in translation, LOL) from him and I liked it...well who doesn't!? 

 

 

A bomb?

No, rice cooker! I found this at a friend's apartment.

Sooo cute!

When it cooks, the lights went up and...

even has a 'tic-tac' sound!

 

 

This was taken by a friend of mine and then sent to my fone.

And I personally have seen him too...walking around forever like this near the station where my parents live close by!!!

Geeeee!!! What will my parents think when they saw them...was what I used to think. Will they warn me Don't Be Gay?

Well anyway, applause to the MAN version of the 'Pretty Woman' mentioned above!

 

He's not dead! Dun worry.

He's just asleep.

Sooo achingly naive, just like an angle...

Yes, like an angle who got himself fucking drunk and sleep soundly on the train floor!

How many 'salary-men' on earth in Japan are working those totally unnecessary extra-hours and yet instead of going home after finished, they go drinking their brains out and then throw up, pee or sleep like him or do anything possible at the stations or on the trains? I dun know...I've seen too many already.

Obviously, nobody in the whole car was looking at him except me being naughty with my fone!

 

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I just finished packing and am off to London in 2 hours. So now I'm updating this. Just found some pictures I randomly took before and recently and never had a chance to share...perfect chance today, just shot them with one bullet ;-p

Motokid> You are way welcomed to sit on my lap or get into my suitcase if you like. Let's say you are my skeleton-the-suitcase when we pass the customs, okay?

Okai, I'll start picking British accents from nau... I'll try to keep you guys updated in London so you won't feel too lonely without me. LOL! Kiddos, lights out for ya, good nite!

[#46] Prelude Of London Trip

Since I'm going to London, I'm going to give a loud shout to my Xanga mate who lives there, ONLY BECAUSE I'm afraid that he's gonna ill-treat me there if I dun do this 

He is such a funny guy, friendly, keen to make friends, talktive and any good adjective you can fill in here...and he writes the best and longest and largest amount of reviews about Asian films (sometimes western films as well but abviously he is crazily in love with Asia)!  He just can't stop can he!? Or maybe he's just a kid like me who sees too many movies? Well at least I cannot write stuff like that, he's the real pro, he's pro-ed and should be proud. And dammit, think he even reads Chinese characters and plays Kung-fu and kicks ass. Each one of his entries is so long and absolutely not just about only one thing a day. And what made me laugh recently was his Poster Cross-overs (click and scroll down) which you have to check out! Oh, rumor says it that he'll offer a big reward to the first person who finds his secret 'barcode' phrase... think it's about $100,000? By the way, doesn't snoopy have a similar helmet as the one he has from his grandpa? LOL!

He's already talking about offering me a free lunch there so Hi Lunch Daddy! Here I come!

Caution: I only wrote the above to make sure he doesn't put poison in my meal...

Repeat:  I only wrote the above to make sure he doesn't put something in my drink so any mischief will happen...

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Went house hunting today, walked such a long way and still not satisfied with what I saw. Then, tried another agency and came up to the conclusion that looking for a place in Tokyo is truly, amazingly, doubtlessly a pain in the butt (and it really hurts!). The funny thing is just when I was finishing househunting, my juniour dorm mates called and begged me to stay in the dorm for one more year coz one guy who is supposed to continue to live in the dorm, suddenly decided to leave Tokyo coz he failed his grad-school test...thus my staying can be a little aid to them on the economical side. To me, it's cheap to live in the dorm anyway. But I have been thinking about moving out and grow up for such a long time, now I need to think again...but also they are my buddies and I dun wanna see them being troubled when I can help them. So I'm hesitating again. See, it's me, a hesitating Gemini. Just like returned to the start point now after soooo many expectations of moving out! But what's good about that anyway!? Well, I'll leave the decision to myself 'later' but not 'now'. I'm tired now, have to make up the sleep I lost last night! So g'nite you all, sweet dreams to you even if it's day time!

[#45] A Real Idol -- Will Hung!

My friend Steven sent this to me. 'Painfully adorable!' is exactly the word to describe this. Steven went to college with the reporter who wrote this article and lived in Clark Kerr where William lived and feels very close to this phenomenon. Therefor he was way excited to send this to me and now I'm sharing with you! Click here to see his audition. It's HILARIOUS!!! Also check out the homepage too, soooo much fun!

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UC's accidental pop star 'American Idol' reject is hot item on campus -- and far beyond

Demian Bulwa, Chronicle Staff Writer
  Wednesday, February 11, 2004
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Rejection on TV's "American Idol" turned William Hung into a most unusual American celebrity. He's hot at UC Berkeley, where he studies engineering -- but he's scorching in Singapore, according to his unofficial publicist.

"If he went there, women would rip his clothes off in the streets," said Don Chin, a real estate agent in McKinleyville (Humboldt County) who started the fan site www.williamhung.net after watching Hung get bounced off the show two weeks ago.

The Berkeley junior has become as big as the gold backpack he hauls to his civil engineering classes. When he's not studying, the 21-year-old signs autographs, fields online love queries and grapples with whether he is aperformer or a clown.

Hung -- who is ambitious, sincere and achingly naive -- doesn't want to be a clown. He wants to be a pop star.

"I see this as a learning experience of how to succeed if I was to become an American pop star someday," Hung, pausing to choose his words carefully, said over coffee this week in San Francisco's Japantown, where he was returning a rented CD.

Hung said he knows he has a lot of work to do as a vocalist. His spirited, Chinese-accented rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" was aired Jan. 27 by producers who clearly coveted Hung's entertainment value -- not his pipes.

Simon Cowell, the show's bad cop, interrupted Hung and told him, "You can't sing, you can't dance, so what do you want me to say?"

"I already gave my best," the Hong Kong-born Hung responded, "and I have no regrets at all."

America guffawed and gulped, taken with Hung's grace as much as his unique hip shimmies. Fans responded immediately: The man who is now known as the "Hong Kong Ricky Martin" received 150 e-mails that night.

Chin's fan site has been visited nearly 8 million times, while an online petition to get Hung back on the show claimed 30,000 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon.

DJs have been remixing Hung's audition with everything from OutKast's "Hey Ya" to Howard Dean's Iowa scream. He was parodied on "Saturday Night Live. "

Meanwhile, Hung said he has been invited to perform at events from a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game to the MTV Asia Awards in Singapore, and he has appeared on several television shows.

On Monday night, Hung performed at an open mike at the Clark Kerr dormitories where he used to live and work in the dining commons. This time he was greeted by more than 400 students armed with cameras and camcorders.

"It's the pop-culture fad right now. And its Berkeley's own," said sophomore Alex Bollfrass in explaining his attendance.

"You have to respect his genuineness," said fifth-year student Whitney Brechwald. "He tries so hard."

But freshman Mike Lieberman was uncomfortable with the energy in the crowd. "He's out there performing, but everybody else sees him as a comedy act. He doesn't know that. It seems wrong."
Hung has joined an elite group of inadvertent Internet celebrities, among them Ghyslain "Star Wars Kid" Raza, a Quebec teenager who last year filmed himself twirling a golf ball retriever like a light saber and was petrified when classmates uploaded it to the insatiable eyeballs of the world.

But Hung is enjoying his 15 minutes, and even says he is trying to let time pass between appearances and interviews to lengthen the limelight.

Hung's story began with trips to karaoke bars with his parents in LosAngeles. As a freshman at Cal, he won a dormitory talent show by singing  'She Bangs."

Last September, on a whim, he went to Pacific Bell Park to join thousands of people trying to get on "American Idol." The producers selected him to go in front of Cowell and the show's other two judges, telling him "She Bangs" was his best bet.

"I thought the producers were genuine to me," Hung said. "I still don't know."

Unbowed by Cowell's criticism, Hung -- who lives alone in a residential hotel in downtown Berkeley -- has only become more serious about his singing career. He is reading Cowell's book, "I Don't Mean to Be Rude, But ..." as well as "Singing for Dummies," and has joined a singing class and a Chinese choir.

"I hope I've shown everyone in the world that regardless of success or failure, just keep trying. Never give up," Hung said. "Because only then can you say to yourself that you tried your best and had no regrets."

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I booked the ticket to London on 27, early morning so 2 days left! Wohoo!

[#44] Roger That, Sir!

Haychan was going CRAZY! He heard from his mom that the CNN news was talking about some possible terrorism against Shinjuku, the center of Tokyo today. So when I was at Shinjuku station he called me up and said: ''I wonder why there are lots of police around the station and I need you to check that out for me. I think it has something to do with an important international crime but I can't tell you now.'' So what information do you have at the moment , I asked...coz he sounded so serious, so worried. Haychan: ''I can't tell you now yet.'' And who are you with now? ''I can't tell you yet''. Umm...I was like, Hay works for a law firm so maybe he is now with some international criminal...maybe on a death role? Or a politically incorrect, wicked person who's at large??? So this suddenly got all exciting! Even sounded like a scene in [24]! When I finished shopping and got out of the building which was at the south exit of the station with Richard, a friend of mine, I just found there was no police at all. There Haychan mailed me (that's why I love cell phone e-mail functions): ''Good work! Now check out East Exit! And follow up with a report!'' So I abandoned my friend who was just sitting down to have a coffee with me (the chair was not even warm!), and rushed to the East Exit. No police. Then I got the most amusing e-mails I had for the day from Hay:''HOLD POSITION UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.'' Well I know this is not gonna happen so I told him that more friends are joining me and we are leaving for Ni-chome soon. Then again the mails:''PROCEED WITH CAUTION! TRUST NO ONE!'' Haha, this time I was really laughing!

Then my friends joined us and after we reached Advocates bar in Ni-chome, I saw Jona. He was talking to a friend about the CNN news today right at the moment I got there and he gave me his classic bitchy glimpse after I told him that Haychan just called me and all the process! At first he didn't believe me:''You such a lier, I was with Haychan all the time!'' Then he burst out laughing soooo happily as he never laughed before:''You really ran to the East Exit to check for Hayden!?'' All of a sudden I knew that I was seriously used, tricked, laughed and then dumped...and the theory of this game had to be based on the firm loyalty I hold on to my friendship. (YAY! Let's drink to that!) And that person with Haychan at that time whom he 'couldn't tell', that criminal, person at large, ex-con, etc. was Jona F.! (F. stands for Fuck by the way, seriously!) OMG, I can't help imagine they laughed all their way down till they got here, I was the fish-on-table tonight, and now, served! LOL! I can't help laughing at myself too. Then when Haychan appeared from the bar holding a drink with one hand looking quite relaxing, I felt much better: kid is fine and mama can go sleep sound tonight! Just wish the terrorists will leave us alone.

The friends joined us who I mentioned just now were about 10 people that I haven't seen for ages! Well to say...at least for a month. That's how long I studied for the final exams. And since I'm going to London next week, I called on everyone to have this little gather-together tonight and SURPRISE! every one showed up! Sweet! I had lots of fun with them tonight.

Among them were these two guys, Yuki and Masato, who are both translators and have been working for Disney, Nike, etc. They are always so busy during the week so the only time they can hang out in Ni-chome is week-end nights. And they usually stay till quite late and both take cabs home. I've been curious (yes I'm always curious) about where they usually went and what they usually did at this time of the night. So tonight I decide to follow them to the place they usually hang. So after the my gang disappear, I went to Kinsmen with them, a bar I used to consider to be kinda boring and sat down. After a couple of soft drinks (that's me only), some snacks, and the classic, pop songs from 70's to 90's, it started to feel really nice. They are such good friends with the owners -- a happy-wuppy gay couple, so they asked them to play their favorite songs, like Sade, etc. Then music stopped and someone started playing piano -- he was the pianist who often plays there. Nice music, nice people and nice conversations just can play such a great magic! Yes I had a fabulous night and I was glad that they took me there. Instead of a loud, sweaty dancing night, sometimes spending time quietly like this can be a luxury too!           -- ^e^

Whonose> You know you have to be gay to fall in love with me, isn't that clear? LOL! I'm sooo going to bother you in London

Arthur> Left a comment on your CelebrityLife site, check it out!

[#43] I Made It!!

Didn't sleep well at all last night because some random thoughts + a stomach-ache were keeping me company. So I stayed awake untill I got up and went to the English Embassy, well I felt good that way though...at least better than overslept and got up in a panice and hurried there with sore and swollen eyes.

As a first-timer to English Embassy, I was surprised by how nice the surrounding was though I knew it locates right beside the Koukyo -- the Imperial Palace area, I was still surprised. My eyes were filled in with lots of green all of a sudden. Plus it was such a beautiful day today and I went at noon, so walking around that area under a warm winter sunshine was just...devine!

After I was metal-detected and my bag was strip-searched at the gate, I came to this visa-section which is a tiny but very neat room with only about 10 people there. After I handed in the application forms and all the supportive material, I did what everyone did: wait! For almost 2 and a half hours! Still had the slight pain in my stomach while I had to stare at the screen and watch the same channel for hours...I couldn't stand up and take a walk or do a little bit stretch coz if I move a little bit 'out or range', I would totally miss my call since their voice was so small even through the speakers. I guess it's just because the waiting room is so small and doesn't have too many people -- a total opposite to the Chinese Embassy. Anyway, I got interviewed after 2 hours waiting, just at the reception window, not at the interview room -- quite different from what I thot! To be honest I was not worried about not being able to get a visa at all (not getting interviewed in the interview room means I'm more likely to get a visa!) I was only worried that the process would be too 'troublesome' for example they found something missing and would tell me to go back, get it ready and come back again such kinda stuff. The British woman who interviewed me seemed to be quite suspicious on my friend... She asked me: So when your friend Dirk came to Japan, you were just 'introduced' to him but not a friend right? I was like...ya, but isn't that how people became friends afterwords? Then she said something like: are you just drinking buddies? She got that one! We do go out drinking but basicly I only order juice at bars...so yes drinking buddies! And OMG I was thinking shall I tell her that we are gay? Maybe that would make much more sense to her all of a sudden and will explain things much clearer even than it really is? ...Or will it make her even more confused? LOL! Anyway, before I was gonna answer, she smiled and said 'It's ok.' Well I just hope it's really okay and I totally understand that she was just there trying to ask what she had to ask. And in general the conversation was nice and I got away with 'my precious' -- a multiple entry United Kindom visa valid for 6 months and hurried off to have lunch with Haychan and Jona and Vatrix in amazingly comfortable Akasaka area. (Art Name: Haytrix and Vaytrix/ Artist: ^e^/ Note: 3 of us happend to wear RED today! LOL)

Alright, since someone has already talking about taking me to Spanish lunch in London, I'm already hungry...who can resisit anyway? Is there a flight to catch tonight? I'm so ready to go! Who is that guy? Oh, who knows!            -- ^e^

[#42] Read My Lips

Just saw this on the net, sooo funny. Is this a famous TV program? Please let me know if you can't open the link

HERE!

[#41] A Goose-Flight Away

According to an ancient Chinese expression that a letter, especially a letter from far away is usually brought to you by 'wild goose'...I dun know why my ancestors picked up wild  goose as the kind of creature to bear letters, and what as long as I discovered, something that has to do with the word goose is either used for carrying stuff from faraway or for the foie gras... Pretty fucked up in any way! And all the glories, the glowing touching fairy-tale parts were always taken away by their relatives: the lovely beautiful shining swans. 

But anyway, according to that old expression, there has been at least one liitle wild goose to my dorm today. The letter was sent by Dirk, a friend who lives in London. It's been a while I got some real letters other than phone bills. I was pretty glad to see a letter, I mean to think a 'wild goose' had visited today. The telephones and e-mails and MSNs or anything that you can use to communicate without a pen and a piece of paper (notice: sometimes you may need stamps), is keeping you lazy, ya no mercy on that word, LAZY! Oh look who's talking, I'm a 100% e-mail person myself, ha! 

Dirk was introduced to me by my friends when he visited Japan almost 2 years ago and then we became friends. He works for Pret A Manger, the huge chain store sells the most delicious sandwiches in London and he was here to open 3 branches here in Japan at that time. Now I think about him whenever I walk past one of them in Akasaka, a very prosperous and classy place in Tokyo. This time, his letter was to invite me to go to London and yes, I'm gonna go! I havn't told this to too many people so only you, my xanga-mates get this first-hand information. Sheeesh! LOL. I dun know how soon I will go, it depends on how complicated the visa application is but I'm pretty sure that I will go for it this time! YAY! Last big trip I made (and the only big trip I ever made) was to California in 2002 but I went with my EX and had nothing to worry about at that time. Now I've been longing for a trip for so long but in the meanwhile not having too much confidence to go anywhere faraway, like Europe by myself. But London is the perfect place, I have a friend there so at least I dun have to worry to much. Great! I have asked many people about London before, some love it, some don't...mostly just because of the weather though. Well I'm going to find out what this city is like by myself now. Shweeet!

Thanks Dirk! ...Oh almost forgot, and you the little wild goose!

[#40] HALICE In Wonderland

Hay-chan and Jona were back from Shanghai today so my ears were full of stories from one of them during a BBQ dinner tonight...So dun blame me for being lazy, but just go reading Hay-chan's site for today!!! You will be surprised and will laugh coz it seems that Alice...oh no, Halice, was having a good time there (some words-and-expresion lessons before you go just in case: Shanger = Shanghai).

I was from Shanghai so it was nice to hear how they got away with the newest style of faky-but-can't-tell L.Vitton bags with crazily cheap price, how they got tens of zillions of DVDs and how nice the streets were and how fucked up they thought they airport temperature-checking procedure was and how instead of saying RMBs (the Chinese money, pronounced 'Ren Min Bi'), they just said to those Gucci bag salers: How much Remeber Me's is that?... Anyway, everything just reminds me of my dear old hometown and I can't wait to go back there soon again. 

I got the DVDs of Lord Of The Rings I, II and III and was told that there is even IV! Of course that's a fake one sold in the 'market' but the funny thing is it's so bold of them to just title this big name on any movie that has a knight or a wizard in it and they know that people totally know it but will still buy it! I'm gonna go have a good laugh on that now! Nitie-nite!

[#39] Happy V-day!

Click on the pic to listen to a very cute I Can't Smile Without You! (Please close this site when the window pops up:)

Happy Valentien's Day to ya all!

Went out to raise money with my dorm-mates today. It was one of the annual events of YMCA and I felt good about it...especially on today! So many couples around and so many chocolates sold...think you don't have to be God to see little hearts bumping each other everywhere on the streets.

It's also me and other 3 dorm-mates'  'retirement from the dorm' party...started at 6:00pm, finished now...which is 5:30am! Can you imagine? But I had good time, very relaxing. It was more like a meeting and people sit there drinking, eating instead of standing. And this time, I turned into a guest to my younger fellow dorm-mates so they did all the preparations for the party (I used to prepare for this kinda party for the graduating mentors every year for four years and now it's my turn to 'enjoy the service'). Four years in a foreign country...and many more! Living at this dorm made me learn a lota things about Japanese society through communicating with Japanese students (we have 11 people, including 3 Chinese and 1Korean). I have never lived alone. Before I lived with my parents and after they came to Japan, lived two years in University dorm in Shanghai and now this dorm for 4 years in Japan. I take care of myself at this dorm of course, it's just whenever I get back 'home', there's always someone there. So it's a bit strange to think that I'm going to look for a place where I'm gonna totally live by myself. I made so many friends here and to tell the truth I dun want to leave this tiny dorm which had experience so much during the past year! Oh dorm, sweet dorm!

My dear straight, male Xanga-mates: I wrote so many things about the movie in my last entry but why were your comments only focused on 'my going to the movies with two girls'? Shame on U & U & U & U... ... LOL!