hot spring

I visited my grand mother in Fukushima prefecture. Fukushima is up north, I assumed it would be much colder but it was not so bad. I was planning to stay one night and come back Sunday night. However my cousin offered me to go to hot spring together if I could stay one more night. Of course I changed my plan and well, I came to the office this morning by a bullet train! My granmma was too tired to go, but my aunt joined and three of us drove 40 mins to the mountain. It is a public facility but far out from the town, in a mountain. We went little bit late, around 7:30 to avoid croud. However, there were so many people enjoying hot spring from a baby to a old woman. General speaking, people from country side are very friendly. Sometimes they just speak to us like we know each other. I was surprised my aunt told me how old all the kids were there, she talked every mom. Well, kids are so cute so no wonder she wanted to talk about them. Hot spring....all of us are naked. For me, hot spring with bathing suits is not Onsen (=hot spring in Japanese), but a pool. Japan has so many hot spring spot, everybody took bath naked, we share the big bath tub. I think the way we share the moment of feeling good and relaxed make us friendly. We feel like we are sharing something in a baby's clothes. My cousin asked if there were hot springs in L.A.. I told there were some spas but we have to wear a bathing suits. Then she told me it does not have all the goodness of taking Onsen. I totally agree. My skin feels so soft and supple because of minerals of hot spring. We took a bath almost 2 hours. There are a hot tub outside, looking at Japanese style stone garden. The coldness of the air feels great when I am in a tub. If you know some hot spring place where we don't have to wear a bathing suits, please tell me!

Italian

There are so many great Italian restraunts in Japan. I have some favorite Italian restaurants nearby my office. It is really nice to have a glass of wine and good food after working so hard. It is a reward for a day. My best friend at work and I went to our favorite Italian restaurant in Ebisu. The name of the restaurant is Italian so it is still hard for me to remember, so we call the restaurant "Lion" since the name is something about a lion. We had a happy glassful of champagne, then a bottle of wine. For food, we have an assorted ham plate, layered baked potatos and horo-horo bird meat, fritto of shirako, past with shrimp, then charcoal grilled chicken. We were afraid if we would orderd too much so we asked a waitress who also a part of owner and very friendly to us always. She said we should be OK and she was right though we were so stuffed. She remembered me and told me "welcome back" when we entered, which made me really happy.
I think Japanese people are open to different culture when we think it is good. We take it into our culture and kind of make a new version of it. We have many different kinds of food here, the roots of the food is so many different countries I would assume. Some of them may not be so authentic, but we love it! Curry, for instance, looks and tastes different what people would have in India.. Japanese curry is more thick and with one-bite size cut of meat, onion, carrot and potato, usually served over the rice. It is so popular and one of the kids' favorite. Even though it is not authentic Japanese food, the originality and popularity of Curry made me think it is one of Japanese food. Also pasta could be with so many different sauce since it is very simple. We combine Japanese ingredients and flavor to pasta, and they are very popular too. Yes, it is good to have them. Because it is good. We don't have to pass it because it is different. I would not deny that people sometimes have wrong idea of its authenticity. I was surprised what I had been thinking as western food did not exsist or was different. Still, I love my culture and people, its openess. We could enjoy whatever it is good and fine with our own way.

Pheeewww. I came back from LA last night. It was 10 days work trip....well, staying in Japan is my business trip so I would say my business trip back in LA. Anyway, it was for one of our artist's recording. I had been so busy everyday running around and making sure everything was good. The reward for that was I was fed a nice dinner almost everyday including a nice cup of cafe latte and dessert! I had a day off since the recording and mix went very well so we had a spare day. I went to bed around 1:00 am even though I made it to my friends gathering. It was so nice to see them because I have not seen them a while after staying in Japan a month. However, I could not keep my eyes open. I was so tired. I quietly went to a bed room and in a second, I fell asleep. Next day, I woke up several time but I could not get up until 4:30 pm!! I guess I need it but still I was really surprised. I have done it once when I flew back to Japan from England, almost 10 years ago. It was a new year's eve. I arrived at Tokyo, then I took train to Tokyo, changed to a bullet train to Fukushima where my grand mother lives. 12 hours of flying, 2 and half hours train of train ride to Tokyo, another 1 and half hours to Fukushima. Then my cousin picked me up at the station, another half an hour drive. By the time I arrived at their place, I was dead, I don't remember how I did it through. I went to bed even though the night was still young...next time I woke up was afternoon of the New Year's day. I could not believe myself, could not speak a word, just amazed what I have done. However, I missed whole the New Year's Eve fun!! We usually stay up late, watching TV, getting the feeling of a new year coming. We have a custom to eat Soba noodles for a new year.....we eat at night, new year's eve. Temple rings its big bell thing 108 times to tell the year is changing. So the year changes while they are ringing a bell. This bell means to vanish selfish desires and passions by hearing so we can have a fresh start for the new year. People visit a temple wishing the new year wil be filled with happiness and joy. Many people visit a temple during the night of new year's day. I always go with my relatives right after the new year begins. It is something special about walking in such a cold winter night with white breath while walking the street to temple. Especially the temple we visit is on top of the mountain. There is always a fire place within a temple we can warm ourselves. The darkness of the night, the bright reflection of the fire, the joy of the people to have a new year.....it always be a good memory and nice start, one of the most cheerful moment of the year. Well, in that year I missed everything. Everyone thought I must have been so tired and left me alone. Even though I awoke up after everything has past, the kindness of my family made my new year full of happiness.

Such a fun day

I had Unagi (eel) with my mom. On that day I visited one of my best friends from high school and came back in the evening. Last weekend, my mom and I went to sushi for dinner which was so so good. This time we decided to have unagi and remember the place where has a hot spring bath tub in side restrant building. We ordered una-jyu (usually it is in a box with lid, unagi on top of rice). The differnt between "---don" and "---jyu", such as Ten-don and Ten-jyu, would be......just in which container they use, I think. "Don" is for donburi which is a big rice bowl ceramic kind, and "jyu" is for "Jyu-bako" which is a old style of a lunch box, kind of luxuary then or richer people liked these style. Ordinary people don't care so much about looks as long as its taste is good. These kind of dish has been exisited for a long time and I don't think it would be disappear. So, "---jyu" is still more expensive compare to "---don" even though they are not using expensive material they used to use for these jyubakos. Usually "---jyu" is served at specialized restaurant or more like high end. Anyway, we took a nice hot bath (we brought towels. we can rent them though) on the first floor and came up to the second floor where the restaurant is. Oh, I have to mention we had already taken our shoes off when we entered the restaurant so we can walk bare foot in the building. A waitress saw us and told the kitchen. Within a few minutes our unagi was ready. We were so hungry....and.....unagi was OH MY GOSH delicious!
Then we thought about stopping by another friend who lives in 15 min drive. She lives really close to her parents house. I called her parents since she did not answer her cell. Her father told me she might be taking a bath with kids. He was happy to hear from me since it has been a long time. When we were high school students, I stayed so many night at her place so I know her family very well, and my mom too. Right before I left my friend's place her father called me to tell us to stop by his bar. I did not know he opened a bar. Miki, my friend, told me he opend his bar in the building he owns last September working very hard. So we stopped by. The bar was new and clean, and very bright. Not like the dark oyaji bar with little light, even thought that bar is not for hip young people, more like cozy Karaoke bar kind.
Her father woke his wife up so she could join. We felt bad since she was in a bed already and had to put the make up on again. But still we are happy to see her and vise versa. There is funny / interesting room which is the father's idea. The room is a sound proof room and there is a cabinet with several BB guns, and ceramic dishes! On the other side behind a counter there is a target paper, hanged porno pin-ups (!) and on the floore, 3 peices of paper saying "Wife" "Boss" "Jerk". This tiny (really tiny) room is to free your stress.....you shoot BB guns or throw dishes!! We tried the BB guns which I never shot before, it was very powerful. My mom said he should hang men pin-ups too for women customers. ; ) I thought it is fun for everybody who are stressed out from work, life, love, etc. While they were laughing at the funny idea of his room, I closed door only myself inside, and threw a dish....BANG! It was crashed into pieces and it was "Skatto shita"! "Skatto" is also the name of the bar. I would say it is sound of feeling, .which Japanese has many that kind of words, means "feel refrehed" or in my case "released stress". (Shita is close to the word "did") We are not allowed to smash dishes onto the ground with full power. I would not do it at my house (of couse!) but I have to admit it was good feeling. I did not do any more but it was fun. These days more and more people are having trouble to be stressed out. Many crimes are sometimes made by these stress. People don't know how to de-steress themselves. This bar might be a temporary but could be one way to start freeing your stress. That bar is such a brilliant idea and he is always funny. We talked and laughed a lot that night having so much fun. This is the easiest way to de-stress yourself!

boom

In Japan, there are so many "boom"s in a year. Many health related and sweets products are popular item for "boom". People always look for new boom, media promoted these people to buy them. Most of the case, it starts on TV or magazine, then the words of mouth. Since I am in a marketing department, my co-workers and I were talking about who plan these promotion for this kind of thing. Young co-worker, our hope, told us there should be someone or some company make a brillian plan. Another co-worker said she heard about the government election even depends on whether they hire good promotion company. The rumor said the political party which lost completely at the last election hired foreign-affiliated promotion company. It seems they were not paying attention how people react for these things and could not get much attention. Wow. So for a while, we were talking about the boom we had. Sweets such as tiramisu, panna cotta, tapioca, turt tatan....when it is booming, you can find them everywhere and many related items. Health boom such as drinking vinegar to clean your body, soymilk for isoflavone, red wine for polyphenol, ...... the component is explained, how good it is for your body, how it help / improve your natural system. For example, isoflavone has same kind of structure as estrogen which is female hormone. So it is said that it helps women, especially over 30, to balance your hormon and keeps you young and beautiful. Well, as you may already know woman loves these kind of things and it is woman having a great power of words of mouth. My co-worker told me she used to drink a soy milk everyday last year since it was boom and her girl friends, too. She said it was funny to have conversation like "Are you drinking soy milk?" "Oh yes!" "Me, too!" when she look back then.
Once the boom is gone, most people don't keep it up. Well, that is a "boom" isn't it? They move on to new item. Japanese people are curious about try new things, very open minded, but still there has to be a good marketing promotion to make people start trying it. Also, women are the ones to market.....they love shopping! : )

Can't decide!!

I visited a publisher for a magazine in Nihonbashi. Nihonbashi has two big department store, Takashimaya and Mitsukoshi. There is many big department chains in Japan and Takashimaya is one of the high end department stores. Usually a department store has a food floor on B1 or B2 where is basement anyway. I don't know why but it is always basement floor. My co-worker and I thought about buying a bento box for lunch. There are so many choice...."depa-chika" is a short form of "department store" and "chika (=basement)" where you can get wide varieties of quality food and sweets from all over Japan and the world. Many popular and well known food store and sweets shop right next to each other. Just walking around part of it definetely makes your mouth water. We could not decide which to buy. I called my office and asked other co-worker wanted one. Another 4 women joined our plan, all excited. Buying lunch at depa-chika is popular among OL which means as "office lady", generally woman worker who does miscellaneous duties. It is getting better but Japanese company is still man centered and there are many OL women. Most of them are happy being OL, enjoy their youth while they are single, and get married and becomes house wife. All my women co-worker are supposed to be OL in meanings of women worker but we don't do only miscellaneous duties, we have our responsiblity as marketing specialist. Still acting like OL sounds like flattering and fun, and especially having quality bento lunch is great fun, isn't it? We bought the 6 most attracted bento boxes , all different variety and looks so yummy! My work place is always busy and many times we skip or have late lunch. However today, we all gathered talking about how good a bento looks, who eats which bento, laughing. it was such a fun lunch time!

when people despair

I read an article saying a philosopher said "When somebody is in despair, there are only three ways. To give up hope and give a damn attitude, or kill himself, or to find another possiblities.". I think philosophy is a study to explain about what we think / feel / do about our life. They are words trying to understand our life. Sometimes it sounds complicated and can't understand at all but sometimes there is something just to open my eyes and make me feel releaved. I like thinking about the life, purpose, why and how people react / love / misunderstand / understand. To understand the different idea or culture is difficult than we think because it is deep inside of us and them. But still, I hope I can be open minded even after I am a grown up. Getting old makes our brain not flexible. I want to believe ther is always another possiblity, answer is not one. Well, ther is no "true answer" in our life. Nobody but us can tell.....when you look back long time ago. People's mind changes so answer could be different in 10 years depending on how you feel and think.
Another one I was impressed was by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. It is hard to explain in English but I guess he is saying something like this; Within unbalance of the desire we have and the ability we have, unhappiness exsist. I have to realize where I am now, what I can do in reality. Then I can move towards what I would like to be. Without it, I may only dream about something I don't have and never be there. The article said when something unhappy happens, people tend to think there is somewhere or somebody understand the "true me" despite the fact of who you are, imagining something unreal. By being realistic, I can see what I have and don't have. So I can have what I should earn to get to where I want!

iikagen

iikagen..... this means something you can not rely on, or not well taken care of, irresponsible! Yes, irresponsible is the one for what happend to me! I extended my visa (H-1B) last year. I had not had chance to come back to Japan and now I am here in Japan. I went to US embassy since I could not find what I should do on the website. There is no free information line to ask small questions. Fax information sheet, one way of course, costs about $8. Talking somebody in person costs $15 every 8 mins. I was so surprised! Anyway, I went there since it is not so far. I asked person outside of building who was helping to make line for a visa interviews. She told me I had to re-apply it!! She also told me it is done by internet so I have to submit through internet. I went there website and could not find what I needed. I don't know why it could not be done in person.....it might be security reason?? I could not help wondering what peope do if they are not familiar with a computer at all. It took so long to find the form I need through English site, next to next, link to link. And finally I found it. I don't think I can ever go back to that page though. What I was told to do was so difficult to follow even though it sounded so easy. Anyway, I went to the embassy today and waited for 1.5 hours but I was lucky to go earlier. Later on, there are more and more people waiting in line. Well, I passed the interview so I can stay a few more years with a visa!

What's wrong with me?

I have been so tired and sleepy all day long. Even though I went to bed around 12:00, and I had 7.5 hours sleep, I slept all the way on the train.....for 1.5 hours. I might be tired because of this comute. I have not done anything like that for a long time. I can't believe I used to do that for....5 years!?? : o
I like having comute time so i can have time to read a book I have kept so long but not read yet, or listen to the music I like. However, lately I feel so tired and I can not concentrate so much. Well, I enjoy working hard but when I am taking a break I feel so OLD!! It is very shocking....what's wrong with me?

work

Being as an employee, there are certain advantage. I like working freely but I know I am not so deciplined, it might be easier to make my time more productive. So, important thing is what you do! I am in a marketing team in Japan. It is very interesting to do. Meeting different people, dealing with media which spread information to the public. If we interpret what we are promoting right and well, it become great exposure. It becomes something I can not do by myself. Using media is fun and dangerous. I like planning it, how good we can do about it, avoiding the bad side of it. Everything is balance.
Anyway, even though I like what I do living for now I still want to do something more creative. Really creative from my heart. What I do now is creative but in my brain. I want to use my feeling, emotions, what I am. Having salary is great, I don't have to worry about my living. I don't want to be stressed out and depend on someone or credit card. I want to be independent so I can take care of my responsibility. I have been working for this company almost 9 years. What I earn is what I work. Being an employee is earning my responsibility....for now.

shochu

I saw some good friends of mine last night, went for a drink.
Even though I spent almost 3 months in Japan last year, I did not have time to hang out with them. It had been almost 2 years since we had drink together. The place has so many different kinds of shochu, korean vodka, made of wheat, potato, rice...etc, and different region. They have good Japanese food also, great with these shochu. I had drunk a little bit too much I guess but I really enjoyed. One is a music critic, she writes well, easy to understand but still not make an artist sound like ordinary people, and has a power to make people interested in the music. I really like the way she work on an article. I heard my co-worker said she turned down the interview oppoturnity with a guitarist recently. She had interview with him before and my company wanted her to do that. She told that she would love to interview him but she could not do it since it was last minutes offer and she had no time to study about the cinema magazine she has never read. It sounds like very stubborn, but she turn it down because she wanted to understand the media completely so she can write a good article. She love that artist so she did not want to do when she is not compeletly ready for it. That is how professional she is. Her writing is not about her but how she can interpret the best of an artist's work to the people who reads tha magazine. She turned it down because she wanted to be proud of what she writes. "Because" she said, "That is what I do, I want to have a responsiblity for it". I like the people who is very proud of what they do, no mater what kind of job. These people always inspire and encourage what I do, I want to be responsible and proud of it like they are. They are the professionals.

ame ame ame!

It has been raining all week. I'm fed up! : (
You have to walk everywhere you go. You don't need to drive, that is good, no trafic, no problem.It is so easy to just get out of the office and get a cup of coffee at coffee shop, or snacks at con-vini (convenience store). That's a part of fun being in Japan. However, this rain keeps me stay inside.No snacks, no fun! My office on the steep hill. You would not love walk there in rain. Well, I don't at least.
We tend to order delivery food for lunch. There is a chinese restaurant we always use since they don't have "lunch time". Most of them are open only for lunch time, usually ends at 2:00. I know it is late lunch but that is our usual. Around 3:00. We, my co-worders, often realize a few minutes past these "lunch time" and are always disappointed. Oh, there is Japanese soba place, too, where serve soba or udon. There is a big file of these delivery place menu. There are so many choice as long as we remember when to order. Maybe I have to set the timer....oh my gosh. I just remember I had a pastry around 12:00 and I guess it is supposed to be my lunch. I am getting hungry. ?? What time??? Well, it is 5:05 pm here in Tokyo!

taxi !

I took taxi already several times since I came back to Japan. It is like New York. Taxi is everywhere, you can just stop them by raising hand and take it. I was surprised most of the taxi has a car navigation system. Navigation system is getting popular and it is not so rare anymore. It is hard to find an exact place only by address in Japan because most street does not have a name and numbers are not shown in front of a house. It is amazing we can get a mail here. Taxi drivers are used to be specialist of street like a postman. It seems like they had to know these kind of things. However I met so many taxi drivers years ago saying "Do you know how to get there?" or "Where is about?". Well, if I know how to get there I may just go by myself. Taxi is kind of pricy, so I used to take it when I am not sure where is about or I am really in hurry. I was thinking they are providing their good knowledge of streets and driving skill. Maybe not anymore. Two of my friend have a car navigation system, we call it "car navi" for short. They were saying they don't remember how to get there or what are landmarks, shops are on the street. They just follow to whatever Car Navi is saying to you. The direction is very specific and detailed. It keeps saying when you turn, warning it is coming up. It is very convenient and good for people who don't know directions so well. We can use internet to find where is about, can't we? Everything is getting convinient minutes by minutes....but sometimes it makes me think and gives me chill. Am I the only person who is afraid not to learn anything by just following what they say? Car Navi is just one of the things to make people not have to use our brain.

Sleepy

I felt so sleepy this morning. I overslept intentionaly, came to the office 1 hour later. Unexpected 1 hour in the morning seems so long. It makes so much difference. I usually get up at 7:30, take shower and have breakfast, get ready.....each second counts. Still I missed the train I wanted to take last 2 days. I run to the station. Run! I have not done that kind of things for a long time. Run to the station to catch a train!! I felt like a school girl again.....well, it may be too much exaggeration.....I was totally out of breath!
Past 3 days are so nice and make me feel good. Not too cold, not too hot. Humidity is gone. It would be so nice if I can have a nap. Everyone is saying they are sleepy because the weather is so nice. Not only me, it seems.....should I get out of the office and take a nap somewhere??

hanahiyori

I am writing as hanahiryori. hana means a flower and hiyori means.....weather? day? maybe?...anyway, kind of old japanese word. we still use the work but it sounds nice/polite, a little bit formal or literate. Japanese has so many nice words which have certain sounds and meaning beyond the word itself. In Old time Japan, people strongly believed the power of word. People believed a word has a power itself, make things happen. This belief still exsists. I like the idea. So we should speak positively, not complaining all the time because it make things worse. If you say it, it happens more often. To make your dreams come true you should say it loud!! : )

P.S. I named hanahiyori because of the chocolate I was eating when I start it. All the names I had thought was already taken!

Hare!

Finally!! It is very fine day and I see blue sky. : )
Since I came back to Japan 9days ago, it has been always cloudy and rainy days.
Today I can say it is "aki bare", meaning "great autumm fine day"....clear blue sky, feeling so good!
Aki is really great season for Japan. If someone ever want to visit Japan, I definetely recommend spring or autumn. You can enjoy the changing the color of leaves, lots of flowers...you can feel you are entering to new season. Great season for hiking, driving, and picnic! Summer seems to be too hot and humid. However, there are many summer festivals and big fire works (amazing!!) and that makes everything all right. I have been missing these fire work festivals so long. I wish I can go next year. I wish you can come and see it too. Winter....well, too cold to be outside but I like snow. Paint everything into color of nature. so quiet and so calm. And hot cozy home or hot dinner with family and friends gathering at one big table in these cold days are beyond discription. I wish I can share with you everything I feel here. I hope you can share everything I love about Japan. I love Japan but I already miss Los Angeles.
Well, ganbarimashou!

I got cold....

I came back to Japan. Long time no see!!
Autumn is usually good season in Japan but not this time.
I guess I just arrived when the season changes.
The temprature is not stable, rain a bit here and there.
My hair is so messy despite of all the work in the morning.
Humidity!

I have two months to enjoy all the delicious food!
That is my biggest fun. Well, besides seeing good old friends.

I will have good time here.
By the way, "oishii" means "delicious.
"Jikan" is time.

It is hard to name the blog since so many names are taken.
First of all, I have to get over my cold.