I wish that I could say this is me but it's not. That's the 2nd Year in a row i haven't skiied or snowboard and I'm going stir-crazy. Australia! Australia here i come next year!!!

I thought i was buying into the hype - I thought, maybe it's not that good. It's just big and overhyped and glitzy and crowded. It's probably nothing.

But it was some of the best money spent on cover charge in a long time. 'nuff said. (the company had something to do with it of course)

Do you know how difficult it is to call out of the country if you don't have an IDD card or World Card or International Calling Card or any funky international calling thingummys? Check this.

At a loss, I called ***, my faithful friendly S****** Help line.
I was directed to ***. Then I had to slog through some robotic Voice activated answering system - finally, dialling 0 gave me the operator.
"Operator! I need to call this number in Japan." I gave the number.
"Ok, I try."
Wait 3 minutes.
"Sorry sir, it seems you need an area code."
Ah-ha! preempting that, I had already found out the Area code! Genius. I gave it.
"Ok, I try again."
Wait 3 minutes.
"Sorry sir, I cannot get through, I'll contact the Japanese call center for you."
Wait 4 minutes.
"Sir, are you trying to call Sapporo?"
Yes, I told her.
"Sir, but this place is called Hokkaido."
"Sapporo is in Hokkaido." I said a little testily. Surely everone knew that.
"I'll try again, Sir."
Wait 3 minutes.
"Sir, we need a seven-digit phone number, and you gave us a ten-digit number."
"Take the last seven-digits then."
"Yes, Sir, please hold on."
Wait 3 minutes.
"Sir, do you want a direct call transfer or Blah-blah-blah?"
"A direct call transfer, thanks."
"Sir, can you give me your contact number?"
I gave it, eagerly.
"Sir, can you....


wah biang.
it's so frustrating that it's frustrating me to write this.

to summarize it was a comedy of errors. When we finally got through to the Japanese Hotel Reception, it was like "Y-E-N-G??" "Y-E-U-N-G?"

ah i give up.

and I never got through to my parents.
SO SAD!

I opened the door tentatively, and called out, "I'm home!". I could hear sounds in the kitchen, and a heavenly aroma slowly wafting throughout the house. As I entered the kitchen, however, I found only the help, making dinner. "I'm home!" I called out again, louder this time. The help shook her head - no one was around. I crept through the house, subdued by the silence and peace. Perversely, I missed the bustle and hustle of the family. As I peeked into their rooms, their inner sanctums, it dawned on me that I was the only one left. They had gone away, and I was all alone.

Melodramatics aside, all I'm trying to say, is that it's going to be hard choosing which car to drive everyday, while la familia freeze their collective butts off on their annual pilgrimage to the white mountains of hokkaido.

THE KINGDOM

The Key to the Kingdom

is made of stainless steel, with a little plastic head. It's attached to a small, brown device which has several buttons of differing size on it.

"THE TIME HAS COME." A voice thundered inside my head. "YOU HAVE BEEN FOUND WORTHY, AND DESERVING OF THIS BESTOWMENT OF HONOUR."

"THE TIME HAS COME."

"Catch." The Father held the key by it's ring, then tossed it to me across the hall. I held it up, more than a little awed at it's awesome potential. It caught the light and shimmered, glinting with promise. I could see The Father standing across from me, framed by the circular key ring, a little uncertain grin on his face, as if he had opened a pandora's box but nothing had come out.

I shook the key a little, amazed it was finally in my hands. It chimed sonorously, as it jingled on the keyring. I felt like Frodo, holding the One Ring. I felt like Arthur, pulling Excalibur out of the stone. I felt like Captain America, being presented with his shield by Roosevelt. I felt like Beatrix Kiddo, testing the blade of her freshly-forged Hattori Honzo sword. I felt like Michael Jackson holding a little boy's hand...

A great King had once said, "A horse! My kingdom for a horse!" These days, people don't ride horses to get around much. They drive cars. Permit me to update what the King said. "A car! My kingdom for a car!"

The key to the kingdom, indeed.

today, i went into a room to watch an 8 minute video of tragedy and tears, of mnemonic anguish and stern faces. mangled bodies and lives destroyed in an instant of folly, in an instant of fate.

yet, i hadn't felt so happy in days.

a red-shirted floppy-haired odd-jobbing youth, a bespectacled man, a long-suffering aunty, a laughing pregnant lady and a quiet middle-aged gent in a striped shirt and grey pants were united with me in one common joy.

in our laughter and celebration, in our thanksgivings and well-wishes, we forgot those who by an instant of folly, or an instant of fate, failed to join us in that room.

Jonathan and Perlin, two people who i met earlier before our seperation, were as human as the rest, were as deserving as the survivors. Jonathan was a serious-mannered medical student, and Perlin, the long-lashed Pan Pacific hotel employee. I might never see them again.

So let us observe a moment's silence for those who failed -



then LET'S GET DRUNK AND BUANG YOUR CARS AND LOSE YOUR LICENSES ON THE NIGHT YOU GET THEM!!!!! WOOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!