(This post was written when i was in Japan a month ago)
My blog may ask well be a Japan fan site.
Since i practically live here half the time now lol.But i notice every time i blog from Japan i’m more pensive than usual, maybe because staying there really made me think and changed me a lot. In many good ways.
As i learn more, i discovered more and more depressing social and economy issues here in Japan. One of the biggest problems is the rapidly increasing senior population because Japanese people are nearly immortal wtf. In the future there will be so many old people that there will be not enough people taking care of them. Whenever i see old people like 70 years old still driving taxi, or working as security guard out in the cold my heart froze in sadness.
Another thing is the extremely high income tax, so working here in Japan means half your life you are working for the country contributing to the abovementioned old folks. And deflation, and the decreasing salary, along with many many other problems.
In the past one week, i experienced two minor earthquakes, one left me crying in the house because i was alone and scared.
The kareshi asked me yesterday, do you still think that living in Japan is such a good idea after all?
I briefly consulted my heart. And then i heard my heart say yes.
Why? It cannot be any simpler. Because i am happy.
Despite all these things, i still come back here and stay here, loving it with all my heart. Because here i learn how to live life. Just shortly before this i was all whatever screw all world problems i’m gonna die soon anyway eaten by zombie or combust into dust by UFO beams.
Going to Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Hypocenter made my heart implode with an innate urge for freedom and life.
Not only i want to live long i also want to live healthy and great. I want to have healthy children and see them grow up healthily.
The other day i was just having a random half-joking family-planning talk with the kareshi. And then we were talking about how many kids we want. Below is our negotiation.
(my messages in green)
(Okama means shemale HAHAHAH)
So in the end we settled for 3 kids (one girl one boy and one unknown yet) and two dogs lolol.
Talking is fun and full of hope and dreams but we also have a hard time discussing where to live, work and start a family in the future.
But such is life, we can only make the best out of now, and live great.
Why live great? Because a longer, healthier life means a longer relationship with the ones you love.
(Not i say one. Great Eastern Life say one lol)
So if you want to live better, Live Great program has many to offer. It is a loyalty programme that rewards you with exclusive health and wellness privileges, available at hundreds of locations across the region.
Here are some of my tips:
Stop and smell the roses (for real)
go to the beach (even just watching other people surf)
And eat healthily.
Remember the 21 Days Healthy Food post i did??
I used the 21 Days Mobile app from the Live Great programme to keep track of my progress, and I can tell you it really works. After 3 weeks of making a conscious effort to eat healthily in Japan, i swear that i can never eat Malaysian food the same way ever again.
Keeping in mind that your body deserves so much more, and trying to change your lifestyle even down to the smallest step like choosing the kind of food you eat can go a long way.
The other day went to a Char Siew Hakka Mee restaurant for lunch alone…
All i thought was
Dafug did i just ordered?!
It is yummy for sure, but i really just couldn’t savor it without feeling horribly guilty. Before, I wouldn’t even think twice!
You can do the same and utilize the 21-days mobile app to help you beat a bad habit! Once you actually put down your day to day progress, you will see results.
In fact, there are also many other health and wellness information and tips on the Live Great website that I found useful.
Remember how i keep saying i lost weight in Japan???
Well admittedly I have been snacking in Japan as well but magically didn’t gain weight. Because knowing the calorie of food you consume is super helpful to dieting.
And almost all snacks sold in combini comes with a calorie chart.
I can eat two packs of snacks and only consume 63 calories in total WTF. That’s like 5 McDonald’s fries or something.
So how do you know exactly how much calorie you need a day??? I have been using the Daily calorie Needs Calculator by Live Great!
(That’s not me hahaha my bio is a secret #pretendmysterious) They also have a liquid calorie calculator so even if your beverages in Malaysia doesn’t come with kcal label you still can roughly have an idea how much you are consuming.
Grapefruit juice is my daily must-have in Japan.
Go try it here!
For more info on other tools and benefits from Live Great, go to livegreat.greateasternlife.com and their FB page.
wow, the first few part of your post almost made me cried. I think it is important to cherish life as well and be thankful for what we have. I used to think the same and said f**k it, im gonna die anyway. but when people around me lost their love ones, it hit upon me that how grateful i am to be still breathing and living and enjoying the things that others may not get to enjoy.
thanks for the post.here i am being more thankful than ever.
Omg i didn’t expect people will want to tear over this leh!!!
Actually i feel a bit sad when i wrote this also but i also keep reminding self to be thankful for whatever i have now la. ^^ Thanks so much for your comment!
I think its important to care about your future, and try to live as healthy as possible …
but its so hard 😀 anytime i try to eat more healthy food, i found myself back eating candy and stuff like that ^^
But i will not give up ^^
Haha then you have to learn to LOVE healthy food cuz healthy food could be SO YUMMY OMG. Go to Japan go go go lol
Eat healthy is quite a hard task since we’re surrounding with awesome Malaysia food like Asam Laksa Curry mee nasi lemak etc etc… but yeah, to live life long and great, healthy body is a must!
Going to calculate my daily calories consumption now! LOL!
Haha i know right i agree! But living in Japan made me realize healthy food can be yummy like heaven T____T. Dunno how many times i had near-tear experience because of food in Japan lol
No country is perfect cheesie. Many people love Melbourne but to be honest, no matter how clean the air is, no nice the water is, I just don’t effing love that state. On the other hand, I am infatuated with Hong Kong, despite the pollution, despite the insane property prices, despite the inflation and despite the fact that tropical storms often attack that island.
It’s not the country or city that is faulty. It is how you see it. Staying in a country is like dating a guy. When you are truly in love with him, all you see is perfection in spite of his flaws.
Absolutely agree!!!! Thank you! Sometimes you also have to live long enough to see both sides of the coin too, then learn to fall in love with the good part as well as accept the not so perfect part too <3
that post made me almost tear. I have fat under the chin, fat on the stomach and because I was depressed about it ate more for comfort. cheesus I really started to wonder how I could starve myself and considered diuretic. so it seems like using the secret for weight loss has worked even better cos you are showing me how to do so healthily. so thank you so much cheesie. all the best for u and your kareshi and I hope your blog continues to blossom (like the roses, geddit :p)
Why so many people almost tear!!!!!!! Omg did you did you??? It works for you? Please share more want to know!!!! And i’m so happy for you!!!!! Thanks so much for telling me <333
haha cheesie, it looks more like you’re family planning for your doggie with 4 members ;DD
You are right actually :X
This post is great! I also like the first two ideas alot!
I think discussing all your dreams and planning the future with your partner is very important! You’ll have huge benefits from it! You can finally think it all through properly for yourself and voice it. We’ve spent so much precious times with my husband speaking about what we want for each other, how we see our future in 5, 10, 50 years 🙂 and even discussing the income and housework 🙂
I’ve also read some longass article in some Economics magazine about old people, how in the very beginning of the pension (or retirement benefit) system it was like 25 young workers supporting their fellow retired colleagues by giving up some small amount for their sake. But now it’s all very different! It’s like 1 young worker supporting 1 retired if not worse!
Thats sweet and thoughtful of you guys!!! <3 Yea i read about those to it makes me very depressed but i guess in the other hand it also make me so grateful for what i am entitled to right now.
This is a great post, but I noticed something that captured my attention completely: IS THAT KEWPIE MAYONNAISE???????? NEXT TO YOUR SAKANA???!?!?!
Yes ah why??????
I didn’t touch the Mayonnaise though because my kareshi told me that’s the only unhealthy thing in the entire meal lololol
now are you going to kill me :X
Cheesie!!!Just yesterday I was looking for an app that works around the 21 days theory but i didn’t find one so i settled for another habit tracker app…Thanks for writing about this! Now I got exactly what I was looking for lol it must be the secret 😉
Starting a family is great! You should get going hahaha!!! xD
Love the post so much positive energy <3
http://prinnyboutique.blogspot.com
Nearly tear reading your post. I’m born in Singapore, had my education here, my friends and family are all here, but I just feel like running away, but don’t know where…..
it’s def good to love life ^^ i was on a diet app but i am off it for a couple of days now cuz I feel a bit depressed & I guess I just don’t want to feel the guilt of diet when I feel bad and want to eat.. haha
xoxo HitomiNeko xoxo
http://hitomineko-hn.blogspot.com