Friday, August 26, 2011

Summer hols...


Our first break after an intensive 3 months of Japanese study. Whew...the things I used two years to study in Malaysia, here I only use three months to finish it all. The speed was so fast, it was kinda stressful. After the summer break, which will end in two weeks, there will be intensive revision of exam papers, in preparation for the entrance exam we have to pass in November in order to get into Japanese universities. I foresee a very stressful three months ahead of me =="

Summer holidays been boring. Transportation is so expensive, I did not travel. There are loads of home work given to us, 5 new books which we have to finish. Until now I am still doing them. But I do enjoy studying at my own pace, without needing a lecturer or somebody to bug me to improve. Looking forward to next week when I will follow one of my Japanese dorm leader back to her hometown in Gunma for the weekend. Although it will be a short stay (there is nothing much in Gunma anyway), but I look forward to travel out of Tokyo. Staying in Tokyo is like staying right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Stressful @.@

Fell sick nowadays. Coughing my lungs out. Been to the university clinic twice to get my supply of medication...basically there isn't any lung or throat infection, just don't know why I keep coughing. And my heart rate is faster than normal, and even the doctor is surprised. Well, Mr Doctor, if you don't know why my heart rate is fast, tak kan lah I will know right? You are the Doctor le.... But anyway, I am getting better...

Now autumn is going to arrive in Japan. I can't wait!!! When I arrive here it is late spring. The weather is cool like Genting Highlands, sometimes colder, but since it is already May there isn't a chance to look at Sakura. Now that autumn is here, I am looking forward to those lovely orange red leaves =) It should be great!

Summer in Japan is unbelievably hot. People in Japan actually die from heat stroke. More than 35,000 people had been hospitalised for heat stroke, and I have no idea how many thousand had died from it. This is kinda unheard of in Malaysia. The temperature is about the same, 33-35 degree Celcius, sometimes going up to 36 degree Celcius (in my area...some areas reached 40 degree Celcius). But somehow I felt the sun is much hotter in Japan. In Malaysia, wherever I go, I use car. In Japan, wherever I go, I use bike, or I walk. Even to the nearest place to do grocery shopping, I have to bike under the hot sun, scaling a few slopes, for 30-40 minutes. Which, to me, is really a big fat exercise. And I thought I, as a Malaysian, is used to such summer heat. Boy, was I wrong....

One fine day after teaching a Japanese girl English lesson, I bike back to the dormitory at 12.30pm under the hot sun of 36 degree Celcius. Frankly at that time I did not know it was that hot. I just know that boy, it was hot! And cycling back is always harder than cycling to, so it took me nearly 45 minutes to get back. When I reached my dorm, I came down with heat exhaustion, which is not as serious as heat stroke, but if not treated properly, WILL turn into a heat stroke. I was sweating and freezing at the same time, and can barely stand straight. Yikes! Luckily for us, the dormitory has a pair of husband and wife staying with us, we call them okaasan (mother) and otoosan (father). Through the extension phone in my room, I dialed the Okaasan and told her of my condition, and she came running with a few packets of ice packs to cool down my body temperature before it gets even higher. Felt better after about 30 minutes or so... Phew! I never overheated in the Malaysian heat...goodness knows why I overheated in Japan!

Take care everybody...

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