Saturday 31 May 2008

Graduation Ceremony
Hiroshima University, 23th March 2007

Student No. : B035830
Name : Lam Ching Fu (ラム チン フ)
Course : Civil Engineering, Social And Environmental Engineering
Faculty : Engineering, Hiroshima University
Laboratory : Transportation Engineering Laboratory
Graduation thesis : Evaluating the Stability of Travel Time Expenditure in the Developing Cities


The Student Card.


Graduation Ceremony, Hiroshima University.


Host mother, mother, sisters and god mother.

It was a sunny day and the most important and memorable day in my university life. As a Japanese Government scholar, i am so proud of myself and grateful for being able to have a dazzling graduation ever. Not only my mother, god mother and both elder and younger sisters came all the way from Malaysia, my Hiroshima`s host mother too came to witness my graduation.


Actually i was freaking tired.

Nonetheless i gotta smile on my graduation day.


Those graduands on hakama in front of the H (for Hiroshima) statue.

The big different of the graduation ceremony between Japan and the world is the costume i guess. Hakama (袴) is a type of traditional Japanese clothing resembling a wide pleated skirt worn by Aikido students. It was originally worn only by men, but they are worn by both men and women at graduation ceremonies. However, today the men mostly wear suits at those ceremonies. Therefore, bear in mind that there is no graduation rope in Japan.


My lovely coursemates dress up their beautiful hakamas.

Participation of the ceremony is not compulsory for both undergraduate and graduate students. Because there`s no certificates given out but your name would be announced if you were on the award list. They will anyhow be distributed to every faculty and then handed to you directly by your own professor during your own department`s graduation dinner.


Friends, Luy, Iwa and Noh.


The buddies.

Although you dont need to rent or buy graduation gown for those ceremony in Japan, it sucks as the graduation certificates will not be handed out immediately. Because, i wanted to take pictures with my degree and family together. Anyway after that, we headed to a typical Japanese restaurant for lunch.


Tempura + Sashimi Teishoku.


The dialysis machine.

My mother has kidney failure problem. While she was having her dialysis, i showed the four ladies around my university. First was my faculty then my laboratory. I wanted to show them more but couldnt as i gotta rush to the town for the graduation dinner at Westin Hotel.


Lecture buildings of Faculty of Engineering.


Faculty of Engineering, Hiroshima University.


Graduate School of International Development and Cooperation.


Entrance to my laboratory.

It was great catching up with friends about our own exciting graduation trips. It might be the last chance to drink together so all of us appreciated the time we had and it was a crazy night we would never forget in our lives.


My girls.


The buddies.


Luy, Iwa, Tsuchi and Nori.


Luy, Kumiko and Tsuchi.


Iwa and Luy.


Seniors.

I had been successfully completed the prescribed of requirements of the Course of Study in Cluster IV (Social and Environmental Engineering) in the Faculty of Engineering therefore was awarded the Degree of Bachelor of Engineering.


My degree.


My Professor hands out the degree to me.


Flowers from the associate professor.

Besides the degree, i had been received few pieces of the remarkable certificates and awards as well.


Hardworking Award.


Certificate of Recognition.


Certificate of Award.


Japan Civil Engineering Society`s Education Award.





Last but not least, i would like to show my deepest appreciation to the Japanese government for offering me the scholarship to further my tertiary education in Japan. Domo arigato gozaimashita!

Tuesday 27 May 2008

FuFu Tour guide
Kobe + Hiroshima, 22 March 2007


It was my 26th birthday.

So my host father bought me one big birthday cake i have never had before. It was real a big surprise because he still remembers my birthday since i had moved to Hiroshima and been living there for two years.


My host family (parents and grandparents).

Well this day, we were heading for Kobe and would then be directly going to Hiroshima as my graduation fell on the following day.


Night view Kobe Habourland.

Kobe (神戸) is known as a city having a unique style with the exotic atmosphere in Japan which has been affected by the foreign cultures and flourished as the international port since old days. Unfortunately, a tremendous earthquake measured at 7.3 magnitude (slightly weaker than Sichuan`s 7.8) hit the city in 1993, killing 6433 and making 300,000 homeless and destroying tens of thousands of buildings as well as large parts of its international ports facilities. Nevertheless, under the quick and efficient action taken by the government, Kobe has completely recovered within a decade and turned into a vibrant city that considered as one of Japan`s most attractive cities.


Meriken Park, Kobe Habourland.


Kobe`s Chinatown, Nankimachi.

Nankinmachi (南京町) been developed as the residential area of Chinese merchants who settles in Kobe after the city had been opened to foreign trade in the 19th century. It is also known as Kobe`s Chinatown, rather small but offers a nice atmosphere and some good food. We enjoyed grabbing the food from various kinds of stalls from curry fishball to dimsum to sharkfin soup.


A chinese dimsum stall.


A popular meeting point at the centre of Kobe Chinatown.

Kobe Habourland is a shopping and entertainment district along the waterfront of Kobe`s port area, a popular spot for locals and tourists.


Kobe Habourland.

Other attractions include the Kobe Port Tower which is a symbol of the city, and the Kobe Maritime Museum with its cool architecture.


Mosaic, Meriken Park.

Mosaic of Meriken park is Kobe`s playground. There are restaurants, bars, a movie theater, a shopping market, an amusement arcade and a little amusement park with a romantic ferris wheel. It is a popular dating spot among young couples.


Amusement park at Meriken Park, Kobe Habourland.


It is the Tottoro.


The shopping street at Mosaic.

Later we window shopping around the shopping street before having our tea break.


The main shopping street at Kobe Motomachi.


It`s time for dessert. 500Yen (US$5) each. Expensive but yummilicious.

After a while before it really get dark, we took bullet train to Hiroshima. There were non stop of "ahhh", "ohhh" and "wahhh" when an express bullet train passes by. It was indeed very fast by the way. Four of them were freaking excited as that was their first BULLET train ride. Vrrroooommmmm...


Shinkansen (新幹線), Japan`s high speed train (bullet train).


Ryokan (旅館), Japanese style inn.

A stay at a ryokan is highly recommended to all foreign visitors as it real offers the opportunity to experience a traditional Japanese atmosphere. Well, they had to sleep in traditional style, using futon which is spread out on the tatami floor. A yukata is provided to be worn during the stay at any ryokan. You could walk around the ryokan in yukata and also as pajamas.
The second reason why i put them there is i was staying at my university`s one room apartment.


いらっしゃいませ~ (Welcome~)

It was a long day for me! I called it a day at 11.30pm once i had reached my own apartment.