After almost 1 year in Japan

after 11 and a half months staying in Japan, lot's of things to share

• i bought my iphone4 here one week after i arrived. I didn't quite like the phone because it don't support a lot of technology i'm using, like Flash contents. But since everybody bought it so i bought it too.
• i bought my Sony NEX-5 Camera after i received my first salary payment 1 month later. Fortunately made it to the awesome yellow leaves autumn season in japan. 
• attended Japanese training classes for 3 months after i arrived here together with a bunch of great friends from lots of different countries.
• experienced the first earthquake in my life about 1 and a half month after i arrived. It was just a small one, one of my friends even joked about it, saying it was too weak, he was hoping for some stronger quakes and more fun. I don't think that was a good idea. 
• after 3 months, performed my first presentation in japanese. Acted in drama too with friends. 
• On job training, performed my 2nd presentation in japanese to my department. It was about my thesis in my university, University of Malaya. Prepared for a night or so, my title was "Audio Visual Recognition System". 
• Finally understand the sentence of "don't joke about bad things". 11th March, 9.0 Richter Scale Earthquake. Strong like hell. Ran out of the building. Tsunami and Nuclear explosion followed. Many people died. Feel sad.
• went to my first solo trip in japan for around 10 days. Destination was Osaka. Objective, to stay there, avoid and monitor the nuclear explosion situation. Of course i was carrying my credit card that time so if any deadly accident happened, i could fly home from Osaka. 
• Finally i didn't go home, i stayed in Japan. I went back Tokyo after 10 days. This was the time too i experienced my first shinkansen trip at 300km/h (japanese bullet train).
• attended 1 month of Corporate Entry Program of my company with other new japanese employees in April. Experienced the lowest point in my life here as i realised how weak was my japanese communication ability. 
• Attended some training programs in May and June. For example robotics, programming etc. 
• In july, went back malaysia for 2 weeks for the first time, met lots of friends and my family. Drove to Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Singapore to meet my friends. Spent lots of money.
• July, another lowest point in my life. Shot by my boss about my attitude of learning and adapting to the environment. I was not sure what they want from me. Was feeling very down.
• August, turning point in my life here. Starting the first design project of my own for our next generation products. Feel happy again, finally getting back again to real business. 
• With my experience in university, feeling confident about the progress of my project. However, things changed. With hundreds of previous designs in the server, realizing i need to get through a lot of them, calculate and understand everyone of them in order to start my part in the project. Feeling tension again as i'm in "self learning" mode from the beginning as nobody  was free to teach me anyway. Hair turning white again. 
• reached the top of mount fuji in August. From the 1st station until 10th station(top).
• keep on progressing with my first project. For designer, normally we need to plan for months before really start drawing something on the computer screen.
• Attended some R&D presentations of my company. Received lots of information about latest technology. Felt refresh and beginning to have some new ideas for my project.
• Went to CEATEC Japan in october, a mega technology exhibition. Felt that japanese are really great and clever in science and technology. Inspired by everything.
• Keep on progressing with my project. Realized that the expectation from people on me is higher. I need to perform. my first design project is exactly what the interviewers asked me in my interview session last year. The interview question sounded like this: I need you to do this, how long can u finish it?. My answer : 1 year.
• Can i really do it in 1 year? If i cannot, there is no point i'm here. I need to do it. 
• Attended the first seminar in japanese. Feel more comfortable with the language now. Watching lots of TV programs, news, listening to radios, musics to improve my japanese.
• Passed my JLPT N2 exam (Japanese Language Test Level2). Aiming for JLPT N1 end of this year. 
• Failed to get the entry into next year's Tokyo Marathon. feeling disappointed. Too many people apply for the marathon. I'll try to find another marathon event to participate during this coming winter.
• Bought my first CD in Japan. Angela Aki's "White".
• I finally know where is my favourite place in Japan. -- Maruzen bookstores.
• Still single, available, 24 years old. i've lot's of career planning for my future. But i need advices. I'm not clear enough about myself.
• met people from around the world, realized lot's of differences. 
• I feel japanese treating me better then people back in my country. Tell me i'm wrong.
• My target in 1st year here not yet been fulfilled. i was lazy. i'm lazy. but i'll not lazy.

The journey keeps on going.