kenleewrites in 日本

Can you tell what’s in this picture? Care to take a guess? No prizes. Just personal satisfaction and a cookie. ^^. Don’t think you need any clues, so I won’t give any. I suddenly had a thought today. Don’t remember what I was thinking about, but it probably had something to do with work, which has been piling up lately.

“Sometimes things need to be a little out of focus”

At times I tend to wander off, while the conscious me stares into space. Then, everything is out of focus.

What’s your strategy for catching a sunrise? Pulling an all-nighter or waking up early? I had a little bit of both. Caught myself the first sunrise of 2009! In Japan, the first sunrise of the new year is called hatsu hi no de (初日の出). Literally, first sunrise. It’s a big thing in Japan. Many Japanese do try to catch the first sunrise. Get a good start to the new year.

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If we were living in a samurai movie, this frame would be a fitting ending. As we say farewell to 2008, I wish you a steadfast new year ahead. With all the changes going on, I’m sure we’ll all need it. Happy New Year!

It’s Christmas Eve already! Time really flies when you’ll looking back. Anyone still doing any last minute shopping? I bought my last present on amazon and had it shipped to me yesterday. It’s all wrapped up in newspaper… yes… newspaper. By the time I realised that I didn’t have any wrapping paper at home, it was already too late. Newspapers are fine right. It’s the thought that counts.

Anyway, here’s a little video to ease the 12 pains of Christmas. ^^. Merry Christmas everyone! To those who don’t celebrate christmas, Happy Holidays (not that we’re having any here in Japan ^^). Enjoy the song with a walk through Ueno.

“Aka Pen” or 赤ペン (red pen) is something that you would get alot when revising papers here in academic Japan. I thought it was a Japanese thing, but apparently, it transcends cultural borders! Lots of aka pen in the second frame of this week’s PhD comics. Kinda appropriate, since I’m just about finished with one paper and just about to start on the next. It’s a busy end to 2008…. and probably a busy start to 2009 as well!

I forgot to mention. In Japan, maru (◯) represents a correct answer, not zero. Much similar to the “tick” that most of us with a western education are familiar with. Wrong answers are marked with a batsu (×). I was pretty surprised when I got my Japanese assignment back many years ago; I was shocked at the number of “zeroes” I got! ^^. Are right and wrong answers marked with symbols other than “a tick”, ◯ and × where you are?