Date W Uncle K

Dating in Kyoto

I spent a night at my grand ma’s last night.
I woke up early to impress my grand mother.
We went shopping to a couple places for him to bring some tuff back to SF.
We drove to many places, and it was fun.
We also had a nap too!
It was such a peaceful relaxing Sunday but just lots of driving.

By the way, today I felt I eat for EATING.
I had breakfast and had big lunch on the picture above.

Had an orange as snack, and also had an orange jelly on the picture above.
It is $6.30 US.
Expensive good stuff.

And had dinner, of course.
My favorite grandma’s hand-made dish.
My uncle’s friend for over 40 years came to join us.

It was a nice dinner!

This was the last thing I had today.
I know I had too much.
This is one of cakes Mr. Ito brought us.
Cheesecake is my favorite cake in this world!
I had swissroll tonight too.
I drove back home and did some exercise!
Now I's ready to go to bed!
Ugh... I am full still...

Family Friday

Crazy Uncle

I have lunch every Tuesday and Friday with my sister.
Today, we went to Italian restaurant and had garlic spaghetti, and we both got really stinky…

I had a rough day today at work.
We had a presentation but my partner screwed, and my boss got really mad, so I could not go home early.
I had to go home early since my uncle was at my parent’s home with my sis.
My sis cooked for my uncle and me.
I had dinner while they were watching me eating since they had already finished eating.
After my dinner, we all decided to go to Karaoke.

Guess how long we sang.
We sang for two and a half hour.
We went home at midnight.
What a bad family!
I am so sleepy but it worth!
We had such a good family time.

Dancing Night

Dancing Party

It was a fabulous night!
After work, I was incited to a party as a dancer.
I danced Hula at a bar for unknown people.
I am not a real dancer, so not sure if we were good, but it seems like they enjoyed our dance.
We danced the one we are now practicing for a stage in March.
These are members!

After we danced, everyone danced.
There was a professional social dancer at the party.
Somehow, I danced with the dancer.
I always wanted to learn social dance so I was so happy to dance with him.

During we danced, I shouted to my friend, “I got it!” and dancer guy was laughed.
I guess I did not get it, but I thought I got it.
Well, but enjoying dancing was the best no matter how I dance, right?

After the social dance, Brazilian girls came to the bar to dance!
Samba!!
Oh my, look at her costume!!
Wow...
We all danced Samba with them.
They were there for like 20 minutes, but I wonder how much they get to paid.
They were good by the way of course.
It was my first experience to watch samba right in front of me!

What a night!
It was so much fun.
Now I am ready to learn social dance!

Last Day In My Bed

Not Ready For Working

I had a headache and stomachache today.
Ah how foolish I was to drink that much…
I gotta think about my age, I know…

I woke up pretty early although I stayed up late last night, but of course I did not get out from my bed till late afternoon.
Now I love watching Ally McBeal.
So I am in a bed with surfing intenet and watching American dramas.

Since my grandma is at my parents’ house till tomorrow, I went to my parents’ to have dinner together.
We had good time.

Now I have already chosen what to wear tomorrow.
I just need to get ready for tomorrow in my mind.
Well I have definitely not been ready yet.

A Happy New Year!!

Hello New Year

I appreciate lots of people who support me.
Thank to everyone who support me, I could get this new year 2009.
We traditionally wear kimono and we have a little family serious new year party in the morning on January 1st.
However we decided not to wear kimonos.
It is kinda sad, but it was also hassle to wear them only for a couple of hours.
We had our morning ceremony with our grandma’s maid who is 96 years old.
He hardly hear us now…

After that we went to see our grandma who is in a nursing home.
She can’t understand anything, but at least she opened her eyes and saw us.
After the visit, we went to shrine as every year, and also went to our office to pray.
Then, we drove down to Kyoto to celebrate with my other grandma.
She could come to Osaka to celebrate with us but she cared about out dead grandpa and wanted us to come to Kyoto.
Now she is thinking to move to Osaka and live close to us.
She seems like she was pretty excited about it,

We just kept eating and eating.
I love Osechi, Japanese New Year’s traditional dishes.
Guess how many items we had at the dinner table?
60, sixty!!!
This is the day I feel lucky myself to be born as Japanese.

Woff, I ate too much…

One More Day Left

What else Do I Have To Do?

Yeahhh! Love vacation!!
I stayed up as late as I wanted last night and woke up at noon today.
No make-up with glasses.
I look like that I am wearing wig.
Humm, I can’t like my hair style now…
Anyway I did laundry twice and cleaned my room a bit today.
I have to finish cleaning my apt tomorrow since tomorrow is the last day of 2008.
Well, what else do I have to do in 2008?
Am I satisfied with everything happened in 2008?
Hummm.
I should have studied more.
I should have lose my weight.
These two are something I can’t establish by one day tomorrow, so I guess I will leave them for next year.
Other than that, year 2008 was pretty good I think.

I had dinner at Tofu place tonight.
There were so many beautiful dishes at the dinner course.
Most of them were tofu menu, but I love this dish the best because of this presentation and the taste.

I took these two girls, who used to work with me at an English school, for dinner.
One still work at the English school, and the other is going to move to Tokyo as a lawyer.
They were now fine ladies and I am so happy to have them as my sisters.
We had nice dinner together and went to Karaoke.
I realized that I love singing.
Maybe I wanna have an audition if it is not too late…
I want my life a bit more exciting.
Am I asking too much?

Hangover

Hangover But Drunk More

I woke up at my hotel in Tokyo and oh my god!! I had really a bad headache.
Yes, hangover…
I had never gotten hangover, but since last year, I sometimes get hangover.
Probably it is because of my age??

I took a flight to go back to Osaka, and had lunch with my sis, and went back to my office after.
It was a pretty busy day at work, and I did not feel well because of hangover headache…
I really did not feel like going out to drink tonight, but look at me, I look really happy in the picture.
Yes, I finally felt better after work.

We talked a little about work, ate a lot and drunk a lot of course.
It did not take much time for me to get drunk tonight.
Everyone could tell that I was tired because I could not stop yawning...
How rude...

Although I was tired and wanted to go home, drinking out with co-workers from sales department is always fun.
They are such nice and funny guys.
They can drink so much, and if I drink as much as they drink, I would die.
I just get a little worried about the 23-year-old girl who just entered to our company this April.
She lives with her family and I bet her parents get worried about thier daughter if she gets home at 1 in the morning.
What a bad boss I am...

I Complain

Working With My Boss Is Not Easy

I had a quick meeting in this morning about pie shell.
Recently, we have several R&D meeting about each project.
I feel we had too many meetings, but we have to…
After the meeting, I attended a manager meeting from each department.
I was an amanuensis for the meeting.
And I went to restaurant to meet a chef to ask for a comment about our product.
I always get nervous to meet chefs, since I have to have certain knowledge about cooking about technical things and words.
He was nice and I learned a lot from him.
Meeting with lots of famous people is fun part about this job.

Since my day went quickly like this by doing many things, I was late for dinner tonight.
I went out to drink with 8 people from sale department from Tokyo branch and Nagoya branch.
People from sale department are funny.
They know how to entertain people because of their job.
They are tough and drink a lot.
We were all drunk and complained about my boss.
I should not have complained about my boss to them, but could not help since he was so hard on me lately.
I felt a little relief that everybody had the same impression about my boss and wondering how to treat him.

We went to Karaoke after dinner till 2 in this morning.
It is nice to hang out with them once in a while like this.
Ah, I wish I were a member of a sale department.

Food Food Food

Eating Too Much

Thai Fried Rice, originally uploaded by yikada.

Today was an eating day.
I went to Thai food restaurant with my assistants for lunch.

At 3PM, I tasted lots of food by my co-workers who took a cooking class from our chef who has a contract with our company.
All of them tasted really good.
I had like 5 menus…
And I went to a party at night with people from other companies for work.
I was a hostess, so I arranged the time, place and everything.
Everybody like the restaurant I picked.
It was a restaurant with all chicken.

Lastly, we went to Sushi to drink more.
I can’t believe why we could eat Sushi after we eat a lot from the last restaurant.
More surprisingly, at the Sushi place, I met a woman who knows really well about me,
I had mever met her, but she knew my dad.
She hesitated to tell her name, but she confessed that she has known my dad for a long time.
Who the hell she was?
Is my dad a “man”, like others??
Oh well…
I don’t think she was my dad’s lover or anything, but let’s not tell my mom.

Meeting Lots Of People

Lots of Fun

I had a busy morning.
I interviewed five people to hire my assistant as a part time job.
It was interesting to see many kind of people.
Housewives, musician, and a guy who just keep doing a part time job...
By interviewing many people, I learn a lot.
Tommorow, I will have four more people to meet.
One will be an American guy, but not sure if he would have visa...

BTW, the picture above is a miniture cherry pie figure.
My sis, one of my assistants and I are collecting these figures lately.
We have so many tiny sweets figures.

Went out to drink with people who works in food industry and making similar items.
They are our competitors, but good to be friends so that we can share the same info.
Two sales persons from each company joined.
I am always the only one girl at this kind of party.
I got used to but sometimes I feel bad for them since I bet they want to do men's talk.

We went to pub after this Korean BBQ place.
Sang song in front of people.
It was a pub which is owned by a gay boy, who used to be a girl.
He (she) told me quite a detail how he turned to a boy from a girl.
It was so interesting to talk a lot with him.

I got home just now like 1AM.
I will go out to drink again tomorrow night.
Hwaaaaaaa, sleepy...

Ordinal Day

Sleepy Day

I slept non-stop till this morning.
Since I got up too late, I had to take a cab to work…

Had lunch with my sis who just broke up with her boyfriend.
Poor my sis who got a childish and selfish boy.
I think it was good for her that they broke up.
I really wish she would find much better one soon.


I went to Hula lesson only for 30 min since I could not finish working earlier…
This is what we are practicing for Hula stage in March.
This is someone’s dancing which was on youtube.
I am confident that I can dance better than them. Haha.

Had junk food for dinner and now ready to go to bed.
Nothing much happened today, just an ordinal day but nice.

Osaka For Hula

First of all, this is such a good song I listen to these days, title "Continue".

I wanted to take an early flight to Osaka this morning, but got a text from my boss 6 in this morning.
He goes, “Go to one convention if you’d like”.
If you’d like????
No, I wouldn’t!
So I text him back, “I will go if this is your order, otherwise, I would like to go back to my office in Osaka”
Of course, he made me go.
I don’t mind to go to convention, but I just did not like the idea that my boss did not tell me earlier.
I have planed for a day everyday, so I don’t like to be messed up like this…

I was at a convention for a couple of hours, and saw two iron chefs, Sakai and Ochiai.
They are both skinnier than I saw on TV.
They looked around the convention and came to our booth too.
It was funny to see that everyone treated them like GOD.

Took a flight home and work at my office.
Since I have to go to Tokyo tomorrow again, it would be much better to stay there.
However, I could not, because I have to take care of my department.
Finally, recently I feel responsible for my department.

There were couple more reason why I came back to Osaka.
My bed and hula lesson!
Had a good lesson tonight.

What A Big Day!

Cry and Laugh

I went to work at Tokyo office today.
When I happened to see my old classmate from college at my friend’s meeting, we scheduled to see each other again in Tokyo.
His dad died when he was college and now his mom is running business.
He is taking over the family business, and I thought we have similarities.
We had lunch and talked for c couple hours.
He was not a smart guy but really really nice and kind but quiet guy.
We barely talked each other since we take almost all the same classes.
It has been like 8 years since the last time we hang out but we decided to hang out more from now on.
I thought boys change dramatically by their job!!
After nice chat with my friend, I went to see a famous consultant.
He was really strict and gave me so many advices to me.
I shouldn’t have, but I cried in front of him.
I was scared, and I got shocked and, and , and… I just could not help crying.
I have no longer have a people who tell me the truth or strict thing to me.
Very spoiled only because I am a daughter of CEO.
Probably I cried because I was happy to meet unusual business person who gave me honest opinion face to face.
I really appreciate him now.

This is a party I went tonight.
A birthday party for a guy who takes care of me really well lately, and also one more guy who is CEO of a fashion brand, who is on the picture above.
The guy on the left is a famous guy in music world.
I would say all Japanese know him.
It was a crazy party.
Lots of model, Miss Universe, Miss something, and so on.
I felt I was such a short shorty litlle girl.
There were so many celebrities at the party.
Tokyo is crazy, and I can’t believe that my life is getting change like this.

After the party, I went to go out to drink with my friend.
After drinking more, we went to eat Ramen (noodle) at 2 in the morning.
Uhhhh, I shouldn’t…

Ah, it was such a big day!!

Expo in Tokyo and Fun in Gunma

Tokyo and Gunma Trip

I just got back from Tokyo to home yesterday morning, but I left home to Tokyo again early this morning.
It is just one-hour flight from Osaka to Tokyo, but still it is a lot of work for me.
I put all my stuff in a locker at the station in Tokyo.
Since I am not good at remembering which “coin locker” I used, I took a picture to remember where.

I had to help with exhibiting at food expo in Tokyo.
It was actually fun though.
It was hard to stand from 9:00 to 5:30 whole time, but I could talk with many people and fun to sell cakes I produced.
There were not many sales women or talkative girl who has strong Osaka accent, so I became pretty famous at the convention center.
This picture is one of products we exhibited at the expo.
Tarts for Quiche, very good stuff.

After this expo, I took a bullet train to Gunma to see my friend, Ayako.
She is one of my good friends whom I have known since I went to DU.
And this is “Boo”, a pug she has.
What a cute doggie.

Gunma is sort of countryside of Japan, so pretty different from Osaka or Tokyo.
People, landscape, food and culture are different, and it is a part I like to visit there.
Ayako’s family is so nice and warm.
They serve so much food at dinner whenever I visit.
Tonight, Ayako’s brother’s family, Ayako’s friends were there too.
9 of us had dinner all together and it was like a party.
Ah, I ate too much again till midnight.
Uhhhh bad for my health but it was such a nice night.

With Assistants

With Nice People

I am drunk tonight again.
I can’t hold much alcohol, so I did not drink much before.
However, I love drinking lately.
I enjoy drinking, and I feel really good when I am drunk.

It was a busy day today, but I felt comfortable.
One of my assistants caught a cold and was absent from work.
To be absent from work on Monday is the worst thing to do.
Lack of moral as a businessperson.

I had Indian lunch today again.
I like the Indian restaurant which is close to my office, which is run by Indian people.
Today's curry was Pumpkin curry.
Not that good, unfortunately..,

We got a new girl to my department, so we had a welcome party tonight.
All my assistants came to my town since we all live aloes each other.
We went to Japanese restaurant in Toyonaka.

We forgot to take a picture, so some of us who went home by my car took a picture at a parking lot.
Nothing behind…
One of my assistants drove my car and took me home.
How lucky I am to have nice and cute assistants!

Cahnge We Need!!

Yes, We Can!!

*This is a pack of tea I drink at work everyday.

I was so moved by Obama’s winning speech.
Congrats on Obama!
I have wanted him to be President not as Japanese, but as a girl who used to live in the US.
Since America is getting messed up, I wanted someone to change, since I love America.
I am not American, but I was so moved by his speech and really expect him to change America.
At the last minute, suddenly, I wasn’t sure if he would win but McCain would.
Now I am excited but a little scared how America would change.
Anyway, his speech was sooo great.
We bet on this election.
Of course I bet on Obama, and after we got this news at work in this afternoon, we were all excited and repeated, “Yes, we can. Yes, we can.” Just for fun.
But seriously, our department needs changes, and yes, we can!
I am looking forward to seeing how America would change from now on.

This is my outfit today.
Nowadays I love wearing one-piece dress.
Ahhhh, my room is so messy…
I went to gym and did pilates.
It was soooooo hard…
I had not been to gym for a while, but I will try going there often from today.
Promise…

Girl's Night

Drinking with Fever

I am sick now.
I have a cold and I have throat ache, stomachache, and nose running.
I was high because of fever and tiredness.
So I finally took a medicine and got a little better.
The reason why I took medicine was because I had to go out with girls from work.
We have girls’ night like four times a year.
Since I usually talk a lot, they expect me and one more girl to entertain the table.
I was really not feeling to, but after I started drinking, I felt better and we had great conversations.

We went to Karaoke after dinner and it was all right.
I was just so tired and sleepy.

I was so ready to go home, cuz it was like 11:30 PM.
But elder lady said she did not drink enough and she feel lonely.
It seems like she have had problems mentally a bit, she came to me this morning and we talked a bit.
I was worried about her, and also I thought it would be rude to say no since she is older than I.
She really wanted to talk about her problems.
I took her to a Jazz bar in my town, since she loves Jazz.
We were there till 3 in the morning.
I am sooooo sleepy now, but writing this with drunk.
I had such a good time at the bar as usual.
I was so happy that she wanted to share her problem with me today.
She said I should tell her my stuff too, but I didn’t.
She kept saying that I am too dry and she wanted to be closer to me mentally.
It is kinda rare to be told that someone wants to be close to me.
I was happy but I was not confident that I would be open to her completely.
She is a nice lady, but I never be able to be close friends with colleagues, somehow.

We talked a lot with other customers at the bar.
It was fun.
But I am sleepy.
I should go to bed now…

I can’t go back to read what I just wrote, because I am soooo sleepy…
G’night.

My 30th Birthday

30Th Birthday

I woke up and nothing had been changed.
I was like, “What? Is this how 30 suppose to be?”
The first thing I did was writing letter to my parents.
Sounds weird, but this is something I was planning to do when I turn to thirty,
They celebrate my birthday every year, but this time I wanted to thank them.
This sounds stupid, but I almost cried when I was writing the letter because I was thinking all my memory with them for this thirty years.

My day started pretty good, but later, it got worse and worse.
I did a presentation to my dad, but he did not like it and I was scold sooooo bad.
So many people e-mailed me, text me, called me to say happy birthday, but my dad and my boyfriend didn’t.
I was waiting happy birthday from my boyfriend in America but never happened and still not.

I thought “30 is no fun at all, but I met two great person for work.
One is a lady who is an artist.
She was in a project when Nike did “Just Do It”.
She was the member in a group who made the phrase.
The other is an old man who is a founder of one of the most famous café in Japan.
He is like 65 or so and married with French lady.
He had so many stories of his experience in all over the world.
He was a great man.
I fell embarrassed when I talk with those smart people because I don’t know much about anything.
But all of them are so nice to me, and I get motivated by them.

This is how hostclub in Japan is, originally uploaded by yikada.

And after my birthday dinner, I was taken to a host-club, which I have only known by TV.
All the boys celebrated my birthday and drunk a lot.
I drunk so much good wine at dinner and so much shitty champagne at the host-club.
Host-club is one of the most weird place where I have ever been.
Interesting experience, but I would never go again.

I was happy that so many people celebrated my biggest 30th birthday.
However, I am still waiting a word from two men whom I really love.

Relaxing Sunday

Sleepying Is Important

I could not go to bed early last night somehow.
I think I was too excited from the night which I met so many old friends at the same time.
Soon after I got up at noon, I got ready and went to Spa.
Going to Spa is sort of my habit, which I think I deserve.
Very relaxing but I will stop going there soon because of my other interests.

After going to Spa, I did some shopping in downtown.
Recently, while I am walking, shopping or doing anything, I think about my new projects.
It is so much fun to think about it.

Had dinner at my parents’ and got this bracelet.
It was sent to my parent’s house last night.
It does not look my style, but I really really like it.
I am so excited to wear it to work tomorrow.

I came back to my apt pretty early, so I started clean my room, did dishes, and did laundry.
Ah, I feel that I had not been at my apt for a long time.
So nice to be at home.
Gotta get up early tomorrow for a morning meeting.
I will get ready for tomorrow and go to bed early tonight.
Now I know that sleeping is really important for everything.

Successful People

Saw As Many People As I Could


I had been in Tokyo o business for two nights.
I come to Tokyo for sales, meeting, or seminar most of the time, but this time was different.
I met so many successful people.

On 23rd,
I visited a lady who works at a branding company.
She had lived in France for some years, and now she helps me with the idea for opening a store in the US.
I love her characteristic so much.

I saw a nutrition for pets, who has been successful in that field.
She was also successful in NY too.
She is a tough lady, but really nice lady.

On 24th,
I met a 60-year-old lady who is very very successful in food industry in Japan.
She is from Hawaii and she can speak so many languages.
It was very interesting to listen to her story about the time she opened her business 36 years ago.

I took a cooking class with a daughter of a Japanese famous sweets company.
Cuz we got introduced a man who is a founder of the biggest cooking school in Japan.
The picture above is him.
I cooked with him, and I bet nobody would agree that it is a part of my job to take a cooking class.
But it was.

I had dinner with the daughter, a man who works at a big broker company and two more interesting boys.
One is the same age as mine.
He opens his own business in Shanghai by himself when he was 24 years old and being successful.
I learned a lot from him how to open a business outside of our company.
The other is a web designer, but actually the owner of a host-club.
Both are young but they have a strong visions, which made me realize that I have not thought enough.

Seeing lots of successful people are interesting, but to be honest, also tiring.
Some motivate me, but the other depresses me.
It was interesting long Tokyo business trip.