Hardware
I’ve been fully sold into Apple’s philosophy of a controlled end-to-end user experience. Together with Dieter Ram’s Less but better design philosophy, it’s as important to me to have not have somethings that I only use occasionally.

My Laptop is a Macbook Pro from Late 2008 and have served me well these 3 years, well past the Apple Protection Plan. I’m looking to purchase a new one once the next model arrives. I usually camp this great buyer’s guide for the latest release news.

Phones, Tablets, and Other Mobile Devices
Let’s go mobile!

My Phone is an iPhone 4. I will be getting the 4S the moment I reach the land of the rising sun sometime next month.

My Tablet is an iPad 2. I use it majority for reading ebooks and watching videos. I never run out of things to do on the move.

Accessories

My Mouse is Apple’s Magic Mouse, backed up by Mobee Magic Charger. Induction charging is just so cool. I use the MacBook Pro’s inbuilt keyboard and sometimes my job calls for my Wacom Intuos 3. I got the drawing tablet 7 years ago, without imagining I’d use it as much as I do now. It works so well that I’ve never considered upgrading to the Intuos 4.

Web Browsers, Apps and Extentions
My loyalty to Firefox still hasn’t been shaken by Chrome, but I keep Chrome around as a secondary browser.

LastPass, I absolutely can’t live without this. I can’t even remember the amount of web services I’ve signed up for, let alone the passwords for all of them.

Hide My Ass! Not watching porn should be a decision made by yourself and not your government. Get past those pesky Starhub restriction pages with this simple extension.

Google Reader is my go-to RSS reader. I’ve toyed with the idea of desktop apps, but there wasn’t really any need as the Google Reader is fast and effective.

Desktop Applications

Adium. Perhaps I’m one of the last remaining users of MSN, and only when I’m the last, will I no longer have a need for this. Even though, it’s a multi-platform chat program, I still prefer to use Skype and Facebook Chat’s native interface.

Evernote is still my favourite note-taking app that syncs nicely with my iPhone and iPad. No complains so far.

Sparrow. While the inbuilt Mail app works just fine, Sparrow has loads of well thought-out functions and a pretty interface that got me to fork out US$9.99 for the ad-free version.

Dropbox. Thanks to the beta photo upload promotion and a few referrals, I get by with Dropbox without having to purchase a premium account. I love it. While designing iPhone apps, I put JPGs in my Dropbox and view it on the Dropbox app on my iPhone for a true visualization of how the app will turn out.

VLC. With the recent update to better suit Lion users, VLC has further edged itself in my must-have list of apps. Flawless victory.

Phone Apps

Clear, the Reminders app is nice, but Clear is just a delight to look at. The functions are kept to the minimum, but it just looks so good that you wanna complete things on your lists just so you can interact with it.

Tweetbot, there are plenty of free Twitter apps but nothing comes close to Tweetbot ($2.99). I’ve actually stopped using Twitter for a while now, and started again, just because I like to look at Tweetbot’s amazing interface.

Sleep Cycle. I didn’t believe the app would do any difference at first, but after a few nights of use, it’s been proven. You wake up feeling noticeably well-rested. Maybe because the alarm sounds are much more soothing than the ones that comes with the iPhone.

Good Player. I use this single native app for both my iPhone and iPad and it plays everything without problems. It was a breeze to upload videos and the interface is the best looking I’ve seen so far.

Money. I’ve used several daily expense tracking app in the past, and am disappointed that I couldn’t use Mint in Singapore. I’ve been diligently tracking all my expenses and it gives you a good picture of where you are financially, and where you are spending unnecessarily. If you ironically have cash to drop, you might consider their software that the app was designed to work with.

The black thick-framed glasses, usually without prescription, is a staple in hipster culture, With a 6/6 eyesight, I never considered owning one for the fear of looking pretentious. Trying out a pair of Raybans in a random shop in Sapporo was the turning point. I wanted to own one to appreciate the affectation of the look. And it had to be perfect.

Sure, the black frame was a classic, but I felt the tortoise shell added a little edge. So I eventually settled for the Original Rayban Wayfarers for it’s classic look. I was initially adverse to the way the frame sticks out at the side, but with my new longish do, it didn’t look as odd as it used to. Purchasing online as a cheaper option was one I quickly dismissed, as the customer service form simply could not provide me the service I needed for adjustment and consultation. A stab in the dark visit to ParisMiki at the basement of TampinesOne revealed a pleasant storewide 20% discount, and affirming my chance to score something great. It always pays to visit a few opticians because you’ll save up to $80 (that was the range of prices I was offered for the exact same model).

I like how I’m really decisive when it comes to retail decisions, so I knew immediately that my lens had to be the Transition lens with Crizal coating. Though getting a prescription was unnecessary, I insisted that we do it anyway. The optician did a great job in determining my degree (25 on both lens), which allowed me to see texts at a distance slightly clearer.

It took about four days before I received an SMS for collection. At first, I wanted my Transition lens to be brown, but most of the shops offered only the transition lens from Hoya with the color (even though the Transitions website has it). The original Transition lens adjusted to UV the fastest, and ordering the brown lens took way too long than I was willing to wait. I’m glad that I chose the grey lens, since my tortoise shell ended up slightly darker than I expected it to be, so it looked fine with the grey. I wasn’t satisfied after the first adjustment that I had to return to the shop multiple times, as there are some adjustments you know have to be made only after you’ve worn them for some time.

The Crizal coating was just really cool, although it’s not 100% resistant to finger prints, it’s visibly clearer than the usual uncoated lens. The Transition technology wasn’t as useful in Singapore as the UV in Singapore isn’t strong enough to trigger much of a change, but I bought it with the consideration of moving to Tokyo. I’m extremely satisfied with the product as well as the deal. Now for that Navy blazer to match…

The food came within 5 minutes after I sat down in the non-smoking area. The burger was smaller than I expected but boy did it taste good. The key was the cheese which was perfectly melted and fused with the patty. The bread was crisp and went well with the ingredients. I’m glad I chose the mentai sauce (it was the most Japanese) it tasted heavenly. The entire meal costed 810 yen and is the perfect portion for me.

While I won’t usually blog about some random, simple store, but the food quality here is just to good not to do so.

My lack of snow shoes instilled fear for my life as approached the bus stop waiting for a bus that is nowhere as frequent as the ones in Tokyo. 20 minutes wait and 20 minutes bus ride later, I arrived at Yumiko’s home. Her parents were expecting me of course, and its the first time they had a foreigner guest in their house. They were extremely warm and her mom treats me like a king by immediately explaining my room and providing me with fresh towels for a shower.

After a series of awkward lost-in-translation exchanges (they can’t speak a single word of English), we gathered around the small family table and Yumiko’s mom unleashed a full Osechi meal, which is a traditional meal the Japanese have on New Year. You’re supposed to make all the osechi dishes before the New Year, and eat them during the first three days of the New Year, but we had the dishes on as a countdown celebration. It was delicious and obviously too much food for 4 persons to handle (Yumiko’s brother and her family were supposed to come down but decided to come the next day).

I spent the whole night drinking beer, chatting with Yumiko and her family and watching Kōhaku Uta Gassen, which has aired over NHk for many decades on New Year’s Eve. It’s a program where popular female and male artiste (like SMAP, AKB48, SNSD, DBSK, just to name a few) compete with each other with stunning performances. These performers usually go to after party shows and work the whole night. Respect.

Watching Kōhaku Uta Gassen into 2012.

New Year’s Day
I was still stuffed from dinner last night, but my gourmet ordeal isn’t over as I was made to eat mochi in the morning as a tradition. As Yumiko had some errands to run, I contented myself to playing the with kids. And playing with boys that age, the language barrier doesn’t apply and anything goes. I was visibly tired after 4 hours that their parents told me not to bother with them if I wasn’t up for it. But I could find nothing else I wanted to do. Warning: extremely cute photos ensue.

Morning Mochi

Ueno to Shin-Aomori
Boarding the train when it arrives (it leaves punctually at the stipulated time), I dumped by stuff onto an empty seat on the relatively empty train. During the ride, I was somewhat conscious that someone would want a place next to me, which was rudely occupied by my backpack. But no such things happened. In fact, the only thing that disturbed me was the occasional pushcart of snacks. IQ84 and NCIS on my iPad got me through the 3 hours and 27 minutes fairly quickly.

Shin-Aomori to Hakodate
Arriving at Shin-Aomori station, I had to make a quick transfer (10 mins). Following the signs, it was easy enough to board the Ltd. Exp Super Hakucho 11 headed for Hakodate. The ride was pretty similar to the Shinkansen, with pushcarts and undisturbed reading. I must have finished a third of the book in the past 5 hours.

I finished IQ84 in a week!

Hakodate to Oshamambe
The transfer at Hakodate was the trickiest. The train towards Oshamambe was already on the adjacent track, and I had to react fast, skidding across the severely iced platform to locate the non-reserve carriages. After confirming with a fellow passenger that it goes to Oshamambe, I boarded. I had to stand the entire 71 minutes to Oshamambe. NCIS made it bearable but a reservation of seat would have made it comfortable. Wedged in a small space between the doorway of the only two non-reserved carriage was not at all good experience.

Very depressing town.

Oshamambe to Kutchan
Arriving at Oshamambe at 1341, I was ready for some lunch as there was a 50 minute interval in between rides. But I was instead greeted by a desolate town with no shops in sight. The kombini in the station opened only at about 1415. The toilet was outside the station and bringing three bags to the toilet in the freezing cold was not the best feeling in the world. The one-carriage train arrived at about 1420, and thank God it was pretty empty.

My reward.

Passing by this relatively new shop on our way back from a run, my housemate Eiji, asked if we should give it a try the next day. There was, to be honest, not many ramen choices around Nippori.

We were greeted by a short queue that took usually long, and we had to wait out in the cold due to the lack of space in the store. This was not a promising start. Getting seated down, the service was indeed slower than most good ramen places. Apart from the lack of staff, it seemed like one of them was really just very slow. The cups were not cleared completely before we sat down, which I’m sure is not too uncommon in Singapore. But in Japan, taboo.

The food came soon enough and it looked pretty good. The soup was light and tasty, the noodles was a bit hard for my taste. The egg did not run when I bit into it, which was quite disappointing. It happens to be my favourite ingredient of a ramen and the yolk has to flow like an egg Benedict on a good English breakfast.

The after meal feeling was good, possibly due to the long wait in cold weather before. However, I would rate the food average at best, further dampened by the slow unenthusiastic service. If you are in Nippori and craving ramen, take a train.

I do not know why they translate り (ri) as "li".

Supposed to be their signature dish.

The Japan Rail Pass or JR Pass is a concession for foreigners or Japanese living abroad to enjoy unlimited rides on trains provided by the JR group at a fixed price. This means any line with “JR” preceding, like JR Yamanote, or JR Joban. After reading about domestic flights, I’ve decided to purchase a JR Pass instead, choosing flexibility and price over speed.

While there are passes which are valid within certain areas, ie Hokkaido Rail Pass which allows you travel on routes like from Sapporo to Hakodate, and since I have to make my virgin trip to Hokkaido from Tokyo, so the one I needed was the Japan Rail Pass, which is applicable throughout Japan.

I bought a 14 day pass from the JTB office at Raffles City at 45100 yen, which is a standard rate everywhere. The amount you pay in SGD fluatuates according to the exchange rate and don’t try changing your money first and paying in yen, because JTB offers the best exchange rate (1.72 over 1.82 at money changers). Some travel agencies will charge an extra if you use your credit card, but JTB has no such bullshit. The more expensive “green cars” option is so that you can sit on the first-class carriages in the Shinkansen, which I did not need to. If my ass can withstand upteen 3-tonne tunnel rides, it can withstand an ordinary carriage seat.

After you fork out the dough, you will be issued an exchange voucher and a form that you can indicate the start date of your pass. The form is available at the exchange office if you misplaced it. When you land in either airport, you can choose to immediately exchange your pass, or if you are not sure when you want to begin, you can always visit one of the many JR Pass exchange offices around. Presenting your voucher together with your passport, you will get a card that you can flash at station masters (there’s usually one by the side of the row of turnstiles).

With the JR Pass, you can choose to reserve seats on the Shinkansen, but this is usually not neccessary except for peak periods. Here’s a video outlining the entire project, have fun spamming your Japan Rail Pass!

The connoisseur of masturbation indulges in the latest in masturbation technology, with the help of adult videos, all the in the presence of his girlfriend who does her sewing quietly. Truly a man’s man.

Now that I’m in Japan, cup noodles have been a staple for a struggling artist like me. With tight timelines, sometimes I’m just not willing to brave the freezing cold to get that bento from Todo. The cup noodle museum in Yokohama recently commissioned artisans to recycle the famous disposable cups into washable dishware for everyday use. Not only is it an excellent way to help Mother Earth by reusing the otherwise disposable cups, it’ll just be a totally awesome conversation starter that sits on your work desk. Alex, the cup noodle geek is pleased.

Read article here.