一时感触

“What is the reason that Malaysia being a multiracial country can be so peaceful and successful?”
I was asked by a Japanese when I attended a activity during the summer holidays. If you were me, how are you going to answer?

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上次在家国春秋事上动文字，好像是去年的事了。本来也没打算再说什么的；本来也以为从此就当个安静的旁观者算了的。毕竟如今的局势完全是今日不知明日事，天天都有新发现似的。而我依然只是个书生，自然不能做什么。也许只能在人家不知道马来西亚的时候，充当小小大使，为祖国介绍一番，美话一番。

不知道今年的国庆日庆祝，会否如以往般热闹呢？倒数，还是会展开；烟花，也还是会灿烂绽放吧！身在异乡，真的会很轻易地忘记这不平凡的一天。尽管朋友来电同贺祖国，尽管朋友留言祝福故乡，我还是在不知不觉中，忘了默迪卡。难道，随着那场大海啸，我已经变得更加局外，变得更加不理不睬了吗？马来西亚对我而言，已经只是个回去与家人朋友团聚的地方而已了吗？

想起不久前去参加个交流会，被人一次又一次地误以为是新加坡人，或者中国人。也已经不是第一次了。自从留学至今，很多时候，尽管自我介绍为马来西亚人，过后都会因为对方比较知道新加坡或中国而被误会。可是那一霎那我没有不悦，反而戏称：都一样，都一样。。。问题是，真的都一样吗？我对自己的身份认同，难道是那么薄弱的吗？明明我曾经因为陆庭谕老师的一席话而差点泪流当场；明明我是那么执著于生于斯长于斯的认同感；明明我货真价实，马来西亚人一个！

我甚至也被问到：中国与马来西亚的队伍，我会支持谁。的确，好比北京奥运会时，我会因为中国屡创佳绩而兴奋不已。但是当李宗伟与林丹会师决赛时，我手中挥扬的绝对是辉煌条纹。中国就我而言，尽管血缘上、感情上、文化上都会有解不开的情意结。然而，会令我拭泪的，是马来西亚；会令我自豪的，是马来西亚；会令我感激的，也是马来西亚。

也许你会认为，根本没有必要在此证明我是谁。原谅我，我也只是一次感发。想着51年的今天，竟然还有许多人抱着非我族类其心必异的想法；竟然还有许多人甘愿当个井底之蛙；竟然还有许多人不明白马来西亚，尽管他们名为马来西亚人。尤其想到，许多的他们，竟是权倾一方的人物。至少未来五年，咱们还得靠他们为国为民！想到这，我才会如此振振有词地喋喋不休，还请见谅。

其实，我已很久很久没有再摇头兴叹。如今，我选择大笑。笑他们的无知，笑他们的狂妄。。。也笑自己只能笑。看回两年前我在这留过的笔迹，竟然还是一样的内容，一样的对象，还真是让人苦笑不已。该不会明年此刻我还是会有同样的感触吧？但愿不会。我还是相信：明天，一切都会好。

一定会。

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Here is how I answered:
“Well, we have been working together to fight for our independence, and from there, we tolerate with each other, regarding of what races and religions we are, solidly unite to build up our country. Yes, we do have a lot of differences, and there are still many problems for us to face with. I guess, everyone is just doing their part for the country, that's all.”

他的故事

那年圣诞节，明明是同一屋檐下，
他和她却屡屡擦肩而过。
于是那火花，只在天幕灿烂绽放。

直到曲终人散，直到人潮逐渐疏落，
他们才相遇，在街角街灯两旁边。
还记得那时的气氛非常好，
他们甚有默契地相视微笑，无言无语，
仿佛一切尽在不言中。

仿佛圣诞老人听见他的愿望，把礼物放进了他床边的大袜子。

那是第一次，
尴尬爽了约，丘比特赴了会。
没有一箭穿过两颗心，反而只是一张字条。
一张小字条可以装载多少心情呢？
不管是三个字还是四个字，
能传达，就可以了。

可惜，丘比特没有留下诺言说会再重逢。
于是第一次也成了最后一次。
尤其当他往前踏一步，尝试缩小他和她的距离时，
那个默契没有了，那个气氛也被搞塌了。

疏落的人群里于是多了她的倩影。
他和她，从此又是两条平行线，
没有交错的一瞬间。

人们常说，岁月洗涤，可以冲淡一切。
但，那是冲淡，不是磨灭。
更何况老天好像很爱开他玩笑，
在他的故事里，加插一个又一个貌似她的她，
出现在那个第一次与最后一次的地方。

老天使他一直走回那街角那街灯。

明明有许多更繁华热闹的街角，
明明有许多更闪耀撩人的街灯；

“老天，你是要让他不要忘记她吗？”
我答应了他，会帮他问一问天。
不过，我想答案还是得交给他自己去寻找。
但愿他能早日找到。

青森ねぶた祭り - Squid Dance of Hakodate

This time, we went to 青森 together with 150 residents of 函館 to take part in one of the famous summer festival of Japan ----- 青森ねぶた祭り. We were selected after applying it through the newspaper, to perform the Squid Dance of Hakodate there. Of course It was not free, but according to the organisers, the Hakodate town hall actually sponsored more than ten thousand yen for each of the participants...

Rera, is the name for the ferry that we rode to 青森. Compared to the normal ferry, It is faster, and of course more expensive.

2 hours on the ferry, not much to do expect taking photos. That is 函館山 behind the ship.

Splashes and waves as the ferry sped up, leaving a long trail behind us. It was really nice to be with the blue sea.

One of the symbol for 青森ねぶた祭り.

2500 yen including lunch, ferry and train fare, not bad right?

Oh, we miss the pleasant weather of Hokkaido!

We followed this truck and joined the parade for 3km! Yes, keep dancing for 3km under the hot blazing heat!

Miss Hakodate and Miss ねぶた祭り.

Want to watch the video of our dance? http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=5Huwlm-F8MY Though this is 2006 one, not much changes as the dance is still the same easy dance.

After we had done our part, It was almost the end of the parade already. Yet we managed to grab some pictures.

Then this is the main street in front of the 青森 station.

青森ベイブリッジ (Bay Bridge), which is just next to the train station. Around 6pm, we took the express train to go back to Hakodate, put an end to our tiring day with another life-time experience!

My chopsticks

"What is that?"
"Oh, it is my own chopsticks."
"Wow, so environmentally friendly!"

"Just a simple move though."

"But, do you know that disposable chopsticks are good for environmental in some ways?"

"Because they are made by made of thinned wood?"

"Yes, and the thinned wood is cut down to manage the forest. In other words, tree thinning."

"So, disposable chopsticks do help protecting the forest then."

"After used, the chopsticks are collected and reused to produce to such things as facial tissue, copy paper and particleboard."

"But almost 90% of them are imported from China, right? Many say that most of them are not made from thinned wood but directly from the timber."

"Well, that's why this topic is yet to reach a conclusion, whether to stop or keep using them. One can never see things from one side only."

They are to protect, or to destroy our environment? It depends on which side you are standing in. I will definitely say no to them. Though they are some who support the using of disposable chopsticks from the view of culture protecting and economic, It remains as a doubt in long term. As for the thinned wood, one of the ideas which I have come across is, to use the thinned wood in a more useful way than making disposable chopsticks. That sounds good. Yet the first thing is to make sure the production of disposable chopsticks are not directly from the raw timber. That is surely unforgivable.

It is always a long way to reach a conclusion from an argument. But It is never too early to start doing what we can to help this environment, even though It is just a small little move.

Thank you for the chopsticks.

Before my internship...

Lavender

Since I won't be going anywhere besides my internship in Hokkaido University, I followed my foster family here for a short trip around Hokkaido.

I have been to the 地獄谷 of 登別 before, but not this 大湯沼, which is 15-20minutes from the 地獄谷. According to the board that, the lake is about 1000 square meters in area, and as hot as 130℃ in the deepest part.

Well, that's 1000 square meters.

As hot as 130℃？

What is this place then? Does it look like a plantetarium?

Yes, the Sapporo Dome, where football or baseball match is held. It is also the home court for the Hokkaido Fighters Baseball Team. Anyway, It was my first time live baseball match!

The mascot for the Fighters Team - BB. He can really play baseball, not just wearing the costume and make fun over there.

The match happened to be on the same day as the fireworks festival of Sapporo. So, the stadium was not fully seated. May be someday I should go there again, and experience the atmosphere of a fully seated stadium.



Game started, and this was the best shot I could take, as I was sitting quite far from the main court. It was really a great moment. Cheering, shouting, singing with other supporters, even though I didn't know what they were singing actually.

Then, I was at 十勝, a place where agriculture is the main industry there. Mainly is cornfield. Picture above was taken on a hilltop. It is said that 十勝 has the widest plains in Japan.

And I could see some 'signs' from the cornfield. Alien Attacks? Nah, according to local farmers, it was the wind that damaged the cornfield. Then, How about those big signs appeared in Europe countries?

After 十勝, we went to 富良野. Yes, the place where lavender farms are famous of.


Here it is, the lavender farm.

Actually we didn't have enough time to go through every farm around 富良野. If not, I could have showed more pictures here. Well, I leave it to you guys to come and explore then.