back to Malaysia...

well... After 3 years spent in Japan, which is a very lovely country in every aspect, it is time to go back home. It is sad to leave at the time like this, March 11 is unforgettable. We miss Japan very much and wish Japan a steady recovery from the tsunami/earthquake.

Visited

The map shows the places that have been visited while we were here in Japan for the past 3 years. Initially we plan to go to Kyushu this month, since the earthquake, it has been cancelled. But we manage to go to Hiroshima and spent a few days at Ridzuan's house. We also visited Shikoku Island and went back to Tokyo through Osaka.

Japan Earthquake

posted quite late, but post dated back to March 11 to mark the date.

This is the screenshot of the JMA (Japan Meteorological Agency) page showing the magnitude of the earthquake.

Mac 11, 2011. 2.45PM: Masa tu tengah rehat lepas makan tengahari kat rumah jiran. Tengah sembang pasal rumah kami yang semak sebab berkemas nak balik. Dah rupa macam lepas jishin. Tak lama je lepas tu, rumah mula bergegar. Mula-mula cuba tenangkan jiran (sebab diorang baru datang dan tak pernah rasa gempa)... tapi makin lama makin kuat pulak.

Tingkap dan sliding door bergegar lebih kuat. lampu yang tergantung tu bergoyang dengan gilanya, dah tak macam biasa... kami terus je keluar. Biasanya bila ada gempabumi dalam 3,4 ikut skala jma, orang-orang Jepun sekeliling rumah tenang je; tapi kali ni mereka pun turut keluar.

"wah, ini sudah serious"... tanah bergoncang. boleh rasa melambung badan bila kita berdiri atas tanah. kabel elektrik kat atas tu bergoyang dah macam budak-budak main lompat getah je. kalau putus, mmg teruk ni.

Lepas beberapa ketika, keadaan reda sekejap. belum sempat buat apa-apa, dah mula balik. Aku ajak jiran-jiran pegi ke koen (taman). kami bawak beg emergency, dan terus ke taman yang terdekat. Di sana dah ramai orang Jepun yang keluar. Masing-masing duduk tertunggu-tunggu. Ada juga pengumuman dari speaker di taman sebelah, tapi haram tak faham. Sebab tak berapa jelas. Talian telefon jammed!... tak boleh pakai. Sidenote: tapi mujur juga handphone casio AU ni ada early warning system. bila ada je gempa, sebelum kita terasa, phone tu dah menjerit. alarm dia pun berbeza dari ringtone yang biasa dalam phone. anak-anak memang alert la dengan alarm ni, bunyi je terus masuk bawah meja.

Cuaca masih sejuk, ini yang risau. sebab kalau kena keluar rumah waktu malam mmg susah la. Nak balik rumah pun dah tak berani. Masing-masing dok berbincang macam mana nak buat. Ingat nak pegi rumah member di Urasa sebab area situ tak kena sangat. Kami risaukan tsunami.

Petang tu, tak silap dah dapat tahu ada ancaman tsunami. tapi area Gyotoku tak serious sangat ancamannya sebab terlindung.

Malam, tak berani nak tidur. berita dari kawan-kawan pun dapat melalui facebook. Pukul 4 pagi lebih kurang, ada gempa yg epicenternya di nagaoka!. fuh, kalau jadi la pegi sana pagi tadi, mmg pegi masuk ke pusat gempa la. so sebenarnya, lebih baik stay je kat rumah. kalau jadi apa-apa masa dalam perjalanan lagi la susah.

Esoknya, orang Jepun semua sibuk. Kami tak sedar yang orang Jepun semua tengah stok makanan kat rumah. habis semua barang-barang makanan diroang beli. Roti-roti yang boleh dimakan oleh kita, habis. yang tinggal bun-bun yang diragui kandungannya, jadi tak boleh beli.

Tak pernah tengok suasana macam ni. Orang-orang tokyo memang sibuk, dan kalut. Tapi dalam kekalutan ni pun, masih teratur. Kereta berbaris panjang untuk isi minyak. ada ketika kena berbaris hampir sejam untuk isi minyak. Tapi tak ada yg merusuh, tak ada yang potong barisan, tak ada bunyi hon pun.

Memang sedih terpaksa tinggalkan Jepun dalam keadaan macam ni. Ramai kawan-kawan Jepun ingat kami nak balik Malaysia sebab gempabumi/tsunami ni... Banyak rancangan terbantut kerana kejadian ni. Konvo universiti seleurh Jepun pun batal. Memandangkan cuaca sejuk, pegi ke Waseda pakai sempoi saja, amik cert kat opis. Sedih jugak tak dapat bergambar konvo yg proper. Ada jugak student yang dah tempah baju konvo awal-awal, pakai jugak. Kami hanya pergi satu keluarga, amik gambar sikit-sikit, singgah akihabara, balik.

World's largest indoor waterpark

Seagaia Ocean Dome

from wiki and all over internet: The Seagaia Ocean Dome is the world's largest indoor waterpark, located in Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan. The Ocean Dome, which is a part of the Sheraton Seagaia Resort, measures 300 metres in length and 100 metres in width, and is listed on the Guinness World Records. It opened in 1993, and visitor numbers peaked in 1995 at 1.25 million a year. Entrance cost was ¥2600 per adult and ¥1600 for children, depending on the season. The Ocean Dome was officially closed on October 1, 2007 as part of a renovation and partial re-branding of the resort. Luckily, the renovations were completed on Novemeber 13th, 2009, and the dome has been reopened. Ever since the reopening of the waterpark, the amount of customers has nearly doubled, and the price has increased to ¥3000 per adult and ¥2000 per child.

Miyazaki is only a breath away by plane, 1 hour 30 minutes from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and 1 hour 5 minutes from Kansai International Airport. Buses to Seagaia leave from Miyazaki Airport as well as from the JR Miyazaki station, and take less than 30 minutes.

Oh i wish i could visit this once...
  • a fake flame-spitting volcano,
  • artificial sand 
  • the world's largest retractable roof, which provides a permanently blue sky even on a rainy day.
  • The air temperature was always held at around 30 degrees celsius and the water at around 28.

Ponyo - Cliff by the Sea

Gake no ue no Ponyo Theme Song – Hiragana Lyrics
ポニョ、ポニョ、ポニョ、さかなのこ
あおい うみから やってきた
ポニョ、ポニョ、ポニョ、ふくらんだ
まんまる おなかの おんなのこ

ペタペタ、ピョンピョン、
あしって いいな かけちゃお
みぎみぎ、ぶんぶん、
おてては いいな、つないじゃお

あのこと はねると こころも おどるよ
ぱくぱく、ちゅぎゅ、ぱくぱく、ちゅぎゅ、
あのこが だいすき

まっかっかの ポニョ、ポニョ、ポニョ、さかなのこ
あおい うみから やってきた
ポニョ、ポニョ、ポニョ、ふくらんだ
まんまる おなかの おんなのこ

Gake no ue no Ponyo Theme Song – Romaji Lyrics
Ponyo Ponyo Ponyo sakana no ko
Aoi umi kara yatte kita
Ponyo Ponyo Ponyo fukurannda
Manmaru onaka no onna no ko
Peta-peta pyon-pyon
Asitte iina kakechao
Migi-migi-bun-bun
Otetewa iina tunaijao

Anoko to haneru to kokoro mo odoruyo
Paku-paku chu-gyu, paku-paku chu-gyu
Anoko ga daisuki

Makkakka no Ponyo Ponyo Ponyo sakana no ko
Aoi umi kara yatte kita
Ponyo Ponyo Ponyo fukurannda
Manmaru onaka no onna no ko

Gake no ue no Ponyo Theme Song – English Lyrics (first draft)

Ponyo Ponyo Ponyo, it’s a fish kid
It came from the blue ocean
Ponyo Ponyo Ponyo,
She is a round bellied girl
Peta-peta pyon-pyon
How nice to have feet! I’ll try to run!
Migi-migi-bun-bun
How nice to have hands! I’ll try to hold hands with!

When I jump with her, my heart dances along
Paku-paku chu-gyu, paku-paku chu-gyu
I love her so much!

Ponyo Ponyo Ponyo, it’s a fish kid in red
It came from the blue ocean
Ponyo Ponyo Ponyo,
She is a round bellied girl

New 'old' car

Just back from Netz Higashi Saitama with my new 'old' car. (old=2nd hand).
Head straight back to Waseda for the Medical Open Source Software Seminar at 19-610,GSAPS.