I got a NetBook!

Having done some homework on Google about what netbooks would fit my needs, I decided to go for HP Mini 210 series model. Why? Here’s my requirements and I wasn’t that picky:

• OS Supports Japanese: Able to enter and display Japanese character set (I frequently use my facebook and Mixi in Japanese, and surfing Japanese web sites)
• CPU: Atom N450 or better (I don’t want the old N270, and N450 integrates the GPU & memory controller with less power consumption)
• Battery Life: 4 to 5 hours, min. 6-cell type
• RAM: Min. 1 GB
• Hard Drive: Min. 150GB (need to transfer my 12MP photos and 720p HD video clips taken from my camera on vacation trips)
• Weight: Light, must be less than 3 lbs.
• Size: Small, must be smaller than my ThinkPad X61
• Price: Cheap, under $399 Canadian dollars before taxes
• Keyboard: Comfortable typing

Reviewing people comments from forums, customer feedback postings, and product review from CNET, I found out that netbooks with Windows XP do not fit my need of Japanese support. Quite numbers of people complained about they were asked to insert a Windows XP CD when they’re trying to add Japanese/Chinese characters support. Usually netbooks do not come with a set of Windows OS CDs. Besides, netbooks do not equip with a CD-ROM drive. So, it really depends on how much XP contents pre-installed in the netbook by manufacturers. In addition, Windows XP is very old. Why not getting the latest Windows 7 Starter version, which is specialized for netbooks, and YES, Windows 7 does support Japanese input and display.

Browsing around BestBuy and FutureShop, it’s easy to spot a lot of netbooks that are still using Atom N270 in the current market. Atom N450 was just release around 2 months ago, so the choice of netbooks having N450 equipped are limited. Even the latest Dell.ca netbook model Mini 10v does not have the Atom N450 option but N280. I picked the HP Mini 210 series model as my final choice because it did fit all my requirements. In additions, Mini 210 provides a very handy instant-on application called ‘QuickWeb‘ that is launched in 1 second instantaneously once the netbook is powered on. The QuickWeb application provides direct access to Email, IM, Web Browing, Photo Viewing, and Music Playing without booting up the Windows OS. Sometimes I just need to check my emails and surfing Internet, this HP application is a super convenience!

In terms of weight, I was surprised that the HP mini 210 is still quite heavy (to me though), about 2.8 lbs. Well, for most people, 2.8 lbs is very light; however, I’m so used to my laptop which is a Lenovo ThinkPad X61, weight around the same closing to 3 lbs. I’m guessing the 2.8 lbs heavy HP mini 210 may be due to the 6-cells battery. Other older netbook models usually come with 3-cells battery, which provides much shorter running power. In terms of size, pretty obvious if you look at the pictures below. I intentionally compared the HP mini 210 with my ThinkPad X61 12″.

Smaller eh? Have to be! Otherwise I won’t pick up a netbook, I will be shopping a laptop instead! Price-wise, the week I checked was around $369.95 at BestBuy, but $10 cheaper at FutureShop. They’re all selling the same configuration HP Mini 210 with Windows 7 and 160GB (5400rpm) hard drive. I couldn’t find the HD (High Definition) version that provides a faster graphics chip and higher screen resolution in 1366×768 with HDMI output and 1080p video playback. Well, with HD feature, the price tag will most likely exceed my budget anyway, and I really do not prefer to use a netbook to play HD video while I’m having my PS3 bluray player to take care of the HD multimedia entertainment. So, I’m fine with the regular version of 1024×600 resolution. Stopped by Costco to do a price check and found a surprise. With the same price tag $369.95, Costco offered the same model except with a bigger 250GB (7200rpm) hard drive. What a deal! Without a doubt, I got my netbook from Costco. Whooho!

JLPT2, I passed but really failed!

Finally, after 2 weeks of postal delay, I got my JLPT2 result today. Came home, saw a big envelope from York University laid on the kitchen table. I was thinking: “It’s a big envelope not a small one, whoohoo! So I passed?” Honestly speaking, I didn’t expect to pass the JLPT2 I took last year in December. I knew that I missed lots of questions either due to my bad time management or no clues on the proper answers, but I did my last action to fill out ’3′ or ‘C’ on the answer sheets at the last minute. I got my result today. I passed, but I’m ashamed.

I fully admitted, I passed this JLPT2 exam in a pure luck fashion. Period. Obviously, marking ’3′ or ‘C’ as the answer helped a lot when time was running out for me to fill out all the rest of 25 circles on the answer sheet. I failed the Reading-Grammar section and I deserved it because I didn’t study hard. Overall score is passed (basically just passed, slight over official passing score 60%), but I knew deeply inside my heart I actually failed because most answers were randomly picked. I passed but I really failed. Well, I think I deserve another trial. I will take N2 this December and hope I will be well-prepared by that time without relying on pure lucky picked answers!

I Want a Netbook

I want a NETBOOK! Because everyone has one!?

Well, not really. I am going to have a vacation trip soon and I want to carry a Netbook with me. Why? It’s inexpensive, light, handy, and usually comes with a big HD storage (over 100GB is big for me, my ashamed desktop is only 40GB, yeah it’s a pretty old PC) that I can transfer photos and videos taken from my T900 daily during my trip without the needs of purchasing few extra expensive memory sticks (even FutureShop still charges $99.95 for a piece of 16GB today, I need two and it will cost me like $200 plus TAXES!) . Besides, if I have a Netbook on my trip, I can google local sightseeing information, restaurant information, weather information, map direction information, and local news, etc., in my hotel room. What a convenience, eh? Of course, I can also use it to update my travel blog and upload the latest and gorgeous photos to my Facebook and making all my friends jealous on me enjoying a wonderful vacation trip while they’re all still working hard at office.

I want a netbook! I want a HP Mini 210!

Taking my test

“I’m not ready!” but time’s up. Today’s the JLPT big day globally around the world, December 6th, 2009. Unlike last year with snow storm on the JLPT day, today early morning around 8:15am, I drove to York University smoothly. People were lining up to register. Different lines were for different levels: JLPT1, JLPT2, JLPT3, and JLPT4. I was at the line of JLPT4 two years ago with envy eyes starring at folks standing at the other lines. I was at the line of JLPT3 last year also with envy eyes staring at folks mumbling at the lines of JLPT2 and 1. Today, I felt quite proud of myself standing at the line of JLPT2 and looking at people starring at me jealously from the lines of JLPT3 and 4. Gees, what a human nature!

Around 9:50am, orientation started at the big auditorium. Then we moved to the actual exam room. About 10:30am, my exam started. Vocab and Kanji, break, then Listening, break, then Reading and Grammar, done, and finished. I failed. I missed lots of questions either due to my bad time management or no clues on the proper answers. Listening section was the only one I felt a bit comfortable, because NHK TV news waked me up almost every weekday morning in the past year. Other sections, sucked. Well, I didn’t study well, I didn’t prepare well. What could I expect? Yeah, a small envelope from York University by next March

おたんじょうび

自分に　お祝い言葉がお誕生日おめでとうございますと言った。　ばかじゃないの？　ばかじゃないよ。　今日は　特別な日だけど、本気に　僕の誕生日だ。　 はい、そうだね、いちがつ　はつか。　それで、母と父が　生まれてくれて　ありがとうございました。　ゆうべ　僕が寝るとき　つまは　ぼくに　起こして、 お誕生日おめでとうと言って、面白いカードをくれた。　けさ、母と父に　挨拶して　カードをもらった。　では　laptopを開けて、誕生日のe- Cardのメールをもたった。　ほら、アイタスの恭子先生と雅先生からだった。　暖かい感じした。　それから、会社へ　行った後、Vinceちゃんに　プ レゼントをもらってありがとうございました。　「なにこれ、Ａｐｐｌｅの鞄？」と聞いた。　Vinceちゃんは「これ、あたしとRickさんからです。　 どうぞ。　あけて、あけて、はやくあけて」と言った。　ああ、iPhone Bluetooth Headsetだった。　よし、それは僕が欲しい物なので、とっても嬉しかった。　仕事の後で、家族と一緒に　うちの隣のレストランで　夕食事をした。　 それから、もちろん　つまが買ったケーキも　食べたよ。　きょうは　本当に楽しかった。

SPAM Onigiri

皆さん、あけましておめでとうございます. Happy New Year 2009.

On the first day of a new year, just want to share a very delicious, unique, and budget snack food I tried last October during my short trip in Tokyo. It’s a special kind of Onigiri お握り (Japanese Rice Ball). Take a look.

SPAM Onigiri

Yes, it’s called スパムおにぎり (SPAM Onigiri). A Japanese rice ball topped with a piece of luncheon meat and wrapped with a small seaweed. This is a typical example of “Westernized” Japanese snack. I accidentally found it at a convenience store in Shinjuku, Tokyo, on my way back to hotel after buying breakfast takeout for my wife in an early morning. I asked the store owner. He told me it’s served as a quick breakfast snack for busy Japanese people rushing to work during morning hours. Of course, he didn’t forget to mention it’s yummy. Sure I bought one to try out. Surprisingly, as he said, both rice and luncheon meat were quite delicious. The “Western Mr. SPAM meets with the Japanese Ms. Rice Ball” was quite a good matched couple. うまい！Tasty! In fact, the luncheon meat was a bit different from the SPAM I ate in Toronto. I don’t know what the differences are, but, the one in Japan was delicious. Next time if you have a chance and not in diet (the SPAM Onigiri contains high fat and high sodium), don’t forget to grab one. Its taste is much better than its cheap look.

Two weeks after JLPT3

Two weeks ago, December 7th, 2008, Sunday, I woke up at 6am, took a shower, fixed my breakfast, reviewed my “last minute” notes, and drove to York University for writing the Japanese Proficiency Language Test level 3 (JLPT3). Arrived at 8:50am, walked out from the exam. classroom at 1:45pm. Whew, I felt totally relief. I talked to myself “Yatta! やった！” I think I should pass. Especially the well-known toughest listening section, seemed easier than I expected. Maybe watching the entire 11 episodes of Japanese TV drama “Last Friends” on the day before the exam did actually help me, or the 1500 vocab that I was trying hard to forcefully stuff them into my aging brain in the past few months. Well, I’m happy. Anyway, the official result won’t be released until March 2009. Another three months to wait.

Two weeks passed. I didn’t pick up any Japanese language study books except watching the usual NHK TV news. I felt bad. So, just grabbed the 1500 vocab list and skimmed through it. Oouch! I forgot a lot! Very much realized the statement of “if you don’t use it you will lose it.” Obviously, those 1500 words have not yet been stored in my long-term memory. Planning for taking JLPT2 in next year suddenly convinces myself it’s joke, because it requires knowing six thousand vocab. Yes, it’s 6000. I think I really should try memorizing 20 vocab per day, starting ASAP, not next month, not next week, but immediately, today, now! No procrastination. Oh no, 6000 words to go! Ganbarimasu! 頑張ります！

Fuji TV "Last Friends" (ラスト・フレンズ)

だいすきうた

やった！　ネットで　Garnet Crow’s 「夢みたあとで」のかしを見つかった。　あのうたはぼくがだいすきだ。　:-)

朝が来るたび君のことを想う、一日の始まりさえも切なくて
二度と戻れない？無邪気な二人、ただ傍にいれば幸せだった

時が経つことに怯えて泣いてた、変わりゆく人の心に

望まなければ　失わないのに
求めずにはいられないよ、どんな未来がこの先にあっても

ユメヲミタアトデ　君はまだ遠くて
気持ちだけ先走って空回り
花の雨が降る　この道は変わらず、腕を絡め歩きたいな

ケンカして疲れてもまた会える、そんな日はいつまで続くかな
時々感情持って生まれてきたこと、憂鬱にさえ思ってしまう

舞い上がって旅立って　遠くまできたな
寂しい夜に思い出すのは、愛した人より愛された日々

ユメヲミタアトデ　解き放つ窓の向こう
目の前で分かれゆく風の音、通り過ぎたあとの静寂に降る太陽
優しすぎて愛しさ増す

ユメヲミタミタイ　今君に届かない
愛のない言葉なんて響かない
ほんの少し離れて見守るような君に、迷いながら微笑んでる

君はまだ遠くて　気持ちだけ先走って空回り
コワレユクように　ながい夢みたあとで
and yet ・・・ｔhere will still be love in this world

Really? PSP-3000 sells big in Japan? No way!

According to the Wired News, Sony’s new PSP-3000 model had a good start in Japan with first-week sales of 141,270 units. Really?

I don’t think so.

The PSP-3000 was officially released on 16-Oct-2008, Thursday. I was in Japan that week, staying at a hotel in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Everyday, I always passed by one of the biggest electonic gagdets store in Japan, Yodobashi ヨドバシ. They set up a special booth for selling PSP-3000 starting on Thursday morning. Everytime I walked by (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday), the booth was empty but only couple sales person trying hard on handing out the new PSP-3000 advertisment flyers, sweet-talking hard on selling the new Sony gagdet; however, they seemed very unsuccessful. My impression was “pretty bad sales”. The new PSP-3000 model does not have much new features comparing to the old models. Plus, the new PSP-3000 hardware already hit a video problem on interlacing issue, which Sony is re-framing it as a new feature! Well, good sales, bad sales, we’ll see.

On Vacation!

I’m starting my vacation tomorrow (going to Tokyo for a week ), and waiting for the latest Apple laptop annoucement. No blog for awhile.