1. Raw horse meat is a popular food in Japan. 2. Sometimes the trains are so crowded railway staff are employed to cram passengers inside. 3. Japanese celebrate Christmas, but it is more like Valentine's Day in the western world. 5. More than 70% of Japan consists of mountains, including more than 200 volcanoes. 6. Mt. Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan, is an active volcano. 7. Many Japanese do not know the difference between Shintoism and Buddhism. 8. A nice musk melon, similar to a cantaloupe, may sell for over $300US. 9. There are four different writing systems in Japan, romaji, katakana, hiragana, and kanji. 10. Coffee is very popular and Japan imports approximately 85% of Jamaica's annual coffee production. 11. Japan's literacy rate is almost 100%. 12. Sumo is Japan's national sport, although baseball is also very popular. 13. Sumo wrestlers eat a stew called Chankonabe to fatten up. Many restaurants in the Ryogoku district of Tokyo serve this nabe (Japanese word for stew). 14. Many toilets in Japan have a built-in bidet system for spraying your backside. 15. When you use the restroom in some one's home, you should put on special bathroom slippers so as not to contaminate the rest of the home. 16. Noodles, especially soba (buckwheat), are slurped very loudly when eaten. It is often said slurping symbolizes the food is delicious, but the slurping also serves to cool down the hot noodles for eating. 17. Japan is the world’s largest consumer of Amazon rain forest timber. 18. Vending machines in Japan sell beer, hot and cold canned coffee, cigarettes, and other items. 19. When moving into an apartment it is often required to give the landlord a "gift" of money equal to two months' rent. 20. There are around 1,500 earthquakes every year in Japan. 22. Average life expectancy in Japan is one of the highest in the world. Japanese people live an average of 4 years longer than Americans. 23. Japan is the largest automobile producer in the world. 24. The Japanese language has thousands of foreign loan words, known as gairaigo. These words are often truncated, e.g. personal computer = paso kon. The number of foreign loan words is steadily increasing. 25. Tsukiji market in Tokyo is the world's largest fish market. 26. Although whaling is banned by the IWC, Japan still hunts whales under the premise of "research". The harvested whale meat ends up in restaurants and supermarkets. 27. Some men in Japan shave their heads to apologize. 28. Some women in Japan cut their hair after breaking up with a boyfriend. 29. Tokyo has had 24 recorded instances of people either killed or receiving serious skull fractures while bowing to each other with the traditional Japanese greeting. 30. The first novel, The Tale of Genji, was written in 1007 by a Japanese noble woman, Murasaki Shikibu. 31. The term karaoke means "empty orchestra" in Japanese. 32. In a Sumo training "stable" the junior rikishi Sumo wrestlers must wash and bathe their senior sumo wrestlers and make sure their hard to reach places are clean. 33. Contrary to popular belief, whale meat is not a delicacy in Japan. Many Japanese dislike the taste and older Japanese are reminded of the post-World War II period when whale meat was one of the few economical sources of protein. 34. In their effort to make things cute and cuddly rampant inbreeding of dogs has resulted in one of the highest rate of genetic defects in the world for canines. 35. Raised floors help indicate when to take off shoes or slippers. At the entrance to a home in Japan, the floor will usually be raised about 6 inches indicating you should take off your shoes and put on slippers. If the house has a tatami mat room its floor may be rasied 1-2 inches indicating you should to take off your slippers. 36. Ramen noodles are a popular food in Japan and it is widely believed extensive training is required to make a delicious soup broth. This is the subject of the movies Tampopo (1985) and The Ramen Girl (2008). 37. On average, it takes about 7-10 years of intensive training to become a fugu (blowfish) chef. This training may not be needed in the future as some fish farms in Japan are producing non-poisonous fugu. 38. Ovens are not very common in Japanese kitchens, but most households own a rice cooker. 39. Geisha means "person of the arts" and the first geisha were actually men. 40. It was customary in ancient Japan for women to blacken their teeth with dye as white teeth were considered ugly. This practice persisted until the late 1800's. 41. In ancient Japan, small eyes, a round puffy face, and plump body were considered attractive features. 42. Some traditional Japanese companies conduct a morning exercise session for the workers to prepare them for the day's work.
As I steady myself for a round of gruelling job interviews, I began to wonder about what the worst possible things you could do in a job interview would be.
As it turns out, a survey in the US by Careerbuilder.com of 3000 hiring managers managed to compile a list of the top 10, and here they are.
1. Candidate answered cell phone and asked the interviewer to leave her own office because it was a “private” conversation.
2. Candidate told the interviewer he wouldn’t be able to stay with the job long because he thought he might get an inheritance if his uncle died – and his uncle wasn’t “looking too good”.
3. Candidate asked the interviewer for a ride home after the interview.
4. Candidate smelled his armpits on the way to the interview room.
5. Candidate said she could not provide a writing sample because all of her writing had been for the CIA and it was “classified”.
6. Candidate told the interviewer he was fired for beating up his last boss.
7. When applicant was offered food before the interview, he declined saying he didn’t want to line his stomach with grease before going out drinking.
8. A candidate for an accounting position said she was a “people person” not a “numbers person”.
9. Candidate flushed the toilet while talking to interviewer during phone interview.
10. Candidate took out a hair brush and brushed her hair.
How to make Chocolate Cookies: http://www.chocolate-source.co.uk/chocolate_recipes_biscuits_chocolate_cookies.htm
Quantity
Ingredients4oz Sugar 4oz Butter 4oz Flour 1oz Coco Powder 1 tablespoon Golden Syrup
Method
1. Mix sugar and butter together roughly.
2. Mix in the golden syrup.
3. Mix in the flour and coco flour.
4. Roll them into balls with a diameter of about 3cm.
5. Place about 5cm apart from each other so they do not overlap.
Place on a baking tray and cook in pre-heated oven at about 150 degrees for 8-10 minutes, turning baking tray around after 5 minutes. Cool on baking tray for about 3 minutes then place the Chocolate Cookies on a cooling rack for 30 minutes.
AVTechNO a.k.a. Momo'n'ga-Jump! is a creator of techno and electro music as his name shows. His genre, however, is not limited to techno. Some of his works are ballades. The name is from "ADVANCE TECH NO!" He is not satisfied with his current technique and feels that he has the room to advance his skill. He is a very tireless creator. Works (Upload date)
A woman came out of her house and saw three old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat."
"Is the man of the house home?", they asked.
"No", she replied. "He's out."
"Then we cannot come in", they replied.
In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.
"Go tell them I am home and invite them in!"
The woman went out and invited the men in.
"We do not go into a House together," they replied.
"Why is that?" she asked.
One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home?"
The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How nice!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!"
His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?"
Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!"
"Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife.
"Go out and invite Love to be our guest."
The woman went out and asked the three old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest."
Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other two old men also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?"
The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!"
http://www.ezsoftech.com/stories
The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps. She paid the driver and, using her hands to feel the location of the seats, walked down the aisle and found the seat he had told her was empty. Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her leg. It had been a year since Safiya, thirty-four, became blind. Due to a medical misdiagnosis she had been rendered sightless, and she was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and self-pity. Once a fiercely independent woman, Safiya now felt condemned by this terrible twist of fate to become a powerless, helpless burden on everyone around her. "How could this have happened to me?" she would plead, her heart knotted with anger. But no matter how much she cried or ranted, she knew the painful truth her sight was never going to return. A cloud of depression hung over Safiya's once optimistic spirit. Just getting through each day was an exercise in frustration and exhaustion. And all she had to cling to was her husband Meraj. Meraj was an Air Force officer and he loved Safiya with all of his heart. When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and was determined to help his wife gain the strength and confidence she needed to become independent again. Meraj's military background had trained him well to deal with sensitive situations, and yet he knew this was the most difficult battle he would ever face. Finally, Safiya felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there? She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to get around the city by herself. Meraj volunteered to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city. At first, this comforted Safiya and fulfilled Meraj's need to protect his sightless wife who was so insecure about performing the slightest task. Soon, however, Meraj realized that this arrangement was not working - it was hectic, and costly. Safiya is going to have to start taking the bus again, he admitted to himself. But just the thought of mentioning it to her made him cringe. She was still so fragile, so angry. How would she react? Just as Meraj predicted, Safiya was horrified at the idea of taking the bus again. "I am blind!" she responded bitterly. "How am I supposed to know where I am going? I feel like you are abandoning me." Meraj's heart broke to hear these words, but he knew what had to be done. Meraj promised Safiya that each morning and evening he would ride the bus with her, for as long as it took, until she got the hang of it. And that is exactly what happened. For two solid weeks, Meraj, military uniform and all, accompanied Safiya to and from work each day. Meraj taught her how to rely on her other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and how to adapt to her new environment. Meraj helped her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her and save her a seat. Meraj made her laugh, even on those not-so-good days when she would trip exiting the bus or drop her briefcase. Each morning they made the journey together and Meraj would take a cab back to his office. Although this routine was even more costly and exhausting than the previous one, Meraj knew it was only a matter of time before Safiya would be able to ride the bus on her own. Meraj believed in her, in the Safiya he used to know before she would lost her sight, who was not afraid of any challenge and who would never, ever quit. Finally, Safiya decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own. Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms around Meraj, her temporary bus riding companion, her husband, and her best friend. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his patience, his love. Safiya said good-bye, and for the first time, they went their separate ways. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday... Each day on her own went perfectly and Safiya had never felt better. Safiya was doing it! She was going to work all by herself! On Friday morning, Safiya took the bus to work as usual. As she was paying for her fare to exit the bus, the driver said, "Sister, I sure envy you." Safiya was not sure if the driver was speaking to her or not. After all, who on earth would ever envy a blind woman who had struggled just to find the courage to live for the past year? Curious, she asked the driver, "Why do you say that you envy me?" The driver responded, "It must feel so good to be taken care of and protected like you are." Safiya had no idea what the driver was talking about, and asked again, "What do you mean?" The driver answered, "You know, every morning for the past week, a fine looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you when you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches you until you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away. You are one lucky woman." Tears of happiness poured down Safiya's cheeks. For although she could not physically see him, she had always felt Meraj's presence. Safiya was lucky, so lucky, for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she did not need to see to believe - Gift of Love that can bring light where there had been darkness ... http://www.ezsoftech.com/stories
There once was a little boy who had a bad temper (anger). His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper and get angry, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the little boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. Little boy discovered it was easier to hold his temper (anger) than to drive those nails into the fence... Finally the day came when the little boy did not lose his temper (anger) at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the little boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper (anger). The day passed and the little boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his little boy by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there." Our Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) mentions the tongue before the hand. As everybody knows, the 'wounds' caused by the tongue are deeper and more hurtful than those caused by the hand. Besides, one is often prepared to strike more readily, easily and more frequently with one's tongue than with the hand. Slandering, backbiting, reproaching and other similar ways of hurting people are commoner and more difficult to avoid than hurt done by the hand. Further, if a person can refrain from hurting with the tongue, he can more easily refrain from the assaults by the hand. Again, defending oneself against physical assaults is, in most cases, easier than against verbal assaults of, in particular, backbiting and slandering. So, a true Muslim always restrains his tongue as well as his hand from hurting others. http://www.ezsoftech.com/stories
A man woke up early in order to pray the Fajr (Morning) prayer in the Masjid (Mosque). He got dressed, made his Wudhu (ablution) and was on his way to the Masjid.
On his way to the Masjid, the man fell and his clothes got dirty. He got up, brushed himself off, and headed back home. At home, he changed his clothes, made his ablution, and was, again, on his way to the Masjid. On his way to the Masjid, he fell again and at the same spot! He, again, got up, brushed himself off and headed home. At home he, once again, changed his clothes, made his ablution and was on his way to the Masjid.
On his way to the Masjid, he met a man holding a lamp. He asked the man of his identity and the man replied "I saw you fall twice on your way to the Masjid, so I brought a lamp so I can light your way." The first man thanked him profoundly and the two were on their way to the Masjid.
Once at the Masjid, the first man asked the man with the lamp to come in and pray Fajr with him. The second man refused. The first man asked him a couple more times and, again, the answer was the same. The first man asked him why he did not wish to come in and pray.
The man replied "I am Shaitan (Satan)." The man was shocked at this reply. Shaitan (Satan) went on to explain, "I saw you on your way to the Masjid and it was I who made you fall. When you went home, cleaned yourself and went back on your way to the Masjid, Allah (SWT) forgave all of your sins. I made you fall a second time, and even that did not encourage you to stay home, but rather, you went back on your way to the Masjid. Because of that, Allah (SWT) forgave all the sins of the people of your household. I was afraid if I made you fall one more time, then Allah (SWT) will forgive the sins of the people of your village, so I made sure that you reached the Masjid safely."
Moral: Do not let Shaitan (Satan) benefit from his actions. Do not put off a good that you intended to do as you never know how much reward you might receive from the hardships you encounter while trying to achieve that good.
http://www.ezsoftech.com/stories
My favourite anime :D
From the very beginning, girl's family objected strongly on her seeing this guy, saying that it has got to do with family background, and that the girl will have to suffer for the rest of her life if she were to be with him. Due to family's pressure, the couple quarreled very often. Though the girl loved the guy deeply, she always asked him: "How deep is your love for me?" As the guy is not good with his words, this often caused the girl to be very upset. With that and the family's pressure, the girl often vents her anger on him. As for him, he only endured it in silence. After a couple of years, the guy finally graduated and decided to further his studies overseas. Before leaving, he proposed to the girl: "I'm not very good with words. But all I know is that I love you. If you allow me, I will take care of you for the rest of my life. As for your family, I'll try my best to talk them round. Will you marry me?" The girl agreed, and with the guy's determination, the family finally gave in and agreed to let them get married. So before he left, they got engaged. The girl went out to the working society, whereas the guy was overseas, continuing his studies. They use to exchange their love through emails and phone calls. Though it was hard, but both never thought of giving up. One day, while the girl was on her way to work, she was knocked down by a car that lost control. When she woke up, she saw her parents beside her bed. She realized that she was badly injured. Seeing her mum cry, she wanted to comfort her. But she realized that all that could come out of her mouth was just a sigh. She had lost her voice... The doctor says that the impact on her brain has caused her to lose her voice. Listening to her parents' comfort, but with nothing coming out from her, she broke down. During the stay in hospital, besides silent cry, it's still just silent cry that accompanied her. Upon reaching home, everything seems to be the same, except for the ringing tone of the phone which pierced into her heart every time it rang. She does not wish to let the guy know and not wanting to be a burden to him, she wrote a letter to him saying that she does not wish to wait any longer. With that, she sent the ring back to him. In return, the guy sent millions and millions of reply and countless phone calls. All the girl could do besides crying is still crying... The parents decided to move away, hoping that she could eventually forget everything and be happy. With a new environment, the girl learnt sign language and started a new life. Telling herself everyday that she must forget the guy. One day, her friend came and told her that he's back. She asked her friend not to let him know what happened to her. Since then, there wasn't anymore news of him. A year has passed and her friend came with an envelope, containing an invitation card for the guy's wedding. The girl was shattered. When she opened the letter, she saw her name on it instead. When she was about to ask her friend what was going on, she saw the guy standing in front of her... He used sign language to tell her, "I've spent a year to learn sign language. Just to let you know that I've not forgotten our promise. Let me have the chance to be your voice. I Love You." With that, he slipped the ring back into her finger. The girl finally smiled... Treat every relationship as if it's the last one, then you'll know how to Give. Treat every moment as if it's the last day, then you'll know how to Treasure. Treasure what you have right now, or else may regret one day... http://www.ezsoftech.com
