Dec 27, 2012

Creativity

#reverb12 Day 27:
How will you honour your creativity?

How did you make time for creativity in 2012?
Looking back, is there one creative time or one particular creation that stands out for you?
How will you continue (or start) making time and space for your creative passions in 2013?

My creativity time was on the way to school.
I had a lot of inspirations.

2013.......

I need to create something!! but I have no idea now.....

Dec 26, 2012

make TIME

#reverb12 Day 26: How will you make time?

How do you intend to carve out more time for the things that are the most important to you in 2013?
I have a lot of time, so I need to think how to use my time!!

Time is money!!

Dec 25, 2012

Vulnerable...

#reverb12 Day 25: How will you be vulnerable?

Next year, how will you tend to your vulnerabilities? How will you build them a shelter from the storm? How will you put them through physical therapy? How will you find a way to make them work to your advantage? 

Thinking too much.

 Next year, I'm going to be optimistic about everything because now I have a great vacation. Just enjoy!!! I have nothing to be afraid of.


Merry Christmas to all of YOU!!!

Dec 24, 2012

Habit in 2013

#reverb12 Day 24: Your most important habit?

What is the single most important habit you intend to cultivate in 2013?


Take 30 minutes exercise everyday!!!!!!!

I need to beat gravity.

Dec 23, 2012

Let go of.

#reverb12 Day 23: What will you let go of?

Name three excuses -- stories you tell yourself that are holding you back -- that you are going to let go of in 2013.


1. Shyness- I don't need it anymore!!
2. forgetfulness- Sometimes it makes me happier.
3. reverb12- posting blog entries everyday is so hard, but I don't want to give up now!!!!

Dec 22, 2012

Gift

#reverb12 Day 22: Your most important gift?

What was the greatest gift you received in 2012? What was the greatest gift you gave?
What do you intend to give yourself in 2013?


Total eclipse and the sun ring!!!! (see the detail here)
These were a greatest gift from DREAMS COME TRUE to me.

Special precious ring from DREAMS COME TRUE.
(photo from here)

 

Dec 21, 2012

DREAM LIST

#reverb12 Day 21: What's on the dream list?

What items did you tick off your dream list in 2012?
What other, unexpected, dreams came to fruition?
What are the top three items on your dream list for 2013?



My dream list in 2012:                                          ☆:came true    ・did not come true

☆see total eclipse in Tokyo on 05/21
☆see Ichiro (MBL player)
☆go to Disney World again and again


・speak English fluently
・get annual pass in Disney World

FOR 2013

・learn Korean
・go to see Grand canyon
・no illness
・Always Smiling!!

Dec 20, 2012

lost and found.

#reverb12 Day 20:
What was lost and what was found?

What was lost in 2012? What do you intend to find in 2013?

I lost my cat....She has not come back yet...(see my 12/12 post)

I lost my wight -4kg( about 9 lb ), which was not what I expected.


I do not give up finding my cat in 2013!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I'm thinking whether I should gain weight or not in 2013. 

Dec 19, 2012

Nourish myself.

#reverb12 Day 19: How did you nourish yourself?


How did you nourish your beautiful body in 2012?
What self-care practices will you take with you into 2013?


In Japan.

1. Hot spring
      Taking a bath for long time.
      Feel relax and forget everything that bothers me.


(photo from here)

Dec 18, 2012

My color 2012

#reverb12 day 18: The colour of you?

What colour best represents the year you had in 2012? And why?
What colour would you like to invite into your life in 2013?



painting by Now Hurray.

Dec 17, 2012

Bug's Life

#reverb12 Day 17: How did you make a difference?

Think of one person whose life you made a difference to in 2012
What did you gain from this?
How will you continue to make a difference in 2013?



This is very difficult prompt for me.
I' not sure I made a difference to a person's life in 2012.
I wish I would have made a difference., but I have no confidence.

Hopefully, I might have influenced on one bug.

Dec 16, 2012

PEOPLE

#reverb12 Day 16: Who inspired you?

Who inspired you in 2012? And why?
What gifts did they give you? And how will you carry these forward in to 2013?


My answer is all people in this world.


A LOT OF PEOPLE.
in NY.
(photo by Now Hurray)

I cannot imagine what will happen in my life.
The people I've met before have their own opinions and their own life, which 
stimulate my life.
However, I know that even the people I've not met before make my life exciting from TV, newspaper and radio...

Who inspired you?

Dec 15, 2012

Special Dishes

#reverb12 Day 15: What tingled your tastebuds?

What was the most extraordinary dish you sampled in 2012? What made it so magical?

Oh, yesterday, I talked about this prompt...
However, I had other extraordinary dishes in 2012.


First.
My friend's wedding party.
in Tokyo Disney Resort.
Can you find Mickey in each dishes??
Sooo cute♡♡

Dec 14, 2012

American Food

#reverb12 Day 14: The path that brought you here?

what was the most important thing you learned in 2012?


I learn something new everyday.
The most important thing I learned in 2012 was the American culture.
Especially, American dishes are delicious.

The taste of American foods is too strong for me.
Too salty, too sweet....

I went to New York this summer as I expected that I could eat delicious food
in New York.  Indeed, bagels were delicious, hamburger was good.
Last day,  I went to a famous restaurant, but the taste of every dishes was too salty. I was really disappointed.

Since then,  I had an idea that American food was not delicious.

Dec 13, 2012

Getting older

 

#reverb12 Day 13: Some selfie love?


As I get older,  the number of wrinkles are increasing.
As I get older,  my wrinkles are getting deeper and thicker.
As I get older,  my sunspots on my cheek deepen. 
As I get older,  losing weight gets harder.
As I get older,  getting fat is easier.

As I get older,  I become more optimistic.
As I get older,  I can make decisions by myself.
As I get older,  I can study what I want to learn.
As I get older,  I can eat delicious dishes whenever I want.
 As I get older, I have more freedom.
Getting older is not good for my skin and my health, but good for myself.


Japanese Tea Ceremony.
My 2012 started from this majestic event.

Dec 12, 2012

Award

#reverb12 Day 12: Your most intense emotions?

What made you dance in 2012? What made you weep?


My most intense emotion is EXCITED!!!
My daily life in 2012 is so exciting.
Everyday,  I learned and found a lot of something new.
Most of them made me happy and laugh, although sometimes it made me
annoying and bothering.
However, such a bad feeling finally made my life exciting.

I started this blog 8 weeks ago.
Blogging also makes my daily life exciting.

Dec 11, 2012

TIME TRAVEL

#reverb12 Day 11: What was music to your ears?

What was music to your ears in 2012, literally or metaphorically?

After I came to the US, I always listen to NPR news, so there seems to be
no music in my life....

However, this year had special song. 

 "JIKAN RYOKO" by DREAMS COME TRUE (Japanese music group)
( If I translate this song in English directly,  it might be "TIME TRAVEL")


This song was published in 1990.

In this lyric , she wrote
 "Could you give me a ring?  I"ll be waiting for it until total eclipse in 2012,
so please give me a special and greatest ring. Yes!! It's a ring of the sun"

The ring of the sun
Total eclipse in 05/21/2012 in JAPAN
(photo from here)

I met this song in 1995. At that time, 2012 was the far future for me.
 I often listened and sang this song. And then, more than 20 years passed.
Finally,  this year,  I was on May 21. 2012.

Dec 10, 2012

Greatest Risk or Greatest Achievement

#reverb12 Day 10: Your greatest risk?

What was the greatest risk you took in 2012? What was the outcome?


My risks in 2012:

・ Ate Lay's potato chips all by myself
・  Rode roller coasters  (I hate it!!)
・  Fought with a cockroach
・  Drove a RV
・  Sat in the passenger seat  (The driver was practicing for driver's license)
・ Practiced for driving a manual car (I don't like the clutch!!!Please go forward...)
          
 

In those risks, my greatest risk in 2012 might be several presentations in my English classes.

As I wrote before, I am so shy, so I'm poor at speaking in public.
During presentation, all I could do was holding manuscript tightly and reading it.
Though I practiced a lot at home and tried to do my best, I could not overcome it. I don't know how many times and how much I was disappointed with my presentations.
SAY YES!! TAKE A RISK!!
Rules of my improv class.
 
A few days ago, I had a dream. My dream was I attended a formal party with my friend.
You know the story of dream is sometimes weird.
Suddenly, I had to do Karaoke in front of one hundred people.

Dec 9, 2012

Henrietta Lacks

#reverb12 Day 9: Your favourite book?

What was the best book you read in 2012, and why?

After I came the US, 6 months have passed. I read several books: "A Series of Unfortunate Events", "James and the Giant Peech", "BGF",  and "Matilda".
Since these books are for children, it easy to read, so I really enjoyed them.

However, the best book I read in 2012 was "The Immoral Life of Henrietta
Lacks".
(from Amazon.com)
Before I met this book in my reading class, I had not known about her at all.
The first things that came to mind when I heard the title of this book was she
must be witch or something like that. 

It is non-fiction about "HeLa cell" which came from African-American woman,
Henrietta Lacks. In 1951, The doctors took her cells without informed consent
at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and those cells never died. They have brought
enormous great achievements of medicine such as polio vaccine, DNA and 
more and more and a multimillion-dollar industry, but her family knew this
more than twenty years later. In addition, the a lot of researchers use these cells even now.

I have a lot of knowledge because my major is medicine, but I did not know
about  HeLa cells.  Without her cells, we would not get great benefit of present medicine.  On the other hand, her cells, she, and her family were sacrificed for medicine. Her cells brought the ethics of medicine, and race issue. I learned  that what I take for granted was based on what her cells had brought. 

Even if your major is not medicine, I recommend this book for all of you because I'm sure that all of us owe her cells a lot.

What was the best book you read in 2012?

If you have books that  you recommend, please let me know.

Dec 8, 2012

I LOVE HIM♡

#reverb12 Day 8: Your most important relationship?

Considering the idea that nothing lasts forever: what was the most important
  relationship that you fostered in 2012?

How will you continue to nurture it in 2013?

 
All of prompts are very nice, but sometimes I needed to think about it
for a long time to find the answer. Though, today's prompt is easy because
I have the only one answer.
 
It's him.
I really love him. He is so fascinating guy. I cannot live without him♡♡♡
You want to see him, don't you??  
 Ummm,      OK!! I'm gonna introduce him to you.


Dec 7, 2012

Early Bird is Good ??

#reverb12 Day 7: What will you take with you?

What's the one thing you want to take with you into 2013?

What I want to take with me into 2013 is my habit of getting early
in the morning. I got this habit recently.

"Early in the morning" means not 6:00 but 4 or 5 AM.
The reason is that I had a lot of homework everyday, but I didn't want to do it,
so I went to bed earlier.  Though, my homework was waiting for me as if 
it was a chick waiting for feed. As a result, I had to wake up early....

Does the early bird catch the worm ??
Is it true ??
Can the early bird become famous like BIG BIRD in SESAME STREET ??

My parents got angry when the hens in their neighborhood cackled at 4 AM.


Kind of osushi for Potluck party.
I got up at 4, and made it.
It was not for my party but for my roommate's.
I was just sleepy during classes whole day.

Dec 6, 2012

A Magic Spell

#reverb12 Day 6: What did you learn?

Compare the “you” from the beginning of 2012 to the “you” that you are now. What new skills or talents have you learned or discovered this year?


My 2012 is a exciting year compared to other years. A new skill I've discovered this attractive year is how to enjoy my life with little expenses.

Actually, now I'm on long vacation.
Usually, a vacation requires a lot of dollars, yen, euro, won, or pesos.
Staying luxury hotels, gourmet food, beautiful beach and sunset, stylish dresses...

Definitely, these kinds of vacation make me happy.
However, my present vacation is so long that I can't afford to keep such an extravagant lifestyle; in addition, my vacation is, now, almost my daily life. 

Luckily, I got a skill to change my daily life into stimulating vacation, because I found a magic spell dropped on a sidewalk as if I had found one penny there.


Fallen leaves in front of my house.
This scenery is one of my daily life, not special.
However, when I cast a magic spell, 

then...

Dec 5, 2012

Missing

#reverb12 Day 5: What was your dream destination?

What was your dream destination in 2012 and why?

My dream destination in 2012 was to get used to American life, because here is quite different place where I used to live. When I read about culture shock in
my English class, most textbooks take Japan and America for example, which
means there are many differences between Japan and the US.  
However, I love here because the US is comfortable to live and I don't need to
care about others.

Anyway, I want to ask this question to some person (??) (No, my cat!?  No, it!!)


MISSING!!!
This cat is my pencil case.
(I call it "she".)
She disappeared two weeks ago.

Dec 4, 2012

Celebrate myself Literally

#reverb12 Day 4: How will you celebrate YOU?

How are you going to celebrate your self this festive season?


Celebrate myself.....

I would like to look back my 2012 and I'll be grateful to all those who I met in 2012.

In my 2012, countless and marvelous stimuli has covered me up.
American culture, Culture shock, American food, English class, Traveling,
Pecan pie, Football, Key West, Camper, English, President Election, Homework, Recycling, Thanksgiving, MLB......

All of them were shiny and glittering events.
However, I have only one brain, and my brain cannot absorb and keep all of them. Unfortunately, some of them just passed through me.

For example, everyday,everyday, I meet a lot of new vocabularies.
I look up the meaning in the dictionary to finish reading, but that's it.
Next day, I'll forget everything.

In such a repeated daily life, sometimes miracle happens.
I witness the vocabulary again and again which I learned just a few days ago.
I meet the person again and again whom I met a few days ago for the first
time.
In those cases, my brain can work well (Good job!!❤), and I won't forget them.


Two new vocabularies.
I found these two words in the novel,
just after I had learned them in my blogging class.

You know, miracle seldom happens.

That's why I need to look back my way I came, and I'll keep all of my lucky
chances in my mind which makes my life fun. Gratitude towards them leads to celebrating myself because they are exact my way I came.

How will you celebrate yourself??


Dec 3, 2012

Say Good-Bye

#reverb12 Day 3: What do you really wish for?

Imagine a scenario where you only had one year left to live.
What is one thing that you really wish to do that you just haven't had the

chance to accomplish yet?
 
what steps could you take (however small) to ensure that you accomplish this thing in 2013?

For me, one thing that I have not accomplish yet ( but I have had the chance)
is to say GOOD-BYE to "shyness"and "to be timidity".

I know I'm so shy and timid.

In my school days, every year, every teachers told me that my voice was
too small, and I should have raised my hand and expressed my opinion.
Even after I got  job, most of my bosses told me, in the meeting, that
my voice was too small, and I should have had more confidence.

I have a lot of chance to make a presentation in my Language Institute now.
However, every time I finish my presentation, I regret my presentation.
It's terrible, because I can't do it well even in my native language, Japanese, 
there is no way of my presenting perfectly in English.

Due to my shyness and timidity, I have never gone to SUBWAY (sandwich) .
SUBWAY requires a lot of conversation to order....

According to my mom, I was having fun by myself when I was little.
That's why I might enjoy my daily life just with my surroundings.

Even if I have few clothes, I can enjoy dressing.   
Even if I have few ingredients, I can enjoy cooking and cook yummy food.
Even if I have no instrument, I can enjoy playing music.


                                                  Jingle Bells by Now Hurray
     
Though I can enjoy my life,
I don't know why it is difficult for me to become extrovert.

To accomplish this problem in 2013, at first step,  I want to say "Hello"
with loud voice to people.

Do you have a good idea to become extrovert??
Could you give me some advice?

Please let me hear your opinion as a Christmas present for me!!







Dec 2, 2012

A Banana Story

Now I'm  participating in #Reverb12 , and this is my first time.
Yesterday, I just posted my blog entry just following #Reverb12 without any
 thought. However, this morning, I understood why this project was really
 exciting, why people enjoyed this project. All bloggers have the same prompt
 every day, but there is no same blog entry.  

click here

Today's prompt for #Reverb12 is 'what's your most significant spend?'

My most significant spend this year is tuition for Language institute in the US.
Now I'm studying English to speak fluently.
Actually I don't need English in my work or in my daily life in Japan, but every
 time I went traveling abroad, I was disappointed at my poor English.
That was why I came to the US to study English.

Needless to say, since I came to the US, I have experienced a lot of culture
 shock.
I know these culture differences makes me excited.

I get used to look around carefully to find the hidden excitement in my daily life.


Here is one of my daily life story.

One week ago,when I walked to back my home, I saw a man eating a banana 
sitting in the bench at the station.
I felt something weird in that scenery.

I'll show you two pictures to explain why I felt something weird.

The man's way:
peeling from bottom of a banana. 

Dec 1, 2012

"shiwasu"

Now it's December.
Japanese call December "shiwasu (師走)", which literally means "teachers or
priests run". Everyone is toooo busy in December to finish the tasks or work
left, and to prepare for the forthcoming year such as house cleaning.
 
 Before this busy month come, this week was extremely tough for me to do
my assignments. I got up  at 4 AM every morning. After coming back home,
I spent whole day doing my assignments. Of course, it was a disaster
in my house.
 
 However, I feel so refreshed now and I have welcomed my December first, because today is weekend and I have no school.
I could sleep without alarm.
I just finished all of my housework.

 Also, December first is my mother's birthday!! Happy birthday to mom!!




Moon in the morning
on the way to school.
No matter how busy I am, 
something exiting are always waiting for me and you!!
Getting up early is not bad.
(photo by Now Hurray)

"Shiwasu" has just begun.
My December first has just started.
I'm sure today is a great day.

How are you starting this last month of 2012 ??

Nov 30, 2012

Have fun!!

Since I started this blog, about one month has passed . 
As you can see this blog, my blog theme is daily life and having fun.
Due to this blog, my viewpoint to this world has changed alittle bit. 

I know life is not always interesting and facinating.
However, If I feel my life is boring, I will change it to attractive way.

I believe  we can change the our current situation
with having a different point of view.
I think this is same as blogstorming which my blogging teacher Ruth taught me.

I tell you how to change the point of view for enjoying our common life.

1. Observing something
2. Do not think too much
3. Connecting it with other things
4. Not Good, Not Bad, Just Is! (by Ruth)

Before cutting!!
Do you think it is something strange??
this parents hold twin babies.  So cute.
(photo by Now Hurray, Nov.2012)


My daily life is surrounded by treasures because this earth
has enormous treasures.
Let's go exploring from now!!

Do you want to come with me??

Nov 22, 2012

Thank you for all of YOU, YOU, YOU.


Thanksgiving Day is a holiday in the US on the fourth Thursday of November.

First thanksgiving: 
 The Pilgrims  from England - landed in Plymouth. It was December 11, 1620. The cold winter had set in. The land was strange to them, and nothing seemed familiar. The winter was long, cold, and very hard for the Pilgrims.
 
Luckily, Native Americans helped by supplying them with seeds and food, teaching them about their new home, and giving them the skills needed to survive in a strange, new land.The first year in their new home was hard for the Pilgrims. Many died. With seeds and plants received from the Native Americans, the Pilgrims planted crops.
 
The fall harvest was a good one. To celebrate their good fortune, the Pilgrims had a feast of thanksgiving.Many foods were cooked for the feast - wild turkey, duck, and venison were probably served, along with fish, pumpkins, squash, corn, sweet potatoes, and cranberries.   Captain Miles Standish, the leader of the Pilgrims invited all of the Native Americans who had helped them so much during their first year. Everyone had a good day of thanksgiving. The feast lasted for three days! (quoted from ivillage)



Nowadays, Families and friends gather together and have a special meal together on thanksgiving day. Also, it is a day for people to give thanks for everything that they are grateful for.


 colored by Now Hurray in my blogging class.
Thank you, Ruth!!!!
My thanks from Atlanta.


Thank you for my FAMILY.
No matter where I am, no matter where they are, I know we are together.

Thank you for my FRIENDS.
My friends in Japan,  we cannot often meet,
but they always care me, and their mail makes me happy.
My friends in US, they are always kind. Their words "good morning"
make me happy.
I appreciate that you try to understand my poor English!!

Thank you for this EARTH.
I can enjoy my life because this Earth gives me a lot of energy physically and psychologically.
Especially, all animals and plants on the Earth. I cannot live without them.

I cannot express my gratitude in words.


Today is a special day.
What would you give thanks for?

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Nov 21, 2012

Please Don't.....

In your daily life, If you say "please don't ......,"  
Do you think you feel irritated ? or happy?

I think  it usually means I might feel irritated.

Let check me how often and when I hear "Please Don't...." in my dairy life.
 
 CHEESE Bagles just out from the oven.
Good Smell. Good Taste. 
 I said to my roommate,
"Please Don't eat too much."
which meant I did a good job in my lunch :)


"Please Don't touch!!"
In my house, I have only my roommate's desk.
Unfortunately, it annoys me everyday.
Of course, my roommate says nothing,
but I know what he wants to say 
because this mess always tells me.
  I want to say,
"Please Don't come into my sight."

Nov 18, 2012

WEEKEND Journey

How long was I sitting down in front of the TV??
"TOY STORY", "TOY STORY2", and  "TOY STORY3".
No matter how many times I watch, I never get tired of these movies.
However, My body is stiff...due to these.

Well, let's go outside and find something more interesting than PIXAR's movies.



Let' go exploring.  
Oh, outside is chilly. Anyway,  I'm so excited
what kind of beauty this earth is going to show me today!!
OMG!!   I have a fear of height..
don't look down..don't look down...  (photo by my friend)

 
GO this WAY.
I can't pass through this gate by the car.  WITHIN 5 mph...
Who on earth can walk over 5 mph !? Oh, I found I got lost.
This arrow is MY SHADOW !!!  let's take the different route.
(photo by Now Hurray)

Nov 15, 2012

LITANY

You are the FAUCHON tea and the sugar pot,
the scone and the clotted cream.
You are the butterfly on the peony
and the yellow rose in the vase.
You are the diamond of chandelier
And the spiral stairs in the house.

However, you are not the Barbie in the bureau,
the dust on the bookshelf,
or the spine of the old table. 
And you are certainly not one chopstick which lost its partner.
There is just no way you are one chopstick which lost its partner.

It is possible that you are the bush warbler of the plum tree,
maybe even the harmony with violine and cello,
but you are not even close
to being the noisy sound from TV.

And a quick look in the mirror will show
that you are neither the fold of the handkerchief in the pocket
nor the clock which never forgets its tempo.

It might interest you to know,
speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world,
that I am the cheese-like yoghurt in the fridge.

I also happen to be the piled books in the corner,
the line of ink wandering on the desk,
and the spider web sticking on the ceiling.

I am also the Ruby in the jewel box
and the silky pajamas
but don't worry, I am not the FAUCHON tea and the sugar pot.
You are still the FAUCHON tea and the sugar pot.
You will always be the FAUCHON tea and the sugar pot.
not to mention the scone and -somehow- the clotted cream. 




My favorite singer :

MIWA YOSHIDA (from DREAMS COME TRUE)  

Her smile and songs always give me a power to live.

Check it up!!!!! 
 "LOVE LOVE LOVE"  

"kokuhaku"          

                    

Nov 12, 2012

THIS I BELIEVE

 In our life, I do think  people can't live without believing.
Some people believe God, some people believe LOVE, and some people believe MONEY.
Whether  the belief is big or small,  or visible or not,  people believe something to make their own life better, or to keep connecting with their world.  Believing give me a power.


THIS I BELIEVE:  ROUTINE


ROUTINE is a basic of my life

ROUTINE is what I do

ROUTINE is what I decide

ROUTINE is not always easy

ROUTINE is what I can change by myself

ROUTINE is myself
                                                                                      This illustration from here

Having breakfast is my routine.   Just bread and coffee?? or Cinamon pancake and mango salad with 100% fresh peach juice??

Brushing my teeth is my routine.   Brushing roughly and getting tooth decay?? or Brushing carefully and keeping clean and white??

My daily routine consists of what I do and how I do.
I believe that if we can enjoy our routine,  we would never feel our life is boring.

Are you satisfied with your dairy routine??