Baby

January 8th, 2012, I delivered a baby girl. Oh, my gosh, it took 21 hours to deliver my daughter. I thought I might die because my blood pressure got really high (over 170mmHg) when I was pushing her and she didn't come out smoothly. The due date was January 15th, so she may have wanted to stay in me little bit longer. However, she was born really healthy. 

I didn't know what to say or what to think when I touched my daughter first time. She was in my body for 9 months. I was moved to have finally met her. She was small, soft and warm. My husband and I were very scared of holding her because she was so fragile. We thank God to have let us have such a beautiful girl. 

We have to be ready to raise her now. The delivery may be end, but raising one person has just started. Producing life comes with a huge responsibility. When I got pregnant, my husband and I didn't think much of anything, we just happy simply. But now that my daughter depends on us, we have to face the coming challenges with care and thought. We need to be parents who she can always be proud of.

Well, nice to meet you, girl! Let's have a great family together.

Autumn

 

The other day, my husband and I went to see Koh-yo (紅葉：red autumn leaves). Many Japanese people enjoy such scenery, like the full moon, Cherry Blossoms and so on. Since I am one of them, I asked him to take me there to see it. 

There is a website that tells you when the best time to visit an area to see red leaves. 

The website is kind enough to show you how to get there, where you can eat lunch, if they have hot springs or other events. Of course after enjoying Koh-yo, we went to one of hot springs and relaxed. It will be December soon, but check the website out and try to go out and enjoy nature.

Red Autumn info web (Japanese) : http://kouyou.nihon-kankou.or.jp/ 

Pregnant

I am wondering who is reading this blog since I haven't written for a long long time. Within that long period, I got pregnant.

Now I am 33 weeks, or 8 months pregnant. (Using the Japanese counting method, I am 9 months pregnant)



Within 50 days, I will see my baby. That is unbelievable.
The baby is a girl. How fantastic!

She moves a lot in my uterus, no matter what I am doing. It is a beautiful thing (?) to be able to see my stomach move as she moves her arms and legs. My husband touches her over my skin softly and calls her name; which was decided by my father and his father. I realized that having my "own" family is a very special thing. I am so excited! I can't wait to kiss my daughter's cheeks. I want to touch her soft hair and want to feel her warmth. I am wondering if my daughter will think the same way as me.

Comfortable

Do you remember the very first day you started living with someone? Not your dad and mom, I am talking about your partner such as your husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend. After your wedding, even before your wedding, or if  you live with somebody now, you must have had that experience. I tried to remember what I did and how I felt on that day, but I can't remember. I asked my husband who was my boyfriend at that time, and he said he remembered. He told me I went to work that day and was too tired to cook, so we went out to eat something. I used to work 7 days a week and didn't cook very much back then, so I guess what he said is right.

Living with somebody who came from a different background causes problems sometimes, because each person has his or her own living habits. I was born and grew up in Japan and my husband is an American, so our lifestyles were very different. Even very small things were different such as how to wash dishes, doing laundry, what to use for scrubbing one's body in the shower, how to clean a room, what to eat for breakfast....wow, I can't count!!  We'd wondered, fought, and compromised with each other a lot.  Now we've gotten used to living together and feel comfortable finally. Probably more comfortable than living with our own parents.

The Earthquake

There was a big earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand a couple days ago. I wasn't paying any attention to what they said about it on the news the first time. However, after hearing that there are several Japanese people still trapped in the rubble, I keep listening intently to the news. It has been more than 72 hours since the Japanese international students were said to still be missing under the building. The news breaks my heart. How bad were their families devastated by the news...? Just thinking of their feelings gives me pain.

I was an international student once.
I know "time" and "place" were different in my case, but it could have happened to me.  I took off from my country with hope and I was so excited to go somewhere new. So I can tell those missing people felt the same. We never know or imagine such tragedies happening to us.

In 1995, we experienced an outrageous earthquake in Japan. I still remember the morning of that day. I was in Yamaguchi-ken, about 450km away from the epicenter, so I actually didn't feel the shaking. But when I went to school, I heard my friend's grandma had dead in bed by the fore-shock from the quake. At that time I was taking geology, me and my teacher calculated the force using a formula and knew how bad and severe The great Hanshin earthquake was. The remarkable numbers on the paper crushed me and all my classmates. we were shocked by the quake all over again.

May they find more people in the wreckage before time runs out.
Nothing I can do now, but pray.

Fever

I had a fever yesterday and today.

Kept having 38.5 ℃ (101.5 °F) all day long.

My body temp is usually 35~36 ℃ (96°F), so I was dead.

I guess I've got a cold.

My husband took care of me very well, I thank him for being with me...

How to improve your English

A fair amount of people in my town want to learn English. I don't know the reasons why, but they do. If I were them, I wouldn't want to though, because I am not curious in learning languages at all. When I was a high school student, I needed to learn how to read old Chinese and old Japanese. It was unbelievably difficult for me, so I gave up on it. English was not an exception. I hated English class, so I was thinking how I could ditch the class all the time. However, now I speak and write English well.

Human lives are strange. The person who hated English knows how to speak it.

Some people ask me how to study English. My answer is always the same, "Do not try to be perfect". Lots of people want to speak English perfectly without making any mistakes. I guess making mistakes embarrasses them. But the mistakes make you grow.

Here is my small story. 

The first place I lived in the U.S. was Utah. When I was there, I couldn't speak English at all. The only phrases I knew were such sayings as "Good Morning" "I love you" "Bye-Bye" "How are you?"... something extremely basic. Of course I couldn't have any conversations with my American roommates with those super-duper basics, so I felt very lonely. One day, one of my roommates from Virginia spoke to me. She asked me to go to a gym together. I even didn't know how to say "No, thank you, I have to do my homework" in English... so, I said "Yes".  On the bus after exercising, I realized that I left my necklace and earnings in the locker room. And without thinking, I screamed "my accessory!" My roommate said "What?" I told her "I forget my accessory gym!" (Ahh, horrible English!). She calmed me down and told me again, "What did you say?" . I said again, "My accessory, forget!"  She laughed out loud. No wonder, all jewelry is called "Accessory" in Japanese, but not in America. That I left accessories may mean "I am a robot and left my body parts at the gym."...

When I found out that mistake, I laughed at it with her again and learned how to say it correctly. I was scared of making mistakes but since then, I realized making mistakes leads to correct English.

Oh, Here is a tip. After learning how to say the right phrases, use the right one. Do not use the one you made a mistake with. Some people keep using wrong phrases like an old habit, even though it had been pointed out. Those people are never able to learn.

Is Japanese food healthier?

I am wondering if Japanese food is healthier than other countries' food. Lots of people in the world say that we, Japanese people, eat better than everybody else. But, is it true? This is my personal opinion though, I would say "No".  Think... What is typical Japanese food? Rice, miso soup, fish, pickles, Tofu, etc..., right? As you know, Rice is not really healthy thing because it changes to sugar immediately after putting it in our mouth. If you have diabetes, your doctor might say not to eat a lot of rice. Miso soup contains lots of salt. Some people's bodies get swollen after they have miso soup. I can't say all fish are healthy. If you eat Tuna sashimi everyday, you may gain weight from its fat. Also pickles are made with a bunch of salt. Compared to other countries, the rate Japanese people die from stomach cancer is much higher. Everybody knows it is because we consume a large quantity of salt daily.

When I went to Korea, I was surprised by the amount of vegetables that Korean people eat.  They eat great amount of meat, but as much as the meat, they eat veggies as well. How can we say Koreans are unhealthy? To me, they look very healthy.

I have Italian friends who love eating. The image of Italian food is Pasta, Pizza or Rissoto. Looks like all carbohydrates, but of course they don't eat only carbs. They eat fish, veggies and so on. Just like Japanese people don't eat only rice, Italians have variety in their diet. Needless to say, regarding their diet, my friends are not unhealthy.  Not only these two other countries, but Chinese food uses a lot of oil. However, they look as healthy as we are. Chinese people must eat well, too, right?

Huh? I haven't mention American food yet? American food is unhealthy? ...maybe...  When I was in the U.S., I was 30 lbs(about 15kg)heavier than now. But I am pretty sure it is because I ate as much as I wanted, whatever and whenever!!  I am positive there are so many people who are in good shape in America, too.  You may think American food is only hamburgers, fried chicken and steaks. But do not forget the United States is called "a Melting Pot". You can find any cuisine there. My favorites were Arabic, Vietnamese and Hawaiian cuisine. I also liked Gumbo, which is eaten among African Americans. It rocks! yay!

Japanese food is healthier?  Hmmm..., I think it's a Myth.
The keywords of healthy food are "Balance" and "Amount".

Osaka

Have you ever heard about Osaka? It is one of the biggest  city in Japan. As far as I know, it is the second biggest after Tokyo. I've been to Osaka twice before, about 4 years ago and 1 year ago. I didn't choose to go there, but I had some errands to do. I don't like Osaka very much.

There are three reasons I say so. First, let me say I don't like the way they talk. People in Osaka speak using a special dialect called "Osaka-Ben. " It has a very rough sound, so sounds like they are always angry at me. Second, the main station is too big and complicated for me. I got lost every step I walked. I am 32 years old, but I felt like a little girl. I'd lived in Los Angeles, but I still think towns in LA are much better than Osaka. The last of these reasons is most of their buildings are very "showy". They look like they are all trying to say they are the best. There is no humility in Osaka buildings.

I said I don't like this place, but I would say Osaka is actually very attractive to some people.  Many tourists visit and enjoy it there. Big Osaka fans exist all over the world. Because this city has  charisma and is filled with an unique atmosphere. Osaka overwhelms us all the time, in both good way and bad. It is the most powerful city in Japan. I want to love Osaka..., but I can't... because Osaka  is like a wild stallion, it doesn't mesh with me.

Apple Spice and Cinnamon

It is getting cooler and cooler. I love it.

I am a winter person. Cold air excites me somehow.
Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas....
There are so many cute events in winter.
The scent of Apple Cinnamon & Spice enhances the season.

pottery

It is hard. I just can say that. You may be wondering what's so hard?! Okay, I am telling you. I am talking about pottery. Pottery is hard! My husband has experience doing it and since we came to Japan, we had been looking for studios for the hobby. A couple month ago, we found a kiln where we can take class. I was curious in making my cup and plates by myself, so without thinking, I submitted the application.

My husband makes beautiful plates in a short time. It looked so easy that I can do the same. But...yeah, you already know what I am gonna say...Yes, I WAS wrong! Yes, it WAS hard!  While working on a wheel,  every single second I regret why I am taking this class. The clay is never nice to me. Sad. Before firing, my work is super ugly and makes me worry if I should break them and start it over.  But the moment I see them coming from the kiln, my misgivings go away.  My works are as beautiful as my husband's. They don't look like professional ones, but still, very charming and tasteful. I have a love-hate relationship with pottery. It is complicated.

At The Beach

My husband and I live in a town which has a very beautiful beach.

Yesterday, we walked on the beach and found a little boy.
I released the shutter of my camera. The boy froze and didn't move.

I'm sorry, Mr. Little Crab.
I didn't mean to scare you.

Hydrangea

Hydrangea is probably my most favorite flower.
It blooms in the rainy season in Japan.
Pink, Blue, Purple, White. I love all colors. I've heard that if the soil is basic, the flower becomes Pink. If it is acidic soil, the flower will be Blue.  ...Is that true?

By the way, in the language of flowers, the Hydrangea means "Changeable" "Arrogant" "Cold-hearted" and "Cruelty"

....Ah.....I still like Hydrangeas....

Fate

It has been so long since I've updated my blog. While I was gone, two big things happened to me.

One is that I came back to my country, Japan. The other is that I got married.Those two things were quite big events for me. I believe that they changed my life.

I didn't want to come back to Japan, because the life I had in the U.S. was more exciting for me. But now, I realized that I shouldn't choose the place I live depending on if it is exciting or not. I started liking the thought of staying in Japan. If I have a chance to go back to the U.S., that would be my fate. If I keep staying here, in Japan, that would be my fate as well. I've decided to follow my fate.

My Fate.

I had the fate of getting married to my husband.

I believe that that was decided since I was born 31 years ago.


He is watching "The Pirates of Caribbean" at this moment without knowing about me thinking about the fate of him and I.

Planetarium

I love planetariums. I went to a planetarium for the first time in my life when I was 7. That experience turned me into a fan of the planets and stars. Even now, I love looking up into the sky and gaze at the stars and the moon. The dark sky is so mysterious and I feel like the stars are telling ussomething important. As you know, it is very hard to find even one star in the night sky in Los Angeles because of the smog. I thought it would be a fun thing to go to a planetarium to enjoy seeing the stars, not only for children, but for adults as well.

My favorite planetarium is called ‘The Griffith Observatory’ in L.A. I had longed to go there ever since I moved to California. But, unfortunately, the building went through re-construction. I waited a long while for their grand re-opening and finally visited. It was a beautiful facility and the view was spectacular. Needless to say the show was fantastic. But, my most favorite exhibit was their landscape of the planets. Speaking of that, during Christmas Day in 2002, my friend and I were in an open-air hot spring bath in Oita (大分県) and looked into the sky while enjoying the warm water. It was at the time that I felt inspired, and knew that in the future I would live in a foreign country. It is hard to explain why I felt so – but I just felt so. As a matter of fact, I left Japan for the U.S. in the Summer of 2003. Very interesting, don’t you think?

Disneyland

It was almost 10 years ago when I had my last experience at Disneyland. It was in Tokyo. Today I went to Disneyland in California. My favorite ride is Space Mountain. It is fast, beautiful and exciting. Second is It's a small world, because I can see the world culture. I enjoyed both ride and it was really fun! Before I go there, I always feel that it is just a theme park for kids, I wouldn't enjoy it there that much. But I am always wrong. I don't know why, Disney always makes me happy and satisfied. I look for Mickey and Minnie, Donald Duck and Goofy. Disney uses magic on me. .....Ta-da....!

The Moon

When I think about my family who lives so far away from me, I look up at the Moon. I feel she reflects them and shows me how they are doing like a mirror. When I have a bad day, I look up at the Moon. I ask her what to do, but she doesn't tell me anything. When I have a good day, My significant and I look up at the Moon. She just stays in the sky and remains quiet. She is a 4,550,000,000 years old woman...a beautiful, thoughtful, mysterious one.

Library

I am waiting for someone at the library. It is raining today, so there are not so many people here. I like the library's quietness. Yes, the library is supposed to be quiet. But for some people, the library is a salon to hang out with their friends. As you know, everyone has a cellphone these days. The ring tones can sometimes break the silence. I want to read books here quietly. I want to do my work without being bothered.

Run Away!

I found a snail in the back yard. I haven't seen them for years. Last time I saw them was when I was a high school student. So...that is at least 15 years ago. I have had a busy life, I guess I haven't paid much attention to nature.I enjoyed watching its movement for a while. But Ash came close to me and found it, too. Uh-oh....! Ash is curious in everything that moves.

"Run away! Quick, Snail!"

A Book

How many stories or books exist in this wold? Since ancient time, there must be an uncountable number of stories have been written by people. But not even one story is the same. I am surprised at the ability of human creativity. If I were to read all of the books that exist in this world, how long does it take? 100 years? Oh, well. I will be 130 years old then when I finish reading all of the books. But I would forget the books I had read in the first or second year, so I would have to read them again.... Someone let me borrow a book called "The Botany of Desire". Reading new books is seeing new worlds that you've never known before. Reading is experience.