What makes a man...

It's another new year...again...and as similar as previous years before this, some of us will take some time to indulge in a self-gazing mode...calculating failed ambitions, unfulfilled 2009's resolutions and seeking ways to be a better man this 2010...as for me, Syazwan a.k.a John, a good old friend of mine (since our naive years of 13 years old in the enclaved mckk) came in the brim of the new year...leading to another trip...another story to be told...

While most of us believed that there are no use to make any New Year's resolutions when they are far easier to make than they are to keep, I am sure that this new year...most of us will promise ourselves a more successful, productive and happier year than the previous one...

What you really want out of life this 2010?

Learn new things- I don't really say 'learn!' until the extent that you drastically quit your job for another degree or MBA when you don't really have the guts and capacity for that...but learning could be just as simple as learning how to cook or swim, taking up new language or learn to give more than receiving...it will gives you a great sense of accomplishment when you could finish a small step in learning...trust me...I am the right guy to say this (17 years of education and still learning) :)

Start reading-Ever heard of any great titles but never had a chance to read any?...grab one and try to finish it by the end of the year...Do accept the fact that intelligent and wise men read...tired of crappy yellowish pages of another paperback edition? why not try to download 'Count of Monte Cristo' e-book by BeamItDown...it's available for free...direct to your iPhone so that you could sneak to it at any of your free time...reading will improve your vocabulary and increase your charm...(i don't know how by the way...)

Help yourself to be healthier-Visit your panel doctor for a thorough checkup...adopt a new diet plan...join a gym...change your bad habits...start new sports...stop smoking...pursue your hobby...you will feel a boost in energy, reduce love handles, you look and feel better...it will help you expand your network and meet new people, which is good for your state of mind too...

Create a nesting egg, financially-Keep a percentage of your income into an untouchable account...it will do great in rainy days and better..as a springboard to another great holiday trip or bigger...as a downpayment for your first house or a new ride...(those times of receiving every single thing from your parents is over...if you still do, it is just another sign of 'failure to launch')...

Be a better man-There are no other ways to make you feel better about yourself than to help those in need...whatever you can do to help others is worth doing...but if you are in a rut, help yourself first...

Travel-I start my new year by visiting new places....it is about taking myself out of my comfort zone...push myself to a new limit, broaden my horizons and checking out the new corner of the world...put yourself at a crosshair of an adventure and surely it will cure your boredom....budget crisis? a visit to an old small cafe next town to try some new menu in the weekend will do...traveling challenges you, makes you think on your feet and grooms yourself more interesting ...well-traveled makes you cultured, helps you tell many interesting episodes and helps you draw more connections to events in life than those who stay at home...

What makes a man this 2010??

...it lies beneath you...and only you could reveal the answer....

Happy New Year 2010!!!

-Ilham 2010:我慢と頑張ろう;gaman and gambarou;perseverance towards striving for the best-

Graduate School of Energy Science and The Future of Energy

If we look into the big picture, most of our energy today comes from oil, coal and gas, three high-energy resources which has been avidly consumed since we left the age of traditional fuel (firewood and charcoal). As all of us know, these resources took millions of years to form and sooner, their production was expected not to be able to cope with the increasing world demand. China and India is expanding, and together with development around the world, energy is therefore, a crucial issue to be taken care of.

In the Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University of which I am currently affiliated to, at all possible, all the faculty members consisted of engineers, scientists and economists should be working together in building a new path for our future based on more sustainable technology and resources. Most of us, regardless of study backgrounds and research expertise, works towards something that will continue to provide our descendents with the abundant energy that has helped transform the livelihood of human beings throughout the world. Ironically, are we really sure that we are doing the “right thing” for our world?

Anyway, “sustainable energy” is one of those vague terms that could mean different things to different people. It is often used as a “green”, a catchy phrase for all things related to energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy, all with a positive environmental overtone. There are various definitions for sustainable development but to simplify it, sustainable development could be defined as “the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Anon, 1987). In this report, of which the topic is broad and what I write might be contradict to what I do (I may sound like I am not one of the people working in the renewable energy field, particularly in producing biofuel from biomass), I just wish to deliver a broader view towards our efforts in searching the so-called “sustainable energy” for the future.

The concept of sustainable development does not imply absolute limits but limitations imposed by the present state of technology and social organization on environmental resources and by the ability of the biosphere to absorb the effects of human activities. When we discuss about sustainability of our modern society, environmental issues would always be a dominant issue and consideration. For development, environmental issues are usually been taken for granted and continuation of the use of fossil fuels as means to produce energy is set to multiple challenges. The depletion of fossil fuel reserves, global warming, other environmental concern, geopolitical and military conflicts for energy resources and significant fuel price rise indicate an unsustainable situation (Asif and Muneer, 2007).

Experts have different view on how long coal, oil and gas will last and estimation vary from decades to a few centuries. But it is generally agreed that these fossil fuels will deplete someday so are not considered sustainable. In addition, the experts also differ on how long uranium can supply our current generation of nuclear rectors.

Renewable energy sources are often considered to be sustainable as they use resources such as water, wind and sunlight that are, to all intents and purposes, inexhaustible. Some included biomass into the list and many of us say that these are the only truly sustainable energy sources.

The main issue is not all the so-called "renewable sources" are themselves sustainable. Biofuels such as ethanol made from food crops like sugarcane and corn are no longer considered sustainable because of the competing need for the land on which the feedstock grows. Biodiesel, if to be produced extensively from edible oils like the current practice, will definitely increase the edible oils price, risking food conflicts mostly to third world countries and poor ones. Woody biomass, still faces the technological challenges in producing maximum output of sugars from cellulose and hemicelluloses, before it could be separated from its impurities and fermented to bioethanol. Gigantic hydropower relying on water flow from a particular river may also not be sustainable, jeopardizing large scale of area, while contributing to deforestation and increasing risk for extreme accident. Climate change may dry up rivers or change their course and leave the hydro system stranded.

In addition, most renewable sources including wind, tidal wave and solar photovoltaic are too variable to meet our continuous power demands unless being combined with the conventional resources (fossil fuels and nuclear) to fill in the gaps. Geothermal energy is said to be promising but some researchers argue that a geothermal mine would be sustainable only if we are taking the energy out of the ground at the same rate as the earth is replacing it (Nicholson, 2009). So we might have to treat geothermal heat more like fossil fuels. Most of them are also prohibitively expensive. Without further technology developments, such as huge cost effective, sustainable electricity storage systems, our energy system will not be sustainable today with or without renewable energy.

How about nuclear energy? Could it be considered as “sustainable”? According to the World Nuclear Association, today’s generation of nuclear reactors use an average of 175 tonnes a year of uranium per GW. These reactors are largely using the uranium in a “once-through” cycle where less than 1 per cent of the uranium is actually used to generate energy.

According to the International Energy Agency, because nuclear reactors use relatively little fuel most of the cost in generating nuclear energy is in the planning, construction and decommissioning of the power station not in the fuel. Small contries like Malaysia which currently eyes on utilizing nuclear power in the near future should consider on how the supply of uranium could be available constantly and the huge capital cost for its construction on top of societal objections and waste issues. Although a significant increase in the price of uranium has a much lower impact on the price of electricity, energy security is still a main issue. The newer generation fast breeder reactors burn up all the uranium so they can extract much more energy from uranium than traditional once-through reactors. For now, fast breeder nuclear reactors could be the candidate for sustainable energy we are looking for. But to anti-nuclear groups, this will all be bad news.

To date, all researches focusing on energy around the world including the one we are doing in the Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University had successfully fulfilled all the necessary functional prerequisites as a paradigm to make the world a better place to stay. However, no matter how great the latest sustainable energy technology being invented to secure the sustainability of the rapidly growing community, I am still in a concrete view of stating that the most important thing we should develop among us is self-awareness of which, being the key issue in energy utilization.

It is pointless to talk and preach about reducing fossil fuel consumption and energy preservation when we ourselves prefer to drive a car to the convenience store situated a few blocks away to buy a cigarette pack and keep polluting the world and our lungs instead of using our legs on the ground or on pedals. Anyhow, we still have to continue our research journey to find the suitable sustainable energy for the future in accordance to our specialized field, but without generating awareness among the community now, our generation will continue in making the same mistake and none of the technology, system or policy in the world could prevent a negative outcome when awareness itself does not exists in our society.

References

Anon. Our common future. World commission on environment and development.

Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1987.

Asif M, Muneer T. Energy supply, its demand and security issues for developed and

emerging economies. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2007; 11:1388-

1413.

Nicholson M. Energy in a changing climate. Rosenberg publisher; 2009.

World Nuclear Association. Accessed from http://www.world-nuclear.org/ on 30^th October 2009.

International Energy Agency. Accessed from http://www.iea.org/publications/free_new_Desc.asp?PUBS_ID=1472 on 30^th October 2009.

Parts of this article have been submitted for the author's report for the subject Advance Seminar on Socio-Environmental Energy Science.

Learn from the best!!! ooppss..should I rephrase it to 'from the gays'...

Ever wonder on why women love gay men?

What about them being stylish, supportive, sarcastic, looks good, a good listener and loyal?

Here are some valuable qualities we could learn from them:

1. Sense of fashion and style

2. Fit and fun

3. High sensitivity and tolerance
(especially to long hours of shopping and nagging)

4. Faithfulness

5. Sturdy in principle


Come on heterosexuals! Be more attractive by learning from the gays!!!

p/s: Sorry for the stupid topic. It just crossed my mind while busy working on my papers.

Human Branding...

"Don't judge a book by its cover", do you think that this phrasal idiom is true in reality or the 'cover' actually worth more than everything?

In fashion, automobile and electrical industry, the brand or the 'cover', contributes significantly in the positioning of a product in the eyes of the consumers. A wallet by 'Ted Baker' might be the same with the one by 'Renoma ' in quality, but the price, packaging and availability may differ greatly, making each brand shine out in their own class.

Back at the Bronx, New York in 1959, a Polish-Jewish couple started a small chain of ice-cream which grew to what we know today as the 'Haagen-Dazs'. At that time, most of the ice-creams available in the market were made of artificial emulsifiers and sweeteners; instead, the 'Haagen-Dazs' couple introduced a premium one, made of egg yolk and butterfat. 'Haagen-Dazs' sounds foreign to the American but nevertheless, it carries no meaning at all in Scandinavian. It is just another pseudo-Swedish ice cream brand.

Another easy example is the shop by the name of Beaux-arts (Please see pics). This shop carries a French brand name which means 'fine arts'. As Japanese were enthusiastic about anything foreign, especially from France and America, the Blue Grass Co. Ltd. (A Japanese company) smartly adopted a French brand name although most of the products in display were made in China. The Japanese may thought that it is a foreign brand but, however, the products are nice and I loved the design of its products (Not because of its French brand name).

With regards to the examples stated above, I have been thinking about another new-age concept which is the 'Human Branding'. Take the Jews; they are well-known to be the smartest financial experts and economical consultants. The Indians are known to be brainy in Mathematics and IT while French guys; romantic and love-players. The Arabs; piously-conservative and rich but rough and arrogant, the Chinese; quick-learner and willing to do anything for money while Japanese; hardworking bees but sometimes suicidal. What about us Malaysians? What so special about us apart from living in a harmonious melting-pot of Asian cultures and foods? Or should we just be a 'citizen of the world', branding ourselves with our own personal qualities and capabilities regardless of our origin, race, skin-colour and belief? I think it is about time to think about this...

The need for us to see the bigger picture...

Recently, I got involved in a very interesting casual discussion with foreign friends (of mixed origins and beliefs), currently living in Kyoto. It was a kind of an inter-cultural exchange, where circle of friends meet, express their thoughts, share stories, debates, argue and lastly, conclude a fruitful positive remarks. For the past two years, I used to mingle with Malaysians, where most of the time we will chat about the latest gadgets, cars (Malaysians do love cars), a bit of politics and economy and planning for our next get-together (kenduri, party etc. ). *Sorry, but I am not into football. But as time goes by, workloads mount up and a synchronized time for a chit-chat among us seems unavailable. So, I chose to jump on my own ship, and took my own sweet time knowing new people, learning new culture and mixing around with different crowds, leading me to know these bright and wonderful people.

We have discussed a lot of things together but what I wish to highlight in this post is the need for us to see the bigger picture (with respect to the title) regardless of our background of cultures, origins and religious beliefs.

One of them, a Japanese (a company exec and a seasoned traveller) just visited India. A country as per according to him, represents a large bowl of mixed curry where the smell of it is monotonous but every sips of it, gives you a different taste, rich with spices and strong flavours, depending to which part of the gravy you dipped your spoon in. I personally wonders about the reality as I have never been there by myself but as his story went along, the only thing that really caught my attention was when he said that he would never let his daughter or female friends to be married to a Muslim, due to a real experience he got in India.

This friend of mine with another Indian friend he knew through business trip went to a store selling Mughal Silk, owned by a flamboyant Muslim in Delhi. The owner treated him kindly with an extensive respect (which maybe due to the strong value of Yen he possessed), spoke soft English and even served him 'Chai' while waiting for his long list of orders. Somewhere in between of the trade, a woman claimed to be the owner's wife came with a tray of foods, crying to beg him taste her food and come back home with her tonight, as she claimed that it has been a week since he did not came home (the translation of Hindi was from his Indian friend). The wife even layed herself on the floor in her sari, begging and crying for her husband's mercy but the husband choked her wife, angrily asking her to leave him alone. The flamboyant owner turned hostile in a mere seconds. When he got in, my Japanese friend bravely asked him,"Why do you treat a woman like that Sir?". The owner answered something like this, "I tell you my friend, wife is like a dog, when it did not get what it want, it will bite you. But as soon as you ditch her away, she will come back to you , begging and everything...so I tell you my friend, be careful okay...be careful" (In a deep Indian accent). My Japanese friend lose his spirit for shopping that day, wondering how cruel a marriage could be and to the worst, he generalized it as a marriage with a Muslim.

I am amazed to find his quick conclusion towards this case, which in my opinion, a rare occasion that could happen to any couples regardless of their beliefs. It is true that the owner happens to be a Muslim but in my counter-explanation, I try to explain to him in a delicate manner about Islamic interpretation of marriage (not that I know a lot, but at least some basic foundation) and the importance for him not to see from a rigid angle which led him to a false perception when he easily generalized things.

I did explained to him that in Islam, marriage is a mutual understanding between a man and a woman to share their soul and life, sealed by an oath (akkad) in the name of God (Allah) with qualified witnesses chosen among family members or friends. It is to provide tranquility, emotional, psychological and sexual gratification towards cohesion and solidarity of the society (ummah). The problem with the case he had encountered in India was despite of the equal status given by Islam to husbands and wives, like other cultures, the societal and cultural trends rather than the religion itself governs the role and the position of spouses. In India, most of the Indians do believe that the marriage bond ties them for seven lifetimes. So, when your husband did not come home for a week without any reason, how could you possibly survive another lifetime?

Dear readers, what i would like to emphasized here is that many things do happen in this world and from it, you should learn worthy lessons and the most important, correct lessons. Do not generalize things easily based on a shallow judgement. Be wise to see things from a wider angle and truthfully, I did not stand and explain just because I am a Muslim, but mostly because I do believe that no religion in this world do promote hatred and monstrosity among its believers. I do not believe in either celibacy or monasticism too, so marriage is somehow a sacred thing to me. To married readers, enjoy your marriage and to those who believe in marriage but still did not venture into it yet like me, let's pursuit our destiny. Not too forget to those who failed in their marriage life, I believed that there must be at least, something wonderful you have found in it; either in the form of sweet memories or brilliant children, born as the result of your true love.

Are you doing okay?

Welcome to life...where you cannot afford only excitement and fun all year long...but also with twists and turns around the corner...

Some live in a place with great people, wonderful opportunities and incredible atmosphere...but some may be just less fortunate to live in a crammed country, high-populated pandemic infested place...used to be nice, sometime nice and could be nice...guess it is up to you make your place nice or not...

Here in Kyoto, time flies...A month seems like a week...and a week seems like a day...Finally, you will just realize that this could be one of the greatest periods in your life..especially when you are near to the end...either to start new life somewhere..or start a new chapter at the same place...

Of course all of these do not come as a gift, or maybe it comes...but you just have to accept it. If someone ever told you that there are no recipes for happiness, he is definitely wrong. you could always be happy if you search for it, work for it and grab it when it is there.

Work Hard - Believe it or not, half from your whole life will be spent on working time. So, why not make the best out of it. Be the top notch, earn as many zeros as you can on your paycheck and make your team happy. If possible, maybe you could contribute to the progress of the human race (sounds a little obnoxious but it is all depend on what you do). Surely there will be a time that you feel you are not good enough, just remember that your company or university must be hiring smart people (in most cases). That means you are also smart. You just need some effort to put things in the right direction. Please do not forget that even God promises good outcome out of your hard work.

Enjoy life - Meet friends, go to parties, make trips and these are only small fractions of things suggested here. There are always plenty of opportunities to have fun out there.

Make the best out of nothing - Wise man says "give maximum output out of limited resources". Improve things. You have friends and loved one, blessings from your family and God, you have fun and you have a good well-paid job...is that all? Why not make it better. Often it is easier to sleep. But sleeping does not leave memories and you will surely have enough time on the bed when you get older. Life is short. Live it well. Being young and energetic, let's make the world better. Do not waste the best time of our life doing nothing. Do your best to work well, socialize and enjoy!!! while we still have time and chance for it...


p/s: Please pardon the different fonts. Just incorporating touches of gonzo journalism pioneered by Late Mr. Hunter Thompson. The fish dish is not related at all to the article...maybe it is just another example of doing your best out of nothing? hurmmm...maybe.

Welcome to the new world!!!

Analysts around the world predicted that the world is at the midst of the greatest economic downturn since 1920's. First and foremost, I am not in the qualified position to tell you whether this is accurately true or false. However, what I wish to tell you here is about something you already know, something as an indication to us that a new world is being created and something to prove that this is your reality…and ours to live in.

All the while during the golden era of industrialization and the peak of petroleum reserve discoveries, we blissfully ignored a little less-popular concept called the ‘Human Capital’. People around the world became mesmerized by how rich they were, without realizing that the real crucial asset lies in them. People have forgotten that the cognition they have got inside their head from education and training is worth something. If you call yourself as the so-called new generation of the world, then what is the best way to navigate this new world successfully? And how to ensure that what you do is definitely navigating, and not just drifting?

I wish to urge all of us including myself to do better than what we currently do. Normally, our resilience will only be seen after a state of shock, aligned with the justification of the phrase ‘what does not killed you will make you stronger’. Anyway, why not prepare to be stronger before the downfall? We should just see the world at a more complete way than we previously do.

The new world is full of complexity, with more unthinkable things than what normally happened before. We claimed ourselves as the new generation of the world, thus, we should have realized that the world is changing. We should undo the old ways of thinking, preventing our best ideas to not just fail but backfires. I believe that everyone should do their best in whatever they do, either academically trained or not. If you are a carpenter, be a good one. Try new designs, search for new marketing strategies such as promoting by online-catalogue and secure annual contracts from stable institutions; e.g. schools and universities which will never close in any scarce economic circumstances. If you are just a young executive in a huge firm, which not in the state of a decision-maker, far than affecting the daily operating procedures of the firm, it should never stops you from stimulating changes. You could change yourself first to the better. Use the stick-on notes to remind you on the tasks you currently have in hands, submit to your head-of-department a little earlier than scheduled and discuss part of your proposal with your seniors and team-leader so that you know that your ideas are aligned with the mutual objectives. Remember, it is not where you are but what you do and how you do it that makes a different.

In times like this that graduates fail to secure jobs, senior workers being offered voluntarily separation scheme (VSS) and early retirement, jobs are just the newcomer in the list of your assets. Therefore, maintain it so that you could still pay your monthly expenditures or use to it to invest as a capital to leap on to the next better prospect and higher payment job. That is one of the concepts in human capital, where knowledge and know-how is more valuable than printed notes to help you prosper.

What if we are still a student either the undergrads or the post-grads, with no future job secured? Words spreading out that companies offer limited new posts for fresh grads and a PhD would just scare your future employer away imagining that the title ‘Dr.’ means an extra zero at the back of your pay-slip. Try developing soft-skills indirectly during your period of study, catering weak spots and upgrading existing strength. Do spread our potential to the maximum level. It is currently spring season in Kyoto, and the Japanese do believe that the blooming Sakura symbolizes a fresh new-start. Fellow new generations, why not start now? “Yes, we can!”. I am sure all of us are familiar with this phrase, so let us put it into actions than leaving it as mere words. Best of luck to all! Welcome to the new world!

Just another rantings: Right to be wrong

Every human being is a wonderful creation of God; balanced with desires to allow lust to take control, or just let the whispers from inside guide you to perform good deeds. In life, it is inescapable for you to meet people with different characteristics; some which may get along dearly with you, some which will make you hurt, heartbroken and miserable.

I found out that it is not impossible to find someone who is friendly and get along with you well but drastically change in a very few hours later than that. He or she might even became perverted and saddened.

In my opinion, everyone has their own good side and evil side inside them; in which God tested us on how to balance it wisely or how to manage not to do evil things to yourself and others. In daily life, one may simply face the common option of telling the truth or conspiring lies. The problem will mingle around whether it is worthy to be honest in the world which is full of lies or telling the truth in order to maintain your dignity and pride. One or another, you just have to decide.

Nobody is perfect and never did a bad thing before. It is the degree of insanity that differs us. We just have to wake up from our bad dreams and live with inspiration to lead a better life and that is very essential for life to move on. Sigh will not carry your worries away. If things went really bad and rough, a good cry will eventually let everything goes by. Live on the bright side but do not be a paranoid.

The world is seasonal; with spring, summer, autumn and winter; so do our heart. Let us welcome the best season of all (Did somebody ask me which season?...I don't know...you just have to find it within yourself...Best of luck!).

(Pictures taken during a weekend saunter to Kibune, Northern Kyoto)

English for Science and Math...anyone??? hello...

After long years of colonization by the British, short occupation by the Japanese and later by the British again, Malaysia (formerly known as Malaya and The Malay Peninsular back then) had suffered much in searching for her own true identity. The Brits had left us with nothing (all the worthy commodities were sucked out from the country) but only one useful asset, which is the ability to communicate in English. My grandfather, being a former British Army stationed in Singapore, could speak and write in good English. He is definitely among thousands of other British-educated citizens who are currently in their golden period of age. If you did not believe me, try ask your grandparents. In the 1950's and the 1960's, even the uneducated population could speak good English.

Then, came the time where politicians (mostly British-educated) whose in the name of independence pioneered Nationalism, which in time declare the Bahasa Melayu as our national language. Time flies by and the millenium brings along a new age where undisputedly, English is the current lingua franca. Tun Mahathir, being a progressive leader differ from the previous, then introduce the English for Science and Mathematics Policy (PPSMI), with aims to foster greater understanding towards the language of science and technology and prepare our new generation to compete in the borderless world. What he might not see at that time is that, if the teaching of the English language itself is not efficient (some teachers still teach English by using Bahasa Melayu), how could Malaysian students master Science and Mathematics in English?? And the recognizable effects from all these is that most of Malaysian nowadays, can't even speak properly in both; either Bahasa Melayu or English. Some experts in education even say that by letting a student to master the English language (without having to be specifically associated with Science and Mathematics) is enough to make the student understand any kind of knowledge and information; mostly available in English nowadays.

I believe that the fact that many Malaysian aren't happy with the implementation of the English for Science and Mathematics policy is mostly due to our refusal to embrace the language and would rather stick to our own comfort zone. If no suppressions were received by the Malays during the series of invasion by foreign powers (the Portuguese, the Dutch, the British, the Japanese), Malaysia could possibly still remain as only some clusters of fishing settlements administered by extremely wealthy feudals or landlords. Malaysians especially the Malays really just love to stay in their own comfort zone.

A move to revoke this policy by responding to pressures by certain quarters would just be another episode of flip-flopping. If we end up changing our education system every 5 years or so, we don't even give it a chance to bear fruits. None of us now could say that this PPSMI is a bad thing, because the current batch of students are still undergoing changes. The result could only be seen when they graduated from the university and enter the job market 10 years from now.

I foresee this implementation of PPSMI as a fair ground for all Malaysian. The Malays, the Chinese and the Indians, each will face their own difficulties to adapt in these time of changes. The policymakers should ensure that this policy will make way toward success. We could not turn back time to make a new beginning, but we could always determine a better ending. And now, the decision is in our hands, the time when you have to ask "Excuse me Sir, what should i do with this?..how am i going to deal with that?..." to the pointed-nose white men sitting behind a large oak desk had long gone...wake up Malaysians!!!Its time to write our own history...

Up and rolling...

Life could be so adventurous abroad. It could help you define doors for mental stimulation, gaining life-defining experiences and giving chances for you to acquire new languages, new skills and new ways of doing things.

Unfortunately, not all things abroad are as sweet as you normally hear. Stress, alienation, culture shock and frustrations over unfulfilled demands could be disastrous to your personal life. It is true that there are those little problems that do not amount much in the long run such as confusion at the ATM, complicated forms at Ward Office and trouble to read signs at train stations and determining train routes. However, homesickness could just lead you depression, stress, grief and maybe a panic attack.

According to an article in Kansai Scene, the adaptation process involves stages with three significant ones representing a graph with the shape of a smile. The first few months to a year would be the Honeymoon Stage, where you will be experiencing euphoria. For a student of expatriate in Japan, Japanese lifestyle may likely be more interesting and inspiring than anything you have known before. You may just feel that you have finally found a perfect atmosphere to live in, your future is brighter than ever or that everything Japanese seems so wonderful for you....at first...


The Honeymoon Stage will be followed by a pendulum swing, the Rejection Stage. This is when the negative aspects of living in a foreign culture starts to kick in. Culture differences and limited language abilities hamper your communications with the locals. The lack of familiar faces, warmth smiles and recognizable dialects could just make you miss home more. If you leave the foreign country during this stage, there is a big possibility that you won't come back again. Or if you come back, this whole cycle will start all over again.

I have been through this stage and the best help is normally found at a place you are least likely to look for it. If you are in Japan, try Karaoke with crazy friends, discover new restaurants, go for a massage, hot springs or bath house or try touring all the mosques available in different regions. Try God as it was stated ""Invoke Me and ask Me for anything, I will respond to your invocation (Ghafir:60). As for me, I am very lucky as my prayers were answered, a special guest visited me in Japan during my crucial Rejection Stage. During that two weeks time, we had a very good time visiting DisneySea, Universal Studios Japan, Karaoke-ing, cycle together to have McFlurry at a 24-hour McD, have sushi near the Kamo Gawa River and many more exciting moments unchartered here. In addition to that, I have a wonderful circle of friends here that are always on-the-go for various activities, either it is an adventurous road trip or just a simple barbeque and picnic on the river banks. All of this had accelerated my life from the Rejection Stage into the next comfortable one which is the Accomodation Stage.

The Accomodation Stage is when you have adapted to the new lifestyle. You will be able to see the situation realistically and accept the difficulties without exaggerating both plus points and negative points. Although this stage marks the end of the three stages, I believe that is is just the beginning of a genuine discovery and learning that are the greatest rewards of living abroad. Try living a true life abroad. With an open mind, you will find that it is not as hard as you thought. Best of luck!!!