A few of my favorite things ( in the past few months)

1) back to Canada... there's nothing better than seeing old friends
2) seeing Norah Jones live!!!!
3) my best friend's wedding!!! See you in Tanzania soon!!!
4) hanging out with my parents...they are the coolest ever!!
5) spending a relaxing weekend with my hub

On my back

I can't even recall when was the last time I used a backpack

But it's calling me back

I tend to carry A LOT of stuff with me when I go out
My right shoulder is now suffering the consequence

And only recently i realized that backpack is THE remedy to the pain

Feeling HOT HOT HOT!!!

Unfortunately
the heat that I complained on my last post has escalated...

Hiro gave in
A brand new air conditioner is installed in our bedroom since yesterday

I don't particularly fancy artificial coolness
But God bless this new AC
Both of us were able to sleep through the entire night without waking up

it's a blast furnace out there

ok
i might have said this last week
but i am taking it back now

seriously

now it's the only time i will actually appreciated it
if you pour a bucket of ice water on my head

after Day 17

it's pretty obvious that after Day 17

i was way too occupied to blog

and now

i am already into my 3rd month of marriage

between Day 18, wedding and now

it was just filled with craziness, fun, plane rides, presents, blessings and above all

love and laugthers

a low-key simple ceremony at our church

a family wedding in Guam

honeymoon in Italy

moving into our new place

saying thank you

my best friend got married

hiro's best friend got engaged

and MORE!!!!!

it's impossible for me to recap everything

but one thing i know

i am loving every second of this married life
hiro, arigatou

count down: Day Seventeen

pix by jo...while she is not listening at class

another reminders from the wedding prep.

"i am blessed with talented friends"

my friend jo designed the wedding program for me
and when i got the draft
it was just mind blowing

not only it's FABULOUS
it's exactly or more than what i was asking for

jo,
you are awesome!
thank you so much!!!

count donw: Day Sixteen

around 18:00 tonight
text from hiro: 経済部に残った (staying at economics section...no change)

NO WAY!!! was my first reaction
but i guess there is no NO WAY in God

HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

now let's get to business
the moving, the wedding prep, i am with you 100%

count down: Day Fifteen

oh no!! you are not bringing me down!!

we have been waiting for his company to annouce the job placement/ transfer since March 29th

we cannot decide where to live until the annoucement is out

to be honest
it has been irritaitng the both of us and put both of us in a bad mood

The lesson of waiting

"Be still and know that I am God"
is seriously very difficult
but i am learning

tonight
hiro texted me...

nope...news is still not out tonight

i am NOT going to let it get me again just like the past 11 days
i am going to wait...happily...patiently
not today?! then maybe tomorrow!! or the day after!!
we will know it when we need to know it

count donw: Day Fourteen

one of my fav things to do...walking (with or without music)

me and him share many things in common
similar sense of humour (definitely on my top list)
similar taste of music
similar sense of movie choice
we usually agree with each other's choice of gifts, arts, food...etc.

we do of course have differences too
i choose the stairs while he prefers the elevator
i am more care-free (careless) while he is more cautious

i really appreciate all the similarities and the differences between
they make me simle
they make me cry
they build me
they frustrate me
but i am ever thankful

count down: Day Thirteen

a day off on a saturday for hiro?!?
wow!! celebration!!!

it may sound ridiculous that i get so excited
off on the weekend is not taken for granted
either getting off work before 11:30pm

lots are waiting for us to learn

count down: Day Twelve

should i cut my budget for a nice cup of latte? i think not.

great! just as i thought i might have a little extra budget
my car needs to be fixed...
everything costs

japan is famous for being pricy and they are correct
wedding costs a fortune no matter where you are i guess
well, it's once a life time
will not be cheap
but will not waste
spend it right
spend it wise

count down: Day Eleven

a little treat

a little get away

i needed it

but i think hiro needs it more than i do

hiukei, take a deep breath

HE is in control

HE has the master plan

my heavenly Father knows what HE is doing

sidenote:

too bad my honeymoon doesn't involve stopping by France for some delicious sweets

but i am pretty sure Italy won't disappoint me

count donw: Day Ten

wedding gift

お祝い in japanese "oiwai", literal meaning: celebrate, congratulate

wedding reminds me
how blessed and how fortunate i am
to have so many relatives and friends who love and care for me

thank you very much
ありがとうございました。

count down: Day Nine

i cheated
i got lazy
blogging on Day 10 about Day 9

well, don't we all have our lazy day once in a while (or twice? thrice?)?
mine was yesterday

had a slow and relaxing morning
spoiled myself at ★bucks with a nice cup of soy chai tea latte
the idea was to read at least one journal article
but i ended up with a novel in my hand

after the chai
i just strolled around shops
and went to the gym later in the evening

at night, i had a nice long chat with my former supervisor who is more like my mom in japan now

i wonder if i still get to be so care-free after i get married
maybe i will need to be home by a certain hour
maybe i will need to restrain myself from spontaneous activities
maybe i will need to....
hmm....

instead of of making a list
i am just going to enjoy my single life to its fullness
only 22 days left!!!

count down: Day Eight

today is my beauty day

being a bride to be is not easy
well, i guess it all depends on you
you can make it extremely complicated and difficult
or you can make it easy and care-free

i am definitely in the later group
i try my best to minimize things
don't want to create more works for myself...

but i am definitely not giving up the chance for bridal facial/spa
it is a bit costly
but which girl would want to give up the chance to relax and to be pretty?!?
and which girl doesn't want to look the best at her own wedding?

a good 90 mins of quality relaxation (thank you T!! you are amazing!)
i definitely felt a bit guilty that hiro is running around at work while i was laying on the bed getting a massage
maybe i should ask if they have a groom version of it too

count down: Day Seven

the place where all the magic of "hmmmmmm...." happens

sunday
i love sundays
not only it's the day of worship
not only it's weekend
not only it's a dayoff
it's a day that i can spend some quality time with hiro

we had lunch at our faovirte italian restaurant
the pasta is so delicious that we are usually speechless
or you can just hear a coversation like this once the pasta is here

"hmmmmmmm...."
"hmmmmmmmm""
".....oishiiiiiiiiiii....."
".................umai!"
"........................"
"........................"

the chef is super friendly which makes it even better

today
he gave us a list of suggestions of where to visit when we go to Italy for our honeymoon

yes...
Italy it is!!
wine, cheese, pizza, pasta, gelato, the list just keeps going!!
tummy,
get ready for some delicious treats!

count down: Day Six

goodbye...my 6 mths only apt...you will be missed

moving day

hiro and his parents came to help

where am i moving?

i have no idea...yet

i am now back to life living with suitcases

this instability before marriage can drive me nuts...sometimes

as much as i long for excitment and surprises and adventures in life

i think i can only enjoy all the above to thier fullness under the precondition of stability
am i contradicting myself?!?

well, i am not complaining though
i have everything plus a tv, nice bath, heating
and lots of companies
i even can park my car in a garage

God is more than good

count down: Day Five

side by side

day five started right

i woke up
biked down to the bakery
got myself some nice fresly baked rolls and buns
filled my tummy
went back home
and then i just

cleaned. packed. moved. cleaned. packed. moved.

he always offers to help
and i always say "no, it's ok! i can do it"

my dad thinks i should learn to be more like a "GIRL"
aka not to be so tough and try to do EVERYTHING on your own

that's i think it's something i will never learn
should i learn? do i need to learn?
allowing boys to show their strength when needed
i totally agree with it
there is nothing new for me to learn

the thing is i rarely am in need
if i can handle it, why bother asking for help
if i can't handle it, first try, then try again, until i can handle it

but i know there are some truths in my dad's words
the art of allowing your other half to be invovled
the art of sharing
the art of team working as husband and wife
the art of carrying the yoke together as one
the art of being side by side

tomorrow
i will try my best to let him be invovled
i definitely can't carry the washing machine and fridge on my own

count down: Day Four

at this very moment
as i am updating my blog
i am extremely exhausted physically and mentally

a great day
warm sunny weather
took a few children and teenagers to Kyoto for a day trip

went into the huanted house for the 3rd time...and hopefully the last time in my life

the travelling? the walking? the screaming? the huanted house?
i defintiely had fun
but as i walked home from the bus station
i wanted to be left alone although i was alone
i wanted to talk although i didn't feel like talking
i wanted to hear someone's voice although i wasn't in the mood of listening

have you ever have the feeling that you are so exhausted and tired that
you want to be left alone but you want to be hugged at the very same time?

i am now at that very time
i know it's just a burst of mix of emotions that will end in a blink
but i hate it
i hate to pity myself
i hate to feel vulnerable

bed, is where i should go to now
my one and only remedy
i know everything will be new again in the morning

count down: Day Three

happiness can be found anywhere and everywhere...(taken last year when taking an afternoon walk)

happiness was transmitted through the TV tonight
i got to witness and celebrate my friends' wedding on TV today
it was just absolutely fabulous!!

i mean, what are the odds of having your wedding being broadcasted on TV nation wide

long story short
it was a variety TV program doing surprises for ordinary ppl
my friend's friend sent a request to the program and my friends' wedding actually got picked!!!
the program is hosted by Shingo Katori...
it might mean nothing to you
but Shingo is like the top star in Japan

the surprises were wisely and beautifully done
they even had fireworks at the wedding!!!

above all
i am so happy for them
T kun and C san: "Happily Everafter"


Wedding, afterall,
is indeed something very special

i am getting more and more excited for my own!!!

count down: Day Two

a sunny day
took the bike and headed down to town
i love riding on the bike
you are either too fast (vs. car) or too slow (vs. walking)
the speed is just right to savour the beam from the sun and the breeze in early spring

after figuring out more details about the marriage registration
i did a little shopping
a simple white dress
that i am planning to wear for a pre-wedding ceremony at our local church
this is my X times trying to look for a white dress
chicago, kanazawa, tokyo...countless internet search
nothing clicked

however, Day Two marks the day i found my simple white dress
i am happy the search is over
now
i have both my wedding dress for Guam
and my white dress for church
hanging in my room

i wish i can post pix of my wedding dress now
but hiro hasn't seen the dress yet
he wants to keep it as a surprise until the wedding day
so...pix of my dress will be posted after the wedding

count down: Day One

it's in 30 days

my WEDDING

i am suprised that both me and hiro are quite chilled
people around us kept asking if we are busy planning and preparing
to be honest

either of us are

Our minds are occupied by other things

His: the possibility of getting transfered to another department (which he doesn't want)

Mine: moving, documents and forms to be filled, thesis

but we are definitely excited

30 days seem to be long

but i know it will flash by like a thunder

gotta taste and enjoy every single second and moment from now until my wedding day

(my last 30 days of being single!!)

Day one:

packing, cleaning, moved my stuff to his parents' house

chatted with his mom and grandma over coffee and sweets

went to the city hall to ask for details about wedding registration (much more complicated than i thought)
prepared forms for school and grands
went to the gym

day one is just another usual day
but my heart is secretly counting and leaping in joy
just like the one year old me waiting to blow that birthday candle on the cake




making it a habit

to drink at least 1L of water a day

i know
on avg. 60% of the human body is composed by water
but
i don't drink water
i just don't
ever get thirsty?
of course!
always go for something with  flavor
tea, coffee, juice...water is my last choice

but i don't know what got into me recently
media? age? health awareness?
well, i started my 1L per day project a week ago and i am still sticking to it

one thing i learned:
never leave it until the end of the day
waking up in the middle of the night for bathroom is just simply painful

hungry for some HK style fried nooldes?

i kept telling my fiance that HK style fried noodles is nothing like 'yaki soba' here in japan.
it's not the matter of being more delicious (...it definitely tastes better than yaki soba...hehe)
he wasn't so convinced
so i bought the noodles when i was in Hong Kong back to Japan
trying to prove my point

i totally forgot what are in the authentic HK style fried noodles
"just believe in your instinct"
my all time motto for cooking

i am not sure if what i made was authentic
but what matters is that
he LOVED the noodles
and my point was proved

now i am in illnois
for the past 5 days
I have been toWhole Foods (just next to my hotel) and Trader Joe's for 4 times already..
An obessission for sure

"Being-easy-on-myself" kind of day

Cleaned my room
Cleaned the fridge
Made a big pot of vegetable soup
Walked to the bank
Happy that my account is "recharged"
Bused to town
Paid n got my ticket for Chicago
Enjoyed a nice comforting cup of grande light syrup whole soy chai tea latte
With my read "into the wild"
Strolled around n walked into the cinema thinking
"if there is a movie starting at this moment, I will watch it"
And as I checked my phone: 17:45
Screening schedule: ...Happy ending...17:45
It's a Sign!
Enjoyed the movie with only 2 other ppl in the theater
A bit of tears, a bit of laughters
Hungry for sushi
Walked into kaiten (rotating)sushi shop
Feeling full and satisfied
Took a nice 75mins walk home
Relaxing in my bath
And currently blogging

I cannot ask for more

more red envelopes please?

after 16 years of not celebrating a REAL chinese new year
i finally got to enjoy it in my last year of being single

chinese new year is much better when you are single
you get all these red/gold envelopes from families and friends
what's in the envelopes?
money!
of course! seeing families and friends are priceless
but who can resist from having some extra pocket money?

engagement

on 2011.12.03

two oaths were exchanged

a promise was made

until our wedding day