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The End of 2007
Finally year 2007 is ending.
It was quick and long, I would say.
Somehow I managed to finish cleaning my apt before 2008.
Look, how clean my room is now!
Well, I don’t wanna have this much hard time the next year, so I will try to clean little by little everyday.
So many thins happened in 2007.
I think I went traveling so many times this year.
Anyway it was really really busy year.
January, 2007: A Happy New Year
February, 2007: My grandpa past away & My good friends got married
March, 2007: Went to FL, NY, LA, and SF for researching dog stuffs
April, 2007: Got promoted to Kacho
May, 2007: Went to Philippines & Couple of my friends had weddings
June, 2007: Started Sales job in Tokyo & Went to Gunma
July, 2007: Went to Quebec, Montreal, Boston, and NY & Went to Nagano
August, 2007: Went to Thailand & Biggest incident for our company happened
September, 2007: Went to SF & Had Hula concert
October 2007: Went to Shanghai & Started to join a new project & Had a big BD party
November, 2007: Lots of business trip every week to Tokyo, Nagano, etc & Started to write journal on this blog everyday
December, 2007: Worked really hard
Lot of changes in this year.
Work, Hobby, Love, Family… Everything got changed.
Bad and good happened, but in total, I had such a good year.
The biggest incident was that the fact I am still in Japan.
I was going to move back to the US, but things got changed and I am here in Japan.
I still think that I am going to move back, but at this moment, I think I was lucky that I had to stay here to work for my dad.
I learned so many tings in this year, and I think I got my career up.
I am getting confident, and I am sure that I will do better in year 2008.
Ah, 4 mins left to have a new year.
I think I should get ready for it now.
Love Glasses
Today was the second day of my winter vacation.
Since yesterday, I have been cleaning my apt, even now.
Today I am gathering lots of paper stuff, but never end...
I am crazy about shopping lately, so I went shopping today again.
I had to go to pick up my glasses which I bought yesterday.
I have been to this store since I was 18.
I might have written about this before, but this is the store introduced by my first fashionable boy friend.
He lived next building from this glasses store, which was on many magazines.
Since then, I go this store quite often.
My new glasses cost $400, but I really liked it.
The do not look good in this picture, but they are cute.
After that, I was driving to a coupe stores to get ready for everything to wear on New Year’s Day, and a coupe more cleaning materials.
I stopped by to my parents' house and stayed there for an hour and left for my apt to continue cleaning.
When I gathered my paper stuff, letters, and photos, I tried really hard not to look at them too much.
Once I started looking them closer, it would take forever to clean them.
The picture above are the glasses which I am hoping to get the next time.
Orange glasses!!
While I was waiting at the store, I called my first boyfriend who is going to get married soon.
He laughed hard at me that I still go to the store.
When I was 18 years old, I bought him a pair of the glasses at the store for his birthday.
At that time, although we did not have much money, we bought such an expensive stuff each other.
Long time ago, but there are lots of cute memories.
He is still one of my best friend, so too sad that I can't attend his wedding party.
Wierd Japanese culture that we can't inveite any different sex friends to our wedding.
Well, maybe his finace would not be too happy about it, so it kinda make sense, though.
Tomorrow will be the last day of year 2007.
Time goes too fast.
Gotta hurry up to clean my apt.
Fisrt Day of My Winter Vacation
I am having such a good day today.
I woke up at 6am once and made sure that I did not have to go to work today and turned off all the lights I left on last night, AND put my PJ on since I was sleeping without PJ last night.
Anyway, I felt so happy that I could sleep in, like more than 12 hours!
So at 8 o’clock, I realize that I should not sleep anymore.
I even had a headache because I slept too long.
After I woke up, I started a big cleaning day of my apt.
I cleaned my air conditioner for the first time since I move to this apt.
My air conditioning was not that good for a while, and now I know why.
The inside of the air conditioner was soooo dirty.
It was fun to clean it, and now it works really well.
I cleaned one forth of my apt and went to Spa.
After spa, I went shopping and went to Chinese restaurant for my first food since yesterday lunch.
I went back home and did some more cleaning.
And Voila! I got my nails done.
My nail artist came to my apt for my winter vacation nails.
I had not got my nails done this much for a while since I had to go for sales to meet many people.
So tonight is the night I feel really happy by looking at my pretty nails!
Last Day Of Work
Oh my gosh, I am cheating the date of this blog today, since I could not write one yesterday.
Since on 27th night, I went to bed like 3 in the morning and got up at 6:30, I was so sleepy whole day.
However, there are so many things to do and also we had to clean up our office.
It was the last day of our company in 2007.
I did all daily stuff to do in the morning, and I went all of our factories to check with Vice President.
This was my third time to do it.
I can tell how the year 2007 was by looking at them now.
I saw lot saw improves when I compared with the end of 2006.
By the way, this is a picture of a machine to make margarine made in 1955, but still works!
While I was in a meeting, I was almost sleeping.
That was how I was sleepy.
We supposed to finish working till lunchtime on the last day of the year.
So we have soba all together, called “toshikoshi soba”, meaning, “passing year noodle”.
We can drink beer if we want, so I did, although I knew I had some more work left.
Oh well.
The last day of work, we tell everybody one by one, Thank you for taking care of me whole this year, please take care of me the next yeat, too. Have s good year”.
We had to say this phrase over and over, but I kinda like it.
This is the time I can talk to all employees.
I went home at 6 without eating dinner, and I passed out.
I was going to write a blog, but I could not get up.
I was sleeping till 8am in this morning.
It has been a while since the last time I slept more than 12 hours.
Thanks God for letting me sleep this much!!!!
Communication by Drinking
I had to finish a design of a brochure of our new products.
A guy from a design company finally finished his work at 8PM.
I was so upset about how slow he was.
I mean I could understnad that it would take a while to get a design done.
I gave him all info, and tell him to every single things, but he had never understood.
So whenever he was excited and told me that he got his work done, most of stuff was totally different from I said.
I was scold by my boss, and I had to keep talking to him.
I just can't understand why he tells a lie.
Like he said he was working on it, but he wasn't, he said he understood, but he didn't, he said he would come to our office at 6, but he didn't.
We rushed the design company, so I could not tell him strictly, but I totally lost my trust to that company, unfortunately.
However, the good thing is that since I was at office till late, my female co-worker aske me to go out to drink.
She has worked at our company for a long time, and she is really funny girl.
We could not have much chance to drink together so it was a good opportunity.
I was going to go home early and eat at my apt tonight.
However, I decided to go.
My boss, who was listening to our conversation, wanted to join us, so we invited him and our other colleague.
When four of us were drinking, my other boss and two other colleagues from sales department called us to ask us if they can join.
We felt like drinking since only one more day left to have our winter vacation.
After we went to one restaurant, some of us except our bosses stayed and went to a bar.
Four of us were going to have just one drink, but we ended up to drink till 2 in the morning.
Again today was not the last day, but one more day left.
Dang! I am not sure if I can get up tomorrow.
Well, but it was fun night with my colleagues!
Headache By Drinking Too Much
These are handmade banana muffins for my breakfast this morning.
I am so drunk and have headache right now...
I went to dinner with people from other company, whom we are going to do business together.
This is over my limit.
Also there were 7 people there and 5 of them were very quiet people.
I was the one who had to keep talking.
I love talking, but it was hard tonight to keep talking 5 hours straight.
Otherwise today was a good day.
Still could not finish all work which I had to get done.
Now at 11PM, still I am getting calls by a guy from a design .
He sent me design draft and asked me comments.
I am drunk and heaache.
Want him to understand that I can't think well at this time...
Maybe I should get a glass of water and take medecine now.
Today was the last business dinner this year.
I am excited to eat simple dinner at my apt tomorrow.
Christmas Dinner
I was soooo sleepy while I was working today.
I could not stop yarning.
There were a couple appointments today so quite hard for me to sit at my desk today.
Tomorrow will be the same.
I left my office early today, though.
This is such a good part about me working for my dad.
I sometimes can excuse and leave early without telling any reason on my special occasion.
I went to Christmas dinner to one of the nicest and most expensive Japanese restaurant.
I only had been there once, so today was my second time there.
The restaurant is in Kyoto.
Since I had such a big dinner at Christmas party at my parents’ house, my stomach is not the best condition because of eating too much.
However, there was no way that I can cancel tonight’s dinner, well, I did not want to, of course.
Oh, it was such a great dinner, and I was really happy.
On the way back in a car, I was thinking that maybe I am living and working for this kind of happy moment.
Christmas is one of my favorite events; also it is a hard time for me to go on a diet.
Okay, I think I was recharged by tonight.
Three more days to go before my winter vacation, yay!!!!
What?? Party?? Food??
I can’t really write much tonight, cuz it is 2 in the morning and I have to get up early tomorrow…
We had Christmas Party at my parents’ house tonight with everyone’s friends.
We have had this Christmas party every year for a long time.
We have some of same faces every year, so all the people at the party get closer and closer.
Since my mom decided to have this party on Christmas Eve, which is such a big deal for Japanese people, I could not invite many friends, but only Shinsuke.
This is why I had to argue with my mom the other day.
I think it is too silly to throw Christmas party on Christmas Eve, and she did not ask me about it ahead.
We had small numbers of people for our Christmas this year, but at the end, I realize that it is not that bad.
We had such a great time.
I love Christmas.
Japanese Christmas is more for lovers, so a little different from American Christmas, which is more for family time.
I love spending my time with my family on Christmas and love spending my time with someone I love.
I just don’t like to go out on Christmas Eve, because it is not worth it since everywhere on Christmas Eve is too ridiculously crowded with many couples.
Anyway, this year, as every year, food was all my mom’s handmade so they are all good.
All the menus are food I only can eat at our Christmas party.
We had so many dishes and 6 kinds of homemade desert.
Oh, I ate too much.
We opened all Christmas presents underneath of our Christmas tree all together.
This is our family traditional thing to do.
This year, I got an orange color lamp from my sis, and got black bag from my mom and dad, and I got three kinds of necklaces and boots holder from Santa Claus.
Yeah, I still get Christmas presents from Santa although I am 29.
Well, it is our tradition thing.
Anyway, I had such a good time and good food tonight.
Gotta go to bed.
Getting too late…
Fun Busy Day
Today was a busy day but different busy day from usual.
I was busy doing lots of stuff for myself, but for work. Yeah!!
I got up pretty early and went to Spa and had whole body massage.
It was such a nice one, and could relax a lot.
I bought a couple more Christmas present in downtown Osaka.
Also I shopped some stuff for my computer surroundings.
One the way home, I saw a roast sweet potato (yam) vendor.
I passed once, but since it smelled really good, I went back the way and got a yam.
It had been a while since the last time I had it, but I decided to make it my lunch today.
It costs only $1.20, what a cheap lunch!
Plus, it was tasty and very old-fashion to eat yam, which was wrapped by a newspaper.
After my lunch, I rearranged my room.
It was something I had been dreaming about for a while.
I got a modem for a wires Internet so that LAN cable would not be all over my room anymore.
So this is a picture of my room before “remodeling”.
I moved all my furniture in my bedroom, and rearranged probably 4 times.
I had drawn a picture of my room how to arrange it, but every time I moved, I just did not like them.
So I decided to stick with the original position, but change the position of my computer desk and a bit.
I was so disappointed that I could not have many changes, but still I am planning to make my bedroom a little simpler before New Years.
My arms so hurt because of moving.
I rode a bike to eat at my friend’s noodle restaurant.
It is located two stations away, so I decided to go there by bike for my exercise.
Actually it was a good idea, just 20 minutes bike ride one way.
When I was ready to eat, I hardly could hold my chopsticks because my arm hurts that much.
Anyway, today was such a fulfilled day for me.
I hope tomorrow would be the same on Christmas Eve!
Last Working Saturday in 2007
This is my sister’s birthday cake last night.
I got a piece of cake this morning for breakfast.
I had not had this cake since my birthday in October.
I love it!!
Today was the last Saturday I had to work in this year.
When I think like this, I like working Saturday.
It is sad that I can’t sleep in, but Saturday is the day I can work very very well.
Yesterday my work partner made a couple mistakes and now he may be kicked out from this project team since he had made our boss disappointed lately.
We have been partners for a while and he helped me so much in many situations.
I don’t want him to leave the project, so we decided to do lots of paper work together to finish everything by today to make our boss satisfied.
And we finished everything today!
We will have a presentation the beginning of next week to our boss, and hoping our boss would like it.
He poured me a cup of coffee a couple times while we were working, which is so unusual, and we get work done one by one very quickly.
I felt really good because this might be the first time we seriously work really hard together to achieve the same goal.
After a raugh day, good things happen!
Today is still December 22nd, but lots of my co-workers left office for a Christmas date.
Wait, do we have to go on a Christmas date this early??
Humm, I am cold...
Am I Mean?
Today was a day I had so many things to do.
Well, it is not unusual anymore that I had so many things to do lately.
I woke up early enough to have breakfast at hotel buffet, and took a flight back to Osaka.
Breakfast was great and such a relaxing time but turned totally opposite after I went back to Osaka.
Since I had an appointment with PR Company at 1PM, after the flight landed, I stopped by at my apt to drop my stuff off and went back to my office.
While I was gone, many things happened and they could not solve them the way I wanted.
I don’t want to be mean, so it is hard for me to be strict on someone.
I can’t always be the one who does all the work; I just want other people to understand.
But always hard to find the way to make it sound nice, or should I even forget to find they way to be nice and strict??
Today was my sister’s birthday party, and I had to leave early, but could not finish as early as I expected because of things happened at office.
My sister called me and told me not to come if I can’t get out of office on time.
I was upset that she could not understand how much I wanted to go for her birthday dinner.
Anyway I was 15min late, but I made it.
We had our family’s traditional birthday dinner, which is the menu on the picture above.
It was kinda weird dinner table since my mom and I are still care about the argument we had the yesterday.
Sometimes arguments between family members are more difficult to e settle down than arguments between friends.
Anyway, but I had a great dinner and got home now.
I think today, it is a good idea to go to bed early to feel refresh.
Aww, I wrote ugly things too much today.
Oh well, I think I gotta admit I have an ugly mind today…
It happens, right?
Love Italian, Love Tokyo
I am still in Tokyo.
I wish I could sleep in today at hotel, but I had to go to our Tokyo branch early in this morning.
When I am in Tokyo, which I come here once a week now though, I get excited.
I work as hard as I do in Osaka, but I get different kind of adrenalin when I am in Tokyo.
Very exciting city, like you are in New York.
I had an appointment at our office in Tokyo, had lunch meeting with my co-workers, and research a couple famous places in Tokyo.
From this evening, I went to Italian restaurant with work-related people, who are all in a high position.
The pizza there was the best ever in my life, seriously.
Four cheese pizza came with black pepper and honey to make Gorgonzola cheese be mild.
Weird combination, but it matched really really well!!
I heard it was the best Italian restaurant in Tokyo.
Wine was great too.
We had a bottle of champagne, a bottle of white wine, two bottle of red wine and a shot of special vodka.
I can’t hold alcohol much, but tonight I tried really really hard.
Since I was very nervous, I did not get drunk tonight.
However, now on a bed at hotel, I can tell that I definitely drunk too much.
This is a plant by my bedside at my hotel room tonight.
This is such a luxury hotel where lots of foreigners stay.
Breakfast here is awesome, but the room fare is quite expensive.
I am so excited about taking a bath and enjoy breakfast buffet tomorrow morning.
This is not a hotel where I always can stay, but only on a special occasion.
By the way, I think it is really good for me to keep this journal everyday lately.
I can keep track of what I have thought.
Today I got angry to my mom on the phone about something she did to me.
I regret that I was hard on her, and thought about what I wrote on this blog the other day.
I wrote that I should not get angry with people.
I tried not to, though, but I did, and I still think what I told her was right, but I feel bad that she might have felt miserable by my words.
I realize that when I know that I am right, I have to find the nicest way to say so.
I should not try to make other person feel they lost obviously.
Well, I talked with my mom later and we did not talk about it anymore, and I was much nicer to my mom.
That was the best I could do for her today.
How come it is always uncomfortable to discuss about something which we had different opinions…?
Everyday I think and realize new things and try them little by little in my life.
I make mistakes a lot in my life, but I won’t give up and want to reach my dreaming life.
I have a headache now.
Gotta go to bed!
First Pub Experience
I work in Osaka today and left for Tokyo for business this afternoon.
I was going to meet a business-related person who gave me a book before.
It has been a while since I got the book, but I had not read it yet.
Since I did not want to be rude to him, while I was on a fight to Tokyo and on a train in Tokyo, I read a whole one book very quickly.
It was about a girl who took over her father’s business and got success.
The title of the book is “ If president of the company changes, the company would change too”.
Obviously, I am not going to take over my father’s business, but somehow he thinks that I am going to.
Also he thought that the girl in a book is really similar to me, so he bought a book for me.
It was actually an interesting book, and her characteristic was quite similar to mine…
When I got in Tokyo, I worked at hotel room and finished several work till the time I get together with people from other companies.
It was another “Forgetting Year Party” again.
Today’s menu was chicken, which was not my favorite.
After we had dinner, we went to a Japanese pub, which had a band who sings Oldies.
There were some girls who dresses sexy and served alcohol to men.
They make hella lot of money.
It was my first experience to see those girls in real.
It was interesting to see them, and I thought it seems like what they do is something I am good at.
I love talking with people, so smiling and serving alcohol to men is a piece of cake.
I sometime do the same thing for work situation, so I could work at pub and make a lot of money like they do.
Easy!
Before the band comes, it was Karaoke Pub, sort of.
Some Americans were there and sang lots of English song, but quite horrible, unfortunately.
They looked happy and they danced with other old Japanese people too.
I was invited to sing with an old guy a song “Hey Paula”.
I was a vocalist in a band when I was teenager, but I was so embarrassed to sing in front of lots of people at pub.
Look how horrible I look in this picture…
I could not refuse.
Anyway it was such a weird interesting night which I did the first experience in my life.
Being Japanese businesswoman is tough, huh??
Entrails Dinner
I got recover from food poisoning after I threw up everything.
So I went to work and I was quite energetic today.
I can’t believe how much work I have to do after my absence.
Because I was so busy today, I was almost throwing up…
But it is true that when you are so busy, you can get a lot of things done very quickly.
I was quite satisfied about my work today although there are still things to do left.
After work I went to Hula lesson.
I would not tell my mom about it, cuz she is gonna piss me off since I just got recover from food poisoning.
I thought I should not, but I promised to do dinner party with my friends from Hula lesson, so I could not make the girl, who made a reservation, gets disappointed.
We went to a restaurant which is famous for entrails pot.
There is much garlic in it, so I will be so stinky tomorrow for sure...
It was soooooo good though.
We all got to know each other through Hula lesson.
We work in different field, have different experience, are different age, and have different stories.
We take lessons for two years and now we are good friends, but it was the first dinner with all of us together.
Although the Hula lesson finishes 8:30 at night, we went to dinner from 9PM.
We could get together for dinner to do “Forgetting Year Party”.
Of course we don’t talk about year 2007, but we talk about work, boys, and Hula.
We got our own small room for dinner, so we talk and laugh really loud.
We talked till 11:30 so I took cab home.
I was afraid of getting sick again, but seems like I feel good now.
I drunk and ate a lot, though.
We will have another party in the beginning of 2008.
Everyone teased me about food poisoning so they said we are going to oyster bar for the next party.
If so, I would not go for sure.
I am scared so I would not eat oysters for at least one year.
Anyway, we had such a good party tonight.
It was a good day!
Food Poisoning with Oysters
I got food poisoning by a deep-fried oyster.
Last night, I felt nauseous so went to bed early.
However, every two hours I got up and had to run to the bathroom.
I threw up a lot each time and the last time I threw up was 7 o’clock in this morning, which was the fifth or sixth time for me to threw up, I did not have anything in my stomach, and I threw up water…
Anyway, it is horrible.
Therefore, I could not go to work today.
Today was Monday and to be absent from work on first day of the week is such a shame.
I was going to go to hospital and was going to go to work later afternoon, but I could not move from a bed…
Finally late this afternoon, I could make go to the hospital to get an intravenous drip.
I feel a little better, but still I am worried about tomorrow.
I am so disappointed myself that I am not healthy enough.
I get sick pretty often, and whenever I work pretty hard continuously, I get sick and have to waste one day from work.
I love oysters, but I don’t think I wanna eat them for a while.
I am scared…
First experience for me, but food poisoning is such a horrible thing to experience…
Christmas Shopping
I went shopping with my mom today.
Went to downtown in Osaka to find presents for me from my mom.
I want to get a bag dor work, an orange humidifier for my room, big accessories, comforable shoose, and so on.
I had not been to expensive floor for a long time, since I had not been interested in brand stuff.
But today I went to a department store and saw many expensive stuff reminds me of the time I was so rich when I was a teacher.
We found a good light fashonable bag, and saw the price, "$1,200US".
I found a watch I really like, "$5,200US".
What can I say?
We got tired of walking so we went to cafe and had this sandwiches.
It is so nice to go shopping with my mom, because now we don't have much time to hang out together.
I love spending time with my mom because I love my mom so much.
After shopoing, we went home together and went for dinner with my dad.
Three of us had such a nice dinner and enjoyed talking a lot.
However, now I am at my apt by myself and feel pretty sick.
Don't know why, but I should go to bed early tonight.
Short Hair
I went to work today on Saturday.
Had so many things to do at work and I got so many meetings today.
I got in fight, sort of, with my boss about the project which I am heavily in duty of.
He told me that I am not as smart as my co-worker, which made me piss off!!
My co-worker graduated from a colllege which is really famous in Japan.
Obviously my college is not as famous as the one he went, but still my boss can't judge me like that.
Educational background is a big thing in Japan, although I graduated from school 7 years ago...
However, I get my power when my boss gives me a hard time.
I would not cry and lose because of his words.
I will let him know that his judgment was not right eventually in near future.
So I havr to work harder...
I went to hair salon after work.
Since I had to work till late at night, I asked my ex boyfriend to open the salon till late at night for me.
He had cut my hair for about ten years, but he said he never cut my hair this short.
It is a big change for me.
The reason why I got hair cut short is that I wanted to do something unusual.
My hair will be long soon, so I thought I should enjoy many kinds of hair style when I am young.
I hope I look better with this short hair.
not only get a hair cut, but I got "head spa" done.
It felt really really good, and I could relax.
I think I am lucky that I have many kinds of ways to make me be away from my stress.
Forgetting Yeat Party
I was invited Japanese traditional “Bonen Kai” (Forgetting Year Party), which is held at the end of the year, by boss from other department.
I was the only one who was not belonging to the department, but since I hang out with those people from the department pretty often through work, they invited me.
Actually, I was invited from many other departments too, but I won’t go all.
This is not because I am popular, but I think they fell that they should do since I go to each department everyday and I am the only one who works every department.
It is nice of them to invite me still, but I don’t think I can afford anymore…
Also I have to have the same parties with my friends and other work-related people too.
This is interesting Japanese culture to have party at the end of a year and the beginning of a year.
Basically, we just get together, drink and chat.
To forget about the past whole year, we do “forgetting year party”, and to wish a good year, we do “New Year party”.
Both are quite the same thing, but for people who loves drinking and partying, this season must be the happiest one!
I will have a couple more parties till I finish this year.
Not to forget about 2007, but to enjoy the party with many kinds of people.
I actually don’t want to forget about 2007.
It has been such a dense year.
We went to Korean BBQ in downtown Osaka.
We had “broiled (pieces of) pig innards”-according to my dictionary for translation, but does not sound right.
Well, they were not pig but beef, first of all.
And we had weird parts of them such as neck, stomach, chin and so on.
It might sound gross, but actually tasted good.
On the way home, I got sick on a train.
Lately I get a ride sick pretty often.
Bullet Train is the good place to finish my reading and work, but recently I can’t…
In bullet train, train, bus and car, the entire ride made me sick.
Gotta figure out what’s wrong with me, otherwise, I can’t do anything while I am transporting.
Okay, I should go to bed now.
One more day to go till I get a day –off!!
Good Thing and Bad Things
These are my dinner for tonight and breakfast for tomorrow.
I know this is bad, but I had to buy these roll cakes for work.
These are such a famous cakes in Osaka, but since I am so used to delicious sweets in Tokyo, these were nothing, unfortunately.
Oh well…
I got something to eat.
I had department morning meeting so went to work early this morning.
And I got a call from my co-worker in Tokyo whom I went to sales together.
It was a bad news.
We could not get a business with a big fast-food “L”.
We almost got them, but they turned me down at the last moment.
Actually this is the second time when my customer turned me down at the last minute.
Making business is not easy, I realize.
I regret that I don’t live in Tokyo, so that I can go talk to them to pursue, well maybe still it would not work, though…
Still I have to wait the answer from coffee shop “S”.
I am trying hard not to expect too much not to get disappointed too much.
From this afternoon, I went to a seminar to learn about Internet sales.
I learned about mobile sales, since there are so many buyers through their cell phones.
It was interesting and I got so many good ideas what I should do about my Internet business.
After the seminar I asked so many questions and I left my important item which I had to use for the next appointment.
How come I am so careless!!
I realized one hour later and the person who was in charge of the seminar had already got on a bullet train with my important stuff.
He tried to be nice to me not to leave it at the seminar room.
Because of that, I had to postpone the appointment.
The good part is that I could go home early because I missed the appointment, although I feel a little guilty.
I came home, and I cut an apple and a persimmon to get ready for tomorrow.
I love eating fruits, which I do everyday lately.
I could do my laundry, which is so unusual that I can do it on weekday night.
I cleaned my house and I got rid of a lot of old stuffs I kept to get good luck.
Someone told me that I have to throw things away, which I am not good at, because keeping old stuff would not let people move on.
Let old air be out and let new air be in.
Well, I don’t think I can throw all old stuff, but I would try some because I believe someone’s advice.
Just a Little Effort
Lately there is some stuff that I get frustrated.
Sometimes it is towards to my friend’s selfishness, to my dad’s strong words, to my boss who often gives me a hard time, or to a business-related person’s harassments.
However, I have tried not to get upset.
I started thinking that I may get frustrated only because I overreacted, which I really sometimes do.
Sometimes I get upset because I don’t want people to take advantage on me by not getting upset.
But is it true?
Are people so cruel to a person who does not get upset?
Are they even things that I have to get upset?
When I was washing the dishes tonight by thinking about dinner that I will have to have with a business-related person who harasses me about my fat.
Of course I am not looking forward to it because I am afraid that he would hurt me about my body again.
I was trying to come up the strategies to stop him talking about my body fat.
Last time, I almost talked back to him because he repeated and repeated.
Next time I was thinking to talk him back or to make him feel guilty by saying something.
However, I realized both are not good ideas.
Sometime people are not mean to be maliciousness.
One of my friends was rude to me the other day (I thought he was rude, just I thought) to try to get something from me.
Since I did not say anything about it and tried hard to answer him
He gave something me back sometime later, so I realized that he was also the one who tried.
I got hurt by my dad’s attitude on a bonus day.
He promised me to have me to his office and talk to me about my evaluation but he forgot and left office.
I called him and asked him what happened.
He said that he had tons of stuff to do, so he told me not to bother, and he never apologized.
I was almost yelled at him, but I saved.
On the next day, the first thing he did was calling to my desk and told me to come to his office.
He spent all his time till he had to go to the meeting to talk with me and told me that he has responsible to teach me many things.
He did not apologized about the day before, but I was so happy to know that he is trying hard to take care of me although he is also busy.
I feel guilty that I frustrated to them.
Therefore not to regret too much, I am now trying to think before I complain, talk back or yell.
Of course I am not perfect and I always can’t do that, but I try most of the times and it works!
By the way today’s picture is a very expensive and very delicious waffle which I had in Tokyo.
They serve a shot of chocolate before we get our sweets!
Gotta go to bed with watching “Desperate Wives”.
Yeah, I am so addicted…
Gotta Stop Eating!
As I could not stop watching American dramas on-demand-TV last night, I was so sleepy at work.
I feel I am stupid, but I had been looking forward to watch them tonight again although I need to sleep.
I was on a diet, and I lost 6 pounds.
However, now I eat a lot again.
When I was on a diet, I did not feel like eating much, but now I would love to eat.
It is not because of the rebound, but because of this season.
Now there is so so so much good food in Japan.
I don’t wanna miss any dinner by grubbing something from convenience store.
So I eat out a lot with other people.
Because I eat a lot for dinner, my stomach is getting big, and I always feel hungry.
Like when I work at office, I get so hungry and can’t wait for dinner.
Today, I was starving, so I went to cooking lab to beg for food.
The only food we have at this company is “Sweets” unfortunately.
So one of the artisan said, “Oh, good time. I just made coconut cheesecake tart for test. Will you taste it and give me advice.”
So I did.
It was really good one, so I took another piece.
And one another piece…
I told him, “This is really good, but made me sick.”
Such a bad comment to an artisan, but he laughed.
Obviously it is my fault that I ate too much, and it is natural that lots of sweets made me sick.
Not only sweets our artisans make, but also there are so many sweets we bought from other places for taste at our office.
Very dangerous place here for the people who want to go on a diet.
This is why I take hula lesson and also go to gym.
Today was a hula lesson day.
Good exercise after eating too much, but I could not help drinking beer after the lesson…
Damn it!!!
Got Bonus
Today was my bonus day.
I get extra money twice a year, which is about the same amount as my salary for two months.
But it is only when I get A for evaluation.
When I get B, I get the same amount for 1.5 month salary, and C is even less.
My boss gives my evaluation, and I expected C for this time, because I have not gotten a good result of my any projects yet.
I was nervous to hear about my evaluation, because I did not want to shock.
I knew I have been working really hard, but the fact was that I had not have result yet…
However, I got A!!!
It is miracle! I was so happy that they evaluate me as a hard worker especially because I got B last time, and I was really disappointed
I think many of the employees went out to drink when they get bonus in Japan.
However, I chose to go to Gym, since I did not have to work late.
I took “beginner’s jog” class.
It was such a hard 45 min class, but all the steps were fun and it was good exercise.
Today I got a machine? Box?, which I can watch any movie and dramas for free through internet.
This is a trial campaign or something and I decided to take it.
I had a hard time to figure out how to set it up and use, but I made it!
Now I am watching desperate housewives.
Ahhhh, I should get enough sleep, but can’t stop watching dramas…
Crazy Shopper
Finally I got one-day off from work today.
I wanted to sleep in, but also I did not want to waste my day off.
Thus, I made an appointment with my nail artist early this morning.
It has been a while since the last time I get my nail done.
Now I regret that I did, because they were not that pretty…
A part of the reasons was that I only can do simple nails now, not like before I did crazy nails.
I went to Wal Mart sort of place after that and bought lots of stuff.
I was going to get toilet paper, but I shopped $100 US…
It is always fun for me to go to that kind of store, because I can get many different items at one place.
I went to Spa that, and fell in sleep while I got massage.
Trips between Osaka to Tokyo every week make stiff shoulders.
Since the place I go for Spa is located in downtown, I could not help do more shopping.
There are sooooo many people in downtown because of Christmas.
I don’t know where they had been before this season…
I bought lots of pretty orange stuff.
I bought orange and brown cups and plates.
They were cheap, but I thought it would be cute to serve coffee and cookies when someone visits me.
Happily, someone came to visit me tonight so I have already gotten the opportunity to use them like on the picture above.
I was right! It was good idea to get them.
I gotta stop shopping, but I just love to see new stuff at my apt.
I don’t always shop, but when I start buying stuff once, I can’t stop.
Especially because tomorrow is my bonus day!!
Well, I still need to buy some Christmas presents, so after I finish, I will start saving money for sure!
Wasting My Time?
Once a month, I attend management meeting with some board of directors at our company.
Since I am not a board of director, I attend the meeting as an observer, which means I can’t give any of my opinion about what they are talking.
The meeting was unbelievably long, 9 hours long!!!
The record was 12 hours, so we could not break the record...
Actually, I just think it is ridiculous.
They will have another meeting three days later with the owner about the decision they made at today’s meeting.
This is why today’s meeting was so long to get ready for the owner meeting.
I don’t get to attend the meeting with the owner, but I attend the previous meeting to learn things.
I learn how much we need to shorten the time of our meeting.
I fell a sleep during the meeting today, since we had to eat so many sweets sample at the meeting today.
When I get too full, I get sleepy and moreover the contents of the meeting at that time were quite boring.
They realized that I was sleeping, so they decided to take 5 min break.
I was scold that I should not sleep.
He was right! I shouldn’t, but they should not make me feel sleepy!
To keep myself up, after the meeting, I was thinking about other stuff.
(Of course, I join the meeting seriously when they talk about serious topics)
First, I wrote time schedule for this weekend.
Next, I listed up what I want to buy, because lately I LOVE shopping!
Third, I drew my room and planned how I can move my furniture.
Last, I was thinking about my money management since I don't keep track my money lately.
I made some goals for year 2007, but I could not achieve most of them, so in year 2008, I would like to achieve them for sure.
I stooped by one place to get a snoopy account book for 2008.
Also, for good luck on my new snoopy project and pancake project, I bought a chain for my cell phone, which was a pancake and snoopy.
Anyway, it was not an exciting day today, but I was happy that I could list up many things and now I know what I need to do this weekend.
I hate long meeting...
Japanese Salaryman Life
Lately, I feel myself being a man.
I work, drink, work, drink, work and drink…
Well, actually I do other stuff too, but when I am in Tokyo on business, I realize that I am a salary man.
A salary man is “businessperson”.
We call businessperson salary men since we work for salary.
The reason why I feel like a man when I am in Tokyo is the following.
1. I stay at such a tiny business hotel.
2. I eat shitty breakfast in 10 mins with lots of other salary men.
3. I drink with colleges till late at night and hard to get up in the morning.
4. I get on a very crowded train to go to work.
5. etc,etc…
I took this picture because I thought this describes how Japanese salary man suffering from their life.
Tow ties on a tree…
They left there last night, maybe…
They must not remember what happened what happened.
Could they go home safe??
I was lucky enough that I could go back to hotel safe last night!
I went back to Osaka office thing evening, and prepared for the meeting tomorrow.
I was at office till 10PM.
Dang! I was going to go to fitness club today, but did not have time for that…
Now I am on my bed writing this blog at 1 AM and feel sooooo relief lying on my bed.
My apt is my best home, no matter what!
Glad to be back to my home!
Being With Snoopy
I went to a meeting for Snoopy Licensees in Tokyo.
We are one of the newest licensees, so our company was introduced in front to more than other 200 people.
My boss gave a speech, and that time, I was more nervous than the time I had to give a speech in front of those people.
It was the most interesting meeting that I have ever joined.
There are some Americans from NY and Santa Rosa, who are related to snoopy character.
The presentation they gave was with all snoopy cartoons, and was fun.
I saw a snoopy fashion show which was held in NY this year on a screen.
All dresses were quite crazy, but I loved the wedding dress, which was sooo silly dress, but cute!!
At the lunch, I talked with the American guy who showed the fashion show.
I asked him where I could get the wedding dress, and told him I would wear it if I would get married in two years, which is our contract year with snoopy licenser.
Unfortunately, since some of the other dresses were sold on ebay, but not the wedding dress.
At lunch, we had three huge snoopy cakes.
This cake of this picture is one of the cakes, which were all snoopy!
They were all cute!
I have loved snoopy since I was a kid, and now I sort of work with snoopy.
I get to know many kinds of snoopy information now.
All people I saw at this party (meeting) know snoopy a lot.
I never thought I would do this kind of job.
All the attendees got a bag of presents.
Got a lot of snoopy items.
This is such a dream job which I had ever had!
I was at the place from 10 to 16, and had an appointment afterwards.
It had already got dark, but I had to go back to my Tokyo branch to finish up my paper work for this Saturday meeting.
I was suffering for a couple hours till 9PM, and went to drink with my colleagues in Tokyo.
4 of them were older than I, but since I am on a little higher position, I paid for them.
So Japanese… I still feel that is sort of rude for elders.
I don’t know how they think about it.
I don’t get much more money than them, but that’s a role for people who hold an administrative position.
Came back to hotel at midnight.
No more alcohol this week… please…
Tokyo Eating Business Trip
I left to Tokyo early this morning by plane.
Since there was an accident, so the train got delayed.
Trains often get delayed in Tokyo.
I joined the seminar for the exhibiters for the biggest food convention in Asia in this coming March.
I am excited but there are so many things to do before we get ready for the convention.
I am always the one who go to the convention, bur never as an exhibiter.
Very nervous.
Since I got a couple hours after the seminar, so I went to my favorite building in Tokyo, New Marunouchi Building.
I shopped a bit, and had expensive Italian lunch by myself.
It is nice to be able to eat good food by company expense for work, but I always feel sad that I have to eat good food by myself.
This is a picture of Risotto I had, which was a part of the course menu.
I don’t like to eat by myself, first of all.
Got a call from my ex boyfriend, telling me that his parents are in Kyoto.
As I told him that I was in Tokyo, he took me for dinner.
His company is in front of my company’s branch in Tokyo.
What a coincidence!
We talked a lot about our work, and I felt weird that we have totally different life although we shared the same three years of our lives together.
It is always interesting to see my friends are getting changed, so that I can know a lot of different perspective.
Recently, I get tired too easily when I see someone for dinner.
My bad habit, but I can’t stay at restaurant for long hours to chat.
I felt a little bad that I went back to hotel soon.
Hula Dancer
Every Tuesday is my Hula lesson day.
I was late for the class since I could not finish working on time today.
My hula lesson is getting harder and harder, but I finally made up my mind to go up to the next level.
It will be three-hour-long class, but I will try.
My dream is to be a hula dance teacher when I turn to 70 years old, so I should learn Hula more now.
Today was a busy day as usual.
I went to work earlier this morning and tried to finish my work on time, but couldn't.
I am in the middle of our production team and our sales team right now.
To make pancakes become big in Japan, I am doing R&D, Production, and Sales now for a certain item.
Now I understand the reason each department cannot get along at our company.
Each department is pretty selfish and they try to make other departmet is guilty when they make a mistake.
Today I got a call from the boss at Sales department, and I was scold about production team.
After I was scold by him, I called a boss of Production team, and I was scold again about Sales department.
I understand both of them, but I also think both were wrong.
Being in the middle is always difficult in any situation.
Gotta go on a business trip to Tokyo for three days from tomorrow.
Gotta catch an early flight, so gotta go to bed now.
Quick-Tempered Person
Today was such a busy day.
I was not at my office most of the time, move around to many departments, and also went for sales to a restaurant in Osaka.
My dad’s old friend came to visit our company this evening.
He has been in Singapore, and we visited him every New Years till I was 10.
I miss Singapore; there is so much good food!!
I was going to go to Gym tonight, but since my assistant got a cold, we decided to eat quickly and go home.
We went to Kushikatsu place.
This picture is a couple who runs small popular Kushikatsu restaurant.
Today was a day I thought I need to be careful not to hurt people.
I think I am not good at getting along with quick-tempered person.
To be honest, I get scared and feel really sad when I talk with such people.
Today, one of my ex boyfriends was in bad mood and sent me many text message to my cell.
I was not sure why he was in a bad mood, but I could definitely tell that he was upset to something.
I get tired of making him feel good, because I was not sure why I had to.
I have argued a lot with my boyfriends, and I would say I am a quick-tempered person around boyfriends because of a reliance.
However, I am pretty calm with someone whom I don’t care; maybe I am a cold person…
If I could, I don’t want to fight because of unimportant stuffs.
He came to see me to my apt tonight at the end, and he got upset to unknown person with such a tiny thing when he tried to park a car.
I could not believe why he had to give a shit to unknown person…
He finally told me that he had been really busy and tired.
I am too, but I really thought that I would like to be a person who can be nice to everyone although I am busy and tired.
But I know, I have to be careful, too, otherwise I might hurt somebody unconsciously when I had a busy time.
I am loosing my hair dramatically lately.
My hair is all over on a floor at my apt.
I am scared…
A Peaceful Day
Since I went to bed 3 in the morning last night, I slept in till noon today.
After I got up, I went to Spa in downtown and went shopping afterwards.
I bought a lot of pantyhose, color tights, and a pair of short pants.
Shopping is the best way to motivate myself from busy days at work.
I met my friend from my elementary school.
We get together once in a while still now.
When we were junior high school students and high school students, we went to soccer games once a week for three years.
We were crazy about Japanese soccer player and we went to see the players a day before the game at hotel.
She got married once and got a kid but now she got divorced and live with her family with her kid.
And now she is in love with somebody and we talked about him a lot tonight with drinking.
Usually I am the one who is talkative between friends, but whenever I see her, she talks whole time and I am the listener.
We have been friends for almost 20 years, and we know about each other a lot.
It is so nice to have this kind of friend.
After we drunk, we both stopped by at my parents’ house and took this picture.
My parents were happy to see her too.
I dropped her off at her house, and saw her daughter, who is three years old, for the first time.
Such an adorable daughter!
I felt kinda weird that my friend whom I have known since she is a kid got a kid!
Today was such a peaceful day with my old frined.
Ready to go back to work tomorrow!
Casual Saturday
I totally misunderstood that today was casual Saturday.
Because whenever I go to work on Saturday for meeting, I wear casual clothes.
I went to work with black half pants, long boots, white shirt and black turtleneck sweater, and moreover black net pantyhose.
When I got into the office, I got freaked out.
Everyone wore pair of suits like weekdays.
Dang it! I soon realized that I made such a big mistake…
I stated interviewing all people in my department under me.
It was interesting to listen all their problems.
One of a man below me got promoted one position today.
I had never gone out to eat with him by ourselves, but I decided to celebrate him like I was done by my boss.
He is 39 years old and I felt weird to take him out as a boss, but I did.
We had such a good conversation, and it was good method to know him and other employee’s feeling.
It might take a while to understand all the employees, but I wanna know them little by little by talking one on one.
I could never thought me doing this kind of things soon after I got back from the US.
Very Japanese.
After I had dinner with Mr. Horiguchi, I saw my friend, Mitsunori, who just opened noodle place.
We went to my bar from late at night.
He is struggling getting lots of customers and I really could understand how he feels about it.
We were at bar as the last guests tonight and went to have a cup of coffee afterwards.
It is very interesting to listen stories about opening business, even it is a little restaurant.
I wish I could help them but I feel disappointed that I don’t have anything to do.
The only thing I can do is listening to them…
Friends are corporate each other like listening each other when one of us is down maybe, I hope…
Anyway, I am sooooo sleepy and getting so excited to sleep now.
