What a life!

温泉旅行ーその4

2011-12-01T20:49:00.028+09:00

温泉旅行－その3

2011-12-01T20:37:00.027+09:00

温泉旅行－その2

2011-12-01T20:21:00.033+09:00

温泉旅行－その1

2011-12-01T20:04:00.035+09:00

Flowers for mum (sent from Hokkaido) part 2

2011-09-09T19:02:00.003+09:00

Flowers for mum (sent from Hokkaido) part 1

2011-09-09T18:26:00.002+09:00

Ski Trip

2011-03-06T22:14:00.032+09:00

Autumn 2010

2010-11-29T15:45:00.046+09:00

Meaningful time with my host family (in Hiroshima)

2010-08-14T14:26:00.037+09:00

Hatsukaichi Peace Tour 2010 (Hiroshima)

2010-08-14T13:34:00.059+09:00

This monument has the shape of old Japanese house. In this monument there is a list of names of people who died because of the A-bomb. Some people who got the effect of the bomb and died later also have their names in the list here.

In this monument, there is another list of names of those people who died immediately after the bombing.

This monument has the shape of two hands supporting something. It should be "Peace". Here there is a lot of water.
It was a very hot summer day when the A-bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. The air was hot and the bomb added more heat to it. So you can imagine how miserable people at the time were. They needed lots of water. So this water is believed to satisfy their thirst.

This monument was built for a girl named Sadako who lived until 12 years old. She really wanted to live, so she tried to make lots of paper crane to make her wish come true. This is one of Japanese people's believes. However, her wish was not granted, and she died at very young age because of the effect of A-bomb.

Say "No" to A-bomb

2010-08-14T12:06:00.015+09:00

When asked "what do you know about Japan?", some people who have never been to Japan may probably talk about "Hiroshima" and "Nagasaki" about which they learned at school. Hiroshima is now a very beautiful city. But this very place used to experience unspeakable devastation in modern history. I am grateful that I was born in this new era in which people are striving to preserve peace. I wish no more war is waged, no more A-bomb is dropped, and no more pain is to suffered.

Below are some of the photos showing the destruction caused by A-bomb in Hiroshima. I took them at the museum in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
*Here is Hiroshima before the A-bomb was dropped.

06/08/1945, 8:15am was the time when A-bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

This is call the Little Boy. Of course, it is small but it cause BIG trouble.

The red ball represents the spot where the A-bomb was dropped.

In just a blink, Hiroshima turned into a field of ruins. Many lives were taken. A lots died at the second of the bombing. A lot more died some time after the bombing. And some who think they were safe died later because of the diseases caused by the radiation from the bomb.
Those who were lucky enough to survive the bombing, suffered both physical and emotional pain to a great extent. They lost their loved ones, their families and friends who used to give meaning to their life.

Asako's birthday

2010-06-10T00:47:00.022+09:00

Happy Birthday, Asako! 楽しかった～

Flowers in front of my room

2010-06-10T00:28:00.014+09:00

Walk a little straighter, daddy. You're leading me.

2010-06-07T22:44:00.003+09:00

"Walk a little straighter daddy. You're leading me."
What a sentence! I am lucky to be born from a good dad and a wonderful mom. I have been really grateful for that.
But it is a pity that some kids have never felt the warmth from their dad and mom. And the boy in this song was one of them. How touching!

I remember looking up
To look up to him
And I remember most the time
He wasn't there
I'd be waiting at the door
When he got home at night
He'd pass me by to go to pass out in his chair

And I'd say
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're swaying side to side
You're footsteps make me dizzy
And no matter how I try
I keep tripping and stumbling
If you'd look down here you'd see
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're leading me

He stumbled in the gym
On graduation day
And I couldn't help but feel
So ashamed
And I wasn't surprised a bit
When he didn't stay
He stumbled out before they called my name

And I thought
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're swaying side to side
It's not just me who's watching
you've caught everybody's eye
And you're tripping and stumbling
and even though I've turned 18
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're still leading me

The old mans still like he always was
But I love him anyway
If I've learned one thing from him
Its my kids will never have to say

Walk a little straighter daddy
You're swaying side to side
You're footsteps make me dizzy
And no matter how I try
I keep tripping and stumbling
if you'd look down here you'd see
Walk a little straighter daddy
You're leading me

Yeah walk a little straighter daddy
You're leading me

(This lyrics is from http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/currington-billy/walk-a-little-straighter-10657.html)

Graduation Ceremony of Research Students

2010-03-19T16:28:00.017+09:00

My new house

2010-03-10T17:59:00.022+09:00

a very BIG gathering on February 14th (Valentine's day and Chinese New Year)

2010-02-18T01:56:00.049+09:00

Mt. Takao, Kamakura Daibutsu, Tokyo Disney Land

2010-01-27T16:46:00.006+09:00

2010-01-25T15:37:00.000+09:00

Snow land trip

2010-01-25T14:01:00.005+09:00

Dark Collection

2009-12-12T00:22:00.009+09:00

The state of mind can be expressed in the work of art. But this work of art does not express my state of mind. It is just for fun.

The Cold has Come

2009-11-12T23:56:00.004+09:00

the weather was fine yesterday. n it was fine too this morning when i got up n went to my first class at about 10. actually it was not just fine, but it was the weather i usually like. i said to myself it would be great if the weather remained like that. however 90 minutes later, after i finished my class, it'd changed dramatically to very cold. the sky was dark as if it was nearly night. i could hardly stand the coldness so i rushed to the dorm to warm myself up, since i was wearing only a T-shirt and a thin sweater. it was too cold to adapt at once, yet some of my friends said it would be much colder later in the year n the start of next year. though i'm not really fond of the coldness, i'm looking forward to my first winter experience here. n i do wish that snow falls in Tokyo for just a short time.

some trees remain green even in this season.

but some trees have turned into yellow or red or brown. but no matter what color they r, they all look beautiful to me.

sadly, some cannot keep their leaves like this one.

n the result is here on the ground.

here is the sky at noon. it looks more like night to me.

n here is the sky around 5pm. it turns dark really quickly.
in total, i couldn't see sunlight at all today. too bad.

Autumn has come.

2009-11-07T02:42:00.006+09:00

autumn has come. some trees remain green while the others turn into red or yellow or brown. it's really amazing to see the nature changes with its own unique beauty. no matter when it is, it's always enjoyable to see the surrounding nature.

Oklahoma

2009-09-05T15:44:00.002+09:00

Suitcase packed with all his things
Car pulls up, the doorbell rings
He don't wanna go
He thought he'd found his home
But with circumstances he can't change
Waves goodbye as they pull away
From the life he's known
For the last 7 months or so

She said "we've found a man who looks like you
Who cried and said he never knew
About the boy in pictures that we showed him
A rambler in his younger days
He knew he'd made a few mistakes
But he swore he would have been there
Had he known it
Son we think we found your dad in Oklahoma

A million thoughts raced through his mind
What's his name, what's he like
And will he be
Anything like the man in his dreams
She could see the questions in his eyes
Whispered "don't be scared my child"
I will let you know
What we know

About the man we found
He looks like you
Who cried and said he never knew
About the boy in pictures that we showed him
A rambler in his younger days
He knew he'd made a few mistakes
But he swore he would have been there
Had he known it
You always said that this was something that you wanted
Son it's time to meet your dad in Oklahoma

One last turn he held his breath
Till they reached the fifth house on the left
And all at once the tears came rollin in
And as they pulled into the drive
The man was waiting there outside
He wiped the worry from his eyes
Smiled and took his hand
And he said

I'm the man who looks like you
Who cried because I never knew
About the boy in pictures that they showed me
Oh a rambler in my younger days
I knew I'd made a few mistakes
But I swear I would have been there
Had I known it
Never again will you ever be alone
Son welcome to your home in Oklahoma

一粒の種　（A Grain of Seed）

2009-08-31T20:43:00.001+09:00

A walk to remember

2009-08-21T01:29:00.004+09:00

I got this movie "A walk to remember", recommended by a friend. I was really touched by the love of the couple. I do wonder if it truly exists on earth. And if it does, why does it have such a short life?
Here is the link to the full movie. Or you can click the title.
http://www.moviemeow.com/watch-movies/a-walk-to-remember-2002/

Below is some sentences about love I've quoted from the movie. Wish all lovers take and keep them to their hearts.
"Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous. Love is never boastful nor conceited. It is never rude or selfish. It does not take offense. And it is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sin. The delight is in the truth. It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes."

Besides the meaning of the movie, I was also amazed with the many beautiful songs in the movie. I got some of them here below. Hope you'll like them.

Only hope

Even angel falls

Cry

It's gonna be love

Someday we'll know

small but huge

2009-08-19T21:51:00.003+09:00

Today one incident taught me 2 lessons; ones which tell sth about relationship.

The first one is sth familiar, and of course, well-known to everyone. It is the simple word "Trust".

This mere one-syllable word is easy to say. And some people may take it for granted, and they may not know that having and giving it and not having and giving it can affect a feeling and a relationship to a great extent. This relationship I am talking about is meant for a broad term. It can be anything-- a relationship among members of a family or friends, or that between two lovers. Have anyone out there ever experienced a feeling that you are not trusted by the friend or the person you always give your trust to? How did it feel like? Not really a pleasant one, I guess. And me too, I felt the same way today.

I know that in this modern world people are hard to trust, unlike they were in the long long past when they were believed to have pure mind and to be trust-worthy. However, that should not apply to just any cases. At least, one should have the trust for the one they love, or the one who always trust them. Without it, a relationship cannot last long and be perfected. This may be one of the roots of lots of problems happening in lots of families, especially between spouses. And that may also be one of the reasons that close friends at school become strangers after graduation.

And the other lesson is "Small things taken for granted".

Small things like asking "Are you ok?" when seeing a friend looking unwell, or giving a call when a friend is absent from a class and so on, can be trivial on the surface. But sometimes they mean a lot when they are not done. However, I do not think doing it too much is good either. This word "Too" is rarely positive, I guess.

I very much like to write about the exact incident I had, but I ought not to. I do wish people will learn to think more by putting themselves into the other people's shoes, though they smell terrible. lols :-)

"Come to me" a mother says.

2009-08-14T01:15:00.005+09:00

I don't know whether my emotion is too easily affected or this song is too touching. Listen and judge for me.

"You're gonna have to do things your own way. And that's okay. So be free, spread your wings. And promise me just one thing...
If you ever need a place to cry, Baby, come to me"

A world to believe in / あなたがいる限り

2009-08-14T00:57:00.002+09:00

This is a nice song. I loved it.
This is the English version by Celine Dion alone.

And this is another version featuring Yuna Ito. Enjoy!

It did come in THREE!!!!!

2009-08-13T13:35:00.002+09:00

The day before yesterday, I posted sth about my first and second experiences of earthquake within only three days. Then I said I was afraid it would come again soon in THREE. This morning I was right. It came again as expected. But it was not as strong as the first 2. This time too, it came in the morning while I was fast asleep. I was waken up again by the slight shake of the building. I hated it when I was sleeping. It should pick a better time.

2 times in 3 days! too often!

2009-08-11T13:03:00.003+09:00

2 times in 3 days. Is it how often I clean the bathroom? "NO". Is it how often I play sports or do exercise? "No, I'm not that industrious." So what is it then? "It's the frequency of earthquake, of course."

I've been here for about 4 months by now. During this time, I've always expected the quake to happen sometimes, and I've been prepared for the shock.

But only the day before yesterday did I experience it. It was on Sunday, August 9th, at around 8 o'clock in the evening. I was having my dinner alone in my room when suddenly the whole building started to shake. It was terrible. it seemed that I was not in the building, but on a boat. I didn't know what to do besides opening the door and making sure that the stove was turned off. Lots of people in the dorm came out of their rooms. Some sounded a bit frightened, while the others looked excited. It was lucky that it lasted only a few seconds.

Today (August 11th) it came again. 5 o'clock in the morning was a very good time when everyone was fast asleep. But I was suddenly woken up by the shake of the building. It was even more terrible than the one happened 2 days ago. This time the building seemed to move both up and down, and side by side, unlike the one before which only moved side by side.

It was a bit frightening, though it was small. Somehow I feel that the quake may happen more frequently. It's unbelievable that within only 3 days, it's happened 2 times already. Will it come in 3 like some people say? I'll be prepared for that.

Power Ball

2009-08-03T01:28:00.009+09:00

i accidentally saw some clips on Youtube in which people were showing off their power. then i immediately became interested in that kind of thing, so i just browsed through google for some tips on how to animate things. after two days, i became able to create these on my own. it's a nice experience. these r my first works of animation.

"Is Angkor Wat temple big enough to go inside?" a man asked

2009-07-25T23:59:00.005+09:00

it's exactly 12 o'clock at night now. what am i doing here? it should be time for bed. but y am i still awake?

............... nothing bad. don't worry. i'm not thinking too much like the rainy day. today's weather was really nice. i loved it, though it was a bit hot. however, the wind made it better. n i've just come back from NishiTachigawa where i so much enjoyed Hanabi Taikai (Grand firework event). there were lots of people---too many people that i was shocked at first n panic when i thought of how to return home by the train. but it was ok. the firework show was wonderful. it lasted for one hour. n i could see firework of different kinds n colors. it was really great n unforgettable. thanks to TOFSIA students (it's a club at TUFS whose members help facilitate foreign students' life at TUFS) who made the arrangements for us, foreigners, n took us there. they r really nice people.

today was a great long day for me. in the morning i was in the Open Campus event at TUFS. n i was allowed to help with some work in the Cambodian Language Department(カンボジア語科). it was nice that a lot of people came to ask something about Cambodia n Khmer language. i'm really thankful for their interest in this small country of mine. here i have one interesting thing to tell u, but at the same time it's also a bit sad for us Cambodians.

there was one middle aged man coming to ask my Japanese friends n me while we were holding posters for Cambodian Language Department. it seemed that he also knew sth about Cambodia, but everything he knew was so bad. many thanks to him that he had some interest in our country, but he made me a bit sad, though i laughed at what he said.
he asked if Cambodia is now safe, whether land mines are still dangerous to everyday life of everyone, n so on. n the MOST INTERESTING n SADDEST thing of all was this question 「アンコールワットは人が入れるぐらいの大きさですか？」 i'm not sure of the exact words he asked but it should be sth like this. if we r to say it in English, it may mean "Is Angkor Wat temple big enough for men to go inside?".

This question amused me at first n shocked me a bit later n disappoints me now. i've always thought that lots of people in the world do not have any idea of where n how Cambodia is like, n that if they do know, they may know about Angkor Wat temple more than Cambodia, because it's become one of the world's heritages. but what he said really did open my eyes. what i have been thinking was not at all right. this man didn't even know that Angkor Wat is big. To him, Angkor Wat may appear like a mere small, insignificant, nothing splendid, made-of-stone temple. n this made me really sad. we've got a diamond, a very precious diamond, which is worth people's admiration. but we cannot make our diamond appear like a precious gem stone. instead, our diamond still appears like a normal stone which people do not want to have a look at. what should we do? should we let it go at that? i do want the world to change their image of our country, but i alone cannot do anything. this makes me even sadder.

i sometimes doubt people's thinking. lots of developed countries nowadays have done far worse things than Cambodia did in terms of killing lives. but y don't people have any bad image or impression for those countries? is it because they r now rich n powerful that's y people just admire their bad deeds? look back at world war one n two. lots of lives were killed. wasn't that cruel? do people now have bad images for those BIG countries going to the wars? people may say NO. but what about Cambodian case? y do people still have such image for us? y pol pot has been so infamous? is killing ones' own people worse that killing other countries' people? until when will people carry on this image for Cambodia? Cambodia is now safe n peaceful to live in, but the outsiders still think it's not a proper place to go for holidays. too sad.

My old habit. It may help me overcome boring times.

2009-07-24T03:37:00.013+09:00

designing my own photos used to be my favorite pastime. n now i may do it again when i feel lonely or bored. here is a new collection.

oh the RAIN, what have u done to me?

2009-07-21T23:48:00.003+09:00

Never did I think that I would think and feel this much before I came here. I don't know if I'm crazy or loneliness has made me so. Of course, saying so doesn't mean I don't have friends. For sure, I do have friends, lots of good friends. However, they can help give me some company only for a while, a very short while. Then we always part. It's that very moment that sth dark fills my heart. It's the feeling you don't want to experience. And I do wish you don't have that. I guess, I'm kind of weak in this way. I know I really need people's company and I don't wanna be alone.

Nearly 4 months has passed after I came here. Sometimes I feel it's too fast to recognize, especially the happy time. But the lonely time often seems it will never have an end. During this time, I have thought a lot about things one should never spend their busy time thinking, about things not important and appropriate for those leading a busy life. One day not long ago I turned out to think about the RAIN which most people usually take for granted. And I even wrote it as an essay for my Japanese class homework.

Back at home, the rain to me was a different thing from the rain here. Who should care what differences it bares? You may say it's all the same, it's just the water of large amount falling from the sky. But I may have a different view, or I may look at it from a different dimension.

From the surface, anyone can tell it's the same. But the difference is with the time, the duration, and the amount of the rain. Hearing this, some people may say "Stupid. It's typical that it's different, because Cambodia and Japan are not on the same spots of the world." For sure it is so. and that mere difference isn't what I'm talking about here. What I'm trying to say is about what the rain does to the heart.

Back at home, the rain was really positive to me. It was the time I usually stayed in, esp. if it fell on holidays. It was when I enjoyed the time with my family. But here if it does fall on holidays, it will do me badly. I remember an old song titled "listen to the rhythm of the falling rain", and it made me think about those sad people, lonely people, and broken-hearted people. They may have this kind of feeling like I do when listening to the rain. Of course, if you are with your beloved ones, no matter who they are, when it's raining, it's a very lovely time. Sometimes you may even want the moment to stand still. It's then that you can feel the warmth from the inside while it's cold outside. But when you are alone feeling lonely, the rain just only adds more coldness from the outside to your cold heart.

It may sound crazy if you read on. But I think I learned sth from this. I learned the importance of family to the emotions. Maybe I am a homeboy that's why I am too overwhelmed by this kind of feeling. But I think this is true. There are lots of children who lack the warmth from their family, who can never feel the warmth from the inside while it's cold outside. And I do pity them for that.

After all, the rain is not merely water from the sky. It's sth that gives you more coldness or makes you experience true warmth. One may never know the difference when they are with their beloved ones. And they may take it for granted, and not treasure the moment with whom they love. Only when they part from those people do they realize that "Oh! It's COLD here! I hate this RAIN!".

Spoon Bending

2009-07-19T00:14:00.003+09:00

i found it really interesting when i saw a video clip showed at an art exhibition. it was a clip showing some cute innocent young children in Arab bending spoons without physical strength. i asked the person in charge if it was true. n he said it was, n that everyone even small children could do it. i couldn't find the clip on youtube, but i found this clip. it's really unbelievable, n i do wanna know the reason behind it.

You'll Always Be My Baby

2009-07-09T10:15:00.004+09:00

i was too touched by the meaning of this song. for sure, you can find nothing in this world that is so sincere n true like our mother n father's love for us. i sometimes ask myself. "what have i done in return?"

A song by Sara Evans
YOU'LL ALWAYS BE MY BABY
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1qizn_sarah-evans-youll-always-be-my-baby_music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDim9gD_pVA&feature=related

Sarah Evans "you'll always be my baby"
Uploaded by hdkpereira. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

There I was ten years old
waitin' in my room for him to come home
and I just knew he'd be so mad
though I begged my mother not to, she told my dad.
There was no denyin' I let him down
but instead of being angry
he put his arms around me and said

in the sunlight or the rain brightest nights or darkest days
I'll always feel the same way
whatever road you may be on
know you're never too far gone my love is there wherever you may be
just remember that you'll always be my baby.

There I was twenty-one
oh I was so ashamed of what I'd done
on a country road
parked one night
what started out so innocent
crossed the line
there was no denyin'
I let God down
but instead of being angry
he let his love surround me and I heard

in the sunlight or the rain brightest nights or darkest days
I'll always feel the same way
whatever road you may be on
know you're never too far gone
my love is there wherever you may be
just remember that you'll always be my baby yeah yeah.

There he is my little man
I'm sure he'll get in trouble every now and then
and I pray to God that when he does
I'll be just as understanding
as my father was 'cause the last thing that I want to do is let him down
so instead of being angry
I'm gonna throw my arms around him and I'll say

in the sunlight or the rain brightest nights or darkest days
I'll always feel the same way yeah whatever road you may be on
know you're never too far gone
my love is there wherever you may be
just remember that you'll always be my baby
be my baby

「カンボジアの伝統的な踊りの3種類」

2009-06-26T10:12:00.007+09:00

「カンボジア」という名前を聞き、皆さんの頭の中ですぐに思い浮かぶのは恐らく「古い」、あるいは「伝統的」などということであろう。だから、カンボジアに来る観光客の皆さんの中で、新しいものや発展しているものが見たい人は非常に少ないのだと思う。むしろ皆さんが楽しみにしているのは、アンコールワットを始め古い時代から大切にしてきたものや古い文化などだと思う。この文章では皆さんの期待している通りにカンボジアの伝統的なものの一つを紹介したい。それは、昔から大切にされ、よく楽しまれてきた「伝統的な踊り」である。

　カンボジアにおける伝統的な踊りには大きく3種類に分けられている。第一は「ローバム・プリアッ・リアッチ・トロアップ」というものである。第二は「ローバム・プローペィニー」というものであり、第三は「ローバム・プローチアープレィ」というのである。
　
　第一の「ローバム・プリアッ・リアッチ・トロアップ」というのは英語で「Royal Court Dance」と呼ばれている。「ローバム」というのは「踊り」という意味である。「プリアッ・リアッチ」とは「王様の～」という意味で、「トロアップ」とは「財産」という意味である。つまり、これは王様のための踊り、あるいは、王宮でのみ上演される踊りのことを指している。これは昔はそうだったが、今日は普通の国民でも楽しめるようになっている。
　このタイプの踊りは劇のようなものが多い。例えば、「リアムケー」（古代インドの神話の「Ramayana」の開発版）という神話から部分的に取り上げられたものが有名である。また、「ローバム・アップサラー」（天女の踊り）もこのタイプに属し、カンボジアの女性の性格のイメージを示すものとしてよく知られている。このタイプの踊りは神話から取ったものなので、不思議な話やあり得ない話などが多い。さらに、登場する人物も普通の人間ではない。服装も日常生活に見られるものではない。面白いことに、舞踊家は何も言わないのに、何か意味が伝わる感じがするのである。なぜならば、各手と足の動きと表情は特定の意味を表しているからである。以上が「ローバム・プリアッ・リアッチ・トロアップ」の特徴である。

Apsara Dance (天女のダンス)

Moni Mekhala & ReamEyso

Mermaid and Hanuman Dance

　
　第二の「ローバム・プローペィニー」とは英語で「Folk Dance」と訳され、上記のものとは異なる。「プローペィニー」とは「伝統」という意味であり、この踊りは伝統的な生活の仕方を表現している。例えば、「ローバム・ネアック・ネーサート」というものがある。「ネアック・ネーサート」とは「漁師」で、この踊りが表すのは田舎の方の漁師たちが楽しそうに、遊びながら、魚を集める姿である。上記の踊りより、この踊りの方がより現実的である性が高い。登場人物も普通の人間、普通の農民であり、服装も昔の日常生活に使われているものであるため、不思議なものはない。

Coconut Dance

Fishermen Dance

Cambodian Bamboo Dance

Peacock Dance

　最後の「ローバム・プローチアープレィ」は「Vernacular Dance」または「Social Dance」と訳されている。日本語に無理やりに訳すれば、「ポピュラー・ダンス」が一番いいだろう。先述の二つの踊りはプロのダンサーによって舞台でパフォーマンスされるものであるのに対し、この踊りは誰でも踊れる、楽しめるダンスである。「ルアーム・ヴォン」（皆あるものを中心にして、その周りで円の形をとって踊る）や「サラワン」（二人で向かい合って立ち、前－後／後－前というふうに踊る）などがこのタイプの２つの例である。このような踊りはお正月や結婚式など大きな集まりの時によく楽しまれている。

TaLung

KonTrem

SaRaVan

TaLung

MaDiZon
　

以上のように、カンボジアで昔から大切にされてきた伝統的な踊りは大きく3種類に分けられる。いずれもそれぞれのポイントで異なっているが、カンボジア人にとっては同じ一つのものである。「これからも大切に見守らなければならないもの」なのである。皆さんもカンボジアに来たら、是非カンボジアの踊りを体験してください。

Mulan

2009-06-05T17:02:00.003+09:00

this is a story of a brave young girl who tries to be herself, n not sb else. this should be the way one should live his or her life.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

this is "Reflection" a lovely song in this story. enjoy!

who ever wonder why the painting of Mona Lisa has been so famous?

2009-05-20T18:22:00.005+09:00

i came across this video when i was about to find out about Mona Lisa. i think it is good for u who also have some interest in the painting. let's see what u will think. Does the painting deserve the fame? for me, YES.

n this one too. i'm sure u'll be really amazed at Davinci's works. he got a really...talent. i'm sorry i cannot put it into words.

spend some time for this clip too.

if u wanna find out more about Leonardo da vinci, here r the links.
http://www.leonardo.net/main.html#start
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/leonardo_da_vinci.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/3044/index.html
http://www.drawingsofleonardo.org/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/leonardo/

Uninteresting. No need to waste ur time reading.

2009-05-14T16:54:00.000+09:00

oh u have come at last though u knew that it's gonna be uninteresting. if u've decided to do so, y not spent some time to go until the end then?

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Tiny Things Here
walking along the sidewalk around the school was a very nice feeling when i first came here in april. n of course it still feels the same now bcos it hasn't been, what we call, "a long time" yet. the view everywhere was really heart-warming with flowers blooming, birds flying n lots of greenery.

however, this was what i expected b4 i came here, so nothing interesting about that. what interested me more was not that beautiful nature, but the YELLOW lines along the sidewalk. some seniors who offered to come to guide me around gave different ideas to what purpose the lines were meant to serve. n at last the most logical n trustworthy claim was that they were made for blind or partially sighted people to step on. n of course it sounds really reasonable since on each line which is about 30 cm in width there r two kinds of embossed patterns, n u can feel them with ur soles. one pattern is a long bar shaped with round ends. this tells u that it is a straight line, n u can go forward. n the other pattern is round. this can tell u that it is a crossroad, or a turning point, or a stop at the traffic lights. seeing this n knowing it's purpose, i was really amazed at how thoughtful n kind japanese people were to those pitiful disabled people. n i wish we have that in our country too. with the help of these lines they can enjoy walking around taking fresh air, even though they cannot see beautiful things around. imagine if there were no these lines, how can they be able to walk alone without anyone's company? it may be hard, if possible. here in TUFS, there is a man who is visually impaired, but he can walk everywhere on his own. n he is taking classes here like other students. what is more, i've heard that he is even outstanding in his study. i really appreciate him. n he deserves to have good life as others. n to him i think the yellow lines r important to a large extent.

another thing that also interested me was that japanese people do strictly obey the rules n laws. u can see it at the traffic lights n in shops or stores or even the canteen on school campus. in my first week here, one night i happened to go out to buy sth to eat for breakfast. it was a bit late n no one was on the road except a car which was stopping at the red traffic light. it was clear that there were no other cars from the other three directions of the crossroad, but the driver didn't drive on b4 the green light appeared. on another day, i saw a car on another crossroad, but this time without traffic lights. this time too, it was clear that there were no people walking or riding bicycle or car driving pass, but the driver made his car to a complete stop b4 he drove on. i admit that if i had been him, i would have driven on without any fear of accident. but there is sth wrong with this behaviour. this may be one of the reasons that cause lots of accidents in our country. if we all help obey the traffic laws, there may be fewer accidents, n fewer people may die meaninglessly on the road. i do wish that we will change our habits from time to time. moreover, i think i really love the "Queueing" culture in the crowded place here, like in supermarkets or school canteen. at first i was a bit surprised when i first saw the line of people waiting to get into the canteen to eat their lunch. there really were lots of people but it took only a little time to get the food to eat. imagine if they hadn't queued n challenged to go first, some of them wouldn't have had anything to eat that day. so they were lucky cos they had this good habit of Queueing.

not to make u tired, i'll finish my text with this last notice. it's the frequency of saying the words "thank you" n "sorry". i really cannot count how many times i hear these two words per day. i think this is a good habit. n we should say them more often. back home, i have witnessed a lot of cases which involved these 2 simple words. but among the two, there were more cases with the word "sorry" than the word "thank you". in some cases, the word "sorry"

should have been said, so that no problem would have happened. n in some others, the word "sorry" was politely said, but problems still happened. what does this mean? what can we learn from this? for me, i learnt that some people will get satisfied with the word "sorry" n forgive us no matter how big or small our mistake to them is. or we can say this group of people r willing to forgive us, but they can do it only with a reason. n the reason is that we say "sorry" to them already. but some other people still get angry though we say "sorry" bcos they may think that with this word, the normal conditions of sth cannot be regained. n i think it is wrong to have this attitude. what i am trying to say here is that "whenever we make a mistake to people, we should always say 'sorry' . n whenever we hear a proper 'sorry', we should always forgive" after all, it is good to learn how to forgive n forget. right?

but some people may argue that "what if a person kill sb u really love, n then say 'sorry' in a very polite way, what will u do? will u forgive him?" my answer is "this is too big a mistake. n it is not the mistake i was talking about earlier. so what kind of mistake, or how big is it that we can forgive? it is up to ur common sense. n i don think it is impossible for u to judge. right? :-) "

tHis n ThaT arOund mY pLacE

2009-05-09T15:25:00.039+09:00

Privacy to the Public

below is my private room n the views around my school. Mom n Dad, plz don worry about me. this is a very nice place, n i think i cannot find a more satisfying place than this one. n the surrounding is so refreshing. there r lots of trees n flowers everywhere. there is no time to get stress. n the people too r very nice n friendly. so there is nothing u should worry about.

my Room from the Outside In

this is my private verranda where i can hang my clothes to dry. n sometimes i enjoy looking at the views outside.

these r the views from my verranda. when i first came, there were lots of Sakura out there. very nice.

now from the Inside Out

this is my fridge. mom n dad, plz don worry about my diet. i think i have a good balance of diet. in my meal each time, there r some meat some vegetable, not either one alone. so plz don worry.

next to the fridge is the small kitchen area. i often cook by myself. i don use much oil, n my food is usually not too sweet or too salty. so nothing to worry about it.

this is my lunch today. it is not in my room. i cooked one dish n i took it to my friend's room, n we ate together there. we usually do like this, esp. in the evening.

n here is my private bathroom. lucky that i have it. in the other dorm, dorm 2, people there have to share bathroom. that's a bit inconvenient.

here is a short view from the Outside to the Inside of my room.

now Out of my room, but in the Building

a view from the dorm.

the building looks like this inside. n i m living on the 4th floor.

this is a place for laundry. i'm lazy to do the washing so i often use this machine. it's easier. n it's cheap, only 100 yen per time.

it's time to go Out of the Dorm

this building is the dorm where i live.

i'm on the way to the other buildings, like the library the JLC n the main building. look a bit sleepy here cos i've just got up from a short nap.

there r lots of trees in the school campus.

this is where i study japanese language. it's called JLC. it's the nearest building to the dorm.

this is infront of the JLC.

after JLC, we can find the canteen. the food there is delicious. i often eat my lunch there.

this is the main building where i study. lots of room there. n we have to move each session. sometimes it's a bit hard to find the room cos it's too big.

n here is the gate to the library. i m now in this 4-floor building.

GreedY GreatY SchedulE

2009-05-08T14:54:00.005+09:00

"it's a long holiday" i thought to myself on May 1st. but today, May 7th, i said "What a short holiday!". i am now back to the normal world with no more excitement, n no more holiday planning. but still i can feel the joy left from the so-called Golden Week.

it had a good start on Saturday May 2nd, when i enjoyed my day at TACHIGAWA with Tan and Bunnarith. Tan wanted to buy an electronic dictionary, so Bunnarith suggested Big Camera at Tachigawa. after the SHOPPING was done, lunch time came. i was thankful that in this modern n expensive foreign world there was still such a nice n inexpensive shop to eat. Bunnarith called it by a bit negative-meaning word, but i thought it deserved a better name. next we spent the rest of the afternoon in a CINEMA watching a nice animation. the joyful day ended after a DINNER gathering which Pheara n Lyda also came to join. we had a professional cook there. it was Bunnarith. i was a bit surprised at how delicious his food was. maybe i've got to learn more from him.

the next morning, May 3rd, we were expecting that it was gonna be a very nice day, cos we'd planned to go to ASAKUSA n TOKYO TOWER. n of course it really was a great day as expected. i'm really grateful that some kind japanese students spent their time guiding us around.
Asakusa was a really crowded place, esp on such vacation. u'll have a strange feeling when u get there. among lots of high rise modern buildings, Asakusa shrine was so old that i felt that i entered an ancient world within just a minute. n when leaving there i felt again that i came back to the present world within a blink.
Tokyo Tower too was a great place one should visit while staying here. it's 333 m tall, n looks similar to that tower in Paris. i was a bit sursprised for the first time when i saw the tower from the train station. i hadn't expected that it was that near.

May 4th, i found myself at KICHIJOUJI doing shopping with some cambodian friends. thanks to Lyda who took us there. it was a nice view with lots of interesting-looking people, n there were lots of sales for clothing n shoes. in the late afternoon, we continued our journey to SHINJUKU where i enjoyed my window shopping. i was a bit tired with walking then, but it was nice seeing lots of strange people with various fashions. in the evening we ended up in Gut' Soul at NAKANO. this was my second time in a yakiniku (grilled meat) restautant within just a few weeks. but it was a nice n joyful dinner, so we can think about our diet later. :-)

May 5th was a resting day with the rain. i didn't go anywhere. i had planned to do lots of reading but i couldn't cos of laziness. hope i can overcome this procrastination soon. :-(

May 6th was the last day of the Golden Week. i went to eat khmer food again at MACHIDA, but this time not with my friends. i went there with my boss's wife who used to live in cambodia. there, at the restaurant, i met some japanese n khmer friends, but i didn't join them. after that i went to visit my relatives at YABE. i met them at the khmer new year party at Sagamihara n asked for their address. i spent the whole afternoon with their two lovely sons. they were cute, but so sad that they couldn't speak khmer. the only word they knew how to say was "Chumreab sour". but it's better than nothing.

The Golden Week really went fast. i wonder if such holiday will come again soon. it really is a good change when everyday what we can think of is study n homework.

wHen U BeliEvE

2009-05-07T17:07:00.012+09:00

Many nights we pray With no proof anyone could hear. In our hearts a hopeful song We barely understood.
Now we are not afraid, Although we know there's much to fear. We were moving mountains long Before we knew we could.

There can be miracles When you believe. Though hope is frail, It's hard to kill.
Who knows what miracle You can achieve? When you believe, Somehow you will. You will when you believe.

In this time of fear, When prayer so often proves in vain, Hope seems like the summer birds Too swiftly flown away.
And now I am standing here. My heart's so full, I can't explain. Seeking faith and speaking words, I never thought I'd say

There can be miracles When you believe (When you believe). Though hope is frail, It's hard to kill.
Who knows what miracle You can achieve? (You can achieve) When you believe, Somehow you will. You will when you believe.

They don't always happen when you ask
And it's easy to give in to your fear
But when you're blinded by your pain
Can't see you way safe through the rain
Thought of a still resilient voice
Says love is very near

There can be miracles (miracles)
When you believe (When you believe)
Though hope is frail
It's hard to kill

Who know what miracles
You can achieve (You can achieve)
When you believe
Somehow you will
You will when you believe
You will when you believe
You will when you believe
Just believe
You will when you believe

ToO mAnY tHinGs tO Do

2009-04-30T20:35:00.006+09:00

on April 28th, we had a great time at KoEnJi. we went there to have our dinner at Gut's Soul, a Yakiniku restaurant. actually it was not just a dinner. of course it was Bunnarith's birthday. n bcos the next day April 29th was a holiday, we thought it would be a great chance to meet up n eat n celebrate his birthday at the same time.

next we went to play bowling at somewhere i can't remember the name. some of us could play really well. i really appreciated them.

finally, the trip ended at Bunnarith's house. there, some of us enjoyed their playing cards, n the rest including me, played Uno. it was also a game of cards but in japanese style. n of course the cards themselves differred from the normal cards that we usually play. but here, i have to make it clear. it was not gambling bcos we didn't spent money. those who lost had to drink a cup of water. it sounds boring but actually it was not. it was really enjoyable n with the water we can eat lots of things. it was the first time in my life that i spent the night without sleeping.

at 5 am sharp, we left Bunnarith's house for our dorm. it was really cold outside. but it was a nice feeling in the train with the heater. immediately after we arrived at our dorm, the first thing we could think of was "SLEEP". it also was my first time to start sleeping in the morning. the day didn't end there.

after we got up at about 12:30, we enjoyed the day by going around the university, n we continued our walk to a very big park with lots of people coming to play sports, n to do their picnic with their families. it was a really nice view when seeing lots of people with happiness. n one more things is that there were lots of beautiful n lovely dogs there. those people dressed their dogs with really nice n interesting clothes. they were really lovely, really. the busy day, ended with our dinner n the UNTIL-MIDNIGHT-TALK.

Stressful Day

2009-04-25T16:55:00.002+09:00

i never imagined that the weather here was this bad. i don know when it started raining this morning cos when i got up at about 8, it was raining hard already. i expected it to stop any time soon cos there was a forecast sent to my mobile telling that it will change from raining to cloudy sky during the day. but nothing lived up to my expectation. it continued raining until now, 5pm. what is more, it's so cold outside. but hahah i don no y i m not wearing a sweater today. i always wear thick sweater or jacket whenever i go out, but today? have i become this strange so far? has japan changed me this much? i don know either.

Success Breeds Success

2009-04-23T19:20:00.003+09:00

a few hours ago, i viewed life here as so stressful, n i saw the word "HARD" everywhere. but now, a few hours later, i find that life is not always that bad. the reason behind the change of my feeling within such a very short time is this.

some hours ago, i took out the assignment from my teacher in this morning class. it was sooooooo hard that i wanted to cry out loud at times. To do the assignment, i had to surf a homepage of Japan Foundation, n summarize lots of pages there.
Naturally, a new comer, Mr. Don't Know, like ME would feel panic at the length of the task n the number of KANJI used on the page. however, things changed when i thought to myself "u can do it. u have the net to help u". so i browsed through google, n finally i found "reading tutor" which i have used a few times b4. it is a place where u can input some japanese texts, n it will automatically find the english definitions of each word in the text for u. with the help of this site, i could finish the first part of my assignment. it was then that i found Life in a more positive way. for sure, i cannot finish it today, but i will try to complete it by tomoro.

so everyone, u c? one Success will surely Breed another. but the problem is whether we can achieve that first success or not. the answer is "YES" if we try hard enough. it's important not to lose hope n keep trying. once u get the first success, u'll surely have a smile on ur face n feel like continuing for another one. it's logical enough that the first success serves as an inner motivation, n we will do more cos of that very MOTIVATION. so all in all, we can say everything starts with "Effort-Success=Inner Motivation-Effort-Success=Inner Motivation- Effort........." it goes on n on like this na. hope i can keep this MOTIVATION n making EFFORT so that i can always have SUCCESS.

sorry a bit TOO BIG WORDS today. c ya

Study Life in the first two weeks

2009-04-23T13:40:00.003+09:00

for nearly two weeks now that my classes have started. i've been to many classes to see whether i can take the subject or not, n to see whether the teacher speaks slowly enough for me to catch up with or not. the result is "everything is hard". i can hardly know what they r talking about. sometimes i cannot even know which point in the handout, they r up to. so hard! but there r also some classes in which i can be active, n enjoy learning. they r the meaning of my school life. without those classes i may have no strength to carry on. wish i can overcome these obstacles n go on to the higher steps.

Another Late Khmer New Year gathering

2009-04-20T20:26:00.018+09:00

yesterday i went to join a Khmer New Year party at a place near Sagamihara station. it was of course after the New year's day. but no matter when it was, we did enjoy ourselves a lot.

at first, i was a bit shocked to see lots of Cambodians there. i didn't expect that there were so many Khmers at the party. n one more thing that i really did not expect is that i met some of my relatives there. what a coincidence! at the party lots of us danced until the end. n some of my friends even said it was their first time to enjoy such Khmer New Year's day.

after the party, i continued my journey to Machida station to have dinner at a Khmer food restaurant with some of my new Cambodian friends. i first met most of them here, but i've known some from Cambodia too. they r really really nice friends. thx Buddha that i met these kind people here so that i don't have the feeling of loneliness.

above left, in the train waiting to go to Sagamihara station, but it takes so long to wait.

above right, i finally get off the bus at Shiminkaikanmae bus stop. on my right hand is the way to the party place.

lots of people start dancing from the first song.

these two guys on the left r my LIKEABLE enemies. n one guy dancing is my new friend. he's been here for a long time. i cannot find a better person, so helpful so kind.

the guy on the right end of the two photos is Pheara, i first met him in Cambodia. he's so kind n selfless, i think i cannot find another person like him in this modern world.

Sakura Collection

2009-04-20T19:15:00.033+09:00

These r not my shots. i have to acknowledge the photographer. she is my friend at TUFS. i do appreciate her talent in photo shooting. in this collection, there r some of her best shots that i like the most. looking at the flowers, the nature around, n the smiles on people's faces while they r looking at the same thing, is really nice a feeling. it is true joy from the heart, a very calm happiness that u cannot find it in bars or night clubs. it is a happiness one should find in life.

besides flowers, there r some photos of my school campus n the area around the school. it is a nice place to live. n i had a chance to enjoy the Hanami (Sakura ceremony) with some very nice japanese friends. the place is just a few minutes walk from the school. it's a really nice place there. i loved it.

some of my new friends at Hanami.

Memory back home "My Beautiful Phnom Penh"

2009-04-18T13:18:00.103+09:00

Living in a new environment is a good change, n so exciting, but there is no place like our HOME. this is a "Phnom Penh" collection.

These r on the way to Wat Phnom, thought to be the central point of Phnom Penh.

above is the statue of Old Lady "Phenh" whose name the city is named after.

i like it here. i like the greenery in the middle of the city like this place. it is of course Wat Phnom.

above is the Independence Monument. it was built after Cambodia got full independence from the French colonization.

from here we can also have a sight of the Independence Monument. above is the statue of four Nagas (dragons) spinning their tails together. it is a fountain. at night there is a beautiful colouring from under the water. i love it here.

this is some views of the National Assembly.

this is a Buddhist library. near the library there is a statue of the former top rank monk who contributed a lot to the development of Khmer language n who compiled the first Khmer dictionary. he is widely known by everyone in the country. his name is Samdech Sang "Chuan Nart".

this is a nice place to see. it's in front of the Royal Palace.

this is in front of the National Museum.

Late Khmer New Year Games

2009-04-17T17:03:00.005+09:00

in my university there is a Khmer Language Department, in which Japanese students study Khmer as their major. i feel really grateful that they, people in developed country, try to study our language.
n this afternoon, i did have a great time with them playing Khmer traditional games like Boh Angkunh, Leak Kanseng, and Dondeum Slekchheur. it was a bit showery, but we continued playing until the next session started. that was time we departed. it was a short time, but so meaningful n joyful. those japanese students were really nice n friendly. we felt like we've known each other for a long time. we played n shouted with joy when sb narrowly missed the middle Angkunh.
it was late that we played today cos our New Year's Day ended yesterday. however, playing means enjoying so time does not at all matter, does it? n of course it also served as a mean of stress release. a very good mean.

first 2-week life in japan

2009-04-16T20:36:00.006+09:00

it's like a dream that i am now in japan. i sometimes ask myself "have i woken up? until when will i continue dreaming?" but of course i am not dreaming. i am here enjoying n suffering real things--things which i've never experienced. at times i used to think that i would be ok no matter in what circumstances. but at others, i feel that not everything lives up to my expectation. i don't know now what i will feel later on. but since i came here on April 2nd, i've experienced a mixture of feelings already--a feeling of regret that i didn't spend enough time with my dad n mom n family, a feeling of excitement when i stepped into the plane from home country, n out of the plane in a new land, a feeling of loneliness when i have my meal alone, a feeling of not-belonging when no one is familiar, a feeling of joy when cambodian friends are gathering. i used to lecture people how to be strong, how to control one's emotions. but when it comes to myself, i learnt that what i told them is not all practical. i also learnt how badly i need people's company. i learnt how weak i am when i'm alone. however, i'll try to be strong in any way i can. maybe the best way is to keep myself busy with things so that i don't have time to feel anything. hope i succeed.

now it should be time i talk about sth positive. i have to acknowledge one person who gave me the idea of using blog. His name is Sokhour, one of my good friends. i just came to see the value of this kind of thing when i read his blog. i came to feel that i can use it as a mean of releasing my feelings when no one is available to listen to me. i may start this habit from now on. it feels like i can tell someone my joys n sadness, though i cannot see a person. this may be a very good way.

i came to japan on April 2nd, it's been a short time. but i've done a lot-- joining the khmer new year party, eating out with new friends, cooking by myself, taking classes. oh a lot. talking about the university system here, it's a bit different from that in cambodia. of course, in cambodia we do have things we call credits, but not many universities in cambodia r doing things like in japan. here, students have to take classes required by the university, but at the same time, they also have to choose classes which r not really relevant to there studies. this may be difficult, since we sometimes cannot decide which class to take. but there r also some good points about it. first, we can get a lot of knowledge other than the one we r majoring in. second, since we have choices, we don't need to always force ourselves to learn things we don't like. moreover, choosing classes by our own, though difficult, it is not sth impossible becos we have our advisors to help us decide.

all in all, it's not that bad when living here alone. the problem is "how do we view things? in a positive or negative way? are we willing to learn n adapt or not?" that should be all for today cos the library will close in a moment. ok talk to u later friends. good 9