Japanese Student Exchange Program on 6 Oct 09

It was rather by chance that I was involved in this Japanese Student Exchange program. It was one random day when I received an instant message from Aiman, saying something about if I wanted to be involved with the Japanese Student Exchange Program. Anybody who knew me well enough will know that for sure, my answer is a big big YES!

Thus, I contacted my Care Person to know more about it and also to inform her that I wish to take part in this. It took some time for the details to be release but everything looks promising. Though, I have to comment on the fact that the organizing team seems to be rather inexperienced in dealing with tasks like these. The organizer our Care Person directed us to gave us the details while another person smsed us and gave us different details. Such confusion. This was of course quickly solved after a quick sms to the organizer. The organizer in question was not very detailed with his instructions as well. We don't even know that we had to get them a gift until a little less than a week to go. Plus, details like which school they are from, what age they are, what we will be doing were not stated as well. They really should improve on that. All I know of is that they are going to visit my school and they will be interviewing us on our life in school and stuff like that for their assignment.

With around 2 days to go before the exchange program, I had already bought my gift for them, brushed up a little on my Japanese(though it's still crappy), and I am left with more brushing up on my Japanese(just in case we have problem communicating with one another), plus wrapping of the gift. There are still other little miscellaneous stuff I have to do but I shan't mention them here or I will be boring you.

Here's what I know for now:

====Start of report====

Briefing Meet-Up
Date: 06 October 2009, Tuesday
Time: 11am
Venue: LT 13
Attire: White shirts + jeans + covered shoes. Strictly NO shorts and slippers.

Things to prepare
A gift with value worth of less than $5 as per instructed on email. This will be given to your buddy*.

It is advisable that the gift should be something they couldn't get in their homeland.

*Details in Event Details section.

Event Details
What is your task:
1) Buddy - Each and everyone involved will be paired up with a Japanese student. The pairing is done male to male and vice versa.
2) Be interviewed - Apparently the Japanese students have to do an assignment on TP life and student life in TP. Thus they will be asking you questions related to their assignment.
3) "Tour Guide" - You will be bringing them around TP. As far as I know, bonding sessions have been canceled due to time constraint.
4) Have fun and make more friends! - Do I really need to explain this?

Actual Event Duration:
Date: 06 October 2009, Tuesday
Time: 1pm to around 6pm.

About the Japanese Students
*The details here might have some errors. This was gathered from my research and also from the organizer himself.*

School: Kumamoto National College of Technology
Number of students: 45

====End of report====

Details/Changes/Updates will be made/included the moment I know any more details. I hope that it helps you all out there...

Monday, 28 September 2009 Collection of my spectacles and wallet

Monday, 28 September 2009
I went to collect my spectacles($188) upon receiving a call from the shop that it's ready for collection. After much pondering, I finally bought the long wallet which I was eying since last Friday from The Wallet Shop.

I had been wanting to get a new wallet since my old one couldn't contain all the cards I have. It wasn't an easy decision considering that the one which caught my eye costs $119. I had initially set my heart on the $109 long wallet from the same series. However, as the salesperson pointed out, the $109 one didn't have a expandable bottom. That would meant that it wasn't able to contain as much things as the $119. However, the $109 one had a nicer interior design with it's choice of pink x black for slots while the $119 interior design is all in pink.

In the end I choose the $119 wallet for practicability. Thankfully, The Wallet Shop was having some kind of promotion such that with each $45 of the whole item cost, you will receive a $5 discount. As my wallet costs $119, I was eligible for a discount of $10, which reduce the price to $109.

I suppose certain people will be OMG-ing by this point of time at the price of the wallet but it's real leather...so yeah.

As always, pictures below.

My Guy Laroche Long Wallet

My handphone network is down!

Just to let you know folks, I had used up my prepaid card amount so network is down for my handphone. I can't receive sms/calls...until I top up. I don't know when I will be topping up so don't sms or call me now...I will tell you folks when I had topped up my handphone credit here.

If you need to find me, just call my house number...since I have the Mio Voice now and incoming and outgoing calls are unlimited and free. Or just tag/email/Private Message me...

*I want a software unlocked Japanese Mobile Phone!*