Flowers!


Hokkaido is BIG on flowers and all things green. Even on ordinary streets they have the prettiest flowers and they are all neatly arranged in nice prim and proper rows. something i've learnt about Japan is that its a neurotically organised and systematic country. even the flowers have their allocated parameters and ordered arrangement of growth. we went to a flower farm called Farm Tomita and Mom was practically in flower heaven, spending time dwelling in the presence of her favourite things in the history of creation.

Landscape

Hokkaido also has one of the most incredible and breath-taking landscapes i've ever seen (ok i haven't seen a lot to be honest). the vast amount of faming land is rather impressive for a relatively small country like Japan. i love Hokkaido's landscape. endless fields of green with random little houses scattered here and there. the rows in the padi fields are neat like you wouldn't believe. maybe they used rulers and protractors to plant their crops. and the water in the fields are so still it looks like a piece of transparent glass... its as if you can just lift up the entire layer. along the way we saw school kids having a school trip down to the fields. they really get down on their knees and soak their all fours in the mud to learn.

Toilets!!

I have to blog about their toilets. they are absolutely amazing. i suspect Japan's vision is to be the most considerate country in the world. it's true what everybody says and everybody else hears. their toilet bowls are high-tech. each toilet bowl comes equipped with a panel of buttons on the right. every bowl has a bidet system (water-spraying system for butt washing purposes). and there will be at least 3 buttons on the panel- start, stop and a knob to control the (get this) water pressure of the spray. i mean.... what??! my favourite feature has got to be the seat warmer. in a cold chilly place like Hokkaido, having to put your bare butt on an icy cold slab of plastic to do your business is no pleasant encounter. but hey! seat warmers save the day! you can sit down in comfort because your toilet seat is warm. its one of the best feelings in the world. on top of that, if you are embarrassed that you pee too loud, just press a button you will hear the sound of a waterfall instead of your own pee. cool huh. they even have a child seat in the cubicle for moms! now all they need is to throw in a couple of magazines and newspapers and nobody would ever want to come out after they've gone in.

All right. So that's Japan... Meanwhile, life is crazy busy! there's so much happening i don't know where to start. Zone camp next week yay! we're going out of singapore haha but its just to JB. but i'm just really thankful to be in G zone cos it means we can sleep on proper beds. i'm really excited being the camp IC. it's going to be amazing! can barely wait for revival nights...lives are going to be transformed i know it. and right after i'll be playing keyboard for YYC! haven't really practised enough yet so i'm going to pract in church tomorrow. rarrrr! but i really can't wait to see the kids worshipping. there's just something about children being able to connect with God that leaves you in speechless awe and wonder.

things are not going well for Christianity here in general. until now, i've never really realised the significance of having only one newspaper here. one voice, one side of the story. it isn't really journalism anymore, right? i mean, how fair is it to anyone that you take 10seconds out of a 1 hour plus sermon and show it to people and get their opinions based on that 10 seconds to make a full-fledged stand? who would want their own stories to be told in the same way? would you?

as long as you show the public the full, complete, raw deal as what it originally was, and let them decide for themselves what they feel and think, i don't have a problem. isn't this the original way of journalism. tell it like it is. not in the way you want it to be heard or told.

i don't care about the pro or anti sides. just gimme the truth anyday.