Mory.jp

Giant Rubber Ducky in Osaka

2011-11-01T00:24:00.000+09:00

Last Thursday was a day off and it was too sunny to stay inside, so I took a train ride to Nakanoshima (Osaka), to see the giant rubber ducky which was floating on the river in the midst of a big city from Oct.22nd until 30th.

?!???!?!

Can you see that small yellow thing in this pic?

There it is!

Compare the rubber ducky with the group of people standing beside it you can see how massive it is!

Isn't it cute?! :-)

This bright yellow rubber ducky was created by dutch artist florentjin Hofman, and has been traveling around the world. It was the third time it came to Osaka, but I missed seeing it at the last 2 times, so I was very lucky I finally got to see it this time!

Here are more pics!

I think that the people working in these buildings are so lucky!

Hah! I want this!

There was a big rose garden right in front of the rubber ducky and everyone was enjoying watching the beautiful flowers.

Well, I tried my best with my brand new camera...(^^;)

Bye-bye rubber ducky, hope to see you again some day. Bon voyage!

Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages)

2011-10-27T00:50:00.008+09:00

Last Sunday my parents and I went to Kyoto to see Jidai Matsuri(Festival of the Ages), one of Kyoto's three biggest traditional festivals which is held annually on October 22nd. It was my first time to go to see the festival, despite living in the same Kansai area for over 20 years. This festival consists of a large parade from Kyoto Imperial Palace and Heian shrine, and the participants of the parade are dressed in accurate costumes representing various periods and characters in Japanese federal history.There are approximately more than 2,000 performers and it takes two hours to watch the entire procession pass by.
We left home quite early in the morning trying to get a good seat to watch the parade and we got to the old imperial palace more than 1 hour before the parade, but there were already hundreds of people waiting for it.

At 12 p.m., the costume procession began from the main gate of the old imperial palace, with a lot of performers dressed in historical costumes from almost every period from Heian Period to Meiji Period. In the procession there were many historically famous samurai and military figures, which was quite interesting to me who specialized in Japanese history in high school.

Here are the photos taken with my new camera (Click each photo for a larger version)
Sorry I took too many so I couldn't put up all of them. Enjoy! >>

Hello Canon EOS Kiss X5!

2011-10-24T12:18:00.001+09:00

Today I got something I've really wanted for a long time - Yes, my own DSLR ( Cannon EOS Kiss X5 ) camera! I have put up some photos taken by a DSLR camera on this blog, but actually it was not my own camera, I was using my mother's one. Of course I'll keep using my old digital camera that I have used so far cause I love it, but as I start browsing great & more professional photos on my friends' blogs I got more fascinated by them, and they made me want to get one. Well, I admit it cost me a lot, but since I ordered it online it was actually quite a good deal for the latest one from Cannon. I'm still just a beginner and it has too many functions, so I guess it will take a long time until I get used to it (and I'm already sick of reading the instruction :-p ). Now that I have my own good camera, I'm going outside more and I'll fully enjoy this beautiful season in Japan. And of course, I'll put up more pics on this blog from now on.

Happy fall y'all,
Yuka

Taco addiction

2011-10-14T23:10:00.001+09:00

If you are my friend on Facebook, you probably know, but I am so in love with tacos. I've been so addicted to this wonderful foreign food since I first tried it at one of my American friends' house last winter.I introduced it to my family and they love it too. It's healthy and quite easy to cook.

My dream is to try out the "real" Mexican tacos.But the problem is, there aren't any "real" taco restaurants in my place. I've been using the seasoning from old el paso , but my American friends say the taste is different from what they have had in America. They also say that here in Japan they can't even find the seasonings they usually use in America. Does anyone know any good restaurants where I can try some real ones in Kansai area? If you know, please do tell me. I am serious. =p

Typhoon, and the trip to Yamaguchi

2011-09-29T16:32:00.005+09:00

So the busiest month is almost over, and I finally got time to write about my summer break - It's been already about a few weeks, though.This month started with the coming of the powerful, yet slow-moving typhoon No.12 and it made the first week super super hectic. Almost all the local lines around my area were delayed or cancelled due to the rise of the river as a result of the heavy rainfall, and I was besieged by hundreds of people trying to take a shinkansen instead, the only public transportation which was running on schedule at that time.I can't describe how chaotic my office was - it was just like one scene of battle. I didn't even know that so many people were living in this peaceful town. Some angry people were blaming other staffs for the delay, which even made me wonder why people dared to go out on such a day, in spite of the fact that the weather forecast had been repeatedly warning that the typhoon would shut down many train lines and transportation services.Why can't people just stay at home? Of course, I know I should NEVER say such a thing, though. :-p

Anyway, I got only 4 days off this summer. It kinda made me sad. I mean, work is okay, but vacation is always better than work for all of you, right? I wish I could go back in my uni days, when the summer break was for almost 2 months!
On the second day of my summer break, my family(except my father - he had a big golf competition on that day and couldn't join us) and I went on a one-day Shinkansen(Japanese limited express) trip to Yamaguchi. Luckily I still had some fare discounts left for my family that is available until the end of the year, so we were able to go there at a low price.
We left home at 6am and took the first train to Himeji station. I was so excited about getting on the new shinkansen Sakura, as well as the road trip in Yamaguchi. Sakura has been so popular since its service started, and a lot of people come to my window, trying to make a reservation for their seats like every day, but it's always already fully reserved even though it's one week before. It was 10 days before the trip when we reserved our seats this time, and we managed to get 3 of the last 8 seats left at that time - we were so lucky!

The new shinkansen Sakura we took, bound for Kagoshima-Chūō

Reserved seats

The seats are so comfy compared to those of the other Shinkansen, and also, the use of real wood throughout the train gives the carriages a warm, natural feel.

Shin-Yamaguchi Station.
About 1 hour and 40 mins away from Himeji station

After arriving at the station, we hired a car that we had booked in advance and headed for Akiyoshi - caves, the main destination in this trip. Thanks to the GPS loaded in the car we could get there without getting lost.

The Akiyoshi cave was literally amazing. I did not even know there was such a nice place in Yamaguchi.
Pictures!

The entrance of the biggest limestone cave in Japan!

Inside of the cave. The scale was simply breathtaking.

A mysterious shape of the limestone rocks

that the nature has made over hundreds of millions of years

A long tunnel to the exit

Gobo(burdock) Tempura Udon that we had for lunch after exploring the cave...it was delicious!

There is a vast karst plateau beyond the cave. The view made me feel like I came to a different country.

別府弁天池

Beppu- Benten Pond

Known for the cleanest natural water in Japan

瑠璃光寺

Ruriko Temple

It was the second time I visited Yamaguchi, and I find it's a very beautiful city. We went back to the station and gave our rental car back. I fell asleep on the shinkansen back home, but it was a perfect trip. You should visit there once if you have a chance.

JR 1-day Pass in Kansai : 秋の関西１デイパス Aki- no Kansai One-day Pass

2011-09-29T00:09:00.001+09:00

To people who love traveling in Kansai area by train, good news!

Some of you might already know, but we have a seasonal discount ticket for 1 day trip with JR local trains now available. You can take JR local trains(including local rapid trains), some of Keihan /Nankai/ Ohmi trains as many times as you want.

Fare: ￥2,900 (Child: ￥1,500)
- Valid for only one day
- Available until Nov. 30th, 2011
- Shikansen is not available with this ticket(You need to purchase another fare ticket and a shinkansen ticket to take a shinkansen)
- Available from ticket offices(Midori-no Madoguchi) at any JR stations and Ohmi railway stations within the area shown bellow:

It has been the best selling ticket at my station at the moment. Why don't you go out and enjoy this beautiful autumn season in Kansai? :)

Alexander Gavrylyuk - Wedding March (Piano)

2011-09-26T21:01:00.001+09:00

This gave me goosebumps and suddenly made me want to get married. Really amazing.Just watch it.
.

Okayama Korakuen Lightup night 2011

2011-09-13T11:30:00.000+09:00

Some photos of this summer that I haven't posted yet on this blog.

Okayama Castle

New people, New place, and New life

2011-07-21T17:31:00.004+09:00

Hello friends,

If you have been following my blog I am sorry for the super slow updates. During the past 4 months that I didn't update my blog, I had so many events and changes that would be a very important step in my life. I graduated from my uni that I went to for 4 years at the end of March, and since April 1st I've been working with JR(West Japan Railway company). If you are living in or have traveled in Japan, especially in the west area of the mainland, you probably have used trains or shinkansen(bullet trains) which belong to my company.

The new Kyusyu Shinkansen which connects mainland and the southern island

I'm currently working at Midori- no Madoguchi, the ticket reservation office in the station which is about 40 mins away from home by train. My daily work is mostly selling tickets and making seat reservations for shinkansen(since my station is one of the stations where some shinkansens also stop). Making some documents and posters to display in the concourse is also my work. Sometimes we go on a business trip to the branch office and to the headquarter in Osaka, which is quite fun.
You may think selling tickets is just an easy & simple task (because I had thought so until I started working here), but it's NOT. It's more like a brain work than I expected. Especially when the customer is going to a place which is quite far away or to the places I don't even know whereabouts, I need to be very very careful not to make wrong tickets, referring to the map of all railways in Japan, because those routes and tickets are usually going to be very complicated ones. Also, we have loads of kinds of tickets and I need to know well about each of them. I spend most of the time at the window just sitting in front of the computer, but when I get back home I'm so exhausted I just fall dead into my bed.

Midori - no Madoguchi, the JR ticket office

(This picture is not from my station )

But working itself is quite okay for me so far. My bosses and colleagues are all nice, they still often hold welcome parties for us 5 freshers even though it's been almost 3 months since we were assigned to my current station.
Of course I still sometimes make some mistakes, and there are some customers who love giving complaints to us and claiming unreasonable things, but I'm getting used to handling them (and I'm not a person who gets down by such small things =] ). Except those few customers, I think people in this city are quite nice and I really enjoy meeting lots of people who use our service at the start and the end the day. Though the city is not that big and there's no place for sightseeing, foreigners often come to my window like every day, and I have many chances to speak English.

The remodeled Osaka station, aka Osaka Station City

Seeing people spreading out to everywhere around Japan (or to the world ) from our station every day is what I love the most at work. It makes me want to travel more all over Japan, as well as overseas. I'm planning to make some railway trips with my friends when we get used to work(maybe next month) using the discount, though I'm still just too busy to make it happen at the moment.
I'm still on the way of training, and sometimes I feel it's tough to have many things I need to learn, but I'm proud of my work at the station which supports many people's daily lives.Well, I'll just do my best. Wish me luck! ;-)

My trip to Australia - Part 1 -

2011-03-04T16:32:00.009+09:00

Hello guys, about 10 days have passed since I got back from my trip to Australia. It was sooooooo great! I was going to update my blog while I was there, but I had so many events that had no time to do that. My stay was short, but I just cannot find any words to describe how much fun I had during those two weeks.Today I'd like to share some pics that I took during my trip.

As I told you before, what made this trip special was the fact that it was my first overseas trip. For this reason, my flight to Sydney was one of the most important parts that I was excited about in my trip. This time I used cheap flights from Jetstar.com , and also I booked window seats so I wouldn't miss the beautiful view from the window. Luckily I got to see the earliest(maybe) sunrise in the world through the window and it was really amazing. Although I couldn't sleep at all on the plane(because I was too excited), my 10 hour flight was pretty good - I enjoyed watching some new released movies and listening to music, etc,.

After the transfer in Gold Coast (I changed my cloths at the airport - cause you know, now it's summer in the southern hemisphere, so it was fricking hot and muggy! I had 2 opposite seasons in just 24 hours...crazy, isn't it?) I flew to Sydney airport, and there I finally met Kara, my friend from Canberra, for the first time in 2 years. She used to be an exchange student at my university in 2009, and I was a tutor of her as a member of a volunteer club for exchange students. She is now still studying education at the University of Canberra to become a P.E. teacher. She is the best friend overseas I have ever met, and since she went back to Canberra I was really looking forward to seeing her again.She came to Sydney airport all the way from Canberra to see me, and was waiting for me in front of the exit. On seeing me she ran to me and gave me a big hug. I was so happy that I felt like I was dreaming.

Sydney

Sydney was such a big and beautiful city. Not to say it is as big as Tokyo(Of course the scale is much bigger than Tokyo,though), there were a lot of skyscrapers and traditional buildings everywhere. Even though I'm not really used to such a big city since my hometown is kinda country, I came to like this city quickly because it was clean & not as busy as big cities in Japan, such as Tokyo and Osaka.

Queen Victoria building

Sydney tower

The first thing that surprised me when I came to Sydney was that there were a lot of Chinese people on the streets and at first I even felt as if I came to China, not to Australia lol.I guess this is because there is a big China town in the downtown area, but I'm not sure because I don't see so many Chinese people even though we have a big Chinatown in my place as well.

Especially the harbor area was really beautiful and I liked it a lot. After meeting up with Kara at the Sydney airport, we had lunch at a nice restaurant viewing this beautiful harbor, and walked around this area.

My first meal in Australia!

9 AUD. It was really good, a little too much for me,though.

At the Sydney harbor, there were some Aboliginal people playing live with their traditional instruments. Their music was pretty cool.

Opera House!

Sydney Harbour Bridge.

There were a lot of people running on the bridge. Not only on the bridge, I saw lots of people running as exercise everywhere in the town.

The view of the harbor from this bridge was fantastic.We didn't go bridge climbing tho - because it was too expensive.

This is the hostel called Westend Backpackers Sydney that we stayed in while we were in Sydney(About 30 AUD per night). Staying in a cheap hostel was a good experience for me, even though we got in a small trouble; Kara booked a female room with 6 beds beforehand for the sake of security, but when we went into the room after check-in, what we saw was 3 British + 1 French guys !!!! It turned out to be a mistake by the staff and we asked them if we could change the room, but it was too late. We ended up staying the first 2 nights in a unisex room with 6 beds, with those 4 guys. At first I was a little worried about getting in troubles since it was the first time I shared a room with people whom I never met. But actually, they were pretty nice people. I gave the French guy a Hachimaki(Japanese headband - like this) with the word 日本(Japan) on it that I brought as a souvenir from Japan, which made him sooooo happy. He thanked me again and again (which even surprised me lol)because he was a huge fan of Japanese anime and movies. On the 2nd evening a new person came to stay in our room, and happily enough, she was Japanese who is currently working as a physical therapist in Kanagawa!! She was on holiday at that time and was sightsee ingSydney just like we were. What a small world!! She, Kara and I hit it off immediately and went out for dinner together in the evening. It was such a good encounter.

Sydney's night was also amazing. Especially the night view of the harbor area was breathtaking. Sorry the pics below that I took there are not enough to tell you how beautiful they really were.

We had some night explorations in the city of Sydney as well, and it was so much fun! We went to some fancy pubs and bars too, and every time Kara tried to get me drunk(In fact I'm not a strong drinker). At night time, there were a few security guards standing at the entrance of each restaurant and bar, and foreigners including me had to show passports or ID cards to them. Foods were more expensive than those in Japan, but always really good and made me full. I miss them so much right now!!!!

On the 2nd day in Sydney, we took a ferry from the harbor and headed for Taronga Zoo , one of the biggest Zoos in Sydney. The zoo was so huge and there were a lot of unique animals I never saw in zoos in Japan.

Koalas were always sleeping. I think maybe he was hangover.

Giraffes are always able to view the beautiful Sydney harbor from where they are. Jealous.

A Kangaroo! Isn't she cute!

A different type of Kangaroo.I love the way they are in this pic.

One thing that I liked about Zoos in Australia is they tried to keep the animals as wild as possible. In most of the zoos that I've visited in Japan, the animals are usually in a small cages or on the concrete floors, so they look a little cramped to me and I don't really like it. This zoo was located on the low mountain and surrounded by trees and bushes, so it made me feel like I was exploring in a deep forest or in a jungle. The animals were playing freely, and thus they even looked happier.

I had a really good time in Sydney and and I felt I wanted to live there. I highly recommend you to visit this wonderful city if you've never been there, I'm sure you'll like there. Will put up some pics soon of Canberra in the next post.Ciao!

5 days to go!!

2011-02-03T12:33:00.004+09:00

Right, quick update, finally I've got only 5 sleeps before I leave for Australia!! The more closer it gets, the more excited I am! Yesterday I received a rental suitcase, and I was so surprised because it was super huuuuge!!I like the color, though.

You may not be able to tell how huge it is in this picture, but I could say it's like the one for those who are going to study abroad for one year. Haha! I've already started packing and it will take a few more days until I get everything ready, but I am enjoying it. February 7th, 2011, my dream will finally come true.
I'll update some pics here during my stay, so please check them out.

Peace,
Pookie0712

Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-01T00:29:00.006+09:00

Hello world, hi friends, the new year has just begun here in Japan! And yes, this is my first post of 2011!!!! Sorry for being too lazy with updating my blog lately, but I always love to read your blogs!! From what I've read on your blogs, it seems like you all had a great Christmas time. In my case, Christmas didn't really mean anything, since I got to work for 5 hours on Christmas day and got totally exhausted haha. Anyway, this year I'll try to update more often than last year!!! :)

I hope the year 2011 will be the best one to all of you, and bring you loads of happiness!!

Pookie0712

Autumn in Kyoto

2010-12-08T02:09:00.006+09:00

Hi all, long time no update! I'm doing well, recently I've been kinda busy with writing my final thesis on my major and with school events, trips, etc, but I'm enjoying the last few months at uni so much.And this is a quick update - About a week ago I visited Kyoto to see 紅葉(red leaves) with my friends at uni. It was my first visit in 2 years and also it was the first time for me to visit there in autumn. The view of the red-colored trees and mountains in Kyoto were just amazing, and I think autumn is the best season to visit Kyoto. I'd like to show all the photos that I took in Kyoto here, but it seems like it's gonna take forever to upload all of them(and I'm too tired to do that right now) , so here I'll just give you a link for a short video showing the highlights of my trip that I edited last week(I think some of you have already watched this though). Please check it out!

Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeLwqqzD-G8

Hope you enjoy it:)

My Recent Foto Gallery

2010-10-25T01:18:00.004+09:00

Alriiiiight, so, it's been 2 months since I got an iPhone 4. I've been so addicted to my new phone that I can't think about backing to any normal Japanese mobiles. At first I found it pretty confusing to use it cause it was quite different from my former one, but I've already got used to it.Now I can connect the internet pretty smoothly anytime & anywhere, and also it always gives me the correct directions even when I get lost, which helps me a lot.
And what I've been addicted to lately is editing photos with my iPhone. With some great photo applications, you can easily make photos artistic.Since I just found loads of photos that I've taken & edited with my iPhone so far in my hard disk, I'm gonna show you some of them in this post.Enjoy!

A market in Tsuruhashi / Osaka.

Best.Ramen.Ever.

At the park near my house.

A bunch of muscat that my grandma's neighbor sent us.

In the restaurant.

The Pumpkin's

A blue sky.

Taken w/ Canon EOS kiss x4 and edited by Tiltshift(iPhone application)

A fall festival held at a shrine in my neighboring city on Oct 14. The performance was just amazing.

Beautiful sunset.

Don't judge things just by their appearances, just try it.

Cute monkeys!I love the idea!

And I love Chinese foods.

So. Much.

Ohhhh, so many photos!!!!

Which one did you like the best? ;)

Goodbye summer 2010(Though it's way too late)

2010-10-10T23:49:00.001+09:00

Whoa - it's been far too long since I wrote last! My last update was on the 16th of August, so it's been almost two months. Sorry for not posting for so long, I was just too busy to writ.....
No, I'm kidding. I admit. Actually I had much time for the past few weeks, but I was just too lazy. I'm so sorry!And thank you for still being readers of my blog. !!! :D

Well, as the photo above shows, it's been officially fall in Japan. Until several weeks ago, it had been so hot and muggy that I couldn't sleep at night.But recently, it's getting cooler and cooler and sometimes I feel chilly even for long sleeves.
Also, my long summer vacation ended a week ago, and then my last uni semester started. Looking back on my long summer vacation which lasted almost 2 months, I think I didn't do anything but work. Especially during August, I worked like a horse from morning to night - because I had to! I am currently working out a plan for my graduation trip to Australia during next Jan-Feb, which has been my motivation while working.Now I guess I can afford the flight & my stay at my friend's in Australia for some weeks, so if everything goes well my financial problem will be solved. So now I'm thinking it's time to organize my trip - I'm so excited!! But I just don't know what to start with. Though I'm not sure if I told you before or not, this is gonna be my first trip abroad. And I'm going there alone until I catch up with my friend in Canberra. I guess it might be the first time to organize such a big trip as this all by myself. So, right now, I don't even know how to get a passport, nor how to make a reservation for my flight.There's still much time until next Feb, but it's getting closer steadily.So excited, but a wee bit worried. Though it's gonna be just a few weeks' stay, I'd like to make my trip a great one. So...what am I supposed to do next?! D:

As for my school life, there's only less than half a year left before I graduate. So, I've been trying as many things as possible while I am still a student.I decided to write a thesis on my major though it's not required for my graduation. Besides, I'm going to participate in the university festival which is held next month. I'm also planning some small trips in Japan with my friends at uni.And parties. drinkings.Wow, so many events!!:D

And English. My TOEIC score is getting better, but since I didn't speak English at all during the long summer holidays, my speaking is clearly getting worse. I seriously need someone to speak with in English. Luckily, the new exchange students have just arrived in Japan, and last week I met some of them for the first time.They are all so nice! I'm already really looking forward to spending some time with them and I'll do my best to improve my English.Oh and of course, I'll keep this blog and writing about my last uni life. Wish me luck!

iPhone 4

2010-08-16T10:51:00.002+09:00

Okay so, I finally got an iPhone. It took me just 3 weeks to get it after I ordered it.

Its been only 2 days since I got it, but I totally love it already!

What I find most useful for me about this iPhone so far is the map application.I have a horrible sense of direction, but with this app I feel like I'm never gonna get lost anymore haha!

Anyway, since I have not got used to using it yet, I have so much to explore about this iPhone. If you have any recommends about its applications, pls lemme know! :)

A super - large summer sweet!

2010-08-12T13:06:00.017+09:00

Whoa, I've been so active in blogging these days!

Good thing, right? ;)

My university's cafeteria has a special dessert menu which is available during summer only.

We decided to try it the other day - It was my first time in my uni life!

Here it is!

It's a super big "goldfish bowl parfait"!!!!

3000 yen(≒ 35 USD) / one bowl

It's well known as the unique dessert of my uni, and also it's pretty hard to get one - 'cause the number of the bowls sold per day is limited to 7. Every day, before the time when they start selling them, there's a long line of students who are trying to get it!
We managed to get two of them!! How lucky ;)

Okay, let's get the party started!
　　　　
　　　　

The parfait consisted of vanilla ice cream, whip cream, some chocolate bars, some pieces of cheesecake, strawbelly jam, corn flakes, some fruits, and more. They were sooo yummy! Since it was such a hot day, we enjoyed them so much.

However, the less the remainder got, the more we got tired of it.

It was too much even for the normal 10 people. Apparently, we were too silly to get two bowls...O.o

My senpai struggling to finish them up after we all gave it up lol

Conclusion and warning:It's impossible and so reckless(or sometimes it could be even dangerous) to try to eat them all only by yourself, unless you are a glutton or a food fighter. Haha!

Alright, so, any challengers?

The new Hayao Miyazaki Movie 2010 - The Borrower Arietty

2010-08-09T17:35:00.017+09:00

Last Sunday my mom and I went to see 借り暮らしのアリエッティ(Karigurashi no Arietty English title:The Borrower Arietty), the new movie by Studio Ghibli.

Well, first, my impression. - It was pretty good, I think. Before I saw it I heard from some of my friends that the story was too simple and not so dynamic for Hayao's movies. Well, I do agree with them, but still, personally, I like it. To be honest,in his movies for the past few years, there are some parts where I still find a little bit hard to understand because they are too creative and complex. Compared with them, I think this story is quite simple and easy to understand for anyone. Plus, not to mention,the background images were so amazingly beautiful. You might notice that this movie includes some scenes that look just like the scenes which appear in other Ghibli movies.

And one more thing that I like of this movie - the music. I just love the theme "Arietty's Song" by Cécile Corbel. It's such a peaceful song and her voice is so beautiful!!

It was so great seeing this movie because I had been really looking forward to seeing it for a long time.I've never missed watching Ghibli movies at the theaters - when I was a kid, my late grandfather would take me and my sister to the theaters everytime a new Hayao movie came out. If I was asked what kind of movie I like the best, Hayao movies would easily be ranked as top.Especially I like My Neighbor Totoro  Which Ghibli movie do you like the best?　

Another reason why I was so excited for this movie is that I've loved this story since I read the original story "The Borrowers", written by Mary Norton, when I was a kid.The story of the small people living under the floor was a great shock for just a 6 or 7 year-old girl and it made me believe that they would sure exist in my house as well.The movie was originated to the book faithfully, and I enjoyed it a lot.

Well, I better stop telling about the movie around here...for those have not watched it yet. I have 2 more movies I'm going to see in this summer - Toy Story 3 and Inception. My friends say they were both amazing, so I'm really excited right now  Please don't tell me the stories!!!  lol

Fireworks!!

2010-08-05T09:32:00.002+09:00

In Japan, it's the season of summer festivals right now. Since last weekend, a lot of firework festivals have been held in many places in Japan, and this season will last until around the middle of August.

Personally I like seeing fireworks very much. Not only the fireworks itself, I also like the atmosphere of the festival. A lot of people wearing Yukata(a casual summer Kimono), the tasty smell of foods coming from the street stalls, and so on.

I've already been to see fireworks at two places, one was last Saturday in Okayama,where my uni is, and the other was held last Sunday in my hometown, Kakogawa. Both places were so crowded with thousands of people, but since one of my friends had kept a good space for us in advance, we could view the fireworks from a pretty good position.

It's hard to take photos of fireworks...I took more than 100 photos, but 90% of them were completely blurred

I like this one :)

I heard this year's fireworks display was scaled down compared to the last year's, but still, it impressed me a lot.

There were so many stalls along the riverside. I got a skewer of grilled chicken and fried noodles, and had them watching the fireworks - Yum!!

The night view of Okayama Castle - Gorgeous, isn't it?

I also took a video!

I've got one more fireworks display I am going to see, which is on next Saturday. I'm really looking forward to it!!

Summer has come!

2010-07-27T16:30:00.003+09:00

Yes! As the title shows,it's officially summer here in west Japan!

It's been so freaking hot lately,which makes me feel just don't wanna go outside my house.These days I have been forced to wake up very early at like 6am,due to the heat and thousands of cicada's cry - they are soooo annoying!

Well, today's photos that I would like to share with you are from our mini trip to the world of sunflowers. I'm not sure if I've told you in this blog or not, but viewing/arranging flowers is one of my hobbies. I am currently learning Ikebana(Japanese traditional flower arrangement) at uni, so if I have time I'd like to share with you some of my works in another post soon. When I tell someone about this, they usually get surprised,but I just don't know why lol. Do I look like the last person who would have such a girly hobby?? :(

Anyways, I like sunflowers the best of all flowers. 兵庫県佐用町 Sayo-cho in Hyogo pref., the place we visited this time is located about 2 hours away from my place by car, and is known as one of the largest sunflower fields in Japan.Especially this place has become very popular rapidly since last year, mainly because it got seriously damaged by the heavy rain attacked this area around this time last year.Despite such a serious damage, people living there never gave in, and made a great effort to keep their tradition of growing and displaying sunflowers.These people's efforts have moved a lot of Japanese people's heart and thus the name of this place has become pretty famous.

Click the photos below to view the larger version:)

There were millions of sunflowers all around, and a lot of tourists were enjoying viewing them/ taking photos of them.

Beautiful, aren't they?

I always try my best to take good photos like professional photographer's with my own digital camera, but... hmm, maybe I need to get a better one.^^;

It literally looks like the sun

My current desktop wallpaper :)

Most of them were taller than I(I'm 165cm tall)!!

After the flower viewing, we went to eat ホルモン焼きそばfried noodles with boiled piece of pig innards, which is well known as the special food in this area.It was so amazingly delicious.Yum!

This area is also known for its beautiful view of Japanese traditional streets and houses.

Some people call this area "the second Kyoto".

Since it was such a hot day,I wanted to play in the river - just like them!

Except for the sweltering heat, I like summer very much. I've got many upcoming events from the end of this month through to the middle of August - fireworks, summer festival, small trip to some places, BBQ, drinking with my friends, etc. Hooray,eventful days!

On the other hand, this summer is also a great chance to make enough money for my first trip abroad(I'm currently planning to visit my Aussie friend who lives in Canberra,during the next spring vacation)So I need to work very hard while I have many free time. Recently I've been working from morning to night as a teacher at a cram school.I'm always totally exhausted after getting home in night,but when I think of my trip to Australia, it makes me motivated.

Anyhow,this is gonna be the last summer in my school life, so I'd like to try my best to make the best memories ever!

I am not getting older, I am just leveling up!

2010-07-16T14:15:00.019+09:00

Hello there, it's been a while! I was busy for a while after the annual big event last Monday, 12th of July 2010.

Yes, it was my birthday
and finally I turned 22!!!

YAY!!!

Twenty two. Wow. The number makes me wonder a little. Well, I doubt my appearance or my behavior reflects that number.Haha!
I was so suprised that when I logged on Facebook there were so many lovely birthday wishes on my wall from my friends around the world, which made me so happy and feel loved!Also I got so many decorated emails to my mobile from my Japanese friends and it took me half day to reply to them all.Due to the time difference, it lasted until the night of 13th Japan time, the next day of my birthday.Apparently I am so popular among my friends. w00t! Thanks guys!!!

Recently I'm feeling it's weird that, as I get older, I kind of feel like people in the world of showbiz such as popstars, talents and sports players who I once felt were still much older than me are getting younger than me. I never felt this way like 5 years ago, when I was still in high school. I think it's probably especially because I was born in 1988, the last year of 昭和Showa period, and the current period 平成Heisei started from the next year.When I ask someone who I first meet which year he/she was born in and then they answer it's after 1988, it makes me feel shocked a little bit. Just because the name of era differs, the year difference sounds like a century! Heck!

Anyway, on 12th my family and friends all celeblated my becoming 22, and I had a very good time in Kobe, my favorite town, with my family.Ok random pics time!

Shopping to Kobe! Though it was gloomy and so muggy like hell, we enjoyed a lot!

My Sachertorte

My sister's

Mine #2. Oops I ate too much!Haha!

A lovely present from my best friend in Australia! Cute!

The pen case has 12 zippers! Cool, isn't it?

I got many nice gifts from other friends as well!

No matter how old I am, getting lots of messages and gifts on my birthday always makes me so happy!!

Well, my big event is over.This means the long depressing rainy season is also over, and summer is soon to be here.I am so excited!!!!!!
Okay so, I'll end today's post with sharing my favorite beautiful music with some wonderful pictures of summer in Japan.This music was created by a famous Japanese composer, 久石譲 Joe Hisaishi.
This will make you feel nostalgic and want to visit Japan - for sure. Enjoy!

Owl City - Fireflies

2010-07-07T12:00:00.009+09:00

Post of Song Lyrics Vol.2(Click HERE to view older posts)!

I know this song is getting older but it's still my favorite

So I tried translating!

I like not only this song but also this video - I want all of these cute toys!

You would not believe your eyes
If ten million fireflies
Lit up the world as I fell asleep
Cause they'd fill the open air
And leave tear drops everywhere
You'd think me rude but I would just stand and
Stare

君はきっと目を疑うだろう、
僕が眠りについているときに
何千万というホタルが世界を灯していたら
だって、あたり一面ホタルいっぱいで
そこかしこに光の涙を落としていくんだよ、
君は変って思うかも知れないけど僕はただじっとしてずっと眺めているだろうな

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns, slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep
Cause everything is never as it seems

自分自身を信じたい
地球はゆっくりと回ってるんだって
できることなら眠るよりも起きてこのままずっと眺めていたい
だってすべてが見た通りに見えるわけではないのだから

   Cause I'd get a thousand hugs
From ten thousand lightning bugs
As they tried to teach me how to dance
A foxtrot above my head
A sack-hop beneath my bed
The disco ball is just hanging by a thread

何千という蛍の光に
何千という抱擁を受けるんだ
まるで僕に踊り方を教えてくれているかのように
頭の上を駆け抜けていく狐
ベッドの下を飛び跳ねている靴下
一本の糸でつるされているだけのミラーボール

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns, slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep
Cause everything is never as it seems

   自分自身を信じたい
地球はゆっくりと回ってるんだって
できることなら眠るよりも起きてこのままずっと眺めていたい
だってすべてが見た通りに見えるわけではないのだから

   Leave my door open just a crack
(Please take me away from here)
Cause I feel like such an insomniac
(Please take me away from here)
Why do I tire of counting sheep?
(Please take me away from here)
When I'm far too tired to fall asleep

少しだけドアを開けたままにしておいて
(ここから僕を連れ出して)
ちょっと不眠症みたいな気分だから
(ここから僕を連れ出して)
疲れすぎて眠れないときに
羊を数えるのにも飽きてしまった
(ここから連れ出してよ)

   To ten million fireflies
I'm weird cause I hate goodbyes
I got misty eyes as they said farewell

ねえホタルたち、
変だけど、サヨナラをいうのは嫌なんだ
別れを言われると目が潤んでしまうよ

   But I'll know where several are
If my dreams get real bizarre
Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar

でも、少しだけ瓶に取っておいたよ
もし僕の夢の中で不思議なことが起こっても
君たちがどこにいるかわかるように

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns, slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep
Cause everything is never as it seems

自分自身を信じたい
地球はゆっくりと回ってるんだって
できることなら眠るよりも起きてこのままずっと眺めていたい
だってすべてが見た通りに見えるわけではないのだから

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns, slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep
Because my dreams are bursting at the seams

信じたいんだ
地球はゆっくりと回り続けてるんだって
できることなら眠るよりも起きてこのままずっと眺めていたい
僕の夢は縫い目から張り裂けそうなくらい膨らんでいるから

Ocean Eyes

by Owl City

Released: July 28, 2009

Genre:Pop

Super-size store

2010-07-03T17:00:00.018+09:00

Okay, so like you already know, last Tuesday Japan lost 3-5 to Paraguay on the final penalty shootout, and finally dropped out of the World cup 2010.I was too nervous to watch the last PK, so it was after the game when I knew the result.It did make me disappointed, but I think they all did a great work in this world cup and I am really proud of them.They showed us their great teamwork and the importance of not giving up. I hope we'll see them again in Brazil 2014!

Yesterday, one of my Japanese friends and I took 2 exchange students from the US and UK to the "Super Size Store" near our uni, to help them buy some new large-sized clothes.

For some foreigners who live in Japan, buying clothes might be one of the problems they are facing.Some of the exchange students I've met so far have found it difficult to get new clothes and shoes for their sizes in Japan. This is because the standards of Japanese sizes are quite different from those of their countries' ,which often makes them confused. They say even the largest sized clothes of GAP, the American clothing brand, is made much smaller for them here in Japan.
Also I know some foreign female friends who got shocked as they were considered plus-size in Japan, even though they were considered to be average or slim in their countries. If you have a chance to visit Japan some day, you might have the same experience as they did. But remember, don't compare yourself to Japanese women.Different genes = different body type.Nothing to worry about.Well, to be honest, even I find pants a bit of a problem actually...Japanese girls these days have no hips and butt!! lol

It was my fist time to visit this store, and until I found it out on the Internet I didn't even know there was such an unique store near to my uni. I was surprised that the store carried up to a 8L! I've never seen that large size!

Super big Jinbei (4L) !

(I think many foreigners in Japan love this character. I often see people wearing T-shirts with this char even though they were slim...which is cute, though.)

Not only clothes, but all the stuff in this store was super sized as well!(Sorry these pics cannot show you how big they actually were)

Super large mirror!

and an unnecessarily super huge fitting room!

...with a fan attached!

(I think it could easily become my own small study room if only it had a window lol)

My friends from the U.S. and the UK looked so excited as they found new cool clothes for their size.Their shopping took us almost 2 hours, which made me and the other Japanese friend a bit tired, but it's okay as long as they enjoyed their shopping. :) We had a very good time!

GO SAMURAI BLUE J-A-P-A-N!!

2010-06-26T09:43:00.014+09:00

Yesterday was an epic day. As other bloggers have been posting about, Japan beat Denmark 3-1 in yesterday's World cup soccer match.Actually I didn't watch it because the game started at 3am(JST) and I never expected Japan would win the game(for some reason I've been kinda pessimistic about our team). I was surprised when I woke up and turned on TV - every channel was reporting about that game and highlighting the score scenes repeatedly. I think Japan did a great job. Now I'm feeling I really should have watched the awesome game.I'll definitely watch the next game against Paraguay!!!

I think World cup is superior to Olympics in the respect that many of the citizens get united just for one sport.The audience rating shows it well - According to the survey by 日本テレビ(Nippon Television Network Corporation), the audience rating in Japan reached 41.3% before 5am.This means 2 out of 5 people were watching Japan Vs. Denmark, even though the game was from 3am to 5am ish and most of them still had a work or school just a few hours later! Even the final match of free-style skating in Vancouver Olympic 2010, in which Mao Asada won a silver medal, the average audience rating was 36.3%.

Another very interesting fact is that the amount of water use suddenly increased greatly right after the first half of the game was over, according to the survey done by Osaka Municipal Waterworks Bureau.This means a lot of of people who had been stuck close to TV to watch the game went to the rest room at once, as soon as the first half of the game was over.

Lastly, look at these crazy people at Shibuya,Tokyo,right after the game.Some of them were taken by the police because they were too excited. You'll see how excited people in Japan were yesterday(Watch @ 2:15)...

By the way, I got a ringtone of Vuvuzera , the trumpet-looking instrument buzzing all the time during a game!

I was going to set this as my alarm sound but quit,
because it's sooooooooooo annoying!!!! lol

The Blue Day Book

2010-06-22T14:48:00.011+09:00

According to the calender,yesterday was the summer solstice.As you know,it's the longest day of the year. But this year it didn't mean anything to us cause in Japan it's in the middle of the rainy season right now.And that's the season I hate the most during a year, because it makes me blue, depressed, and perspire(Too much humidity is what I hate the most during this season). It　has been gloomy and raining for almost all day lately,and also sometimes it rains cats and dogs(this is an interesting English phrase that I studied recently btw- why "cats and dogs"? =]).Heavy rain sometimes delays the transportation service,which makes me feel just don't wanna go to school and do anything.So, on rainy days with no class, I usually just lie about at home doing nothing.

Speaking of blue days,I received a package from U.S. today.It's an English book that I ordered @ Amazon.co.jp last week. The title is "The Blue Day Book".

This is a wonderful collection of amusing and adorable animal photos with some short texts that cheers you up when you've got the blues. One of my American friends once lent it to me and I liked it so much, so I wanted it as mine.I looked for it at some book stores and libraries, but I couldn't find it, so I ordered on Amazon.It was my first time online shopping, and I'm simply satisfied because it was quite cheap and took me only less than 1 week until I received it.Also it was flawless despite having come all the way from US.

This book is just like a simple little photo book with simple messages, so of course it's not Shakespeare nor a kind of so-called how-to book that solves your mental problems.But, with those unique and cute black-and white photos of animals that perfectly match with each humorous message,you'll not be able to read it without smiling and it will definitely make you feel better :It's guaranteed. I think this is what makes this book special.
You can view some of the pages of this book HERE.

Well, I'm not a sensitive person, so I rarely get inspired by famous words by great people.But one of the phrases from this book did catch my heart.Now I'd like to share it with you here, also as a note to myself:

- Live every day as if it were your last,

because one day, it will be.

You may think this is too simple and it's not that a special word, and I agree to it.
But this message makes me realize that how much I've been wasting my time that never comes back again.Nobody can tell when we will die or how long we can live.I might not be in this world at this moment tomorrow, nor even a few hours later.This might be a bit extreme,but it's quite possible.
So, I'll try my best to make my life a great one.I still don't know how, but for the time being until I start my new life next spring, I want to try as many things as possible that I can experience only while I am still a student.I hope to make every moment a special one so that one day, when my last day comes and I look back on my past life, I can feel that I could send a great life.This quote is gonna be one of my mottos from now on.

Anyway, if you have a chance, I highly recommend you to pick it up and take a look at this book - even if you don't like animals very much.This book also will be a nice present to someone special.Maybe I'll get one more and give it to my best friend who is leaving for the UK to study soon. This is such a book worth it, I think.

An un-birthday party @ my friend's!

2010-06-19T14:57:00.010+09:00

Yesterday, 2 of my Japanese friends and I had a small party at my American friend's house.Since I had been really busy with job searching until recently, it was the first time in 5 months to join a home party.

And yesterday, I totally fell in love with these stuff;
(Click on the images below to view a larger version)

1) ® Frito Lay - Doritos for Dip! (Original)

It was my first try, and it was soooooooo good! We had it with salsa sauce and I loved the combination. Once I started eating, I couldn't stop it. I guess I could have eaten it more, but my self-control woke me up when I looked at the calorie chart on the bottom of the package...almost 1,000 kcals per one bag... O_o!!!!

But still,it's one of the best snacks ever.I know it's hard to find it here but I think I just need to go get some!!! :9

2) Tacos.

Laura, the American friend who invited us, had already prepared the fillings of tacos for us.We put some seasoned chickens,cheese,salsa sauce, tomatoes and shredded cabbage on the tortilla,and rolled these fillings with the tortilla then ate it.It was my second time to eat tacos.I hadn't had it for a long time because my father disliked it when he first tried it(How could he?! Maybe he has a bad sense of taste) and it has never been served since then.First time I ate it with the U-shaped hard shell,but this time it was wheat tortilla.Personally I much prefer tortilla to hard shell.It was also really delicious.I had two tacos and they made me full & happy.It's a pity that it's hard for us to find these foods here in Japan, cause there are only a few stores that sell foreign foods in my area.I'm so jealous of Americans & Mexicans! xD

Until Laura told us the chips and tacos were actually not the main dinner, I had totally forgotten that the title of the home party was originally "hot-cake yaki party". Like I said,I was already full,but when it came to dessert, I was pretty sure there was still a room for it in my stomach.lol.

Why do we call it "hot-cake yaki" btw?

-'Cause we used a takoyaki pan to make hot cakes!!!

Separating the each ball with a chopstick after filling up the holes of takoyaki pan with hotcake mix...
(I'm kinda clumsy I poured it too much lol!)
You can put any toppings as you like - we added some pieces of bananas,

chocolates, raisins and cranberry chips, etc.

Baking hot cake-yaki! Rotating them is a bit hard, but fun!

I had never come up with the idea of making mini cakes with a takoyaki pan before.I think it's a great idea.It's just the right size for eating it in one mouthful,and also you can enjoy various flavors depending on what you add as toppings. I personally liked the combination of banana&chocolate&whip cream sooo much!

Though I was pretty much full after chips&tacos, I ate more than 5 and I could hardly move for a while.Crazy!

We ate a lot, drank a lot,and talked a lot.We had a really good time!We definitely need to do it again!

An unexpected piece of luck

2010-06-15T02:43:00.011+09:00

Yesterday, my mom happened to find out an unexpected piece of luck while she was cleaning the living room.

Can you guess what it was?!?!

It's MONEY!!!!!

8 thousand - yen bills(≒87USD)!!!!!

- From where?

HERE(∀)!!!!!!!!!!

From under the sofa!

Okay, lemme tell you the story. 5 ish months ago, we had a very strange happening in my house. One day, after I got home from the new year's bargain sale, I was counting the number of the bills remaining in my wallet in the living room on the 1st floor.After that, I put the bundle of 9 thousand-yen bills on the dining table,and then, I went upstairs to get a calculator. When I got back to the dining room just after 3 mins,strangely enough,8 out of 9 bills had disappeared.There was only 1 thousand yen bill on the table. I got panicked,and suspected my parents because they were there while I was upstairs.But they said they didn't even know that I put the money on the table. We kept searching around my house for the whole day, but we couldn't find it out. The disappeared 8000 yen never came out even after a couple of weeks.

But yesterday, about 5 months later, my mother finally found it out.We all had totally forgotten about the disappeared 8000 yen.We rarely move the big sofa, but yesterday she needed to move it to put a new sheet on the sofa.Then finally she found something under the sofa - many faces of 野口英世Hideyo Noguchi(A famous Japanese scientist who is printed on the 1000 yen bill) looking at her!!!!!!!!!

I couldn't believe it at first.The 8 thousand yen bills had been sleeping for more than 5 months under the sofa.In the dark.
How lucky I am! Finally I got my disappeared money back!!!!!It's just like an unexpected pocket money.

But the question still remains. Why was the money under the sofa? Who the hell put it there? Why couldn't anyone in my family find it out earlier?

Hmmmm....nobody knows.
It's still a mystery.

Anyway, now I'm busy thinking what I should spend this lucky money on.

Oh happy days!!<3<3

Long time no see!!

2010-06-13T17:28:00.021+09:00

Woah! It has been far too long since I wrote last! How's everyone been? Hope you are doing well;)

I'm so sorry for not posting for such a long time... I had been really busy with job searching recently and because of it I had no time to blog. But now I'm feeling so glad that I can share my good news with you here - Guess what???

Yes,

finally I got a job offer

from a company!

YAY!!!!!!!!

It's a company that I had wanted to work for the most since I started my job searching,

and also it is a company that supported my 4 years' school life!

This is the shinkansen which I take every day to go to uni!

(Note to all: I NEVER am a trainspotter!!! lol)

From next spring, I'll be working in Kansai area as a station staff of JR-West(West Japan Railway Company). Hopefully I'd like to work in Osaka or Kyoto, where lots of foreign tourists come to for sightseeing.After a couple of years, I'll be able to work at the headquarter in Osaka.My dream is to make new plans to let people around the world know more about many attractive places in west Japan. This is why I chose this company. I hope my dream comes true one day!

Before I started job hunting, I never imagined that finding a job was gonna be this hard,to be honest. I applied for many companies, yet I failed many times. Everytime I failed, I felt like my pride got injured and I felt so depressed.I thought I wanted to give it up many times.I even wondered why I had to feel this hard to pass every single step of selection of so many companies that weren't so attractive to me.Because of this I couldn't feel very happy even when I got a call back from a bank over a month ago.It was completely different from the job which I had imagined as my future job.
But I overcame these hardships and finally could get a great job from one of the biggest companies in west Japan.All is well that ends well.

On the other hand, looking back on my job searching, I also feel it was a good experience in my life.It became a great opportunity for me to know about myself more deeply.I think I have matured as a result of this experience.Of course I never wanna do it again, though.lol

Finally, I'd like to thank everyone who supported me and cheered me up during my hard times.Thanks to them I could pass the first step to my dream. I'm feeling so happy now.I can't wait for next spring, the beginning of the new life!!!!!!!

TAKOYAKI MAX!

2010-01-13T12:31:00.002+09:00

Apparently my parents love spending money on electronics. On weekends they often go shopping to appliance stores and never come back home without purchasing something new.And they decide what to buy surprisingly quickly - When they came back home with a new computer last weekend, I was just surprised because I never even knew that they had been looking for a new one before that.
This time it was a new hotplate. A much bigger one than the former one. Of course I didn't know at all that they were going to buy it this time, either.When I went to the dining room it was just there. They told me very happily that they purchased it with their membercard's points that they stored when they bought the new PC , which means they didn't pay anything this time for this new hotplate.

The new hotplate is great - it includes 3 changeable pans, and we can change them depending on what we cook. One of them is for takoyaki(For those who don't know takoyaki - It's a popular Japanese dumpling made of batter, diced or whole baby octopus, tempura scraps (tenkasu), topped with okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, green laver (aonori), and katsuobushi (fish shavings), first popularized in Taisho-era Osaka). I love takoyaki very much because I am from Kansai area. It is said that people from my area all have at least one takoyaki pan in their kitchens.I used to have one but it had only 15 molds.But this new pan has 30 molds - twice as many as the older one! We really enjoyed making & eating them. I ate over 15 takoyakis, which made me full!Okay I hope the picture below makes you hungry.:p

Anyway, if you have a chance to visit Osaka, please just try takoyaki! It's a damn good stuff I think - I bet you'll fall in love with it. And if you like it, don't forget to buy & bring a takoyaki pan back to your country.Takoyaki is the best food that we can be proud of in the world!!

The coolest wedding couple ever

2010-01-05T09:03:00.003+09:00

Right, quick update, this is a link posted by my friend on FB. Please just watch this - it's hilarious!They're the coolest nerds ever!

And check this out as well(Click the picture below). There are 10 funny & unbelievable Stories about Facebook and they are all very interesting so I just wanted to share it with you. Enjoy!

Welcome Year 2010

2010-01-02T09:52:00.016+09:00

新年明けましておめでとうございます!
(Shinnen Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu)
HAPPY NEW YEAR！新年快乐！Bonne année！Buon Anno! Поздравляю Вас с Новмы годом!Felice anno nuovo！Frohes Neues Jahr!

Finally the year 2010 has started.How are you spending your new year? I hope you all are enjoying your New Year's holidays.

Unfortunately,I celebrated the coming of new year so lazily in my bed, just watching from one TV show to another.Yes, to tell the truth,I stupidly let myself loose during the last week of 2009, which ended up bringing me on a high fever. And because of this, I had been so sick that I had to stay in my bed for the last 2 days of year 2009. My fever has already gone down but I still have a bad sore throat.What a shame way of welcoming a new year!
Well, I know it's all my fault. But anyway, my year-end was awesome,except that I had to work all day on Christmas day(I gave 3 lectures to my students,which made me exhausted). I had an epic night with my international friends on Christmas eve, went bowling & Karaoke with them on 27th, joined a home party at my circle mate's house,went to USJ(Universal Studios Japan) in Osaka with my friends and played until night(it was such a freaking cold day!!View photos), had a reunion with my friends in my high school days & Drinking & karaoke night again. No wonder my lifestyle went bad, but I'm so happy as long as I could have a really good time with my friends. How did you spend your last days of 2009 and celebrate the coming of new year?

By the way, we have a saying in Japan,"New Year's Day is the day to make one year's plan," and so we make a plan for the year. So here I'd like to share a little of what I've made up my mind to do during this year.

Pooka0712's Manifest 2010

1. I'll change my lifestyle into the morning style.
   - So I can efficiently get ahead with my work.

2. I will keep reading a newspaper.
   - To keep up with the times.This is also what I have done so far,though. But this year, it includes reading the English version as well - The Japan Times Online makes it possible. I've started subscribing it!

3. I'll challenge some new certifying exams.
  - for my career.

4. Diet! =p
- Everyday's continuous exercise. My friends kindly say I'm silly thinking about going on a diet, but I just really need it!!Especially my lower body.If you see it, you'll see why.lol

5. and English.
- However busy I'll be, I'll make it a rule to spend at least 1 hour studying or using English.Not only mastering the daily conversation level's English, I'll try to learn business English as well this year.As a more concrete goal,I'd like to get over 950 points on the TOEIC test.And of course, I'll keep blogging as often as possible, too! :-)

Like I told you above, my condition at the beginning of new year wasn't so good. But please let me declare here, that I'll try my best to realize these things. I'm sure that this year will be an ordeal one to me in many ways.But whatever happens,I'd like to stay positive and confident at any time.
May you succeed in all your endeavors, and may this year 2010 be the best and the happiest one to you all!!

Seasons Greetings from Japan

2009-12-25T09:38:00.004+09:00

I wish you all a merry Christmas and

a New Year full of happiness!

May your plans and hopes be realized this year, too!

Coldplay - Lost!

2009-12-12T16:38:00.014+09:00

Just because I'm losing

Doesn't mean I'm lost

Doesn't mean I'll stop

Doesn't mean I'll cross

負けそうになっているからといって

途方に暮れてるワケじゃない

やめようとしているワケじゃない

向こう側に行こうとしてるわけでもない

Just because I'm hurting

Doesn't mean I'm hurt

Doesn't mean I didn't get what I deserve

No better and no worse

痛みを感じているからといって

傷ついているワケじゃない

自分にふさわしい価値あるものが手に入らなかったわけでもない
良くも悪くも

I just got lost
Every river that I've tried to cross

And every door I ever tried was locked

Ooh-Oh, And I'm just waiting till the shine wears off...

ただ、道に迷っただけだよ

渡ろうとした川という川

開こうとしたドアというドアは

すべて鍵がかかっていた

だから私はひたすら待っているんだ

光りの輝きが薄れるのを

You might be a big fish
In a little pond

Doesn't mean you've won

'Cause along may come

A bigger one

君は小さな池の中の
大きな魚かもしれないけれど

だからといって君が勝ったワケじゃない

もっと大物がじきにやってくるかもしれないのだから

And you'll be lost!

Every river that you tried to cross

Every gun you ever held went off

Ooh-Oh, And I'm just waiting till the firing stopped

そしたら君の負けだろう
君が渡ろうとした川という川

君が手にした銃という銃はみんな暴発

私はただ待っているんだ、発砲が止むのを

Ooh-Oh, And I'm just waiting till the shine wears off
Ooh-Oh, And I'm just waiting till the shine wears off

Ooh-Oh, And I'm just waiting till the shine wears off

そして私はただひたすら待っているんだ、光りの輝きが薄れるのを
そして私はただひたすら待っているんだ、光りの輝きが薄れるのを

Viva la Vida or
Death and All His Friends
by Coldplay

Released : 11 June 2008
Genre : Alternative Rock

December!!!! The recent's photostream

2009-12-02T21:44:00.014+09:00

Whoa! December has come!
Time flies. Well, It's officially cold here in west Japan, which means it's making it harder for me to get out of my bed at 7 every morning. Actually I don't need to wake up that early during this semester because all of my classes begin after noon, but I make it a rule to get up at 7am, just not to spend my days by being too lazy. Brilliant,ain't I?lol

I had so many events during the past 2 weeks - School festival, mid-term exams, a mock court in my seminar class(I played a role of defendant of a certain civil case and...WON!!Thanks Mr. Judge) , etc,. I have finally got my job hunting started while keeping studying for civil exam, which has not allowed me to get enough time to relax.The worst thing for me is that I have less time to go to English café at my uni, so my chance to talk with the international students in English has been getting limited. I love spending my time at the English café, 'cause this is the only chance for me to practice speaking English with native speakers. There are always some exchange students who speak English at the Café, and any students can come whenever they want. Every day a lot of students who want to improve their English skills come in and out all time.Since this café was opened 5ish months ago, I've dropped by there quite often like when I have no class. I wish there had been this café last year too, I had more free time than now so I could have been there every day. :'-(

Whatever. Recently I've been a bit busy like this, but still I'll keep studying English(Hopefully I'd like to try next TOEIC!). I've got plenty of photos in my hard drive that need to be posted, so today I'm going to post some of them. Pardon me for the randomness. Here we go!

School festival Nov. 21st - 23rd

The school festival, one of our biggest events of the year, lasted 3 days and there were lots of people coming from around the city, or even from out of the city. I could go there only on the first day, but I walked around with my friends & tried out lots of foods served at lots of stalls run by each club/circle.They were pretty good.

Every year,as soon as December starts, all the things around my town totally get into Christmas mode. The center of my city,especially around the station is decorated with lovely Christmas illumination. Also Christmas songs are played here and there. They make me feel happy and also remind me of the coming of year's end. I LOVE this Christmas mood to the max,even though it seems like I'm going to be spending it alone this year,too! Well, I'm okay with it though. Cheers to being single! lol

This year's (a bit early)Christmas present to myself! I spent what little money I had on this new indigo-colored coat...Omg WHERE'S MY MONEY!!

(Note to all - This is not me!lol)

Around the station

My next-door neighbor! Lovely, isn't it?

Woooo I have lots of events in December! I've got many invitations to 忘年会, year-end parties from my friends and I'm wondering which ones I should join.The only problem at the moment is money...What do I do?!

Anyways, it's gonna be fun!!:D I hope you enjoy your end of the year,too!

Quick Update: Facebook Trick!

2009-11-17T10:20:00.019+09:00

Alright, I've got just 10 mins before I leave home! Today I'm gonna show you a special
facebook trick that one of my friends told me!This is just for fun ----> Try it! NOW! :D

Open the Facebook mainpage(Click the image above and log in!), Press up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, enter key then right click! After that, click anywhere on the page and then press up & down and see what happens!
To stop this - simply log out then back in again!

This really trips me out!

Oops gotta go now...It's raining today I don't feel I wanna go to school right now...:(

But anyways, have a nice day everyone!

What will you choose to survive?

2009-11-11T14:28:00.014+09:00

Woooooooo it's been ages since I wrote last!I've been busy lately and had no time to write...but I'm doing pretty good. Thank you!

At the end of last month I attended a seminar for job hunting held at uni. Currently I am studying for a civil exam which I am going to take next summer, but I'm going to try some private companies as well.I decided to attend this seminar for the purpose of getting some information about how to start job hunting.
The seminar consisted not only of lectures by some staffs who have been informally promised employment but also of an interactive program;This time I experienced a group discussion, which is often taken as a way of job interviews by most of the large companies in Japan. This time we discussed a quite interesting topic, so here I'm going to introduce what we talked about.

Question:
Suppose your boat had been washed up on shore of an unknown inhabited island. You have nothing with you right now. If you're given just 3 things from the list below, what would you choose? Pick three!
Situation; There's no dangerous animal on the island, but there's only a tree and drinkable water.

1. a cell phone
2. a knife
3. a throwaway lighter
4. a white, large cloth
5. a rope
6. an illustrated guidebook to plants
7. a smoke pot
8. one of your friends
9. a blanket
10. some recreation stuff like cards

First off, we discarded a cell-phone, a smoke pot and the recreation stuff from the list, because we thought they were all the most unreliable and useless things to survive on an inhabited island.Then we chose a knife. The main reason is that we can use a knife in many ways and we thought we wouldn't be able to find any other substitutable stuff on the island.One of my American friends once told me that some of American people always carry a knife in their bags, not only for self-defense but as a "tool". He told me that, for example, when they need to cut a piece of paper or a rope, a knife would become a very useful tool.
Secondly,we chose a white, large cloth. There was no information about how large the cloth was, but anyway, we thought this also would be useful in many ways. We might be able to make a small tent with the cloth, or also we can use it as a blanket(at this point we removed the "blanket" from the choice) Also, if we wave it like a flag, we can ask for help to get out of the island.
At this point, a lighter, a rope,an illustrated guidebook to plants and a friend were still remaining in the list.First we removed a rope.Of course sometimes it can be useful, but we didn't get any ideas of situations when a rope is needed just for survival. And even if we became in need of it, we might be able to make it with some plants like ivy or something like that on the island instead.Next,a plants guidebook was turned down(personally I think this one should have been dropped from the list first but somehow it remained till the last stage).
A lighter, or a friend. On the very last stage,it took us quite a long time to decide either of them. Especially regarding a friend, our opinions were completely divided because, as you probably guess, it has both aspects of a very important advantage and a fatal disadvantage.Of course having one of your closest friends with you on an unknown inhabited island will benefit you a lot;You'll feel more secure and never need to feel lonely.Also you might be able to find and share the best ideas to survive which you would have never thought up if without your friend.
However, on the other hand,to live with your friend can be a serious burden when you try to survive on the island; Foods.If there were plenty of things we can eat on the island,we might not need to worry about this problem, but if not? What if there were only a few edible stuff on the island? With your friend, you have to reduce what you get to eat by half.Even if there was drinkable water, still, something that can be a precondition to survive would be simply to have enough foods with you.Also, even if the friend is your closest friend,you might not always get along with the friend; sometimes you might fall out with him/her, especially in such a tense situation like when you have a matter of life and death.
Thus, after all, we selected a lighter, for the reason of having less risk compared to the case of a friend.

A knife, a large white cloth, and a lighter. This was the conclusion that we reached in the end. We talked it over for the 20 minutes, which became a very precious experience for me because recently I don't often have a chance to talk over something except my major, law, with my friends in my daily life.But through this discussion, I learned again that sharing ideas and opinions with friends is very important.

Right,now it's your turn. If you think about this question, what would you choose?