Chinese (Lunar) New Year

Soon it would be the Chinese (Lunar) New Year. Since I came to Japan in October 2010, I could hardly get home by the new year, because Japanese new year is different from the Lunar Calendar. Especially after started my working life here, it is even harder to plan homecoming according to the traditional occasions in Malaysia, as they are usually normal working days in Japan.

This year, is my second year working as a Web designer, a new field, in a new company where the environment is slightly more flexible and performance based, as compared to the previous traditional Japanese company. I took my chance to plan for a long awaited Chinese New Year homecoming. It is not as long and relaxing as I wish it can be, but a chance to go back on new year is already luxurious enough.

I don’t particularly like the hectic and busy schedule during the new year celebration, frequent moving between relatives’ places, listening to the updates (small talks?) between the ladies, being asked about my private life by all the relatives repeatedly, etc. But despite all the rather awkward time trying to explain my life to everybody every time I get to a new house on the trip, it is a good chance to get in touch with all my family and relatives.

Going to bring along my iPad and Traveler’s Notebook to take down every moment of rejoice with my family. My cute little niece who was born in last March, it will be our first time to meet each other. Heard from everyone that she loves laughing, or to be exact, she laughs all the time. Can’t wait to meet this little angel! Hope she’ll like the little present I plan to bring for her.

Miss the green in the cold

These are some paintings I made in the summer. Ohh.. How I miss the heat. Hahaha… You must have thought that I’m crazy.

I was born in Malaysia and had spent 2/3 of my life there. As much as I love this country that I am now living in, I can’t get myself to like the coldness of winter. I like how soft the snowflakes were, not the temperature that had brought them to me.

I still remember that when I was in my first and second year in Japan, I would have more than 4 to 5 layers of clothes everyday during winter to endure the coldness. They were heavy and bulky, but warm. I would look rounder than I was in summer, during winter. Half of the reason was my clothings, another half was the unlimited appetite during the cold days. I guess I was trying to get the warmth from the hot food, by trying to persuade myself that I needed more fat to keep myself warm enough 😀

I get much better now. As long as I don’t have to stay outdoor for a long time, I can reduce my clothes to around 2 to 3 layers depending on the thickness. But I still don’t really like winter. The daytime is shorter. Everyday, I woke up in the darkness, and when I leave the office (even if I leave on time) in the darkness. It was during my first winter in this country that I realize how I love sunlight.

I hope that warmer days are nearer, though the coldest days have yet to come (sigh). Take care everyone, don’t catch cold!

Home sweet home

When I was little, the limited small world of mine, between the school and home was always a little restricted and lack of freedom, even though being loved undoubtedly by my family. In those days, with the repetitive daily routines, I sometime thought that it would be fun to go for adventure, out in the society, doing whatever I like, like most of the kids, eager to grow, and to leave home.

Without actually thinking deeply about what I wanted to do in the future, as time passed, time to leave home had come unexpectedly faster and earlier than I thought it would be. I left home when I was 17, to enter the pre-university college. Since then, I hadn’t been able to stay at home for more than 1 month each time I went back during my breaks from study or work.

In the beginning of those days leaving home, I was busy getting myself adapt to the new environment. Well, every time when I moved to new places, there will be days busy with exploring the new places and getting myself settled down. But when the usual daily came back to me, I would come to realize this string that bound my heart to the homeland far away, and the people I loved. How precious was those days at home, those meals we ate together, those little talks we share with each other, those laughters bursted out shaking the old house.

From time to time, I do miss home, on my way heading to pursuing what I wanted to do, I do miss home.

The lively greens

It has been almost a year since I had changed my job, into the IT sector. As a web designer, most of my time was spent in front of the computer. I started to find my eyesight deteriorating in a constant pace (according to the regular health check results). As the season changes, humidity drops, I also found my eyes get dried really frequently.

Miss the soothing green, the smell of moist soil, and slightly humid air. Maybe I should spend more time walking in the parks, to have my eyes refreshed from time to time. Hmm, maybe I should go have a pair of glasses for pc works, for the sake of my eyes in the long term.

I really love those places, where civilization blends in the nature, like the benches near the reserved woods, or the tunnel of the train tracks through the hills. The damages we had caused to the environment were inexcusable, but these sceneries of the combination and harmony of man’s invention and the nature, had always brought me a mixture of admiration to the strength of the nature to cope with changes, and the sadness from the man made scenes.

These two paintings were made with watercolor and colored inks. One was based on the scenery of a park in the neighborhood, the other was a train I had taken with my parents during our trip when they visited me here in Japan few years ago. I had not been painting pure scenery for quite some time (there are some other themes that I’m working on), but always remembered the satisfaction that comes with completing one. If I find somewhere inspiring, might paint them out some time 🙂

Visiting Friend in The Woods

Similar to mushrooms in the last post, trees, forests, woods, are always inspirational to me too. Though I am usually not an outdoor person, once in a while I would feel the urge to at least go to the park, to breathe in air with the smell of soil, plants and moisture, at least during each of the season change.

It reminded me the brief leisure breaks during the weekends that my father used to bring us to, near a river basin in a forest not so far from our home. The icy cold water of the stream, giant rocks that had become our tables for picnic, small little stalls selling snacks…… Those memories, clear in some parts, cloudy in others, were just so nostalgic.

It’s like visiting an old friend. Looking up to the tip of the tree branches, with the cooled air under the shading leaves, it’s like revisiting that river bank, that I hadn’t been to for years after leaving home. It’s like visiting an old friend.

Soon, it would be the season of leaves falling, it’s time to schedule in another walk in the park 🙂

The Mushroom Vill

I always love the mysterious and magical atmosphere brought by mushrooms, despite being tasty and nutritious ingredients in our everyday meals. Years ago, when I was watching “The Lord of The Ring”, the scene of The Shire has given me this idea of a village where all the houses were giant mushrooms.

Over the years, mushroom houses with small animals as the residents had been one of my favorite theme to paint with. Just a while ago, I had made this painting of the rabbit having its afternoon nap on the rooftop of its house.

It’s getting colder recently. A day with warm sunshine would be really comfortable. It’s the perfect season for outing, especially when it’s sunny. No worry of getting sweaty nor is it too cold to stay outside. Have you been to anywhere? Mmm… wish to go get something delicious on my day off. Maybe soon. 🙂

Once in a while, I would probably be posting more paintings of mushroom houses with other animals. Hope you would like them 🙂

Crazy fun with the bunnies’ siblings

These are some watercolor illustrations about the siblings of a bunny family. They are mostly about the childhood of the siblings, having fun to the fullest together, in their beloved homeland.

Those time spent aimless just to chase after each other, play silly games and get scold together, share risks without hesitation, are always those that remain clear in memory and shine through darkness.

As we grow to learn more about reasons, the rights and wrongs decided within the community, and the value of time, we stop spending those “meaningless” time with each other, and forget the way to laugh without a reason to.

Maybe we should, try to retrieve a little of that careless selves of us, back with us in between our daily battles and struggles to reach the highly set aims in the far front. They might lighten the weight on our shoulders, and at times show us the options that were not visible before.

Take a breath, stretchhhh…… and get ready for another go!

Let’s try it out together? Wish we could have as much fun as we pursue our goals ^^

The adventure of the bunny

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This is a series of three paintings that made by using watercolor and colored inks, in 2017. The paintings are made to convey a short motivating story, of the character, the bunny. The series started out with the first painting of the bunny discovered a mysterious cave covered under bushes that seemed to connect to the other side of the forest.

The second painting showed the view at the exit of the cave where there was a high and steep rocky hill that questioned the bunny’s courage.

The third painting was the view from the peak of the hill, showing the bright and graceful fireflies near the swamps on the other side of the hill.

This series of paintings were made, with the purpose to motivate people who are considering of taking in challenges to achieve their goals. They were also made to self-motivate myself to take the risk of changing, in order to pursue what I had dreamed of doing.

I hope, they would be able to encourage all of those who are facing an opportunity or given a choice to decide on, to take their challenge in turn.

Have a nice day 🙂

Saturday Lunch

Today’s weather is much bearable as the southern wind warms up the land.

With the target to cut down the expenses for the sake of the trip planned for the coming May, I had been spending few weekends staying at home (except last week in Sapporo).

Getting bored by the emptiness of the day, yet the coldness out there had prevented me from going outdoor during the breaks. The available activities left are just writing, painting, indoor greens maintenance and cooking.

With the health check awaits in March, I had been trying to have more healthy diets. Here is one of the examples: Chinese style soy-sauce based chicken soup, fried Japanese mustard spinach, fried egg and rice.

南風のお蔭で今日は暖かくて過ごしやすい1日であった。

五月の旅行のために貯金に気にかけ、最近週末は出掛けていなかった(先週の札幌行き以外)。

休日で空いている時間が多く、暇ではあるが、屋外の寒さは外出する衝動を抑えてくれる。作文、絵画、グリーンたちのメンテ、料理することのローテーションを続けていた。

そして、3月に健康診断を控えてますので、健康的なダイエットを作っている。これはそのメニューの１つ:鶏肉と椎茸の煮付け、干し魚と小松菜の炒め物、卵焼き。

南风带来了暖气流，让难熬的冬日有个缓气的空隙。

为五月里预定的旅行，得努力把钱省下的近几周都没敢出门（除了上周的札幌游）。

周末的时间悠闲却空洞。可是，屋外冰冷的空气总能把外出的冲动压下。就只能在写写文章，挥挥画笔，照顾屋里的绿色植物，烹饪实验之间轮着转。

另外，三月里的身体检查让人不得不开始做些健康的食物。这是最近煮的其中几道菜：香菇木耳炖鸡汤，干鱼仔炒油菜，煎蛋。

My little oasis

Being away from home, can be very lonesome. Of course, there might be more freedom; but, still, living in a city where no one close is around, days can be as dull and tough as you can ever imagined. 

To compensate for whatever stress i came across the day, these are the little warmth that would answer honestly to the time spent and the effort paid.