I LOVE JAPAN!

Oh yes peeps, finally I remembered that the last time I blogged was nearly 6 months ago. I am now in Kota Kinabalu, my hometown, enjoying a super laid back life here. However, before KK, I was in Japan for 5 weeks, and am absolutely in love with that country! I have chosen a bad timing to write this blog now, as it's after midnight and my brain is definitely shutting down after so many late nights and early wake ups. Here's a sneak peek at one of the reasons why I was in love with Japan...

Yes yes, I went to G.O.D. (Group of Do, have no idea what that means) Host Club! I was surrounded by cute guys! Thanks to Ryota's sis Miyuki for bringing me there and knowing the boss (the one in white on bottom right hand corner, most handsome looking), or else I wouldn't be able to take pic with all the hosts like this. I feel so lucky!!! hahaha...

Will write about my trip when I have the time and motivation, hahaha...

Cultural difference, insensitive or just plain ignorant?

Well, I've been telling my besties about my ever-so-entertaining-and-full-of-surprises boyfriend - Ryota regarding his ever-so-entertaining-and-full-of-surprises behaviour. Geez, why am I repeating myself here? Never mind, let's get to the point.

Couple of weeks ago, we were having a few drinks with some friends at one of the pubs. It was a really chilly night and we're standing outside with everyone to discuss where we should head to next. Being a girl, dressing up is a major thing for us. That night, I chose to wear a tight sleeveless, high waisted skirt matched with black leggings and a pair of cute pumps. And my jacket? A one layered a.k.a. thin black short trench coat. It's the only coat that would match my outfit that night, as I didn't feel like wearing a knee-length trench coat. I was shivering (good thing, burns off the calories!), and I turned to Ryota and said,"Ryota, I'm cold." He was talking to one of the friends and turned to me and said,"Oh." Turned back to his friends and continued talking. A bit annoyed that he didn't get it (expecting him to hug me and give me some warmth), I said again,"Ryotaaaaa... I'm cold." Another "Oh" from him. Third time, fourth time... I gave up after the fourth time, starting to get a bit pissed off.

While we're on our way to the car after decided where we should head to next, I "lectured" him that he ignored me when I said I was cold. Here's the conversation (couldn't remember the exact words, but it's close enough):

Regina: Why did you ignore me when I said I was cold?

Ryota: What did you want me to do?

Regina: Well, at least hug me and rub my arms to warm me up.

Ryota: ...... Why did you wear so little then?

Regina: =_=" (hit him on the arm) This is what I feel like wearing tonight, I thought you want me to look good and dress up when we go out.

Ryota: Oh, ok. Well, I don't know what you want when you said that you're cold.

Regina: (Annoyed yet amused) Next time when I said I'm cold, do what I have just told you.

Ryota: Haha... Ok.

When I "complained" to some of my Japanese female friends, they laughed and first thing they said was "typical Japanese man". Aiyooooo... =_=" Another cultural difference incident again.

I'm sure you'll ask,"Again? What do you mean again?" Oh well, there were a few tiny little things. I will list it out in dot points below:

• Finish the food without asking me if I still want to eat or not when I turned away watching TV, or talking to friends etc.
• When it comes to Chinese cuisine, we share a few dishes. He didn't scoop any of the food for me to eat, only scoop for himself. Even if I scooped a few times for him hoping that he would get it, but he didn't.

So, basically, I have "taught" him to be a gentleman in Chinese Malaysian way and he learnt it well. I wasn't mad at him (was annoyed at first) as I found out that Japanese normally have the dishes to themselves, instead of few big plates in front and everyone shares it. He wasn't used to having Chinese cuisine that way. But right now, he's used it, and I have no complains. Well, at least for now, hehehehe...

I Heart Google Maps!

Working as a valuer, we definitely get rural jobs i.e. rural residential properties. In suburban areas, we have street numbers. But for rural properties, they use lot numbers, and unlike residential houses in suburban areas, the lot numbers are not in order. For example, in suburban area, if the first house on the X Street is no. 1, the one next to it will be no. 3 and so forth, and the even numbers will be on the opposite side of the road. As for rural properties, if a property is showing as Lot 21, the next one could be Lot 100, and not all of them show the lot numbers outside these properties. Plus, you have no idea where to start to find Lot 21 on a particular street.

In order to look for them, I was told to use this website provided and run by Land Services Group of the Department of Transport, Energy and Infrastructure (one of South Australia's government department) called Property Location Browser. All you need to do is put in the street name and suburb name, or title reference, or valuation number etc. And voila, the location of the rural property you're looking for will show up.

So, last Friday (11 July), I was given to do this bloody rural residential house on a piece of huge ass land. Before going out for inspection, we always have to do research on the subject property (the property you are to inspect), look for comparable sales and most important, the location of the subject property and also the comparable sales. You don't want to rock up at a house and find out you're at the wrong address, will be very pai seh! Since it's a rural property, meaning I have to search for its and other comparable sales' exact location through Property Location Browser. It was already 4.30pm on Thursday when I was told to do this job, I was kinda pissed off that it was given to me the last minute (like 30 minutes before I was about to leave work!), as I need more time to do research for rural properties. Anyway, cut it short, my brother was waiting for me downstairs of the office building (it was almost 5.30pm) and I really needed to go. I couldn't finish locating all the comparable sales and I thought that maybe I could search for it and print them off at Ryota's place (he's got friends over for dinner at his place).

Fast forward to Ryota's place, I had difficulty logging on to Property Location Browser, it just wouldn't load! I started to panic... then I thought, I'll just give Google Maps a shot, I might not get the exact location of the comparable sales, but at least I can drive up that road and hope for better luck that those people would put up their lot numbers outside their properties. So, I searched for them and they all came up, I was satisfied enough with the results. Then I thought,"Why not I try typing in the lot number and see if it would come up?" I typed...... *heartbeat*... IT SHOWED UP!!!!! I was gobsmacked! To make sure that it is really the exact location, I typed in the address of the subject property which I have printed off the map from office. And indeed, IT IS SHOWING THE EXACT LOCATION!!!!!!! I was over the moon!!!! So happy!!!! And also relieved!!!!

I feel like such a nerd... getting overly excited on Google Maps... Hey, I'm a valuer, it's part of my job to identify the exact location of the property. I HEART U, GOOGLE MAPS!

p/s Don't worry Ryota, I still heart you the most... hahahaha...

Bored to bits...

Well, it's been more than 2 weeks since I last wrote a blog entry. Nothing exciting happened... As usual, a normal average Jane life. Oh! I went to Kangaroo Island on 9 June though, had fun but was heaps tiring! I want to go there again, but this time I want to spend at least 1 night as you can't see everything in one day. I will post some pix in my next blog entry when I'm free (get it, when I'm free... or when I'm not lazy, hahaha).

Anyway, started new job. During the first week, I've already done different scope of valuations, which was very interesting and challenging, definitely stimulated my procrastinated brain! This is what I want man, to prevent myself becoming a "goldfish". No, I'm not talking about my eyes, I'm talking about memory span, ok? As you know, goldfish has very short memory span, I think only a few seconds if I'm not mistaken. Bla bla bla, yeah, boring topic.

Well, to provide a bit of entertainment for you bored peeps out there, here I present a very funny pic of Buddy, my cute lil beagle. Some of you might think it's just a normal pic, to me, I don't know why, it's sooooooo freaking funny! I've seen him poo a gazillion times, yet I'm still easily amused by this, kekeke...

p/s I "censored" the poo part just in case some of you are eating...

Ironic

No, I'm not trying to sing Alanis Morissette's Ironic, so don't worry.


Starting a new job soon, in fact, I didn't apply for any jobs at all when I was offered for a job position at a reputable valuation firm in Adelaide, let's call it X. I received a call a little more than 2 weeks ago, just out of the blue, from one of the directors' of firm X asking if I was interested in working with them. Wow, hang on a sec, did I hear it wrong? Me? Interested in working at X???????? Oh my gosh... I didn't know I was soooo wanted!


I'm not gonna elaborate how this person knew me, in short, he knew me through my ex-boss. He called the current company, Z, I'm working at and asked to speak to me. Of course, I was caught of guard, as I didn't send out any resumes at all. He knew it wasn't convenient for me to speak in the office, so I sincerely asked for his contact details.


Anyway, fast forward to last Friday, I resigned and gave firm Z two weeks' notice. You might ask,"So, what's so ironic about that?" Ok, for most of my friends who knew me quite well, I spent almost 2 years looking for work in Adelaide, it was a very depressing and definitely confidence-crushing time for me. No one wanted to employ me because 1. I was an international students and wasn't a permanent resident (very troublesome for employer's to obtain work visa), and 2. I had minimal work experience. Now, after working for 1.5 years, instead of me shamelessly and painstakingly calling up companies, they are the ones who call me now. IRONIC!!!!!!! However, I must say that I feel very...successful for being "wanted", hahahaha... Hopefully I'll be able to get my Certified Practising Valuer license next year, have to work my butt off for the professional interview in order to pass it, wish me luck! Can't wait for the new job to start on 16 June 2008.

I want more Buddies!!!!!

Look at this little cutie...2 months old little beagle...named Dollar. No, he's not mine, I wish he was, he belongs to a friend of my friend. And my cute Buddy~ Aaawww... too cute!








































It's unfortunate that I haven't seen Buddy as a pup before, I bought him when he was 1 year old (he's 5 now). Both of them look SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO cute together. I want another "Buddy"... *sob* But I can't, cos I'm renting and it's gonna be bloody hard for me to find another place to move in to, 1 dog is hard enough, let alone 2.

I WANT MORE DOGGIES!!!!!!!

Date him before he's famous! Part II

2 years ago, Ryota voluntarily "modelled" for Study Adelaide (A partnership between the South Australian government and Adelaide's major educational institutions to encourage international students to study in Adelaide). The picture they took of him playing taiko looked fantastic!


2 years later, Ryota was approached by one of his friends (Hitomi, who was featured in the ad as well) to be in an article introducing and promoting The Insider, South Australia's first international student newcomers guide to Adelaide. The article was published in the local newspaper - The Advertiser. When I first saw the picture, seriously, I laughed til I almost cried and nearly died from shortness of breath. THIS IS GOLD! The same goes to Ryota. According to him, they took heaps of pictures, but no idea why they chose this particular one, instead of better looking ones. Well, I'll leave you to be the judge: a picture with a normal smile vs a picture with an idiotic smile. Behold...


Normal Smile
















VS


Idiotic Smile


















Moral of the story - don't try to be a smart ass and pull monkey faces if you don't wanna look like an idiot in an ad. BUAHAHAHAHAHAHA... I still laugh everytime I look at the picture, too funny...