White morning in Osaka

white morning

branches in the sky
felt like the one i took in autumn, except with snow.. :p

such stunning red in pure white snow

last maple leave of autumn, still struggling on..


one struggling on to stay on the branch, while this one waiting to blossom :)


kids playing in the street

......

paddy fields covered with snow

very christmas

holiday for everyone

pine tree covered with snow

pattern

simple things in life

footsteps

clear blue sky. couldn't resist taking it when lying on the soft, white snow.. :)

it had been a great morning! clear blue sky, pure white snow, people sleeping in, quiet morning... hmmm... thinking of it now can still put a smile on me.. hehe.. anyway, guess my pictures says it all! enjoy! :)

*sorry it took me so long to update pictures of that beautiful white morning. was out taking pictures too much I caught a cold. :(

It's snowing!!

yup yup yup! it's snowing!!!! :)

still can't believe that I'm still THIS excited even though it's not my first time seeing or touching snow anymore. hehe. Was out there taking pictures and having fun right after seeing that it's snowing so heavily even though it's 1 in the morning. hehe. crazy, ain't I? A good proof that I'm still pretty much in love with the 4 seasons although I sometimes still hate the coldness that send shivers into my bones. :p

anyway, it actually rarely snows in Osaka. Last year, I only experienced it for a few times. In fact, only once, we had the chance to build a snowman with it. And it didn't even last for a whole day! :( BUT, this year,　it's colder! so hopefully it will last long enough to call tomorrow an off day for everyone. or maybe even long enough to make my christmas a white christmas! *fingers crossed* hehe :)

well, enough for tonight. Must jump into bed earlier so that I can wake up early enough to go out and take nice shots of pure, untouched snow.

Hope that it shall be a beautiful, white morning for everyone in Osaka tomorrow! :)

good night!

Baking

chocolate mud cake

This was for my housemates' surprise birthday party.

It's been quite some time since I really baked. I used to bake more when I was in high school, mostly because back then I was fully equipped with mum's baking tools. After entering the local uni, it was quite impossible since even cooking was forbidden in the dormitory. (yup, that is what local unis are like. hehe :p ) Anyway, after coming to Japan, oven was provided in the dormitory, but still I lacked of mixing bowls, measuring cups... etc. Until recently, I started to buy stuffs again. Baking tins, measuring spoons.. and I think the collection is still increasing. hehe :p

I have always liked baking. Guess I got it from my mum. Although honestly, I hate measuring and cleaning up after that. But, mixing everything, following steps, watching it grow in the oven, and finally savouring it, and seeing others enjoying the taste too, it is just pure joy. And I think all those who love baking out there would definitely agree with me too. ;)

I don't really remember when I started to bake, although I remember playing with my mum's dough all the time when she used to bake every weekend when I was little. And also remembering the time I made creme caramel (custard pudding/ flan) with my brother. hehe. Those were the times.

Anyway, I think I'm gonna start baking more since it wasn't cheap to get all those baking tools! hehe :p Hopefully I get to discover more yummy recipes! just like the chocolate mud cake up there which I discovered when trying to prepare a cake for my friend's birthday years ago. Wish me luck! :)

a little lonely maybe?

It's been almost a week since I last updated my blog even though my mid term exams are already over. And I thought I would be writing more after the exams. hmm. what's wrong with me? I have no idea.

A little shy to admit the fact that I was a little addicted to hong kong dramas. :p it may seem a very stupid thing to many people I guess, but I have been missing it quite a lot since coming to Japan. Somehow or rather it is still something that had always been quite connected to my life before coming here. Although most of the Hong Kong dramas always had very predictive plots, but I have always liked those with very complicated ones. Just like the one I'm watching at the moment. (just in case you might be interested, it's called 酒店风云 ;) )

But, of course I didn't spend 24/7 in front of the computer. I was also at the annual general meeting of Malaysian Students Association of Japan yesterday. Of course meetings are always a not-fun kinda thing, but it was nice winning something from the bingo game at the end even though it certainly wasn't something I could make use of. And it was also fun to sing your lungs off at the karaoke session that followed on after the meeting. :)

Anyway, I have never really talked much about my daily activities like this in my previous posts, have I? And my first pictureless blog! Hope it's not making anyone bored. Although, one thing's for sure. I AM BORED. hehe :p

missing my high school friends at the moment. missing the f5 days. cy, bird, bee... sigh. How great it would be to be at the mamak now chatting and gossiping with you all. Hopefully you guys are all doing fine and missing me too.

simpleness

just some random pictures of flowers that I always like taking pictures of.

I always had this special liking towards very simple flowers. Flowers that have big obvious petals, and always a yellowish-orange center and not tiny tiny nor complicated flowers with lots of details. Unlike most girls, I don't fancy roses that much either. Roses are way too proud, and I can't feel the closeness at all.

Simple flowers just feel more carefree, more me. I guess. :)

Cili Padi

cili padi ?

Took this picture on my way back from uni. liked how it went in a bunch in very sharp red and green colour.

Anyway, was really surprised to find this here in Japan in a normal Japanese 's garden. Afterall, the food here has never reached the level of how I defined 'spicy' even if it's written superduper spicy on the menu. :p and if this is what I think it is, it's supposed to be a very spicy kind of chili. The colour and the shape really matches to cili padi, but the way how it's in a bunch, it doesn't really look like what I find in mum's garden back home. hmm.

But seeing it reminds me so much of Malaysian food, which I really miss at the moment. No doubt, I like Japanese food too. But, it's different from Malaysian food. Very different, I would say. In the healthy sense, Japanese food takes the lead, of course! And, I love sushis, sashimis, tofus, and all. On the other hand, Malaysian food satisfies the toungue to every senses. Roti Canai, rojak, bak kut teh, cendol, dim sum, mee goreng, hokkien mee....... etc. ooooh! just everything! Having 3 main races in the country does help a lot in increasing the variety of food. Some originating from their respective homelands a very long time ago and then 'malaysian-ised' and some created uniquely from the blend of the 3 main races.

Food, is definitely one thing I miss about Malaysia. And, one thing I would always recommend to foreigners. :)




Fact: Cili Padi obviously comes from the 'chili' family. known to be tinier than the usual chili but much more spicier! It's one of the widely used ingredients in Malaysian cooking, and I believe many other southeast asian cooking too.

Osaka University in Autumn

stunning

stars in the day

just love the colour

mix and match

such perfect yellow

steps

everywhere

It can be beautiful everywhere, if you know where to look. ;)

To most of people in uni, it would have been just another day of life. who cares if the trees by the library was a little redder or yellow-er than before? or whether the leaves dances while it falls to the ground with the autumn breeze?

but to me, it was just oh, so irresistable!

This IS the nature of human, don't you think so? not knowing how to appreciate things when you know you have them. That when things come so naturally, you expect it to continue coming. And thus, tend to forget that it may not be so. hmm.

Anyway, before I pull myself into philosophies of life, it's not that I'm saying that the Japanese doesn't appreciate the season. But, I just think that most of them have already forgotten the moment of joy when they first experienced autumn. or the first moment they saw a red leave instead of a green one. as it happened such a long time ago.

But for me, it was different. My first time seeing red maple leaves was just a year ago. Not only was I not a baby, but I was experiencing it as someone who had always wanted to see and feel the real thing. And as someone matured enough to appreciate and to remember the beauty of nature.

For once, I felt that I was blessed to be born a Malaysian.


*special thanks to my housemate who reminded me to bring my camera ;)

Colours of Autumn

orange to red

in the stream

oh, so red

contrast

underneath

in the sky

splash of colours

steps to uni

banpaku park

by the lake

into the blues

I'm in love.

In love with the colours of autumn. not only everyone's favourite red, but the splash of orange, yellow, red, and green, all in one. and when combined with the blueness of the clear autumn sky, it cannot be anymore perfect.

I have to confess that I have never really appreciated the wonders of nature while back at home. But since arriving here, nature has never stopped giving me little surprises along my little journey in Japan.

It has never really occured to me before that little things in life does make a difference, until now.

Kyoto's International Conference Hall's Park

Kyoto's International Conference Hall's Park

I was there last weekend to participate in Kyoto Prize for Arts and Philosophy Workshop. Just brought my camera along although I guessed it wouldn't be useful since I would be spending the whole day at the workshop. But surprisingly, I found a really nice park at the side of the building during the intermission. :) with japanese carps and swans in the lake, yellow/orange leaves surrounding it, and the autumn breeze running through your sleeves, you just feel sooo comfortable.

and the workshop, it turned out not bad too. better than I thought what it would have been! :)

Dessert

one of the things I've been indulging in since coming to japan - desserts. hehe. never really had the mentality of 'main dish, then dessert' kinda thing before I came to japan. mostly in Malaysia, it would have been dinner then fruits.But here, mostly after meals, I would always opt for something sweet and nice, especially when I feel like spending.

Blame it to the Japanese culture! :p Unlike Malaysia, you always find a dessert menu here in the restaurants here, and they don't just serve you any frozen sundae kept in the freezer for ages, but really nice, fresh ones like the one above. Adding on to it, all-you-can-eat-dessert shops aren't hard to find too! How could anyone resist such temptation, right? ;)

mashed potatoes

one of my latest creation. nothing exotic, just plain mashed potato. but, one of my favourites though. I've always liked it with sauce, just like the one you get in kentucky fried chicken in Malaysia. So, I tried making the sauce this time with the base of mushroom soup, adding in some soy sauce, lots of pepper and some diced carrots, potatoes and mushrooms. and it ended up pretty yummy! although it wasn't exactly the same as the one from kfc, but who cares! :)

a smile

Yes, I know. She's not any hot chick, but just another obachan (old lady) dressed up in some japanese traditional costume. But her smile was what captured me. I had always liked taking pictures of smiles. Not any other 'say cheese' or 'hai! ikimasu yo!' smiles. But pictures of people giggling or smiling shyly or laughing their hearts out. I think it's the most beautiful part of human. Like this obachan here, her smile makes me feel so warm at heart! maybe it's just me, but I hope it does the same for you too! :)

Mum's garden

mum's bougainvillea
or much popular knowned as bunga kertas in malay because of it's paper-like petals.

aunty lim's baby pandan* flavoured coconuts

mum's fu gui hua (if translated literally, the prosperity flower)

mum's berry, with a tiny visitor

paid a little visit to mum's garden when I was back last summer. It's been quite long since I last ventured into her territory. Still remember how I used to play in the garden when I was in primary school, but never really stepped in anymore after that. IRC, ICQ, emails, shopping, partying. Those were the days of my high school life.

Mum always kept her garden well and pretty as long as she had time. But me, I guess I never got the gardening skills from her. :p But glad that I'm a little into photographs now. So that me, her daughter shall frame up all her glories with my dear little digital camera. Not a bad combination, heh? mum and daughter, gardener and photographer. Both amatuers. hehe :)

*(Daun) Pandan ⇒　pandanus leaves, often used in south east asian cooking to add a distinct aroma to food

Flowers

the rose on the way to uni

wild plant growing out the fence

I've always liked taking pictures of flowers, I dunno why. Perhaps because the flowers here are really nice. Perhaps it's because I have gotten myself a digital camera since I came to Japan. Perhaps it's because they have spring and autumn here, which makes flowers and even weeds look prettier. I really have no idea. But, it always reminds me of how nature can take u by surprise all the time. :)

*do expect many more pictures of plants coming up after this. hehe

Osaka University Festival - Machikane Sai

It has been like every other school festivals in Japan. Stalls with japanese food, games, stage performances, dressed up characters, all in for one motive - to promote their club/societies, and to earn a little for their club/society's fund.

guys in schoolgirl uniforms

girls in tiger costumes

half naked guys

Have been seeing and hearing it since I entered uni this April that for the first 2 years of uni, you will see the japs dedicating their whole life into club/societies, or much rather circles as they call it. It's really not unusual to see them sacrificing their lunchbreaks to practice a capella or juggling, or to see them staying back almost everyday after class, blasting musics to practice streetdance. And hanging out with the people from that 'circle' itself. Their life revolves only around that 'circle', and only that 'circle' itself.

So, guys in girls uniforms, girls in tiger costumes or half naked guys in autumn is how u define 'normal' here, I guess. It may be a culture shock for foreigners who are new in Japan, but if you look from another point of view, it might be quite fun. Afterall, what other times can u be crazy besides your uni days? ;)