Asahi Canned Coffee series

Maybe to most of you, Asahi stands out as a branding for Japanese beer. But not only in that case, they are also actively with beverages in Japan as well. Another fact which you might not know about is they do have their Asahi Shimbun (Newspaper) as well.

I am not quite an alcoholic drinker and most of the time I would take their coffee instead. I would not say that they are providing the best canned coffee in the world, but perhaps they do have a series of nice coffee as well.

Below are just some photos which I have kept for myself on the canned coffee.

Morning Au Lait (Stated that only on sale in Tokyo)

Morning Shot

South Korea's ' Actress' found dead

Choi Jin-sil, also know as South Korea's Nation Actress was found committed suicide, hanging herself in the bathroom of her Seoul home. It was speculated that she was facing depression since 2004 after her divorce with Japanese's Yomiuri Giants baseball star Cho Sung-min.


There are also rumors that she had lent money to actor and longtime friend Ahn Jae-hwan, who was also found dead in his car in early September this year and that Ahn killed himself after Choi pressured him to repay the debt.

This was not the only committed suicide I have heard on South Korea's entertainment world. It seems that most of them are unable to overcome their stress barrier and leading to their suicides. Understanding that most of us are just audience which has been watching these people as like an entertainment, including gossips of their lifes. Give them a break ! Some of them are just stress enough to balance their family and work, why do some of those still wanted to exert more pressure on them ?

Choi Jil-sil's commit suicide news details on CNN

Today is an another day

Another ordinary day has passed, and I have been counting down the days that I am in Japan at the moment. Almost coming to an end as everyone in the school is doing prep for their Univerisities while I am the only one that is preparing for going back to Singapore.

But it is also at the same time that I realise my mood for fooling around in Japan has been getting shorter and it is time that I should move on to another world - back to the working world which I used to be in.

Too lazy recently

Just felt too tired recently to work out all of my blogs at the moment. Suddenly, I felt that there is a need that I go out there and face the new world - earn some monies. I have been working part time continuously these days that I can't even remember when was the last time I actually sit down quietly to read a nice book and take a sip of coffee... Life , getting tougher eh ?

集会後の食事

ご苦労さまでした。集会はつまらないので、みんなも疲れた。食事というけど、何で道の中でどこで食べるの？めちゃ危ないやで。幸い車は全然こない。。



ジャンポを注文したけど、なかなか来ない。。。本当に時間がかかる？30分もう。あ、来た！早く、おなか空いている。(ぞんなおいしくないけど、全部食べちゃた）



ほうがの写真です！

おもしれ。。We want change

今日のスピーチはめちゃくちゃ面白かった。。。特に在校生の中に、第三番目の台湾学生さん。スーツを着て、まじめな顔の見せて、なんかいいスピーチが出ると思った。。それは WE CAN CHANGE... WE WANT CHANGE....



以下はそれぞれ集会全部の写真。。。

優秀者の姿。。。

夏学期期末テスト成績優秀者。私もステージに登りたい。。。

（写真の順番、上級＞中級＞初級）





出席優良者。私は絶対無理。みんなはどんな目覚まし時計を使ってるか？
（写真上級のクラスだけ）

先生たちの紹介

まだ先生の名前知らんかい？　ここによく見て、一人ずつ紹介してから。



いそみせんせい、声が大きくて、おもろ先生だ。授業時でも厳しい。


岸田先生。授業めちゃめちゃおもしろだね。学生の中でも超人気があるの先生。（中国語しゃべれるから、中国悪口するとき気をつけて！）


親切なソリンスタッフ.事務所にいつもいる。だれにあっても笑顔で話をかける。


重要な人です。校長先生(間中のひと）。もしあいたくて、学校に欠席したと、すぐ見えるよ。

クレオ大阪の学生集会 - 校長先生のごあいさつ

今日ですね、まだ学生集会だ。。何回も行ったでしょう。もうつまらないなあ。でも、私は今日写真もちゃんと撮れたですね、ビデオもあるし。じゃ、最初は校長先生のあいさつをはじめ。。。第二部分の話は怖いけど。

Suntory series of canned coffee

Cafe au Lait - Creamy as usual, but maintains a good balance of using the milk and coffee contents.

Boss Legend Blend - I can only describe it in one word, "NICE"

マリと子犬の物語 A tale of Mari & 3 puppies

Very touching. This movie is a true-based story about a dog with 3 puppies staying and helping out her owners during a major earthquake. Must see !!!

マリと子犬の物語 Official site (In Jap language)

MacDonald's Potato Bacon Pie & McRIB Burger

Japan has been trying to improve their creativity in food, including fast-food restaurants like MacDonalds. I have been working there for a year and seen many new products out on the selves. Below are two that has been out recently, but for a limited time.

I was quite curious on this new burger called McRIB because I was told it was delicious by my friends. Thought it has the same taste as Teriyaki Burger, but better aroma.













Let's take a dessert ! Kinda sick of apple pie... it is good that this Bacon Potato pie came to my rescue. It reminded me of Campbell's Baked potato with Cheddar and Bacon bits soup, which are impossible to find even in large supermarkets.

ハさんの演歌(自分は天才を呼ばれる）

大好きだ。発音も正しいし、ダンスもめちゃ上手やで。でもね、何で会話時、英語使えないの？

皆さん多分この音楽聞いたことないので、僕は歌詞を探した。。。

Elvis Presley - Hound Dog

When they said you was high classed,
Well, that was just a lie.
When they said you was high classed,
Well, that was just a lie.
You aint never caught a rabbit
And you aint no friend of mine.

You aint nothin but a hound dog
Cryin all the time.
You aint nothin but a hound dog
Cryin all the time.
Well, you aint never caught a rabbit
And you aint no friend of mine.

GReeeeN - キセキ

いつも歌ってるの音楽。。。つまらないなあ。。。ハハ

Georgia series of canned coffee

Cafe Au Lait

Sharpen Up

Cafe Creme

Vintage Label

Canned Coffee

In Singapore, we can get kopi-O in any time any where, but in Japan ? Well, that's canned coffee. I am just an coffee addict, and I do need at least 3-4 cups of coffee back in Singapore, that is equals to at least 5-6 cans of coffee per day (Yes mom, I will cut down the volume).

Here are just some pictures of canned coffee as a collection of canned coffee I have drank in Japan. Enjoy guys !!!

Convenience stores in Japan

In Singapore, kopitiam (Coffeeshops) can be widely found along the streets, but in Japan, you can find a lot of convenience stores around the neighborhood. Shops and restaurants closes relatively early in Japan, mostly 8-9pm while late night shops closes around 2 am. Most Singaporeans has a habit of taking supper (which is obvious not an healthy lifestyle) and mostly operates late into night or till morning. I had my difficulties curbing my "habit" of finding here in Japan and the only places I can go ? As below. I will update again on those food we can in there.

7-11

Family Mart

Lawson

Transport means in Osaka - Bicycle

Majorities of the Singaporean would consider cycling as a sports in East Coast Park, but would never thought of it as a general mean of transport. Furthermore, it is not an easy task to ride along streets as Singapore traffic rules are too difficult to abide with. Just too many !

Surprisingly, Japanese uses bicycle like a normal transportation and sights of bicycles can be seen anywhere, yes even in the darkest corners of the streets. The interesting thing that you can find salary man in a suit and yet riding on a bicycle early in the morning. While some others use it as a substitute for walking from their home to the train station, and it is the reason why there are always that much of bicycles 'gathering' around train stations areas.

For me, it is a transport to and fro school, my part time shop and while going out with friends. Now, I would consider it very troublesome if I do not have a bicycle for my transport, the reasoning being taking a train to school (around 35 mins) and riding a bicycle to school (15 mins) is a much better choice, as in I can sleep for another 20 mins more every morning. Haha.

My little red bicycle (Gift from a Korean friend)

Cigarette Vending Machines at Osaka, Japan

I was cleaning up my photo albums one day and I saw this interesting photo which thought it might be good to post it on my blog. One interesting fact in Japan is that are so many 7-11, family mart located along the street which are just few meters away, the streets are still being littered with vending machines selling drinks and cigarettes. I did a brief calculation the number of vending machines around a block and guess what ? There is a total of more than 20 vending machines ! A sight which you will never see in Singapore. These vending machines are available 24 hours along the street, so hooray for the smokers ! By the way, the cigarettes that are selling in Japan tasted and smell much better than those selling in Singapore...

Different Culture Views
Japanese certainly have a different views compared to Singapore in terms of control of cigarettes selling. While Singapore has banned cigarettes advertisement donkey years ago, Japan are selling them with vending machines and advertisements all over the place. Better still, they are also selling alcoholic drinks e.g. beers straight from the vending machines as well.

Control of Cigarette Selling to Underage

It is definite a question that how can they control underage from buying cigarettes from the vending machines. Initially while I was in Japan, I did not really see much control being done and there is only a message pasted onto the vending machines that underage should not smoke cigarettes. 

A year later in Osaka, they have came out with a new system called the "Taspo" card, which you will need to register at one of their booth free of charge and tap the card on the panel before you purchase the cigarettes. Furthermore, they have implemented time restriction on the vending machines to operate till 10 or 11pm in the night and available at 5am in the morning at some places to strengthen the restrictions.

No long later, they have equipped all cigarettes vending machines with face recognition panel, and the camera will scan your face to determine your age. If you passed, you can buy the cigarettes without using the Taspo card. It was quite innovative way to control underage, but I am not sure how effective face recognition can be. 

This is how the IC card looks like

Life Being Too Digitalised ?

While the Japanese has made it so convenient that is no human interaction at all. This could means technology are building up barriers between people and breaking communication. Looking at Singapore, if you are buying cigarettes from the same family mart or coffeeshop, at least the uncle or auntie will interactive and chat with you, but apparently Japanese like to stay in their own life without interference. In the instance of some restaurants, you can just go to the vending machine, make a selection of your intended lunch, make payment and bring the coupon to the counter. They will served you immediately. Without a word. Some could understand the convenient of such system as it bring ease and speed up proceed, especially foreigners like us, but you can just feel the lack of communication.

Too Much Electricity Usage?
Seriously, I am not sure who is paying for the electricity of these vending machines, but I think they are spending far too much electricity and resources in a densely populated province like Osaka. I think I will be fine with 7-11, at least I could grab a bite at the same time. 

My First Home-cooked Meal as a Student in Japan

Though living in Japan, the cheapest way to settle a meal is to make one by yourself, but as you know, guys are lazy to run errands and do the cooking. Especially washing dishes. I am a guy who likes "challenges" thus i have tried to make my own dinner, in the first week I arrived in Osaka.

Scrambled egg with onions. Actually it is supposed to look like a pancake-shape, but I messed it up.

Kinou with butter (Straw Mushrooms). Too salty...

Ok, I admitted it.. Donkatsu (Japanese-style fried chicken). Bought it at 7-11.

Well, that is my dinner. I did the cooking and shared it with my sister. Saying that it is not bad for first-timer, but that was the first and the last time I cooked in that month...

My 1st Class in Meric - C9

A pic with my Koreans friends during a school trip at Nara

Unexpectedly, most of my classmates are Korean and it is also my first touch with Korea culture. The hard thing about Korea culture is they would address someone older as 'Brother' or 'Sister'. In Singapore, we seldom have this kind of culture running through the youngsters of my age, but it seems normal in Korea though.

Having exposed to Koreans, I have been quite busy in the first semester, running around doing house visits of the so-called 'Brother' or 'Sister', which I would only do that to my relatives in Singapore, lol. Well, perhaps that is also the reason why Koreans are so united, even though all of them are just friends.

Oops, her 'world peace' has her face covered.

Not only that, I have one of the prettiest sensei (teacher） in that school as our , Kobayashi Sensei. I mean that having a group of Koreans as classmates are noisy enough, but I am sure that her beauty does affect even more. Guys like her, perhaps gals hate her.

Playing games in the last day of first semester

I would say that even till now, I had most fun with this group of Koreans, including learning some Korean vulgarities from my 'good' friends. Unfortunately, time passed quick and most of them are denied of their visa and had to return to Korea.

Here is the full album http://picasaweb.google.co.jp/takumijeff/MericC9#

My Japanese Language School - Meric Japanese School

This is the Japanese Language School which I am currently studying at, located near the computer street, Nipponbashi and as well Namba, where you can find a lot of shopping areas.

MERIC Japanese Language School
1-10-6 Nippombashi-Higashi Naniwa-ku
Osaka 556-0006
Tel: 06-6646-0606
Fax: 06-6646-0320
Website: http://meric.bho.or.kr/eng/main/

There are staff who can speaks English, Mandarin and a female staff who can speaks Spanish.