Tokyo life

Am getting better at making the soup. Today's soup have 9 ingredients : garlic, onion, ginger, cucumber, carrot, sweet potato, leeks, pumpkin, and edamame!

Have been cooking almost everyday, and I could now cook soup, eat and wash within 1 hour.

Went to Malaysian restaurant yesterday, a very tiny one with only 2 tables with 4 seats each, and a bar counter with 5 seats so 13 in total. The chef is from Ipoh and the assistant from Penang. The dishes were quite good but rather oily for me. My Japanese friends loved the food - broccoli, bak kut teh, steam fish, and nasi goreng. I told the chef (before eating) that I do not miss Malaysian food, nor Malaysia. As Tokyo is such a liveable city, if you can survive the high living cost. I live 2 minutes or 150 steps from the metro station, and the transport system is so efficient that it could take you to almost anywhere, pomptly. So, people here are punctual, and polite. With my limited Japanese, I get by, waiting for winter to arrive, and maybe I will miss Malaysia then.

Tokyo observations

Pictures of a public toilet which has features like temperature control, options of sprinkling, rinsing, drying, etc. In some, the toilet cover opens up as you enter, and there is a button for toilet music (sound of water) to cover the noise of you might be making.

1. Public transport including buses are punctual.
2. People are on time, polite with good sense of mutual respect.
3. Strong culture of reading and massive information consumption - newspaper circulation is top in the world, free fliers/pamphlets/maps are available everywhere, mangga/cartoon is popular, various magazines with new arrivals on a daily basis, and volumes of books available. (Almost every other person I met has published something, either books, articles, cartoons, or has an exhibits of art piece or photos, or produced films, plays, etc)
4. Safest place I have seen so far. Lost/found items are usually returned to owner. Low crime rate. Kids commuting/walking to school on their own and women traveling alone at night.
5. High tech toilets and well maintained facilities.

Autumn/秋（あき）

Autumn is here. Weather is turning cold. My hair has grown over an inch(somehow white one outgrows the black ones, which kind of make sense because it is because of their rapid metabolism that they turn white first), and half my nail is turning pinkish, edging the yellowish/dark colour part out of the way.

Many are concerned about my health. I felt healthy before the diagnosis and I feel healthy now, except with occassional tingling pain around the area of surgery.

Just enjoying the journey, whether I was in an interview, or working with colleagues/volunteers/friends, or learning Japanese. There is no distinction between work and play anymore, because I am enjoying the process...

Merdeka

Exactly a year ago on this date, I was working on the deadline for the API proposal. It was a significant date, not only because it was the National Day for Malaysia, but it was also the day where Japanese nation casted their votes to put the then opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan(DPJ) in power, after being ruled by the Liberal Democratic Party(LDP) for almost the entire period. Little did I know when I decided to apply for API a week prior to the deadline that it would be a very significant date, not just for Japan, but for myself. A quick, last minute decision, with some determination and passion, lots of help from friends (especially the one who was awarded the previous year), the proposal was made. A year later, here I am now, in Japan, to implement the proposed project.

What happened in the past one year was history but life has taken a new form since. In the past, work took precedence of almost everything because of the fixed hours and the instinctive nature to excel. Now, the project is the core of my life, but the approach is totally different. This time, I focus on living, and not doing. I enjoy the moments instead of trying to do everything. Somehow, things work well, without me doing too many things, and without me trying too hard to prove myself.

My time is spent on researching, reading, learning, networking, observing, reflecting, and shooting or interviewing is only part of the process. Not forgetting also marketing(bargain hunting for groceries), cooking, eating, washing, commuting and sleeping which remains the basic maintenance of life.

Sometimes, things happen in such that it seems to leave us with no choice, but it is in living each moment, through the choices we make or do not make, consciously or not, that define who we are.

A Whole New World

In a different country using a different language, learning different culture, I am leading a new life. It's been a great experience since touching down, with lots of action. We have explored almost a few cities, using various types of trains or metro/subway/lines, seeing many places within the past 2 weeks. We have received such warm welcome and made so many good contacts that it feels unreal! Even strangers on the street are so warm and helpful, let alone the new friends we have made.

Too many things happened and I'm sure much more will follow. While being mindful of my body and energy level, I am committed to lead a fruitful journey in the new world.

So, allow me to sign out here, knowing that I am making the best out of each moment. It's been great knowing that many friends back home and abroad have cared for me, and helped me through this difficult journey. It does not mean the journey ahead will be easier, but what's life without the unforseen challenges?

All the best to my friends who read/follow this blog. May you find peace and happiness in each moment....

Counting

Counting down...as tomorrow is to be my last radio session. I've gone for 25 sessions so far, so tomorrow with be 26th, but accoding to the radiologists and the doctor, there will be some boosters, maybe 3 more, so still hopeful to complete whatever "bonus" within this week.

Really looking forward to it. I've been counting in the radio session...around 300 counts with the shield plus 100 counts without the shield. So, about 5 minutes all in, I guess.

If I've summed up all my treatment time, I must have clocked in at least 300 hours(most time are spent waiting), at least 60 hospital visits (including consultation, blood test, chemo, radio), over 20 blood tests, 13 injections(excluding chemo), a few scans, apart from the hard core chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

The lesson learnt... to give it all, to face life, and death, and whatever that comes in between... to just be...

Live Life and Relay for Life

There were 2 events last Saturday, 5th June. In the morning, at Botanical Garden, Mt Mariam organized Survivors' Day with the slogan "Live Life" printed on white T-shirt, and in the evening at Youth Park, there was a huge "Relay For Life" event with hundreds or maybe over thousand people in different colours, orange for survivor, blue, purple, etc...for other organizations.

It's a pity that in both events, there were not a great deal of "public education", apart from one notice board. And CM's speech was just full of chunky phrases like "When I see you, I see life" with little meaning.

Anyway, we all have to live through life on our own strides... and find our own meaning ...