with my limited budget and persitent personality to stick to it no matter what, finding an apartment in Tokyo which is at least half-conducive for living seems like a daunting task. but for some reason i believed in fate and today i may have found the perfect place for me.

it's 35,000yen/month and although i may have to pay the stupid "f*c"KINS, i think that it may be worth it. the room is on takura heights, 20 minute walk to the university or 10 minute bike.  it's 6 tatami but there is an extension where a built in desk and cabinet are installed. in addition to that, there is a huge closet for the futon and baggages. it is actually mansion style; there is a door separating the bedroom from the kitchen and toilet.

unlike the other places i've checked out, this one has a larger bathtub and kitchen area. plus, the oya-san is nice enough to throw in a brand new refrigerator and stove without any extra charge. the view is also good. from the window one can overlook the tall buildings of the hachioji metropolis.  

there is a 7-11 nearby, of course not in front of the building, but still near enough to walk to. plus, there is a yakiniku shop which they say is famous in this area.

the only downside about this place is that i have to stay away from the civilization, which technically hurts my chances of earning extra cash from baito. with thesis writing coming up, i guess i have no choice but to give them up though, well at least i'll find a way to retain the high paying and not-so-frequent jobs in chofu city hall class, setagaya recreation for kids, and my student who studies math (that one is also beneficial for me in brushing up my problem-solving skills). of course, recently i've gotten one student who's also a grad student in TMU and so that one is not out of the way. but this means that i have to give up my old-time clients and friends like yumi, kojima, and the two ueno kids.

 
but i think, i've now decided that i want to live there. it may give me a chance to relax more and stop harassing myself everyday with the long commuting process. this time, it's gonna be like Laramie where life away from the civilization sucks but i end up doing a lot more things.

 

 

 

 

Currently listening to: The corporate welfare song by Anne Feeney
Currently watching: South Park marathon

ewan ko ba at lately inentertain ko talaga ang possibility of going to Canada. of course, 90% sure na ako na itutuloy yung sa Fields with or without the grant, pero bukod dito gusto ko ring i-try na kumuha ng grad degree sa Canada.

naalala ko kase yung role ni JL Cruz sa movieng "Dubai" kung saang hard-ass brother sha ni Aga Mulach. Inisponsor siya ng kapatid niya at kahit pa settled down na settled down na si Aga sa Dubai eh ubod-kulit pa ring pinagdikdikan ni JL ang Canada. sabi niya, "sa Canada pwede tayong mag-avail ng citizenship."

actually, na-verify ko from the people in the summer school na kumpara sa Amerika, mas madaling makakuha ng permanent residence sa Canada. halos lahat sa kanila ay "permanent resident" na maski PhD student pa lang. and what's more, madali rin ang pagbibigay ng Citizenship lalu't maganda ang status mo. sabi nga nung isa kong kakilala, kahit 5 years pa lang sha sa Canada, makakakapag-apply na sha ng citizenship kahit di pa sha nagtatrabaho.

hindi ko rin alam ba't eto ang current obsession ko. siguro sobrang frustrated na lang ako sa "Filipinas Pasaporte" ko, alam nyo naman yung discrimination sa pagta-travel, yung perwisyo na inaabot sa paga-aaply ng visa, etc.

unfortunately, dito sa Japan, ay imposibleng makakuha ng Citizenship ang isang gaijin (foreigner). eto yung isang bagay kung bakit lagi akong half-hearted sa pagpupursigi na makapagtrabaho rito o kaya naman ay mag-asawa ng Hapon. ultimate goal ko kase ang makapagpalit ng citizenship o maging dual citizen (tutal aprroved naman sa Pinas yun).

kumbaga feeling ko hindi fair ang tradeoff sa Japan. una sa lahat patayan ang trabaho rito. average working hours dito ay 60/week. tapos at most na ang 5-day paid leaves per/year. yung iba ritong senpai mahigit 5 taon nang nagtatrabaho sa Japan, pero hanggang ngayon ay wala pa ring permanent pesidence status. bull crap eto sa tingin ko compared sa sistema sa Canada.

and then kung mag-aasawa na lang ng Hapon para makuha etong minimithing PR, eh impyerno naman ang katapat mo. kuha ulit ako ng excerpt mula sa Dubai ah; si Pokwang yata ang nagsabi nito, "Eh basta ako sa Arabo lang ang beauty ko! Dako na nga, mayaman pa!" eh ang mga Hapon kaya, Diyus me! Juutay! talo!

anyway, gagamitin ko yung opportunity sa Fields para ma-assess kung feel ko ba ang Canada. Tamang-tama at autumn ng mga panahong yaon para di naman masyadong maginaw. sana magustuhan ko.

 

 

 

 

Currently listening to: Sakura by Naotaro Moriyama
Currently reading: Not reading anything
Currently feeling: contemplative

What have I done to deserve this kind of luck?

Perhaps last year I would have meant it in the negative sense but right now I mean it so positively? I love life even though a lot crazy stuffs have been going on with me lately, like my terrible financial deficit as well as hearing the official statement that I'm only gonna be in Japan until March 2007!

Well, one reason to smile about is an email from Jason Wu. Ok, Jason Who? Ok Jason working in the Fields Institute, probably as the main secretary for bugaboo con artists as well as decent amateur mathematicians like myself who wants to go to Canada.

On his letter, Jason told me that I'll be getting a local support of $C900 from the October 30 - November 3 period as a visiting researcher of the Fields Institute. I don't know what he meant by that, or if I'm correct and not so modest, does it mean that I'm going to Canada this October? Oh My God! I may not be a bitch but am surely lucky!

Of course I kinda felt a bit hurt that the Kyoto bitch (well, duh, what else should I call her? lol) didn't want me to pursue the Spain ICM saying because she doesn't want me to ruin her chances of getting funding but I later found out that she is just following orders from... hmmm Voldemort.

But anyway the hell do I care? Initially this Crypto program in Fields is a way for me and Serogja and my Laramie buddies to meet up. Actually it was on the much more high profile Elliptic Curve Conference, but unfortunately the lack of funding made it impossible for us. And of course some Canadian folks don't really think that Fields is a big deal.

Well, I'm pretty much excited even if it's definitely a short stint and Serogja won't be there. Cause Nicolai is there, Siguna is gonna be there, Renate is gonna be there, Andreas too, the jock-like-but-smart-ass Nick is gonna be there, Vishal would also come if I do... well I suddenly felt like a homecoming is on the way!

-mG 

 

 

Currently listening to: Bad Day by Danny Powter
Currently reading: GMAIL
Currently feeling: awake

最近、忙しいなあまり、過労で健康の減ることが広がって。英吾こそいっぱいな日本人に教えてますからして本当に疲れた。　時間の許す限り、アルバイトしています。実際、私は10人以上のための家庭教師です。たいへん支払わなければなりません最近押し込むからといって、アルバイトしてたまらない。

ちなみに、査証の延長が今日にできます。 でも1年ぐらいだけあって、ちょっとがっかりした。カナダや米国へ行くはずかのようだ。

ーｍG

 

Currently listening to: 操縦士魚
Currently reading: 完全マスター

ayoko muna masyadong isipin kase matagal pa naman yun. maraming bagay pa akong dapat gawin. at saka simula pa lang pagdating ko rito eh tanto ko na na hindi ako magtatagal rito. sa ngayon 95% na akong desidido na lilisanin ko na ang bansang ito.

sa totoo lang medyo nakakalungkot kase parang napakabilis ng panahon. at kung susuriin kong muli ang mga bagay na itinakda kong tuparin habang naririto pa ako ay marami-rami pa rin ang di ko naisasagawa. teka at tingnan ko nga uli: 

10. Finish my MS degree in UP 

- ok na!

9.ã��Finish the novel I’ve been writing for years.

- wala na akong oras gawin ito. pero kapag nakauwi ako eh magpapakabum ng 1 buwan bago lumarga sa Tate, siguro baka magka-time akong magsulat.

8.  Ski like a pro

- siguro hindi naman mala-pro basta maging isa mga pinaka-magaling na Pinoy skiers sa Japan. mukha namang kaya ko ito!

7.  Have a serious and meaningful relationship with a foreigner.

- si Sergey na iyon malamang, so ok na rin ito! masaya na ako! 

6.  Achieve 2ç´� in Japanese Proficiency level.

- balik 2 kyuu po! basta gagalingan ko this December at tatalunin ko si Greggy! 

5.  Save at least 180 ä¸�. 

- mukhang impossible na ito. pupunta ako ng Canada next month tapos baka sa US ulit nang December para bisitahin Tita ko. pero ang mahalaga eh napapunta ko ang Papa ko sa Japan kahit 2 weeks lang.

4.  Have 1 mathematical publication on a reputable ISI journal.

- impossible na rin ito. siguro kahit nga pipitsuging journal eh mahihirapan ako. 

3. Get a US Visa. At least 1 year multiple-entry.

- well, ito naman ang na-over achieved ko. job well done kase ilang taon ko ring pinalano kung paano makakuha ng US visa and fortunately naging maganda ang resulta. the next stop-- Canadian Citizenship! 

2. Conceive a kid.

-  hmmm, pwede na sana with Sergey, di ko alam kung bakit walang nabuo. hehe. pero pwede pa naman sa iba. may prospectus.

1. Get married.

- hindi muna!  

 gusto ko sanang idagdag yung isa pang Holy Grail ng buhay ko. yung magkaayos kami ni .. alam nyo na? pero sa totoo parang wala na rin akong paki-alam kung magkaayos ba kame o hindi. bahala na sha sa buhay niya pero sinisigurado kong di sha matatahimik kailanman hanggang di siya nagiging honest sa sarili niya.

tanggap ko na rin ang kapalaran ko. siguro panahon na para harapin ko kung ano ang nakatakda sakin. mahirap yung lagi akong duwag at pinipili ang madaling landas.

sige na! marami pang adventure ang nag-aantay pagkatapos ng Japan!

-mG 

 

Currently listening to: The Corporate Welfare Song by Anee Feeney
Currently reading: Totally True
Currently watching: Princess Dorama
Currently feeling: sore

After my US stint, parang nag-iba na talaga ako. And for the better! para bang meron akong laging positive glow na napro-project ko sa ibang tao. At sa tingin ko nano-notice yun ng mga tao kaya parang ako yung tipong laging "akarupoi!"

Ewan ko ba, simula nung makilala ko si Sergey parang lagi na lang akong masaya. Parang kahit di ko na sha nakikita o nakakausap, para bang laging merong reason para maging masaya. Hindi naman sa pagmamayabang pero parang meron akong aura na attractive sa mga tao. Di ko ma-describe kung ano, pero parang ako na yung tipong tao na napapansin sa mga gatherings kahit pa di man ako magpaganda.

Ganito pala maging masaya. 2006 is definitely the year for me! Ayoko nang maging malungkot ulit!

-mG

Currently listening to: Don't worry be happy by Bob Marley

今週の金は引っ越すんだ。今、要らないものを捨てたところです。ちょっと面毒財な。やっぱり古いなVHSビデオが捨てなくちゃ、けど捨てることをきっかけに三つなビデオが落ちたら、頭に怪我があります。痛みに！

ちなみに、FOREXのPICK-UP　サービスが遅いな！

Currently listening to: You were meant for me by Jewel
Currently reading: 会話の日本語

最近の際は生活が本当にひどい！ハワイーにしろカナダにしても行きたいよ。奨学金をもらったといっても東京の一般的な物価がちょとお高い。貯金するどころか借金だらけだ。

We shall overcomeと歌えてる。

ーｍG 

Ok, let's just say that this is another character building for me. I missed being with Sergey!  

Currently listening to: We shall overcome!
Currently reading: 日本語能力試験の二級文法マスター
Currently feeling: groggy