What's your future like? Do you have any idea?
Are you the type of person who goes with the flow? Or the type that has your future laid down right in front of you?
Or you are somewhere in between?
I am one of those who are somewhere in between because sometimes it appears so clearly to me where I am going but at times, no matter how hard I try to look, all I can see (or imagine) is a canvas full of abstract painting trying to take shape of something but it couldn't.
At this very point of time, at 2153 p.m. on 6th November 2012, the painting of my future is in abstract. So many openings. So many opportunities. So much uncertainties. So where do I begin?
There are only 3 clear object in my mind now that I could see myself have in the near future:-
i. A new car;
ii. iPhone 5;
iii. Secret :D (time will reveal everything, don't worry)
As to the rest like my job, my friends, relationships and all, I have no idea where this path is leading to. Is it leading to a meadow filled with the widest landscape of greens and bright blue sky or is it leading me towards a waterfall?
Or not so dramatic, maybe just a quiet old farm or a suburban city?
Back when I was in primary school, the future seems so certain. I know I have to get past primary school and enter secondary school. The time before I enter University, during that brief period, the future at that point of time seems like an endless revolving abstract because I don't know where to go and what course to take. After my parents decided for me what career I should pursue, for the next 5 years my future seems certain again.
After graduation, it felt like someone has took a bottle of water and mixed all my paint inside it and now my paints are twirling around in the bottle, giving me different mixture of colours all the time.
It's an endless question and an endless quest. Unlike some people that I know, they have planned their route for maybe the next ten years down the road.
Am I doing it right? Or am I doing it wrong?
What about you? What's the painting of your future like?
Tuesday, 6 November 2012
Sunday, 4 November 2012
Comics / Mangas are Pornography Material
According to a reporter anyways. He claims Comics or in the commonly known Japanese term as "Manga", are filled with pornography materials.
Okay this reporter right here by the name of Mohd Ridzuan Abu Hassan claims in the title of his article that the obsession of reading comic creates an opportunity or cause the tendency to read porn mangas.
This reporter also claim that the absolutely famous manga titles like Naruto, Dragon Ball, Bleach, 3x3 Eyes and GTO are 'famous porn mangas'.
Dude, pea size brain much?
HELLO. NARUTO? DRAGON BALL? GTO? ARE YOU SERIOUS?
DRAGON BALL? GORILLA WITH TAILS ARE PORN. I don't geddit. Like I really DON'T get it at all.
IF what this reporter claim is the truth, the truth would also be I have been reading porn since the age of 5. Because I started reading dragon ball then. But that would be impossible isn't it? You know why?
Because, Mr Mohd Ridzuan Abu Hassan, there is such thing call the MALAYSIAN CENSORSHIP BOARD. They freaking censor everything in Mangas that we get in Malaysia, including children manga like Doraemon (Shizuka's bathing scene), Shin Chan (when he takes off his pants) and countless manga titles. They go to the extend of re-drawing that particular scene. Porn, you say?
So finding porn in manga? Fat chance bro, fat chance. It's like finding gold by the roadside and I am telling you, chances are close to nil.
Then, he mentioned about getting porn mangas from online since it's an easy source. Bro, there is also such a thing call the 'category search'. If you just log into any of the main free online reading manga website, the ones on the front page are always titles like Naruto or Bleach or One Piece and is most of the time devoid of any pornography material at all. You want anime porn, you gotta search it in the category call hentai.
Some of the websites don't even contain hentai.
So if you do come across this titles, you have obviously used the search button to actively look for it. So who are you blaming now? Dude, we are all netizens. We know how to use the internetz, prolly much more than you do anyways. So don't you go around and kid about something like this because sadly bro, you are doing it wrong.
Above I have also translated some of the comments by other people for the pure fun of it, so that those of you who doesn't understand Malay can have fun knowing what this guy did and what others think of him.
Like seriously dude. Come up with better things to write man. Even my post of me getting a new hair colour is probably much more interesting than yours. Pft.
Okay this reporter right here by the name of Mohd Ridzuan Abu Hassan claims in the title of his article that the obsession of reading comic creates an opportunity or cause the tendency to read porn mangas.
This reporter also claim that the absolutely famous manga titles like Naruto, Dragon Ball, Bleach, 3x3 Eyes and GTO are 'famous porn mangas'.
Dude, pea size brain much?
HELLO. NARUTO? DRAGON BALL? GTO? ARE YOU SERIOUS?
DRAGON BALL? GORILLA WITH TAILS ARE PORN. I don't geddit. Like I really DON'T get it at all.
IF what this reporter claim is the truth, the truth would also be I have been reading porn since the age of 5. Because I started reading dragon ball then. But that would be impossible isn't it? You know why?
Because, Mr Mohd Ridzuan Abu Hassan, there is such thing call the MALAYSIAN CENSORSHIP BOARD. They freaking censor everything in Mangas that we get in Malaysia, including children manga like Doraemon (Shizuka's bathing scene), Shin Chan (when he takes off his pants) and countless manga titles. They go to the extend of re-drawing that particular scene. Porn, you say?
So finding porn in manga? Fat chance bro, fat chance. It's like finding gold by the roadside and I am telling you, chances are close to nil.
Then, he mentioned about getting porn mangas from online since it's an easy source. Bro, there is also such a thing call the 'category search'. If you just log into any of the main free online reading manga website, the ones on the front page are always titles like Naruto or Bleach or One Piece and is most of the time devoid of any pornography material at all. You want anime porn, you gotta search it in the category call hentai.
Some of the websites don't even contain hentai.
So if you do come across this titles, you have obviously used the search button to actively look for it. So who are you blaming now? Dude, we are all netizens. We know how to use the internetz, prolly much more than you do anyways. So don't you go around and kid about something like this because sadly bro, you are doing it wrong.
Above I have also translated some of the comments by other people for the pure fun of it, so that those of you who doesn't understand Malay can have fun knowing what this guy did and what others think of him.
Like seriously dude. Come up with better things to write man. Even my post of me getting a new hair colour is probably much more interesting than yours. Pft.
Friday, 2 November 2012
One Act of Kindness - From a Stranger
I can't remember when was the last time I actually receive an act of kindness from a total stranger because it has been that long since anyone has acted kindly without the tiniest bit of hope of reward or something of that sort.
Today, I've received such act of kindness. Out of nowhere. I must have done a lot of good this past weeks. JUST KIDDING. Don't you roll your eyes on me!
Today, I really needed a car wash very very badly because I needed it for an event tomorrow and it just drizzled the entire afternoon. NOT those kind of heavy rain where it actually makes your car clean but those small little tiny drops that leaves the weather warmer than before and also making your car look like it caught on spattergroit. Brown little tiny spots all over a white car. How ew is that.
So yes, I needed a car wash super desperately and it was already 7 in the evening. The ONLY place available would be at xxx place and it costs much more than those automated car wash that you get from Petrol Station.
I parked my car at the car saloon and this one guy just walked up to me after I got down from my car and tell me in the most polite manner ever, telling me that his is very sorry but they can't accept anymore cars because they are very under power at the moment and they have few cars waiting in queue.
I told him I will wait patiently even if it takes 2 hours because, well! It's an urgent matter so no negotiation!
Well I obviously lost the negotiation because they really can't do it for me even when I requested for them to not vacuum or wash the insides of my car and I will still pay the full amount. As my last chance, I asked the guy if he could perhaps, just help spray water over my car without cleaning it or anything just so that the dirt would come off perhaps.
He thought for a while, he says he will do it and ask me to get in the car while he does it. I was so so so super duper thankful and sat in the car obediently while he rinses my car super quick and when he off his water pump, I got down and he ask me to get back in lol. He took a piece of soapy clothe and started washing my mirrors and windows o.o I was so surprised since he is rushing for time but I really appreciated it and after he is done with rinsing and all, I walked down to pay him and you know what, he say it's alright. It's just a small service he is doing therefore he is not charging.
I. Cannot. Believe. My. Ears.
A stranger, or more like a businessman o.o refusing to accept a small fee after the work that he has done. And he says good luck for the event tomorrow.
O.m.gee.
To be honest, I am really touched even though it is one really simple act of spraying water over my car. Because he did it so sincerely.
Fyi, it's not that I don't want to wash my own car. It's rather I don't have the resources to because I live in an apartment where they don't provide water pump or hose or even a proper place to wash your car so you have to do it elsewhere.
When was the last time you met someone that would perform such act of kindness for you without any kind of hope of reward of any sort?
Thursday, 1 November 2012
You Love Shark Fin? I Love Sharks.
I remember strongly that year when Legally Blonde 2 came out and there was this one part of the movie which left a very strong impression on me up until today (you must be thinking what has Legally Blonde got to do with Shark Fins, I promise you, I have a point).
In that movie, Elle Woods was trying to advocate rights against animal testing for cosmetic product and what she said was the following very inspirational speech and it goes something like this - not word by word but something like this:
"There is this saloon in Beverly Hills. It's really fancy and beautiful but it's impossible to get an appointment unless if you are Julia Roberts or friends with one of the girls. One day they call me, they had an opening and I finally get the chance to sit in one of those beauty chair. The stylist gave me a bob, with bangs. That's to say, it was just wrong, all wrong, for me.
First, there was anger and then I realized my anger was completely misdirected. I mean this wasn't the saloon's fault. I have sat there and witnessed this injustice and I just sat there and let it happen. I didn't get involved in the process. I forgot to use my voice. I forgot to believe in myself. But now I know better. I know one honest voice can be louder than a crowd."
And I feel exactly the same way when I saw my colleague drinking shark fin soup the other day. I saw them carrying a bowl of soup and it's just a six sense so I asked if that's shark fin soup and I got an affirmative answer. So I began by saying "Don't drink shark fi-" well before I manage to even finish my sentence, my colleague cut me over and said "Don't talk about stuff like this. I want to drink means I want to drink. Besides, they served it already, it would be a waste to not drink it". And I answered her but she refused to just listen.
After I got back, I managed to ask a friend what does he feel about shark fin soup. He told me the exact same thing: If it's served, it would be even more wasteful if no one drinks it.
I believe that there are still so many people out there drinking shark fin soup because you simply assume that it's okay to do it. It's like ordering steak or drumstick at fast food because the animal that we are eating is abundant, so it's okay.
Let me tell you. It's NOT okay to eat shark fin. The reason why you are still drinking shark fin is because you are totally unaware of what is actually going on underneath the ocean and it's because it's underneath the ocean where no one can see it, no one can care for it. I do not condemn you or blame you for drinking shark fin soup because you don't know. So I sincerely hope after reading this, you would at least TRY to not drink shark fin soup and also, PASS the message around.
I must confess that I loved shark fin soup as much as you do, until I found out few years back about how cruel it is to actually even think of wanting to drink shark fin. The proper term is actually known as "Shark Finning" and unlike eating Sashimi (raw fish), what shark poaches do is exactly what the term indicates.
They hunt the sharks merely for their fins. Not flesh, but their fins. An average Great White shark weighs about 700 to 1100 kg (1500 to 2400 pounds) and out of all this great weight, only a mere 300 to 400 grams are what the poaches are aiming for. They hooked the shark up to their boat, cruelly butcher off their fins and throw them back into the sea.
When poaches poach for shark fins, they are aiming only at their fins and not meat. How would you feel, if someone dismember your hands and feet and when you are at your absolute fragile state, that person throws you into a lion cage when you are still alive. You have absolutely no ways to fend for yourself, run for your life but all you can do is just wait for the lion to come and feast off your flesh parts by parts, while alive. Oh, as though everything is not horrible enough, lets add salt to the injury. And that's exactly what it is when you throw Sharks with open wounds which can't swim back into the salty sea. You like that?
That's exactly what happened to that very shark which fins that you have swallowed down into your stomach. And how would you feel, if not one, or ten or thousands of sharks but the number goes by the millions. 37 millions of shark each year, going through the same torture. Having their fins butchered, thrown back into the sea alive and either drown to death or being eaten alive by other fishes. Does it seems okay to you to treat them that way? Do you think they deserve such treatment just because they are fish?
And unlike Salmons or Tunas which reproduce by the millions, each shark reproduce around six to ten baby sharks each 1 and a half year. So, what happens when the adults are gone, poaches naturally go for the baby sharks and when sharks can't reproduce as fast, what happens? Extinction. Do you really want this to happen?
And why is it that you consume shark fin? Do they have extreme nutritional or medicinal value? Do they taste superbly good? NO. The answer to all three is NO. Shark has NO nutritional or medicinal value at all. In fact, they are high in mercury content and could lead you to having heart disease. Do they taste superbly good? NO. Shark fins have ABSOLUTELY ZERO TASTE at all so why are you still drinking it?
Why are you paying for something that is obtained so bloodily. So brutally. So cruelly.
It really pains me to search for this pictures but I honestly believe, someone has to do it. And today, I am doing it. I hope that you will one day (and that day is coming soon), that you will help advocate to stop this sick practice and educate more people about this.
As to my colleagues' question about wastage since the soup is already served, my answer was: If you serve a dish that no one would eat or order, would you continue serving it? Yes I know it's cooked and laid there for you to take but as the owner of a restaurant, if you noticed that a particular dish is not selling at all and left untouched everyday, you as the restaurant owner, would you continue that dish? Probably not.
Sometimes, it takes one person to speak out. And a few more to follow and more will naturally come and when everyone comes, that's the day where things will be changed.
Stand with me on this one. Say no to drinking shark fin soup. Say no to this cruel practice. Simply, just say no.
The next time you are being served a bowl of shark fin soup in a wedding or at a restaurant, remember this.
This really meaningful image is done up by Orikimono from Deviant Art and the Artist not only illustrated it very well, but the artist also wrote up a simple explanation regarding this, so do visit the artist's page if you want more explanation. This image does not belong to me in anyway.
Below are some pictures that I've found online. If you don't think you can stomach it, don't scroll down but if you think you can and you want to witness for yourself, do scroll down, alright? Remember, if we all stand united, we CAN and we WILL make a difference.
Look at the size of this shark. It's merely a baby shark and how much fin can it gives? Yet they are willing to sacrifice any sharks regardless of their type, size, old or young. Say NO to this. Just say NO.
This writer has an entire gallery of what is known as the Shark's Graveyard. A picture's worth a thousand word. He/She has an entire gallery on this so it just show how bad Shark Finning is.
The next time someone offers you shark fin, say no. Remember, SPEAK UP. Tell them exactly how you feel about this. Do not forgot to use your voice to voice it out for those who can't voice it out for themselves.
In that movie, Elle Woods was trying to advocate rights against animal testing for cosmetic product and what she said was the following very inspirational speech and it goes something like this - not word by word but something like this:
"There is this saloon in Beverly Hills. It's really fancy and beautiful but it's impossible to get an appointment unless if you are Julia Roberts or friends with one of the girls. One day they call me, they had an opening and I finally get the chance to sit in one of those beauty chair. The stylist gave me a bob, with bangs. That's to say, it was just wrong, all wrong, for me.
First, there was anger and then I realized my anger was completely misdirected. I mean this wasn't the saloon's fault. I have sat there and witnessed this injustice and I just sat there and let it happen. I didn't get involved in the process. I forgot to use my voice. I forgot to believe in myself. But now I know better. I know one honest voice can be louder than a crowd."
And I feel exactly the same way when I saw my colleague drinking shark fin soup the other day. I saw them carrying a bowl of soup and it's just a six sense so I asked if that's shark fin soup and I got an affirmative answer. So I began by saying "Don't drink shark fi-" well before I manage to even finish my sentence, my colleague cut me over and said "Don't talk about stuff like this. I want to drink means I want to drink. Besides, they served it already, it would be a waste to not drink it". And I answered her but she refused to just listen.
After I got back, I managed to ask a friend what does he feel about shark fin soup. He told me the exact same thing: If it's served, it would be even more wasteful if no one drinks it.
I believe that there are still so many people out there drinking shark fin soup because you simply assume that it's okay to do it. It's like ordering steak or drumstick at fast food because the animal that we are eating is abundant, so it's okay.
Let me tell you. It's NOT okay to eat shark fin. The reason why you are still drinking shark fin is because you are totally unaware of what is actually going on underneath the ocean and it's because it's underneath the ocean where no one can see it, no one can care for it. I do not condemn you or blame you for drinking shark fin soup because you don't know. So I sincerely hope after reading this, you would at least TRY to not drink shark fin soup and also, PASS the message around.
I must confess that I loved shark fin soup as much as you do, until I found out few years back about how cruel it is to actually even think of wanting to drink shark fin. The proper term is actually known as "Shark Finning" and unlike eating Sashimi (raw fish), what shark poaches do is exactly what the term indicates.
They hunt the sharks merely for their fins. Not flesh, but their fins. An average Great White shark weighs about 700 to 1100 kg (1500 to 2400 pounds) and out of all this great weight, only a mere 300 to 400 grams are what the poaches are aiming for. They hooked the shark up to their boat, cruelly butcher off their fins and throw them back into the sea.
When poaches poach for shark fins, they are aiming only at their fins and not meat. How would you feel, if someone dismember your hands and feet and when you are at your absolute fragile state, that person throws you into a lion cage when you are still alive. You have absolutely no ways to fend for yourself, run for your life but all you can do is just wait for the lion to come and feast off your flesh parts by parts, while alive. Oh, as though everything is not horrible enough, lets add salt to the injury. And that's exactly what it is when you throw Sharks with open wounds which can't swim back into the salty sea. You like that?
That's exactly what happened to that very shark which fins that you have swallowed down into your stomach. And how would you feel, if not one, or ten or thousands of sharks but the number goes by the millions. 37 millions of shark each year, going through the same torture. Having their fins butchered, thrown back into the sea alive and either drown to death or being eaten alive by other fishes. Does it seems okay to you to treat them that way? Do you think they deserve such treatment just because they are fish?
And unlike Salmons or Tunas which reproduce by the millions, each shark reproduce around six to ten baby sharks each 1 and a half year. So, what happens when the adults are gone, poaches naturally go for the baby sharks and when sharks can't reproduce as fast, what happens? Extinction. Do you really want this to happen?
And why is it that you consume shark fin? Do they have extreme nutritional or medicinal value? Do they taste superbly good? NO. The answer to all three is NO. Shark has NO nutritional or medicinal value at all. In fact, they are high in mercury content and could lead you to having heart disease. Do they taste superbly good? NO. Shark fins have ABSOLUTELY ZERO TASTE at all so why are you still drinking it?
Why are you paying for something that is obtained so bloodily. So brutally. So cruelly.
It really pains me to search for this pictures but I honestly believe, someone has to do it. And today, I am doing it. I hope that you will one day (and that day is coming soon), that you will help advocate to stop this sick practice and educate more people about this.
As to my colleagues' question about wastage since the soup is already served, my answer was: If you serve a dish that no one would eat or order, would you continue serving it? Yes I know it's cooked and laid there for you to take but as the owner of a restaurant, if you noticed that a particular dish is not selling at all and left untouched everyday, you as the restaurant owner, would you continue that dish? Probably not.
Sometimes, it takes one person to speak out. And a few more to follow and more will naturally come and when everyone comes, that's the day where things will be changed.
Stand with me on this one. Say no to drinking shark fin soup. Say no to this cruel practice. Simply, just say no.
The next time you are being served a bowl of shark fin soup in a wedding or at a restaurant, remember this.
#1
#2
This is another very short illustration about shark finning but it just shows you how much hurt you are causing to Sharks without knowing or doing anything about it. This brilliant art is done by Kuroya-Ken and is also another Artist from Deviant Art. This image does not belong to me in any way.
I am only asking for 2 minutes of your time to watch the video below that my Godbrother have found for me. All I am asking is 2 minutes.
I am only asking for 2 minutes of your time to watch the video below that my Godbrother have found for me. All I am asking is 2 minutes.
#3 Image from here
Look at the size of this shark. It's merely a baby shark and how much fin can it gives? Yet they are willing to sacrifice any sharks regardless of their type, size, old or young. Say NO to this. Just say NO.
.#4
#5 Images from here
This writer has an entire gallery of what is known as the Shark's Graveyard. A picture's worth a thousand word. He/She has an entire gallery on this so it just show how bad Shark Finning is.
The next time someone offers you shark fin, say no. Remember, SPEAK UP. Tell them exactly how you feel about this. Do not forgot to use your voice to voice it out for those who can't voice it out for themselves.
Monday, 29 October 2012
Ghibli Museum 三鷹の森ジブリ美術館
Sorry there wasn't any updates for the past few days cause I was on a Company Trip to Kuala Lumpur with my bosses and colleagues and needless to say, when an MPV car full of ladies gathers, it's time for some serious shopping!! We had a good 3 days 2 nights worth of food and goodies but that's not what I want to tell you today.
Today, let me be your tour guide to none other than the GHIBLI MUSEUM!! Yes, another awesome treat for both you and me!!! <3 If you have no idea what Ghibli is, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GO WIKI IT AND THEN BUY THE MOVIES TO WATCH (cause it would be illegal for me to ask you to download it =P). It won an Oscar in 2002 for the Best Animated Feature and mind you, it's the ONLY film made outside from the so call "English Speaking" world to have done so. So no, it's not 'cartoon'. Not just 'another anime'. It's a very recognized awesome Studio that makes awesome movies (seventeen of them to be exact from 1986).
Well, enough rage. :D
LET'S GO!
Actually, before you "go", you have to purchase tickets first (>.>) and they don't sell it at the Museum itself because you have to pre-book your tickets like for Tokyo Sky Tree (preferably) and you can book it Internationally or locally (in Japan).
This is the official site of Ghibli Museum and you just have to click on the marked sign and they will tell you step by step on how to get their tickets and of course, how to go there <3
So for me, I got it 'locally', which mean I got my tickets from a convenience store in Japan known as Lawson. Entrance ticket as of now is ¥1,000, equivalent to roughly RM 40.00 (maybe slightly lesser, depending on the currency exchange rate). Sounds expensive but for a ticket to go to somewhere so awesome and plus the fact that it's in Japan, ¥1,000 is actually considered superbly reasonably priced. One meal can easily exceed this amount.
Can you believe that it came with a beautiful envelope and also a map/guide to show you how to go? How can you not love Japanese people? They are just so thoughtful!! And me and Godbrother was squealing like mad when we got the tickets. Can cry. Cause cause, we actually booked the tickets pretty last minute and we were convinced that we won't be able to get any slots to go BUT, lady luck is on our side <3
It's not that near to Tokyo but everything in Japan is made easy! Just hop onto the railway to Mitaka Station and here we are!
This is the entrance to the Museum <3 This was one of the two days in my Japan trip where it rained cause we were affected slightly by a Typhoon that was passing by so it's quite chilly but it did make the place look even more magical because the sky was slightly gloomy and it was drizzling here and there. All is good!
Before you go in, you have to get your ticket validated by Totoro!! Just kidding, it's just a display of the Gigantic Totoro (perhaps the life size version o.o) but it's still fun to pretend to try to talk to it and ask its permission to let me enter the museum =P
The place is designed in such a way that before you reach the real entrance, you will walk pass by the Museum's awesome architecture. According to Wikipedia, Miyazaki Hayao designed this Museum himself and it is heavily influenced by both his films and also European architecture. So lets take a short walk across this weird yet bizarre place.
And below are the three loots that my Godbrother got from the Museum (photo credits to him of course <3). The first two are the Ohmu's from Nausicaa and the third is the very Castle from Howls Moving Castle! 100% Pewter. Awesome?? No, its not. Because it's VERY awesome. Pft.
They are a beauty, aren't they?
Annnnnd that's the end of the tour inside. Let's go to outside then :D We are not allowed to take pictures inside the Museum so we practically violated the exterior of the Museum.
QQ SO sad ;_; Even though it drizzled that day, I would say it was the perfect day to go because it just adds up all the right atmosphere for visiting such a wonderful place (for me) but all things have to come to an end be it good or bad. So after this, we went for dinner and ended our night by roaming Akihabara again.
More tales coming soon <3 I hope you enjoy this place as much as I do but if you don't, there's always *hint* DisneySea to look forward to =P
Today, let me be your tour guide to none other than the GHIBLI MUSEUM!! Yes, another awesome treat for both you and me!!! <3 If you have no idea what Ghibli is, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GO WIKI IT AND THEN BUY THE MOVIES TO WATCH (cause it would be illegal for me to ask you to download it =P). It won an Oscar in 2002 for the Best Animated Feature and mind you, it's the ONLY film made outside from the so call "English Speaking" world to have done so. So no, it's not 'cartoon'. Not just 'another anime'. It's a very recognized awesome Studio that makes awesome movies (seventeen of them to be exact from 1986).
Well, enough rage. :D
LET'S GO!
Actually, before you "go", you have to purchase tickets first (>.>) and they don't sell it at the Museum itself because you have to pre-book your tickets like for Tokyo Sky Tree (preferably) and you can book it Internationally or locally (in Japan).
This is the official site of Ghibli Museum and you just have to click on the marked sign and they will tell you step by step on how to get their tickets and of course, how to go there <3
#1 Ghibli Museum's Website
So for me, I got it 'locally', which mean I got my tickets from a convenience store in Japan known as Lawson. Entrance ticket as of now is ¥1,000, equivalent to roughly RM 40.00 (maybe slightly lesser, depending on the currency exchange rate). Sounds expensive but for a ticket to go to somewhere so awesome and plus the fact that it's in Japan, ¥1,000 is actually considered superbly reasonably priced. One meal can easily exceed this amount.
#2 Ghibli Museum tickets from Lawson!
Can you believe that it came with a beautiful envelope and also a map/guide to show you how to go? How can you not love Japanese people? They are just so thoughtful!! And me and Godbrother was squealing like mad when we got the tickets. Can cry. Cause cause, we actually booked the tickets pretty last minute and we were convinced that we won't be able to get any slots to go BUT, lady luck is on our side <3
It's not that near to Tokyo but everything in Japan is made easy! Just hop onto the railway to Mitaka Station and here we are!
#3 Oh Yeah~ Oh Yeah~ I am HERE! Well, THERE!
This is the entrance to the Museum <3 This was one of the two days in my Japan trip where it rained cause we were affected slightly by a Typhoon that was passing by so it's quite chilly but it did make the place look even more magical because the sky was slightly gloomy and it was drizzling here and there. All is good!
#4 Ticketing Booth
Before you go in, you have to get your ticket validated by Totoro!! Just kidding, it's just a display of the Gigantic Totoro (perhaps the life size version o.o) but it's still fun to pretend to try to talk to it and ask its permission to let me enter the museum =P
The place is designed in such a way that before you reach the real entrance, you will walk pass by the Museum's awesome architecture. According to Wikipedia, Miyazaki Hayao designed this Museum himself and it is heavily influenced by both his films and also European architecture. So lets take a short walk across this weird yet bizarre place.
#5 Outdoor View
#6 Outdoor View
#7 Outdoor View
Yeah I know, so GREEN.
#8 Main Entrance
This is the MAIN entrance and the glass is fully decorated with glass paint with scenes or characters of every other movies from Ghibli. Not even the door but each and every window is nearly painted with scenes from each movies including the Ookami from Princess Mononoke, the witch doctor from Spirited Away, Sophie from Howls Moving Castle and many more!!
AND...
The tour sort of ends here.
Because we are not allowed to take pictures inside.
I AM SORRY that I couldn't take any pictures for all of you but I will just try to make it as short as possible how it looks like inside alright, so bear with me ;_;
After this door, you will enter the receptionist area but the Dome (yes there's a dome at the center of the ceiling) is a widely painted blue sky with Totoro and other characters from Ghibli running around happily and chasing each other in a never ending circle.
Then, you walk down a plight of stairs where the windows surrounding you is painted with the same painting technique mentioned above and when you are at ground floor, there are few 'rooms' where you can enter. One of it is the mechanical room where they show you how are the movies made using what technique or mechanics and it's so beautifully done.
#9 The glass painting that I was talking about!
This picture is fully owned by Collider , not mine! :D
Then, there's also a spiral staircase. A really, really narrow spiral staircase in the middle of nowhere and you are encourage to try walking up that stairs without falling >D.
There's also one lift situated in the middle of the room and it looks like those from the 1800 time. It's funny to note how everyone rushes to take that lift even if it functions the same as every other lift in the world and does not transport you elsewhere except going up and down.
Okay, one special feature about this museum is they will show you a 15 minutes film. And this film is only available in the Museum. If you've never visited the museum, you have most likely not heard of it because it's an in house thing. Every visitor gets the privilege to watch this film once and the title of the film is Mr Dough and the Egg Princess.
#10 Mr Dough and Egg Princess
It's a very cute film and I am not going to spoil it for you and though it's only 15 minutes, its really an authentic Ghibli work cause it's just so weird and bizarre and mind blowing but superbly nice to watch.
There is then the work station where they recreate their very own work station of the original Ghibli groups and you will be amazed on how much effort they put in for one single movie. It's simply crazy because everything is drawn using hand on paper or on transparency paper. NOT digital. Which means, every single movement is redrawn from head to toe - frame by frame. Not digitally copied or reusing part of the picture. This also mean there's simply no room for error. It's the same from the sketches till the colouring is done. Can you imagine how much work is that? I don't want to imagine that >.> But thank you Ghibli for your awesome job!
Third floor is the souvenir floor and I manage to get a picture from another blogger, Comics212!
#11 Ghibli Souvenirs!
And below are the three loots that my Godbrother got from the Museum (photo credits to him of course <3). The first two are the Ohmu's from Nausicaa and the third is the very Castle from Howls Moving Castle! 100% Pewter. Awesome?? No, its not. Because it's VERY awesome. Pft.
#12 Blue and Red Eyes
#14 Howls Moving Castle
#15 Surprise! It can be taken out part by part lol
They are a beauty, aren't they?
Annnnnd that's the end of the tour inside. Let's go to outside then :D We are not allowed to take pictures inside the Museum so we practically violated the exterior of the Museum.
# 16 ICE CREAM, from Ghibli. How can you not eat one! D:
#17 Look at the Pig on the Menu Board and Miyazaki Hayao himself (picture from Wikipedia by Thomas Schulz).
The Ghibli group loves to depict themselves as pigs for some reason and the most piggy person would be Miyazaki Hayao because there are not only pictures but miniature statues of him as a pig like the one above!
#18 More scenery of the Museum, photobombed by me.
#19 More photobomb :D
#20 This is the external spiral stairs. Climb this up and you will exit to..
#21 Robot Soldier from Laputa or Castle in the Sky! SEE HOW BIG IT IS?
#22 Ancient Hand Pump Well which still works lol
#23 Sewer Cover which smiles at you :<
#24 Weird looking chairs :D
#25 Spot the Hidden Totoro!
#26 Looks so magical ;_;
#27 Hidden soots at the one of the walls that you might just walk pass by them unnoticed!
#28 Annnd, time to go back.
QQ SO sad ;_; Even though it drizzled that day, I would say it was the perfect day to go because it just adds up all the right atmosphere for visiting such a wonderful place (for me) but all things have to come to an end be it good or bad. So after this, we went for dinner and ended our night by roaming Akihabara again.
More tales coming soon <3 I hope you enjoy this place as much as I do but if you don't, there's always *hint* DisneySea to look forward to =P
Thursday, 25 October 2012
Tokyo Sky Tree 東京スカイツリー
I've had pretty interesting question asked by the people around me such as "If I am visiting Japan, should I go to Kyoto or Tokyo?"
Even we pre-book the tickets because you'll never know when the tickets will be sold out! So for those of you who are interested in going, please be informed that there are actually 2 types of tickets that you can buy. One is for the 350 metre view or if you want more, you can purchase the more expensive ticket and it takes you up all the way to 450 metre.
Well other than pictures taken by me, below are 5 really wonderful pictures taken by my Godbrother which paints to you the view from Sky Tree in a totally different angle and perspective <3
Well the reason for this question being asked is because AirAsia flies to either Kansai Airport in Osaka, or Haneda (Narita) Airport in Tokyo.
I have only been to Japan twice and I am far from being an expert on Japan's tourism knowledge but from personal experience, I would say Tokyo because the main attractions are there, at least for me. Kyoto I would say is more for people who enjoys sightseeing or visiting historical places. I am not saying that I do not enjoy sightseeing but I just find myself more attracted to Tokyo because there are endless places that you can go to!
Like for this trip, there would be separate posts about the specific places that I've been to so that you can judge for yourself!
#1 Taken at the very same spot, around 4 p.m. and around 9 p.m. Sunset in Tokyo during winter is around 5.30 p.m. and sunrise is about 5.30 a.m. :D
As you can see, first post this time would be my visit to Sky Tree (東京スカイツリー) ! It's a very newly opened attraction and is the second tallest tower in the world standing at 634.0 metre in its full height and the tower is open to the public ever since May this year! Well when it first open, everyone's so excited about it be it the locals or the tourist that the tickets to enter the tower is full for the entire first 2 months! Even up till August, it would be best if you pre-book the tickets if you want to enter the tower.
Even we pre-book the tickets because you'll never know when the tickets will be sold out! So for those of you who are interested in going, please be informed that there are actually 2 types of tickets that you can buy. One is for the 350 metre view or if you want more, you can purchase the more expensive ticket and it takes you up all the way to 450 metre.
Lets begin the tour with me!!
#2 Yada yada, I can't help but request a picture of this cause it says SKY TREE! =P
#3 Random spot outside Tokyo Solamachi. Tokyo Solamachi is the shopping mall for Tokyo Sky Tree :D
#4 The Tokyo Sky Tree Ticket Booth! This is for those who didn't book their tickets beforehand and you should have seen the queue that day! Too bad I don't have a picture of that. I feel very bad to just point my camera at the crowd of people and snap random photoes of them :<
#5 How the tickets looks like <3
After getting your tickets, you have to go out of the Ticket Booth to go to the dedicated entrance. I think there are around 6 entrances for people who comes at different time. Oh this works like movie tickets, they have multiple time slot per day so if the morning tickets are sold out, you could try for the evening ones. Prices does not differ for different time slot :D And there are no time limit after you enter in case you are wondering about this.
Yosh! You don't just walk up to 350 metre or 450 metre! You obviously have to take the lift and there are Sky Tree officers controlling each lift so that they can limit the amount of people that can enter the lift at one time. Plus, they will push the open, close and floor button for you so all you have to do is stand there and wait for your turn, walk in and ta-da! You are at 350 metre or 450 metre! <3
#6 Sky Tree Officers Uniform <3 (Including the shoes)
#7 What's this?
Lol, take a wild guess what's this. Lights? Ceilings? Well you are partially right. This is actually the interior design of the lift and the lights illuminates as it the lift moves!! It could be really bright or it will black out completely and then light up again! It's just superbly pretty. Once you enter the lift and it starts moving, everyone whips their camera or cellphones out to take pictures of the interior design of a lift because it's just so pretty and just one short fact: Every lift has a different interior design =P
#8 The sight that greeted us. I will give you 10 seconds to enlarge the picture just so you can look at it more. Looks like a freaking wallpaper right?
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HOW WAS IT? DID IT TOOK YOUR BREATH AWAY? It certainly did with mine! I honestly fell in love with that place immediately. Like. fell. in. love.
#9 That orange blob is actually the Tokyo Tower!
#10 Okay, this pictures is actually very special. You see the drawing of mountains and sea and this particular glass pane? It actually shows the past and the present of this exact place. The drawing is how this place use to look like and the view you are looking at right now is how they have developed Japan into. Japanese people are amazing right? Well look at picture #11 and #12 below, it's the bigger and clearly version of the two <3
#11
#12
#13 They even provide interactive screens to show the visitors the process of this whole area developing from mountains and rivers to what it is today. Well, the view is still the most important thing of course <3
#14 More view of the sunset. That's MOUNT FUJI by the way <3
#15 They even have specially decorated Halloween Glass Pane! Some of them even says Tokyo Sky Tree <3
Okay, all the above picture are taken at 350 metre. The below pictures are taken at 450 metre.
#16
#17
#18 Me and my two most beloved person on the Earth. Going there with them is more than a dream come true. It's way beyond that and I just don't know how to describe it in words.
#19 Lastly, they even put up a special show for us visitors! For a short period of time, certain words will appear on the glass pane and then disappear and change to other words. Don't worry, just so you don't miss out anything, I actually took a video of it! Watch it, it's only 30 seconds lol, I am sure it's worth your time <3 (If possible watch it in HD :D Cause it's recorded in Full HD hehehe)
#20 See how he manage to capture the beauty of the lift?
#21 View from 450 metre
#22
#23 I personally like this Panorama picture a lot. You must must must view this picture in a bigger size! It's just so amazing.
#24 When we were leavin we spotted this really cute and artistic wall so I couldn't resist and requested a picture of me with it =P
Well that's it folks! I hope Tokyo Sky Tree mesmerizes you as much as it mesmerized me and if you are in Tokyo, you now know a must go destination!
I will be posting other places that I've visited so far in Japan this time and they are all pretty interesting places I would say so stay tune for more surprises!
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