ROUGH DAY

Artisan and I

This is my favorite place at work, where we study our products.
This is a place where I talk with an artisan whom I really respect.

Recently, I think a lot.
Well, I am a person who tends to think too much about lots of things.
But I like myself that way.
I have lot of positiveness at work, and I can get excited about work all the time pretty much.
However, once in a while, I loose all my confidence about what I am doing, and started to be scared of carrying my ideas out.
Yesterday was the day I got freaked out.
I have a responsible for one new big project at work somehow suddenly, and got more work to do.
Actually I was interested in the project and wanted to do it, but once I got it, I got scared.
Whenever I realize how weak I am like this, I get depressed and things get worse.

After a depressing meeting, I went to talk with the artisan about other project we are working on together.
By discussing about stuff, I was shocked about his perspective to see stuff.
He was not exactly talking about my problem at that time, but I got a hint from him.
He might realize that I was struggling about something.
Maybe because we talk everyday… When I don’t go see him, he comes to see me at my desk.
We were not like this before…
As I wanted him to produce what I describe, I went to pursue him every single day and kept asking.
He has a strong artisan sprit, so he does not like to do things that he does not agree.
He has refused to see me a couple times before because he did not wanna listen to me.
So it is interesting that how much we talk and hang out now.
These are Mont Blanc he made based on my request as a product for our Internet business.
Whenever before I ask him an order, I have to think a lot and describe well.
I really appreciate him being such a difficult and strict person so that I could study a lot before I talk with him.
If I did not meet him, I think the way I think about work would be different.
He is not a businessman, but he is such a great artisan.
We are in a different field but I have learned a lot from him.
Anyway, I might be too simple but now I got powered up and feel like succeeding the new project for sure by a small hint from the artisan.

STYLISH

Crazy World

Look how stylish she is!
This is a coat for my dog I got in New York.
In New York, there were lots of stylish coats and boots at pet store.
I laughed at a dog owner who buys $150 Cashmerer sweater for her three dogs, but now I can't...
But this was on sale and pretty reasonable!
Also I got goggles for her too, because I thought these are so crazy and funny.
When I showed these coats and goggles to my mom, she was not happy at all.
However, once our dog wore them, she loved them and took so many pictures of our dog with costumes.
We are usualy not crazy about pet fashion stuff at all.
However, now I am working on a project about pets, so things got changed.
Because of my work, I started going to many pet stores in the US and in Japan.
Once I saw how many cool and crazy stuff for pets they have, I can’t stop buying for my dog.
On the other hand, my dog is in a picture with a look of annoyance.
She just does not move when she wears costumes and shows us how much she feels uncomfortable.
I really have to stop buying these stuff, otherwise, I will be a crazy pet owner whom I used to laugh at...

LAST DAY IN THIS WORLD

He Will Always With Me

Last Thursday was the day our family laid my grandpa’s ashes to rest.
Because of Japanese culture, or religion ( I even don’t know if this is different from other countries…) we kept my grandpa’s ashes at my grandma’s house for 49 days since he died.
We believe that my grandpa’s sprit is still there for 49 days after his death.
After 49 days, which was last Thursday, we went to his temple and laid his ashes in his grave.
We prayed in front of this beautiful thing.
Since I am not religious at all, I don’t know much about it.
I just know my grandpa’s and my religion are different, which I realized on the day he died.
He had a great friendship with his bonze, so we could have a great warm funeral for my grandpa.
I really think my grandpa was very lucky person to have good bonze.

I still can’t believe that my grandpa passed away.
My dad told me that he will be with me all the time from now on since he went up to heaven on the day we laid his ashes to rest.
Since I don’t know much about any religion, but I love to believe whoever say something sounds right to me, or help me.
Believing my grandpa went to heaven and will watch me from above helps me a lot!

NEW NAILS

Missing Long Nails

I have been thinking to make my nails short, but never did.
These are the craziest I have ever done, right before I cut my nails.
I always wanted to polish my nails black so I did only for two and a half week I was in the US on business. (I know these are not appropriate nails for business trip either, but were a great hook when I talked with people!)
In food industry, to get customer’s trust, long nails are not appropriate.
However, I insisted that I could keep my nails long because I was not the one who cooks or who sells our products.
Once my boss asked me, “What would you do if I tell you to cut your nails or at least make them simple?”
I answered, “If it will be an order, I would obey you without understanding.”
Seriously, I did not mind to make my nails simple or short if that would affect my work as a professional businessperson, but I could not see any reasons unless I move to other department.

I cut my nails like this in a picture the other day.
First, I did not feel comfortable to show my nails since it was like I am walking outside without any clothes.
I still want to make my short nails neat from now on.
Because I think sometimes people judge you by looking especially in Japan at business situation.
They look how shiny my shoes are and how well I dress to be looked professional.
By looking at my fashion style, they try to see what kind of person I am.
I can’t be too fancy, but I also can’t be too boring or miserable to make other person feel attracted to me.
When I first started working in Japan, I was amazed how much it cost to meet their needs.
Now I have tons of suits, but not shoes.
I was just mentioned how bad I am looked with my old miserable shoes…
Right now I am too broke to get nice pair of shoes.

Anyway, I wrote a lot about how I have to dress at my company, but the reason why I did my nails simply because I loved it.
It was fun to keep them long and got arrangement.
I cut my nails only because I wanted to keep my nail healthy!
However, I have missed my long nails sooooo much.
I might go back again soon!
I could write this long entry with nail topic, so can you tell how much I am crazy about nails!!??

STAR IN LA

UPTOWN GIRL!

Whenever I am in the US, there is something I have to buy.
That is a gossip magazine.
I buy many kinds of gossip magazines, like People, Star, US etc.
I have a pile of those magazines in my bathroom.
Whenever I am waiting my turn at the register at grocery store, I cannot help reading the magazines.
It is for my reading skill in English with enjoying looking all pictures and their fashions.
Anyway, since I always read American Gossip Magazines, I was so excited to go to Beverly Hills.
Unfortunately, I could not see anybody from those magazines, but could see Elton John’s house.
All cars in that area were nice expensive ones.
Most of female in that area were blond.
Most of female drivers in a car were looking at mirror looking at themselves at the red light.
Most of people wore sunglasses, especially black sunglasses.

The first star I saw on a ground in Hollywood area was my favorite person’s star.
Billy Joel!!
As my parents love his songs, I have listened to his music since I was a kid.
Since I love his songs, I went to Broadway to see “Movin’ Out” three times.
I also went to see it when they came to Japan.
I never got tired of going to see “Movin’ Out”
My favorite of his songs was “Just the way you are”.
If you never read the lyric, please check it out.
I was shocked when first knew the lyric when I was high school kids.

Oops! Today’s entry was supposed to be about LA!!
Anyway, LA was an interesting place.
There were many kinds of areas and lots to see.
However, I would not live there because I can’t stand the traffic there!!
It takes forever to go somewhere.
Although I was there for six nights, I still think I did not see LA enough.
Next time I would be in LA, I will research more places and would like to have more fun.
And see celebrities;)

LONG SATY IN LA

Famima!!

During my business trip, I was in LA for the longest time.
I was there for six nights.
Whenever our company sends me for research to the US, they tell me to go to LA.
I always reject it since I don’t know anything about LA.
I was in LA probably twice in my life, and both for Disney Land.
This time, I could not reject to go to LA, since I had to attend a conference.
It was actually a good one, which I wanna attend the next year too.
This time I was so miserable on the first day I was in LA.
I was the only one who was by myself at hotel in Anaheim, but all people at hotel looked so happy and got excited to go to Disney Land with all their family.
I did not have a car on the first day and could not go out at all till my friend in LA took me out.
From the next day, I got rent-a-car, and went to Down Town.
And I found this Famima!!

Famima!! came from Japan.
It is called Family Mart in Japan, which is a big convenience store.
There were a couple Famima!! in LA.
There are lots of Japanese food, snacks, drinks and magazines at the store as you can see from the picture.
It is like a Japan town in other States, but I saw American people got in just like a normal convenience store.
Still different from Japanese Famima!! but I was so happy to see Japanese convenience store in America.
I had always thought it would be a good idea to bring Japanese convenience store to the US.
Japanese convenience stores are way different from American convenience store.
How so?
Well, there is everything you would need in emergency situation at Japanese convenience store.
For example, pens, notes, stockings, tooth brush, CD-R, batteries, nail polish, rope, and of course all foods and drinks.
It was something I missed so much when I lived in the US.
I hope this kind of convenience store would spread in the US.

OUTDOOR PERSON

Hiking Day in SF

Lots of people tell me that I look like a person who loves being outside to camp or to climb mountains.
People think I am good at any sports, especially running.
I like that they think I am a fast runner because I am such a slow runner actually.
I think those people have those kinds of image of me only because I have dark skin.
I don’t like to make people disappointed if they have some sort of expectation to me.
So I had tried hard to answer the expectation, although I kinda know “Who cares…”
I had never told people the fact that I was not like a person whom they image of me.
I was a leader of YMCA when I was a college student, and took lots of kids for camping to river and to mountains.
But still never liked camping at all, so I don’t know why I did that for four years.
The only camping I loved was with my friends from YMCA.
We went for a camp by car with tons of stuff and they did all setups without me.
They spoiled me, so I made fire only when I felt like to, and I did only my favorite parts like cooking outside or chatting in front if fire.
The best part was that I did not have to walk with carrying lots of stuff!!!!!

Once I told people that I don’t care much about nature, I felt much better.
During this trip, I went on hiking with my boyfriend.
On that morning, our friend, Dan, was surprised “Yukako is going on a hike!?!?!?”
When I heard him saying it, I was so happy and thought, “How nice that people around me know what I am not good at! I don’t have to try hard!!”
Therefore, when we were in a mountain, I could say whenever I was tired and whenever I wanted to take a rest.
Before I had never be able to say such a thing, maybe I had a high pride.
Actually, I had a good time on that day. In a mountain
Hiking is not my thing to do every weekend, but I realized it is good for sometime.
I asked Ryan “What is the point to go for a hike?” then he said “To feel nature”, so I did.
I looked closer to things in a mountain, and it was interesting.
I saw many things, did echo for the first time in my life, and listened to nature sound.

HOMETOWN

My Another Hometowns

After my trip in New York, I flew to San Francisco.
I had one connection, so I flew to Denver before getting to San Francisco.
I had lived in Denver for three years, so I got very excited when my flight landed to Denver.
Although I did not have time to get out of the airport, still I remembered so many things about Denver.
There were so many things happened at Denver airport.
It was the place where I got nervous when I first went there to go to school.
It was the place where I got excited to travel to different place during my school vacation.
It was the place where I felt sad to see many friends off.
It was the place where I felt happy to see my family when they visited me.
When I lived in Denver, I had so many good memories.
I got loss when I had no idea what they were talking about at the first lecture, but I managed to graduate in BA.
I made lots of good friends, went lots of restaurants, went fishing many times, moved twice, fell in love a couple times, got four different jobs, studied a lot, and drunk a lot.
This is one of my hometowns where I feel comfortable.

After this short stop in Denver, I got to my other hometown, San Francisco.
I had lived in SF for a year after I graduated school in Denver.
The first time I went to SF was when I was thirteen years old with my family.
Since then, my family went to SF every year, and some years, we were there three times a year.
I feel people in San Francisco are similar to people in Osaka, where I am from.
People are friendly, and look very happy.
Since my favorite uncle lives in SF, I decided to move to SF to get a job.
I drove to SF from Denver with full of my stuff.
My uncle took care of me all the time.
This is his cooking which he made all my favorite stuff.
I ran into his house mostly when I had problem.
He was there for me all the time.
He is like my best friend whom I can tell everything about me.
I miss him so much, and I wish I can live close to him in the future, and return him what he had done to me.
Now I have so my people I love in San Francisco.
This is the place I wanna be.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

I LOVE NEW YORK??

I have been to Manhattan many times.
The first time I visited NY was when I was 19 years old.
I went to summer school at University of Rochester and my American mother (sister) took me to Manhattan.
I remember that I got surprised how busy the town was, and had no idea what was going on, since we went to so many places at the same time.
Second time in Manhattan was two weeks long stay.
I hated New York at that time, and I realized how sad I felt when I am away from all my stuff but staying at hotel for two weeks.
I was a student still at that time, and I joined seminar for two weeks with about 20 kids from all over the world.
I had to be in class at 8 in the morning till 5 in the evening, and every night we went to a fancy club or went out for drinking or got drunk at hotel room.
I remember I felt this kind of lifestyle is not like me, so I skipped one day and slept till noon and went to outlet mall in NJ by myself and spent time by myself till it closed.
I still LOVE the outlet mall.

I saw different parts of NY when I went there with my boyfriend.
He loves walking around the city and going to museums.
Neither I liked, but I tried anyway, and realized walking around the city and going to see a couple museums were not that bad.
Since we walked too much, and got tired and fell a sleep in a central park.
When we got up, it was cold and dark.
We saw MC Hammer whom I would never recognize.
This is a picture of fries we missed eating when we were there, but I happened to find this place this time.
There are so many sauces for fries.
It tastes really good and was fun!

I have to say that this was the first time I felt comfortable being in Manhattan.
After many time visits to Manhattan, I had never loved Manhattan, and it was not a place I wanted to stay.
However, I first thought, “Maybe I wanna work in Manhattan”.
I felt good when someone asked me the direction of NYC.
Perhaps, as I watched Sex and the City too much, now I feel NY is such a cool place for career women to live in.

Got really long one!!
In conclusion, there are so many memories in Manhattan now for me, and I am looking forward to making more memories there by visiting there often.
Bad conclusion… Anyway, I think I LOVE NEW YORK.

BAD EXPERIENCE

Train in a Tunnel

After I left Orlando, I went to New York City by myself.
The first day I got to NY, I took a train from grand central station to Rye city to visit my American family.
After I got on the train, it run for a few minutes, and someone corrected my ticket.
Suddenly, all the lights in the train turned off, and the train stopped.
We got some lights back, but we got stuck in a train in a tunnel.
We had an announcement saying “We had an engine trouble, and we are trying to fix it now. This train will start shortly. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
I can’t remember how many times we heard this announcement.
It never started shortly…

It was rush hour time, and the train was full, as you can see.
It got hot right away, and I felt hard to breath.
There was another announcement asking a doctor after a while.
A lady got panic because we had been there in a tunnel quite a long time.
Total, I was there one and a half hour.
I got so tired with standing whole time, and decided not to go to Rye city on that day.
It was a quite scary experience which not so many people can have.
Since then, I feel nervous when I had to go through a tunnel.
We never know what happen in our life.
I really think we have to have enough water and food when we go somewhere…

DREAMLAND

Disney Land!!

It has been a while since the last time I updated this blog.
Although I had so many things I wanted to write on this blog, I had been so busy with traveling.
I finally got back to Japan, and started working hard at my office again.
Total, I was in the US for two and a half weeks from February to March.
It was hella long business trip, but at the same time, I totally enjoyed myself when I had free time.
I was in Florida for 4 nights.
This is a picture when I was at Disney World.

I remembered that I had breakfast with many characters of Disney with my sister and my mom when I was little.
At that time, I was amazed with all the characters and I thought Disney Land is such a dreamland.
Well, it is still, but now I see Disney Land with a deferent perspective.
Like I realized there were quite old people in the parade, or I was thinking how much they would get paid to work there.
Those are something I never thought when I was little.
This is THE place I want to take my future kids, but maybe not only for me anymore.
Look how much this little kid got excited to see the parade!
I knew it was not appropriate to take picture of unknown kids, but he was too cute, and I had to take…

At the Disney Land, we were there till it closed.
We happened to see fireworks at the Cinderella castle.
It was the greatest fireworks I have ever seen.
Somehow I can’t help crying whenever I see the great firework.
I was so moved!
Well, I have to admit that I enjoyed this great holiday I had during my business trip.